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Italeri: M113 ACAV
varanusk
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ARMORAMA
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Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain / Espaρa
Joined: July 04, 2013
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Posted: Wednesday, June 08, 2016 - 03:52 AM UTC


Another M113 hits the market, with the ACAV version. It has been announced by Italeri for June, together with a Battle Set box of Operation Cobra.

Read the Full News Story

If you have comments or questions please post them here.

Thanks!
Bravo1102
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New Jersey, United States
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Posted: Wednesday, June 08, 2016 - 04:51 AM UTC
Just so as not to totally confuse everyone, the M113 is not the Academy kit released earlier under the Italeri logo. It is Italeri's own M113 kit with new parts to make it an ACAV and one partial sprue from the Academy kit for some detail parts.
kjoy
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Joined: September 11, 2005
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Posted: Wednesday, June 08, 2016 - 05:02 AM UTC

Quoted Text

Just so as not to totally confuse everyone, the M113 is not the Academy kit released earlier under the Italeri logo. It is Italeri's own M113 kit with new parts to make it an ACAV and one partial sprue from the Academy kit for some detail parts.


So it's not a new tooled kit? Not that it matters I guess. Never been a big fan of their kits.
Bravo1102
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Posted: Wednesday, June 08, 2016 - 05:15 AM UTC
Looking closely at the sprue pictures, there is one newly tooled sprue with a whopping three new parts. The frontend floats. That said the Italeri M113 is the only one with a completely separate suspension and link and length tracks.
sherb
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New York, United States
Joined: August 25, 2004
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Posted: Wednesday, June 08, 2016 - 06:08 AM UTC

Quoted Text

Just so as not to totally confuse everyone, the M113 is not the Academy kit released earlier under the Italeri logo. It is Italeri's own M113 kit with new parts to make it an ACAV and one partial sprue from the Academy kit for some detail parts.


Except for the sprue with the floats and the decals, it's exactly the same as their previous ACAV boxing, 3 Italeri M113 spures and 2 Academy sprues with the accessories.

I've been waiting for one of the aftermarket companies to do decals for "To the Alps", A Co. 2/22. For better or worse, it carried the early Okinawa style commanders shield and didn't have the rear ACAV shields
kjoy
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North Dakota, United States
Joined: September 11, 2005
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Posted: Wednesday, June 08, 2016 - 06:11 AM UTC
Well, I'm glad AFV is doing one...and Takom? Anyway it'll be a wait, but we've waited this long for a new one.
Petition2God
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Colorado, United States
Joined: February 06, 2002
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Posted: Wednesday, June 08, 2016 - 07:31 AM UTC
Another lazy @$$ attempt from Italeri. How do they stay in business when their competition is doing so much better? Is this another Heller that's going to go out of business soon?
Bravo1102
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New Jersey, United States
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Posted: Wednesday, June 08, 2016 - 09:22 AM UTC
This just isn't where they put their big money. You want a new Sterling bomber or Sunderland flying boat they cut all new molds . But 1/35 armor just isn't worth the capital outlay for them.
Foxtrot1
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Gauteng, South Africa
Joined: March 03, 2011
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Posted: Wednesday, June 08, 2016 - 01:14 PM UTC
Then only new items in the M113 ACAV kit are the additional trim vane and flotation devices, and the decal sheet. To be honest, Italeri's M113 is just a copy of the old Revell M113. Poor to say the least. Academy and Tamiya are still leading in the ACAV department.
Bravo1102
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Posted: Wednesday, June 08, 2016 - 01:39 PM UTC
The old Revell M113 was the old Italeri kit reboxed. The molds were created by Italeri. The kit goes back to the early 1990s. The Tamiya M113 goes back to the 1970s. Even this kit is head and shoulders above the venerable Tamiya one.
M4A1Sherman
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Posted: Wednesday, June 08, 2016 - 04:24 PM UTC

Quoted Text

This just isn't where they put their big money. You want a new Sterling bomber or Sunderland flying boat they cut all new molds . But 1/35 armor just isn't worth the capital outlay for them.


Yeah, but the Sunderland and the Stirling are 1/72 kits, leaving the 1/48 fans such as myself out in the cold.

As for myself, "NOPE!"... I'll wait for the AFV CLUB kit of the M113, rather than buy an old, old, old kit with three "new" parts... I'm under-whelmed...
Foxtrot1
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Gauteng, South Africa
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Posted: Wednesday, June 08, 2016 - 05:08 PM UTC
Bravo1102, I prefer Tamiya's M113. More interior parts, better fit and the linked tracks are easier to work with. Academy's ACAV still wins, but I would rather build another Tamiya M113 any day than buy this 'new' kit. I will admit that the decals in the new Italeri kit look nice.
ULIX-VM
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Puerto Rico
Joined: February 22, 2016
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Posted: Thursday, June 09, 2016 - 02:54 AM UTC
now italeri kits is direct copy of the tamiya and academy kits.
HeavyArty
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Florida, United States
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Posted: Thursday, June 09, 2016 - 02:55 AM UTC
No, never were, never will be. Each has their own molds for the M113 ACAVs. All 3 are very different with Academy's currently being the best of the lot.

Can you actually post a coherent, logical post? I hope it is just the language barrier.
mmeier
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Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany
Joined: October 22, 2008
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Posted: Thursday, June 09, 2016 - 03:08 AM UTC

Quoted Text

Another lazy @$$ attempt from Italeri. How do they stay in business when their competition is doing so much better? Is this another Heller that's going to go out of business soon?


Aside from doing more than tanks they stay in business by offering stuff that is "good enough" at "good enough prices" for many in the hobby. Not everybody wants a "perfect" kit with 300+ parts including "assemble yourself" tracks(1) and so instead of say a Meng Leo1A5 at 52€ one rather buys a Italieri/Revell Leo1A5 at 25€.

Add in a few things that only they have and their exchange with Revell that is THE Brandname in germany among younger modellers due to shop presence(2)

And if I only need a background piece (Say a Harley or a Jeep) then the 10€ kit from Italerie (2 Harleys) is good enough, why waste a 30€ Miniart (1 Harley)

Finally their kits go together quite decently, their instructions are good (better than say Dragon) and their availability is good as well


(1)I hate them. Even more so since with many modern tanks they vanish behind track guards or bazooka plates anyway and live tracks as used by most post WW2 vehicles have no sagging

(2) If a german toy store has scale models they are most likely Revell. Even more true for ToysRUs and MyToys, the two big chains around
M4A1Sherman
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New York, United States
Joined: May 02, 2013
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Posted: Thursday, June 09, 2016 - 05:29 PM UTC

Quoted Text


Quoted Text

Another lazy @$$ attempt from Italeri. How do they stay in business when their competition is doing so much better? Is this another Heller that's going to go out of business soon?


Aside from doing more than tanks they stay in business by offering stuff that is "good enough" at "good enough prices" for many in the hobby. Not everybody wants a "perfect" kit with 300+ parts including "assemble yourself" tracks(1) and so instead of say a Meng Leo1A5 at 52€ one rather buys a Italieri/Revell Leo1A5 at 25€.

Add in a few things that only they have and their exchange with Revell that is THE Brandname in germany among younger modellers due to shop presence(2)

And if I only need a background piece (Say a Harley or a Jeep) then the 10€ kit from Italerie (2 Harleys) is good enough, why waste a 30€ Miniart (1 Harley)

Finally their kits go together quite decently, their instructions are good (better than say Dragon) and their availability is good as well


(1)I hate them. Even more so since with many modern tanks they vanish behind track guards or bazooka plates anyway and live tracks as used by most post WW2 vehicles have no sagging

(2) If a german toy store has scale models they are most likely Revell. Even more true for ToysRUs and MyToys, the two big chains around


Just a comment on the above; "Live" Tracks were in use on many US tracked vehicles WAAAY before WWII- That's just one detail about US Tanks such as the M4-series Shermans; an M4-series' Tracks were designed to go 2500 miles. Your average German Tank's Tracks would only last 500 miles, if ever...
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