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Surprise from DML: Track & Toolsets
jimbrae
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Provincia de Lugo, Spain / España
Joined: April 23, 2003
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Posted: Wednesday, October 22, 2008 - 08:47 PM UTC
In a surprise move, Dragon Models (through their Cyber-Hobby subsidiary) have joined other manufacturers in launching their own range of Track and Tool sets in 1/35th scale. It''s been advocated by many of us for years and finally, it seems the message has got home! The report on the (initial) six releases, can be seen:


Link to Item

If you have comments or questions please post them here.

Thanks!

Drader
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Wales, United Kingdom
Joined: July 20, 2004
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Posted: Wednesday, October 22, 2008 - 08:56 PM UTC
T-34 Magic Tracks next please. If Dragon feel like extending the range beyond what they already have moulds for, then some DS tracks for the Sherman V and Magic Tracks for the IS-2 would be most welcome.

David
grafspee16
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Singapore / 新加坡
Joined: September 24, 2005
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Posted: Wednesday, October 22, 2008 - 09:14 PM UTC
Hi Jim,

Great news (hopefully the price is right)!

Where can I get 'em?

Ken
thomokiwi
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Christchurch, New Zealand
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Posted: Wednesday, October 22, 2008 - 09:48 PM UTC
This is excellent news. I have a few oldish kits in my stash that will enjoy these releases.
alanmac
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United Kingdom
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Posted: Wednesday, October 22, 2008 - 10:15 PM UTC
Hi

wouldn't mind them extending the concept to release some Gen2 weapons and equipment items to upgrade older figure sets you may have "in stock" or to upgrade other makers figures or if you are attempting to sculpt your own figures and want these items to add on detail.

Alan
jimbrae
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Provincia de Lugo, Spain / España
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Posted: Wednesday, October 22, 2008 - 10:21 PM UTC

Quoted Text

wouldn't mind them extending the concept to release some Gen2 weapons and equipment items to upgrade older figure sets you may have "in stock" or to upgrade other makers figures or if you are attempting to sculpt your own figures and want these items to add on detail.



First thing that came into my mind as well - it'd make so much economic sense it'd be unreal. Even for their own (earlier) figure sets it'd extend their 'shelf-life' considerably...

I'm certainly not the only one, but last time I spoke to DML, I strongly advocated the marketing of the Gen II weapons/equipment. Seems as if they've been paying some attention over THESE releases though...
HONEYCUT
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Victoria, Australia
Joined: May 07, 2003
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Posted: Wednesday, October 22, 2008 - 10:24 PM UTC
Improving on Perfection...
Yup.
That said, the T48s will be a welcome release I reckon
jimbrae
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Provincia de Lugo, Spain / España
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Posted: Wednesday, October 22, 2008 - 10:30 PM UTC

Quoted Text

Improving on Perfection...
Yup.



I REALLY was about to blank that off when I was editing the images... (Shudders)
Gt351
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Tasmania, Australia
Joined: July 26, 2003
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Posted: Wednesday, October 22, 2008 - 10:43 PM UTC
A Welcome release and I hope they expand it, the sherman tracks are most welcome, cheers Bob.
mulligan
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Queensland, Australia
Joined: June 14, 2007
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Posted: Wednesday, October 22, 2008 - 11:33 PM UTC
Thank-you Dragon, great news, bring them on, i say
Cheers Ross
Hisham
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Al Qahirah, Egypt / لعربية
Joined: July 23, 2004
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Posted: Wednesday, October 22, 2008 - 11:50 PM UTC
This track set is available at HLJ.. don't know if it's the same thing.

http://www.hlj.com/product/DRA3820

Hisham
Emeritus
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Uusimaa, Finland
Joined: March 30, 2004
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Posted: Thursday, October 23, 2008 - 12:19 AM UTC

Quoted Text

This track set is available at HLJ.. don't know if it's the same thing.

http://www.hlj.com/product/DRA3820

Hisham


That's one of their older track sets of individual styrene kind, the same that comes in many of Dragon's older kits.


Great to see Dragon reacting to public demand. They should have done this a long time ago. But better now than never. And yes, Gen2 equipment and weapons sets would be awesome. And at the mean time, rerelease the old weapon sets as well.

But I still don't get one thing. Why on earth rubber band tracks? Can't they be an optional feature? I'd ditch them completely and have individual tracks on all kits, from 1:72 to 1:6.
jjumbo
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British Columbia, Canada
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Posted: Thursday, October 23, 2008 - 12:20 AM UTC

Quoted Text

This track set is available at HLJ.. don't know if it's the same thing.

http://www.hlj.com/product/DRA3820

Hisham



Hey Hisham,
When you consider that they sold their Quartermaster Series track and weapon sets way back in the early '90s, you've got to wonder why Dragon didn't decide to start releasing these sets sooner.
That set on HLJ appears to be the one that came out when Dragon released their original M4A1 circa 1996.
It includes the T62 style track shoes from Dragon's original M4A4 and Firefly releases back in 1995.
It's not a bad set, cheaper than Model Kasten but certainly eclipsed by their recent DS or Magic Track releases.
Cheers

jjumbo
jimbrae
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Provincia de Lugo, Spain / España
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Posted: Thursday, October 23, 2008 - 12:25 AM UTC

Quoted Text

But I still don't get one thing. Why on earth rubber band tracks? Can't they be an optional feature? I'd ditch them completely and have individual tracks on all kits, from 1:72 to 1:6.



Even M4s?
Emeritus
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Uusimaa, Finland
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Posted: Thursday, October 23, 2008 - 12:53 AM UTC

Quoted Text


Quoted Text

But I still don't get one thing. Why on earth rubber band tracks? Can't they be an optional feature? I'd ditch them completely and have individual tracks on all kits, from 1:72 to 1:6.



Even M4s?


Well, I think rubber bands could be optional for vehicles like Shermans where there's practically no sagging...
I'd pick individuals when given the choice, though. With indi-tracks, there can be no problems with the track bowing down on sprockets if the track is tight, and the track bends only from the joints as on the real thing, instead of smoothly. (although this probably isn't noticable on tanks with short track shoes)
And then there's the added satisfaction of getting the fiddly tracks lengths fitted to the model.
Tamiyaforever
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Jaen, Spain / España
Joined: July 17, 2008
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Posted: Thursday, October 23, 2008 - 03:49 AM UTC
This is the best new
SGTJKJ
#041
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Kobenhavn, Denmark
Joined: July 20, 2006
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Posted: Thursday, October 23, 2008 - 03:54 AM UTC
Excellent news. I hope they wil continue to expand the range.

Thansk for the update, Jim
MLD
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Vermont, United States
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Posted: Thursday, October 23, 2008 - 06:18 AM UTC
I'll add my US$0.02 here having replied to the other thread already.

DML already does naked tools for inclusion into some of the higher end kits.

I hope they either toss in a sprue of these with the OVM sets, or offer a box o' naked tools with some etch for the handles.

Either way, I am in for a couple of sets.

Mike
Damraska
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California, United States
Joined: October 06, 2006
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Posted: Thursday, October 23, 2008 - 07:01 AM UTC
This is good a good start, but I agree with those requesting naked tools and more Sherman track sets.

It appears that Cyber-Hobby is selling most of them for $70HKD each, or about $9US. The magic tracks are $156HKD each, or about $20US. The latter are a bit too dear, in my opinion, compared to the price of a full kit. However, it appears all the sets bundle with significant savings.

DragonUSA does not show these sets yet. Hopefully they offer the same prices and bundle deals. $5US for DS Sherman tracks is very attractive.

-Doug
tacomaipms
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Washington, United States
Joined: October 24, 2008
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Posted: Friday, October 24, 2008 - 01:45 AM UTC
About Time......I have contacted Dragon Care numerous times about sets of their DS track. Especially for the Sherman HVSS. I am an IDF modeler and sorry to say.....AFV's T-80 doesn't even come close. Now I have to wait and see if they will actually release that and the steel chevron T-54E1 from their PTO series.
bizzychicken
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Wales, United Kingdom
Joined: September 06, 2008
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Posted: Friday, October 24, 2008 - 01:53 AM UTC
Great news about time,how much and where from? Hope the track sets are not to dear
ViperAtl
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Georgia, United States
Joined: August 22, 2005
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Posted: Saturday, October 25, 2008 - 03:12 AM UTC
Finally Dragon/DML has started to listen to it's customers!

I for one have advocated these products and am now more likely to purchase a kit with DS and the MagicTrak set than just a kit with DS. I would also like to see DML release aftermarket MagicTrak sets for early Panthers and Tigers. It makes no sense to sell aftermarket DS Tiger rubberbands when the kit comes with them.

The GenII weapon and tool sets are a great aftermarket idea too! One can never have too many extra pieces to load into vehicle.
Desmoquattro
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New Brunswick, Canada
Joined: September 10, 2008
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Posted: Saturday, October 25, 2008 - 08:13 AM UTC
Very nice, though I'd prefer if the equipment came with the lovely DML/Cyber Hobby PE clasps and mounts.
Bodeen
#026
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Pennsylvania, United States
Joined: June 08, 2002
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Posted: Tuesday, October 28, 2008 - 05:50 AM UTC
Thank goodness!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Good aftermarket Sherman tracks are so hard to find! I have several old unbuilt Italeri Shermans and a DML Firefly that are desperately in need of some new "shoes". I like this new strategy by DML (Cyber-Hobby). I'll definitely be buying a few of these sets.
Since my modelling time is limited I like the convenience of Dragon Styrene. I had good experience with them on the Porsche Tiger I.

I also really like the idea of marketing the Gen2 weapons and equipment to upgrade older kits.

Jeff
Canjuaan
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Baden-Württemberg, Germany
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Posted: Tuesday, November 04, 2008 - 01:18 AM UTC
Don't DML have Sherman tracks with duckbills in DS, too? I'd love to see them available as a separate release....
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