Topics

421

General Discussions / Happy New Year everyone !!

« on: January 01, 2015, 02:59:23 pm »

Our design team at Rubicon Models wishes everyone a productive and prosperous New Year! Work continues on the first day of the New Year at our studio... While the factory is finishing up our new moulds, we are working on a new batch of 3D drawings for our Q2/15 and Q3/15 releases! Here is something not German...



 

422

Work In Progress / StuG III Ausf G - Project Reboot 170801!

« on: December 26, 2014, 03:40:36 pm »

As promised, here is our Boxing Day present to you all...  StuG III Ausf G - Early / Mid / Late Production (product code 280017).

Features include:
- Choice of Early / Mid / Late production
- Option to assemble vehicle as a StuH 42 with 105mm Howitzer
- Choice of the original trapezoid-shape mantlet or the Topfblende pot mantlet (often called Saukopf "Pig's head") gun mantlet with or without coaxial mount
- Detachable Schürzen (side armour)
- Optional rear stowage rack
- Optional spare road wheels
- Optional periscope
- 3 sprues / 54 parts

The 3 versions of the StuG III Ausf G:




Option to do a StuH 42 with 105mm Howitzer Gun:


More photos of the StuG III Ausf G:



Some close up views:




Size comparison with various vehicles:







Comments and constructive feedback welcome!

423

General Discussions / Merry Christmas to all our members at the forum!

« on: December 24, 2014, 04:51:13 pm »

But we do have twelve products for you to choose from (including Q1/2015 new releases)...

280010 Panzer IV - Mid & Late War
280011 Panzer III - Mid War
280012 M4A3 Sherman
280013 T-34/76 - Early & Mid War
280014 Panther Ausf. D & A
280015 Panther Ausf. G
280016 Tiger I Ausf. E
280017 <-- ERROR... Item Not Found! 
280018 SdKfz 251/1 Ausf. D
280019 SdKfz 251 Ausf. D (3-in-1) Combo Set #1
280020 SdKfz 251/1 Ausf D with "Stuka zu Fuss"
280021 T-34/85 Mid & Late War

What happen to Item Code 280017? 
Find out more on Boxing Day! 

Merry Christmas everyone!! ♥♥♥

 

424

Forum Announcement / Deletion of Non-Activated Member Accounts

« on: December 15, 2014, 02:05:56 am »

We will be performing a purge of non-activated member accounts tomorrow (Dec 16, 2014). 

For those who had registered but had not replied to your activation email, you will need to re-register again.

Thank you for your attention!

Regards,
Forum Admin

425

Work In Progress / Proposed Project: US Tank Destroyer

« on: December 08, 2014, 06:50:26 pm »

Which one do you prefer?  There are several possibilities:

(1) M10 Wolverine / 17pdr SP Achilles
(2) M10 Wolverine / M36 Jackson
(3) M36 Jackson /17pdr SP Achilles
(4) M18 Hellcat

Vote now or give comments!!


Some Background History:

By far the most common US design was the 3in Gun Motor Carriage M10 (Wolverine), later supplemented by the 90 mm Gun Motor Carriage M36 (Jackson) - both based on the M4 Sherman hull and powertrain - and the 76 mm Gun Motor Carriage M18 (Hellcat), based on a unique hull and powertrain design, with a slight visual resemblance to what was used for the later M24 Chaffee light tank.

The M18 came closest to the US ideal; the vehicle was very fast, small, and mounted a 76 mm gun in a roofless open turret. The M36 Jackson GMC possessed the only American-origin operational gun that could rival the vaunted 88 mm German ordnance, the 90 mm M3 gun, and the M36 remained in service well after World War II.

426

General Discussions / Q1/2015 New Releases

« on: December 07, 2014, 05:51:29 pm »

To coincide with our website official announcement on our Q1/2015 new releases, here are more basic info for each new item:

SdKfz 251/1 Ausf. D Standard Personnel Carrier (280018)
- Contains enough parts to build a D version (1943) of the famous personnel carrier
- Choices include standard open top or with closed or half-closed canvas top (tarp) options
- Number of Parts: 43 pieces
- Number of Sprue: 2

SdKfz 251D 3-in-1 Combo (280019)
- Contains enough parts to build one of the following variants:
   - SdKfz 251/7D – Assault Engineering vehicle
   - SdKfz 251/8D – Ambulance
   - SdKfz 251/10D – with 37mm Pak 36 anti-tank gun
- Most options are detachable and can be reverted back into a standard carrier
- Number of Parts: 64 pieces
- Number of Sprue: 3

SdKfz 251/1 Ausf. D with “Stuka Zu Fuss” Rocket Launcher (280020)
- Contains enough parts to build a Rocket Launcher variant for the Personnel Carrier
- “Stuka Zu Fuss” is detachable and can be reverted back into a standard carrier
- Number of Parts: 70 pieces
- Number of Sprue: 3

Soviet T-34/85 Medium Tank (280021)
- Contains enough parts to build either a T-34/85 or an OT-34/85 medium tank
- Choices include two turret tops to represent either a D5T (1943) or S53 (1944) turret, with hull mounted machine gun or flame thrower option
- Number of Parts: 50 pieces
- Number of Sprue: 3

427

Forum Announcement / Member Registration & Incomprehensible Member Names

« on: December 02, 2014, 03:51:03 pm »

For those members who are using (1) Hotmail, (2) Yahoo, or (3) AOL might encounter registration issues with our ISP.  Your registration should be successful; but was not getting an automatic confirmation email.  For those who are affected with this issue, we usually will send out a confirmation email manually within 24 hours.

With increased traffic on our forum, there had been numerous phony member registrations with weird member names, or never replied to our confirmation email.  These membership applications will be deleted.  Repeated attempts using different illegal user names will get their IP address being banned.

Thank you for your attention!

Forum Admin
Rubicon Models

428

Work In Progress / Proposed Project: Churchill

« on: December 01, 2014, 09:29:20 pm »

This is our 2^nd Project Survey: Which Churchill do you want us to do?

Please vote using the poll above...


You can also leave your comments and thoughts below...

Here is some background information about the Churchill tank:

Churchill I (303 produced) - Equipped with a 2 pounder gun in the turret (150 rounds), and a coaxial Besa machine gun. There was a 3 inch howitzer in the hull (58 rounds). It was a tank that was noted for poor mechanical reliability. It was the main tank issued to the Canadian forces at Dieppe. It was used in Tunisia and some were still in use late in the war in Italy on the Gothic Line.

Churchill Mk II (1,127 produced) - Replaced the hull howitzer with another machine gun to reduce cost and complexity. Sometimes referred to as "Churchill Ia."

Churchill Mk IICS (Close Support) - Placed the 2pdr gun in the hull and the howitzer in the turret, available in very limited numbers. Sometimes called "Churchill II" Not used in combat.

Churchill Mk III (675 produced) - The III was the first major armament overhaul of the series, eliminating the hull howitzer and equipping the tank with a more powerful 6 pounder gun (84 rounds). Unlike early versions, it had a welded turret. The first Mark to have "catwalks" over the upper track runs.

Churchill Mk IV (1,622 produced) - The IV was the most numerous Churchill produced, and was virtually identical to the III, the largest change being a return to the less costly cast turret. The Mark V 6 pdr was fitted with a counterweight on early models. Some were retrofitted with 75mm guns (see "NA75", below) from Sherman tanks. Others were up-gunned with British 75mm guns, creating the Mk IV (75).

Churchill Mk V (241 produced) - A Churchill equipped with a close support 95 mm howitzer in place of the main gun (47 rounds) in a cast turret. The turret was similar but not identical to the MkIV/VI turrets with a slightly different opening for the gun in the turret front face.

Churchill Mk VI (200 produced) - Along with several minor improvements, eg an additional collar at the turret base protecting the turret race, it was produced as standard with the 75 mm Mk V gun. Few were built due to the near release of the VII and current upgunning of the III / IV.

Churchill Mk VII (A22F) (1,600 with VIII produced) - The second major redesign from previous models, the VII used the 75 mm gun, was wider and had much more armour. It is sometimes called the Heavy Churchill. This version of the Churchill first saw service in the Battle of Normandy, and was re-designated A42 in 1945.

Churchill Mk VIII - A Churchill VII which replaced the main gun with a 95 mm howitzer (47 rounds) in a slightly different turret.

429

Work In Progress / Proposed Project: Tiger II

« on: November 26, 2014, 05:27:00 pm »

While we are still working some active projects, we are now researching material for new projects.  One proposed project is the Tiger II.

Some Background:
The Tiger II was developed late in the war and built in relatively small numbers.  Orders were placed for 1,500 Tiger IIs — slightly more than the 1,347 Tiger I tanks produced — but Tiger II production was severely disrupted by Allied bombing.  Among others, five raids between 22 September and 7 October 1944 destroyed 95 percent of the floor area of the Henschel plant. It is estimated that this caused the loss in production of some 657 Tiger IIs.  Only 492 units were produced: one in 1943, 379 in 1944, and 112 in 1945.  Full production ran from mid-1944 to the end of the war.

Zimmerit:
Zimmerit was applied to some tanks produced from December 1943 to 9 September 1944.  Application of Zimmerit was usually done at the factory.  In general, vehicles already in service were not coated with Zimmerit.  Zimmerit was discontinued from factory application on 9 September 1944 and from field application on 7 October 1944.  This was due to concerns that projectile impacts could ignite it.  These proved false, but the order was never rescinded.  Applying and drying the paste added days to the production of each vehicle, which was unacceptable as there was a shortage of tanks.  Only early models of Tiger II have Zimmerit applied.

Proposed Plan:
Our proposed plan is to include both the "Porsche" and the Henschel (production) Tiger II turret.  The question is should we include Zimmerit?  Historically, out of the 492 Tiger IIs, less than half had Zimmerit applied.  Our concerns with Zimmerit is:
1) Increase design and production difficulties
2) Mould production cost significantly higher
3) Zimmerit pattern on model not convincing
4) Retail price of the final product too high

What is your opinion?
We have added a poll for those who don't want to comment, but want to contribute.  For those who wanted to comment, please give feedback and vote too!!

NOTE: You probably need to <SCROLL UP> to see the poll...

430

Wish Lists / SURVEY: Small Arms & Heavy Weapons - Nov 2014 - Updated 160509

« on: November 20, 2014, 05:20:10 pm »

We are doing a survey on what type of small arms and heavy weapons do you want to see in PLASTIC!

Please note, this applies to both Axis and Allies.

To participate, simply leave us a message under this post (and this post only), we will gather all information and use it for references in our future projects.  Here is the basic format we would like to see"

1) Country
2) Weapon Type
3) Weapon Name or Designation

You can write down as many as you want, but we can assure you are not getting it for this Christmas!

Thanks a lot!

431

General Discussions / A Quick Update – Jan 8, 2015

« on: November 17, 2014, 07:36:00 pm »

A Quick Update – Nov 17, 2014

After the initial release of our six kits together with the Tiger I, we are taking it slow for a little while to catch our breath!  Getting all the boxes packed and make sure everything is shipped to the correct distributors together with all the paperwork, and then getting the websites updated!  And most important of all is the announcement of our possible NEW product line… our 1/56 Modular Building project!

Here is a quick update on what we are doing:

Modular Building - The new project will take some time to develop, but hopefully will see it as a final product first half of 2015.  We would like this to be a “community project” – meaning we wanted your valuable input and feedback on what we have done so far.  All comments are then studied and followed up to make this a better product.  Here is the link for the discussion: http://forum.rubiconmodels.com/index.php?topic=55.0

British Tank – We are now finally working on a British tank.  It will be a three sprue kit packed with as many options and variants as possible.  Still on the drawing table, estimated date of completion – before Christmas!  You should see some 3D prototypes early January 2015.

SdKfz 251 Ausf. D – This German personnel carrier is now in the mould making stage.  No variant, but comes with two canvas top options – half open and closed top.  Great for variety on the battlefield!

SdKfz 251 Ausf. D Variants – Some of the variants are also in the mould making stage.  We will roll out more variants as we move forward.  One of the advantages of these variants is… most are detachable!  That means you can “revert” your half-track variant back into a “standard” personnel carrier if you chose not to glue the option onto the vehicle!

T-34/85 – This Soviet tank is progressing nicely, should see 3D prototype soon!  This T-34/85 is not a reworked or patched up of our existing T-34/76.  It comes with a new turret with 2 mantlet and copula choices, a new set of road wheels, and a new hull!

December Release – We are not going to have a December release!  December is a busy month for shipping stuff, and we are running on a very tight budget right now.  Would rather release more products for the New Year… Jan 2015!

January 2015 Releases – We have not decided what to release yet.  There are some new items that are already done, and act as a buffer between monthly releases.  Will post more information as the New Year approaches!

That’s it for now!  Please enjoy our kits!

 

432

Showcase & Gallery / Tiger I - Early Production

« on: November 15, 2014, 06:19:06 pm »

Here are some photos of our Tiger I Early Production Model for our DAK army, painted by our in-house painter, Kent Lee!







Enjoy!

433

Work In Progress / 1/56 (28mm) Modular Buildings

« on: November 13, 2014, 05:10:14 pm »

A NEW RANGE – 1/56 (28mm) Modular Buildings

MDF buildings had been gaining popularity for the past year.  Pricing usually range from £12 to £20 for small unpainted buildings to over £60 for painted ones.  We had been working on a new project experimenting with different concepts and designs for over a year.  Now that we have some solid groundwork done, we would like to share it with you before moving onto the next work phase.

Disadvantage with MDF buildings are:
Heavy – because MDF are made from wood fibres with a resin binder
Thick – because they are made from standard industrial MDF boards
Flat – because they are laser cut, everything is 2D
Square – you will never see round corners or bent surface
Burnt Edge – because of the laser interacting with the resin, you always will have a burnt edge
WYSWYG – there is no way you can customized your building except with a different color

Besides MDF buildings, there are paper, resin, some plastic ruins, plus a few plastic huts of fixed design.  OR you can create your own with mixed material taking lots of planning and preparation work.

Our goal is to create a generic Modular Plastic Building for the wargaming community.  Advantages of our design include:
Plastic – light weight, sturdy and easy to handle
Modular – meaning you can customize the look of your building
Stackable – every floor and rooftop is removable to show interior
Details – everything are highly detailed
Expandable – expansion products are planned to add variety on a regular basis
Low Cost – most basic components are common to the whole range which meant lower retail price

Here are some possibilities and concept design for your comment:







We would like your participation to make this a better product for the community.  Things like:
- Type of wall pattern you want to see on the final product
- The look of the door design
- The look of the shop window display
- The look of the chimney
…and so forth!

Mind you this is still something of a work-in-progress project, if development cost is too expensive we might not proceed further.  We do have some 3D prototypes done, will post them up on the forum later!

C&C welcome!

434

Official Assembly Instructions / 280016 Tiger I Ausf E

« on: November 11, 2014, 02:00:58 pm »

Assembly Instruction for the Tiger I Ausf E

435

Showcase & Gallery / Showcase & Gallery

« on: November 11, 2014, 01:58:03 pm »

Here is the right place for everyone to showcase their work - whether as a static display or during a gaming session!
Don't be shy!  Get some praise from your fellow gamers and modelers!