I don't know how many of you are into what if? kits, but I just received my New Connection 30,5 cm L/16 Bar kit. Yes it is expensive, but all I can say is upon first inspection it was worth every last penny I spent.

Wiilie

Call me an idiot, but what is an L/16 Bar?

Spooky6,

Straight from the Achtung Panzer website:

In early May of 1942, a new design of Sturmpanzer, the Bär (Bear) was proposed. On March 4th of 1943, Krupp proposed development of new Sturmgeschütz armed with 305mm L/16 mortar and first drawings were ready in May. It was to be armed with a 305mm gun mounted in the superstructure, based on the modified chassis of the then new Panzerkampfwagen VI Tiger (Tiger I) heavy tank utilized some Panther components with new suspension developed by Krupp. The new vehicle was to weight 120 tons.


Willie

Ahhh, a model of another German vehicle with extensive production and combat exposure. I'll go build my injection moulded Staghound now...

Bitter? Me???

:-)

Paul
For all who would like to see photos of the Bär
prototype model go to: http://www.new-connection.de
(sorry, my computer won't let me put it in as a link) and click on the "/news" icon.
Hopefully I don't read your "bitterness" wrong, but I think you are frustrated like I (the German panzer freak) am at what appears to be the major plastic model producers belief that only three countries (US, Russia, and German) fought in World War II. When is the last time Dragon did an armor subject from Britain or the Commonwealth that isn't based on the Sherman chasis?
Accurate Armour (3 staghounds) and Cromwell Models (Churchills of all kinds) do a great job in resin. Trust me, the Cromwell Churchills are nice, I have two waiting to be built, but they are expensive. Something from Britain, the Commonwealth, France (not "Germanfied"), Italy or Japan in plastic would be nice.
I know I will get some comments for this post, both for and against. I just hope they are done in a professional manner.

Nope, got it in one. :-)

As I've said a couple of times here, there are a few models that would make great subjects for a far thinking kit manufacturer. Using one's head in designing the tooling the following vehicles could be respun as often as the various types of Tigers and Panthers and still produce very different models from essentially the same tooling.
1) The US Halftrack series - M2 and M3, M5 and M9 From these 4 basic vehicles over a dozen seperate and interesting halftracks can be made that saw large amounts of combat during and after WW II. As bases for aftermarket conversions they are almost limitless.
2) The Centurion - another vehicle with a huge range of possibilities that could be made from essentially the same tooling.
3) The CMP truck range from Fords to Chevs and from 8 cwt up to 60 cwt, these vehicles shared so many components in real life that a smart manufacterer could make a 5 in 1 kit at virtually no extra cost and the aftermarket guys would have a field day with the various special bodies and field conversions.
4) The early Churchills - Gun tanks, AVREs, Funnies, etc. you get the idea.

This doesn't touch the Lee/Grants, the Staghounds, the Daimlers, the Bedfords, the Char B1s and all the other military vehicles that lack a good injected model. All of these have good sales possibilities, but the above four served as the basis for so many different versions over the years that a smart manufacturer could virtually retire making just new versions of vehicles using just these four tools.

Bit of a shame that they don't seem to have thought it through, ain't it?

Paul

A Staghound!

My god I would love to see one of these in styrene.