Bunker Talk blog with 30,000 photos of my toy soldier collection of Roco Minitanks, Heiser Models, Fidelis Models, Airfix and Pegasus figures; and 54mm & 60mm plastic soldiers from Tim Mee, Elastowit, BMC, MPC. Be sure to follow Bunker Talk. Email at BunkerMeister45@aol.com. Get merch at: https://www.redbubble.com/people/bunkertalkwar/shop
Saturday, December 5, 2020
More Panthers
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8 comments:
The Boley model looks pretty good, too!
The ROCO model is one of the early (pre-1962) models which included M4A1, Panther, Mk IV/H. M4 model and Mk III seemed a different scale. Perhaps European 1/90 HO vs US 1/87. Obviously differences were barrel diameters as well as smaller overall size. Other European HO armor plastic model manufacturer did their largely Soviet models in 1/90. Roskopf. They became available in USA around 1966-1968.
If the turret was on the ROCO Panther the difference is more noticeable as the barrel is almost pencil lead thin. We used the M4A1 model as base for French R35 conversions. Mk IV we just tolerated or replaced the barrel. Extreme difference in skinny Mk IV 75L48 and StuG III/G 75L48 barrels. All Mk IV same small size.
Banzai, yes this is one of the best Boley models. But you have to take it apart, flip the barrel over and put it back together. The mantelet is upside down.
Bunkermeister
Tankguy, Interesting idea on the R35, I would love to see one of those conversions. The Mark IV was just hopeless, paint it well and hope it would do, until the new Panzer IV H came out, it was awesome. And the Heiser Models were good too in resin.
Bunkermeister
I don't know about European HO being 1/90 because I have lots of West German, Soviet Union, Czechoslovakian, Italian, and even UK HO models and they were all 1/87. Roskopf and the early Roco seemed to be the only ones with the tiny "HO" vehicles. I suspect it was more a matter of no real standards until the early 1960s, since they are older companies? Just a guess. Thanks for reading.
Bunkermeister
Me too. Lee Tucker did them and they looked pretty good. That was sometime in the early 70's. I did an IS2, an Elephant, M4(76) which was never in production (couldn't use the ROCO M4A1 obviously),Jagdpanzer IV, Pak 43, 251/1, Pz III Flame. Hard to easy conversions from using card on a Centurion chassis to make the Elephant to wrapping paper around a Panzer III J to make the "Flame" version. Biggest hole in the models available in 1962-1971 was no M3 half-track. A real 251/1 or 250/1 would have been nice too. At least they didn't cost $17-25 each then like they do now. The new M4 models were $.49 each, up from the M4A1 at $.25 each.
Mike, when did you start collecting? I did in 1962, stopped in 1971. I looked at a couple really bad Pz III and Pz IV models from a company in 1/285 by a new company called GHQ. I ended up buying MERCATOR 1/200 armor models (they had the 250/1, 250/7, 250/8, 250/9 and 251/1 and a lot of the same versions, as well as the M3 half-track. Even 88mm on an 18 ton tractor!!). The only companies I knew in 1971 making 1/87 and 1/90 plastic models were ROCO and ROSKOPF. Even 1/76 and 1/72 plactic kits were limited to AIRFIX at that time. By 1974 the 1/76 & 1/72 plastic kit market had exploded! The HO/OO market has exploded. Now you can get 3mm AFV up through 1/35 for just about anything.
20mm, though, IMHO is the best as a good general scale. 15mm is also good although I do enjoy 28mm figs with 1/43 (mostly soft skins) up through 1/50 (die cast).
Mike the Tank Guy
Mike the Tank Guy, thanks for that, and thanks for reading. I got my first 60mm MPC ring hand figures at age 3 in 1958. I got my first Roco about 1961 or so, along with my first Airfix figures. I got GI Joe when he first was issued in 1964. I never stopped collected any of those and still have some, but not all of the toys of my youth. I went to college locally and by the time I went to Army duty my toys stayed home with my wife. Never gave up on HO, I am friends with Paul Heiser, been to his home many times, good guy. I have purchased mail order since about 1963, so I have always had a pretty good supply of stuff. Now that I am retired and moved to rural Kentucky, USA, it's all mail order, but with very little money, I guess it evens out. Still, I am building and working on models I purchased during my working years just for retirement. God is good, and so is retirement.
Bunkermeister
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