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Armor/AFV: Modern Armor
Modern armor in general.
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How are Trumpeter's Chinese T-85 II Kits?
Trisaw
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California, United States
Joined: December 24, 2002
KitMaker: 4,105 posts
Armorama: 2,492 posts
Posted: Wednesday, May 25, 2005 - 11:04 AM UTC
How are Trumpeter's Type 85-II (the latest PLA tank) kits? I saw these kits at my LHS for $15.

They seem cheap enough, but are they TOO cheap? I have the Trumpeter JGSDF Type-89 IFV, copied from Pit Road, and this kit doesn't seem too bad.

I don't care if the Type 85-II is cheap. As long as it fits and looks the part and is reasonably accurate, I might buy it as "something different."

Also, what is the difference between the Type 85-II and the Type-85 IIAP? One sports a 105mm and the other a 125mm, but which one is the latest and best version? Jane's Tank Guide says Pakistan makes the Type 85-IIAP.

Thanks.
leo1vtanker
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Limburg, Netherlands
Joined: December 20, 2002
KitMaker: 71 posts
Armorama: 42 posts
Posted: Thursday, May 26, 2005 - 02:40 AM UTC
Personally I think the Type 85 kits are crap. Sorry.
Detail is soft, accuracy is bad. The 85 is one of Trumpeter's first armor kits and it shows. Back then they swamped the market with cheap uncommon modern kits in an attempt to gain a piece of the styrene model market. Unfortunately a large part of those early kits suffer from quality issues.
To give you an idea what you might run into....the wheels are actually screwed to the wheelarms with a tiny screw and the screwhead doesn't have a cover to hide it from view.They old series kits were produced in styrene that would not be bonded together with the glue we al normally use. It PO'd a lot of people...

Although much of those problems are over now you might run into them if you purchase a Trumpeter oldie like the 85's. My advice to you: don't buy them unless you're willing to put a huge effort into them.

Cheers,
Marcel
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