I know, there are several Ace kits of BMP's available in 1/72 but my modeling wish is that one of the big companies (Dragon or Revell) would put out some BMP variant.

Nothing against Ace, but my skills just aren't good enough to spend the time putting their kits together. For limited run they are great, but the BMP's are such popular vehicles and used in so many places and in so many variations it seems a perfect new small scale subject.

I really think this would be a great selling kit.

Steve

There's a rumor that Trumpeter, makers of the excellent KV series, will release some BMPs. Hopefully it'll push through and eventually make all of the BMP variants.

Steve

What is it about the ACE kits that gives you problems?

I find the link and length tracks on the smaller AFVs to be very difficult and that has caused me to suspend production on several BMPs, etc. However, I recently ordered OKB Grigorov replacement tracks for the ACE MT-LB and I'm looking forward to seeing how well they work. Hopefully, I'll be able to get my ACE production line up and running again.

I have the ARMO BMP-2 barrel and that makes a difference as the kit barrel is very brittle and difficult to clean.

If you can't get the lower hull front to mate with the hull sides, brute force and cyano will enable you to fix the problem. Start with the hull rear and make sure that is firmly attached before forcing the front components to mate.

Other than that, I think you'll have to wait for Trumpeter as it's unlikely that Revell will come to the party and Dragon's schedule is fairly well mapped out.

David

Think smaller, Trumpeter doesn't make a KV series in 1/72 scale. While they do make some nice 1/72 scale armor kits, they have not made very many (ZIL-157, CA-30, FAMO, Strv 103, JGSDF Type 61, 74 and 90, LCM3). Some of those are reboxed Pit Road kits (Japanese tanks).

I think the best bet would be to hope for Revell to do one. They tend to make vehicles that served in the Bundeswehr. When East and West Germany reunited, there were Bundeswehr units which had been DDR units equipped with BMPs and T-72s. I think the latest Revell T-72 actually comes with Bundeswehr markings as one of the options.

The boxart shows what looks like NVA markings, with the tricoloured circle with dividers and ruler device.

I pinched this list of threatened 1/72nd stuff by Trumpeter from PMMS (love to know what a metaphase Tiger is :-))

1:72 Scale Vehicles
07206 Russian T-34/76 1942
07207 T-34/85 Modle 1944
07210 German 12.8cm Selbstfahr lafette L/61
07211 Brummbar mid production
07212 Brummbar late production
07214 British Challenger 2 MTB Tank
07222 US M4A1(76)W Tank
07224 M4A3 Tank
07225 M4A3E8 Tank (T66 Track)
07226 M4A3 76(W) Tank
07227 Russia JS-3 Tank
07228 Russia JS-3m Tank
07229 M4A3E8 Tank
07230 Russian KV-2 Tank
07234 Russian kV-1 1942 Tank
07237 US M113ACAV
07242 Panzerkampfwagen VI Tiger 1 Ausfuhrung E (early)
07243 Panzerkampfwagen VI Tiger 1 Ausfuhrung E (metaphase)
07244 Panzerkampfwagen VI Tiger 1 Ausfuhrung E (late version)
07245 Panther D
07246 Panther Ausf. A,SS-Pz.Div.Wiking Kovel March 1944

The link between Pit Road and Trumpeter may go the other way with Trumpeter making the moulds in China and marketing them in markets outside Japan with Pit Road reboxing them for the Japanese market.

Ace is great for limited run kits of subjects nobody else has. But for me it's just too much work cleaning up parts and adding detail to bring them up to the level I would like.

Actually, I own several of Ace's BMP kits but have yet to attempt them.

I'm more of a finisher than a builder and have been spoiled on Revell.

I hope it's more than a rumor about Trumpeter though. I really think these are kits that would sell.

Steve

They are going to release BMPs, unfortunately, they are BMP3s, one with the Kontact ERA, One w/o.

I too would like too see some new BMPs .... in my 1/35 scale!

Chris

I agree that the ACE kits while covering many subjects that are hard to find elsewhere, are not worth the time to do all the cleaning up.
I teach Armored Vehicle Recognition and find this a ideal scale at ten feet away with a set of Binos
I bought a bunch of their subjects and have suffered one disappointment after another. I have the BMP about 75% complete and am sick of cleaning up the tracks.
Threw away their BTR-60PB for an ICM one, and did the same with the PT-76 in lieu of the PST version.
If your lucky enough to get a model at the beginning of the production run then it is a different story, but later on its hell.
Their BMD came with PE tracks and after three (3) tries i threw them away and sacrificed an ESCI M113 for its tracks.
Sometimes I wonder if I'll be better off just scratch building the subject.
This is the only time I wish that a company had the single "rubber band" or "vinyl" tracks.

The rumored Trumpeter BMP-3's are supposed to be in 1/35 scale...

Keep an eye out, PST or ICM might surprise us...NO, I do not know anything, but they are prime candidates to do it.

Ken

One of my older brothers (who introduced me to building Airfix kits back in the early 1960s) is more interested in finishing his models quickly than accurately. He has an ACE T-55 with Airfix Panther tracks.

Not quite competition standard but he's happy with it!

I don't mind rubber tracks myself, as long as they're good representations of the real thing, are the right length and don't rot over time.

Regards

David

Dave,
That's what I'm saying about these ACE kits.
I have several "Metal" war gaming pieces from an old Game called "Firefight 20" (BMP, LAV25, PT76, M2 Bradley, BTR60PB), and while filled a niche, they "banged" around and damaged the other models.
When ACE came out with their BMP, LAV 25, BTR60 and PT76 I thought that I could finally replace them.
But Nooooooo, they are such a "chore" to build that they now sit in their boxes, monuments to my "over anxiousness".
If they had been "simpler/quicker" to build, they'd have been done a year ago (even if they had the vinyl tracks).
Some people have the time to devote to such kits, but I have ADD and as such, loose interest far too quickly.
Don't get me wrong, I do enjoy a challenge (the fact that I will soon be married will attest to that), but with each time I pick up one of these, I start to think "Why Bother?".
I fully expect to have to putty here, and cut/trim there, but not with each and every part.
I threw away the PE tracks that came with their BMD, and replaced them with the tracks from an ESCI M113.
I hope this explains my position better.
-Ken

Hi Guys

I fully agree with you all about Ace kits, you either love them and will be prepaired to spend the time and effort to work on the models, Or wait until something else comes along.

I still have their very first BRDM 2 kits on the work bench, or at least started oin a box some place, I have often wondered if I would have been better off scratchbuilting it., but I am simply not that good to attempt that. And to be truthfull I did enjoy the work to build the basic hull up at the time, and added the weld seams etc.

I have the old Armo BMP 2 kit and while it would be easier to built in that the hull is in one peice I opted for a set of Ace roadwheels etc to replace their parts.

I have recently seen an excellent model of an Indian BMP 2 built by Tim Neate at the UK MAFVA Nationals built using the Ace kit reworked (Heavily).

If you can live with a slightly smaller kit of the BMP 1 then the Cromwell models Combat Ready BMP 1 may be the way to go particularily if you prefer to paint than build. you may also be lucky enought to find the old MMS white metal kit of the BMP 2, this may have been released by exo kit (or some one else)
I hope this helps.

Cheers

Ian