Darren Baker takes a look at the AFV Club offering of a Panzer IV caricature. this is aimed at introducing children to the hobby and as a toy.

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Thanks!

It's nice to see a model company producing something aimed at kids. Hopefully, it will be priced for kids also. Not too many kids can afford kits priced between $50 and $70.

Where's the chibi girl tank commander figure?

Sorry, I'am just not a fan of this type of marketing ploy, they could do a better job of relating to younger modellors. But its a start, like any new direction there will be plus and minus marketing till they find out what attracts the younger kids.

No, I certainly wouldn't write a review of a kid's model like this - next there'll be some idiot blogging a build of one of them!!

In fact I am looking with envy at the proper decals, and, to a slightly lesser extent, the flywheel motor in this one. My Meng Kids one just came with push along wheels and rubbishy stickers!

In all seriousness though, I honestly do think that kits like this can inspire children to get into building "proper" plastic kits. In fact, halfway through building my eggType99 I keep looking at reference photos and kits of the ZTZ-99 and wanting to build one of those next.

The fact is, the modelling experience is very similar, of course, to any other kit, especially if you get into fully painting it.

And let's be totally honest here - although some of "us" like to kid ourselves that we're somehow doing something serious, in reality we are just big kids building growed-up versions of what used to be regarded as "just" toys. As we are continually reminding ourselves, it's all about having fun. I think.

My daughter would love something like this. She is always wanting to join me at the bench and see what I am doing and has loved building snap-tite kits.

I think it looks cool . I want one . I've read somewhere that the next one of these from AFV will be a KV II , I want one of those as well . Now to convince my grand son to let me borrow some of his Lego figures for tank crew . I too wonder at the price , those Meng egg planes are going for about $25.00 at the LHS , IRC , maybe a bit high as a 1st time kit for kids ?

Matt I will get this off to you for the parts you want.

Russ I will send the KV-II version to you when the review goes live for your nipper.

Thanks, but don't worry Darren, I was only kidding, and I already have a set of PLA red stars winging their way to me via eBay.

Thank you, Darren! It will be a treat