Tuesday, March 13, 2012 - 10:13 AM UTC
Kit Form Services are known for there big scale models, well the have another big truck on the way.
I have recently discovered an update from Kit Form Services that their latest kit has been signed off for production. For those who are not aware, Kit Form Services is in the process of producing a 1/24 scale AEC Matador. Now I am thinking that would be an impressive model on the shelf. Unfortunately there no prepoduction picture yet, but as soon as they become available Armorama will bring them to you. The expected UK retail price is about £230.00 (£191.66 export outside EU). And from Kit Form Website, here is what you are getting for all that money:

This monster of a kit contains some 120 parts in high quality polyurethane resin, 114 in cast white metal & 295 in etched brass. The decal set includes markings for two artillery units in the post D Day European theatre & a third set for the North African campaign. Features include a fully detailed cab & chassis, with all the handbrake & winch control tie rods & levers, a complete engine (even though very little of it is seen after assembly) , working steering, complete artillery body with canopy, crew seating, pioneer tools etc, 12 x No4 Lee Enfield rifles, wire mesh radiator grill, rear lights for post war & civilian use, glazing & various plastics & of course, full pictorial instructions.
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Comments

You do realise this is 1/24th scale not 1/35th ?. To compare the Accurate Armour cost to the KFS offering is somewhat naive. Plastic !, while 1/24th trucks have a small following to begin with, to even consider doing a military 1/24th truck in plastic would basically be the death knell of a small company like KFS - there is only a very small following in military 1/24th in comparison to 1/35th (just have a hunt around for AM parts).
MAR 14, 2012 - 02:13 AM
It is a leap of faith to say how well anything will sell. But should a 1/35 scale Matador appear in plastic then I will get one if not two, so good luck to the 1/24 scale but I'll stick with 1/35 and continue to live in hope. Al
MAR 14, 2012 - 04:48 AM
I understand where you are coming from but, the quality of the KFS kits are second to none. The castings are the best i have seen in years with no big pour plugs to remouve like other manufacturers. I am currently building my first KFS kit, the Austin champ and am already looking to get another of Howards kits later in the year. I have built many resin 35th kits over the years and none of them have been as good a quality as those kits. The interest and active building of 24th scale military is quite large. Bigger than you might think. Basically, you get your money's worth and more. Personally, i came across KFS after following a build on another forum last year and took the plunge and am enjoying this scale. Barrie.
MAR 14, 2012 - 09:15 AM
I think sometimes people don't appreciate just how high the material and production costs are on resin kits In sheer weight or resin alone, a large casting like a 1/24 Matador would probably be enough resin to do two in 1/35 scale Then there is the very large amount of silicone required to mould something that big. Silicone is pretty expensive and moulding this will require a LOT of the stuff Then there is the fact that the moulds will cast a maximum of around 50 casts before they give out and you have to pay to make new moulds all over again for the next 50 (unlike a set of plastic kit moulds that will pop more than you could ever sell, even for tiger and panzer kits) I know the company KFS uses to get there casting done. They produce bubble free castings with only a trace of the pour on them and generally no flash, but that kind of casting is expensive Honestly, if people understood the costs they wouldn't moan about the price of resin kits OK, so they are too expensive for some people; no-one is holding a gun to your head to make you buy it, and no-one needs to for a lot of modellers who appreciate the availability of a model no-one is going to do in plastic and when it as well done as KFS do them
MAR 14, 2012 - 02:01 PM
Honestly if I had the money I would feel good about buying this kit. But I don't so it makes me a little queasy thinking about. I agree that their kits look stellar though, and they lose no detail by going up to such a larger scale which is usually what happens to balance cost. Instead they upped the detail and you really don't need anything for the kits I've seen. In the end I'm sure they save you money by already including everything you could ever want in such a large and nice kit, rather than leaving you to buy a lot of expensive AM that only sees a very limited production run.
MAR 14, 2012 - 03:26 PM
Dear all, First: yes! I have seen the scale. Second: to my opinion, a 1/24 scale model certainly will be very attractive, resin allows the smallest detail. But what I wanted to make clear is the fact that a 1/35 model in plastic would certainly have had a large amount of modelers purchasing it. Now, we see an absolute top quality model for a very small amount of modelers. My remarks are intended to steer up a company which will take the challenge producing a plastic model. A quality discussion on this forum may wake up a product developer at Bronco or MiniArt!
MAR 14, 2012 - 09:21 PM
I've spoken to several styrene manufacturers about this. I've provided them with plans, photos and even some scans of workshop manuals. There is an interest but it's NOT as an economically attractive proposal as you might think. Remember, it's about recovering costs by selling enough to make it profitable. That's the absolute bottom line...
MAR 14, 2012 - 09:52 PM
KFS kits are second to none. They cater to the 1/24 scale model truck builders, so this kit is coincidentally a cross-over to military kits. They have an extensive line of British trucks (or lorries if you prefer), but mostly civilian. Were I to win the lottery there are several KFS castings I would need to get my hands on right away. Personally, I'm a guy who will wait to buy a kit until I get a good deal. At least generally speaking. But I do own a very expensive KFS excavator. Granted I've not build it, but the quality of the castings, packaging and instructions is incredible. Think of the best injection molded kit you can, then imagine something better. If you can find flaws in KFS castings then you have a microscope and WAY too much time to look at the small details. Very expensive, I agree, but if you really want a 1/24 kit you can't go wrong. The quality is so good, it would surprise me if someone used it to scale down to 1/35.
MAR 15, 2012 - 05:48 PM
KFS releases another masterpiece! As soon as I can stop pouring money into my hopeless venture I will be ordering one of these. Honestly, I've never heard anything but praise for the quality of KFS kits and the interesting nature of it's releases. How many AMs can make that claim? I will add this bit to the earlier discussion on the cost of kits in this scale. A simple rule of thumb is take what you think it will cost to produce a kit like this. Now quadruple it. A production silicone costs over $100 a gallon and 1/24 scale pieces are nearly 150% the size of their 1/35 scale siblings. That mold that you spend many hours making IS going to break after about 20 to 35 uses. So it will have to be replaced with more of that $$$ silicone. Add to this the greater quantities of resin, larger equipment needed and all the other necessary additions and costs can really add up very quickly. I think Howard at KFS has shown real guts to offer the things he has in this awesome scale. Why 1/24 scale and not the cheaper 1/35? Once you see one of his completed models sitting on a table then you'll know. Jim Large Scale Armory
MAR 17, 2012 - 01:53 PM
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