Maybe they'll release a cheque to Tamiya for all the kits they bootlegged.

Maybe they'll release a cheque to Tamiya for all the kits they bootlegged.

Personally I wished there were more 1/35 Helo/ Fixed Wing aircraft as Its a struggle trying to use 1/32 in 1/35 dio's.

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Personally I wished there were more 1/35 Helo/ Fixed Wing aircraft as Its a struggle trying to use 1/32 in 1/35 dio's.

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I would imagine that all but the looniest modelers would be content to make maybe one two in their career. I just can't see a demand.

KL

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Until TAMIYA released their M10 TD and their M4A3E8 kits, not many people complained about ACADEMY's kits of the same subjects. ... Comments, anyone?

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That statement is factually incorrect. Plenty of people complained about the Academy M10s (and the AFV Club M10s) when they came out because of shape and size errors with the hulls and turrets.

Regarding their HVSS Sherman, check out the PMMS review. (On top of what Terry writes, the dozer is also dimensionally off.)

You should also remember their M12. People loved it until they found out it was .080 too narrow. How about their M18? AFV Club issued one around the same time and the line I recall is "probably the worst kit from both companies". How about the new Sheridan? Highly anticipated until it turned out to be so awful (worse than the old Tamiya kit, as I recall). They had a new ONTOS, you'll recall. People could live with the detailing issues but the suspension was hosed making it unbuildable for many. They came out with new M3 lights, but made the turret way too small like Tamiya did ages before, and screwed up the fenders and side skirts. They released a M3 medium, but again, couldn't get they suspension right. On the other hand, they have made some good kits recently, their Jagdpanzer 38 and M60A2 for example. Academy's reputation of being hit-or-miss, even within the same kit, is well-earned.

One has to keep in mind that comparing Academy to Tamiya is an exercise many modelers don't bother to join. From my own experience, I know what to expect from both companies. Unless they have a subject that is not issued by anyone else, I think long and hard about buying one of their kits because they involve more work to get where I want my models to be than something from one of the "newer" companies.

KL

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Personally I wished there were more 1/35 Helo/ Fixed Wing aircraft as Its a struggle trying to use 1/32 in 1/35 dio's.

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How many dioramas are you building that you've exhausted all available 1/35 aircraft kits? Is that the only thing you build? There is a similar cry for even more 1/48 armor so that this "great demand" for mixed armor/aircraft dioramas can be satisfied, but I don't think I've seen more than a small handful in my lifetime at shows. I would imagine that all but the looniest modelers would be content to make maybe one two in their career. I just can't see a demand.

KL

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Until TAMIYA released their M10 TD and their M4A3E8 kits, not many people complained about ACADEMY's kits of the same subjects. ... Comments, anyone?

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That statement is factually incorrect. Plenty of people complained about the Academy M10s (and the AFV Club M10s) when they came out because of shape and size errors with the hulls and turrets.

Regarding their HVSS Sherman, check out the PMMS review. (On top of what Terry writes, the dozer is also dimensionally off.)

You should also remember their M12. People loved it until they found out it was .080 too narrow. How about their M18? AFV Club issued one around the same time and the line I recall is "probably the worst kit from both companies". How about the new Sheridan? Highly anticipated until it turned out to be so awful (worse than the old Tamiya kit, as I recall). They had a new ONTOS, you'll recall. People could live with the detailing issues but the suspension was hosed making it unbuildable for many. They came out with new M3 lights, but made the turret way too small like Tamiya did ages before, and screwed up the fenders and side skirts. They released a M3 medium, but again, couldn't get they suspension right. On the other hand, they have made some good kits recently, their Jagdpanzer 38 and M60A2 for example. Academy's reputation of being hit-or-miss, even within the same kit, is well-earned.

One has to keep in mind that comparing Academy to Tamiya is an exercise many modelers don't bother to join. From my own experience, I know what to expect from both companies. Unless they have a subject that is not issued by anyone else, I think long and hard about buying one of their kits because they involve more work to get where I want my models to be than something from one of the "newer" companies.

KL

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Personally I wished there were more 1/35 Helo/ Fixed Wing aircraft as Its a struggle trying to use 1/32 in 1/35 dio's.

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I would imagine that all but the looniest modelers would be content to make maybe one two in their career. I just can't see a demand.

KL

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Hello Kurt,

Season’s greetings and all that. I’m that loony modeller, I have two 1/35 Hind kits, a UH 1B, and a Fl 282 kit in the stash (nevermind the Chinook I sold). I intend to make them all. I’d happily buy a good AH 64 kit, or CH 53, too. I’m hoping that MiniArt will do the Fa 223 in 1/35 as part of their series, and I’ll buy that, too. So I think it is a bit early to be throwing out labels like “loony” when there are plenty of posters here who have several of the same kit, and multiple kits of the same subject, without limiting it to helos.

All the best,

Kylie

Why is it that whenever you disagree with someone else' model-building habits, you feel the need to add your own personal twist of the knife with a put-down..?

Maybe they'll release a cheque to Tamiya for all the kits they bootlegged.

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Maybe they'll release a cheque to Tamiya for all the kits they bootlegged.

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What's funny is that Tamiya Model Magazine International still never mentions the "Korean Company" by name. I imagine they got dropped off Mr. Shunsaku Tamiya's Christmas Card list early.

Tamiya lost a law suit because Academy changed the locating pin locations. As a result they could not prove the kits were copied. I doubt they are going to be friends any time soon.

I know it's not armour (although it is 1/35) but their forthcoming AH-1Z does look tempting.

http://mmzone.co.kr/mms_tool/mt_view.php?mms_db_name=mmz_media&no=4501

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I know it's not armour (although it is 1/35) but their forthcoming AH-1Z does look tempting.

http://mmzone.co.kr/mms_tool/mt_view.php?mms_db_name=mmz_media&no=4501

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Interesting indeed. Would love to see them do a Vietnam era AH-1G also. Al

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Tamiya lost a law suit because Academy changed the locating pin locations. As a result they could not prove the kits were copied. I doubt they are going to be friends any time soon.

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Do you have any documentation of that? Realistic depictions of ordinary objects are always difficult to get protected. That explanation sounds like a sort-or-true-but-not-really, face-saving statement to justify losing a case that had no chance of succeeding, or to rationalize never fighting it at all.

KL

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Tamiya lost a law suit because Academy changed the locating pin locations. As a result they could not prove the kits were copied. I doubt they are going to be friends any time soon.

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Do you have any documentation of that? Realistic depictions of ordinary objects are always difficult to get protected. That explanation sounds like a sort-or-true-but-not-really, face-saving statement to justify losing a case that had no chance of succeeding, or to rationalize never fighting it at all.

KL

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Mr. Tamiya told his life long friend Yasuo Ohtsuka about it. Mr. Ohtsuka told us the story while visiting back in the 1990's. I didn't, don't, feel like questioning Mr. Ohtsuka's integrity.

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Maybe they'll release a cheque to Tamiya for all the kits they bootlegged.

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What's funny is that Tamiya Model Magazine International still never mentions the "Korean Company" by name. I imagine they got dropped off Mr. Shunsaku Tamiya's Christmas Card list early.

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Tamiya lost a law suit because Academy changed the locating pin locations. As a result they could not prove the kits were copied. I doubt they are going to be friends any time soon.

Lately I have purchased a number of Academy T-34's. Maybe not 100% in accuracy, but I find them to be a better value than the same model from Dragon. Even though they cost more than I like, at the moment no one makes a Panzer III variant, that I want, that is a better value than the Dragon Panzer III's.

Response to the title of the original post:
Maybe they celebrate by releasing a bunch of their models in
Airfix boxes
/ Robin