http://www.tamiya.com/japan/hobbyshow/index.htm

A new tooled Russian tank with indy links and PE. Was to be announced at the Shizuoka toy fair but news leaked out! Hoorah!

Could it be a re-box of the old Italeri kit? after all Tamiya is known for these famous maneuvers.
Chilihead

You can read it here too:
Tamiya BT-7

Yep, I put it up on the Forums earlier as I had nothing else to do with my time...




Nope, totally new tooling...

Emm, Exactly WHAT is the point of putting in a link which in Japanese? I'm asking this as EXACTLY the same information is availble in English:

http://www.tamiya.com/english/shs/shs2010/index.htm

RATS!!!!!!

A BT-7 is very nice and all but this just means another year goes by without a styrene Somua S-35.

Sigh.............................

TimTam27

Well, look at it from a marketing point of view. Russian sells well, German sells better - it wouldn't be a great leap of logic to do this in the box:



The S-35 has similar possibilities although I would tend to suggest that French Armor isn't a HUGE marketing gold mine. That's it at the end of the day - recovering a HEAVY investment,

I see they have a 1/35 US Crew M/C maintainence set and an M4A2 76mm with the old russian Crew too.

Al

Sorry folks, this would be my fault...

I started building my Eastern Express BT-7 a few weeks ago...

Your reply and that pic hits the nail, Jim. BT-7 gives many ways for modellers to build it. You can make a russian version, finnish armored forces version and Beutepanzer version of it. That gives Tamiya three good marketing areas.

Your sacrifice is appreciated!

Chris "toadman" Hughes
Toadman's Tank Pictures

This is thrilling news! I can't wait to see and buy this kit!
On the other hand, the Nuremberg toy fair saw 8 of my stash's most unique resin kits show up in styrene.
Now my EE BT-7 kits are consigned to history.
I feel like I'm collecting Confederate currency!

Mmm, yes, new possibilities for my JS Models BT-42 turret...
Good thing I procrastinated long enough for a new BT-7!

Jim

goooood news for me..

tamiya also releases a 1/32 spit viii..yeeha! with retractable rearwheel.that means: i can build a PR version with minor modifikations..

No 1/48 F-16D and no new versions of 1/35 Humvee, well nothing modern at all = nothing interesting for me. Again.........

In the same boat...

Oh well...spose it is eBay time..

I'm guessing then that the ...

# 1/35 Russian Tank Destroyer SU-85 w/Weathering Master Set & 7 Figures (Tentative)

and the ...

# 1/35 Russian Tank Destroyer SU-122 w/Weathering Master Set & 7 Figures (Tentative)

... are just the old '70s offerings with those extras tossed in?

- Steve

Not having a shot at ww2 modelers but fair enough there is a huge market for ww2 but there are also a vast array of modern armor which they dont seem interested in doing I know the jackal is done in resin or how about a bushmaster or a u.s buffalo again with a massive price tag and in resin I could go on and on oh and the price tag as well of most of these new releases personaly I think Tamiya are falling behind compared to other brands both price and detail as well just a thought anyway

I don't understand these types of posts. Tamiya has about fifty new releases in total. RC, planes, autos, ships and a smattering of armor. When Tamiya announces their next FIFTY new releases and the S-35 (or insert whatever model du jour you wish) isn't on the list, is the logical deduction that "Oh no -- more resources devoted to a non- Somua-35!"??

Why isn't the bemoaning of this accompanying the news of the new 1/32 Spitfire? Or the line of RC 1/24 cars? Isn't the logic the same?

Completely agree. It gets silly when news of something gets posted and you sit there waiting for the Buts, and Why?. Things are truly amazing at the moment. So, there's no S-35? There's a hell of a lot of other releases equally exciting...

You don't understand it Roy? You should get out more.

I see both you and Jim missed out on the humourous tone as well. Note to self. Include lots of and in the future as posts may be read by people whose first language may not be English.

Cheers,
TimTam27

I've just received a test-shot for review in SMMI. Nothing to do with the Italeri/ Zvezda/ Eastern European kits. Kit is very nice, well up to current Tamiya standards, but has link&lenght tracks, not indy links. Also, unlike Tamiya/ Zvezda kit, tracks cannot be modelled stowed, nor can front road wheels be posed at an angle.

UK RRP is £39.99

Cheers,

Chris.

I recently had the chance to build a pre-release of this kit. You will not be disappointed. Below is an article I helped write with Dave Browne of Hornet Hobbies for Tamiya's Canadian distributor. (Sorry guys, no photos).

A Great Long Weekend with an Old Comrade.

I was surprised not only by the subject (one long forgotten by other companies) but also by how Tamiya can continue to raise their standard and still offer a competitive price. Never a company to rest on past successes, Tamiya has boldly stepped into a market-share long neglected by others with an outstanding BT-7 Model 1935 fast deployment AFV. It is a subject that exemplifies the transitional development of tank warfare by encapsulating cutting edge pre-war design and modern tactics.

BT-7, A Historical Blueprint in AFV Development

When you get a good look at the model, you are looking into two important developments in American design, oddly, rejected by the U.S. but incorporated into designs worldwide. First and foremost was the Christie suspension and its radical dual mode running gear. Defying the common thinking, Walter Christie offered a vehicle that could run equally well tracked, or shaft-to-wheel driven. Not only was this ingenious for its day and simple to build on the factory floor, but you can see Tamiya’s careful reproduction of the suspension, bogies/wheels and tracks offer the modeler what must be one of the most accurate examples of this oft-cited design curiosity.

A note to the modeler here; the tracks are individual link, and require some patience and attention to Tamiya’s instructions. If you do this, you will be rewarded with a perfect representation showing the awkward nature of the track fit to the bogies. It is purely a Christie design and Tamiya have obviously spent their time with the few running models of this tank to offer the nuances found in the droop and fit of the suspension and track. The capacity to set suspension height and angle are also included for accurate representation of bogie travel across any surface. Once again, Tamiya takes the guesswork out of that job by giving you a suspension jig to keep everything in proper alignment.

The other important, but often forgotten development rising from this design was the Russian contract demanded a high level of both speed and distance. Capable of 70 km/h with a 500 km. range, the BT-7 could theoretically outrun and overtake any armoured column of the day and remain in close battle longer unless damaged through its thin armour. If conventional tactics were employed by the enemy and attempts were made to disable the tracks and bogies, the Christie system often allowed it to motor on with even greater speed and maneuverability on steel and solid rubber wheels.

The Kit Fit and Finish

This is a great kit for a long rainy weekend. Fit and finish are Tamiya’s trademark and the BT-7 only enforces their reputation for excellence. If you build it straight out of the box you will get a remarkable example of this pre-war design, but also take note; Tamiya has accommodated the after-market by making the hatches separate and positional, so the rudiments of further aftermarket are all there without making the kit frustrating for the average modeler wanting a fast build and great model for the mantle place.

Moldings are crisp, and delicate parts are well supported on the sprues. With careful use of side-cutters and razor saw, you will have little, if any clean up to do before the build. As we have seen in recent years, photo etch is now the norm with most advanced kits, and once again Tamiya gives the average modeler the ability to create screens and grills using supplied molds and all but eliminating the frustration most of us encounter when faced with PE.

Tamiya’s attention to detail gives us a perfect representation of the frame antenna seen on so many pre-war Russian AFVs. Although it is considered an option during the build, I would recommend using the antenna as it gives it that typical Soviet ‘land battleship’ look.

Any Colour You Want As Long As It’s Green

Where the challenge might arise is for the modeler wanting to add an extra touch by getting the colour of the BT-7 correct. Russian ‘green’ is a notoriously non-standard colour. Every heavy equipment plant had their own variation. In my build I went for a yellow/grey mixture of Tamiya paint (⅔ XF-73, ⅓ XF-4) that gave me a unique pre-war bilious green shading which added to its unique silhouette. Once built, the BT-7 is a weathering canvas unlike any other, because the angles on the hull and turret are so different and its theaters of operation were surprisingly wide and varied seeing action from 1936 to 1945-46 all over the European continent.

Conclusion

In a short 5 days, Tamiya’s BT-7 was built, painted and weathered. It was a kit that was hard to put down once started because every step brings you closer to a finished masterpiece. At no point was there the head scratching that dogs most of Tamiya’s competitors’ kits because Tamiya marries design, subject and instruction into a truly enjoyable build.

So when that next long weekend looks to be rained out, try not to be too disappointed. Open your cupboard and introduce yourself to an old Comrade, who might have been forgotten by some, but brought to life by Tamiya and ultimately your enthusiasm to get to another unique subject!

Since I have not used my conversion for a Christie tank would this be a better base vehicle that the Italeri?