15mm "Bilbao" Armoured car released

We are proud to present another Spanish Civil War AFV. Once again, the "Bilbao" armoured car –but now in 1:100^th scale, this becoming our first 15mm release.

As a matter of fact, this new model was ready for sale since before Christmas, but it had to wait until we had the appropriate replacement hard plastic MG and fore wheels, because the original resin ones were too brittle, and wouldn't release the kit until this issue was fixed.

Model itself is made of polyurethane resin (PUR) and consists of 10 parts, including an optional turret light and, as said, hard plastic fore wheels and MG. Our 15mm “Bilbao” armoured cars are to be sold by the platoon of four in a box.

Box reverse includes an assembly schema and painting guide. Besides, the whole is accompanied by a small paper flags sheet by FlagsofWar.com, that shows 3 textured Spanish Republic's institutional flags.

The whole set is to retail on our website at EUR 29.95, along with some new releases else: 1:72nd scale decals and flags will be now separately sold by the unit.

More exciting news to follow soon in all three scales (1:100, 1:72 and 1:56). Yes you've read right, out first 1:56th scale project is coming too.

Spain Distributor and some news

We are happy to acknowledge our Spanish fans that the well-known e-Minis distribution company has just reached an agreement with us for carrying all our ranges. This partnership comes to fill one of our most moaned gaps on map --that of Spain, precisely. Our current list of committed Distributors and Stockists can be seen in the following page of our website, www.minairons.eu.

Now, some space for explaining in a few words what is going on behind the scenes:

• Our 1:100th scale Bilbao armoured car will be released within this week. We're just awaiting the plastic accessories to be finished.
• The 1:100th scale version of Panzer I A is also progressing fast. Admittedly, we're pressing the plastic factory for delivering the first sprues in time for Hamburger Tactica show.

• Our second 1:72nd scale plastic tank, T-26 mod. A & B has just entered the toolmaker's workshop. Naturally, the ultimate model will show a crispier detail than this one shown at right, which is no more than a testing prototype.
• Our third project --no other than Befehlswagen I B-- has seen its design finally approved, so that it will enter 1:72nd scale production in the next days.
• Two new models have now occupied their place in the pipeline, just come from the Wishlist. One of them has been chosen to be our first 1:56th scale project, while the second one will be made in 1:100th scale first. Let me keep a bit of mystery for some days still before unveiling them.

More news coming pretty soon!

If not Kickstarter, then... what?

We had recently started going around the possibility of bringing into Kickstarter some of our most significant projects in the pipeline. However, when accessing to there we've had the unpleasant surprise of its use to be restricted to US and UK citizens and companies solely. As we belong to none of both countries, we have no possibility of obtaining crowdfunding through that popular site.

So what would you advise to do instead? what crowdfunding alternatives do we have available?

Our plans at respect consisted of having part of our molds' cost crowdfunded through one such portals. In exchange, contributors would be granted a Minairons' goods value equal to their invest plus shipping expenses, at their free choice regardless of the scale. Such reward might be claimed for immediately after the project was approved –or might be kept for a relatively long period of, let's say, some 1-2 years, until the models range of their preferred scale had grown enough.

Thanks to such funding system, we would be able to expand our ranges faster and accordingly with expectations created, without getting submerged into a too risky financial stress.

Your thoughts about the thing?

"Bilbao" Armoured Car, just released

Minairons Miniatures is delighted to present its latest 1:72nd scale Spanish Civil War AFV --no other than the ubiquitous "Bilbao" armoured car. Although initially intended to perform as an anti-riot media for the Guardia de Asalto police, the 1936 military uprising against the Republic forced to press them into field service as a fighting vehicle, thus filling the republican armour gap until the first Russian tanks were delivered.

This new model has been manufactured thanks to a friendly partnership agreement with Barcino Miniatures. This is a pretty small, one-man Catalan company lead by Oscar Alcalde, a passionate Spanish Civil War gamer who endeavoured production of a nice range of white metal figures some time ago; thanks to such partnership, he's got to seriously consider re-launching that range --and we'd gladly support him at doing so.

Model itself is made of polyurethane resin (PUR) and consists of just 8 parts. Each kit comes individually in an auto-wrap bag and header card also containing a flags sheet with 3 textured Republican flags, that have been designed by FlagsofWar.com for us. The whole set retails at EUR 9.95.

You can see what does one such model look like, once conveniently painted and flagged, thanks to the captions below. Artwork by Daniel Rodríguez of Field Factory (Soria, Spain).

While our www.minairons.eu keeps being out of order, our models can be puchased at eBay through this link. Again, apologies for the inconveniences.

Minairons Website down

Due to unknown reasons, www.minairons.eu website ceased to work yesterday.

Its programmers have already been warned about and are working on it.

Please accept my most sincere apologies for this disturbing inconvenience.

UPDATE as for Monday, January 14^th: Website fully restored and regularly working again.

Wishlist migrated to Website

This short note is just to acknowledge you that the Wishlist page of this Blog has just been migrated to Minairons website, www.minairons.eu. Its new URL is now www.minairons.eu/en/content/4-what-would-you-like-to-see-next.

It still keeps the same structure formerly shown here --that is, a manually maintained webpage, with no automatic feedback yet. Hopefully, in a future it will include an interactive program allowing you to suggest new models, as well as to join to already submitted proposals under pre-order, and even to monitor the progress of every project from each own control panel.

In the meanwhile, we've got no other chance than taking a little patience and keeping this rather primitive tool in service!