What is it about the Germans?

[AlanG]

Just looking around this and other forums for many many years now and it has always struck me on the amount of kits built/stashed of German WWII subjects.I know there are many kits made from other nations but the vast majority are from Germany.

I'm just as guilty as anyone else. For me it is just something about the way they went about building things to be more powerful than their enemies. I used to be a hawker hurricane man through and though. But now i'm more of a Fw190 A8 man. That's not to say i don't like Allies equipment. But i've turned to the dark side (because they had cookies) and now tend to make Axis kits.

Anyone else noticed this?

 

[Si Benson]

On my first venture into making models, all my local model shop had in the way of armour/ soft skins was German and they only had Tamiya kits.
Later when I took up the hobby seriously, the first modelling magazine I brought had a tiger tank on the front cover and was loaded with Axis builds!

Thinking a bit further, I really liked all the different camo patterns and styles the axis used. Makes for an interesting model for me.

 

[Archetype]

I noticed this, and wondered the same. Why the fascination?

One thing I considered is the variety and volume of what they manufactured. They definitely spent some R&D marks and didn't shy away from innovation.

 

[Steven000]

I prefer to work on German vehicles too, I think it's because of their many variants, kits and camouflage possibilities...

 

[Neil Merryweather]

it's simple. they had the best designs .

 

[Tim Marlow]

That’s debatable Neil
I personally think it’s the myth of invincibility allied with an almost total lack of standardisation which when coupled to the ability to try and solve non existent problems made for some really interesting vehicles.....

 

[Jakko]

There have been many and lengthy debates on this on forums and in the modelling press for decades, so I doubt we’ll come to a definitive answer here

I suspect it’s a bit of every reason that’s been and will get mentioned, coupled to a bit of a chicken-and-egg–effect: if there are so many kits of this subject, people will buy them because there are so many to choose from, and therefore manufacturers will make more still. Plus, don’t forget that people are herd animals: if you see “everybody” making kits of German tanks/planes/soldiers/whatever, chances are the average person will be attracted to them more than if they never saw anyone build those.

Nobody here succumbs to that last part, of course.

(There’s a Dutch saying/proverb/something: “If everybody jumped into a ditch, would you do that too?” To which the expected/normal answer is, “No, of course not.” but in practice, what people actually do, is jump nonetheless.)

 

[john i am]

I'm also guilty of this Alan with models and reenactment days out. I always edge toward the dark side of things. Just down to personal preference really I think.

 

[grumpa]

American, British and especially Russian AFVs of WW2 era were ugly utilitarian brutes
while German designs were more sleek and stylish for lack of a better term.
Example; this....

....compared to...
this

 

[Mini Me]

For me it was the huge variety of different vehicles as well as other equipment. A never ending supply of modeling possibilities. Not to mention all the "Buete" equipment that was captured and pressed into the service of the Wehrmacht. Great modeling opportunities as well as tons of research looking for something new to use as a subject. Never a dull moment. Cheers, Rick H.

 

[JR]

Russian armour for me .
My interest in Kursk brought me back to modelling from my youth when we built airfix planes.

Admiring the tenacity of the Russians in fighting back against the technology of the German war machine with a poorly trained army decimated by Starlin's earlier purges I soon became an admirer of their spirt.

Helped by the technical prowess of the US they fought back, working in at times the open with factories moved to the relative safety of the East they soon out built the German war effort .

There is something about great rugged looking piece of Russian armour compared to the likes of German engineering for me .

 

[BarryW]

It is an interesting subject. The German's had a huge variety of equipment and the camo schemes also so very varied. Add that to the mystique of being the 'bad guy' as well as that of the loser then it all adds up.

What is always important to remember as well of course, is that they really were the bad buys and what that swastika represents when we add it to our aircraft and armour.

Often forgotten as well is that despite their huge effort, courage and sacrifice in beating the Nazis, the Russian's leaders were also 'bad guys' with their 'hammer and sickle' also representing mass murder and oppression on a scale to rival even that of the Nazis.

 

[Jakko]

American, British and especially Russian AFVs of WW2 era were ugly utilitarian brutes
while German designs were more sleek and stylish for lack of a better term.
Example; this....

....compared to...
View attachment 340236 this

Counterexamples are not that hard to find, though:

compared to

for instance.

Point is that you can find ugly or sleek or whatever AFVs or aeroplanes on all sides.

 

[Steve Jones]

Another point I would like to raise is the main stream manufacturers desire not to risk a different moulding. I understand the cost to create and design a vehicle that has little kerb appeal can be off putting to say the least. Also the lack of AM stuff for non Axis vehicles is noticeable. So for the manufacturer it is better the devil you know and lets try and squeeze as many different kits out of one design as we can type attitude that creates the bias towards Axis vehicles.

 

[Graeme C.]

I started doing British Armour, which there is plenty of in my stash, but then I also have 7 Panthers.....

 

[BattleshipBob]

Very true Steve

Dragon is one very good example, Stugs. I am not complaining lol

Bob

 

[Deleted member 5496]

Now lets get a bit into Afghanistan. Airfix produced the Helman range. Superb kits
both Armour & Aircraft.

Of all the models I have built this range is just superb. Great detail almost perfect fit
& the plastic is a first use plastic as compared to many kits which are 2 or 3 use plastics.
They also in cooperation with Eduard produced for these kits some magnificent PE

The Merlin is one of the best kits ever.

After WW11 what German kits are there beyond that era. ?

Laurie

 

[PaulTRose]

Now lets get a bit into Afghanistan. Airfix produced the Helman range. Superb kits
both Armour & Aircraft.

quite agree (apart from the Snatch landie), built most of them and have the Warrior waiting to go on the bench soon...............however, wrong scale!.......if they had done them in 1/35 instead of 1/48 they would have sold in huge amounts

back to the Germans.............i think is a combination of a lot of things..............like every brand has a spitfire and a me109 in the range cos it sells, so must they have a tiger and a panther................perfect example is the ex-dragon kits that airfix are launching..........most are german and looks like 5 different tigers and a panther!!!....but then, every manufacturer also must have a sherman and a t34.......................i also think its an element of 'interesting subjects'.................the germans, if nothing else were very innovating, wernt scared of trying something new and the array of stuff they had was bewildering

 

[Jakko]

After WW11 what German kits are there beyond that era. ?

How do you mean? There are plenty of plastic kits of post-war German armour in 1/35, especially from Revell (no surprise there) but also plenty of others. Leopard 1 and 2 have kits by half a dozen manufacturers each, for example, from the old-but-basically-sound Italeri and less-sound Tamiya of similar vintage up to recent Hobby Boss and Takom efforts.

 

[Deleted member 5496]

How do you mean? There are plenty of plastic kits of post-war German armour in 1/35, especially from Revell (no surprise there) but also plenty of others. Leopard 1 and 2 have kits by half a dozen manufacturers each, for example, from the old-but-basically-sound Italeri and less-sound Tamiya of similar vintage up to recent Hobby Boss and Takom efforts.

Apologies I work in 1/48 so my arguments are selfishly in that direction.

From polls elswhere 1/48 is most popular not that it matters most.
After all it is what you want to do that matters in this world.

Laurie