A few questions about Modern Battlefield Evolution

[Java]

Ive been collecting the prepainted and have aquired close to 20 box sets.to date and am currently working on a Middle Eastern type city games table. Looking at the newest Modern Combat Rules book there seams to be alot more units of which no non-prepainted models are avalible. Should I be looking at switching to another scale? Are there any landbase modern 25mm model manufacturers that have these units that are unavalible from Mongoose?

Also if I introduced 1/72nd aircraft to my current 25mm collection would this create any major conflicts. (my thinking here is"aircraft looks much smaller in the sky")

Java

 

[Agis]

Well the dreaded scale issue.

There are some manufacturers who are offering 1/60 or 1/56 kits (close to 25 - 30mm). Mostly small run resin stuff.
What exactly are you interested in?
See a FoA HumVee next to a "pimped up" Mongoose Abrams from my collection:

more: http://www.agisn.de/html/ultramodern.html

Also: IMO 1/72 aircraft are looking OK next to the Mongoose models.
And in 1/72 scale you are also not finding everything, but most of the models.

 

[shotgun-toting chipmunk]

A lot of people swear by 1/72nd scale, though to be honest the selection there isn't a whole lot better than 25mm at the moment (No chinese soldiers anywhere). The biggest advantage is SandS models and their 15+ club. They've got some of the PLA stuff in 20mm (ie 1/72 scale) with more goodies on the way.

Now if we could push them to do some MGP-sized stuff...

As for the 1/72 scale aircraft, the general consensus seems to be what your thinking. Only an issue if you plan on having them on the ground, and even then not too much. (Although 11 MGP models next to a 1/72 scale blackhawk on the ground does look kinda goofy).

 

[Agis]

A lot of people swear by 1/72nd scale, though to be honest the selection there isn't a whole lot better than 25mm at the moment (No chinese soldiers anywhere).

I have to differ! The 1/72 is nearly 10 times the 28mm market.
Besides the Chinese infantry you can get more or less everything!
And even the Chinese can be done quite well with Liberation minis modern French...

 

[Java]

Thanks for the input
Ive got so much WW2 72nd scale on the painting desk I'm really thinking of sticking to 25mm for my modern just as a change of pace.FoA has some very nice models but it seams that 90% of all these pre painted tend to be USA . Are there any Infantry model manufactures that have models that will look ok along side of the Mongoose line?

Java

 

[shotgun-toting chipmunk]

maybe I'm just looking in the wrong places? Sure, you can get Bradley's, Abrams, and HMMWVs, and all the MBTs, but what about everything else? Chinese aircraft, Shadow, Anything British other than the Challenger...I can't seem to find this stuff in any scale.

 

[Iain McGhee]

Several companies do 1/72 Warriors and S&S and RH Models have a number of other British vehicles between them. Cromwell Models up here do a range of modern (and WW2) vehicles in several scales. I just got one of their lovely Terminators (no, not Cameron )S&S are the way to go for 20mm as they do the main Chinese vehicles and some others (the BTR-T and Shadow come to mind). They do some 28mm vehicles, but not as great a range. Chinese aircraft are a problem, but I'm pretty sure their J-whatever fighter is around in 1/72 (saw a picture in one of the S&P battle reports) and you could always substitute a Russian Havoc for the attack helo, they're reasonably alike. The Rafale is fairly close to the Chinese plane. As Agis already said, Liberation's 20mm French are close enough in looks to Chinese infantry (other than the body armour, the only real differences are the squad MGs -the French use M249s- and AT weapons- the longer French LRAC can easily be cut down to size. The assault rifles are close enough to the FAMAS not to matter).

It's worth taking a look at some of the internet model stores, at least to source kit manufacturers. Netmerchants and Modelhobbies were particulary useful for me.

Other than S&S, I don't think there's many companies that do 28mm scale vehicles (and then it's usually only smaller ones) but there are several who do figures. A quick Google search will source those.