[MoMo]

I got the Thunderbolt Vll today when I visited Edinburgh's Wonderland Hobby Shop. I've posted by opinions/theory about the track and road wheel bogies on chascbv's thread.

I like this model. It has everything, and represents a mature Easy 8 with aplique armour and two machine-guns. It has a simple green coat, with fine weathering, and the trench-art decal looks good on the aplique side panels.


This model is priced £2.00 cheaper than the latest Tigers and 251s, so represents good value.
















I also bought the Dragon kit of the 251/10 auf C. I will get round to it much later! I had a good look at the kit. Apart from containing a brass-etched gunshield for the 3.7 A.T. gun, it has a pair of brass-etched frames for the ammunition panniers which take up the space where the rear bench is normally located. There are dozens of little panniers which will load into the frame. I wonder if we are likely to see such finery on the fully-built model?
From the pic of the model which they are using to take pre-orders it looks as if the ammunition pannier frame is missing and that they have used the benches instead!


I must congratulate Dragon for the work which has been done on detailing this little kit. The brass-etched parts look excellent, and I'll use them on the kit to detail the interior in a fine manner. I'll also leave the doors and window shields open to give it a bit of life ( I wish that they'd take the hint and do this with some of the variants of the 251s ).

When I was in the shop, and the assistant was hooking Thunderbolt Vll from the front window ( not an easy task! ) I spied the first of the 1.16 King Tigers resting on its wooden crate box just inside the window.

I asked ( despite my fears to even think about it ) if I could examine it.

Wow! Awsome! But at £250.00, you have to think hard. I loved the metal tracks. They looked heavy and they felt heavy too. The hatches open, the mud-guards lift up, the tracks roll, the four man crew, including Peiper, look great, the engine looks passable and the camo finish looks hard and worn. Some bits are plastic and some are metal. Alltogether it looks the business. I'll have a closer look at it the next time that I'm over there.



Now, where would I put it, and how could I get it past Kathleen?

[tank nut]

Hey momo you tell her it is a transformer, it is a tank for you and it changes into a dishwashes, dryer and oven for her. I picked up the thunderbolt too, cool tank.

[MoMo]

Or it doubles as a vacum-cleaner!

[chascbv]

A truly impressive model. However, at 250 GBP there is really nothing to consider... Bea would not believe it's a vacuum cleaner, she would correctly believe it's a killing machine, and would use it on my head while asleep!

[MoMo]

or a CAT MINDER ? ( for when you go off on a day trip and have to leave the cat. What would be better than another cat to keep Tiddles company? )

What? Too thin?

I could just hide it in a cupboard and pretend that it was a wooden box for a power drill. But no! Then I would have to do all those odd jobs which keep threatening to eat into my important lying about time when I have to do all my important thinking, reading, writing and watching.

Back to Plan 9..................

[tank nut]

What happed to the other 8 plans. hehehehehehhe hahahhah.

[MoMo]

I was thinking of " Plan 9 From Outer Space " !

[MoMo]

I've been tracking prices for the newer Dragon 1.72 scale models, as you may have read above, and I thought that it might be interesting to see how the prices are holding out for the anticipated releases by Dragon in September.

toybox say that the re-released 'captured' Firefly with an additional figure is going to come in at £11.99. At the same time, the 105mm gunned Easy Eights will be £9.99.

Does this pricing make any sense? £2.00 for a painted figure with a previously released model !

The question that must be asked is this : recent releases by Dragon have been priced as high as £12.99. Some releases in the pipeline are £9.99 and £11.99. So what accounts for the price variations?

Keep monitoring those prices!

Due, Sepember, price £11.99
Model Number : DR60319
SHERMAN FIREFLY Vc "UNDER EXAMINATION" GERMAN ARMY 1945 with a GERMAN CREWMAN

Due in September, price, £9.99
Model Number : DR60315
US SHERMAN M4A3 (105mm gun) HVSS, 713th TANK BATTALION OKINAWA 1945

Same date and price for this one :
model Number : DR60316
US SHERMAN M4A3 (105mm) HVSS 20th ARMOURED INF.BATTALION, 10th ARMOURED GERMANY 1945

MoMo

[tankguy]

Well, we can be sure that most or all rereleases are for poor sellers. The boring captured firefly and craned-up endless jagdtigers didn't sell at all according to dealers I know, so Dragon is trying to clear up its warehouses by throwing in some additional value to its duds. Same reason why so many repeats showed up in those exclusives awhile back. Time will tell whether they can actually move these now. I bet if they threw in a fig of Hitler "reviewing" the newly captured tank it would sell!

[Cavtanker]

And then if Dragon started producing 'captured back again' models, then those would sell!