Airfix

[DogfighterZen]

Rui, I'd still run with the 1/35 M706, the way they're broken down into their parts would make the mod's not exactly easy, but still not overly difficult.

Guy your right and so am I 😆
Both vehicles share the same chassis and hull ..the wheels and rims are different tho between the models but  that's just age difference between the 706 and the 150 lav .
Hell the only reason to got the M150 cause was cheap and I had an idea for the turret ..that changed by the way   

The Vietnam version has 2 sets of outer rims, IIRC the difference is the number of wheel studs.
I would also start with a kit; as has been said, it'll be easier in the long run than starting with a flat sheet of card.
Cladding over the existing upper hull (with or without cutting the existing away), using 20 thou or so would do the job.
There are 2 sets of Driver's hatches, as well; bulged and flat, and other parts should be useable. The firing port covers are separate parts.
The turret is also not a million miles away from the Commando kit, so should be useable too.

 
That's what i'll probably do cause today i received a notification mail from google saying the mail i sent to the Portuguese company that used to make the resin kit was not delivered as it seems their inbox is over it's capacity. They probably ended the company cause i'd never heard of them and i believe it was only a short-term project to allow a few more interested modellers to be able to get one instead of making the kits widely available. I'll be looking for good references on the Chaimite but i'm not holding my hopes up too high as it's normally hard to find good stuff about Portuguese military equipment.

[jcf]

I don't know if you've seen this blog,
but it has a lot of Chaimite info, as
well as all kinds of other stuff:

http://rodasdeviriato.blogspot.pt/search?q=Chaimite

Drawing found on web:
You cannot view this attachment.

[Rick Lowe]

'Google, and ye shall find!' 
You really never know what's out there.

[Beermonster58]

They put a tweet up not long ago asking people what it would take to get them to switch to larger scales, 1/48th or 1/32nd. I wasn't the only one whose reply amounted to "wild horses..."

I'd echo that sentiment.

[PR19_Kit]

Like almost all of the current 'Hornby Group', they've lost sight of their heritage, or at least they only remember it when it suits them anyway.

[jcf]

Sorry but the notion that Airfix intends to
abandon 1/72nd scale is silly. Increasing
the number of 1/48th scale offerings in
their catalog is because the market is
there and ignoring that market sector is
not smart business. 
The world changes and moves on and
railing against it has never changed a
thing. 

[kitbasher]

Sorry but the notion that Airfix intends to
abandon 1/72nd scale is silly. Increasing
the number of 1/48th scale offerings in
their catalog is because the market is
there and ignoring that market sector is
not smart business.
The world changes and moves on and
railing against it has never changed a
thing.

What I was thinking.  Airfix was relatively late entering the 1/48 market, IIRC their first aircraft offerings in that scale were repops of ARII kits.
They've certainly cought up since.

[Pellson]

I think you're both right. The money today is in the bigger scales and I believe many newcomers go for a bigger scale mainly because it's "cooler" with a bigger model once it's done. There's also more money available for toy purchase today than fifty years ago, making a more expensive entry less onerous to the seller.

That said, many if us already in the hobby was brought in on cheap small kits, such as the venerable JE-J mk IX spit etc. We're now staying in 1/72 because that's where our collections are.

I think 1/72 will live on, even if Airfix goes elsewhere. Eastern Europe can't really afford those big honking startup kits, and that market will likely cater for the rest of us for a while longer. But where Airfix goes is a different story.

[PR19_Kit]

Sorry but the notion that Airfix intends to
abandon 1/72nd scale is silly. Increasing
the number of 1/48th scale offerings in
their catalog is because the market is
there and ignoring that market sector is
not smart business.
The world changes and moves on and
railing against it has never changed a
thing.

I've never suggested that they're abandoning 1/72, they're just not doing anything about doing new 1/72 stuff and concentrating on 1/48. where they see that the money is.

And as of 'railing' on about it, I'll 'rail' as much as I feel like! I was building those original 1/72 kits before many others here were even figments of their parent's imagination!