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REVIEW
Tiger Model Panhard VBL
JimboHUN
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Budapest, Hungary
Joined: May 07, 2009
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Posted: Monday, July 13, 2015 - 02:02 AM UTC
Tiger Model is a new company out of Hong Kong that is bringing us some nice, modern French armored vehicles in 1/35. Their second offering is a Panhard VBL Recon car, reviewed by Gino P. Quintiliani.

Link to Item



If you have comments or questions please post them here.

Thanks!
Hisham
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Al Qahirah, Egypt / لعربية
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Posted: Monday, July 13, 2015 - 02:14 AM UTC
Thanks for the review, Gino.. been hoping to hear the opinion of someone who saw the parts up close.

Did you try to put any of the parts together to try out how they fit?

Hisham
zedhol
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Posted: Monday, July 13, 2015 - 03:39 AM UTC
The Verdict is very encouraging that this can be made into an accurate replica of a VAB!
35th-scale
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Kildare, Ireland
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Posted: Monday, July 13, 2015 - 03:51 AM UTC
Good review, thanks Gino. That's it added to my "must get" list....
Karl187
#284
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Northern Ireland, United Kingdom
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Posted: Monday, July 13, 2015 - 03:33 PM UTC
Excellent review Gino- looks like a great kit.
HeavyArty
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Posted: Monday, July 13, 2015 - 04:38 PM UTC
Thnks all. I am glad the reiew is helpful. It looks to be a great kit. I haven't started building it yet, but I don't anticipate any issues with it.
bison126
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Correze, France
Joined: June 10, 2004
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Posted: Monday, July 13, 2015 - 06:07 PM UTC
Thanks for the reivew Gino. Just some points though: the 11th brigade is the Airborne Brigade not a Cav one. The correct naming of the MG is AA-NF1. AA-52 was only good for the 7.5mm version of it. The VBL has also seen action and combat in Afghanistan and Mali.

Olivier
rogerjo1
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Västra Götaland, Sweden
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Posted: Monday, July 13, 2015 - 08:55 PM UTC
Looks to be a nice kit, maybe i should order it... Thanks Gino for the review of the kit.
Now lets hope blast model will release something to the kit...
HeavyArty
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Posted: Monday, July 13, 2015 - 08:58 PM UTC

Quoted Text

Thanks for the reivew Gino. Just some points though: the 11th brigade is the Airborne Brigade not a Cav one. The correct naming of the MG is AA-NF1. AA-52 was only good for the 7.5mm version of it. The VBL has also seen action and combat in Afghanistan and Mali.

Olivier


Thanks for the corrections. Apparently, my French isn't that good. As to Ops in A'stan and Mali, I did list them.

"In the 2000s the VBL has also been used by French forces in Ivory Coast, Afghanistan and in Northern Mali."
Hisham
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Al Qahirah, Egypt / لعربية
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Posted: Monday, July 13, 2015 - 09:02 PM UTC
Is either the VBL or the AMX 10, as they are in these two kits, used by the UNIFIL forces in the south of Lebanon?

Hisham
young_sven
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Skåne, Sweden
Joined: May 14, 2010
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Posted: Monday, July 13, 2015 - 09:23 PM UTC
Thanks for the review Gino. After all the speculation about this kit after the first images were shown (and some comments about supposedly soft details in the pics), its nice to see that it actually turned out to be a darned nice model.

Goes to show that its always worth waiting for the actual kit before making any conclusions. :-)
Removed by original poster on 07/14/15 - 16:55:21 (GMT).
Frenchy
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Rhone, France
Joined: December 02, 2002
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Posted: Monday, July 13, 2015 - 10:57 PM UTC

Quoted Text

Is either the VBL or the AMX 10, as they are in these two kits, used by the UNIFIL forces in the south of Lebanon?


I guess the VBL kit should be a good starting point for a UNIFIL (or FINUL for the French ) one. Check out Olivier's pics for the possible mods (like the wire cutter) :

http://olivier.carneau.free.fr/photoengins/france/famille_vbl/vbl_liban/index.htm

I don't think the AMX-10 RC was used there (contrary to the tracked AMX-10).

H.P.
rogerjo1
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Västra Götaland, Sweden
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Posted: Monday, July 13, 2015 - 11:19 PM UTC
[quote]
Quoted Text

Is either the VBL or the AMX 10, as they are in these two kits, used by the UNIFIL forces in the south of Lebanon?


I guess the VBL kit should be a good starting point for a UNIFIL (or FINUL for the French ) one. Check out Olivier's pics for the possible mods (like the wire cutter) :

Is that the same mods you have to do if you want to build a late version in Afghanistan too?
And in Mali too? If so, is it the same there too , and what colour, does the French army use the desert colours still like you saw on some VBL in Bosnia/ Ifor mission? Or are all now painted only in the French normal colors?
Frenchy
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Posted: Tuesday, July 14, 2015 - 12:38 AM UTC

Quoted Text

Is that the same mods you have to do if you want to build a late version in Afghanistan too?


Some VBL's in Afghanistan have been fitted with add-on armor.

"Rubberized" armor (against shrapnels IIRC):



Armor kit + new MG gun mount (check out the doors) :


Same wire cutter :



Here's one in Mali (Operation Serval):


H.P.

Hisham
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Al Qahirah, Egypt / لعربية
Joined: July 23, 2004
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Posted: Tuesday, July 14, 2015 - 12:55 AM UTC
Thanks for all the info, Henri-Pierre.. great references. I'm hoping Blast Models are already working on some upgrade sets for both these new kits

What would be great is if Model-Miniature would upscale some of their resin stuff as upgrades for these kits.. After all, these kits were based on their research to begin with

Hisham
bison126
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Correze, France
Joined: June 10, 2004
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Posted: Tuesday, July 14, 2015 - 01:32 AM UTC
[quote]Is that the same mods you have to do if you want to build a late version in Afghanistan too?
And in Mali too? If so, is it the same there too , and what colour, does the French army use the desert colours still like you saw on some VBL in Bosnia/ Ifor mission? Or are all now painted only in the French normal colors?[/quote

You'll have todo your own research as like with many French vehicles you can see a mix of versions and add-ons in the same theater of operation.
Concerning the colors, I haven't seen desert camoed VBL for a while.

Olivier
rogerjo1
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Västra Götaland, Sweden
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Posted: Tuesday, July 14, 2015 - 01:36 AM UTC

Quoted Text

Thanks for all the info, Henri-Pierre.. great references. I'm hoping Blast Models are already working on some upgrade sets for both these new kits

What would be great is if Model-Miniature would upscale some of their resin stuff as upgrades for these kits.. After all, these kits were based on their research to begin with

Hisham


Yes Hisham that would be great if Blast models would release these upgrades... Maybe if we send some email to him with these proposals we will maybe have it as they have done so many other sets for the VAB kits
rogerjo1
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Västra Götaland, Sweden
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Posted: Tuesday, July 14, 2015 - 01:39 AM UTC
Thanks Henri-Pierre for the great photos and thanks Olivier for the info
WarWheels
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Joined: March 24, 2006
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Posted: Tuesday, July 14, 2015 - 05:09 AM UTC
This is definitely a 'must have' for me now that I've seen Gino's nice review. Looks promising for the AMX-10RC too.
HeavyArty
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Posted: Tuesday, July 14, 2015 - 06:19 AM UTC

Quoted Text

Looks promising for the AMX-10RC too.


You might want to keep on the lookout for a review. Just saying.

young_sven
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Skåne, Sweden
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Posted: Tuesday, July 14, 2015 - 12:31 PM UTC
Regarding upgrades from Blast. Perhaps he needs a little more time than just a week after the kit release to start pumping out resin sets? ;-) My guess is that Azimut will do some sets as well, even though I certainly won't be risking sending any orders in that direction. Lets hope for Blast, but in the meantime why not build one of these kits just as it is?

Looks like it will build into a perfectly good vehicle in UNPROFOR, IFOR, SFOR, KFOR etc livery straight from the box?
Frenchy
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Rhone, France
Joined: December 02, 2002
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Posted: Tuesday, July 14, 2015 - 02:19 PM UTC

Quoted Text

Looks like it will build into a perfectly good vehicle in UNPROFOR, IFOR, SFOR, KFOR etc livery straight from the box?


Even though this book is not really recent (2004), it should give you even more ideas... if you can find it



It's out of print but eBay is your friend ...

H.P.
Raliman
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Portugal
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Posted: Tuesday, July 14, 2015 - 02:27 PM UTC
By the Portugueses in Kosovo:





ISAF





Hisham
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Al Qahirah, Egypt / لعربية
Joined: July 23, 2004
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Posted: Tuesday, July 14, 2015 - 02:36 PM UTC
Great pics, guys

I saw this pic.. I guess this is in Mali.. two vehicles with both three-tone and desert colors together. Interesting that the vehicle in the front has a green front fender



And this one has an interesting little turret



I guess the one with the turret is Greek?



Hisham
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