Yes, another TWO Variants for the Sd.Kfz 7 in 1/35th scale... The full reports with Details and Images can be seen:

Link to Item

If you have comments or questions please post them here.

Thanks!

WOW!!!! I like the 7/2 early and the cargo version.My poor wallet!!!!

Looks like the got the right trailer for at least ONE kit! The Sd.Ah.52 is correct for the Sd,Kfz.7/1 (late).

It would be nice if Trumpeter would offer their trailers as stand-alone kits so we "rivet counters" could kit bash. Their recently-released 7/1 has the Sd.Ah. 51 which is incorrect.

The Wiener Modelbau Sd.Ah. 57 is still the only correct trailer for the 7/2.

It's a great time for us Sd.Kfz. 7 fans!

Right. Put these suggestions down and e-mail me them and i'll pass them on. I think it WOULD be better if they were released as seperate models anyway..

Now to persuade someone to do the big U.S. 'Ben-Hur' trailer in 1/35th...

Can't help you on US trailers, but check your inbox for the other idea.

If Trumpeter did the Sd.Ah.57 and released it and the 52 as separate kits, "rivet counters" like me could "mix & match" trailers and get the correct ones. It's not that complicated.

It's a great time for me!

Bill, Bill, Bill, i'm afraid your comments about these releases have been interpreted as a 'Lovefest' and you've been described as both a 'Shill' and a 'Cheerleader'.

Tokio Rose's sidekick ('Blabbermouth Scott') seems to be getting his little pink panties in a real knot about your comments...

Bill as a cheerleader? Short skirt and lettered jersey? Too early in the day to get my head round that particular image...

Cheerlead away Bill!!! I think the same would be great; seperate trailer kits or a boxed set of them (like AFV Club's halftracks). I'm sure the trailers (or at least the basis of them) were used for other things.

Jim, man....looking at Bill's avatar, I get the heebee geebee's thinking about that mug in a jersey and skirt....

Mike

Cheerleader?

I'm flattered. The moustache might be a little off-putting....

Hey, if they think I'm in Trumpeter's corner, wait until I review the DML 7/1 Vierling.

And if DML's 7/2 ends up in my post box, then so much the better!

I realize the following comment is slightly off-topic and apologize for that but...

On the box art posted above, I'm seeing two KT and two Jagdpanther on the bridge. We're talking roughly 228 tons moving on the structure. I know very little about engineering physics, but this strikes me as odd. Could that bridge really sustain such a weight?

I think you may find it's called 'Artistic Licence'....

Give me a "T"
Give me an "R"
Give me a "U"
Give me an "M"
Give me a "P"
Give me an "E"
Give me another "T"
Give me another "E"
And another "R"

What's that spell? Competetion and choice..the way it ought to be.
This is not the MDFC!!!!!!!!

On a serious note I don't believe that Trumpeter has corrected the size of the on-board pioneer tools. They still look far too small. Just an observation.

And just for the record....I'm a big fan of DML products too!!!!

Bodeen, what's not to cheer for?

We're likely going to have NINE Sd.Kfz.7 variants on the market by year's end. That's right-- NINE!

Five from Trumpeter, four from DML.

It's a hobbyist's dream come true. Not only will their be competiting versions, but it looks as though the only thing not covered is the V2 command & control vehicle that's pretty scarce and specific.

And if Trumpeter releases their trailers (and, God willing, fabricates the Sd.Ah.57 in styrene), then modelers will be able to build just about any version of these vehicles, includng the gepanzerte ("armored") Early War version that has turned up (this model with the armored cab, but curved mud guards).

If that makes me a cheerleader, then I proudly accept the connotation.

I really like this, any chance of some one telling a guy like me who knows pretty much nout where these served?

Pretty much everywhere.

This particular variant is a LW version. You can tell from the squared-off mud guards. By the middle of WW II the Germans no longer had the time or manpower to create the finely-crafted coachwork you see on the earlier versions of the Sd.Kfz.7s.

Originally designed for FLAK cover for armored units, these babies proved devastating on ground targets. It had a practical rate of fire of over 800 rounds per minute.

You mean a styrene one ? As CGM Productions has already released 2 resin Ben Hur kits

Wooden body (028A) :

Steel body (029A) :


Frenchy

Frenchy, I have already designated May as "1/35th Trailer Month" because there are so many options coming online!

Bill, you forgot the Mayor Quimby voice:

'Let May be henceforth known as Springfield's Month of the Trailers'....

Even more German trailers from DesKit (including a generator and some Flak-related stuff) : http://deskit.online.fr/02_pages/03_materiels_35/materiels_allemands_35/materiels_allemands_35_03.htm

Frenchy

Loves it, though I'm more of a "Family Guy" guy (Stewie!!).

Quote:"What's that spell? Competition and choice..the way it ought to be.
This is not the MDFC!!!!!!!!"

This was really the gist of my post. I love the fact that all of these "bloggers" call Armorama "Buglerama" and make fun of any positive remarks about Trumpeter. I am all for choice and this "war" between DML and Trumpeter offers a huge choice for modellers.

Jeff

Personally, my reaction to seeing this news headline was "Gawd, not another 2 Sd.Kfz. 7s". As much as I like the vehicles, as such as I like seeing more kits released, I must say I find the fact that 2 manufacturers will have (if it actually happens) released 9 Sd.Kfz. 7s by the end of the year rather dull. As do I find this little show of one-up-manship rather tiresome. I mean what's next? DML release whatever variant Trumpeter have that they don't plus a field kitchen variant - Trumpeter follow suit by releasing a kitchen variant plus kitchen variant including kitchen sink?!?

I'm all for competition, but apart from more choice in kits, is the consumer really benefiting? Most of these variants are only marginally different (yeah okay not a marginal difference between the types of guns they's portee'ing) and relatively easy and fun conversions to do anyway. It's not like we're seeing them enter a price war - now that would be to our benefit (although the Trumpeter Sd. Kkz.7/1 2cm Flakvierling 38 auf Selbstfahrlafette does appear to sell for about US$20 cheaper).

I wonder how many of these kits will actually sell? I wonder how many modellers will actually buy all 5 or 6 variants that will be available by the end of the year? I'm curious what kind of ROI the manufacturers are forecasting and what it actually will be?

Personally I'd have preferred for these manufacturers to have staggered the release of these variants more over a few years with a more diverse spread of products in between. It gives us more to choose from now, and keeps us wanting more in the future - and something to look forward to in time.

Just my opinion - I don't expect anyone to agree with me, but that's okay, you're entitled to your opinion too.

Rudi

I definitely share that view along with virtually other point in your post. There is NOTHING healthier for any market than competition, now I believe, that it's going WAY too far. When DML or Trumpeter announce a UNIQUE (for them) subject such as Trump's T-62s or DML's (NEW) Firefly Ic Hybrid people get extremely enthusiastic. I see that with the page-views on the News Reports. A Report, which, with a genuinely NEW subject will go into the 6-7000+ page view category, There IS almost a 'groan' and the announced-release of the same variant of the same vehicle goes into the 2500-3000 range.

Of course there IS another side to this. Those (many) modelers who DON'T use the 'Net as their primary source of info (or those websites who ONLY cover ONE manufacturer) must be getting completely confused if they go into a well-stocked Hobby Store and find 7-8 Sd.Kfz 7 variants on the shelves. What DO they do in these situations? Buy the old Tamiya one as they'll know what they're getting.

This is the irony, with all these new models, it may just be easier to go for a familiar brand. If i was in marketing in Tamiya, i'm damned sure i'd re-release ALL of their Sd.Kfz 7 models!

Rudi, Jim, you both raise some good points.

At least three of these kits could be released as "2 in 1" versions, since they're very similar: this is especially true of the Trumpeter FLAK 37 & FLAK 43 models and the Late War and Early War Sd.Kfz.7/1 Vierling. But with Tamiya's Sd.Kfz.7 variants a veritable "cash cow" for the firm for the past 3 decades, I presume both companies see these kits as more than paying for themselves. For one thing, the molding and technology for the underlying chassis is the same, so we're talking about adding a gun platform (the incorrect one in Trumpeter's case for the 7/1) and some minor other parts (armoring for the radiator and an armored cab, plus different mudguards).

So in terms of ROI, this is a very shrewd move.

I think the marketing by both companies has been poor, with the confusion and "noise" from the competing announcements likely to delay consumers from making purchasing decisions (marketing geek speak for "their food fight is either going to piss off modelers or make them wait to buy"). But in terms of the LHS market, especially in Asia where their base customers are, extending the franchise in this way seems very shrewd to me.

And given the HUGE over-popularity of Axis models over almost anything else, a new T-55 might be a more exciting announcement than another Sd.Kfz.7, but it's likely not going to sell the same amount of product.

Your mileage may vary.