LAF members in Japan? or "quest for the Fairy Planning ARL44"

[Mr.Marx]

Hey LAF,

I have rather odd request. I've been doing some google-fu detective work trying to hunt down a particular, illusive model in 1/144th scale - a French ARL-44. (https://translate.googleusercontent.com/translate_c?depth=1&hl=en&ie=UTF8&prev=_t&rurl=translate.google.co.uk&sl=ja&tl=en&u=http://www.geocities.jp/nokaze36/sub0144.html&usg=ALkJrhjB7sGt8zExcekdlplmcvlE97nI4g)

I understand that a Japanese company called "Fairy Planning" or "Fairy Kikaku" produces a very nice kit, however I have been unsuccessful in tracking down anywhere that sells them.

This site (http://henk.fox3000.com/fairey.htm) leads me to belive that 'Fairy Planning' might only sell within Japan itself, but I can't be sure of this.

So, I was wondering if there was anyone in our little LAF community that might be able to help me out?

If they do only sell within Japan, might anyone act as a middleman for me? or could someone who speaks the language pass on any details about the company that I've missed?

Failing all that, does anyone know anywhere else that makes a ARL-44 kit in 1/144th?

Thanks for any help,

MM

[Mr.Marx]

http://www.kampfgruppe144.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=3293

the answer to your quest might be in there.

Any idea how you register? It won't let me look in without a signin and I can't find a way to get one.

MM.

[Lawful Evil]

Here I was hoping to hear JLAM was going to be a thing 
Good luck getting a hold of that kit

[Mr.Marx]

Here I was hoping to hear JLAM was going to be a thing 
Good luck getting a hold of that kit

JLAM? Japan Lead Adventure Miniatures?

It could still be a thing - A chain of international agents, the the import and export of 'garage' kits.

MM.

[FramFramson]

Just look at the cached version on Google:

http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:8HkKg9R57VIJ:www.kampfgruppe144.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php%3Ff%3D4%26t%3D3293+&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=ca

Most of these are available to non-Japanese buyers through HLJ, albeit in box form (I.E: even if one is interested in a single vehicle he has to buy the whole box including other models he might not be interested to have); marketing may vary in time (both box title and contents - and you can find the same model in different boxes). Some model appear singledly on E-Bay, and there is an E-bay seller of 1/144 stuff that offers models already assembled and painted - and winning an auction can be quite expensive!- : also, some Panzer Depot already assembled and painted models look very similar to Fairy Kikaku kits.

As you can see, many models have been offered by other producers, usually in better quality: Fairy Kikaku vehicles are usually dimensionally correct in 1/144 (and I prefer them to better quality but oversized replicas like many from, say, Arrowhead Miniatures) but need a thorough clean up from printing flashes and sprue, small parts (like guns and MG) REALLY need thinning (or can be used as dimensional model to reproduce them from scratch), rivets are oversized for 1/144 and track assemblies usualy come in two parts (WHY?). Many more are however unique in our scale (Centurion, Vickers tank, Carden-Loyd 1920s tankettes, Toldi tank, Autocannone 90/53 and many
more) others are really obscure types- and several I haven't been able to identify at all!

This is all I've been able to find:
Please feel free to post new items, corrections or more infos.

Japan

Russo-Japanese War
4 guns (120mm Cannon, Krupp Howitzer, Krupp 105mm Cannon, 07mm M77) in the 'Battle of Mukden' box

Post WWI - WWII
4 unidentified WWI/Pre-WW2 models in 'History of Japanese Armored Cars 3' box
Unidentified Ford Assault Car in the 'Japanese Army Vehicles 6'
Type 91 Heavy Tank prototype
Toyota AB staff car
Type 1 Amphibious Car,
DA Bus,
Toyota AE staff car
Type 89 Otsu CHI-RO
Type 94 Tankette
Type 95 HA-GO
Type 97 shintoto CHI-HA
Type 5 CHI-RI
Type 91 ‘Sumida’ A/C
Type 92 A/C
Unidentified truck in 'IJN Tank Forces 1' box
Type 38 15 cm Howitzer (license-built 150 mm Krupp QF howitzer M1905)
a plowed Type 97without turret, two unidentified tractors and an unidentified tracked recovery vehicle in 'the Japanese Army Engineer Vehicles' box
a couple of CHI-RO hulls without turret (more engineer vehicles?) appear on one of the boxes posted by MTCC55 here viewtopic.php?f=6&t=3264
Elephant (this is NOT a Japanese JPZ VI Ferdinand: this is the real critter –complete with trunk, tusks, flapping ears & tail)
AK-10 jeep

Post WW2
Type 56 105mm SPG
Nissan Carrier Jeep
Unidentified ‘180’ truck

Post WWII Civilian vehicles boxes:
Japanese Anctartic Research Expedition Snowcat : KC-20 3r, KC20 3s, KD-20 3t, KD-20 2r
Fukushima Nuclear Reactor Rescue (2 unidentified large Fire brigade wheeled vehicles)
Tokyo Fire Dept. Rescue task Forces (3 modern unidentified civilian Vehicles)

Germany

WWI
LK-2 tank (German light tank, never entered in combat, produced in Sweden as Strindsvagn)

Interwar & WWII
Henschel 33 Troop Carrier
NeubauFahrzeug
Pzkfw Ia
Pzkfw 1b
Pzkfw IIc
Pzkfw IIf
Pzkfw IVd
Pzkfw Ive
PZJ IV L70
Pz.38(t)
Porsche Tiger Prototype
Hetzer

UK & Commonwealth

WWI & early post-war years
MK.I Whippet
MK VI lozenge tank
Vickers Crossley M25 A/C
Vickers Crossley M29 A/C
Carden –Loyd Mk VIb tankette
Carden-Loyd M-31 Amphibious tank
Vickers C tank
Vickers A1e1 Independent Tank

WWII
A9 CS Cruiser tank MK I
A13 Cruiser Tank Mk. III,
Dragon Mk. IV gun tractor
Guy Mk. I A/C
Matilda I
Matilda II
MkVIb
Churchill MkIV NA75
Valentine III
Comet tank
Otter MK1 a/c

Post WWII
Centurion MK.V


USSR

Civil War?
Unidentified Putrowski Armored Car & Renault 6 Wheeled A/C

Red Army (interwar & WWII)
T-18
T-26e
T-50
BA-10M A/C
BT-2
SU-14 prototype
SU-5-2
GAZ M-1 staff car

Post- WWII
BM-21 Grad MLRS

USA

WWII
M3a1 Light tank
M-24 Tank
M4a3E8 HVSS Sherman Tank
M8 A/C
7'' Mk2 Heavy Gun

(post WWII)
M-41 Walker Bulldog
M-19 SpAA
M-42 Duster
M-52a 105mm SP gun
M-56

VIETNAM WAR
()

Italy

L-35
M11/39
M-13/40
SMV 75/18
P-26/40
tank transport trailer 'Viberti'
Lancia 1zm A/C
Autocannone 90/53 (firing mode)
Autocannone 90/53 (travelling mode)
FIAT 508 staff car

RSI
Workshop -armored AS-43
Workshop-armored 3RO
Workshop-armored SPA-Dovunque

Belgium

T-13B3
T-13B1

Netherlands

M36 A/C
Wilton Fijenoord A/C

Romania

R-35/45 tank
TACAM R-2 TD
Maresal 00 TD
Maresal 03 TD
Maresal 05 TD

Poland

Polski-Fiat 621L SPAA
Unknown vehicle (AA battery Ammo carrier?) in 'Poland Anti-Aircraft Battery' box

France

WWI & Interwar
Autocanon de 75mle 1913/14 (=Polish De Dion Bouton WZ 24) the first truck-mounted gun, still in use (France, Poland) in WWII
Renault NC tank

WWII
Autocanon de 75 Lorraine mle 1937
Panhard Colonial A/C
Char B1Bis
Renaulr R-35

Post WWII
ARL 44 Heavy tank
Siam

M-32 A/C

Finland

Captured T-34m 1941
Captured KV-1e
Repair Shop

Hungary

interwar
FIAT 2f A/C
Buessing Fross A/C

WWII
Toldi III

Sweden

Landsverk L-185 Armored Car (Danish Army, 1939)
Bofors 37mm AT gun

Manchukuo

Ford 39 Armored Scout Car
Ford 39 Scout Car

Others

4t M36 and 2 other vehicles (an armored train? – a modified Bren carrier?) in the 'Indonesia National Revolution' box

I don't see any order info on there, sorry.

[von Lucky]

+1 for HLJ. Ordered twice over the years - each time painless.

[von Lucky]

I found this (only slightly helpful):
http://www.hobbyshop-sunny.co.jp/www/scale/view.php?id=66437

[Mr.Marx]

Update

I've got in touch with HLJ directly, and they have already got back to me to say they are checking the availability of the kit.

The ARL is part of the 'Paris Open (/Resurrection/Liberation)' set, alongside a Char B and that armoured car that the resistance cobbled together.

The set is a little pricy, and I'd like at least 2 ARLs, so I'll probably try to recoup my losses by selling on the armoured cars.

Might have to keep the Char Bs though. Love those things.

Thanks for the various links and suggestions - much appreciated.

MM.

[Mr.Marx]

http://www.hlj.com/product/FIRM053/Mil

It would appear that HLJ has pulled though for me. 

Good guys, them.

MM.

[BlackWidowPilot]

http://www.hlj.com/product/FIRM053/Mil

It would appear that HLJ has pulled though for me. 

Good guys, them.

MM.

I expected no less when I came across this thread, as I've been doing business with Scott and his gang of merry ronin for years now, and not once have I had a problem with all of the assorted model kits and decals I've purchased through their web store, so it's HobbyLink Japan for the win again!

[Mr.Marx]

I expected no less when I came across this thread, as I've been doing business with Scott and his gang of merry ronin for years now, and not once have I had a problem with all of the assorted model kits and decals I've purchased through their web store, so it's HobbyLink Japan for the win again!

I've ordered from them before without any trouble - but its quite another thing to approach a trader asking for something they don't sell and have them cater to you.

Bloody good show.

MM.

[FramFramson]

I have this tank in World of Tanks now. It's a fun, silly number.