I got all excited when I saw your post PDA, and I must admit it does look fantastic. I wish I was a modeller and not a wargamer!
At 32.50 Euros per tank it would cost me nearly 400 Euros for a tank battalion. Oh well. I was talking to Armourfast on Saturday and.......maybe, just maybe. You never know.
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The sands of time are eroded by the river of constant change
I know what you mean, Paul B. I don't have anybody nearby to game with, so I am a modeller, I guess, but it does look expensive.
However, it does compare with the prices of other resin models; if you look at the prices of most of the other resin kit makers, such as Cromwell, Den Bels, Retrokit, Solfig, WD Models, Gramodels, Matador Models and all the others, the prices are roughly similar. So in that respect, it isn't expensive; it appears to be priced about right. (And I don't just mean WW1 kits - look at how much the "popular" WW2 stuff sells for).
As a modeller, I enjoy all types of models, the cheapies aimed at wargamers, and the higher priced, highly detailed ones. I am less inclined to experiment with the more expensive kits, so in some ways they are less fun. With a cheapie, such as HaT Renault FT tanks, I can cut and "sculpt" and play, and not worry about losing a lot of money if it goes horribly wrong.
With regards to your second point; Armourfast are indeed working on a Mark V.
I'll probably buy one of these Modelltrans ones (it is a handsome model), and a bushel of the Armourfast ones when they are available.
Looking at the second picture on the Modeltrans blogspot the sponson rears look to be at slightly more than 90 degrees. I hope to read some reviews before making an investment though.
Judging by the photos on the Modelltrans blogspot, the only problem I can see is the sponsons. The louvres are fitted to the wrong side but are marked as optional so can easily be put on the left side instead of the right. I can't see the towing point at the front so I can't comment on that but even if it resembles the Mk IV it will be easy to fix.
I´ve examined one of the first castings last week and the sponsons are indeed with a 90 degree angle. I´ve mentioned this to Peter and he´s now reworking the sponsons to make them correct. The kit will come with two male + two female sponsons, so all possible male/female/hermaphrodite variations can be made. One of my priority projects now is to make a decal sheet for this tank, so anyone buying this model will need a little patience for the decals.
