Did academy announce they were going to do a 1/35th M3 Lee and an M3 Lee with Cast hull?

Frank Blanton

"Announce" is such a formal word. :-)

I don't think that Academy has made a formal "announcement" _but_ they have admitted on their site two years ago that they were working on one and they contacted Cookie Sewell 18 months ago for help with M3 research, so I am relatively sure it was at least an active project. There have been rumours of an M3A1, but nothing more than that, I think.

I would find an M3A1 being released before a Grant to be a questionable thing, from a marketing standpoint, but marketing guys are known to do questionable things, so who knows. A Grant certainly would have much more potential than an M3A1 and would very likely sell much better than an M3A1.

Still, I am but a schmuck customer, so what do I know? :-)

Paul Roberts
President
Armor Modeling and Preservation Society

I wonder if the notion of an M3A1 comes from the restored one on the parade field at APG? Looks like all it would take is a different upper hull and perhaps some hull fittings. It is a strange choice and a rather rare (not very numerous) variant.

I'm sort of planning on going up to Fort Lee next summer for the Boy Scout Jamboree. Is Aberdeen nearby? I'ld like to do some photographing of a few vehicles (including the Lee) before I build a few. We usually hit the Jambo for a day or so , maybe a Civil War battlefield, and a day or so in DC. Last time they wasted a day at Arlington 'cause they brought an Ex-Marine that wanted to see the Marine Museum. Boys hated it !

I don't have any idea where Fort Lee is but Aberdeen is just north east of Baltimore along the coast of the Chesapeake Bay. And you can't photograph "just a few vehicles. Trust me. The place is impressive. I drove 14 hours just to go there. Nuts, I know.

Shaun

Steve,
Ft. Lee is in Virginia just south of my home town in Richmond. Aberdeen is north of Baltimore which would be at least a 41/2 to five hour ride one way from Ft. Lee.

Yeah I know its off topic.
Frank

Paul,
Yep I aggree that the M3A1 cast hull is a freaky variant to release and I also think that a Grant should sell better. I for one would enjoy more British armour as well as the early stuff like the A-9 A-10 and a better Crusader. Hec just the thought of having a better M3 Medium gives me fuzzy's.
Yeah I did type that....
Frank

Frank,

There is the concept of "too much information"ya know. :-)

Well, other than the scale being 1/32 and the kit being OOP, the Airfix M3 Grant and Lee kits are really nice.