I am now needing to do a Lee and grant in 1/35. Since its only Tamiyas older kit, what is the major complaint about this kit? I can use the new suspension from the new dragon 3 in 1 kits to upgrade there.
Thanks Bill

The best advice is to wait a month or so. Academy's Lee is coming out soon and it MAY just be what a lot of people are waiting for. The Tamiya one is ancient and requires a virtual rebuild to get it close to an accurate kit. Hopefully, Academy will have learned from the mistakes of the Tamiya one and give us something which is more suited for the standards that we have come to expect from other manufacturers..Jim

Here is a review of the kit: US Army Models.com.

If you can't wait for the Academy kit or if it is bad like their Sheridan, there is always the Airfix kits in 1/32 scale. Those were relatively nice kits for around $10-20.

A non-definitive list:

US M3 Medium (Lee)
1) End connectors fitted to the end of the track blocks instead of joining them together
2) Wheels have a spoke too many
3) Hull is too wide
4) Hull manages to combine the engine deck and rear overhang of a diesel engined version with the vertical rear plate of a petrol engined version
5)Turret is far too rounded which means the protectoscope on the rear of the turret looks like a bow window
6)For the same reason the turret front plate is the wrong shape

Grant
1) -3) above, plus different turret shape problems.

At least the Grant gets the hull rear right, though it's a late version with a Continental engine rather than the Wright. This version is less common on the Grant.

Generally 70s level of detail.

Fitting new wheels and using the T51 (I think) rubber block track from the Italeri M4A1 helps, specially as the suspension is robust enough to stand up to the Italeri track.

There used to be a resin upgrade (total rebuild) around, but I can't remember who made it.

As for the academy kit there is talk of it not coming out,
on planet armour there is a thread
click here

Armoured Brigade Models?

Yes! ABM it is, but now OOP

http://www.missing-lynx.com/gallery/britain/szgrant-1.jpg

I've heard that Sid Arnold (owner of ABM) is going to re-issue his excellent Lee and Grant kits. He did two types and I'm not sure which he's really going to do. I guess we'll find out at the AMPS vendor room.


I know that he did "update" kits which included turret, engine deck corrections, view ports, meant to fit to a donor Tamiya kit.

He also did full kits (which didn't require any Tamiya M3 parts).

Given the Academy vapor kit, I'd still plunk down money on Sid's kits, personally.

I have no firm knowledge of this one way or another, but I might imagine Sid to be a bit daft to put the effort into bringing out a resin kit with the Acedmey kit on the horizon (notwithstanding that it might still be a bit over the horizon). If the Academy kit evaporates completely, then I'm sure it will reappear, but I'd bet dollars to doughnuts that it won't be at AMPS. Still, you never know...




Roy, I'd probably wait a bit. The fact that we've seen an actual test shot means that the Academy kit shouldn't be too far away (nightmares of the M40 are still dancing in my head). Still, if you absolutely must do a Lee now, then Sid's stuff is the way to go. Much better than mine, for sure.
Paul

Well, as far as I know, Academy is going to release the Lee kit soon. I checked the Academy's web site, which still says that the kit will be released soon (it even lists the MSRP as 22,000 Won or about $24 U.S.). I would dismiss it as a rumor until you see the Academy web site finally takes it out of the site. My contact in Korea has not mentioned anything about it not coming out. As far as all the information I gathered from the test shots last month, it will be a far better kit than old Tamiya's. So waiting for the new kit would save you the headache of totally rebuilding the old Tamiya's.

James, I hear what you're saying... However, I must admit to being a touch alarmed when the source of the story is Dave Harper - someone who is pretty much 'in the loop' regarding industry 'movements' ..Jim