WW2 over done?

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Stev0

Active Member
I'm seeing far too many big name publishers putting out armor from 37'-45' and even reissuing kits of what they or other publishers have already done.

I'm not knocking the era of the greatest generation but face it. Where are all the kits of MODERN armor out there? There's enough post 45' armor around that just begs to be created.

From the M50-M51 Super Sherman to the Leopard 2A6.

Sure we may have a dozen kits in the 1/25 range for modern armor but compared to 37'-45' it's a drop in the bucket.

The last piece I think was the T55A from GPM which from what I can tell is quite the piece. I can't seem to locate a reasonably priced kit at this time but I'd rather model newer armor. Like say a T80 or even better T90 tank, Leopard 2A6 or even anti-mine personnel vehicle like the Nyala.

Any reason why this is so or is the pull of WW2 stronger than the history of today?
 

archangel1

New Member
I think it's part of what I'd call the 'Hollywood Syndrome'. Why take the effort to think up a new plot when we can just remake the original classic into a horrible mishmash or add an interminable number of lousy sequels?
It's happening with plastic, too. There are hundreds of softskins and artillery pieces that could be modelled, but, no, we need another Tiger or Messerschmitt.

Cheers,
Mike :cry:
 

dansls1

Member
I would hazard a guess that the truly modern stuff is much harder to get plans for - especially stuff that is still in use, as nobody wants to give away secrets for model designers that the 'enemy' could use.
Also ultimately publishers are going to do what sells. I'd guess that the WW2 stuff generally sells better than the newer stuff, if it didn't sell you wouldn't see so much of it coming out.
 

Dragos

Active Member
I would hazard a guess that the truly modern stuff is much harder to get plans for - especially stuff that is still in use, as nobody wants to give away secrets for model designers that the 'enemy' could use.
Also ultimately publishers are going to do what sells. I'd guess that the WW2 stuff generally sells better than the newer stuff, if it didn't sell you wouldn't see so much of it coming out.

Maybe you're right but how about some armour from the 50' or 60' like:
-Centurion tank
-M48 Patton
-the french AMX-13
-M-103
-BTR-60 and so on...
 

josve

Senior Member
I have the T55 and the Challenger from Gpm and the T54 from Modelik and all seems like great kits.
 

Stev0

Active Member
I have the T55 ... from Gpm and the T54 from Modelik and all seems like great kits.

Doh ... i'm jealous.

I'm not to crazy about the Challenger after seeing a build on 3Dpaperworld where the overlays were not lining up with formers and vice versa.

Don't forget it's not just about 'modern' gear but 'in service' gear or 'recently in service'.

There are many modern military aircraft kits available though. Far more than armor of the same period. I think only watercraft get the worst treatment for modern card model kits. So if they can pump out nice F117 kits then I can't see why not modern armor... after all isn't the F117 supposed to be the most guarded secret of US military aircraft next to the B2 and F22???
 
I'd agree that WW2 is overdone to some degree, just how many versions of the Mustang or the 109 do we need?

More Cold War gear would be nice, especially some of the more obscure stuff, like say the YAK 25 (Flashlight was the NATO codename I think), or the CF-100. Tanks aren't my thing but a Centurion would be nice, and as I have mentioned here a few times, a Majestic class Carrier.
 
R

RyanShort1

I think it is because WW2 still captures the imagination a bit more - and has a sense of "rightness" about it to the American public - unlike basically every "war" (none of which were Constitutionally declared) since then. The American people felt justified in the war - with the sneak attack on Pearl Harbor and the undeniable atrocities committed in Germany. Other countries such as Russia and Britain saw it as a successful defense of their homeland, and you have to admit that some of the German weapons were incredible technically.
Personally, I'm OK with seeing a lot of WW2 stuff. I do enjoy the other - but would also REALLY like to see more civilian aircraft - especially General Aviation.

Ryan
 

charliec

Active Member
I'm not knocking the era of the greatest generation but face it. Where are all the kits of MODERN armor out there? There's enough post 45' armor around that just begs to be created.

From the M50-M51 Super Sherman to the Leopard 2A6.

The last piece I think was the T55A from GPM which from what I can tell is quite the piece. I can't seem to locate a reasonably priced kit at this time but I'd rather model newer armor. Like say a T80 or even better T90 tank, Leopard 2A6 or even anti-mine personnel vehicle like the Nyala.

Any reason why this is so or is the pull of WW2 stronger than the history of today?

I'm not sure it's all WW2 armour but more specifically German armour. There are many model subjects which have been ignored especially British and American armour.
For example, how many models of the Matilda are there?(none) - arguably it was at least as important as the Pz III.

Flymodel released models of most of the modern AFVs some years ago including the T-72, T-80, Leopard 2A6, Challenger, Abrams, LeClerc. Hopefully they will update and re-release them.

I guess the publishers would say they are responding to the market place in their selections of models. Taking this view the problem underlying the narrowness of model subject choice would seem to be modeling community.

Regards,

Charlie
 

Stev0

Active Member
Yes I agree. Supply what they buy is how you make money.

I like Flymodel but I find their constantly misaligned color somewhat of a turn off. If anyone knows from my previous posts though, they know I am not one to cut up a book but rather scan and correct any errors. I am finding my digitals for Flymodel releases to be a more of a 'redo' than a correction though (unless I build vanilla's and paint which would be easier I think). So I hope that they will upgrade to a better system because they really cover more area than the other manufacturers.

That Kartonbau link shows an impressive build. I think perhaps the chap who was building on 3Dpapermodel's forum was doing so from his scan like I would, but didnt put in a scale watermark to ensure all his sheets printed were in scale to each other :lol:
 

hmas

Member
thats because wwII gear is more interesting, for me anyway!
a wwII sub has much more interesting bits & pieces than a modern nuclear streamlined sub. Ditto for ships, planes, vehicles etc.
Now my grandkids will most probably want stuff from the 1980's-1990's, not that ancient stuff! same as us how many model wwI?
Tony
 

Art Decko

Member
I think this is a cultural issue that extends beyond models, for reasons RyanShort1 cited.

Go to a neighborhood bookstore for instance, and you will observe the same thing. There will be more books about World War II than all other wars in American history combined. Films, ditto.

We all know everything about the Battle of the Bulge but next to nothing about, say, the War of 1812 (the White House burned to the ground!) or the Mexican-American War (enormous impact on both nations' histories, still playing itself out today).

Personally, I would go a step farther and say that modeling is not just overly-focused on WWII, but overly focused on military technology in general - but that's for another thread. :)
 
J

Jim Nunn

I can think of several practical reasons we don’t see that many paper models of post WWII AFV’s. First we have the medium we are working with It is difficult to make compound pound curves with out seams showing. Consider the Sherman GPM produced a very nice model but the turret just isn’t as good as it should be. This is important to me because I compete with plastics in modeling contests and I’m here to tell you that your model better not look like a paper model if you are going to be completive. Secondly most (not all) paper models are copies of plastic models, trust me on this one they don’t even bother to correct the mistakes in the plastics. Then we have it commercial side the new T34 by Halinski is quite stunning and probably the best AFV model available but the first printing was only 1500 kits. So if you are going to be profitable you better design what is going to sell and I doubt if a model of a Stridsvagn 103 (one of my favorites) is going to sell a lot of models.

I don’t disagree with you I would love to see a greater variety of models of all eras.

Jim Nunn
 

Nothing

Longtime Member
WWII is an age of "good vs evil" that will never be seen again. in this age of push button warfare there is not the massive numers of equipment or people in global conflict. the heroism ,patriotism, and suffering on a scale most people cant fathom. Everything in todays world can be directly traced to WWII.

having said that i would like to see more modern stuff and in no way is this taking away anything from our soldiers today. as a combat vet myself my support and thanks will always be with our troops!
 

charliec

Active Member
I can think of several practical reasons we don’t see that many paper models of post WWII AFV’s. First we have the medium we are working with It is difficult to make compound pound curves with out seams showing. Consider the Sherman GPM produced a very nice model but the turret just isn’t as good as it should be.
Jim Nunn


The most modern AFVs don't have too many complex curves - tanks like the Challenger, M1A2 use CHOBM armour which seems to be formed as flat sheets. The tanks immediately after WW2 used fairly massive castings which do have many compound curves.

Perhaps the small numbers of WW2 British and American tanks is the difficulty of modelling the castings used in these tanks. Perhaps there's a business opportunity here - we already have laser cut tracks, why not pressed (formed) paper model castings.

Regards,

Charlie
 
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