I managed to win on ebay the old Peerless Max version of the Dragon wagon. What's great about it is the trailer. Its the M-15a1 version. I here Shep Pane really trashed the kit. How bad off is the trailer? Somebody mentioned an article. If I could get a reference or a copy that would be cool. The tractor might be useful for spare parts. Plan to hook trailer up to an M123c when I get around to ordering that next week. If anybody collects , I'll remove the trailer and copy the directions. I'' sell box, directions and the Tractor for $6 plus shipping

It's in Shep Paine's Modeling Tanks and Military Vehicles. A superb modeling reference and highly recommended. I know it is still available and the article is chapter 12.

i have the book and if you like i could scan in that chapter and e-mail it to you!

jerry

well, the good...well, there is no good news. sorry.

Shep was so distraught by the trailer that in the article, he SCRATCHBUILT a new one. Yeesh. Also, the dimensions of the trailer are off AND it is closer to either 1/32 or 1/40 scale or something...I don't have the book here

well bummer! thought I had scored a good addition. Jerry please email that chapter to me at [email protected] I'll see what I can salvage, might just wait a bit and resell it back on ebay when the demand gets high for it

Not to rain on any sharing of articles - I know my local library has that Shep Paine book. I used to check it out regularly until I won a copy on Ebay.

Just tossing out another option for you.

Ditto what Jacques wrote. You'd do well to have the article, but if it really isn't a big deal, then don't let it damped your spirits.

Good Luck!

Gunnie

Thanks Gunnie. One thing I ain't is Shep Paine. He is perhaps the greatest, but he also is perfectionist. I'm not. If the thing is only a little off, then it ain't no big deal. I might be able to lengthen it a bit if it's really too short. A scale foot or two well.. I've seen the articles about the guys who measure a new kit and tell you it is a scale 4 inchs off and how to fix it. Gee a whole one eighth of an inch in 35th scale. And thanks to you Slodder I'll check the local library its small, but you never know but if Jerry can still email the chapter, I'l be quite happy to get it

Blaster Ive just checked my copy of Sheps bible he says entire assemblies are missing,others seem to have been from the designers imagination the wheels are pitifully small, and other mistakes to many to mention he salvaged the cab and frame but both needed extensive modifications. shame that but might be a challenge,good luck.

Thanks EASY. Decisions will have to be made after I get the article and the kit. THere are wheel sets out there that aren't too bad and with me, reasonablly close is a lot looser than Shep Paine's definition. besides, I'm only doing the trailer. I also have the Tamiya kit to give me guidance for part duplication. I once scratch built a Tiger interior copying the pieces from the Academy kit. While not as good, it was a definite improvement on the kit I was building. Besides, I'm not entering competition, just want a decent looking trailer to hook up to the tractor kit I plan to buy. It'll be the show piece.

I would recomend buying the SHEP book...it is well worth the money.

Also, having met Shep in Chicago, he is not the textbook version of a perfectionist. He wants things to LOOK good, even if they are not physically accurate...He is the one who coined "gizmology" for representing assemblies, not building them accurately. He is a fairly normal modeller in real life...has a desire to make "art" but is not so anal. I actually saw him take a penlight from another judge and told him to quite being so anal about judging...the contest was not a IPMS event! HA! I thought even more of Shep after all that.

As for the DW...I would recomend using it as a BASE to make parts for the Tamiya kit. ALso, there is a A1 conversion out there for the DW trailer from Tamiya. Real Models??

Blaster, while you're scanning the instructions, how about scanning the trailer too! I think that's the only way I'll acquire something to tow behind my M123!

Jacques the perfect solution would be to spend $125 for a resin kit or $80 for a second Tamiya Dragon Wagon and another $45 for the Real MOdels upgrade kit Unfortuneatly some of us don't have much money for those sort of things. I spent $35 on this kit and maybe I'll spend another 25 or so to get it close enough. Plan to plop a tank model on top and Viola I'm there. Stevie boy is happy and he's the only one that matters. Just want something to put behind my M123, hell if Twisted Fate can do what he did to those two tank models earlier this year. Of course accepting contributions to the M15a1 kit fund are always welcome and if you've got some of that stuff just lying around, I'll gladly put it to use

Couldnt agree more more, use Sheps article as a guide its good, build it enjoy it and take lots of photo's. all the best.

Gotcha Blaster...and I agree. $125 for the resin trailer is a bit steep...unless you keep running on eBay. Those TW kits seem to be selling for far less nowadays...and I know you can get a Tamiya DW for $60 or less if you stick to it on eBay. Not that you really wnat ot put that much more into this kit...

My suggestion was more to just use the Peerless max kit and Shep's article to modify the Tamiya trailer you have...it would be correct behind either the DW or the M123. Sorry I cannot add to your stash myself, I too have visions of a A1 trailer from the Tamiya kit...I did not know the Real models conversion was THAT much money either...yeesh! I know I have quite a few kits, but it is only because I am a massive tight-wad!

Blaster:

It's worth something unbuilt to a collector. It's worthless if you build it. It is crap.

Cut your losses, resell it on eBay, wait until Hobby Lobby has another 50% off sale and get a Tamiya Dragon Wagon.

An addendum: If you really want that trailer, get the Shep Paine article, get a Tamiya DW, take the rear axles and whatever else you may need, scratch the rest. It is worth it for the tires and axles alone. Then sell the spares to us po' folks on Armorama. (If you don't want it...)

Ok Jaster...I saw the post in the Hetzer threas, and I thought you should know that I was not advocating dumping a large amount of dough to "make it right" nor was I getting in a twist over the thought of the Peerless Max trailer with the M123.

What I was trying to make my main point is that if you had hoped that putting the PM trailer behind the M123 would make you happy, I thought you might be mistaken once you saw the real deal. I know the feeling of having "great thoughts" about a particlar kit only to be heavily let down by the reality. Modelcrafts "1/35" M8 Tractor is a example. It is the old Nitto 1/32 scale kit. I was VERY dissapointed when I got that kit in the mail. Thoght you deserved fair warning about your buy.

However, maybe it still does not matter to you and you will be perfectly happy with the kit...more power to you.

So sorry if it looked like I was saying otherwise.