I just watched excerpts of the Bastille Day Parade in Paris. Lots of wheeled vehicles including PVP, Aravis, VBL, VAB, Griffon and Jaguar, a few CAESAR SPH. Only one VBCI and Leclerc on semitrailer. But the Leclerc had a anti-drone roof. All vehicles in Brun de terre and the soldiers in Multicam.
Not all were brown, towards the end (I missed the beginning) were a bunch in the old three-colour green/black/brown. But as I was watching this on France2 and my French is rather not great, I couldn’t follow most of the commentary even with the subtitles on.
One interesting thing that jumped out for me was a German major-general (I think) in the commander’s hatch of a VBL. Also a report-type thing, after the parade was over, of a GIGN exercise/demonstration of hostage rescue from a hijacked bus.
I also can say that there are not enough kits of modern French vehicles around. Instead of another Tiger or Sherman, what about a Griffon or Jaguar? They share the same chassis and are uber-cool looking. ![]()
Unless you’re into 1/48th scale stuff…
https://www.promodels.eu/master-fighter-modeles-en-kit-monter-xsl-422_477.html?page=all
H.P.
Sorry 1/35 scale only. ![]()
Add them to the wish list. And if anyone is in a position to help, I think it would be you.
Unless of course someone decides to scratchbuild one. ![]()
Hermann, we don’t even see French stuff form the Cold War; where are the M47s, the AMX 30s, the VABs, the AMX13 VTT (the world’s first MICV surely?) and the like. The kits exist - there is even an AMX 10 out now in 3D printed format (though I’d love to see it in injected I really would). I admit I haven’t been to any shows this years (I’m a bit ill), but I don’t recall seeing any on the display tables. None!
If you like tall, square vehicles, sure
Vehicles of this century are not really my interest in any case, but those big, blocky ones do even less for me.
The tracked AMX-10P, I take it you mean, because there’s been the wheeled AMX-10RC in plastic from Tiger Models for ten years. There are also modern M47s and AMX-30s kits, but what would really help, IMHO, would be a modern AMX-13VTT/VCI that could be the basis of a lot of other models. Oh, and with both the 7.5 mm turret and .50-calibre cupola, please ![]()
Yes, Heller makes a fairly decent amount of Post WWII French vehicle kits in 1/35, wheeled and tracked. Tamiya, Takom, Tiger Models, Hobbyboss, and Meng each do a few as well. AMX’s, VAB’s, VBL’s, AML’s…. But no, they are not seen much as builds in shows or even online. ![]()
I concur - we need more French stuff
If I weren’t somewhat hors de combat at the moment, perhaps a Campaign idea - something like “French Connection” perhaps - very droll I know, but why not? Possibly trim it a bit otherwise it’ll be swamped by WW1/WW2 stuff; why not say anything French armoured or softskins including kit that was in service at that time) from 1971 - the year the eponymous film came out? Too open-ended? Might not be any takers otherwise; might not be any takers anyway come to that. But from 1971 to the present day gives bags of scope - all those French expeditionary ops in sub-Saharan Africa, Gulf Wars, Afghanistan, Cold War - French Forces stationed in Germany for instance. Dunno really, just a passing thought(!)
If so, someone will have to run with it, I’m just too ill at the moment.
Should anyone be interested in any aspect of this, I would suggest that the models chosen must be depicted in French service, otherwise there’s not much point to the reasoning, which, after all, came about due to the paucity of French military kit in service, - or rather, models thereof - not say, French kit in Israeli service. N’est-ce pas?
WWII
Renault FT-17 (Meng, Takom, RPM, others)
Renault R35
Tamiya (excellent modern kit)
Bronco
Heller (older)
Hotchkiss H39
Tamiya (new tooling)
Bronco
Trumpeter (captured German version)
FCM 36
ICM (excellent new tooling)
SOMUA S35
Tamiya (arguably the best available)
Char B1 bis
Tamiya
Tamiya B1 bis with trailer
AMD Panhard 178
ICM
AMR 35
HobbyBoss
Lorraine 37L
Tamiya
Bronco
UE Chenillette
Tamiya
Meng
Bronco
Cold War / Modern French vehicles
AMX series
AMX-13/75
AMX-13/90
AMX-13 DCA
AMX-VCI
AMX-30B
AMX-30B2
AMX-30 AUF1
AMX-30 Roland
AMX-10 RC
AMX-10P
Wheeled vehicles
Panhard AML-60
Panhard AML-90
Panhard EBR-10
Panhard EBR-11
ERC-90 Sagaie
VBL
VAB 4x4
VAB T20/13
VAB HOT missile carrier
Modern MBTs
Leclerc Series 1
Leclerc Series 2
Leclerc XXI
WWII
These are generally standard U.S. kits with French decals included or available.
M3 Stuart
M5A1 Stuart
M8 Greyhound
M20 Scout Car
M3 Half-track
M5 Half-track
M4A2 Sherman
M4A3 Sherman
Sherman Firefly (Free French postwar)
M10 Tank Destroyer
M36 Jackson
M7 Priest
Kits you can use for Indochina
M24 Chaffee
M5A1 Stuart
M8 Greyhound
M3 Half-track
M36 Jacskon
M29 Weasel
LVT-4
Post War/Cold War vehicles we can use:
M47 Patton (I know later versions of the Italeri kit came with French Suez markings)
M47E
M24 Chaffee (a pretty long service hitsory)
M8 Greyhound
M3 Half-track
M113
M16 MGMC
These decal companies can help transform US vehicles into French flagged vehicles:
Echelon
Bison Decals
Star Decals
Peddinghaus
That’s a fairly comprehensive list - helpful to all I’m sure; also the (unless my piggy little 72 year-old eyes have missed them), the Amusing Hobby ARL 44 and even AMX 50 (the latter not in series production I admit) and of course, ta dah!
If I had to say where each and every vehicle on that list had been used, the list might be a tad longer. Sometimes you gotta let people do their own research.
