I received my Shmel from Hobbyeasy over 3 months ago, and they had it in stock basically a year ago. So it was definitely released.
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this is what you get when you go on the tiger models website (translated from chinese which comes up first)
Also tried Ali, evilbay, model shops etc. couldnt see any available
Got mine from HobbyEasy a couple months ago as well. Just getting started on it now. Hull halves are glued and a bunch of sub-assemblies made is all. Deck, cabin, and turret dry fitted for the photo.
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The latest post on their Facebook page is dated March 1st…
https://www.facebook.com/TIGERMODEL2013
H.P.
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Just ordered mine from HLJ. they have it in and i’ve just sorted shipping, cant wait to get it
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Sprue Bros. has the new Tiger Models in stock. I must resist the urge to get the Shmel. I know I’ll never build one and I already have a CB90 (the original).
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An interesting comment on Conqueror Robin (only just stumbled across this). Conqueror was designed to take care of the Soviet heavies of the 50s and 60s. NATO was practically outgunned all along the line: Brits with (then) 84mm, US with 90mm, and the Sovs fielding MBTs with 100mm, and heavies with (mainly) 122mm. The Brit War Office was clearly in panic mode ever since JS 3 presented itself, and led to such initiatives as the FV 4005 and the Conway, let alone the rush to field extra 20 Pdr (84mm) guns by placing them on the Cromwell chassis, which gave us Charioteer. Eventually of course, Conqueror appeared but in what was described as an over-watch role, in other words to protect the Cents from the Sov heavy tank predations.
I’m assuming that somewhere in whatever archives, exists a doctrinal note for the tactical use of Conqueror; after all the fear-prompted fuss of getting it into production it then seemed to be left to individual Commanding Officers as to how they used it at unit level. This is absurd; surely the Royal Armoured Corps had a better plan than this for such an important battlefield asset, but all I’ve found is generally disparaging remarks or even indifference at unit level. These, I hasten to add, have been gleaned from regimental journals; I have not yet, bothered to explore any archives at the Tank Museum (and indeed, may never get around to it).
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An asset that nobody knows how to use quickly becomes a liability, there is a risk that resources are devoted to protecting the asset instead of the other way around.
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Ah the needs of the local commander out way the thoughts of those that write doctern.
Why use a tank company or platoon as a trained unit when I can just assign a tank to an infantry platoon leader with all the armor experience a 2nd lieutenant has. . . .
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I agree; I am sure that the Centurion crews, had they any imagination perhaps, would have felt somewhat reassured by the presence of Conqueror in said over-watch mode, once the JS-3s, or T-10s and ISU 122s et al appeared in their periscopes.
While it could clearly deal with any Sov heavy and at some range given its gun and sighting equipment, it appears to be disregarded at unit level, and this is a bit of a mystery. But then, there is the phenomenon of “Old Sweats” calling the shots, and I’m sure this would have been the case in a lot of instances when the Army was manned by a mass of National Servicemen, who at barrack-room level would naturally defer say, to a Corporal “Cent man”. It never takes much for the rumour-mill to prevail at regimental level. I would hope I’m wrong in such a calumny, but one never quite knows!
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