Looks like AEF Designs seems to have a Canadian LAV 3 conversion for release. Anybody seen this kit or any reviews?

AEF Designs

cheers

Nothing appears to be known about the kit, not even on the Modern Canadian Vehicles Discussion Group

There are many modellers that have had many different experiences AEF Designs' products.

There have been a couple on eBay already being auctioned by a hobby shop in Colorado.

http://cgi.ebay.com/AEF-Designs-1-35-Canadian-LAV-III-Kodiak-resin-stryker_W0QQitemZ190157384362QQihZ009QQcategoryZ2588QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Interesting, they sell for 50 dollars on the web site, and the starting bid was 39.95.

cheers

That would be the curse of eBay.....the piper plays his flute and the lemmings run right over the deadly eBay cliffs.

It's interesting that eBay at least has a small-ish sized pic of the box contents. Can't really tell anything by it but at least it gives an idea of the look of it.



I'm almost tempted.........



Bob

Be afraid. Be very afraid!

Why is that?

cheers

It doesn't suprise me at all that there is an image of the kit on eBay and nothing on AEF's site.

Spills the beans? OK, AEF is very hit and miss....some stuff is OK while others are not OK...poor quality casting and lots of air bubbles.

I have have both good and bad experiences with AEF products....
-the LAV tires were pretty good

-the LAV interior was not great casting but there was lots of items....some not useable

-the Cougar AEF put out in 2002 was not good at all...it was lacking lots of details and was not in the realm of great casting....I see an AEF Cougar is listed again on the site.

It's fine to be tempted but......let the buyer beware.

Like Gary said.....do a search for "AEF" at Missing Lynx in the General and Modern forums.....and settle in for lots of reading from unhappy modellers.

Wow! I did not AEF had done a LAV III They must have come out with it just a long time ago before the Trumpeter version. MMmmmmmmm! It would be nice to know from the seller why he is selling the kit.

Charles,

The AEF Designs LAV III conversion is based on the AFV Club Stryker. So, it did not come out before the Trumpeter kit.

Hobby shops sell things on Ebay all the time....they want to make money too. It is a Hobby shop selling the conversions not a private seller.

AEF Designs needs to sort out which base kit is needed for their LAV III conversion before they make more ticked off people.

On their site it says the LAV III conversion CA-11 is "For AFV Club “Stryker” ONLY"........but if you look on the box on eBay is says for conversion CA-11....."for Trumpeter Stryker ONLY"

Interesting Jason, I didn't notice the AFV Club/Trumpeter Stryker basde kit discrepancy from their webiste and on the box cover. Thanks for pointing that out....it's yet another point to consider.



Bob

Quality control can be a major problem, If they have their act together they shouldn't be afraid of maybe letting a set out for a review. I've read on the Modern Canadian DG that they have yet to get back to anyone about review sets, which to me is suspect. I'd like to build a LAV-III without doing a ton of scratch building and modification, maybe Trackjam or MLM will make one that I can be confident in buying.

As had been previously stated on Armorama and some other sites Paul Fredenburg of Trackjam is working on a Canadian LAV III conversion.

My opinion about AEF Designs is not based on hearsay. I had an opportunity to look at pretty much all their products in person while they were being carried by The Barrel Store in Calgary a couple of years ago. A few of them I bought, some of them I am glad I could look at so I could make an informed decision not to buy them.

I bought the AEF Cougar kit back in 2002....looked over it in detail and promptly returned it....AEF contacted me afterwards to suggest improvements for the kit....maybe they have added them to the "new" Cougar release....maybe not.

I forgot that he said he was working on one here on the forum, faded from mind since nobody mentioned it in awhile. I Wonder how it's going?

Ditto what Jason said, my opinion (expressed on this site and ML at other times) on AEF stuff isn't based on hearsay, but on actual products that I have purchased. As has already been noted several times, his stuff is hit or miss at best, and even when it's a "hit" it's still taken more work than any other A.M. resin I've worked with. Again, I'd go with the rule of thumb; if you can't check it out first hand before purchase, then don't. Oh, and don't even mention customer NO service. It really is a shame as Tony makes some unique subjects.

Mike

In my own opinion, if you want a LAV-III conversion, wait for the people at Maple Leaf Model to have their conversion kit ready to go. You will be assure that it's going to be accurate.

As someone relatively new to this forum and to using a lot of after market components I must say I'd never go near AEF solely based on what respected members of this and other forums hasve said about their products. It does make a difference to me what people say here because I rely almost 90% on mail order for my modeling addiction. On the other hand I must say that what AEF has, in terms of subject matter, is unique and it appeals to my aesthetic.
What does it take to go from a closet resin producer to a full blown state of the art small time resin producer? Where is it that AEF is falling down? It doesn't seem to be the masters so it has to be the casting itself. Often time I find bits of RTV in a complex resin piece. In Accurate Armour I find them a lot so that means the mold degenerates over time and new molds have to be made is that right? How many complicated castings can a producer make from a good quality mold before it self destructs?
I have made RTV molds that yield bad resin parts because of air bubbles and I use air channels in complex molds too. Matt Leese has helped me to see the next evolution to making better resin parts and it starts to get expensive from here on in. Pressure pots vacuum chambers, heavier mold walls and slower setting resin being a start.
What would it take, for example AEF, to resolve it's casting/production problems?
Bill

Gary
it appears you are right about customer service by looking back at the threads. AEF never answered my emails either. An important factor in my buying resin is as someone has already pointed out, the review. You get a look at the kit you have a reasonable person assessing the components and quality and you decide if you think it's worth it or not. By offering a kit for review is a sure sign that you, as a manufacturer, are confident that it will help you and not hinder you. Perhaps the lack of kits for review from AEF says it all.
You'd think though that the demographic of these forums is the market for AEF's productions and that they'd really want to tap into this like "Real Model" and "Mig" have just to name a few, I have bought from both the above.
I really like AEF's subjects and I'd look at them again if they could satisfy the reasonable members of these forums.
Bill