Kingtiger (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter katana
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HobbyBunker
Corporal
- Joined
- Nov 23, 2006
- Messages
- 515
We should see some in March at the West Coaster Toy Soldier Show.
Sentaapua
Sergeant Major
- Joined
- Oct 23, 2010
- Messages
- 1,659
That’s very good news Matt, looking forward to seeing it then!
Matt do you know if there will be 2 versions (i.e Normandy Camo Version vs Winter Version)....Lastly I assume that will it be the Henschel Turret... is that correct? Thank you Frank
joesgis
2nd Lieutenant
- Joined
- Sep 26, 2007
- Messages
- 3,818
Those days when Rick was the face or Figarti were really good times (aside from the paint adherence issues), and I miss those exciting times. But I've officially thrown in the towel on Figarti in its current state due to unreliability and an utter lack of communication. Other companies will fill the void, but for me at least, Figarti is a thing of the past w/ lots of fond memories but nothing going forward to hang my hat on. I've traded or sold all of my Figarti now except for a handful of things that will eventually go. The last time I communicated with Figarti was in March 2015. They told me at that time their KT would be out in Sept (of that year). Hopefully it comes out some day for those who didn't grab the FL KT. I wish them well but I tend to gravitate toward active manufacturers who get me excited about their product via some form of communications.
Joe
Joe
I have kept my Figarti collecton. I don't think any manufacturer has made a better Panther G, Tiger I, Jagdpanzer IV or T34-85 in 1/30 scale. The scale is correct and the paint and Zimmerit is subtle but realistic. I have had no paint flaking issures and the colors are text book correct; no garish bright greens or bright yellows! The prices were reasonable and the quality was excellent. I do not think that combination of characteristics will be found again in a Toy Soldier manufacturer. Figarti products were a labor of love; like Honor Bound Armor IMO.
Warrior
Lieutenant General
- Joined
- May 12, 2005
- Messages
- 15,359
Rick was a strait shooter, when he told you something, he backed it up, would always come to my rooms in Chicago and thank me for carrying his product and told me if I ever needed anything to reach out to him. On a couple of occasions, I did need him to assist me and he did so without hesitation.
He was a credit to the hobby, was a true innovator and never, ever said a bad thing about anyone or any other company. To the contrary, he was very complimentary of other companies products.
The hobby is a lesser place with him no longer involved in it.
The successor to Figarti missed a major opportunity when they failed to produce a King Tiger.. The FL model has sold out quickly and now another with different turret numbers; but the same paint has been released and will probably also sell out at an exorbitant price. Figarti would not have made the errors in the FL King Tiger i.e. too light a shade of green and idlers in the wrong position. Plus the Figarti price would have been reasonable IMO.
The opportunity still exists were Figarti to produce a Porsche(Krupp) turret King Tiger with Zimmerit and the correct striped tricolor camouflage pattern. Add a decent Kommander figure and they would sell out on preorder. Hobby Bunker should consider a kickstarter program for such a product to get Figarti moving.
The opportunity still exists were Figarti to produce a Porsche(Krupp) turret King Tiger with Zimmerit and the correct striped tricolor camouflage pattern. Add a decent Kommander figure and they would sell out on preorder. Hobby Bunker should consider a kickstarter program for such a product to get Figarti moving.
bradleyl30
Command Sergeant Major
- Joined
- Oct 17, 2012
- Messages
- 2,575
Posts like this are why you get attacked on the forum.
I believe both “errors” were refuted. HR showed the green is correct and accurately depicts historically correct variations.
Also, someone showed the idlers being correct as well
My opinion of the correct color is as valid as HR's opinion. I posted a photo of the Bovington and Munster Museums King Tigers; which clearly show the correct green is darker than the green on the FL model. I looked at the position of the Idler on the FL model and compared it to the position of the Idlers on Museum King Tiger exhibits. The FL Idlers are positioned too low and are virtually inline with the road wheels. Plus I did not raise the issue. I am confirming the error by comparison with real King Tigers. My 21st Century and Tamiya 1/16 KTs have the Idlers positioned more accurately than the FL model.
HR has a problem with the expertise of Tank Museum Curators for some reason only he can answer. Museum Curators are dedicated people and should not be generally disparaged IMO.
I have many models of the KT made by the top makers, Dragon, Tamiya, Bandai,Hobby Master, Minichamps, VsTank etc. All model makers make errors in their models; so FL is in good company. The TCS and K&C King Tiger models also had issues with details and color; which were pointed out on this forum by many collectors. For reasons unknown to me FL and FL collectors seem to be more sensitive to criticism than TCS and K&C collectors.
My experience as a Design Engineer is that when you discover a problem in your product you acknowledge and correct it. You do not attack the messenger who discovered the problem.
HR has a problem with the expertise of Tank Museum Curators for some reason only he can answer. Museum Curators are dedicated people and should not be generally disparaged IMO.
I have many models of the KT made by the top makers, Dragon, Tamiya, Bandai,Hobby Master, Minichamps, VsTank etc. All model makers make errors in their models; so FL is in good company. The TCS and K&C King Tiger models also had issues with details and color; which were pointed out on this forum by many collectors. For reasons unknown to me FL and FL collectors seem to be more sensitive to criticism than TCS and K&C collectors.
My experience as a Design Engineer is that when you discover a problem in your product you acknowledge and correct it. You do not attack the messenger who discovered the problem.
Hunter Rose
Master Sergeant
- Joined
- Mar 8, 2010
- Messages
- 1,271
Figarti just made the error of having the wrong cannon barrel on their prototype. The one piece cannons were only on the early Porsche turret King Tigers, not the production turret models. But I'm sure you picked up on that.
No problems whatsoever with museum curators, my problem is with your assertion that museum paint jobs are the definitive source of how tanks should be painted and how the colors look. I prefer to use primary sources like surviving color photographs and surviving vehicles/equipment in their original wartime colors when forming an opinion of how German paint colors should look.
The reason they call it a prototype is it is not yet production ready. The prototype is used to correct errors and refine the model prior to production. We used to build 10 preproduction prototypes when I was designing new products. Several were used for environmental testing, Several more for evaluation by sales and production personnel to point out problems that engineering may have missed. FL should have done a few preproduction prototypes and run them by knowledgeable people to evaluate; they may have avoided the Idler position problem, the color problems and the failure to blacken the air intake screens/. Visit Dreamworkshobby on eBay and peruse the 1/35 prebuilt award winning KTs which sell for$250 to $500 and exceed the level of quality of the FL KT.
Regarding colors I note that when you repainted several of your Panzers which you posted on the forum you used a darker green i.e. K&C BBG 016 KT and an FL Panther G. I agree with your decision as the original color in both cases was wrong. TCS and K&C as well as FL have erred in their choices of green. Figarti and TG have it right IMO. A vote by my numerous models as to the correct three colors for German WWII camouflage would favor the darker shades of Olivgrun and Rot Braun. I Think the photo I posted of the Production KT at Bovington is as close as it gets to reality given our current state of knowledge. I see, as we often do in these conversations; we must agree to disagree on this subject.
On the subject of the Bovington color choices for their restorations, the Jagdpanther was built to order in Germany for the museum. The colors used were what the Germans building the Jagdpanthe said they were using at the end of the war. The Oxiderot served as the basecoat and the sand & ivory striped splinter pattern over it reduced time and materials by over 30% as stated by a Museum Curator on a YouTube presentation you may wish to view. You refuted my previous observation that Oxidrot was a camouflage color; yet the Bovington Museum Jagdpanther and Panther G support my position. Oxidrot and Rot Brun are two different colors and both were used in WWII as camouflage.
Regarding colors I note that when you repainted several of your Panzers which you posted on the forum you used a darker green i.e. K&C BBG 016 KT and an FL Panther G. I agree with your decision as the original color in both cases was wrong. TCS and K&C as well as FL have erred in their choices of green. Figarti and TG have it right IMO. A vote by my numerous models as to the correct three colors for German WWII camouflage would favor the darker shades of Olivgrun and Rot Braun. I Think the photo I posted of the Production KT at Bovington is as close as it gets to reality given our current state of knowledge. I see, as we often do in these conversations; we must agree to disagree on this subject.
On the subject of the Bovington color choices for their restorations, the Jagdpanther was built to order in Germany for the museum. The colors used were what the Germans building the Jagdpanthe said they were using at the end of the war. The Oxiderot served as the basecoat and the sand & ivory striped splinter pattern over it reduced time and materials by over 30% as stated by a Museum Curator on a YouTube presentation you may wish to view. You refuted my previous observation that Oxidrot was a camouflage color; yet the Bovington Museum Jagdpanther and Panther G support my position. Oxidrot and Rot Brun are two different colors and both were used in WWII as camouflage.
FirstLegion
Sergeant Major
- Joined
- Dec 8, 2007
- Messages
- 1,911
Yes yes, Figarti, TG, Minichamps, VS Tank, Matchbox, Lego, Airfix, and all of the other wonderful models you collect along with anyone else who has ever made anything does it better and with more accuracy than we do and at a far lower price. We suck, I get it. Just terrible. The horror! ^&grin
I do enjoy your posts Katana. They used to irritate me as I just couldn't understand how anyone could be so obtuse or perhaps it was that you are the single greatest troll in the history of the Internet, fully dedicated to your craft like the guy from The Prestige. But now they provide an going source of wonderful amusement..... We here at FL get endless laughs over your posts, so please, keep them coming!