Tamiya’s 1/48 US airfield refueler has a plastic chassis. Their 2 1/2 ton cargo truck has a metal one. I have built several of both. For me. The added heft on a wheeled vehicle does nothing for it. A well engineered and properly assembled kit will have all of the wheels on the ground. Added weight won’t help it
The only thing the metal chassis did for me was to make doing a 4x4 version slightly more difficult
When they started, the lower hull was diecast metal, for “heft.” Unfortunately the metal hulls lacked detail and were hard to work with, so they switched to plastic hulls with metal weights.
Ken
Yes I remember that,but that was later their 1st 1/48 armor kits had a metal hull,which was okay but lacking in detail.
Sorry ,didnt notice Tankerken’ comments
Did not know all that about the early Tamiya 1/48th models.
I guess great minds all work in the same gutters!
Tamiya 35368, JGSDF Light Armored Vehicle, 1/35th scale.
“one die-cast metal lower body”
http://www.missing-lynx.com/reviews/modern/tamiya35368reviewbg_1.html
The original kit was 35275
Note the lower right hand corner.
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What would Shep Paine do?
We all owe a debt of thanks to Shep Paine (and a few others, to be sure) for everything that he has done for the hobby. He elevated the hobby from a child’s past time to (dare I say it?) an artistic genre. With this in mind, I am mildly surprised no model company, or figure sculptor, has ever paid tribute to the man in plastic, or resin. Schroeder (of Charlie Brown / Peanuts fame) had a bust of Beethoven on his piano as tribute and for inspiration. I’d like a bust, or figure, of Mr. Paine on my work bench. I’d settle for B-17 nose art of Paine. (If you ever built that Monogram 1/48 B-17, you’ll understand the last sentence.)
I’m preparing myself for the reply that states “it’s been done”…because far too often, I’ve been late to the party. 
One thing that’s immediately doable - a diorama of a modeler’s workshop with copies of Shep Paine’s books displayed - maybe even one that’s opened to one of his more famour works.
That is an excellent idea. I am going to add it to the queue.
Hmmm… I wonder if Miniart makes 1/35 scale Tamiya paint jars.
Well, since we’re just batting around ideas-
Someone with better skills than mine could rework the figure on the right (I have this set from Preiser) to look like Shep Paine. He could be in his workshop creating a diorama.
There’s even a partial photo of his workshop:
I gotta say that figure is already pretty damned close…
A 1/24 figure working on say, a Trumpeter 1/700 Devastator diorama, would put the aircraft very close to 1/32 scale for the figure. That would be the shiznit.
Hmmm… Pit Road does 1/700 Sherman tanks. And B-17’s! It’s now in my queue as well.
Maybe a Shep Paine tribute campaign could happen.
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1/24… of course. That scale would open the options up. I would contribute to a tribute campaign. Great idea. But I don’t have the where-with-all to run it. It would have to be someone else. Just being honest here. 
Same here. Anyone? Anyone?
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We need to start a new thread. Headline click bait, larger audience and all that. Having never started a thread… How does one start?
To the rescue. Thank you, but it seems it’s already done. I’ve taken note for future “new Topics”.
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Is that the 1/25 Tamiya?? I still have mine from the 70s - needs some TLC but nothing serious broken. I have such great memories of it I bought on a few years ago, only $90 and still in shrink wrap.
Still use that. It is fun.
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No interiors. Barely do open SPG’s.
No, it is the 1/35 kit. But I do have three.1/25 kits, that I am doing the same conversion to that will be included in a diorama with Tamiya‘s SU-100 and T-34. With proper tactical spacing. 
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No…unless I feel like it, then yes…unless I mess it up, then back to no.
Learning to build and paint complex assemblies like interiors opens up a lot of modeling possibilities. If a full interior is too daunting, start with a turret interior or engine compartment or plane cockpit. Build an engine and put it on a stand next to the closed up vehicle. One need not jump in with both feet.
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I am interested in a Shep Paine tribute campaign.
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