Hi,
I've noticed on their website, they have lots of interior for the BMP family. How does they rate as far as casting, details, fitting on the base kit are concerned?

TIA
olivier

I think you have just asked a loaded question. Many feel they are over priced for what you get, some say thats acient history. I personally have never purchased one of their products - not for lack of trying, I tried to place a phone order everyday for a week and never got through, my messages were not returned, and e-mails were ignored.

Maybe others had a better experience?

I have several AEF interiors, but have finished none of them.
The details are by no means complete. They are not in the same league as a Tank Workshop or Jaguar interior. You should plan on some serious scratchbuilding to get a complete interior
The instructions are somewhat crude line drawings.

Many of the parts are wafer cast with bubbles, flash or a pebbled or mottled texture.

Caveat Emptor.
MD

I agree with everything said above. I have dealed with AEF once and wasn't satisfied. I bought a BTR-152 update and a BRDM-2 Interior. My order came 3 months later, even though I ordered from US. The update set was about 12 bucks so I figured since it's cheaper than Eduard PE, I'll give it a try. The set contained the dashboards, which were actually copies of Eduard pieces, seats - these seats look better than the Skif BTR-152, but are still very innacurate. The set also includes about 10 ammo boxes - which are probably the best part of the kit, since the stock Skif ammo boxes are horrible... There are also a bunch of other pieces, like a spare oil tank(?) and different boxes. The trouble is - there are no instructions(!)

The second kit - BRDM-2 interior... well actually my order got screwed up and I was sent a BRDM-2 SAGGER conversion... which was missing the missiles hatch, the biggest part of the kit after the hull. After extensive search for reference I reallised that almost all of the parts were incorrect in one way or the other. Like MLD said, count on a lot of scratchbuilding and correcting with their interior kits. Many parts had air bubbles and a lot of flash.

It is a shame that such a manufacturer (specializing in Soviet stufff) is so unreliable. I wouldn't mind the incorect pieces as much as their customer service and delivery.

You can try searching the forums, there have been a few posts about AEF Designs.

Sadly, I haven't seen a single good word about AEF products over the years - my advice is to look elsewhere...Jim

Bison, The subject is pretty well covered here. I have dealt with AEF for several years. There was always that chance of "maybe he got it right this time." Sadly, that has proven to be the exception and not the rule. I did purchase a track width mine plow that had sat on a stores shelf for damn near 15 years. For $5 I wasn't going to be out a whole lot if it was crap. As it turns out, it was the only, and I mean only thing I have ever seen from AEF that wasn't jacked up in one or another. Just a little of what I have seen/experienced from AEF in the past.....
ASU-85 conversion- Crooked barrel that would not stay straight now matter what was done to it. Crude instructions as well

An Israeli conversion based on the centurian that required scratchbuilding the entire interior piece as the kit supplied one was severely warped. Rear hull plate also scratchbuilt as the supplied one was grossly over sized and did not fit. Lacking instructions as well and a mixture of pieces for other kits not even related to the subject. (Basically copies of major kit manufacturers weapons and other stowage items)

I had a few of the BMP and BTR interiors that I grabbed at some shows back east for a song, but ended up trying to just give them away, as they were total crap. Short shot pieces, warped, missing etc. I would highly recommend that you get eyes on a set and see what is what with the kit. I do a lot of scratchbuilding, and AEF sometimes gives me the general shape and deminsions of what I am trying to build. To try and build one of his kits and or conversions and have it go the way it's supossed to.....good luck. Buy at your own risk is all I can tell you. "Q"

Thank you all for those encouraging words :-)

Sadly enough, except from scratchbulding, I think I'll have no chance of getting a correct interior for my BMP's. I intended to improve Skif BMP3 one and the pics on AEF site were so attracting !

I still don't understand how AEF remains in the game with such criticisms everywhere and everywhen I see comments about their products ! Strange to me.

cheers

The reason the items look so nice is that they are the masters for the conversion sets. There are a lot of guys in Singapore, Taiwan, etc. that swear by Tony's product. I will admit he has some of the best subjects on the street. If the quality control was stepped up a notch or two, I doubt anybody could touch him. Until that happens though, different story same ending. "Q"