That makes sense. Make a PE set of an 11 year old innacurate Dragon Sherman.

Accurate or inaccurate doesn't matter The important question is: How many of those Sherman kits get sold each year? How big is the potential market for the update set? If there is a market for "Jewellery for pigs" then so be it A few of the other sets will probably sneak into my stash and complicate future builds .... / Robin

Those rocket pods look different than our M26 pods. Does the MARS use a different rocket or just a different pod? So if a person wanted to build this into a US version, the rocket pods would have to be changed?

It seems as if Germany have (or have had) different rocket pods: rear end Smaller diameter rockets Rear end of pods: Needs a refill: refilling the refill: Found it: "Des Weiteren kann auch die kostengünstigere Munition des mittlerweile nicht mehr im Bundeswehrarsenal befindlichen Lars geladen und abgefeuert werden, die sich immer noch im Munitionsbestand der Bundeswehr befindet. Die LAR (Leichte Artillerie-Rakete) hat ein Kaliber von 110 mm, eine Gebrauchsschussentfernung von sechs bis sieben Kilometern und wird aus extra dafür angefertigten RPCs (Rocket Pod Container) abgefeuert, die per Hand geladen werden müssen." from LINK Short translation: To reduce costs for training they can use existing stocks of the LARS rockets from the obsolete LARS-launchers. These are fired from special pods which have to be refilled manually. The MARS from Trumpeter shows the practice pods. I wonder if the "real" pods are included as well ... Sprue images at Trumpeter web-site give me the impression that the regular pods are not included. If you want to build the US MLRS there is another Trumpeter kit for that : / Robin

Thank you for the clarification, Robin. That makes sense to have a cheaper training round. I hope trumpeter has a sooner than later release date for the US version.

I guess then that Voyager has decided that Meng and Rye Field's series of Abrams won't sell enough copies to make sets for? I imagine that the sets for Dragon's M1s will work, but I don't want to shell out $100 for photo etch that may or may not fit correctly. I got burned back in the day when a generic Aber Tiger set didn't fit a Dragon Tiger.

Personally, I think I waste too much money on photoetch. Much of the new(er) kits do not really need the extra work required of using it in the first place. I also think the manufactures put too much into the sets.

Personally I get really bent when they include parts on a fret that were already included in the kit or they replace a part with photo etch that shouldn't have been included in the kit for any reason. An example of this is the gunner's platform in Academy's M1151. The M1151, unlike other HMMWV Armament Cariers didn't have a gunner's platform but Voyager gave you a photo etch replacement anyway. Poor research! Regards, Eric

Not to mention that sometimes (often?) the PE replacement isn't even as good as the original styrene kit piece. Flat antennae anyone?