Landships II

d_fernetti · Hero

Tamiya Mk.IV

compound eye · Colonel

That was me!

I saw the Tamiya bods photographing '102' at Bovvy last October 18th.

I had it all confirmed on the QT by Marcus at Tamiya Model Magazine International, but couldn't give you hard evidence without dropping him in it.

It has apparently been 'leaked' out in the bigger web and has just been 'officially' announced on the Tamiya FB group.

It'll be a MkIV Male only, ALTHOUGH they did go to Lincoln as well. My guess is that the Female follows later. Shame, coz an option kit would have been amazing.

Nailcreek · Captain

Does anyone have a web link to the announcement? I looked on facebook, and nothing was posted.

d_fernetti · Hero

I read about it here (and this guy is often VERY reliable) www.facebook.com/mdoi3/posts/629848807092121

Valeriy67 · Captain

Interesting, It's re-pac old Emhar or new model?

compound eye · Colonel

It is supposed to be a new-tool. Hell, they spent all day till 4.30pm photographing '102' at Bovvy - doubt they'd do that if it was just a re-pop of someone else's shoddy effort.

Check out the garbled machine translation here though -

www.1999.co.jp/eng/10271341

Either this is a crappy 1970s style MOTORIZED kit, or they are trying to say it hase an interior of sorts with 'final drive train'.

I don't quite know what to think. On the one hand a very cheap guide price [£20-ish!!!] and no mention of indy tracks - both of which say 'motorised crap' to me, but on the other mangled information about possible interior details and open hatches.

Really hope more info leaks out ASAP.

At this point, I either want 2 of them, or none at all!

PS - WW1 infantry set also announced by Tamiya.

MK1 Nut · Hero

I would say it's new AND motorised... this does not not mean it will be a bad kit. I think it's possibly a good idea, give the kids something to enticed them into kit building, plus make it detailed and the kit bashers will have a good basis to get their teeth into. We can only wait and see.

Hobby Link

compound eye · Colonel

Wait and see, of course, BUT feeling a bit cheated right now - as if a golden opportunity presented itself and was wasted.

Motorized tanks are only every a compromise that don't 'yoing about' as children might like, or have all the details serious modellers might want.

Looks like we'll have to hope they include a 'static' sprocket assembly also, and then shell out more than the price of the kit itself for the new Friuli tracks...

I'm off out to buy a new happy-hat, my current one hasn't got a wide enough brim to hide my frustration at this point :(

d_fernetti · Hero

There's a figure set announced too: www.hlj.com/shizuoka-hobby-show-2014-tamiya

PDA · Legend

MK1 Nut wrote:
I would say it's new AND motorised... this does not not mean it will be a bad kit. I think it's possibly a good idea, give the kids something to enticed them into kit building, plus make it detailed and the kit bashers will have a good basis to get their teeth into. We can only wait and see.
Hobby Link

Maybe being motorised doesn't automatically mean a bad kit, but measuring up Bovington's tank instead of Lodestar III in Brussels might. We all know how much 102 has missing.

compound eye · Colonel

The measured up Flirt II also... which will probably compound the inaccuracies.

Hey, perhaps that is why the are motorizing it. Flirt II is an empty shell - plenty of room for 3 AAs and a Tamiya motor/gearbox in there...

piet71 · Major

1:35 Scale British Mk.IV WWI Tank

28juni14 · Hero

RE: Tamiya Mk.IV

Suvoroff · Corporal

It's bound to be accurate as Tamiya has..."The full cooperation of the United Kingdom Bobinton"

Lothianman · Colonel

That's a fairly accurate translation if your intermediate language can't distinguish between b and v!

Tamiya produce plenty of motorised tank kits in 1/16 and 1/35 scales. This may not have been too obvious lately as they are specifically for radio control and Mr 28juni14 might easily have been looking in the wrong model shop/part of the shop/catalogue. With a single motor the new kit would be rather difficult to steer, though.

I can only hope they issue an non-motorised kit later (as often happened in their previous range).

Never mind, not long to wait till the hobby show and we find out more!

compound eye · Colonel

Advertisement for Tamiya 1/35 Mk. IV Male

MK1 Nut · Hero

So it looks like it is going to be motorised AND well detailed... who would have thought! :)

Ok there's bound to be some errors because there always is, but a Major Kit Manufacturer has made a 1/35 First World War Tank... time to be happy. Oh and start purchasing so they know it was worth the effort.

Good times!

28juni14 · Hero

RE: Tamiya Mk.IV

PDA · Legend

28juni14 wrote:
Just got a response from HobbyLinkJapan concerning this forthcoming kit. Sitting here, red faced, I must concede that it will indeed have the motor and gearbox, rubber tracks, and a bit toy-like. I am, consequently, embarrassed with my previous assumption.

Don't worry, Jack. I'm also a bit surprised and embarrassed to see (from the FB advert, Compound Eye was kind enough to point out) that this kit is not entirely an accurate portrayal of Bovington's Mk IV - it has unditching rails!

Lothianman · Colonel

One interesting point - Tamiya (or at least their artist) have spotted the asymmetry of the gun sponsons in front view ...

compound eye · Colonel

Turns out this Tamiya kit is going to have indy 'click' links a'la the Char B1 bis, EVEN THOUGH it is motorized. That is a World first apparently.

I am not sure that is going to be enough to divert many Takom pre-orders. Certainly I will be going for both M & F Takoms when they show online, and I am checking every day...

TinCanTadpole · Legend

If the Tamiya kit is going to have click-together links, it should be a great choice for anyone wanting a radio-controlled rhomboid. Being motorised, it already has reduction gears to the drive sprocket, so all that is necessary is to replace the single motor with either twin motors or, for more fun, a single motor set-up with mechanical steering, using a differential and servo operated brakes.

Lothianman · Colonel

Re compound eye's comment - Tamiya were selling motorised tank kits with independent track links back around 1970 - e.g. Chieftain, Su-100, T-34-85: admittedly to 1/25 scale. Some are still available today, if only for nostalgia value.

Wouldn't be surprised if they reissue the Mark IV as a r/c kit if the physical dimensions allow (about which I am doubtful given the different layout and space from their usual 1/35 r/c models).

compound eye · Colonel

Indeed 1/25.

I was woefully vague and should have said 1/35 World First...

Seems to me, that the indy tracks are a side effect of the motorization in this case... Scale link & plate RBTs would be so thick as to be unworkable on a motorized rhomboid.

ph0t0art · Sergeant

Photo of gearing etc and video of it moving (rather quickly) have been posted on the Tamiya Model Magazine Facebook page.

d_fernetti · Hero

Let's see if I can embed it here:

[video=

Post by 한국 타미야.

]

d_fernetti · Hero

Well that din't work too well, isn't it?

Heres a few old fashioned JPGs for you to peruse, then:

compound eye · Colonel

Hot off the press from Shizuoka today -

http://www.1999.co.jp/image/10271341b/30/1

Nobody is reporting Takom, yet. Although Takom do have a stand and all that PR through PMSS suggests their M/F rhomboids stand a good chance of being there.

piet71 · Major

looking good ,

d_fernetti · Hero

The Z on the sponsn is where the switch for the engine is located? Nice... Why the paper sticker with the name? Wonder if you have the skills to build the tank, and make it run with an engine and wiring, you can use a waterslide decal...

Tonys · Field Marshal

Lewis guns look far too long. According to the dimensions I have worked out from dimensioned drawings, the Lewis Gun sticking out of the ball socket should only be about 24,75".

That's arrived by taking the length of the barrel clear of the drum magazine at 26,25", less the 7,5" ball socket that the thing has to pass through and a further clearance of 1,5" for the magazine release catch.

Any comments?

Tony

compound eye · Colonel

That is just a raw plastic prototype model, hence paper stuck on for markings.

As to the 'Z', it doesn't show on the sprue shots, and I don't think it is a motor switch. That would probably be under the belly, given that the battery compartment straddles tie space between the sponsons. To me, it looks like the 'Z' is a marking - as if the 'Z' is supposed to deceive enemy marksmen from hitting the vision slit. Any thoughts on that?

NOTE though, the cut unditching rails front & back. The whole upper hull lifts out for battery changes. Given that UDRs are a PITA to begin with, that cutting makes them even more so. Either settle for a motorised toy, scratch or PE a new set of UDRs [kit parts will be too thick anyway], OR build a Gaza III tank and miss the things off.

STILL wanting to hit 'buy' on the Takom Male & Female instead. Once my favourite [cheap] Far Eastern web portals show them.

geod-LA · Sergeant

compound eye wrote:
To me, it looks like the 'Z' is a marking - as if the 'Z' is supposed to deceive enemy marksmen from hitting the vision slit. Any thoughts on that?

I asked the same question about the Zs almost two years ago and was told (and am happy to accept) that they were indeed painted on to deceive the enemy. See this thread:
http://landships.activeboard.com/t50391906/hyacinth/

d_fernetti · Hero

Ahhh, now I see! Thanks! I didn't knew of this Z marking before. Now I can see it's made in the same adhesive paper and it isn't a cutout in the sponson surface (I "misread" the image!)

Paul Bonnett · Hero

On the Tamiya F/B page the on/off switch is clearly shown on the rear belly plate. Shame its not R/C. Wonderland Models in Edinburgh has it for pre-order at £44.99
Paul

piet71 · Major

www.armorama.com/modules.php

Paul Bonnett · Hero

From Missing Lynx website biggrin

Brett Green reviews and builds a test shot of Tamiya's 1:35 scale British WWI Mark IV Male tank. A whopping 74 images of the kit parts and the model under construction are included.

http://www.missing-lynx.com/reviews/britain/tamiya30057reviewbg_1.html