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Any good "clear skin" models?


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I have this panther from Ryefield and if you look on the bottom right of this picture, you can see how the skin/surface of the tank is clear in order to see the inner details of the tank.

 

I really like this sort of model, as I feel the interior is really interesting and shows a general picture of the engineering that went into these things. 

 

So my question is, what other great model kits have this sort of level of detail and accuracy? I am also including ships and aircraft as well as tanks for the clear skinned models. 

 

Also, are there model figures out there that I can put inside that shows the crew during combat? All the figures I've found in google are mostly out of hatches or standing models, which I would have difficulty putting inside the tank.

 

Thanks for your time!

 

Image result for takom panther g

Edited by WelshZeCorgi
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Revellogram had a "visible" era, with a 1/32? P-51, 1/48 B-17, 1/4? V-8, and a woman. Some Japanese manufacturer did a Wankel engine, but I think Minicraft last had these molds. Haynes has more modern kits of vehicle engines which I believe are similar in construction.

 

Dragon did their 1/144 X-1 with only clear fuselage parts to show off internal components. I seem to recall Tamiya did an aircraft with internal structure and clear fuselage parts, but I'm not certain.

 

BPK does 1/144 models with clear fuselages, but the clear plastic was to simplify glazing, not to show internal structure.

 

On a different level, Eduard has some "strip-down" aircraft, a couple/few in 1/72, but one or two in 1/48. I believe these  are complete plastic kits with additional PE parts for internal structure.

 

Jasmine is doing full PE models, including a 1/48 F6F Hellcat and a 1/144 SR-71; I believe there's another.

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Tamiya's new 1/48 Ki-61 has a clear fuselage side. They also released their Mig 15 and Me 262 the same way in the past. Hasegawa has also released a 1/48 Ki-84 and 1/48 A6M5 Zero with a clear side that also included a photoetch "skeleton and additional white metal parts.

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Are you looking for armor models/figures? Or any model type?

 

If aircraft, check out the ZM Horton 229 kit in 1/32. Full internal detail and clear external shell. 

 

http://www.zoukeimura.co.jp/en/products/sws08_Ho229horten.html

 

This kit is on my wish list since it was announced, but I doubt I could do it justice. 

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14 minutes ago, habu2 said:

Are you looking for armor models/figures? Or any model type?

 

If aircraft, check out the ZM Horton 229 kit in 1/32. Full internal detail and clear external shell. 

 

http://www.zoukeimura.co.jp/en/products/sws08_Ho229horten.html

 

This kit is on my wish list since it was announced, but I doubt I could do it justice. 

 

Any model type,

Though I stick with 1:35 armor, 1:48 aircraft and 1:700 Ships.

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Zoukei-Mura also did a 1/48 version of the Horton 229, and will soon release a 1/72 kit, all with clear outer skins. A 1/144 version will be included with the 1/72 kit, but I guess a clear skin is asking too much of that scale.

 

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On 10/9/2018 at 11:16 AM, WelshZeCorgi said:

 

Any model type,

Though I stick with 1:35 armor, 1:48 aircraft and 1:700 Ships.

 

Tamiya actually did a clear-decked ship. Their 1/700 kit of the Japanese SDF amphibious transport ship Shimokita allowed you to see into the interior hold and well deck, and gave you a bunch of tanks and trucks and a couple non-operating LCAC to fill it.

 

I don't know how easy it would be find now.

 

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Also Trumpeter's 24th scale 109 G and 48th scale U-Boat. Revell does a 1/144th scale type XXI or XXIII U-Boat with an interior and clear half as well. Can't remember which one it is though, I got mine a couple months ago from spruebrothers, so I don't think that one would be too terribly hard to find.

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On 10/10/2018 at 2:32 AM, nerdling said:

Tamiya's new 1/48 Ki-61 has a clear fuselage side. They also released their Mig 15 and Me 262 the same way in the past. Hasegawa has also released a 1/48 Ki-84 and 1/48 A6M5 Zero with a clear side that also included a photoetch "skeleton and additional white metal parts.

The Tamiya Me262 is excellent, and the MiG-15 also has great detail, as long as you don't care about apparent issues with the vertical tail and (IIRC) wingsweep.

 

The Ki-61 was released with a "clear" fuselage, but it really isn't, it's translucent.  They didn't polish the inside of the mold.  And, the kit itself was not really designed to be a "visible" kit, it has a simple block to represent the engine and the cockpit has separate sidewalls which were not molded in clear - and, the fuselage is built up in such a way that the panels on top of the nose are separate parts, and they are not included on the clear sprue.

 

Legend has it that the clear fuselage sprue was an afterthought, only included after production was done and Shunsaku saw a pre-release example and said "where's the clear fuselage parts?"  With no time or money to do things right, the guys at the plant just ran clear plastic through the standard mold.

 

So I would NOT recommend Tamiya's "clear" Hien to anyone looking for a "visible" aircraft kit.

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