My "Squadron" Stuart is done!
So, for those that missed the beginning of the story, I have loved this kit since I was a kid when it came out in 1974. Recently I decided to see if I could find an original release, 1974 boxing and did at Skyway Models here in Seattle. I was happily building one day and opened my brand new tube of Squadron white putty. Sadly instead of coming out the top, the bottom seam split and it squirted about a foot across my bench onto my Stuart! I wrote a rather terse email to customer service at Squadron, and they were great. I expected maybe they would send me a current issue of the kit, a credit or something. Instead they sourced another 1974 original from 1001 Model kits.com! Coincidentally it had a Squadron shop price tag on it, $4.50! Anyway, here it is showing where Tamiya was in 1974, and why they would go on to dominate the modeling industry for decades. Figures are Mini-art with aftermarket decals. I posed it on the comic that inspired my love of the Stuart, a 1970 issue of GI Combat. The last picture is it next to the Squadron shop box and my McClaren kit, showing the glorious early days of Tamiya. I faded it to try and make it look like an old polaroid.
This is a beautiful work, Rob and a great presentation. I love the nostalgia comics supplement.
All the best!
Thanks! I've had that comic book about 46 years!
Nice, Rob! Nice job and I love the comic book setting... Perfect!
Very cool! Well done model. I read those comics as a kid as well...
Great looking armor. Sometimes kits turn into sagas. I feel the same way about the old Tamiya Grant/Lee that I want to build as seen in the old Bogart movie "Sahara".
Oh that's a great old kit also. So many of those kits were truly groundbreaking as far as detail and fit. I have the 1/25 Tiger and the M3A2 Halftrack as well. Both have accuracy issues, but they are great kits.
Great work Rob, the figures came out great as well! Congratulations with this build!
Nice work on the Stuart Rob. I also like what you did with the figures. I wished they would produce more of this type of figurines for 1:72 armour as well.
Man Rob @robertandy, this brings back some fond memories. Just wonderful. Great job on the kit and the presentation.
Liked!
This one is a trip down memory lane ! I remember reading the last article about how Squadron was looking for a replacement kit for you. That’s what I call great customer service.
Several years ago I purchased a few of the ICM 1/48 scale Luftwaffe twins from them. A Heinkel He-111, a few Dornier Do-17’s and a Ju-88-A5. The Junkers was missing the instructions. I called them and spoke to a gentleman who was named Tom. He was very helpful and you could tell that he was also a plastic kit modeler. His efforts were genuine and I sincerely appreciated that. It’s efforts like this that set one kit supplier apart from the others. Customer service carries a lot of weight in my book.
Just before Tom from Squadron came through with a copy, I was helped out here by another Imodeler friend who scanned me a copy of his kits instructions and emailed them to me.
Now I have to get busy and start building !
I really like how your Stuart turned out. It’s a cool little tank. You nailed it buddy. The comic book is a perfect setting for the background.
Well done my friend. I hope that you and your family are safe with the virus thing that’s headlining the news.
“Liked”
Ah, those DC war comics, remember the regional Squadron shops. Nice ending to the story, the Stuart looks great!
Thanks again everyone!
Nice one, Rob.
Well done Rob, that little tank with the squirrel gun looks good.There's a story in Rick Atkinson's
book "An Army At Dawn" that recounts a battle when a company of Stewards discovered a German airfield near the village of Djedeide. They literally charged the field wreaking havoc and destroyed over 20 aircraft. It's referred to as the Fat Geese on a Pond engagement.
Love the way you have presented this, great work rob. Fantastic
fine looking build...love that kit...i loved johnny white cloud the navajo indian ace
1 attached image. Click to enlarge.