1937 Chevrolet AAC, just ready!

Once back from a short vacation in the Pyrenees, I'm happy to share some preliminary views on what is going to be our next Spanish Civil War AFV release, both in 1:100^th and 1:72^nd scales - the ubiquitous 1937 Chevrolet armoured car!

As usual, these will be fast assembly model kits consisting of a main body for hull, and separate parts for wheels, headlights, turret and hull MG. Some of these pieces will be resin cast while others will be hard plastic or DLP 3D-printed.

As an aside note, this can be a really enjoyable model due to the number of adaptations and modifications suffered over their long service life - longer than one would expect from a start!

While still in SCW, some where fitted 45mm gun turrets cannibalized from T-26 tanks or BA-6 ACs. But then, once the Republic was defeated, a lot of Chevies fled to France; most were pressed into french service, either under their original liveries and weaponry, or with newly assigned camo schemes and armament. Later, after the fall of France, the germans took over all those Chevies still serviceable and pressed them into their own service, duely repainted in Panzergrau and dispatched to the Russian front, either with their existing weapons, or performing new roles such as troop carriers or turretless anti-aircraft platforms.

Plentiful of info and pictures at regard in Tanks Encyclopaedia. Enjoy!

Upcoming Trubia A4 tank

I'm proud to announce what is going to be our first Spanish Civil War AFV of 2020, the Trubia A4 tank (also known as Trubia 75HP), in 1:72^nd scale. A first batch of models will be produced this winter, so I expect to release it soon, by late Winter or early Spring.

This new model comes to complete our Trubia series, all whose member can be seen in the picture above - along with a Renault FT-17 for size comparison.

Merry Christmas

I'd like to wish to you all some memorable Christmas holidays with your beloved ones, as well as a most happy New Year.

Let me show in a few lines the latest hour releases, just at the start of these momentous holidays. First, some words for talking about our category of 1/72^nd scale Spare parts, that has just grown with a new addition: a turret kit for T-26 tank improvement, also suitable for BA-3 or BA-6 armoured cars, BT-5 or early BT-7 tanks, and some Spanish Civil War armour, like Hispano Suiza MC-36 or Chevrolet armoured cars. It consists of a detailed resin turret with separate hatches and a brass gun barrel. Hope you like it!

Also, we have released two new 'Reinforcement' kits (that it, the single model version of an already released boxed vehicle set), the one in 1/100^th scale (IGC Sadurní light tank) while the other in 1/72^nd (Landesa tractor).

In the end, we have several projects running fast altogether, hopefully welcome by gamers; as well as a couple of surprise moves and expected collaborations with other brands. Perhaps better leaving such subjects for later though, after Christmas holidays have gone by.

So enjoy your Christmas and please keep tuned!

1/144 Breguet Br.XIX progress

After having been halted for longer than desired, we've recently decide to push forward the 1/144 scale version of Breguet Br.XIX, a 2-seat bomber and reconnaissance aircraft that was standard to the Spanish Air Force in the 1920s and early 1930s. Here below you have a caption of a master model of it, at the start of casting process --the other aircaft to its side is a Fiat CR.32 master model, ready for another production batch.

We expect to release it within current year, accompanied by a decals sheet with markings suitable for both SCW sides. We shall price it the same as other aircrafts in the range, most probably.

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!

Upcoming 1/100 models

Some good news for SCW 15mm gamers: we've already started re-scaling to 1/100^th some models previously launched at 1/72^nd. The most significant one in terms of gaming is perhaps UNL-35 armoured car, but the very rare IGC Sadurní tank is also in process. Here below you can watch their respective master models, shown alongside to other models already re-scaled:

Another model being currently re-scaled too, from 1/72 into 1/100, is the carrier version of the Catalonian IGC Sadurní above:

Among these, the model the most likely to be released first is UNL-35 (our only current doubts turn around boxing them in 4-vehicle boxes, or 2-vehicle ones instead). The other are to be released later, due to having to complement them with decals and/or figures.

1/56 Henschel Type 33 truck: First views

Henschel Type 33 medium truck has been designed for being our second 1/56 model, after the already released Hispano Suiza MC-36 Armoured truck. On the following pictures you can watch the general look of its first prototype.

Once brought into production, the ultimate model will consist of around 20 parts, most of them in high quality resin (the so-called "liquid plastic" PUR). This time though, some parts will probably be made in white metal due to their small size or fragility.

If nothing actually unexpected happens, our 1/56 Henschel Type 33 will be released within the traced headline --next November.

Hispano Suiza MC-36 re-scaled!

Good news for 1:72^nd and 1:100^th fans! For our Hispano Suiza MC-36 armoured car --already released at 1:56^th some weeks ago-- has now been downsized to your favourite scale! The caption above shows what the respective prototypes look like altogether...

Such re-sizing work fast progression allows us to be optimistic about their respective ultimate releasing, that can reasonably be expected for within the next two to four months --precise dates always subject to our other current developments.

Some unavoidable delay

It seems that we'll have to conform to an unavoidable delay of IGC Sadurní light tank releasing. A first batch of about two hundred models is already coming out from the workshop, as well as the appropriate decals for it. However, box art is still far from being finished up, so we'll have to keep patient for a short while and wait a couple of weeks, before all the kit components are finally ready.

Meanwhile, I can just offer you a couple of shots on one of the model prototypes, little before being painted.

1/72nd IGC Sadurní tank prototypes

Coming out from workshop the very first prototypes at 1:72^nd scale of the ill-known IGC Sadurní Catalan tank, in all its three versions: assault tank, universal carrier and artillery tractor --this latter, carrying a 155mm Schneider gun.

In spite of sharing some features, such as running gear and lower hull, the amount of parts exclusive to each variant has persuaded us not to make with it one single multi-option model kit; but three different, separate kits instead. The first one to be released is the Assault Tank version (20GEV001), whose releasing is scheduled for September 11^th, Catalonia's National Day.

Here below you can see them compared to all three Panzer I versions alongside. Anything but a huge piece of armour, isn't it?

Apologies for the pictures quality, we definitely should take some lessons on it!

1/100th scale T-26 tank preview

Our 1:100^th scale T-26 tank is taking shape. This is what our second testing injection batch looks like.

Here you can see some pictures for comparison. At left, our twin-turreted model A from the first batch; in the middle, a model M from Zvezda; and at right a model B from our second batch. All dimensions are consistent with those of the Zvezda model, except for the mudguards: ours are 0.5mm wider --or theirs 0.5mm narrower! So happens with tracks too.

Minairons' 1/100 T-26 tank will be released on September 11^th as a boxed set. It will include 5 plastic tanks, besides of a decals sheet with markings for up to 5 Russian, 5 Finnish, 5 Turkish, 5 Spanish Republican and 5 Spanish Nationalist tanks.

Re-mastered 1/72 Bilbao preview

This is what our next-to-come 1:72^nd scale Bilbao Armoured Car will look like, once entirely re-mastered from the basis of re-scaling our CAD prototype --initially produced at 1:100^th.

As you can see, hard plastic fore wheels and machine gun have been re-scaled too. And they do fit perfectly!

You can see next our armoured car accompanied by two 20mm figures --a Republican officer from Bandera/HPC and a standard-bearer from Irregular. Apologies for their battle weary look --chipping, unfinished flag and so--, I should have repaired them before pictures!

Minairons' 1/72 Bilbao will be released on August 15^th as a boxed set. It will include 2 resin armoured cars, one hard plastic sprue with 4 fore wheels and 2 MGs, and one paper sheet containing 3 textured flags.

Our first 1/56 SCW model!

We are proud to show you the master prototype of our first Spanish Civil War model in 1:56^th scale: the stylish (and somewhat pulp-ish) Hispano Suiza MC-36 armoured truck, a huge beast measuring some 13cm long at this scale! Thanks to the picture above, you can see what it looks like with its MG-armed standard turret...

...and below, its dreadful look when improved with the turret of a cannibalized T-26!

The prototype will be delivered tomorrow to the resin caster, for starting the master moulds making --after some slight polishment, likely. I wouldn't look as too optimistic at forecasting, but it seems quite probable for us to be able to have the ultimate resin model available within this month --or June, probably.

Our most sincere thanks to all those who have been supporting us so far. You won't be deceived.

(Apologies for the so obvious faulty alignment of wheels --I could only use BlueTac for a provisional assembly before sending the prototype to the mould maker!)

1:72 Panzer I B / Befehlswagen 1st prototype

We can already show you pictures of our next 1:72^nd scale model, which is no other than the Befehlswagen I B command tank, with option to be built as a regular Panzer I B. This is what the model looks like, compared to a Panzer I A hull:

Please note that the upper hatch dome is optional, so that you will be able to build the command tank without such part (as in the early version used in Spain) or including it instead (as used later in WWII). In both cases, you'll have the option to represent the hatch with either open or closed doors.

As said above, the vehicle can be built as a regular Panzer I B tank, by replacing the resin casemate by the plastic turret and platform the kit will include. Both sets of parts fit perfectly to each other, as you can see:

Worth to be noted that a couple of issues are to be fixed however. The first one, the command version MG will be oversized as to become the same diameter and length as that of the plastic turret. Secondly, we're still struggling for having a tank commander in time for release!

A latest hour piece of news on Decals: Just as any of our model kits, this one will come with a complete decals set depicting several national markings of the Nations having used this tank: Spanish Nationalist, German, Hungarian and... VBCW* BUF!

(*) A Very British Civil War, or VBCW in short, is a trademark owned by Solway Crafts & Miniatures, who have kindly granted us permission for using such what-if setting name in this decals set. As for BUF, it's the abbreviation of British Union of Fascists, a historical party forming one of the VBCW fictional factions.