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RyeField: Tunisian Tiger
brekinapez
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Georgia, United States
Joined: July 26, 2013
KitMaker: 2,272 posts
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Posted: Thursday, October 08, 2020 - 09:01 PM UTC
If they didn't see a market for another Tiger they wouldn't bother. Obviously they found someone who needs a Sneed.
Byrden
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Wien, Austria
Joined: July 12, 2005
KitMaker: 2,233 posts
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Posted: Thursday, October 08, 2020 - 09:45 PM UTC
I had no direct involvement with this kit, but I've written a lot about Tunisian Tigers so it may incorporate information that I posted somewhere.

I don't know why RFM used my name on the Facebook post. I removed it. Certainly it would give the impression that I was a consultant on this kit, which I was not.

The Tigers of the 501st in Tunisia had many little and big differences between them, so there's room for another kit or two there. For example, the captured Tiger at Fort Benning can't be built by any of the existing kits, although it came from the 501st.

But I have no clear idea of what RFM are planning with this kit #5050. The artwork doesn't answer the question because it's not based on the kit's CAD or a built model (I can tell because it has some Early features. The artist was looking at photos of 131 as well as 724).

So this could be a near unchanged re-release of RFM's original kit #5001. Or it could be a complementary kit addressing more of the 501's tanks. Dragon are about to release such a kit, which may be no coincidence.

David

bill_c
Staff MemberCampaigns Administrator
MODEL SHIPWRIGHTS
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New Jersey, United States
Joined: January 09, 2008
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Posted: Friday, October 09, 2020 - 02:15 AM UTC

Quoted Text

What I take from Bill’s post is that releasing Tigers keeps the doors open. Just without the subterfuge.


The Chinese companies releasing these kits have what some in the industry believe is an unsustainable business model. Sort of like using the rolling stock to fuel a wood-burning train engine.
Totalize
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Ontario, Canada
Joined: February 04, 2009
KitMaker: 743 posts
Armorama: 549 posts
Posted: Friday, October 09, 2020 - 02:55 PM UTC
I have Dragon's two most recent North African Tigers. So, I will not be purchasing this one but will this kit not be around the same price as the Dragon kits?
Totalize
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Ontario, Canada
Joined: February 04, 2009
KitMaker: 743 posts
Armorama: 549 posts
Posted: Friday, October 09, 2020 - 02:58 PM UTC

Quoted Text

Is it me, or does the guy with the fez at right look like he's about to pee on the Tiger?




He's a rivet counter checking to see RFM got the mud guard design right for this Tiger.
Byrden
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Wien, Austria
Joined: July 12, 2005
KitMaker: 2,233 posts
Armorama: 2,221 posts
Posted: Friday, October 09, 2020 - 11:17 PM UTC

Quoted Text

I have Dragon's two most recent North African Tigers. So, I will not be purchasing this one but will this kit not be around the same price as the Dragon kits?



I can't answer regarding the price of 5050.

Your two Dragon kits are, if I understand you, the "Tunisian Initial" and Tiger "131".

Those are two quite different-looking Tigers.

Dragon's next kit, "Operation Ochsenkopf", is another Tunisian Tiger similar to 6608 but with some decal and part options that make it visibly different.

I don't know what's in this new kit from RFM. It could be their original Tunisian Tiger back as a re-release, or they could be addressing more of these Tunisian tanks (like Dragon are). The artwork is all that they've shown us so far, and the artwork doesn't answer that question.

David

Taeuss
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Manitoba, Canada
Joined: January 03, 2016
KitMaker: 3,791 posts
Armorama: 3,778 posts
Posted: Saturday, October 10, 2020 - 12:09 PM UTC
In regards to my reference to the Dragon Africa Tigers: that's just the point, at the time they were competitive if not relatively inexpensive and then someone got excessively greedy and the Dragon kit prices hit through the roof. I personally buy very few of them these days as I don't believe that they are exclusive or competitive anymore with such newcomers as RFM, Meng and Takom, to name but a few, producing comparable quality kits. Greed does that to companies as we've all seen.
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