Jacques Posted December 19, 2001 Posted December 19, 2001 So, what do you all think of this company? Are they run by modelers or what? Great releases, great prices. Questionable business practices, I agree. But then, Capitalism was never my strong suit!
Jacques Posted December 19, 2001 Author Posted December 19, 2001 Have you all yet seen what is due out for 2002-2003? pretty impressive if it all comes to fruition. Here is a short hint: http://www.swiftsite.com/rosemonthobby/trum0203.htm as you saw, they have freakin' TANK TRANSPORTERS on schedule. I could cry. Also the S-tank and SA-2 systems. And T-55 with dozer. And a 1/72 Tu-92 bear. and a 1/32 SU-27. etc....etc...etc... gonna be poor, poor, poor.
Gennady I. Beregovoy Posted December 20, 2001 Posted December 20, 2001 Isn't this the Chinese company? (yellow trumpet as their logo?) Yeah, the price is remarkably low - especially on the 1/350 scale ships. Interesting models, too. However I have steered away from it on the notion that it is poor in quality/detail - though I should not really say/think that since I have not bought nor opened any kit from them. Recommendations? If favorable, I plan to drop by and check out the available kits in the model shops around here. I remember seeing Type 88s, other Soviet tanks, M1s etc. Please do evaluate their quality. Thanks!
Michael Eastes Posted December 20, 2001 Posted December 20, 2001 I tried one of their T-72 kits and gave up in disgust-nothing seemed to fit. However,I see they're coming out with a Sov "Madge" seaplane in 1/48, so I guess they get a second chance.
Jacques Posted December 20, 2001 Author Posted December 20, 2001 I have many of thier kits, here is what I can tell you: T-72's: mediocre copies of the Tamiya kit. Turret is a horrible copy. Detail is soft. I do not know about the T-72 w/era, it is supposedly a better kit. M1A1's and M1A2: Best kit of this tank ont he market. Many good reviews on it, all new molds, many of the problems inthe Tamiya and DML kits have been fixed. Details are very nice. T-55 series: Best kit until SKIF's came out. Slight hieght problem between the fenders and the roadwheels (needs about 1mm more). Detail is good. TU-16 badger: Excellent series, very good detail. Well worth the money. Korean K1 and K1A1: Very nice kit. K1 is more accurate to the real tank. K1A1 is a copy fo the Coree resin kit, whcih was based on protoypes, so it has a few minor detail problems. Details are crisp on this kit. Brazilian Osorio: I have heard it is accurate but has some annoying fit problems in the hull and turret. Chinese tank kits: I have several. Nice kits, only ones of chinese type of tanks, details range from excellent to soft. Build into nice kits. Type 33G submarine: Excellent kit, well worth the Money. Overall the kits are getting better. The T-72's and BMP-1 were from the first run of kits and it shows. The Korean K1 and TU-16 badger are new releases and show the large improvement they have made. They are at early 90's DML/Tamiya quality range right now. I spend $15 for tanks, $20 for TU-16, so they have an excellent price. I have not seen the new Sovremmney destroyer in 1/200 or the A-10 in 1/32, nor the Mig-21 in 1/32. Anyone care to chime in?
Jason Posted December 20, 2001 Posted December 20, 2001 They're doing an F-107??!!??!! Finally, somebody is doing it in injection molded form, and it isn't going to cost me tons of money! I love these guys.
Jason Posted December 20, 2001 Posted December 20, 2001 Oh, incidentally, when I worked at the shop last Friday night, I took a peak at one of the 1/200 Russian DDG's. Not bad, but the one piece hull I wasn't thrilled with. Seems geared towards motorization. If you're up to attempting to make the kit a waterline model, it has excellent detail and seems to be of good quality. Be careful however, there are two versions of the kit, one Russian Navy, the other PLAN. They have subtle differences in the radar masts and a few other minor differences.
Gennady I. Beregovoy Posted December 20, 2001 Posted December 20, 2001 Mmmmmmmmmm! Seems like me gonna get their M1 kits soon!
Armored Marine Posted December 20, 2001 Posted December 20, 2001 Originally posted by Jacques:....Brazilian Osorio: I have heard it is accurate but has some annoying fit problems in the hull and turret. Anyone care to chime in?.... I just bought one. I haven't got to it yet, but I plan to start it this weekend.....So they offer an S tank too? I'll have my eyeballs out........Stay tuned for more....Ed
John Eary Posted December 20, 2001 Posted December 20, 2001 My local shop has several A-10s, Abrams and some motorized (wheee)T-55 and T-59s. I had avoided them after hearing "mediocre" about some of their stuff. Sounds like some are worth a look, though. You have to give them credit for subject selection. I'd be all over an S tank. What are the questionable business practices? The usual mold copying? Sounds like they are leaving that period of their history. Sheesh, with some good decisions they could be a major player in a few years.
rsetiawan Posted December 26, 2001 Posted December 26, 2001 any info on trumpeter's Type 98 ? (quality, and is the model include laser active defence system ?)
Guest GarthKidman Posted January 2, 2002 Posted January 2, 2002 That certainly made my eyes pop open. I'd love the Bear, but with a B-1B, B-2 already built in 1/72 and three B-52s waiting in the wings, I won't have the room. CV-8 in 1/350. Maybe it'll be the same quality and price as the 1/350 USS Arizona that just came out (good quality, $25). Someone will definitely come out with a resin/photoetch set for around $30-$40, and I'll be making ships again! And with a CV-8, there HAS to be plans to do a CV-5 and CV-6 in that scale. All three sisters would make an AMAZING display. --Garth Originally posted by Jason:They're doing an F-107??!!??!! Finally, somebody is doing it in injection molded form, and it isn't going to cost me tons of money! I love these guys.
Gennady I. Beregovoy Posted January 3, 2002 Posted January 3, 2002 Garth, are you a member of SMML also? They got an email newsletter on shipbuilding tips. Pretty interesting.
Jason Posted January 3, 2002 Posted January 3, 2002 I'd really like a Ranger in 1/350th injection molded form, that would be really great. A Langley would be kinda unique too. I can't recall her name or hull number, but there was a paddle wheel carrier which served as a training ship on the Great Lakes during WW2, she would be kinda neat to model also.
Jason Posted January 3, 2002 Posted January 3, 2002 Oh, and somebody to do a Forrestal in 1/350th, in her original configuration (as launched). And a Midway in 1/350th in her original configuration...... I could go on, and on, and on.......
Guest GarthKidman Posted January 4, 2002 Posted January 4, 2002 Those paddlewheel carriers were USS Sable and USS Wolverine. Ranger in 1/350 would be a neat idea, but there probably isn't all that large of a market ... OTOH, Lexington (pre-war) and Saratoga (late-war) in 1/350 would be "must-buys" for me (well, depending on the price ... the only 1/350 scale CV-6 runs about $800, which is way too rich for my blood.) --Garth Originally posted by Jason:I'd really like a Ranger in 1/350th injection molded form, that would be really great. A Langley would be kinda unique too. I can't recall her name or hull number, but there was a paddle wheel carrier which served as a training ship on the Great Lakes during WW2, she would be kinda neat to model also.
Jason Posted January 4, 2002 Posted January 4, 2002 Originally posted by GarthKidman:Those paddlewheel carriers were USS Sable and USS Wolverine. Ranger in 1/350 would be a neat idea, but there probably isn't all that large of a market ... OTOH, Lexington (pre-war) and Saratoga (late-war) in 1/350 would be "must-buys" for me (well, depending on the price ... the only 1/350 scale CV-6 runs about $800, which is way too rich for my blood.) --Garth Yeah, a 350th Lex and Saratoga would indeed be nice, and big, very big.... I have two of the 1/700 scale Lex's from Fujimi. Really an excellent kit IMHO. If I can find something suitable for aircraft, I'm going to try an do one in a mid-30's fit. No market for the Ranger? Wasn't she the first US carrier built as such from the keel up? Well, she's on my wishlist anyhow.
Guest GarthKidman Posted January 4, 2002 Posted January 4, 2002 Big ... but not all that large when compared to the Tamiya 1/350 Enterprise, New Jersey, Missouri, Yamato, etc. Ranger really isn't all that well known. She played a bit role with some operations in the Atlantic and Med, and was pretty much a training carrier through the end of the war. Hence no *big* market for her. At least not one large enough to justify the costs involved in developing a "mainstream" 1/350 kit of her (there isn't even a market for a 1/700 scale ship). Couple others ... 1/350 post-war (1960's) Essex class. This would require options for the four different variety of bows. 1/350 Independence-class CVL. After that ... 1/350 scale USS Long Beach (CGN-9) --Garth Originally posted by Jason:Yeah, a 350th Lex and Saratoga would indeed be nice, and big, very big.... I have two of the 1/700 scale Lex's from Fujimi. Really an excellent kit IMHO. If I can find something suitable for aircraft, I'm going to try an do one in a mid-30's fit. No market for the Ranger? Wasn't she the first US carrier built as such from the keel up? Well, she's on my wishlist anyhow.
Steven P Allen Posted January 4, 2002 Posted January 4, 2002 I would *kill* for an SCB-125 in plastic 1/350!
Gennady I. Beregovoy Posted January 5, 2002 Posted January 5, 2002 There's a nice big kit out there, 1/200 scale IJN Shinano carrier. I forgot the maker (trumpeter? Fujimi?) but it is one, big - no, MASSIVE - kit. Almost, if not bigger, than the 1/350 Tamiya CVN Enterprise. Unfortunately, couldn't find a 1/350 Shinano to go along with me Musashi . Which is just ok as I am running out of space and money.
Guest Luke Yaxley Posted January 5, 2002 Posted January 5, 2002 Well basically what I've learned is avoid ALL the Chinese model companies. Their kits are cheap, crappy rip-offs, half the time they copy the box design off of other company's kits! I remember we used to stock them by the truckload (only kids bought them, the pro's got the real kits). Though they often build big models and cheap, the quality is usually nothing short of abysmal. this warning go's to Trumpet, Zhendefu and all the other Chinese kit Co.'s. Don't waste your money...
John Eary Posted January 6, 2002 Posted January 6, 2002 Must agree on Zhengdfu(sp?), but I've only had one of their kits. Only kit I've ever actually thrown away. I rolled the dice and got the Trumpeter M1A1HA the other day and I must say it looks VERY good in the box. Has both flex tracks and link and length. Seems like a mix of DML and ESCI traits. Hopefully it will go together like a Tamiya. So far, I'm impressed.
Jason Posted January 7, 2002 Posted January 7, 2002 Originally posted by Gennady I. Beregovoy:There's a nice big kit out there, 1/200 scale IJN Shinano carrier. I forgot the maker (trumpeter? Fujimi?) but it is one, big - no, MASSIVE - kit. Almost, if not bigger, than the 1/350 Tamiya CVN Enterprise. Unfortunately, couldn't find a 1/350 Shinano to go along with me Musashi . Which is just ok as I am running out of space and money. The 1/200 Shinano is a Nichimo kit if I'm not mistaken. I seem to recall they also make a couple of 1/200 scale Japanese WW2 destroyers and a 1/200 Yamato, possibly a 1/200 scale Takao cruiser. I think Hasegawa used to make a 1/350th Shinano, not sure if they still manufacture it any longer. I seem to recall seeing it at the model shop I pull duty at, I'll check when I work there next.
Jason Posted January 8, 2002 Posted January 8, 2002 Doh! The Hasegawa Shinano is 1/450th scale. Sorry to get your hopes up, and then dash them......
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