New 1/72 Trubia-Naval tank

We are proud to announce that 1/72 Trubia-Naval tank will be released Monday 30^th May, once its boxes come out from printshop. While looking forward to these, we've already made the tank available for pre-order here.

As you can see above, model itself is quite simple, for it consists of just 4 resin parts for assemblying ease. Each box is to contain 2 of these, besides of 2 different weapons sprues allowing a wide choice --as well as a decals sheet containing SCW Basque markings for up to 3 tanks, and a larger number of Welsh insignia for VBCW!

This new Spanish Civil War 2-tank boxed set retails at EUR 21.95. Don't miss the chance and reserve yours now!

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!

Trubia-Naval Tank masters

I'm proud to show you the shape our next 1/72 Spanish Civil War AFV is going to take. Trubia-Naval tank, whose ultimate fighting version was nicknamed as "Euzkadi tank" or Tanque de juguete (="Toy tank") too, is already at production stage. We have depicted it with a couple of provisory MGs, while polishing weapons sprues details.

Despite not being plastic but resin made, the tank model we've designed pretends to be as simple as possible, so as to make easier users' life. Therefore, it comprises the least number of parts we've been able to forecast. Hope you like it as much as I do!

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.

Trubia-Naval Tank first shots

This is one project we've been working out quite silently. Now its design has been ultimately approved and sent to 3D-printing in order to obtain its production first masters. Please take a look at it:

As a funny, added value complement, the ultimate set is going to include most (if not all) of the weaponry combinations the actual tanks showed - starting by the Arellano gun forecast in Trubia factory preliminary designs, as well as several different machine guns the ultimate "Euskadi" tanks carried: Hotchkiss, DT and Lewis.

As customary, Trubia-Naval "Euskadi" tank will be produced at 1/72 scale first, and this is going to be our next AFV at this scale. This new tank will see daylight during Winter, most likely. We won't be able to release it before, for Militiamen and Landesa tractor are scheduled first. Besides, we must still wait to have a few prototypes in hand to design decals for it.

1/72 Vickers 105mm Gun

Sometimes, our designers are commissioned projects that lay apparently aside from our "official" pipeline and wishlist. Such is the case of the design I'm happy to present you now - the Vickers 105mm gun:

Not that aside, though. It belongs to a global project embracing several different models and figures - in a way quite similar to that other one including IGC Sadurní tank, carrier and tractor, altogether with the Schneider 155 howitzer. Besides, the fact of already having two guns (Schneider 155 and Vickers 105) will ultimately allow us to develop artillery crews for both sides - a set of figures admittedly long expected.

Following this global project concept, this new gun will be developed alongside to the Landesa tractor and a white metal driver - and released all together. The running gear we design for this tractor will be also useful for endeavouring next a Landesa improvised tank and last, the Trubia-Naval Basque tank too.

Back to our Vickers 105mm gun concept, it will consist of a pretty small number of parts - roughly, those you can see below:

This whole series will be developed in 1/72 scale first, to be re-scaled later, as usual in Minairons lately.