There are rumours on Track- Link and Missing- Lynx that this years spring release of armour will be a 1/35 Challenger 2 Op. Telic. No confirmations yet, but the rumour seems to be quite certain.


Thomas

Ooooh-- I hope so, I love the Challenger MBT. 've wanted to do a AFV kit for a while, I think I just found it! #:-)

cant see it only rummur from Tmmi mag is that there is to be a large scale A/c being released and doesnt say which type as the mag is bringing out the 1st look in May
and why its going to have to compete with the trumpeter kit yes its got its issues but at less than 1/2 the price of what the Tamiya kit costs its stupid to go head to head

The rumour 'industry' is something to steer well clear of. Until something is confirmed by a company, it is better to forget it.... Rumour said that AFV Club was going to release several variants of the Centurion, Academy were also going to release a Char B (or was it Dragon ?) I read both these 'rumours' on the aforementioned sites... Both these sites do have an unfortunate tendency to print this kind of story as if it were gospel. Rumours are not particularly helpful for anyone (especially the small producer) who can be easily beaten to the post by some o fhis larger competitors.

Personally it wouldn't surprise me in the slightest although we are now in the position of falling over Challengers. Airfix is repackaging the Trumpeter one and Trumpeter have just updated theirs for Telic/Granby. Tamiya, nowadays, seems to react to what the others are doing and seems to have lost the iniative somewhere....Jim

I'm not taking a go at anyone, however one of the strongest aspects of THIS site, is that when a News Story is published, it's that, NEWS, not rumour, not speculation nor wishful thinking. Ask yourselves why Armorama is going from strength to strength....Jim

Trumpeter already has a very nice Challenger 2 available. I'd buy there's before I bought a new one from Tamiya simply because it's as good at half the price.

I agree PC, and the amount of add-ons from AA allow you to build almost any variant....Don't tell me the big T are going to repackage the Chally I for OIF.....Jim #:-)

AHAHAHAHHHAH!!! you guys kill me! The Tamiya kit is not even out, hell, its only a rumour, and already its being compared to the Trump kit. I mean.. come on!

Not sure if Tamiya would even bother releasing a Chally2, what would be the point? Trumpeter has 3 different Chally2 models out there, and they are being reboxed by at least 2 other companies.

Are you sure its a Chally2? And not the Challenger Mk.1, as Tamiya is re-releasing that kit.

I don't know if the rumor is true, but I wouldn't be surprised if Tamiya indeed has such plans. So what that there is another Chally 2 model on the market?

Don't you remember Leopard 2A5? There was one on the market: Italeri. What did Tamiya do? Released their own model. Do we regret it? Hell, NO! Their Leo 2A5 is one of the best 1/35 modern tank models ever made.

Do you remember Humvee kits? There was quite a few on the market before: ESCI, Italeri, Academy and reboxes by Revell and others. And again, Tamiya released their own model - and... it is the best Humvee in 1/35! Sure it is the most expensive, but for some modelers (me included) quality is more important than price, so there is always market for new expensive, but more accurate kits.

So, Tamiya - bring this new Chally 2. I will buy one, even though I have one Trumpeter kit on the box pile.

Regards,
Pawel

i agree with vodnik,

as far as im concerned, id pay double for a model of better quality.

if the rumours are true, and tamiya will be releasing a chally 2, ill be glad. you know it will be incredible quality, and a modern british kit is always welcome!

i would prefer if they did a brand new centurion or chieftan, but a challanger is a start.

cheers

joe

Vodnik, I agree with you, in that when Tamiya releases a new-tool kit, it's usually the best by far in the market. But I'm thinking that it would be much better for both them and us if they released something that hasn't been done pretty well in plastic already. Yes, their Leo 5 is on my wish-list (it's pretty much the ONLY option, as the Italeri kits aren't that good), but if given the choice between a Trumpeter Challenger and a Tamiya one (which would cost twice as much), I'd go with Trumpeter unless the Tamiya kit had incredible value (lots of external stowage, figures, etc)...

Because of this I hope the rumors aren't true, that they're releasing something that REALLY needs to be done in plastic already instead... just my 2 centavos here...

#:-)

Gone a bit again. .... IF the Big T releases a Chally 2, then once again they are running behind Trumpeter, Academy etc..... Hardly a sensible way to run a busines...Jim

I'm going against Vodnik here.
I passed on the 'new' Tamiya OIF M113 since it did not offer anything new I couldnt get in an Academy kit, make myself, or get from another aftermarket producer.

Friends who are more into Abrams than I have said that Tamiya missed the ball in NOT retooling the lower hull.

I'm personally more excited about the fading rumor that Tamiya is completely retooling the T-62 based on the success of the T55.
I can live without a Leo 2A6, I can live without a Tamiya boxing of the M113 OIF, Bradley and Abrams.
I can even live completely without a Chally II

BUT A 'new tool' T62 I would buy in droves!
(how many kits in a drove anyway? #:-) )

Mike

Well, I don't see you being against me here. I also passed on Tamiya OIF M113, as there is nothing new in it. I agree that it is a pity Tamiya didn't retool the Abrams hull, but it actually doesn't bother me much, as it is quite easy to correct all its issues. And new turret parts in this kit are real masterpieces (even without non-slip coating). I'm also not impressed with them releasing Leo 2A6 with just a few new parts either. I would rather see Leo 2A6EX. But I will probably get this one just for its beautiful box art if not for other reasons :-)

I will not get T-62 even if they ever release it as I just don't build Russian armor, but I agree that it would be more desired subject on the market.

There is many other modern subjects I would love to see from Tamiya, rather than Chally 2, but if they are really already working on one, I can only give them my support and promise to buy at least one of them :-)
I already have one Trumpeter kit, but I have plans to build at least two Chally 2 models in various configurations, so better kit of this tank would be really welcome.

Rgds,
Pawel

you can tell the other companies "rushed" their kits to get them on the shelves. So I'm not sure its bad business by tamiya, or the fact that they are taking their time to get things right. I'd rather wait a couple years and buy a detailed tamiya kit than suffer through another trumpeter disaster. Chacun son gout I guess.

Pawel,
I guess it was this that I was going against the grain of the thread.
Not so much against you personally..

[quote]


My thought was that the 'new' Tamiya OIF releases, coming very late in the game on the heels of the Academy 113's, was nothing for me to write home about.

Bradleys I know a bit about, nothing like the work you did on yours. But I know a little bit.

Abrams... about them I'm bone stupid.

But I know a fair bit about 113 kits and the 'new' Tamiya one is a dog in a ball gown , in my opinion, comapred to the Academy releases. The Academy kits are not perfect either, but they're a better starting point for my modeling $$$ than a 'new' Tamiya kit.

If Tamiya is doing a completly new tooled Chally II, and does it as well as they did the T55 and better than their T72 then it will be quite a kit.

I didn't know enough about the Challengers to know if they can do anything with the molds they already have, but it seems they are too different.

Hopefully whatever comes out is more like the Leo 2A5 and T55 (all new toolings up to their best quality.. even on the T55 there are engine deck 'issues' for versions and accuracy. A bit of a nit-pickers fault, but there none the less) rather than the T72 (serious dimensional issues-errors in the turret) or the re-pops and partial re-tools.

So again, no offense intended, just going against the grain, swimming against the current in saying I can live without retooled or partially retooled Tamiya offerings with a new sprue tossed in and a new set of markings.

My US$0.02
Mike

Ok, here's something thats NOT a rumour.
Yesterday I visited the Axvall armour museum to talk with the director about my pbv302 projekt.
Also there was a photographer from Tamiya taking additional photos of the Stug III ausf D they got there. Apparently it's the only surviving vehicle of that type.

/Thord

thats better you can never have too many stugs whish they would do a stug 4 off their pz4 chassis and not that old horrid thing thats been lurking about for years

OH, BE STILL MY BEATING HEART!!!!!!! Another stug!!! My life is complete!!!! My cup runnith over (and onto my shoes). Ok, chalkboard time.......that is sarcasim!!!! I'm going to say it and you guys will most likely give all the usual answers but.......a man has gotta do what a man has gotta do. Another FREAK'N WWII german AFV?!!!!!! Damn!!!! It just seems to bore the piss out of me! I know that "they are going to produce what the market wants and supports through strong purchases" but, give me a break. I love german armor as much as the next guy (well.....maybe not as much as SS, Lord Davidus but, I don't know all the rituals and my shrine has to be small for convienant breakdown and travel) but, come on!!!!! You want to do a subject to death with variants, try fixing some of the ones you have out or make variants of your other subjects!!!!!! Allied, Axis, old and new. Stop the INSANITY!!!!! I realize the corrections to the humvee are supposably leaps and bounds ahead of the rest but, for the love of St. Peter and the ornament of the same name, why fix that one and not the other OIF armor they throw at us. I could purchase the Acadamy M113 and the Tamiya OIF accessory pack.......Voila!!!!!! The Tamiya OIF M113. Now, before this turns into another "Well, you know they have to........" post, I agree with every post that I have ever read. Business is Business. We are going to get whatever Mr Tamiya-san feels will be a seller. We, as modellers (not as a cult of plastic scrapping, putty sanding, paint fume sniffen, kit hoarding, anarchists we are) are going to purchase (no matter how misguided but our impulsive spending habits) whatever we individually (only because my mass hypnosis machine broke because Helga spilled coffee on it) desire. Yet, to add to the mayhem, I want to add this rant of mine. Before I get the "Hey wait a minute!!! We are living in the golden age of kit manufactering" speech, I acknowledge how lucky we are. A Faun Elephant in plastic? 3 Challenger 2's as well?!!!! 2 Leopolds!!!!!!! Dragon 251 and Tiger II ?!!! This is the Garden of Eden ( and I don't mean Barbara)!!!!! We truely have alot to be thankful for but, as all spoiled children do............I want a TAMIYA LAV!!!!!!!! STRYKER!!!!!! BTR-80!!!!!

I agree with you jackhammer.

I don't have much over for the German stuff and I told the Tamiya fellow that they should do some Swedish kits instead but he just smiled at me.

/Thord

Theres nothing really wrong with the Tamiya T-72 turret besides that they say its a T72M1 kit, which its not. The kit looks like its based off a T-72 from the former East German army from photos I've seen. You can get a M1 Turret from JS Models if you really want to do that varent.

The only Challenger that I want to see in plastic is the A30 from 1944. Why is it that when one company releases a model all the others have to make the same subject? Lets push for something new and different. I don't buy much modern stuff anyway - Leopards, Abrams etc all the same with the Chobham armour fitted so a Chally2 won't be on my 'to buy' list whoever makes it. And another german stug? I want a collection of different vehicles, not 20 the same!

i agree dave, an A30 would be superb,

i dont understand why tamiya dont do it, they already have half of it tooled from the cromwell,
new hull, new turret, two extra wheels and your sorted!

cheers

joe

Same could be said of the WW2 Challenger...it looks alot like a Cromwell with a different turret.