1/100 Polikarpov I-15, fully available

Happy to acknowledge you all that our Polikarpov I-15 kit is complete at last, once pilot cast and decals printed. You can see these latter in detail below:

As you can see, decals sheet includes not just basic national markings for Soviet and Spanish Republican service, but also the insignia for 3 different Spanish Republican Squadrons. A set of red-yellow-purple roundels has also been included in sheet for two main reasons: first, due to having read that some of the first I-15 arrived from USSR might have been marked in such livery; and secondly because 1/100 Republican roundels are so hard to find that many might consider it an added value in itself.

You can find this nice aircraft straightly at Minairons website, or alternatively ask for them to any of the traders in this linked list.

1:100 Hispano Suiza MC-36 released

We're glad to publicly announce release of the 1/100^th scale version of Hispano Suiza MC-36 armoured car, which consists of 13 resin main parts besides of a hard plastic MG for the standard round turret, as well as alternative hard plastic T-26 turret with separate hatchet.

Kit also includes a decalsheet with markings for several vehicles of both SCW sides. It's being sold by the one in a box at a RRP of € 8.95.

You can find it since today at Minairons website.

1/100 Grumman FF1/G23

While awaiting delivery of Polikarpov I-15 decals, as well as bringing into production its main rival, Fiat CR.32, allow me to show you a preliminary shot on the aircraft model following them right afterwards:

It's Grumman FF-1, a 1930s US biplane fighter --the first naval aircraft with retractable gear. As some of you perhaps know, close to 30 of its G-23 Canadian Car & Foundry variant were purchased by the Spanish Republic and fought in the Civil War --mainly performing patrolling duties over Catalonian and Andalusian waters. Not a matching rival to Nationalist fighters such as Fiat CR.32 or Messerschmitt Bf-109, it was nevertheless successfully used for land attack and dive bombing duties --and as such performed during the Ebro Battle.

Our model will have two alternative engine rings, thus allowing the kit to be built as an US FF-1 or a G-23. It's our aim to also complement set with a decals sheet with early US, RCAF and Spanish Republican markings, as usual. We have no deadline for its release yet, but we'd like to have it produced before next Summer --at 1/100 scale first, and 1/144 later.

Meet you at Hispania Wargames 2013!

We are happy to confirm our attendance to Hispania Wargames 2013 convention, this next weekend in the nearby of Málaga town (Andalusia, Spain).

This one is perhaps the most important gaming convention currently being held in Spain, so we're excited at the prospective of getting in touch with visitors and attendants of such an outstanding event. Besides, we'll be carrying a number of each of our boxed sets, as well as some samples of 1/100 Heer46 and Zvezda, and 1/72 S-Model stuff --all to be sold there at a convenient 10% discount! Meet you next Saturday and Sunday at Hispania Wargames 2013, then!

Closer to a deadline

Henschel Type 33 Truck, which is to be our second 1/56^th model kit is closer to its release date. Here below you can see some captions on one such models, once painted by Daniel Rodríguez of Field Factory:

Not our easiest model, for it consists of around 20 parts --some of which have had to be cast in white metal for higher endurance, while those larger parts have been made in high quality resin.

Wish you like it not least than our Hispano Suiza MC-36 Armoured Truck!

1/100 Polikarpov I-15 pre-released

Here you are it at last! The first one in our new range of SCW aircraft is already available... or nearly.

I mean, we have it all except for decals, that are not expectable to come out from printshop before December 15^th. That's why we've decided to put the aircraft model kit for sale anyway, under two different options for users:

On one hand, you have the choice of pre-ordering the full Polikarpov I-15 model kit (decals included) for the normal price of € 15.95, and take some patience until we finally have those da...ed decals available --at this moment, we'd immediately ship it to you.

On the other hand, if you don't mind not having our decals, you can straightly purchase the aircraft for only € 13.95 and have it immediately shipped to you --such offer is only valid until we do have decals delivered, naturally.

Yours is the choice:

• Pre-ordering the full I-15 full kit: I-15 with decals
• Purchasing kit with no decals: I-15 without decals

Benach M1935 Fast Tank WIP

Thanks to the contribution of a Spanish reputed hobbyist, we've had the chance to get the original patent and front view blueprints of the Benach Mod. 1935 Fast Tank, a Catalan pre-war project initially intended for export we had told you about some days ago in this topic. Such circumstance is going to definitely allow us to design this amazing Christie-inspired AFV.

Reading the patent access has permitted us to know an outstanding feature of this vehicle, that is a real novelty with regard to Christie's designs: once tracks had been withdrawn, the central idle wheels would be lifted, thus leaving the tank set on a 4-wheels mode. This is how our preliminary drawing depicts such:

As you can imagine, there's still a lot of work to do --so we shall keep you acknowledged on our eventual progression at this. For the moment, we've already determined to release it at 1:72^nd scale first, under reference no. 20IGV002.

Minairons Forum

We at Minairons Miniatures have just hired a forum of our own to The Guild wargaming forums portal --so sharing space and community with other well-known small industries, such as Elhiem, CP-Models, Force20, The Hobby Den, or Iron Fist Publishing and their Battlegroup WWII gaming rules.

Minairons Forum is aimed at allowing the most interaction and feedback possible between us and our friends, by the several subforums set therein: A dynamic Wishlist where to tell us and eventually discuss future projects, share painting and gaming experiences at our Gallery, or being periodically acknowledged about what's going on through our Workbench. Further subforums are to deal with generic Questions & Answers or our periodical Newsletters. That is, all what you wish to know about us!

You can access Minairons Forum by either getting into The Guild and seek the button above at their home page, or straightforward using the following link: www.guildwargamers.com/phpBB3/viewforum.php?f=341. You must be registred for being able to participate, naturally --but this section of The Guild is open for visitors to read, at least.

Our next release

After having released our first 20mm SCW Infantry set last week, what's going on next? Well, let me proudly introduce her: it's come the turn for Lady Polikarpov I-15 at 1/100 scale --ideal for 20mm (or larger) ground miniatures wargaming, or alternatively a good choice for those 15mm gamers willing their air forces to match what they have on tabletop.

Cast in liquid plastic resin with some white metal pieces, model is fully consistent with our fast assembly philosophy: just 3 main resin parts. Landing gear, struts, propellor and pilot (not shown here) cast in metal.

To be sold by the one in a box also containing a set of Soviet and Spanish Republican decals:

We've already got a first batch of aircraft in stock, and boxes are being printed just now; but cannot release it yet. Decals printing has experienced some delay --perhaps some two-three weeks. When decals delivery deadline gets close enough, we shall pre-release the model. Quite likely, by the end of month.

Website working fine now

Glad to acknowledge you that our previous issues with our www.minairons.eu website have been finally fixed, so that it works fine again. Website has also been moved to a more reliable server.

Minairons website down

We're experiencing some troubles at our www.minairons.eu website lately. It apparently started yesterday, or late Monday as an intermitent malfunctioning, and today it seems to have gone to worse. We're looking into it.

Otherwise, either this blog and all our e-mails addresses are working normally. Apologies for the inconvenience.

Meet you at Alpha-ARES 2013!

We're glad to confirm attendance to the upcoming Barcelona games convention yearly organized by the local club Alpha-ARES under its own name. Such event has become a milestone in Catalonian wargaming.

Please note that Apha-ARES show has changed location this year. It's no longer going to take place at Cotxeres de Sants Civic Centre, but at Casinet d'Hostafrancs --pretty close to the former.

20mm Republican Infantry are here!

While awaiting the arrival of printed boxes, that ought to happen tomorrow, the first sets of our 20mm SCW Republican Infantry have already started coming out from foundry!

Minairons Miniatures 20GEF001 Republican Infantry can already be ordered straightly from our website, or alternatively you can ask for them to any of the shops/distributors listed in this webpage.

Henschel Type 33 truck

Here you are some first shots on our forthcoming 1/56^th scale Henschel Type 33 truck. Ultimate moulds are ready, so that production of this nice softskin vehicle is to start pretty soon.

As you can see, some parts won't be made in resin, but in white metal instead --for higher endurance. Work is progressing smooth and fast, so that expectations about releasing it by late November can be kept.

Republican Infantry ultimate greens!

I do firmly believe that the more pictures one can show, the less words is going to need. So that please draw a beer can from your cooler, watch calmly the photos at will, and give us your opinion on them.

Such is to be the box:

And such will be its content:

As you have most probably noticed, this first set consists of 13 soldiers and 2 NCOs --ALL different poses! Let's go for a closer approach now:

What about their size? Here you can see them, next to a ruler graduated in half milimetres:

Are they compatible to other manufacturers ranges? Well, I've taken a few pictures of them next to some Irregular, Bandera/HPC, Barcino and BUM similar figures, so that you can judge by yourself:

This first set of Republican Infantry will be fully available in a pretty short time --some 2 weeks, maybe 3 at most. Nevertheless, in the next few days, we shall put them on pre-release sale, for those unwilling to wait for reserving their set. Wish you like them enough for purchasing them by the hundreds --I won't become a rich man for this, but you'll be helping me to further develop a most comprehensive range!!

Just for recalling: these superb figures have been sculpted by Juan G. Bautista of Xan Miniatures in exclusive for us.