Stocks updated for 1:100 scale

Just as already done with other scales, I've managed to inventory what number of each 1:100^th scale model I still have in stock --with a few pleasant surprises, that can be checked on the corresponding page of this very same blog.

Also, I've taken advantage of such update for setting on sale the production prototypes of two SCW models that already existed in 1:72^nd scale, but not in 1:100^th scale yet: the armoured carrier and unarmoured tractor versions of IGC Sadurní tank. Both are sold as they were cast --i.e. with no driver included. Don't miss the chance, because both models are truly unique!

Now I'm going to figure out how to keep available to public our free download PDFs.

Stocks updated for 1:72 scale

After Minairons' website closure, I've spent the week performing a thorough inventory of what 1:72^nd scale stuff was still left on shelves. Not too surprisingly, I've found out to have some more items than accounted for --mainly due to latest hour order cancellations. In accordance to what I already announced before, all these stocks have been listed on the 1:72^nd scale page of this very same blog, that will be properly updated at every eventual change.

In the next few weeks, I'm going to perform similar inventories on all our other ranges. Stay tuned!

Zvezda products sale

Just as with Peter Pig's figures and models, when I briefly reopen Minairons miniatures webshop next month, I'm going to offer a 50% discount offer on all products from Zvezda --a renowned Russian model kit company whose products I've been retailing for the past few years.

Such sale comprises all of their WWII-related 1:144^th scale plastic aircraft, 1:100^th scale plastic vehicles and 1:72^nd scale plastic figures and ordnance, as well as their GNW-related 1:72^nd scale figures - all those we do have in stock, I mean.

Such sale is going to last just until end of stocks, naturally.

Peter Pig products sale

As a first step in the gradual process of dismantling Minairons miniatures webshop, I've thought it logical to cease retailing some third party products, such as those from Peter Pig --a British make mostly known for their 15mm white metal figures, as well as their 1:100^th scale resin or metal vehicles and accessories.

Such sale is going to consist of a 50% discount offer on all products Peter Pig in our website, currently comprising their 4mm Age of Sail ships and naval accessories, as well as their 15mm SCW and WWII figures, vehicles, artillery and accessories.

Such sale will start as soon as Minairons Miniatures website is reopen by mid August. And, quite obviously, it is going to last just until end of stocks.

New 1:72 Ford AA bus

Here you have a new addition to Minairons' 1:72 collection of Interwar civilian vehicles: a Ford AA bus, that can be used either as an improvised transport of troops or in its original role --just a good old countryside bus. Model itself is mostly DLP 3D-printed and consists of just 3 parts: main body, roof and a hard plastic spare wheel. It requires a little assembly, then.

It was already released at Minairons' website a few days ago, but I'm still struggling with family health issues; so I had no time to publish this installment until right now. Apologies for the delay!

Citroën saloon, now in 1:100 scale

The 1:100^th scale version of Citroën C14 saloon car is already here. Unlike its larger 1:72^nd scale sister, this one comes as a single piece, so requiring no assembly at all.

This new civilian vehicle has a few variants depending on spare tyres location and presence of fog lights, supplied at random.

New 1:72 Citroën C14 saloon car

'But, weren't you already retired?'

I'm happy to share the latest addition to our 1:72^nd scale Interwar range: a Citroën C14 saloon car, which can be seen above painted in the Barcelona taxi cab colourful livery.

This new model is 3D printed in two parts, hull and cabin roof - so a little assembly is still required. The roof part is printed using a translucent resin, so as to allow eventual users the option to paint interiors while leaving transparent the window surfaces.

Worth to mention that this new model comes in four slightly different variants - depending on spare tyre location and eventual presence of foglamps - The precise variant is supplied randomly.

New 1:100 scale towing van

I'm happy to share the latest addition to our 1:100^th scale Interwar range: a Ford AA towing van, which can be also useful for SCW or even WWII settings - may it serve as a pressed into service civilian crane, or simply as a scenery piece.

It's already available at our website, as usual.

1:100 Chevrolet truck

I'm happy to share our latest SCW model kit - the 1937 Chevrolet 1.5 ton truck, now in 1:100^th scale!

Model itself consists of three DLP 3D-printed parts comprising main hull, cabin roof and optional canvas top, complemented by two hard plastic fore wheels. Some assembly is still required, then.

1:100 Ford AA pickup van

It is available now the 1:100^th scale version of our Ford AA pickup van, as a DLP 3D-printed model.

This new version is even simpler than its 1:72^nd scale counterpart, because it consists of just 2 parts - main body and cab roof.

Edited as of 19/06/2024: even simpler now, for it requires no assembly at all! Printed in one single part.

1:72 Ford AA pickup van

I'm delighted to announce the release of a brand new 1:72^nd scale civilian vehicle - Ford AA pickup van. This new model is entirely 3D printed, and it comes boxed in just 5 parts - chassis, cab roof, bed and wheel axles, as it can be seen below.

Also, the 1:100^th scale version of this model is pretty close to deadline now; we expect to release it too in the next few weeks.

1:56 Henschel Type 33 Truck is back too!

Now it's the 1:56^th scale version of Henschel Type 33 heavy truck what has come back as a digital product - that is, as a set of STL files for 3D-printing. It has been simplified so as to have less parts; but it still stands as a multi-part set, in order to ease its painting job, as well as an eventual customization - with separate parts for chassis, front, cab roof, bed, wheels and optional tarpaulin, toolbox and steering wheel.

Henschel's STL files come in a .RAR or .ZIP file on demand. Due to the compressed file exceeding a bit the maximum allowance of our website's software (which is below 2 Mb), an automated download cannot be set; therefore, the STLs must be delivered manually using a secure service such as WeTransfer after order is paid for.

Also, we are already working out the same with another well-known 1:56 model kit - the Hispano Suiza MC-36 armored vehicle.

1:56 Chevrolet 1.5 ton Truck is back!

Yes the 1:56^th scale version of the iconic Chevrolet light truck is back on our shelves - but now as a digital product rather than a physical one. We're now selling it as a set of STL files for 3D-printing - either by the purchaser himself, or by using a 3D-printing service.

Despite having simplified a bit the model kit, we've nevertheless kept it as a multi-part set in order to ease its painting job, as well as an eventual customization. So it consists now of separate parts for chassis, front, cab roof, bed, wheels and optional tarpaulin and steering wheel - quite less than its former physical counterpart, that had also separate parts for bumper, headlights and rearview mirror.

Chevy's STL files come in a .RAR or .ZIP file on demand. Due to the compressed file exceeding a bit the maximum allowance of our website's software (which is below 2 Mb), an automated download cannot be set; therefore, the STLs must be delivered manually using a secure service such as WeTransfer after order is paid for - apologies for the slight inconvenience! Meanwhile, we're planning to set a store front in Wargaming3D shortly.

Also, we are already working out the same with another well-known 1:56 model kit - the Henschel Type 33 heavy truck.

New 1:100 Sd.Kfz. 8 tractor

We are proud to share a new WWII model kit in 1:100^th scale, the German Sd.Kfz. 8 tractor. Once again, this one is a DLP 3D printed model kit consisting of just two parts: main body and optional tarpaulin. This new product is born thanks to patronage via Patreon with the Ukrainian designer Panzer Printer.

Just a latest hour wish to all our kind followers and customers, for a prosperous and happy New Year!

1:100 Hispano Suiza T60 "Torpedo"

We've just released a further Spanish Civil War vehicle in 1:100^th scale - the iconic Hispano Suiza "Torpedo" bus, several variants of which were extensively used as a transport by the Spanish Republic's Assault Guards police.

This new model kit is born thanks to our patronage to Panzer Printer Ukrainian designer through Patreon; it is sold as a single piece DLP 3D-printed miniature, so requiring no assembly at all.

Hispano Suiza "Torpedo" bus is already available on Minairons website.

New 1:100 and 1:72 Harley-Davidson Flathead

Please allow me a few words to explain my long lasting silence of the last weeks. Last month, my wife suffered an accident by which she got her left ball joint broken into pieces, after slipping on a wet pavement and falling to ground with so a bad luck that all her (otherwise light) weight struck violently onto her left knee. Such unfortunate accident has left me with little time free for anything else than taking your kind orders, so nearly no other noticeable activity from Minairons has been observed for one long month. She's recovering fast and in good shape though, so I'm currently feeling pretty optimistic --despite she's going to require intensive care for a while still, so my own activity isn't going to retake a regular rate for some weeks yet.

While awaiting the moment to resume a regular activity, let me show you a latest hour addition to our 1:100^th and 1:72^nd scales SCW ranges: Harley-Davidson Flathead motorcycle, a vehicle widely used in Spain --especially by the Assault Guards but also by other Republican regular units.

This is in fact the vehicle-only version of a rider-bike set already released both in 1:100^th and 1:72^nd scales some time ago, thus allowing to users the chance to use the motorcycle separately from a rider, for their own purposes. The 15mm version blister comprises two motorbikes while just one the 20mm version --both inclusive of optional stands, and both selling at €2.95 the blister.

More exciting news are awaiting their turn to be released. Please keep tuned!

1/72 Bookmobile, available again

I'm happy to announce that, after a compulsory unavailability lapse, our 20GEV024 Ford AA Bookmobile can be found again on our webstore.

Some tooling had to be remade; and we've taken advantage of it for changing a bit the kits' composition, so that it comprises now a slightly smaller number of parts than before. We hope this measure helps users to assemble and paint their model kit with a little more ease.

This remodeling operation is seeking a secondary effect too --no other than making it easier to design and produce a future pickup variant using already created parts. This new model is already on the pipeline, so I'll be able to show WIP on it soon, hopefully.

New SCW items by Peter Pig

In the last months, the British firm Peter Pig had resumed the expansion of its range #13, dedicated to the Spanish Civil War. A first result of their effort was a recent batch of "tiznao" armoured trucks such as Somua-Naval, Hispano Suiza 3T6, Constructora Field and Torras nº 4:

These were soon followed by a fifth "tiznao", MTM nº 1, as well as a civilian car, the Franklin Olympic sedan:

And more recently by two new civilian vehicles: a sedan car with excess luggage and a pickup van, both based on the Franklin Olympic. In addition, Peter Pig has released new references of spare heads for GCE, the one with straw hats while the other with Moroccan turbans. It should be commented too a third refrence devoted to female heads, which stands ideal for militia women:

As some may already know, Minairons carries the complete range #13 from Peter Pig; it can be found within our 1/100 scale listings.

A 1937 Chevrolet in FFL livery

These are the pictures of a 1937 Chevrolet truck in 1:56 scale a customer purchased from me recently. As you can see, he wanted it as a Free French vehicle in North Africa, so carrying a Schneider gun, along with some French artillerymen in British gear. A very nice job IMHO.

Plans for 2018

As a continuation of my thread of last week, let me encourage you to download our updated Catalogue (either as an illustrated PDF file, or as an Excel speadsheet), rather than bore you by repeating news pieces.

* Illustrated catalogue, PDF version
* Spreadsheet listing, XLS version

FOR THE WEEKS TO COME

1/600 Age of Sail Ships: Such is the range we're planning to start this 2018 year. A first Early Galleon is almost over: hulls are done, rigging is being cast and box design is just awaiting some artwork to be finished. Shortly after its release we shall launch a second, Late Galleon; and in the meanwhile a third ship is already on designer's workbench --a Man-of-War.

I'm not 100% sure about their ultimate pricing, but I'm starting to believe we'll be able to keep them within the €15.95 range (just as the 1/100 aircraft kits or 1/72 figure sets).

As for how to expand the range after those three first ships, there is some uncertainty still. I might choose to continue the full rigged ships series with a frigate, or otherwise could start a range of galleys. It's up to you to help determine the range direction by using our Wishlist.

As for Spanish Civil War, I'm planning to still keep developing all the related ranges (mainly the 1/72nd scale one, but with some room to 1/100th too), although at a more calm speed than in past years. Minairons needs some breathe now, after the huge invest on SCW!

So I'm afraid there won't be any avalanche of SCW releases during 2018. What we currently have on workbenches is a small set of Motorcycle Dispatch Riders at both 1/100 and 1/72, L3/33 Tankette at 1/72, Trubia-Naval Tank at 1/100, and Assault Guards 20mm figure sets. Only if things do run very well during 2018 we shall dare to also release a Fiat-SPA Dovunque truck at 1/72 we are currently designing.

Due to this need of taking breathe, we are now working on some kind of partnership agreement with Early War Miniatures, many of whose ranges are simply ideal to complement ours own. Conversations are likely to end up as a crossed-retail, or crossed-distribution deal. Such is my wish, at least.

OTHER MAIN LINES

In accordance to the priority assigned to the upcoming Age of Sail Ships range, we're going to keep making some 1/600 Naval Flags sheets else, albeit starting to condition their release rate to the eventual success of model ships themselves (just for caution). The next batch we've forecast is to include, for the first time, two flag sets own to 18th Century rather than to 17th --both related to War of Spanish Succession.

Let me suggest you once again to influence the range development by using our Wishlist.

BTW, one user has recently written to me for suggesting a larger scale version of such sets --aimed at 15mm or even 28mm gaming compatible model ships. How would you see it?

1/144 and 1/100 aircraft ranges: Sorry for the delay our next planned aircraft (Breguet Br.XIX) is experiencing. Honestly, its 1/144 version is already done, but I've refrained myself from ordering a decals sheet for it so far, for the above commented 'taking breathe' reason. I'll do all my best to include it in pipeline within 2018! (no other would be my will).

Wish me luck!