BT-5 tank, retooled

It's not always all about creating and releasing brand new models. Sometimes, one must also seat, listen and think or even rethink one's stuff; and, as a result of such process, to spend some time, effort and money to redo some parts in order to improve already released model kits.

Such has been the case now of our 20GEV012 BT-5 Fast Tank, whose tracks had been made of resin so far. I'm happy to let you know that these parts are going to be white metal cast from right now on. Retooled kit is already fully available now.

Pricing keeps being the same, and kit itself will keep being accompanied by the customary 20GEC005 decal set too. Nothing else changes except for tracks. Hope you like this improvement!

Despite mobility or eventual confinement restrictions due to well known reasons, I wish you all the best Christmas day possible!

A load on the way to PSC HQ

British friends of Minairons miniatures will perhaps like to know that a load of our stuff is right now on its way to the HQ of The Plastic Soldier Company --who are our distributors in the UK. Packages include not only a wide selection of 1/100, 1/72 and 1/56 stuff including our latest novelties, as 1/72 BT-5 fast tank for instance, but also a sample of our upcoming 20mm Requeté Militia figure set (which BTW is already available and shipping right now, only that I haven't had time for announcing it yet!).

1:72 BT-5 Fast Tank released

We are happy to present you our latest addition to Minairons' ever growing 1/72 Spanish Civil War vehicles range: the BT-5 fast tank --another intermediate step in the tanks family started by J. Walter Christie's early designs and ending in the ultimate T-34 Soviet medium tank. Capable of a remarkable 72 km/h speed and reasonably well armed for its time, BT-5 was a potentially dangerous weapon. Up to 50 BTs were used by both sides in SCW latest stages (Ebro battle and Catalonia invasion, mainly).

As for model itself, it is quite easy to build as usual. It consists of just 6 main parts cast in resin, two of which are turret hatchets, while the seventh part is a finely shaped brass barrel. Kit is sold individually in box, along with a decals sheet --the same one already used for T-26 tanks.

Our 1/72 BT-5 Fast Tank retails at €12.95 and can already be ordered in our website, or alternatively requested from our retailers and distributors. Separate brass barrels will be available for purchase in the next few days too.

Minairons next release

Once back from holidays, it's time for making things run again. As a proof of such, I'd like to share with Minairons friends our upcoming release, no other than BT-5 fast tank! - at 1/72^nd scale. Here below you have an ultimate sample:

Hull and mudguards are cast in one single piece, while running gears and turret are additional separate parts. Worth to be noted that following the suggestion of one customer, gun barrel will be neither resin or white metal but highly detailed brass instead! Such 45mm barrels made by RB-Models from Poland will also be separately available, so as to improve your T-26 tanks or similarly armed vehicles!

If everything keeps running as reasonably good as so far, we expect to release BT-5 fast tank in September. It will most likely retail in single model boxes inclusive of a decals sheet for Soviet, Finnish, Turkish and Spanish service (both sides) - same than for our T-26.

Closing to a deadline

Quite a while without any significant enough news to show, certainly. Things have slowed down a bit with regard to the frantic pace we had been keeping last year. Things are happening behind the scene, though.

Our model the closest to its releasing is Trubia-Naval tank; we are now just awaiting decals to be printed and white metal accessories prototyping to be finished up. The reason for the delay was the weapons sprues you can see on the picture below, that were too tiny and fragile and had to be re-done.

Otherwise, BT-5 fast tank development has been progressing accordingly enough to its name (LOL). First resin hulls will be ready by the end of month, so that we'll only have to wait for the white metals accessories sprue too. Here below you can see its 3D-printed prototype:

Anyway, none of these will be our next release, for we've considered prioritary a new set of figures. Or I'd rather say "2" sets instead of just "1", that shall be released altogether in a very short time: both Nationalist and Republican heavy mortar teams. Pictures of these to follow next week!

BT-5 Fast Tank WIP

While awaiting the release of the upcoming 1/72 Trubia-Naval and 1/100 IGC Sadurní tanks (that shouldn't last too longer, both), we've been pressing hard lately the design work of another, much required, tracked AFV. This is BT-5 Fast Tank, that saw a lot of action in late SCW and early WWII. Here below you can see what it will look like at 1/72 scale:

Made basically of high quality resin with a few white metal parts, this model will consist of no more than 7 or 8 parts, with the aim of making it really easy to build, as it can be seen below:

We're still debating whether to make tracks in white metal or not, but we're starting to be certain this time it will be better to make them in resin too. Tracks width has been thoroughfully studied so as to ease at a maximum liquid resin flow in the mould, as well as to grant the part endurance. I'm excited at the chance of releasing it before Summer!

Going for BT-5 now

Just a first shot on the tank we're planning to release soon --right after the Trubia-Naval, which is scheduled for late March or early April:

At this stage, not many things can be told about it: it will be mostly resin made, we'll try and cast its hull as a single part, cannon will be a white metal piece apart, and kit will comprise a set of decals --those same already used with T-26 tank, that include both Nationalist and Republican markings, besides of WWII Soviet and Finnish ones. Oh, I forgot to add that it will be released at 1/72^nd scale first, as usual! In a few weeks we'll be able to explain more.

Minairons Plans for 2016 (II)

As a second part to the 2016 plans review written some days ago, I'd like now to let you know those other plans regarding 1:72 scale. I must admit these are our most extensive and ambitious plans; and this shouldn't catch anyone by surprise, for it is 1:72 stuff what actually keeps Minairons standing and holding the line. So that we are going to expand our Spanish Civil War range even further in 2016 - this involving both new white metal troop types and high quality resin vehicles.

As for figures, we'll go first for the Foreign Legion - this implying not less than two boxed sets, and quite probably up to three: legionary infantry, command and PaK 36 AT teams. Such will take us the first four to five months of 2016, likely. Once the Legion is done, it will be time to choose between the two best positioned sets behind: either Assault Guards or Requetes - or whatever is adviced by our wishlist status. BTW, I'm saying nothing about Militiamen because this is an upcoming set to be released very soon, still within 2015:

Going now for SCW vehicles, we are working hard to release Trubia-Naval "Euzkadi" tank soon, as already explained in a recent thread, so this will likely be our first AFV release in 2016. Other SCW vehicle projects in portfolio for 2016 are CV-33 Carro Veloce tankette and its Lanciafiamme version, Lancia Ansaldo IZ/IZM armoured car, Fiat-SPA Dovunque 33/35 truck and BT-5 fast tank; except for the truck, all of them are currently at various design stages. I'd also like to take a decision regarding BA-3/6 armoured car - a decision that must compulsorily have into account the excellent model already produced by Pegasus, which is nevertheless little known in Europe.

As for other ranges, we shall keep dropping a few WWII and Interwar models amidst, such as a Landesa improvised tank, or a OT-130 flamethrower version of T-26 tank, for instance - but we don't expect these ranges to grow significantly yet, for SCW is to be prioritary still for a long time. One important exception to this rule is our range of 1938 Grand Prix racing cars, that will be expanded further during 2016 with new racers, a ruleset and probably racing circuits too. At present, the British ERA type B car is already being designed at both 1:72 and 1:100 altogether.

A possible new range we are still pondering is related to War of the Spanish Succession - although little can be explained about yet, for it is currently at a very preliminary stage. In any case, it's in our mind to produce some 20mm items complementary to the plastics 1/72 GNW range already launched by Zvezda. Logically, we would then focus on the Peninsular theatre of WSS, making those troop types not covered by Zvezda plastics --such as southern European grenadiers, Spanish and French dragoons, Catalan Mountain Fusiliers, mounted personalities and so. Nothing at regard can be considered as final, though --not even year 2016 as a start.