Jump to content

New Tamiya announcement January 25th 2021


One 48

Recommended Posts

There was no attempt at a "scatter" shotgun effect: the idea was to concentrate the fire on a given spot.  The main argument was whether it was better to use the official 400yd convergence or the 250yd preferred by those pilots who got in close.  Eventual the "aces" won the argument and the Air Ministry changed its advice, but apparently a statistic survey done by the FAA later showed that the 400yd convergence was actually better.   The confusing factor is that getting in close has been good advice for fighter pilots since they first started shooting at each other.  Regardless of convergences.

 

It is somewhat amazing just how many aircraft were shot down by these "inadequate" weapons.  It is worth remembering that as late as 1942 the Zeros relied more on two such mgs rather than their feeble unreliable cannon, in the Japanese run of success.  Less effective against large armoured aircraft, of course, but how many of those were there in 1940?

 

The argument against the big wing are weakened by it being basically sound and well proven military tactics, and was to be proven in air warfare time and again.  Throwing your forces into a  battle piecemeal is an invitation to defeat.  What it didn't allow for in the 1940 scenario was the lack of warning and the need to cover the coastal areas.  No point in turning up in good numbers if the enemy have bombed their targets and gone home.  Or bombed your home airfields and invasion defences.

  • Like 2
  • Thanks 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

20 hours ago, One 48 said:

It does seem to be pointing towards a P40, I would prefer it to be in 1/48, my built Hasegawa 1/32 P40 is more than fine for me, but of course Tamiya would really go to town on it with detailed engine, gun bays and superb engineering, so would still buy one if it is ... just for the sheer pleasure of building it (have one of each of all Tamiya's 1/32 bar the Tomcat) a P38 in 1/32 would be to die for, same goes for a 109 or 190 IMHO and yep ... know there are plenty of those already, next choice would be a MK1 Hurricane.

Tamiya are such a tease, wonder what it is?

Why does the Tamiya announcement point towards it being a P-40?

 

I am not complaining - in fact I would be incredibly happy if it was - I am just curious to know what you know.

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

5 hours ago, SAT69 said:

Not sure they'd do a Super Hornet. I'm inclined to believe they'd do something from the past, as far as jets go. Something that's been done before but Tamiya would do it in far better form. F-111 maybe. Perhaps an RA-5C. The best ever F-100 maybe? All of these in 1/48 scale. In 1/32 scale I'd be inclined to believe it'll be an F-100 or F-105.

 

Considering that the latest Tamiya jets have been the F-16 and the F-14, I highly doubt that they would offer anything unusual. More likely that they will chose a well known subject and give it the "Tamiya treatment", so issuing the kind of kit that makes every modeller happy as they did with the two abovementioned subjects

Link to comment
Share on other sites

4 hours ago, Gordon J said:

Why does the Tamiya announcement point towards it being a P-40?

 

I am not complaining - in fact I would be incredibly happy if it was - I am just curious to know what you know.



Oh I dont know, something like this and past history too perhaps :)

http://www.moxing.net/BBS/forum.php?mod=viewthread&tid=111423&extra=page%3D1

Link to comment
Share on other sites

5 hours ago, lasermonkey said:

I would heartily recommend Stephen Bungay's The Most Dangerous Enemy if you have even the slightest interest in the Battle Of Britain. Being an analyst, he  makes use of combat data in a way I haven't seen by anyone else. The breakdown of the combats make for  very interesting reading!

 

Regarding the '109's ammunition, remember that the cannons only had 60 rounds per gun, so the majority of that 40 seconds would be for just two 7.62mm guns. The eight Brownings on the RAF aircraft used a very effective type of ammunition. Although referred to as de Wilde, it was secret at the time and the RAF was quite happy to let everyone think it actually was de Wilde being used. It was certainly very effective against fighters, if not so much the bombers with their armour plate. Some bombers returned to base with literally hundreds of bullet holes in them. I've also read from surviving Luftwaffe pilots that flying into the tracer from eight MGs was a terrifying experience. Imagine trying to hold your nerve and not break away!

 

Another conclusion drawn by Bungay was that the MGFFs used by the '109s weren't as effective against Spitfires as has often been quoted. Their low muzzle velocity didn't give a lot of penetrating power, with the rounds tending to explode on contact with the Spitfires' skin. This would blow bloomin' great holes in them, but often not cause fatal structural damage. Certainly, the Spitfire was most survivable aircraft of all the combatants in the BoB, with the Hurricane coming third due to its propensity to burn. And you'd have to get in close with little deflection unless you really knew what you were doing. Bungay suggests that the '109s came out on top for the most part only when they had the element of surprise, bouncing and then diving away. Whenever the Germans were bounced or a dogfight developed, the RAF's fighters tended to dominate.

 

The RAF's tactics adapted too. Whilst inexperienced units still used the Vic, those that had seen combat quickly adopted better formations. But often, the numbers that attacked the Luftwaffe's formations were very small, this actually being to the advantage of the RAF, giving a "target rich environment" as it's called these days. You could fire at pretty much anything and almost guarantee it's a valid target, when the German aircraft could be getting in each other's way*. And while the RAF's formations were mostly small in number, they were more or less constant throughout the entire raid, causing a great deal of stress to the German crews. The squadron that intercepted the raid as it approached the coast could well be refuelled, rearmed and back as the Luftwaffe headed for home.

 

*This is reported to have happened to units of Leigh-Mallory's Big Wing on the few occasions they managed to turn up on time.

All interesting stuff and I agree Bunghays book is well worth a read so is (at the risk of thread drift!) Invasion 1940 by Derek Robinson of Piece of Cake fame👍
 

TT

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, Giorgio N said:

Considering that the latest Tamiya jets have been the F-16 and the F-14, I highly doubt that they would offer anything unusual. More likely that they will chose a well known subject and give it the "Tamiya treatment", so issuing the kind of kit that makes every modeller happy as they did with the two abovementioned subjects

You may very well be right, but then again, given the complaints about existing 1/48 F-111s and RA-5C kits, they just might surprise us. I won't deny I'd be ecstatic over a "surprise" 1/48 F-111.

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

37 minutes ago, Thomas V. said:

although would not be surprised by F-35A if

they were given access to JASDF ones.

I think you're the first to suggest the F-35A but given the number of kits there are in several scales, it's possible Tamiya would deliver the near ultimate F-35A. I don't see them doing it in 1/32, but 1/48 and/or 1/72 has some good possibilities. I like the way you think!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Back on track, I've read somewhere (probably here, Britmodeller) that the Tamiya announcement (the subject of this thread, though you might not guess so reading recent posts) will be at 4.00pm Tokyo time.

Here, in UK, that's 1.00 am the next day and even later in US, but better for Australia.

Perhaps somebody from there ie Australia could post what is announced.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I read a report recently that modelling has taken a greater upturn in Japan because of the pandemic and therefore l foresee something Japanese.

 

Regards

Robert

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, SAT69 said:

I think you're the first to suggest the F-35A but given the number of kits there are in several scales, it's possible Tamiya would deliver the near ultimate F-35A. I don't see them doing it in 1/32, but 1/48 and/or 1/72 has some good possibilities. I like the way you think!

Good deduction on your part too, as they issued 1/32 Italeri one, and as we have only Meng not so stellar 48th one, 1/48 would be my option too.

On the other hand Tamiya is Tamiya, no amount of deduction and analogy applies to them, so we may even see 32nd scale one now or down the line.

To digress, while I still stocked Tamiya and visited them regularly at Nurnberg Toy Fair, being captivated by 32nd scale kits and being given regular small lecture

by highly patient and polite staff on how mentioned are conceptualised. Key word was engine, to cite them engine being most expensive part of the tooling with app.30-40% of the new tooling costs being set aside for engine, thus if not being German subject, something with R-2800 or Merlin is a given.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, SAT69 said:

I think you're the first to suggest the F-35A but given the number of kits there are in several scales, it's possible Tamiya would deliver the near ultimate F-35A. I don't see them doing it in 1/32, but 1/48 and/or 1/72 has some good possibilities. I like the way you think!



Tamiya did sort of release an F-35A in 1/32, its an Italeri boxing though ... i think we can rule that one out and if it were to be an F-35 I'd prefer a B to be honest.

https://www.tamiya.com/english/products/25414/index.htm

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Tamiya has been focused on RC and land vehicles for decades, but aircraft models keep on appearing.  They were said to be vanishing when young Mr. Tamiya took over the business from his dad, but they didn't.  I don't expect a flood of new releases, but neither a complete absence.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

19 hours ago, Denford said:

Back on track, I've read somewhere (probably here, Britmodeller) that the Tamiya announcement (the subject of this thread, though you might not guess so reading recent posts) will be at 4.00pm Tokyo time.

Here, in UK, that's 1.00 am the next day and even later in US, but better for Australia.

Perhaps somebody from there ie Australia could post what is announced.

Other way mate, it’ll be 7am back with you so enjoy the reveal with the cornflakes! 😀

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, haneto said:

OK guys, let me tell you the answer from quite reliable Japanese resource: 1/48 F-4 Phantom II

Let's wait and see. ;)

Just what we need,  another Phantom!   Instead of  addressing long neglected subjects like the BF109!

  • Haha 8
Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 1/20/2021 at 2:04 AM, One 48 said:

1/12 Motorcycle only I as a Biker enthusiast might have heard of...

 

On 1/20/2021 at 5:14 AM, IanC said:

Oh if only. It'll never happen but I really wish Tamiya would do some of the real world bikes that I've spent many years on.

 

Well, I'm normally only really interested in aircraft kits, but if they did a KZ650...

 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

4 hours ago, haneto said:

OK guys, let me tell you the answer from quite reliable Japanese resource: 1/48 F-4 Phantom II

Let's wait and see. ;)

But which version, B, C, D, E, EJ, EJ Kai, F, G, J, K, M, N, S

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, Robert said:

But which version, B, C, D, E, EJ, EJ Kai, F, G, J, K, M, N, S

I suspect it will be a Navy or Marine version. Which version I can only guess ... and that would be a wild guess.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 20/01/2021 at 14:27, lasermonkey said:

I would heartily recommend Stephen Bungay's The Most Dangerous Enemy if you have even the slightest interest in the Battle Of Britain. Being an analyst, he  makes use of combat data in a way I haven't seen by anyone else. The breakdown of the combats make for  very interesting reading!

 

Regarding the '109's ammunition, remember that the cannons only had 60 rounds per gun, so the majority of that 40 seconds would be for just two 7.62mm guns. The eight Brownings on the RAF aircraft used a very effective type of ammunition. Although referred to as de Wilde, it was secret at the time and the RAF was quite happy to let everyone think it actually was de Wilde being used. It was certainly very effective against fighters, if not so much the bombers with their armour plate. Some bombers returned to base with literally hundreds of bullet holes in them. I've also read from surviving Luftwaffe pilots that flying into the tracer from eight MGs was a terrifying experience. Imagine trying to hold your nerve and not break away!

 

Another conclusion drawn by Bungay was that the MGFFs used by the '109s weren't as effective against Spitfires as has often been quoted. Their low muzzle velocity didn't give a lot of penetrating power, with the rounds tending to explode on contact with the Spitfires' skin. This would blow bloomin' great holes in them, but often not cause fatal structural damage. Certainly, the Spitfire was most survivable aircraft of all the combatants in the BoB, with the Hurricane coming third due to its propensity to burn. And you'd have to get in close with little deflection unless you really knew what you were doing. Bungay suggests that the '109s came out on top for the most part only when they had the element of surprise, bouncing and then diving away. Whenever the Germans were bounced or a dogfight developed, the RAF's fighters tended to dominate.

 

The RAF's tactics adapted too. Whilst inexperienced units still used the Vic, those that had seen combat quickly adopted better formations. But often, the numbers that attacked the Luftwaffe's formations were very small, this actually being to the advantage of the RAF, giving a "target rich environment" as it's called these days. You could fire at pretty much anything and almost guarantee it's a valid target, when the German aircraft could be getting in each other's way*. And while the RAF's formations were mostly small in number, they were more or less constant throughout the entire raid, causing a great deal of stress to the German crews. The squadron that intercepted the raid as it approached the coast could well be refuelled, rearmed and back as the Luftwaffe headed for home.

 

*This is reported to have happened to units of Leigh-Mallory's Big Wing on the few occasions they managed to turn up on time.

Excellent stuff Lasermonkey. Thank you for this information.

The German crews despite being told the RAF were down to their last few fighters were still attacked and harassed. I've read this in other sources. 

The harmonisation question is very interesting too. I forget which pilot it was but think it may have been Sailor Malan who harmonised his guns at 50 yds. ( might be wrong) "Punch hard- then get out" ! 

 

Yes i do have an interest in the BoB and will follow up on Stephen Bungay's The Most Dangerous Enemy

 

Cheers

Kind Regards

Andy

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest
This topic is now closed to further replies.
×
×
  • Create New...