Challenger ARRV

[Mark1]

Thank you all for your comments.
I will not be leaving the forum - that is unless I am kicked off - that was to give the moderator a choice, and there was no vindictivness aimed at them.
Today I finished the other storage boxes, and then took the dozer blade up to the shed to remove the excess moulding plugs and the other items associated with the mounting og the blade. To start with I am unhappy at the amount of flash that was on the moulding, this actually filled in the spaces between the moulding plugs, which was a complete ball ache to remove as well as the moulding plugs, which in turn took away the finer items with it - not a problem to make replacements but that is not what we pay hundreds of £pounds for. This demonstrated to me a total lack of quality control in allowing this and other items in the kit to be sent out. It also showed there is a problem with the mould itself. How can you be a manufacturer of expensive models like these and have air gaps in the mould. Then we come to the clean up. I do not mind the odd little air bubble, it is to be expected, but when you have done a basic clean up and the item you are cleaning up finishes with more holes in it than a Swiss cheese, then there is definately a problem with the manufacturing process, and for a company like AA this is totally unaceptable, from a back room cottage producer maybe, but from this company - NO! I do my own moulding as some of you know and although I get the odd air bubble - quality wise I leave AA in the dark.
The problem with AA, Allen, is I think they know their product is crap and do not have the guts to face their critics at the shows, they used to attend the likes of the MAFVA Nationals etc, but now stay hidden away. A warning to AA, if you dare attend another model competition with your crap and I am there I will stand up ao the stage and castigate you in front of all the other traders and warn all the modellers there regarding your total lack of quality control - you have been warned.
And Allen, please do not send JR, he would only beat me with his ferns dipped in preservative.....
Gerry, not all resin kit manufacturers are as bad as this one, so do not let these people put you off trying one or two.
Neil, Jim R, Bob, Mark, Allen, Scottie. Many thanks for your comments, let me see what I have in the stash in a couple of days. I am sorry about the build as I know so many of you enjoyed it, but it came to a point where it was just not viable to continue.
Mike.

No apologies owed to anyone, is what it is !! Look forward to seeing what's next :thumb2: :smiling:

[Mini Me]

Ah Shucks!!.....was just having a catch up read through on this and POOF......it was gone. Well Mike, I not only missed out on Tea and Cake, but also on your fine efforts with this build. I hope you are able to come up with an alternative and not let this setback slow you down in the MOJO department. :thumb2:
Rick H.

[JR]

Mike all I can say if you can't beat it into shape it must be an utter load of c**p. Knowing you I can see you returning with something else to interest us.

Stand fast and look out for men wearing

[Jim R]

Hi Mike
I look forward to whatever you pull from the stash. I have the AA conversion kit to convert an M38A1C into the Israeli modified CJ5M. I must be honest I haven't looked closely at it as it is not planned to be built for a while. Maybe I'll be better off simple building the Skybow M38A1C as is.
Jim

[Guest]

for a company like AA this is totally unaceptable, from a back room cottage producer maybe, but from this company - NO!

Interesting. I recently bought an AA kit from almost 30 years ago (yes, really: it has a piece of paper inside that says it was made on 30 July 1993) and though I haven’t built it yet, the parts look well-cast. From what you say, it seems AA’s quality has rather slipped over the years.

[GerryW]

Mike, it isn't resin kits that I'm 'scared' of, but if I were to go with one, then at least your review of the kit/manufacturer has steered me away from perhaps an expensive mistake, which would probably have put me off doing another one.
For that, I thank you and all of the experienced modellers on here for giving honest reviews of the kits on offer.

[scottie3158]

Interesting. I recently bought an AA kit from almost 30 years ago (yes, really: it has a piece of paper inside that says it was made on 30 July 1993) and though I haven’t built it yet, the parts look well-cast. From what you say, it seems AA’s quality has rather slipped over the years.

They are probably still using the same moulds as your 30 year old offering hence the quality drop off.

[Guest]

Unlikely, given that the kind of silicone rubber moulds needed for resin casting only last, what, fifty or so good-quality castings?

[stillp]

I will not be leaving the forum - that is unless I am kicked off

That's good news Mike!
Pete