http://www.italeri.com/News/p0307Ita.htm

Here on the above link, Italeri is listing the new M24 Chaffee release for this month...

Wonder if we'll really see it this month...

The Backfire Bomber looks pretty interesting too.

Gunnie

Gunnie:

Thanks for the heads up on this. I've been wanting to get my hands on a 1/35th Chaffee for a long time. Thanks.

Steve

I'm in line for this kit too.
Like they say, "Hurry up and wait"!

Is it new though? Italeri have a mania to re-release and to re-release ad infinitum.. I hope its new though...Jim

It's new(er). Italeri, reportedly, went back and made some modifications to the original mold to include details and a set of tracks commensurate with the WW II variant of this plucky little fighting tank. Of course, none of us has seen and held the plastic yet to verify this claim.

My bet is that Terry Ashley over on PMMS will get one - and - review the contents before we get to see it...

Gunnie

You got that right, Gunnie.

I built the "old" Italeri M24 Chaffee kit right after it came out -- and before there was any aftermarket for it. It was quite a project, but fun. I mounted it on an uneven base and "sprung" the suspension to conform to the groundwork. I used a old set of Pz. III or IV tracks t give it more "correct " tracks: and made all the mods to backdate it to WWII. Made my own details with plastic, brass and wire.

Of course, I later picked up another kit, plus the On the Mark PE set and a Rubio barrel, but I never built that one. Now I may save all the aftermarket stuff, get the new kit and send the old to a club kit auction or raffle (Of course, I could always save it to do a major conversion, like an M19 or a self-propelled howitzer ... hmmmmmm.).

Yes, I remember building the Chaffee kit when it first came out when I was in college. Had to be around the 1985-86 time frame. Even though it is a post war variant, this is still a very excellent kit. Good to see them go back and correct a kit, but let's hope that the original variant will still be available. Be great if both sets of tracks were included to do WW2 and post war and that the WW2 adjustments are just a separate sprue with add-on parts.

Kind of like when Tamiya retooled the M1 into the M1A1. Now no one makes an M1 or has the ability to make an M1IP without that M1 to update.

THe Backfire may be a re-release of the old ESCI kit from 1990 or so.

Hell, I must be getting old. I've still got an Italerie Chaffee in the wall of kits to be built. So, it went out of production and is now being re-released, well I missed the boat on that one. Could of sold it for a profit and then bought this new one, of course it'll probably be 10 more years till I get around to it.