Hi guys

I was looking through my Squadron catalog putting together an order. I was wondering if some of you guys can tell me anything you might know about a few companys. I know they are not new I've just no experience with them. They are, Mirage, [specificly thier 7TP Polish Light Tank, and T-26 infantry Tank] Alan,Zveda, and last but not least Maquette. If anyone knows anything such as kit quality fit e.t.c it would be a big help. The prices of the kits are great, and the topic of the kits {early war armor, Polish armor] is somthing many others have overlooked. Guys I know I'm asking alot and I hope you don't mind but the answers will be a big help.

I would like to take a second to wish everyone a happy holidays.And a happy and safe new year. To my brothers and sisters in uniform may god bless and keep you safe no matter what flag you serve.

(:-) Harry (:-)

Mirage's 7TP is the better of the two available. I don't have their T-26. These Eastern European kits are not quite the quality of Italeri. Most of their hulls are multi-piece and a lot of the parts are molded flat.

The Alan kits I have are pretty decent. Zvezda kits are generally reboxed Italeri kits. Avoid Zvezda's T-60 light tank.

Maquette has some nice kits as well. My Maquette T-26-4 is actually the Zvezda T-26 with a resin turret and white metal gun barrel.

Some of Maquette and Alan's kits have been reboxed by DML as well.

Mirage has used the basic T-26 molds to make almost every possible T-26/vickers model. I have experience with the mirage T-26. Or actually it was a vickers 6-ton but generally a T-26 with an extra sprue of parts to make it a finnish tank. Take a look at it in my gallery. Builds up nicely, although you may want to add some details. Replacing the tracks is an absolute must. I have seen different versions of this kit with rubberband tracks and indi-tracks. The rubber band ones are plain rubbish. Both Friul and ModelKasten make replacement tracks. The indi-tracks some kits come with are good but Kastens are better. A good cheap kit with plenty of detailing opportunities.

I used modelkasten tracks and a hot barrels resin/aluminium barrel/mantlet update set with my vickers. The gun is good out of the kit but the update set was only 5€ so I used it. Fits perfectly with litlle filing and sanding. All other detailing I scratch-built from styrene, left-over PE and copper wire.

well maquette has some good kits and some with poor fit . Zvezda is the same , though what i have build so far from them had not problem, but some people complaining on bad fit so ...

Hi guys

Thanks for getting back to me. So the general consensus if I'm right is that they are ok but may need a little after market / scratch built help. I really like the idea of some of the less common stuff. The world has enough Shermans and Tigers. The prices are low enough, and there don't appear to be any major problems I think I'll give them a shot and see what happens

Thanks again
Harry

Zvezda re-pop Italeri's Pz1's and these are still a nice kit by todays standards and cheaper than the similar offerings by dragon and tristar