Just in case anyone may have been waiting for this to be re-released, Italeri is soon going to reward your pateince (and mine) !
I can't wait to add this to my collection. No date is set for it's return.

I can't wait for this to be re-released. I have been trying to find one for some time now. Has anyone ever built one of these?

I believe our resident GunTruck, a.k.a Gunnie has built one. A beautie at that too!
Here: GunTruck.com - M24 Chaffee

Thanks for the link Kencelot. Gunnie did a great job with the model and the review/build up article. I love the American Light Tank series.

I spoke recently to one of the Italeri's owner about it and he told me that quite likely it will be re-release by mid 2003 or the beginning of 2004 due to the huge requests they had. I love the model itself so much that I built a few and I still got five or six waiting on the shelf!

Thanks for the heads up Ken allways heard about it but never seen the kit. How does it build out of the box?

Hi

Greatmodels are listing the kit for orders. At $16 it looks a great deal!

All of a sudden the eBay overpriced kits are going to disappear, just like with Priests last year!!

Cheers
Andy

Tamiya should do a new Chaffee from scratch. I have one of the Italeri kits unbuilt and was always keen on building it before I lost all my space for the hobby way back when.

Jim

Thanks for the compliment Ken! The Italeri Chaffee is a wonderful kit - I highly recommend it to all. It builds great right out of the box, and if you want to go nuts detailing it, it accepts anything you can dish out.

Verlinden has recently released a nicely detail set to open up the engine compartment - if you so desire. Eduard's set is still available, and I recommend it. On the Mark Models' set might still be available - direct from OTM. Ordnance Models makes a couple of nifty small details packs for the Chaffee too. Early-style Fruilmodelismo track links are available if you desire to model a WW II variant. And, if you buy into all the "propaganda" complaining about the size of the wheels and detailing - you can swap out AFV Club M41 Walker BullDog wheels from their Wheels and Suspension Set relatively inexpensively. Choice is yours, but any way you go, you'll get a nice kit.

Gunnie

Oh yeah - that is a really good deal! I wish they'd hit the local shop shelves at that price - I'd buy an arm-full!

Gunnie

Gunnie,

Not only did you do a fantastic job on the kit, you did an equally excellent review and your photography is first rate. Great job all around.

I am not a tank modeler per se but I got the Chafee kit off E-bay last year when I saw Gun Truck's version. I still have not built it yet since so many other projects have interceded but I still want to a do a Korean War dio with it. Thanks for the tips on detailing for it. Last year I saw a nice version of the Italeri kit by Arthur Berning and I was fortunate enough to see an actual Chafee at Catigny (1st Infantry Division museum) in Chicago when I was at the MMSI show last October.

It is a great kit and I think it should do well on re-issue. Now, who has some info on the Chafee's deployment in the Korean War?

Hey Guys ...Italeri is not just re-issuing thier old kit but they are back dating the kit with new WWll tracks and front end... How cool !! Still a few things that will have to be fixed to make it a real WWll tank but this makes things alot easier.

Rick :-)

(Insert Blushing Emoticon Here)

Thanks for the compliments guys!

I had heard the rumors about the WW II tracks and removal of the 'dozer pads on the lower front hull - but wondered if it was really true. If so - then I think it's time for a WW II Chaffee to join my Korean War version This news made my day!

I think this is one of Italeri's goodies - I don't think I'd ever get tired of building their Chaffee Light Tank model kits.

Gunnie

I built the kit many moons ago... The only complaint I had was the usual Italeri .50 cal... and weak suspension parts. Granted, they were as close to scale as you can get, but this left them very fragile. I would suggest replacing the tracks with an aftermarket set if they are available to take the tension off of the pins on the sprockets and idlers...

Check out the movie "Battle of the Bulge" for some good shots of the chaffee...