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NEWS
DML's M7 : Image Report
jimbrae
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Provincia de Lugo, Spain / España
Joined: April 23, 2003
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Posted: Wednesday, May 12, 2010 - 08:52 PM UTC
Dragon Models chose to announce 6637 - M7 Priest Mid-Production (Smart Kit) at this year's Shizuoka Show in Japan. So, using the company''s poster and PShop, we can present some more detailed images of this release than simply a miniscule reproduction of the poster - fine for those with 96-inch monitors, not so good for the rest of us. The Image Report can be seen:

Link to Item

If you have comments or questions please post them here.

Thanks!

metooshelah
#011
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Jerusalem, Israel
Joined: February 06, 2009
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Posted: Wednesday, May 12, 2010 - 09:14 PM UTC
thanks Jim.
looks like a very nice kit, and another one to the allied modelers
HONEYCUT
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Victoria, Australia
Joined: May 07, 2003
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Posted: Thursday, May 13, 2010 - 12:00 AM UTC
Hey this is a nice looking kit!
I am impressed at there being a transmission included; hopefully a precursor of further interior endeavours
Brad
jvazquez
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New Jersey, United States
Joined: September 26, 2006
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Posted: Thursday, May 13, 2010 - 12:09 AM UTC
YAY!

I knew holding off on doing the old Italeri or Academy one would pay off!!

This is wonderful!
mopnglo
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United States
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Posted: Thursday, May 13, 2010 - 01:36 AM UTC
Jim, thanks! I'm excited about this kit!

Michael
dioman13
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Indiana, United States
Joined: August 19, 2007
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Posted: Thursday, May 13, 2010 - 02:39 AM UTC
Oh yeah!!! Finally. This is REALLY cool. A deffinate one going to be in the stash a.s.a.p.
barkingdigger
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ARMORAMA
#013
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England - East Anglia, United Kingdom
Joined: June 20, 2008
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Posted: Thursday, May 13, 2010 - 04:52 AM UTC
Looks pretty darned good to me! Folks'll be lining up to do the first reviews...

Tom
DT61
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Ontario, Canada
Joined: September 18, 2005
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Posted: Thursday, May 13, 2010 - 05:08 AM UTC
This is really welcomed news

Thanks DML.

Darryl
stufer
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England - East Anglia, United Kingdom
Joined: May 25, 2003
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Posted: Thursday, May 13, 2010 - 05:54 AM UTC


i'm VERY happy!!
BomberGunner
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Western Australia, Australia
Joined: July 02, 2009
KitMaker: 90 posts
Armorama: 67 posts
Posted: Thursday, May 13, 2010 - 06:46 AM UTC
Phew.

I ummed and aahed at the Academy kit in the LHS, added up the cost of the aftermarket gear it would need and bought some Mr Surfacer and paint instead.

I think I'm gonna buy myself a lottery ticket (and at least one of these).

That Panzer II looks pretty cute too.

Lucien
Hisham
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Al Qahirah, Egypt / لعربية
Joined: July 23, 2004
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Posted: Thursday, May 13, 2010 - 08:35 AM UTC
You can see some pics of a built model here. Just scroll down the page.

http://happy.ap.teacup.com/runchickens/

Hisham
Petition2God
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Colorado, United States
Joined: February 06, 2002
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Posted: Thursday, May 13, 2010 - 09:01 AM UTC

Quoted Text

YAY!

I knew holding off on doing the old Italeri or Academy one would pay off!!

This is wonderful!


Great news. I'd like to see a comparison review of DML and Academy kits later.
MCR
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Arizona, United States
Joined: July 15, 2004
KitMaker: 464 posts
Armorama: 407 posts
Posted: Thursday, May 13, 2010 - 09:05 AM UTC
M'eh. It looks nice and even though it's a slightly earlier version, I doubt I'll be replacing my Italeri kits just yet (seeing as how I already have the parts on hand to backdate the older model and their total cost is no doubt much less than the new kit ).

Mark
russamotto
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Utah, United States
Joined: December 14, 2007
KitMaker: 3,389 posts
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Posted: Thursday, May 13, 2010 - 01:39 PM UTC
My LHS has better than online prices on Dragon kits. I'll have to hit them up on this kit. Now we just need a crew.
ViperAtl
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Georgia, United States
Joined: August 22, 2005
KitMaker: 331 posts
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Posted: Thursday, May 13, 2010 - 04:44 PM UTC
'Bout time!
lukiftian
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British Columbia, Canada
Joined: March 12, 2010
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Posted: Thursday, May 13, 2010 - 05:37 PM UTC
Yay! Everyone'll be dumping Academy kits for CHEAP.

I'm assuming this is the first of about 16 different M7s from Dragon?
daselim
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Michigan, United States
Joined: October 26, 2003
KitMaker: 212 posts
Armorama: 76 posts
Posted: Thursday, May 13, 2010 - 11:03 PM UTC
And to think I have already acquired a couple of DML Howitzers and lots of other bits to fix up both my Italeri and Academy M7's...

Looks like I'll have a third M7
bill_c
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MODEL SHIPWRIGHTS
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New Jersey, United States
Joined: January 09, 2008
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Posted: Wednesday, May 19, 2010 - 04:20 AM UTC
Looks like a fun kit that even an Axis Addict could enjoy building!

I know the M7 was on Okinawa (see photo below from Wikipedia). The photo is from the USMC, but does that mean the M7 island-hopped with the Marines, or was it in Army artillery units? The fact that this is a Marine photo doesn't mean it's a Marine Priest.

toadman1
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TOADMAN'S TANK PICTURES
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California, United States
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Posted: Wednesday, May 19, 2010 - 04:55 AM UTC
The Marines first deployed M7's in Okinawa as a replacement for the 75mm M3 Gun Motor Carriage. I believe the Army first used them in the Philippines. You're photo is of a Marine M7 as they added lots of track to the sides as an uparmoring measure.

Chris "toadman" Hughes
Toadman's Tank Pictures
bill_c
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MODEL SHIPWRIGHTS
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New Jersey, United States
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Posted: Wednesday, May 19, 2010 - 05:11 AM UTC
Thanks, Chris. And I presume this is the version based on the Sherman and not the M3 Lee? So AM Sherman links would work, right? Which ones do you Allied modelers recommend for up-armoring this baby?

I did a quick look-up on Luckymodel, and the profusion of Sherman tracks disspirted me quickly!
ALBOWIE
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New South Wales, Australia
Joined: February 28, 2006
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Posted: Wednesday, May 19, 2010 - 02:18 PM UTC

Quoted Text

Thanks, Chris. And I presume this is the version based on the Sherman and not the M3 Lee? So AM Sherman links would work, right? Which ones do you Allied modelers recommend for up-armoring this baby?

I did a quick look-up on Luckymodel, and the profusion of Sherman tracks disspirted me quickly!


That vehicle and ones like it had T54 link as the external track armour so I would recommend getting Panda (RHPS) tracklinks avail from Rob at Formations. They are the best and easiest Indy Sherman links IMHO
Cheers
Al
PadrePete
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Ontario, Canada
Joined: May 18, 2010
KitMaker: 219 posts
Armorama: 213 posts
Posted: Wednesday, May 19, 2010 - 02:26 PM UTC
Nice to see DML release something a bit different. There are only so many variants they can squeeze from a set of molds before you exhaust even the most avid modeller. I look forward to this if for no other reason than my callsign.
russamotto
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Utah, United States
Joined: December 14, 2007
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Posted: Wednesday, May 19, 2010 - 05:01 PM UTC
The M7 was depoloyed at Saipan (2 vehicles) and probably used in other areas before the Philippenes. Here is one approaching Bauang or Baguio.


Outside Manila


And outside Baguio. Note the M18 at the bottom of the hill.


I hope the kit decals include more than just two generic "European theater WWII" markings.
ALBOWIE
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New South Wales, Australia
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Posted: Wednesday, May 19, 2010 - 06:46 PM UTC
Bill, most examples I have seen in the pacific are the earlier model (see pics in above post and note pulpit) rather than the intermediate DML are offering but the good news is that when I look at the hull walls in the previewed sprues there is a RHS one without a cutout so the earlier variant should be easily doable from the kit
Al
bill_c
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MODEL SHIPWRIGHTS
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New Jersey, United States
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Posted: Thursday, May 20, 2010 - 04:19 AM UTC
Thanks, Russ, always a pleasure having your input on PTO matters.


Quoted Text

Bill, most examples I have seen in the pacific are the earlier model (see pics in above post and note pulpit) rather than the intermediate DML are offering but the good news is that when I look at the hull walls in the previewed sprues there is a RHS one without a cutout so the earlier variant should be easily doable from the kit.

RHS?
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