It would seem that Tamiya are bringing out a 1/35th Panzerkampfwagen 38(t) Ausf.E/F model number 35369, This is the next kit number to be issued and is shown on the Hong Kong websites as a future release. Has anybody any more information ?

I'd be looking for a TriStar kit, if I wanted a good kit
Gary

I see we are being presumptive about a new Tamiya kit. This I might add is very typical of some on this site.

However, that being said, I look forward to the new 38t. The Hetzer was nice, so this should be as well.

Since the kit number starts with 35, that would indicate it's a true Tamiya kit and not the old Italeri release.

As for the Tristar kits, they can also be found under the Hobby Boss label.

It is possible it could be a rebox with extras of an Italeri kit. They did it with a number of Italeri kits, M24, German 1 ton halftrack, M109...

If you look at the kit number of the Italeri reboxes, they don't start with 35.

Meaning exactly what?

By saying if you want a good kit look elsewhere, before seeing the kit.

Well, at this point it is fairly obvious what you will get from a Tamiya kit. It is understood that while very good kits they are a bit soft on detail compared to some other companies, although that extra detail makes those kits harder to build than a Tamiya.

Yes, Tamiya's Jagdpanzer 38(t) was nice but not as detailed IMO as Academy's.

I see. Thanks for the clarification, and I agree with you. Some seem to get stiuck in the idea that new Tamiya releases will be on a par with their older kits. That's like thinking everything coming from Dragon will be like their old Imperial range.

Tamiya has a marketing concept, and a manufacturing programme that has kept them in profit and selling well over the years, and despite what some think of their kits it can't be denied its a successful formula.

Lets see what the kit looks like before prejudging. They have made this variant in 1/48 scale and as far as I'm aware no accuracy issues or major criticisms over that release have been heard, so it reasonable to expect this won't disappoint.

Except those who enjoy sticking together 35 tiny, fiddly little different bits only to get the same result as gluing four bits together would do.

Still, at the end of the day, the Tristar (now HobbyBoss) 38t kits are very nice.

Wasn't aware that Tamiya had issued any duds recently whereas the same certainly can't be said about Dragon. At least their tracks don't dissolve in the box.

Not duds, but to me their kits represent broader examples of a type than companies like Dragon produce so the detail is not as specific as some might like. Tamiya likes to engineer their kits for ease of building which is why they appeal to so many, and often builders of more complex kits like to use them as 'palate cleansers' so to speak. But this comes at a cost to certain levels of detail. This is not a mystery; others have commented on this for years. I went with Dragon on things like Panzer IV's and such because I never felt Tamiya was going to produce each Ausf on the list and I wanted to build the whole range of production for that vehicle. The only Tamiya I buy are those made by no other source, such as the FAMO or a few softskins.

And the DS tracks that broke down were limited to a bad batch of the plastic that has long been used up/removed; I have over 100 Dragon kits and only about 5-6 had issues, and those were kits all issued at roughly the same time. With Tamiya you get the ugly band tracks or link-n-length, which I don't care for since the sag is preset for you and I prefer to choose my sag since it affects your ability to show movement of travel over uneven terrain.

Well, I will say I am reaching a point that small parts are a problem. I don't mind a 1000 parts but my eyesight and steady fingers are not what they were.

Once again,a simple announcement of an impending Tamiya original kit has brought out a mass of unnecessarily negative comments, and all we know so far is the kit number. Amazing !!
I would add, however, that I have many Dragon kits with rubbish DS tracks and tyres, which have either become brittle or melted into a goo, and Dragon have done absolutely nothing about replacing them, but rather pretending it was just an odd batch or some other b******t. I, for one, will never buy another Dragon kit with any DS components, but then again, I am sick to death of so many Dragon panzers !!

Hummm...I see you contributed to the "mass of negative comments" with the Dragon comments.

I personally like Tamiya especially the later offerings. You might say that they require aftermarket to raise the detail. I agree to a point BUT... I would order the same aftermarket for most kits anyway. I usually get Friule track, an aftermarket barrel and a piece of PE. An example I recently got Mengs Merkava 4 and ordered Friule track, Legends Turret upgrade, and The resin storage bens from Meng. With Tamiya, I like the plastic, and the fit and finish. There are no nasty surprises. I am working on Tamiya's Cromwell and am amazed at how well it fits together. It may be the best out of the box kit for how well the parts fit together that I have ever built.

Actually, complaints about Tamiya's glueable styrene-vinyl blend used for its tracks go all the way back to it introduction in 1998. It's very allergic to solvent paints, and will dry out and crumble within days of exposure to enamel or lacquer thinners. It is also subject to stress fractures, where it has been bent, and yes, I had a brand new set of Cromwell tracks snap in two inside the box.
I am much happier with their link and length styrene track.

What I was implying is that it's pretty hard to beat the TriStar kits ( they do two or three). Now on the otherhand, the Tamiya will usually be an easy build. Leastwise most of their later issues are very good. Although I'm less impressed with their ideas on German armor.
Gary

As I expected, (takes deep breath) why don't you find out if it is a new Tamiya kit or not before running with the mouthy nonsense.

Personally, I like the Tamiya Hetzer as it had nothing to do with previous kits. Soft details, so what... it's only plastic.

When modeling becomes too serious, stop and do something else.

Like the previous offering from Tamiya, I will get this and have fun with it.

*Climbs down off soapbox, goes home...*

First image.

https://www.track-link.com/forums/news_industry/38719

You know Chris, there are people in this hobby that like detailed kits, people to whom slapping together a Tamiya kit isn't fun. They are not being "too serious" (whatever that means), they just want a different sort of kit. When you hear that a new Tamiya kit is coming out you know pretty much exactly what you are going to get, even without seeing the plastic. You also know what you aren't going to get. You are tickled pink by the typical Tamiya kit, others aren't. Saying that there are different, even better kits than what Tamiya puts out is just a fact, not a crime against modeling.

That's something that the "modeling is supposed to be fun" crowd can't seem to understand: The fact that their way isn't the only way.

KL

I accept that, but the original poster didn't ask what is the best 38t kit, he simply wanted to know if there was any info about the forthcoming release and it then developed into a general discussion about the merits (or otherwise) of Tamiya kits.

As Norm said; The OP simply wants to know if anyone knows anything more about the recently-announced Tamiya Pz. 38(t) kit.

MY ANSWER to the OP's question: I don't know anything about the coming kit!

I've built (probably like about all out there) good kits, mediocre kits, bad kits. Each, to me, is a building experience. Some of my fav builds have been those rather simple Tamiya kits. Others have had 1000+ fiddly bits to wade through. I love detail, I like to add stuff and enhance and tweak until I get what I want out of the build. A solid starting point always gets me to where I want to go a bit faster... Tamiya kits are mostly solid, well-engineered, extremely buildable kits, and, IMHO, offer great starting points for projects. I have a couple in my current build-line right now, alongside a couple of major fiddly-bit kits. They will all get tweaked and modified!

I know nada about the coming Pz. 38(t) kit from Tamiya. I love the subject, and look forward to seeing the kit some day and seeing what other modelers actually discover about it whenever it gets reviewed and built a few times! Chances are, I'll get one to share stash-space with my Tristar and Dragon Pz.38(t) kits!

Meanwhile... That RFM Abrams - lots of fiddly bits there -, that MiniArt T-60 w/ interior (some fiddly there, too), and the venerable - but - nice Tamiya Krupp Protze await my current attention! Model on, friends, and revel in the richness and the options available to us in our hobby!

Cheers! Bob

The original poster asks for more info on the kit and ....boom....all of the Tamiya haters come out of the woodwork.
This guy is interested in THIS kit, not the merits or deficiencies of TriStar, Italeri, Trumpeter or Hobby Boss.
I've been here on Armorama for over 15 years and this is something that will never change.😠