Tilda MK1

[David Lovell]

Taking this away from whats on the bench ,why has this been ignored by all the major manufacturers its quirky a fantastic shaped thing just screaming for a good paint job ,all that exposed suspension and tracks how much more British and Heath Robinson can you get. Tim when I said over at Bovington thats what I meant its probably only just over thirty minutes from me as with most things on your own doorstep never hardly visited last time was a good few years back went to the Tiger day(as Billy no mates)the year they had the ferdinand there. Thought the tiger was bit of a pussy not that it wasn't great to see it trundle past but thought the bloke whizzing by (well hardly) on the fully working Ketenkrad was much more interesting the Tiger was just another tank but to see this odd ball in action was great strangely bought to the public in plastic in all scales. Think at all the weird and wonderful things the Russians put on a Vickers chassis totally ignored no lets have another t34 what ever oh yeh I forgot that one was built in Igor's garden shed in 1944 looks the same as the rest to me but the manufacturers will sell it to you because its got diffrent wheel nuts.
Only saving grace it seems to me is their only option now is to sell all the mk3-4's chassis based stuff in 1/16 surely not that popular and pocket wrenching too boot.
Before I finish I dont have any real preferences I build mostly 72nd so my choice of the weird and wonderful from the Eastern manufacturers is all there even all the odd ball stuff on the sherman chassis ,box art will also make me part with my money if it makes me think yeh got to get me one of them. But why has the MK1 been continually ignored its a important part of armour development id have a punt at one even if it was a 35er coz it would still be teeny tiny ,when I get the chance ill look in the stash im sure I've got the MK1 in 1/200? Hopefully this has wound you all up and gets a interesting discussion about where manufacturering is going or where you hope it turns next till then Merry Christmas and hopefully a better new year for all.Dave

[Tim Marlow]

100% agree Dave. There are lots of modelling avenues that have not been explored at all, but other common roads get travelled more and more often. The Mk I Matilda is just one example. Try finding modern kits of 1950s or 1960s British cars, lorries, or motorcycles. WW2 era Japanese iron is not that easy to source, and as for associated figures, forget it. Art Deco or Prohibition era sit up and beg cars are another gap, and British and Russian soft skins are not as comprehensively covered as they could be. As you say, Russian or Italian armour, especially early war, could be better covered. Naval subjects pre WW2 are not overly common either. WW1 stuff has improved a little, but pre Dreadnought stuff is still relatively rare. Some of the French builds from this period are downright weird, and would make great modelling subjects. Lastly, aircraft would seem relatively well served, but a good modern range of French or Italian WW2 stuff would make a change from yet another spitfire or hurricane, and anything interwar would be very colourful on the display shelf.