What do you think of this diecast tank?
 

My first impression is that the model was terrible. What an ugly looking tank and the production quality is waay sloppy to my standard. However it occurred to me now that it might be a fun tank.

The reasoning is this. I usually collect high quality diecast tank such as Minichamps and their price range means I do not dare to play with them at all so they are sitting there on the cabinet day in, day out. Not that you can play much with them anyway.

However this tank while being ugly may be a very fun tank to actually play a bit. It has got opening hatches and running tracks and wheels. It looks so ugly that it actually looks weirdly good. I may play with it a bit unlike those Minichamp tanks which I treat like a God damn holy grail.

http://www.flyingmule.com/products/UM-80014


However another diecast a large 1:48 Su-27 has come to my attention as well though this one would cost considerably more. I'm planning to scrutinize the quality in another 2 weeks before deciding to get it and if I get it. However even if I do get it I won't possibly play with it at all as its size would make it unpractical to be played with.

Gosh I'm old enough not to be playing toys but today it occurred to me that some models may be fun to be played a bit :haha:

So what do you think of this Panzer IV? This tank came to my attention again as I prowled to look for a 1:72 Hobby Master T-55 which is so small and cost about half of that BIG ugly but good and fun Panzer IV. There's the King Tiger from Unimax as well as KV-1 but they look rather boring and I think Panzer IV looks like the most fun tank.

Don't know about the tank, but their Lancaster is hideous! :nope:

Indeed Unimax is well known for sloppy production which means their aircraft series might be at disadvantage to their tank series.

I stumbled upon a much better looking Dragon Panzer IV Ausf G

http://www.falconbbs.com/m41-095.jpg

http://www.falconbbs.com/m41-100.jpg

http://www.falconbbs.com/m41-096.jpg

Local Dragon retailer has gone bust. There's no way to get this model here :damn:

Edit:

But still the Unimax Pz IV Ausf G is a more fun model and bigger in scale slightly. Or to be exact it may be all okay as long as I'm getting the Unimax and treat it more like a toy than a model. I'm lacking that toy in my collection. I've had a few high end models of tanks, planes and exotic cars and every one of them though looks or feels very nice is practically unplayable which in the long run making them dull (or rather making me dull). I just need something to roll on the bed when I'm bored or on the desk. :D. Been a long time since I explore the little kid in me. I'm tired being so serious also in my collecting.

Nobody likes diecast tanks here?

Found a review of the same model with different scheme, just in case anyone needs it.

http://www.warbird-photos.com/gpxd/v...ic.php?p=90360

I decided to get it and it took some assembly and some were hard due to tight fit or loose one and some are out of reach from fingers.

I must say I'm happy. I know it fares much less than a Dragon 1:35 Panzer IV Ausf G but overall I think it is a fun model to collect. Not as much fun as I would like it to be because though the wheels and tracks rotate and roll, they don't do that smoothly so no chance of rolling the tank all over the study desk or bed :hmmm:.

The thing is the price is fair imo. About twice the price of a small 1:72 Hobby Master tank. I mean for twice the price you get a lot more detail and mass and much more metal. It looks convincing enough so much so that I'm thinking to collect more of these especially the Pershing and maybe KV-1 or King Tiger(Konig Tiger/ Tiger II). But if I do collect more I may have to postpone getting that 1:48 Flanker. :DL

That one huge Flanker costs 4 of these fun models.

One thing I noticed is that it came with a play card. I think the producer is trying to make this tank a table miniature war game pieces. It certainly would be cool to see them used as such though I can't imagine the size of the table needed. Probably at least a medium sized room one.

One little thing that irked me is that when I was trying to investigate the hull machine gun to know whether it is made of plastic, rubber or metal, my gentle pinch broke it. Nothing big that can't be fixed with a little glue but I'm a perfectionist somewhat. Luckily it is a fun model to collect :DL

Here a couple pictures

Forces of valor 1:32 Panzer IV Ausf G, Kursk 1943, enthusiast version.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v3...udus/Pz4G2.jpg


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v3...udus/Pz4G3.jpg



I'd recommend this model to any Panzer IV enthusiast. Even if you don't like Panzer IV it's an important tank to collect as it is the only German tank which production and deployment lasted throughout the whole second world war. Yes Dragon 1:35 panzer IV Ausf G may look much better but forces of valor is the more fun model and a tad more affordable as well I believe and bigger in scale. Besides Dragon's 1:35 Panzer IV Ausf G has been discontinued I believe.

Edit: Weird I just found the second picture to be missing today.

Nice,:up:

Not a bad looker but having been a collector of Tamiya 1/35 in a previous life I must admit I prefer that scale.

Yeah I just realized that Forces of valor 1:32 may be worth collecting. I always thought of them being children toys. They are fun to collect as they come with bunch of diorama pieces and a figure. And they are far heavier than Dragon's 1:35 line.


I may hunt for the M26 Pershing next if it's available in local retailer. Didn't have time to sift through all their FOV collection and they don't have that many. KV-1 and King Tiger are there but somehow I think they are rather boring model to collect. They look good though especially the King Tiger with zimmerit coating and Porsche turret but somehow they pass me as being boring models. If only they had T-55 or IS-3 or IS-4 in 1:32 . . . . .

They cost a mere a third of a Minichamps 1:35 tank so I feel more confident playing with FOV more often.

Ah Tamiya? Are they masterwork collection? I can't afford master work collection and besides I'd think they are too expensive to be too fragile.

My other tanks are 1:35 too(mostly self assembled model kit and 3 Minichamps) and about eight 1:72s. This is my first 1:32 but it is also my first big scale WWII tank. So I guess if I keep the scale to WWII tanks I'll be alright.

I just couldn't resist the twisting metal skirt and the mud and the exhaust rust. It's what a workhorse tank should look like. Ugly, dirty and bent than pristine. You can actually see some indentation on the turret skirt to portray bounced small caliber shell marks. Even some metal patches to fix previous large caliber shell penetrations(holes) on the turret skirt.

Tamiya are a model company and 1/35 was my favourite scale as well as 1/700 waterline series IJN ships and subs.

http://www.tamiya.com/english/produc...m/kit35003.htm

Yeah I know they are a model kit maker company but they also sell their ready made kit line called masterwork series. It's already pre-built by Tamiya's pro-modeler and though they look good they cost a fortune. For a tank I don't think they are worth the price but for bigger models like Battleships they really do look pretty and may be well worth the price.

http://www.tamiya.com/english/produc...work/index.htm

Some pictures of their masterwork line:

http://www.tamiya.com/english/produc...work/21002.jpg

http://www.tamiya.com/english/produc...work/21006.jpg

http://www.tamiya.com/english/produc...work/21008.jpg

Ah, right...I'd forgotten about those.

What sort of prices do they command?

Probably more than the entire evening with the lads, :doh:

Ah I don't know how much they fetch outside but here a 1:35 Tamiya masterwork tank would set you back about 500 bucks. :nope: :haha:

I can't imagine how much the Battleships would cost.

But I guess some people may do spend 500 bucks for the entire evening with his friends. . . . .If so no wonder he or she got friends :O:
You can spend from 15 bucks to anything going out I mean.

The Panzer IV now is all alone in the cabinet. I hope I can find the Pershing.

Sorry for the figure clutter
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v3...eIVAusfG-1.jpg