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Issue 150 October 2018 www.modelmilitary.com

ISSUE

150

FANTASY FACTORY

Dragon & PPP Heimdall 1:35 Air Defence Panther II

PANZER RODEO

KFS Miniatures 1:35 U.S. Goliath Rider

EIGHT WHEELED HOT ROD Tamiya’s brand new 1:35 Type 16 MCV

INSIDE: p 01 Cover MMI 150B 1

1:35 Jagdpanther Ausf. G1 ■ 1:35 Horch plus 3.7 cm ■ 1:35 A10 Cruiser Tank ■ 1:35 Kugelblitz ■ and more...

October 2018 / £4.75 / Issue 150

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Contents - Issue 150 October 2018 REGULARS p 4 NEWS

What’s new in the world of military modelling

p 58 1:48 SCALE

News and new releases in 1:48 scale

p 66 LAST POST

A celebration of 150 issues of MMI and UK deployment in Mali reaches the next stage

34

FEATURES p 6 THINK TANK

Churchill Part 3 by Bruce Culver

p 16 PREVIEW

Dragon 1:35 Aufklarungspanzer 38(t)

p 18 FULL SIZED REFERENCE Type 16 MCV by Luke Pitt

p 20 EIGHT-WHEELED HOT ROD

Tamiya 1:35 Japan Ground Self Defense Force Type 16 Maneuver Combat Vehicle by Brett Green

6

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p 32 PREVIEW

Gecko Models 1:35 A10 Cruiser Tank

p 34 PANZER RODEO

Tamiya 1:35 Goliath plus scratchbuilt figures by Kamil Feliks Sztarbala

p 44 FANTASY FACTORY

Dragon’s classic Panther II converted to a hypothetical air defence platform by John Bonanni

p 52 PREVIEW

Meng 1:35 Jagdpanther

p 54 BUILD REVIEW

44

Dragon 1:35 Kugelblitz by Graham Tetley

p 60 PREVIEW

Tamiya 1:48 German Luftwaffe Crew (Winter) w/Kettenkraftrad

© Doolittle Media Ltd 2018 Tel: (UK) 01525 222573 Email: enquiries@doolittlemedia.com Address: Doolittle Media Ltd., Doolittle Mill, Doolittle Lane, Totternhoe, Bedfordshire, LU6 1QX, UK Model Military International is published monthly by Doolittle Media Ltd Ltd. Reproduction in part or whole of any text, photograph or illustration without written permission from the publisher is strictly prohibited.

While due care is taken to ensure the contents of Model Military International is accurate, the publishers and printers cannot accept liability for errors or omissions.

ISSN 1749-8864

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Newsline - October 2018

MMI Newsdesk, Doolittle Mill, Doolittle Lane, Totternhoe, Bedfordshire, LU6 1QX, UK Tel:01525 222573 Fax:01525 222574 Email:editor@modelmilitary.com

BRONCO PANZERKAMPFWAGEN II (FLAMM) AUSF. E Bronco will be releasing a new Bronco will be releasing a new Flammpanzer III Ausf. E kit.

The Pz.Kpfw.II was a light reconnaissance tank built in several versions from 1934 to 1944.

The Pz.Kpfw.II Ausf D was a departure from the original design and was fitted with a new torsion bar suspension with four large road wheels.

It was powered by a Maybach HL62TRM engine giving a road speed of 55 km/h. It was built by MAN from 1938 to 1939 in its original form.

It saw action in the Poland Campaign of 1939, However it was not judged a success and the type was withdrawn from service in 1940. The hulls were used for the Pz.Kpfw.II Flammpanzer and fitted with a new smaller MG-34 machine gun turret. Its main armament were two remote control flame throwers mounted on the front track guards, these being supplied by a 320 litre fuel tank. The nitrogen propellant being housed in armoured bins

along the sides of the hull. along the sides of the hull. The armour was a maximum of 30mm and the combat weight was 12 tons. A total of 155 tanks were converted from January 1940 to March 1941 The Pz.Kpfw.II Flammpanzer, also called the Flamingo, was built in two models the Ausf A and Ausf B based on the PzKpfw.II Ausf D and Ausf E. respectively. The Ausf E had a different lubricated track. but only seven were converted.

Flammpanzers saw action on the Russian front during Operation Barbarossa in 1941, but again their combat performance was very disappointing. Their armour was considered too thin for the assault role for which they were being used. They were withdrawn from combat in December 1941 and the hulls used for Marder II tank destroyer construction, Information and research by Phil Greenwood.

Thanks to Bronco for the information and images.

BLAST MODELS NEW RELEASES Blast Models has announced six new releases available now from Blast Models' website: • BL35346K VAB UNIROYAL WHEELS SAGGED WITH CONTROL AIR PRESSURE • BL35347K VAB VALORISE - ARMOR KIT - CONV HELLER / LIMITED EDITION • BL35348K VAB RACK ROOF STOWAGE VALORISE / LIMITED EDITION • BL35349K VAB CHASSIS STOWAGE BOXES / LIMITED EDITION • BL35353K BV206 WHEELS 40 PCS - TAKOM • BL35352K BV206 FR PL127 TURRET – TAKOM Thanks to Blast Models for the information and images www.blast-models.com

HORIZON MODELS 1:72 REDSTONE LAUNCHER

Horizon Models has sent the following information about their next kit, due for release in September: “We are pleased to announce our next model kit - a 1:72 scale Redstone Launcher.

We are particularly excited about this release as it contains parts and decals to model the WRESAT flight - Australia's first satellite - which occurred over 50 years ago and launched from Woomera, South Australia.

The model also contains parts and decals to model the Juno I with Explorer I satellite (America's first satellite) and the Redstone IRBM which served in the US Army.

We are expecting this kit to go on sale in September.”

Thanks to Horizon Models for the information and images www.horizon-models.com

4 Model Military International - October 2018

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MISSION MODELS PREMIUM HOBBY PAINTS, PRIMERS & ADDITIVES

CHANGE ANGE THE WAY YOU PAINT

WWW.MISSIONMODELSUS.COM Please visit Mission Models for dealer locations

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Think Tank - Churchill Part 3 - Variants and Experimental Versions One disadvantage of the flail tanks for mine-clearing was that they could not be used to search for mines, though they were effective in clearing them once found. The “Jeffries” mine plough was used to remove mines by bringing them to the surface where sappers could disarm them.

CHURCHILL PART 3 Variants and Experimental Versions Bruce Culver explores some of the experimental and specialised versions of the Churchill tank, plus later developments.

T

he experimental versions of the Churchill tank developed for the 79th Armoured Division included a number of mine-clearing vehicles of different types. As it happens, the major mine-clearing tasks were assigned to the M4 Sherman Crab flail tanks also used by the 79th Armoured Division. Although a number of the Churchill-based types were useful, they were not adopted.

There were several variations of mine ploughs, among them the ‘Jeffries’ plough seen here. The plow functioned by digging its long tines into the ground and plowing deep furrows that caught mines and brought them to the surface as they rode up the tines and were discarded to the side. After the mines had been unearthed sappers disarmed them.

There were many variations of ploughs used different devices to maintain the proper depth for

collecting mines and moving them to the surface. The more common versions used skids that stopped the ploughs from digging too deep, as mines were not generally laid too deep because they became less sensitive if buried too far down. Other designs used rollers of different styles to reduce the friction of sliding the skids along the ground. There were fixed rollers, rollers with rubber tires and rollers on castering mounts to accommodate uneven ground.

could jam the plough and prevent it from moving. Ploughs also disturbed the ground deep enough that it could become impassable for wheeled vehicles when used extensively, and there had to be a group of sappers to disarm the mines lifted from the soil.

An alternative to the plough was a mine roller that detonated mines by the pressure of heavy rollers travelling over the mined area. One of the more successful designs was the Canadian Indestructible Roller Device (CIRD). This was designed

by Canadian troops in Britain

MINE PLOUGHS Mine ploughs were better than the flail tanks at finding mines, as flail tanks were too slow (2.5 km/h) to search for minefields, but were still fairly slow. Plough vehicles usually were driven in the lower gears for traction and could not move quickly.

Most ploughs like the Jeffries plough were restricted if the target ground was excessively rocky or full of stones as large stones or rocks

The mine plough was useful in many soil conditions but not as much with rocks or layers of stone. This photograph showed the proper operation, the skids holding the plough assembly at the proper depth to snag buried mines, which rode up onto the plough blades and out to the sides.

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and only a few were constructed.

The CIRD operated by pushing heavy rollers over the ground to find buried mines. The CIRD was comprised of a pair of heavy frames mounted on a Churchill tank, one on each side. Each frame had a weighted spring housing at the front end and a substantial crossbar connecting the side frames. On the crossbar were two heavy metal rollers on articulated subframes with strong springs exerting a downward force on the rollers. When the rollers went over a mine, the pressure detonated the mine, throwing the rollers and their frames into the air where the heavy springs returned them to the normal position. A dozen or so CIRD vehicles were intended for the European campaign but they were not used in action and were withdrawn.

CHURCHILL TRACK LAYING DEVICE One serious impediment to using tanks in amphibious landings is that many beaches consist of sand that is too soft for vehicles to gain traction or varieties of chert and shingle that not only reduce traction but also can cause tanks to throw or break their tracks while trying to move. This was the lesson from the raid on Dieppe on the French coast in August 1942 in which all of the Churchills landed were lost and most of them never got off the beaches. The loose shingle deposits shifted under the tanks and many of the Churchills suffered broken or thrown tracks.

The poor state of the beaches at Dieppe had been foreseen and a conversion for the Churchill was devised. This was the Churchill TLC track-laying device, a frame with a bobbin mounted n the front of the tank that could lay out a mat carpet to allow the tanks to move on the treacherous beaches at Dieppe. They were demonstrated successfully but failed to move the tanks off the beach during “Operation Jubilee� itself. All the examples landed were captured by the defending German forces.

The experience with the TLC track layer led to improved versions in time for the D-Day landings in Normandy.

The primary models used on D-Day were the AVRE Bobbin Type C and D. These were similar, differing mostly in the detail design of the frame supporting the bobbin carrying the mat material. The bobbins were much larger than the TLC version used at Dieppe and carried a mat that was 3 meters (10 ft) wide and 60 meters (200 ft) long. The mat was laid where the beaches proved to be unsuitable for tanks and other vehicles – soft A

There were several prototypes of mine ploughs and this one replaced the skids with wheels for less drag on the mine-clearing tank. Most of these experimental designs did not enter production.

Another mine plough prototype used steel rollers to support and regulate the plough assembly. The rollers were articulated to conform to the contours of he ground and stabilize the plough.

One of the few successful anti-mine devices was the Canadian Indestructible Roller Device, or CIRD. The CIRD was developed by Canadian troops in Britain. It used heavy weights at the sides and the heavy rollers to develop enough pressure to detonate buried mines.

A unique feature of the CIRD was that the rollers and their frames were articulated so that an exploding mine would not damage the CIRD. When blown upwards, the rollers and frames pivoted on the front frame bar and then returned to the ground.

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Think Tank - Churchill Part 3 - Variants and Experimental Versions

The raid at Dieppe included some early mat-laying tanks like this Churchill TLC track laying device, but they were unsuccessful in moving tanks off the shingle beach at Dieppe. The experience gained with this model led to much improved versions for D-Day in 1944.

The carpet was reinforced with steel rods and allowed the laying tank to proceed, followed by the rest of the invading force. The carpet provided a stable surface with good traction to allow tanks and other vehicles to cross soft or shifting ground without bogging down.

B sand, shale or loose stones or other ground too soft or unstable to allow tanks to move without bogging down.

The matting was made of heavy canvas reinforced with steel rods to strengthen the mat and improve the footing. The AVRE crew could adjust the frame to lay the mat most successfully and if necessary a second AVRE could advance behind to lay a second mat to lengthen the path through the obstacle once the first mat was

Carpet-laying tanks had been used at Dieppe, but had not been successful in getting most of the tanks off the beach, and improved versions appeared in 1943 and 1944. This was the AVRE Bobbin model D, which carried a reinforced canvas mat 3m (10 ft) wide and 60m (200 ft) long.

The invasion of France was the subject of many practice exercises on terrain and soil similar to that of the Normandy beaches. This AVRE Bobbin Type C laid down its carpet during a demonstration showing its use on a level beach and the shoreline bluff.

fully down. The ability to provide a path through unsuitable beach terrain was a significant advantage as it allowed the infantry to get off the beach with supporting tanks as quickly as possible.

The mat for the AVRE Bobbin Type C and D were full-width to allow a tank or vehicle to pass over the laid mat. There were also experiments with twin bobbin vehicles that laid two narrower strips of mat side by side. One was the Bobbin Type A with twin mats

Another variation of the carpet-laying AVRE was this experimental twin-bobbin Type A that laid down two narrower mats suitable for vehicles. This example used carpet mats made from heavy brush and wood staves reinforcing the mat itself.

The Type C Bobbin carried 60m of carpet, enough to cross many beaches and into the dunes behind. Even the very good traction afforded by the Churchill’s suspension would not have crossed such soft sand easily. The carpet enabled tanks to climb the bluff easily as well.

reinforced with wood staves and heavy wire, and a similar variant that used only the wood staves and heavy wire without the cloth mat. These apparently did not see active service.

DEFEATING OBSTACLES Once off the beaches, armoured forces soon found many serious obstacles to their continued advance. Retreating enemy troops destroyed all bridges they could and in many cases there were

improvised anti-tank obstacles such as trenches and deep gullies where streams flowed. All tanks had a limit as to the width of trenches and height of bluffs and river or stream banks they could climb. Narrow streams with steep banks were not uncommon and were sometimes augmented by retreating troops to make them more impassable.

To defeat these obstacles, the 79th Armoured Division brought back a well-known device from

This version of the carpet-layer was similar to the twin-bobbin type but the carpet mat itself was eliminated and only the staves were laid down, fastened with heavy wire to form a rough path across soft ground. This experimental example was carried by a Churchill Mk III.

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Although the Churchill had a good trench-crossing capability because of the longer hull, many large ditches and anti-tank traps were able to stop an advance by armoured troops. The fascine was a bundle of wood formed into a cylinder and dropped into a ditch to allow passage.

military history - the fascine.

Fascines were bundles of wood staves, often trunks from straight saplings or long straight branches from larger trees, tied together with heavy wire and sometimes wrapped with canvas to maintain the shape. They were carried by AVREs and sometimes by gun tanks, mounted on jettisonable frames at the front of tanks.

AVREs had to turn their turrets to the side so the Petard mortar barrel would not foul the fascine bundle. Many standard Churchill gun tanks also carried fascines and they could depress the main gun to put the barrel below the fascine. On occasion fascines were also carried on the rear deck to leave the gun clear for firing. The fascines usually had several pipes in the centre of the bundle to allow stream water to flow through the fascine to avoid local flooding.

The fascine was dropped by releasing cables allowing it to roll off the front of the tank into the ditch or obstacle. The carrying frame was then jettisoned and the AVRE was back in service. Due to the size of the fascine bundle, the AVRE or tank crew had no forward visibility and it was common for the AVRE commander to guide his tank while sitting atop the fascine itself. Fascines were made by the thousands and were used all during the drive across Europe into Germany. Some were laid by other specialty vehicles though AVREs were most commonly used.

Fascines were usually carried by AVREs, which had a sloped frame attached to the front of the hull to carry the fascine with a cable attached to the rear hull to retain the bundle until it was to be dropped into a ditch or other depression. The turret was turned to the side to clear the load.

ARMOURED RAMP CARRIER One of the most formidable defences on a hostile beach is the sea wall, which can present an insurmountable obstacle to tanks.

The only way through a sea wall is to go through a hole blasted in A

There were several ways to mount the fascine and sometimes they were carried by standard gun tanks as well. This Churchill Mk IV was pressed into service, and with the gun depressed could carry a standard fascine bundle. Once the load was deployed, the tank operated normally.

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Think Tank - Churchill Part 3 - Variants and Experimental Versions

This Churchill Mk IV was a gun tank and carried the fascine in a makeshift fashion. The ditch had already been filled with a fascine from another tank, and this was very common, as rows of fascine tanks filled obstacles along a route of march.

Often commanders of AVREs carrying fascines would direct the tank from atop the fascine bundle since the fascines completely blocked all forward vision from the turret. The turret was turned to the side to clear the fascines until they were dropped.

The special purpose Churchills were used as they were needed and often many more than one or two of Hobart’s Funnies were used at the same time. These two fascine carriers were followed by two ARK bridging tanks. Note the fascines are split in the center of the bundles.

B the structure or over the intact wall using a bridging device. One of the most clever inventions of the 79th Armoured Division was the Armoured Ramp Carrier or ARK. This was a Churchill tank with the turret removed and a built-up trackway over the top of the hull with short ramps at either end to

allow another vehicle to drive up and over the ARK itself.

The initial idea was to use the ARK as a mobile assault bridge, driving up to the sea wall, climbing the wall as high as possible and driving the supporting tanks directly over the wall onto the ground behind. Test were conducted

Fascines were fairly large, but for very deep ditches, they could be used in multiples. The Royal Engineers had units that made up the fascine bundles as many dozens could be used in one operation. The fascines were very resilient, cushioning the tanks’ ride as they crossed a ditch.

for walls that had raised ground inland and walls that were barriers extending above the ground on both sides. One test involved using a fascine to break the fall of the tank when it went over the wall down to the ground behind. Test with the ARK were successful and 60 ARK Mk Is were built for the

This Churchill Mk VI came a cropper when the fascine bundle on the engine deck caught fire. While not common, losing a fascine to burning was a hazard in combat, as much of the wood used was dry and thin, allowing it to burn easily.

Normandy landings. They had fairly short ramps, the front ramps being shorter, which lifted the tanks up to the hull trackway.

The ARK Mk Is that survived the D-Day landings and initial advance into France were rebuilt as the ARK Mk II with longer ramps to serve as mobile bridges suitable for crossing

Though fascines were generally used by tanks and AVREs, they could be deployed by any tank or vehicle equipped to do so. This Armoured Ramp Carrier (ARK) carried a fascine over the short ramps at the front. After the fascine was dropped, the ARK then moved on to the next obstacle.

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The ARK Mk I was the first model of the modified Churchill for bridging small gaps. It had short ramps at both ends and a pair of trackways built over the hull. This was a Churchill Mk IV of 79th Armoured Division climbing the ARK as a sea wall ramp, preparing for D-Day.

wider obstacles. The off-side ramp was made wider so different size vehicles could cross the ramps.

There were kingposts to support the long ramps with cables but the principle was the same. This type of ARK was known as the UK pattern, and was used throughout the European campaign.

This ARK Mk I demonstrated the ability of the vehicle to allow tanks to climb otherwise unscalable obstacles.

ARKs were used as semi-expendable bridges, left in place until more permanent structures could be erected by the engineers.

In Italy, there was an even greater need for bridging devices because of the mountainous terrain and steep river banks. A second model of the ARK was devised in 1944, using Churchill Mk III tanks.

The turrets were removed, and the design was much simpler than the UK pattern in that there were

The ARK Mk Is that survived the Normandy invasion operations were returned to England and rebuilt as ARK Mk IIs, as seen here. The ramps were lengthened and the off-side ramp was made wider so a variety of vehicles could use the ramps.

In Italy, there was also a great need for bridging vehicles, and a different design for an ARK resulted in the ARK Mk II (Italian Pattern). On this version, converted from Mk III Churchills, there was no permanent Treadway built over the hull – vehicles drove on the ARK’s tracks.

no trackways built over the hull – the catwalk tread covers were removed and the tanks driving over the ARK rode directly on the ARK’s exposed tracks. The front and rear ramps were much longer than the UK pattern ARK and came from US bridging treadway sections. This was called the ARK Mk II Italian

pattern. Many were converted and they were widely used in the Italian campaign, often travelling in convoys of several ARKs to be deployed as required. It was usual practice to leave the ARK in place until more permanent bridging could be built. Deep streams and gullies often required driving one A

The ARK Mk II rebuilt in England retained the built-up treadway over the hull and was referred to as the ARK MK II (UK Pattern). After rework, these were assigned to 79th Armoured Division in NW Europe and were widely used to allow passage over gaps and vertical obstacles.

ARKs often travelled in convoys where there were numerous obstacles to be crossed. These were ARK Mk IIs (Italian Pattern). The treadways were taken from US pontoon bridges and allowed these vehicles to be built quickly and put into service in Italy.

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Think Tank - Churchill Part 3 - Variants and Experimental Versions B ARK into the depression and then driving another ARK on top of that to raise the tread area enough for tanks to cross the obstacle. ARKs proved their value so well in WW2 that advanced versions are in use today.

RECOVERY VEHICLES The Churchill’s spacious hull and good mobility made the tank an excellent candidate as a tank recovery vehicle and an early experiment in this vein mounted a jib boom crane on the turret of a Churchill Mk II. Further development resulted in a vehicle with the turret removed and a stronger job boom fitted to the hull nose. No winch was fitted to this version, the Churchill ARV Mk I, and tools, unditching beams and other supplies were carried on the track covers and deck.

Early use of the ARV Mk I led to the development of an advanced version better suited for all the tasks of an ARV. The new vehicle, the Churchill ARV Mk II, was a Churchill Mk III or IV with the turret removed and replaced by a fixed superstructure with two square cupolas and a dummy QF 75mm gun. A single 7.92mm Besa LMG was the only defensive

In crossing water barriers, ARKs were usually driven into the rivers or streams and left in place until proper bridges could be built, as seen here.

This ARK provided safe crossing for an M10 “Achilles” 17-pdr tank destroyer. The ARK’s tracks formed the treadway over the hull.

For deep obstacles like this small river, ARKs could be double-decked as seen there, the upper ARK simply driven out on top of the bottom vehicle. The Churchill crossing the ARKs was a Mk X LT, with its original Mk IV turret with a QF 75mm gun, but up-armoured to Mk VII standard.

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The Churchill also proved useful as an Armoured Recovery Vehicle (ARV). This Churchill Mk II was perhaps a first step, mounting a simple jib crane on the turret. The side sponsons provided a good deal of interior space for tools and parts that could be used for recovery and repairs.

weapon. The Churchill ARV MK II mounted a 7.5-ton capacity detachable jib boom on the nose and a fixed 15-ton capacity boom on the hull rear. The Mk II also had a powered rear spade to stabilize the vehicle when recovering disabled tanks. A built-in winch could pull 25 tons, and the ARV could tow most disabled vehicles once they were able to be moved.

The ARV Mk I and MK II were very useful and made it easier to recover disabled tanks and other armoured vehicles. The hull interiors were wider than most tanks because of the sponsons, allowing more tools and supplies to be stowed internally, and because the ARV crew was only three men, the ARV could carry the crew of a disabled tank inside while towing the vehicle.

BIGGER GUNS The Churchill’s narrow hull prevented the placement of a turret large enough to carry the bigger guns that were proving necessary to deal with the heavier

and better armoured tanks coming into service. This was the shortcoming of most British tanks in WW2 and meant that they would always be relatively undergunned compared to the German tanks they faced. Early in the development of the Churchill tank, there was an attempt to mount an effective anti-tank gun on the Churchill chassis.

The resulting vehicle, the A22D Churchill Mk I Gun Carrier, appeared in early 1942 in pilot form. It used the chassis of the Churchill MK I with a large heavily armoured fixed superstructure in place of the central hull and turret.

Vauxhall had been supplied with 100 obsolete 3 inch (76.2mm) 20 cwt anti-aircraft guns to use in the production of the desired vehicles. The fixed superstructure was composed of 89mm (3.5 inch) thick plates with a ball mount in the front plate for the gun.

Testing was actually satisfactory given the performance of the basic Churchill tank, but the parallel project to adapt the new Cromwell A

The ARV Mk II also had a spade device at the rear along with the 15-ton boom, and a winch that could pull 25 tons. With only a three-man crew, there was enough room inside to carry the crew of a recovered tank inside the ARV.

The next step to a proper ARV was this ARV Mk I, seen at Aborfield in 1943. The turret was removed and a stronger jib crane was installed on the hull nose. The deck and mudguards held various tools and unditching beams used to retrieve damaged or disabled tanks.

The ARV Mk II was a heavily reworked Churchill Mk III or IV with a fixed superstructure with a dummy 75mm gun and a single Besa LMG for defence. It mounted a detachable front jib boom of 7.5 ton capacity and a fixed rear boom of 15 tons capacity.

The ARV Mk II was a versatile and widely used vehicle and favoured because its wide hull allowed carrying a large number of tools and supplies internally. The ARV was also able to tow disabled vehicles once they were made able to move.

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Think Tank - Churchill Part 3 - Variants and Experimental Versions B cruiser tank to carry the new 17 pdr anti-tank gun – the Challenger – was progressing well and the Cromwell was a more advanced chassis. So the order for the Churchill 3 inch Gun Carrier was reduced and only 50 were built and none were used in combat. The majority were used in development programs, testing new tank components and new weapons systems. Some 3 inch carriers were used to test the “Snake” rocket-projected mine-clearing program.

BLACK PRINCE The narrow hull of the Churchill had limited its gun carrying capability during its whole service life. In 1943, Vauxhall began development of a “Super Churchill” designed to mount the new 17 pdr anti-tank gun. It received the General Staff designation of A43 and Vauxhall named it the Black Prince, after the 14th century Prince Edward, Duke of Cornwall.

It was an interim design pending the successful development and acceptance of the new “Universal” tank, the main battle tank that was to replace the infantry and cruiser tanks, which would become the Centurion.

To develop the A43 the hull was widened to allow a turret ring large enough for the QF 17 pdr gun and the tracks were made wider to handle the extra weight.

The suspension was based on

The Churchill 3 inch Gun Carrier was an early attempt to develop a version of the tank that could mount an effective anti-tank gun. Appearing in 1942, the Gun Carrier mounted the 3 in anti-aircraft gun in a fixed superstructure of 88mm armour with a total traverse of only ten degrees.

While trials were successful, the Churchill Mk I 3 inch Gun Carrier was never put into service, as the Challenger 17 pdr tank destroyer was in development and was a better design. The fixed superstructure was well-protected but the limited traverse made the vehicle less useful.

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the Churchill but the bogies were reinforced and there were 12 bogies per side instead of 11.

The engine was the same Bedford Twin Six from the Churchill and so the A43 Black Prince was slower even than the Churchill Mk VII. The hull was longer with the same armour basis as the Churchill Mk VII and the turret was an alternate design not used on the Centurion. The Churchill’s design advantages were carried over to the Black Prince – full sponsons, side escape hatches and the superior cross-country performance.

Testing of the A43 was successful although the top speed was fairly low because the chassis had been designed as a low speed infantry tank.

Other than this the Black Prince passed the tests successfully.

However, the Centurion program was progressing well and the successful deployment of the Sherman “Firefly” tank mounting the 17 pdr eliminated the need for an expedient tank mounting the same armament. The “Firefly” and 17 pdr-armed M10 tank destroyers filled the need for an effective antitank capability during the war and these were augmented in 1945 by the A34 Comet heavy cruiser tank mounting the 77mm high velocity gun, a derivative of the 17 pdr. The Black Prince program was dropped and most of the six prototypes eventually scrapped. The fourth prototype currently is displayed at the Tank Museum at Bovington, maintained in running condition.

There are also examples of Churchills of different versions preserved in military museums and a few in private hands to remind us of their sterling service in times of war… ■

The 3 inch Gun Carriers that were built were used for a number of development projects, as their hulls would not be used for combat. This example was reworked to mount a test installation of a “Snake” anti-mine projector, carrying 50 tubes for launching anti-mine explosive charges.

The A43 “Black Prince” was originally referred to as the “Super Churchill” and was a direct development of the Churchill to carry the 17 pdr anti-tank gun. The hull was widened for a larger turret ring and the tracks were wider to carry the increased weight, but the lineage was obvious.

As the original 350 HP Bedford engine was retained, the A43 was considerably slower than the Churchill and its tactical value would have been compromised. Six prototypes were built and tested, but the tank was rejected in favour of the much superior “Centurion” main battle tank.

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KIT PREVIEW

Dragon 1:35 Aufklarungspanzer 38(t) mit 2cm KwK.38 • Kit No. 6890

The upper turret part.

Andy King describes a reissue that is definitely worth getting!

RECON TO A 38(T) T

he Aufklarungspanzer was a reconnaissance vehicle based on the Pz.Kpfw 38(t) chassis. It was to replace the ‘Luchs’ (Lynx) that was due to end production in January 1944 and was based on 38(t)’s that were returned for repair. A new superstructure was designed that included a turret used on other vehicles such as the Sd.Kfz 250/9 and 251/23 half tracks and 234/1 armoured car.

Although 118 vehicles were to be planned to be produced during 1944, only 50 were actually manufactured, these seeing service on both Eastern and Western fronts. It had a crew of four and was armed with a 2cm KwK 38 L55 gun.

This is another reissue by Dragon and it comes with 10 sprues in grey styrene, one clear sprue, two frets of etched metal, a very small decal sheet and individual track links packed in a separate bag. All parts are nicely moulded with little or no flash and just the usual seam lines to remove, mould pin marks are present but they will not be visible.

Typically, the sprues all come

from different kits such as the Sd.Kfz. 251/17, Sd.Kfz. 234 and of course the Pz.Kpfw. 38(t) which means there are some duplicate letters to identify them so you need to study the instructions carefully. Also there are quite a few parts marked as not for use so these will stock up the spares box.

The detail in the kit is pretty good with an interior that includes the transmission, driver’s position etc., and along with the turret it will look quite busy in there.

It’s nice to see tool clamps and straps have been included in etch for the on-vehicle equipment and that the detail on the top of the fenders is repeated on the undersides, something that is missed on most kits of the 38(t).

Although the tracks are made up from individual links, these require very little clean up with only the sprue gate in the centre of the links to remove. The turretmounted 2cm gun is okay but I would replace the barrel with an aftermarket item as all the little holes in the muzzle are represented by indents due to the limitations of injection moulding. I did try and drill one out once but

ended up destroying the end of the barrel… oops!

The FuG 5 radio between the seats in the turret just requires some cabling to add a bit more detail to this area and if you are feeling adventurous most of the Praga engine is still on sprue D too if you wanted to add some detail to the engine bay. If you do I would recommend getting a copy of the instructions for Dragons’ 38t Ausf.

G as that included the full engine.

Colours and markings are offered for three vehicles; one from the 116th Pz.Div, Western Front 1944 in a three-tone scheme; one in overall dark yellow and the other in dark yellow with green camo applied over the top, both from unidentified units on the Eastern Front during 1944, colours quoted are from Mr Colour and Model Master.

The tiny decal sheet is printed

by Cartograf and is of good quality.

The 38(t) which this kit is based on was a lovely model to build so I can’t see any issues with building this version, the only really tricky bit will be the etch grenade screens on the turret as the gluing areas are so small, something I found out on a build of a Dragon Sd.Kfz. 250/9 a few years ago.

Definitely a kit worth getting! ■

Ammunition is supplied.

Road wheels.

Individual “Magic Track” links.

The plastic star aerial.

Reference: The Encyclopaedia of German Tanks Of WW2 by Peter Chamberlain and Hilary Doyle.

ISBN 1-84509-012-8

The 2cm KwK 38 L55 Flak gun.

Thanks to The Hobby Company Ltd for the review sample www.hobbyco.net The lower hull tub.

The kit’s photo-etched frets.

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Pz. Kpfw. VI Tiger Ausf. E Early production

No 6557

model kit modèle réduit

1:35

scale échelle

New gluable rubber tracks Decals sheet for 4 versions:

A. Schwere Panzer Abt. 502, Southern Russia, 1943.

6545

B. Kompanie Meyer, Anzio Bridgehead, early 1944.

D. Schwere Panzer Abt. 503, Kursk salient, July 1943.

C. Schwere Panzer Abt. 504, Sicily, August 1943.

T34/85

1:35 Photoetched fret Colored istruction sheet Detailed engine and interiors Plastic and rubber traks

6548

Pz.Kpfw. IV Ausf. F1/F2/G Early with rest crew 1:35

5 rest crew and accessories and Colored istruction sheet

BeauGeste N° 6183 BattleSet

Algerian Tuareg

Revolt

1877/1912 1:72 Scale

The set contain: Desert Legionary Fortress in MDF Laser cutted, desert well and tents, French Foreign Legion and Arab Warriors

Ask your local distributor or contact: Italeri S.p.A.- via Pradazzo, 6/b 40012 - Calderara di Reno - Bologna - Italy - Phone +39 051 31 75 211 - email: italeri@italeri.com

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References - Type 16 Manoeuvre Combat Vehicle Close-Up

TYPE 16 MANEUVER

COMBAT VEHICLE

The cluster of lights, indicators and reflectors on the lower front corner of the vehicle.

Tyre tread detail.

CLOSEThe exhaust panel.

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The mid-hull boarding ladder with light and reflector.

Taillights.

Rear turret basket detail.

SE-UP The perforated gun muzzle.

Tools are painted the same colour as the vehicle.

The .50 cal turret mounted machine gun.

Aerial mount.

Gun barrel fume extractor and fabric cover.

Raised lettering on one of the tyres.

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FEATURE FEA ARTICLE

T

Tamiya 1:35 Japan Ground Self Defense Force Type 16 Maneuver Combat Vehicle • Kit No. 35361

he Technical Research & Development Institute of Japan's Ministry of Defense has developed several prototype vehicles since 2008. They unveiled their fourth of what were initially called "mobile combat vehicle" prototypes on 9 October 2013. JGSDF service acceptance tests were scheduled to begin in 2014 or 2015, with initial operational deployment by the JGSDF planned for 2016. 99

The upper hull piece.

MCVs were originally planned to be introduced by the end of FY 2018. The name of the vehicle was changed to Manoeuvre Combat Vehicle during the second half of 2011.

The MCV was part of a new armoured vehicle strategy that prioritized light air-transportable firepower. Originally the number of main battle tanks was to be reduced from 760 to 390, with most remaining tanks to be concentrated on

Grilles and non-skid surfaces are moulded in place.

the main Japanese islands of Hokkaido and Kyushu.

Some 200–300 MCVs were to be procured and these would be airlifted to islands when and where they were needed. The idea was that the smaller, lighter, and faster MCV could be redeployed quicker than tanks to better defend the outlying islands. This represented a shift in Japanese armoured vehicle structure from one designed to repel a Soviet invasion from the north to a more mobile force aimed

The lower hull.

at possibly defending against a Chinese invasion of the southern island chain.

The MCV was intended to help re-equip existing divisions and brigades reorganised into mobile (rapid reaction) divisions/ brigades, as well as equip new dedicated rapid reaction regiments alongside (eventually) the Light-weight Combat Vehicle System (LCV) which was also designed with defence of the outer islands in mind.

Turret roof.

The turret s

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EIGHT WHEELE D

HOT ROD Brett Green builds the newest addition to Taniya’s 1:35 scale modern Japanese armour family, the Type 16 Maneuver Combat Vehicle.

Tamiya’s attractive box art.

The Type 16 Maneuver Combat Vehicle (MCV) equips designated combat units. Due to its light weight and small size, it is designed for easy deployment (by aircraft if needed) allowing rapid movement on narrow roads and in built-up areas in response to various contingencies.

Despite its small size and light armour, the Type 16 MCV has been designed to attack much larger armoured fighting vehicles as well as personnel, using its large

calibre gun.

The main gun is manually loaded as a cost-saving measure.

In 2009 resistance testing of the shielding against HEAT rounds was conducted using the Carl Gustav M2; and against regular kinetic ammunition the frontal shield was developed to resist shots from 20 mm to 30 mm autocannons while the side armour was deemed sufficient to resist 12.7 mm heavy machine gun fire. A

The turret sides bristle with moulded-on detail. Some of the transmission and steering elements.

Specifications Weight Length Width Height Crew Main Armament Secondary Armament Engine Power/weight Suspension Operational Range Speed

The vinyl tyres are well detailed.

26 tonnes 8.45 m (27 ft 9 in) 2.98 m (9 ft 9 in) 2.87 m (9 ft 5 in) 4 105 mm gun (developed byJapan Steel Works) 12.7 mm NATO M2 Browning machine gun, coaxial Sumitomo Type 74 7.62mm NATO medium machine gun 4-cylinder water-cooled turbocharged diesel engine 570 hp 21.9 hp/tonne Wheeled 8 x 8 400 km (250 mi) 100 km/h (62 mph)

Two beautifully sculpted Clear parts are provided for light lenses and vision blocks. crew figures are included.

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FEATURE ARTICLE

Tamiya 1:35 Japan Ground Self Defense Force Type 16 Maneuver Combat Vehicle • Kit No. 35361

The tail lights are painted before being fitted to the model.

The spacers may be seen glued in place here.

The upper hull features separate spacers supplied in two heights.

The four front wheels are steerable thanks to the use of polythene caps and plastic clips.

Separate side and rear panels complete the hull.

B IN THE BOX Tamiya has been quick off the mark with their brand-new kit of this brand-new vehicle. Their 1:35 scale Type 16 Manoeuvre Combat Vehicle comprises 239 parts in olive coloured plastic, 20 parts in clear, eight vinyl tyres, 18 large and ten small polythene caps, plus markings for four vehicles.

The sleek lines of this modern vehicle are very obvious from looking at the main hull and turret parts.

The surface textures on this kit are very well done. The hull and turret are covered with anti-skid patches, hatches, hinges and tie-

downs, all beautifully done.

Tamiya has not skimped with the suspension detail on this vehicle. 13 of the first 15 steps are devoted to the suspension, steering and underbody. The first and second rows of the road wheels are moveable after assembly. Detail under the vehicle is excellent.

I am not usually a fan of vinyl tyres but Tamiya has done a really nice job here. There is not a hint of any seam lines along the centreline or faces of the tyres, and tread detail is crisp and free from any imperfections. The tyre faces also feature fine raised

lettering and lines.

The wheels are fitted via poly caps, allowing the parts to be moveable after assembly. This also means that the wheels may be painted separately. The driver's and turret hatches are hinged and therefore moveable. The gun barrel is supplied in six pieces – two main halves split lengthwise, a separate cap for the end, two halves for the fume extractor and two halves for the recoil cover.

Clear parts are supplied for the turret vision blocks and various light lenses. Continuing the theme from their recent US tank crew

figures, clear visors are included for the crew figures too. The production kit offers a self-adhesive masking sheet for the lenses, clear covers and vision blocks.

Speaking of figures, Tamiya offers two crew for the turret hatches. These are well up to Tamiya's recent high figure standards in terms of sculpting and detail.

Markings are supplied for four vehicles in any colour you want as long as it is JGSDF Green and Brown.

They are nicely in register and should snuggle down nicely under a coat of setting solution.

The components assembled…

The forward transmission and steering assembly components.

…and viewed from the opposite side.

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Note the plastic clips and connectors.

The forward steering and transmission in place with assembly underway on the second.

The steering may be moved from left…

…to right.

The three remaining units assembled and ready to be fitted.

The three remaining units assembled and ready to be fitted.

CONSTRUCTION When I wrote my initial in-box review, I stated “It won't be a halfday build, but I am certain that it will deliver the typical Tamiya building experience - perfect fit and a smile on the modeller's face from start to finish”.

I was correct in that the build

took a day and a half, and it certainly left me with a smile on my face.

Despite the workable and linked front four steering wheels, assembly wasquite straightforward doing nothing more than following the instructions. The steering works thanks to a combination of

plastic rods with simple clips and polythene caps.

Keep well organised, make sure that you are using the correct parts for each of the four different suspension units, and you won’t have any trouble.

Although Tamiya’s vinyl tyres are very nicely detailed and devoid

of any seam lines, I found myself with an alternative.

I was fortunate to receive an early example of DEF Models' 1:35 scale Type 16 MCV Wheel Set. Detail is exquisite, with raised lettering on the sidewalls. They are also subtly bulged and flattened.

The resin wheels are cast as A

Brakes and wheel mounts.

The wheels are mounted using polythene caps.

The completed lower hull.

The brake units complete and ready to attach to the vehicle.

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FEATURE ARTICLE

Tamiya 1:35 Japan Ground Self Defense Force Type 16 Maneuver Combat Vehicle • Kit No. 35361

The completed hull.

Forward and side hull detail parts.

Rear hull detail parts.

B a single parts, ready to press

into the wheel mounts with no modification required. All you need to do is cut the casting block off each wheel.

Self-adhesive masks are also provided for painting the tyres and hubs.

Four pairs of different wheels are provided - A, B, C, D - running from front to rear.

The DEF set also includes a perforated muzzle and four wheel chocks.

The resin muzzle break requires the kit muzzle to be cut off the end of the barrel. I did this with a razor saw. The resin muzzle break was then carefully glued into place.

I also made a tarp and some stowage for the turret basket from Tamiya Epoxy Putty.

Detail parts fitted to the rear hull.

PAINTING Not surprisingly, Tamiya recommends a selection of Tamiya paints for finishing the Type 16, including the option of either acrylic bottles or lacquer spray cans for the two main camouflage colours. I decided to use a combination.

With the model completed, I started with a base coat of Tamiya TS-91 Dark Green (JGSDF), straight from the spray can. I did not bother with a primer coat as this hardwearing lacquer offered the roles of both primer and base colour.

Next, I mixed Tamiya’s acrylic XF-73 Dark Green (JGSDF) with around 15% dark yellow and sprayed spots, streaks and mottles to break up the uniform appearance of the base coat. Once

Major turret parts.

it was finished, I thought the effect was a bit extreme so I applied a light overspray of the original Dark Green colour over the top.

Using Tamiya’s instructions as a guide, I drew the outline of the camouflage pattern onto the hull and turret with a brown Prismacolor pencil. I hatched the area to be painted with the pencil too, to reduce the risk of painting in the wrong areas (it’s happened before)!

Next, I painted over the outline with a medium sized brush using Tamiya’s recommended acrylic TS-90 Brown (JGSDF).

Once this was done I cracked out the airbrush and filled in the blank spaces with TS-90 Brown (JGSDF). The brown sections were also modulated with a paler mix of

the colour.

Now it was time to paint the black exhaust panels. The hull was masked off with Tamiya tape and the exhaust sections were sprayed a “scale black” mix of 50/50 Tamiya XF-1 Flat Black and XF-64 Red Brown.

With basic painting complete, I added one more aftermarket item.

Tetra Model Works JGSDF Type 10 Camouflage Net was used to wrap around the barrel and lay on top of the mantlet. This is the first time I have used camouflage nets, and I was pleased with the result. Preparation is quite simple.

The nets are pre-coloured in dark green, although I sprayed one side with a heavy mottle of a paler shade. The net is then snipped out of its backing sheet (it is A

Similar to the hull, spacers are used to join the upper and lower parts of the turret.

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Gun, mantlet and upper turret detail parts.

Hull side parts ready to be installed.

The sleek lines of this modern “vehicle are very obvious from looking at the main hull and turret parts...

�

The turret, prepared for final assembly.

The completed turret, including the .50 cal machine gun.

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FEATURE ARTICLE

Tamiya 1:35 Japan Ground Self Defense Force Type 16 Maneuver Combat Vehicle • Kit No. 35361

Turret test fitted to the hull. Looking good!

Tamiya two-part epoxy putty was used to create some Tamiya putty was also used to make the tarp covering the basket. rolls and packs for the rear turret basket.

B held in by narrow attachments)

and stretched carefully, then screwed up tightly into a ball, then stretched out again. Take care with the stretching though, as it is quite easy to tear the net.

This set also includes black flexible tie-down straps. I coiled a length of this along the barrel and added some shorter lengths on top

of the mantlet netting.

The tyres were painted with a scale black mix of 50% Tamiya XF-1 Flat Black and 50% XF-65 Red Brown. The DEF masks were used to speed the painting process.

The entire model was now sprayed with two coats of Future floor polish in preparation for decals and further weathering.

WEATHERING AND FINISHING The test-shot Tamiya decals performed well.

I did not want to go overboard with weathering, so I limited this step. Panel lines and structural features were highlighted with a pin wash of Tamiya XF-1 Flat Black, XF-64 Red Brown, Future floor polish and water. The wash was

I built the test shot, which did not include masks. I punched circular masks using my Waldron Punch and Die set.

This is a fairly expensive tool, but it will be a modeller’s lifetime companion.

Vision blocks and clear covers were masked using Tamiya tape too.

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applied selectively using a fine brush.

The completed paint job was now sealed with Alclad II Klear Kote Flat Lacquer.

The wheels were brushed with Maru Easy Mud No. 21101 Standard (Light). The excess was rubbed off with a cloth, leaving the residue embedded in the recessed areas of the tyres.

The resin wheels were pressed onto the axles. I added a few spots of Araldite two-part epoxy glue to fix the rotation of the wheels on the flat spots. I used

DEF Models' 1:35 scale Type 16 MCV Wheel Set.

the epoxy glue as it takes a few minutes to set, allowing me time to ensure that the flat spots were perfectly flat on the ground – not a guaranteed result with eight wheels involved!

The final task was to add some mud spatter to the hull. I mixed a clump of Maru Easy Mud No. 21101 Standard (Light) with water and used an old stiff brush to flick the resulting mixture onto the hull rear and sides. I tested this technique on a piece of paper before messing up the model! A

Masked headlights.

Detail is exquisite, with raised lettering on the sidewalls. They are also subtly bulged and flattened.

The resin wheels are cast as a single parts, ready to press into the wheel mounts with no modification required. All you need to do is cut the casting block off each wheel.

The DEF set also includes a perforated muzzle.

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FEATURE ARTICLE

Tamiya 1:35 Japan Ground Self Defense Force Type 16 Maneuver Combat Vehicle • Kit No. 35361

I started with a base coat of Tamiya TS-91 Dark Green (JGSDF), straight from the spray can.

The outline of the camouflage pattern was drawn onto the hull and turret with a brown Prismacolor pencil.

B

Next, the outline was overpainted with a medium sized brush using Tamiya’s recommended acrylic TS-90 Brown (JGSDF).

The blank spaces were filled with TS-90 Brown (JGSDF) applied by airbrush.

Following a coat of Future floor polish, panel lines and structural features were highlighted with a pin wash of Tamiya XF-1 Flat Black, XF-64 Red Brown, Future floor polish and water.

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Tetra Model Works JGSDF Type 10 Camouflage Net was used to wrap around the barrel and lay on top of the mantlet.

This set also includes black flexible tie-down straps. I coiled a length of this flexible strip along the barrel and added some shorter lengths on top of the mantlet netting.

B FIGURES Initially, I did not use the crew figures because I was not happy with progress on my paint job.

However, the next day I took another look at the torsos and, as I'd already spent a bit of time on them, I decided to finish detail painting.

In the end, they didn't look as bad as I expected so I fitted them to the vehicle. Tamiya supplies clear goggles but not the straps.

I cut these from the black flexible tie-down material in the Tetra Model Works Camouflage Net set.

As usual with Tamiya's recent figures, the sculpting is excellent and the faces in particular are very nice.

The wheels were brushed with Maru Easy Mud No. 21101 Standard (Light).

The excess was rubbed off with a cloth, leaving the residue embedded in the recessed areas of the tyres.

Even so, I have never been satisfied with my painting of multicolour camouflage uniforms. I'll keep trying...

CONCLUSION Tamiya has a knack of getting me hooked on subjects for which I had no particular previous peccadillo.

This is a very cool looking vehicle sleek and menacing.

Tamiya has delivered another state-of-the-art kit with their 1:35 scale Type 16 Maneuver Combat Vehicle, and has once again demonstrated their proven design philosophy of high levels of detail, superb surface textures and modeller-friendly parts breakdown. â–

The figures are very nice but I wasn’t completely satisfied with my multi-colour camouflage uniform painting.

Fortunately there is enough distraction once the figures are glued into their open hatches!

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FEATURE ARTICLE

Tamiya 1:35 Japan Ground Self Defense Force Type 16 Maneuver Combat Vehicle • Kit No. 35361

The tarp covering the turret basket was painted a different shade of green.

Mud spatter was applied to the hull front and sides using Maru Easy Mud Standard (Light) thinned with water and applied by flicking the wet mixture from an old stiff brush.

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Rotation of the road wheels was immobilised by two-part epoxy glue.

This slow-setting adhesive ensured that the flat spots on the bottom of the tyres were level with the ground.

Modelspec Tamiya 1:35 Japan Ground Self Defense Force Type 16 Maneuver Combat Vehicle. Kit No. 35361 Accessories Used: DEF Model Item No. DW35107 – JGSDF Type 16 MCV Sagged Wheel Set for Tamiya Tetra Model Works Item No. MA-25022 – JGSDF Type 10 Camouflage Net Materials & Accessories Used: Olfa hobby knife Revell Contacta Cement Tamiya Extra Thin Liquid Cement Tamiya Surface Primer Tamiya Tape (various sizes) Tamiya Two-Part Epoxy Putty

The wheels were weathered with a mix of Black and Raw Umber oil paints thinned using Ronson lighter fluid. This is a very fast-drying thinner.

Paints & Finishing Products: • Tamiya Spray Can – TS-91 Dark Green (JGSDF) • Tamiya Acrylics – TS-90 Brown (JGSDF); TS-91 Dark Green (JGSDF); XF-1 Flat Black; XF-2 White; XF-55 Deck Tan; XF-59 Desert Yellow; XF-64 Red Brown.

• Vallejo Panzer Aces Acrylics – 309 Periscopes; 337 Highlight Ger. (Black) • Vallejo Model Color – 919 Foundation White; 70953 Flat Yellow; 70957 Flat Red; 70995 German Grey.

• Testor’s Metalizer (Non-Buffing) – Gunmetal; Aluminium.

• Brown Prismacolor Pencil • 2B Pencil • Future Floor Polish • Alclad II Flat Clear Lacquer • Maru Easy Mud No. 21101 Standard (Light). ✓ Straightforward build; cleverly engineered steering; unique subject; superb surface textures; high level of detail; excellent fit; includes crew figures. ✗ Nothing worth mentioning.

The sleek lines of the Type 16 MCV may be appreciated in profile.

Available from Thanks to Tamiya for the sample www.tamiya.com Tamiya kits are distributed in the UK by The Hobby Company Limited www.hobbyco.net

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KIT PREVIEW

Gecko Models 1:35 Cruiser Tank A10 Mk.1A • Kit No. GM0002

The one-piece upper hull.

The colourful kit decal sheet.

SUPER DETAILED CRUSIER

Full length track guard.

N

The lower hull is made up from separate panels.

You wait for ages for one bus then two come along at the same time! Luke Pitt examines the second all-new kit of the A10 Cruiser Tank to be released in the last 12 months, this time from Gecko.

ot so long ago, a plastic kit of an British A10 Cruiser would have been unthinkable but here we are, two new plastic kits of the same vehicle within the space of a year.

Hot on the heels of the Bronco kits of the same type, Gecko Models has now released their versions of the British A10 Cruiser. I sometimes wonder why companies do this, but it’s nice to have choice!

The kit is presented in a fairly large box with a first class illustration adorning the to lid. A well printed and precise 31-page instruction book is included with 41 construction sequences and 5 marking choices. These marking choices include: • An overall green example from the 1stArmored Division stationed in the UK in 1940.

• Two examples of a two-tone camouflage (Portland Stone and Purple Brown) from the 2nd Armoured Division stationed in Greece in 1941.

• A two-tone (Khaki Green and Dark green) example from the 2nd Royal Tank Regiment stationed in

the UK in 1940.

• A three-tone Caunter scheme from the 7th Armoured Division stationed in Libya 1940-41.

The instructions and the packing have a quality feel to them and this perception is carried over to the plastic parts.

Contents comprise 1,022 medium grey plastic parts are included (more than 35 sprues) together with a 34 part photoetched fret, one medium size decal sheet and a strand of wire.

To be fair, the massive part count is largely made up the individual tracks, which take up 588 parts over 7 sprues.

Comparisons between this and the Bronco kit are inevitable as are the different design and assembly approaches. For example, the Gecko kit tackles the tracks by the inclusion of multiple part individual tracks where the Bronco kit does the same thing using the link and length approach. Undoubtedly the Gecko approach is more accurate in terms of shape, particularly on the guide horn inner profile, but it comes at a cost. The tracks themselves are very fiddly to put together and require a fair degree

Photo-etched fret and copper wire.

of clean up.

The lower hull tub is another example. The Bronco kit is supplied as a one-piece moulding where the Gecko kit addresses this area as a four-piece flat pack assembly. The sheer detail of this kit is simply breathtaking. The upper hull has both domed rivets and screws on the rear deck and is covered in all the smaller fine detail that the Bronco kit lacks.

The road wheels and suspension are another example. The Gecko kit exhibits much finer detail in terms of shape and definition of the smaller details, with bogie springs in particular being provided as two parts as opposed to Bronco’s one. The Gecko approach lends the springs a seethrough look, which is far more ascetically pleasing to the eye.

The entire kit is like this with my perception being the kit was not rushed with almost everything double checked, as opposed to the Bronco kit. The Gecko kit also provides a semi complete interior with only the engine and transmission missing. Sadly it is a little inaccurate with the forward bulkhead being the wrong shape and the turret basket floor being depicted as wood.

I rate the Gecko kit somewhat higher than the Bronco kit. The Gecko kit has it faults and the overly complex nature of the track assembly comes to mind but overall, in terms of detail, in my opinion it is superior to the Bronco kit.

Both kits are fine and I think they just appeal to a different demographic. If you want a quick build buy the Bronco kit. If you want a detailed build buy the Gecko kit. ■

Remarkable detail on the springs.

Running gear components.

The multi-part track links.

Thanks to Gecko for the sample Care and plenty of time will be required for these!

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FEATURE ARTICLE

Tamiya 1:35 scale German Assault Pioneer Team & Goliath • Kit No. 35357 KFS Miniatures 1:35 scale U.S. Goliath Rider Figure • Kit No. 35-007

PANZER

RODEO Kamil Feliks Sztarbala modifies the diminutive Tamiya Goliath and scratch builds a figure to create a unique vignette.

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T

amiya’s usual modus operandi for the AFV kit market involves downsizing 1:35 scale models to 1:48 scale. However, in the case of Goliath, it was the opposite order. Their first incarnation of this “beetle tank” was an addition to the 1:48 scale Kettenkraftrad. We had to wait almost 14 years for the (slightly) larger model of this vehicle.

The new kit contains three plastic sprues. As usual, the test shot sprues that I’d received for the

purpose of this review were grey plastic, but the mass production ones are moulded in the usual dark yellow. In fact two of the sprues are identical to each other, including the vehicle parts, whilst the third sprue brings us the crew figures.

Talking of the latter, I’m really impressed by the progress made by this Japanese manufacturer in this field during last few years. For a long time, their figures were rather clumpy, but the recent releases are the best we can get in plastic. From the poses, through to the faces and

Tamiya’s figures are now world-class quality.

The tiny top track run.

folds, and onto the tiniest details of the uniforms and equipment, everything is top notch!

Coming back to the tracked mine, as in the case of the 1:48 scale kit and products from different manufacturers, the depicted variant is the electrically powered Sd.Kfz.302. As the vehicle is on the tiny side, half of the sprue is occupied by the tracks, which are divided into various lengths.

Worth noting is that the latter are already properly shaped, and a subtle sag effect is added. The

links are replicated really well, even the track teeth feature the distinctive creases.

The hull consists of quite a few parts. The details are rather nice, although the access panels and especially their hinges could be more pronounced. Otherwise, it is a bit of shame that the hatches are not moulded as separate parts, as Tamiya kits used to be friendly for modellers who like super-detailing.

In this kit, only the access panel to the control cable drum housing is a separate piece.

One side of the diminutive Goliath.

CONSTRUCTION The aforementioned kit design meant a little extra work for me, as the bay for the explosive charge was removed in my reference photo inspiration.

This was not the only modification I decided to make. I also chose to correct the shape of the hull stiffening bars near the idler. Tamiya made them straight and thick. As they won’t be too exposed in the finished model, I only cut that area to the proper shape.

The hull stiffening bars were cut to the proper shape.

Using my faithful Micro Files from Hobby Elements, I created a cylindrical shape to the differential cover.

I also slightly drilled out the wheels axles…

…and smoothed the edges of the apertures on the hull sides.

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FEATURE FEA ARTICLE

Tamiya 1:35 scale German Assault Pioneer Team & Goliath • Kit No. 35357 KFS Miniatures 1:35 scale U.S. Goliath Rider Figure • Kit No. 35-007

Gluing the parts together took just a few moments. In fact, more time was required to prepare them for the assembly. This model is a true ‘shake-n-bake’.

Tamiya designers have a habit of ignoring those details that will be hardly noticeable in the finished kit, whilst I am used to adding those that may just be discernable. Using lengths of styrene rod, I scratch build the turnbuckles that fix the idlers.

The engine covers fasteners were made from bits of 0.2 mm styrene sheet.

The track assembly was not complicated, although some attention was necessary. I recommend gluing them all at once, and not to first fix the lengths of tracks to the idlers and sprocket. The entire track runs are slightly larger than they should be, so if you attach the subsequent track lengths one after another, at the very end of this process you may have trouble with fitting the final length.

As I’d mentioned before, to realize my vignette idea, I had to open the main access panel. I therefore didn’t glue the upper hull part to the rest of the kit, as this way it was easier to drill a number of apertures near the edges of the hatch.

To cut out the basic shape of the latter, I pulled a fretsaw blade through one of the holes.

If I didn’t make any modifications, the entire construction wouldn’t take longer than an hour.

The next step involved tedious work with metal files. Once the modified upper hull section had been ready, I cast it in resin.

The model was now ready to have some paint applied.

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PAINTING

I started with a primer coat of Tamiya XF-1 ‘Flat Black’.

Next, I airbrushed a layer of AK-Interactive RC061 ‘Dunkelgelb’.

The highlights were added using AK-Interactive RC046 ‘Ivory’, which was gradually mixed with ever-increasing quantities of RC004 ‘Flat White’. Worth noting is that instead of creating the typical zenital light effect, I went for subtle spotlight, i.e. I simulated the light mainly falling from the above, and also at the front and side of the object, simultaneously, albeit to a lesser extent.

Selected edges and details were brush-painted with Vallejo’s 70883 ‘Silvergrey’ and 72001 ‘Dead White’ in order to create stronger contrast.

To bring out the details, I applied a mixture of ABT002 ‘Sepia’ oil and ABT113 ‘Fast Dry Thinner from 502 Abteilung, which was used as both the wash and filter.

For obvious reasons, a Goliath could not become a war weary combat veteran, so the weathering had to be quite restrained. However, the typical exploitation and further fun rides made by the Yankees surely had some impact on the paint layer of the ‘beetle tank’. I firstly took the advantage of the previous application of Ammo MIG-2010 ‘Scratches Effect Fluid’ that had been sprayed over the black primer. I dampened a brush with AK-Interactive AK582 ‘Decal Adapter’ and purposely damaged the paint layer on the tracks, wheels and some exposed edges of the vehicle.

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FEATURE ARTICLE

Tamiya 1:35 scale German Assault Pioneer Team & Goliath • Kit No. 35357 KFS Miniatures 1:35 scale U.S. Goliath Rider Figure • Kit No. 35-007

The effect was enhanced using a very fine brush and a mixture of Vallejo 70861 ‘Glossy Black’ and AK-Interactive AK711 ‘Chipping Colour’.

The most exposed edges were rubbed with 8B pencil in order to add some metallic sheen.

For obvious reasons, a Goliath “could not become a war weary

combat veteran, so the weathering had to be quite restrained...

”

Once I’d installed the drum with a length of control cable, I could attach the rear panel that I’d painted in red and white stripes. The Goliath was now finished.

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FIGURE Inspired by numerous photos depicting Allied soldiers having fun during the Panzer rodeo, i.e. riding the captured Goliaths, I decided to save the excellent Tamiya figures of German engineers for other projects and create a figure of a US Navy mechanic who had been photographed on one of Normandy beaches.

Next, I added the arms, again wrapping small amounts of epoxy putty around the wire skeleton.

The hands were adjusted to the Goliath’s remote control.

The head was sculpted from a mixture of Magic Sculp and Green Stuff and equipped with a helmet found in my spare part stash.

I first made a mannequin from lengths of wire and a small amount of Magic Sculp two-part epoxy putty.

Whilst building up the overall trousers, I had to test fit the figure to the vehicle several times, in order to ensure it could be seated without problems.

Afterwards, I created the remaining parts of the uniform and various details.

As I’d planned to release the figure under my KFS-miniatures label (ref. 35-007 ‘U.S. Goliath Rider’), I had to prepare it for the casting process. I thought that casting the head and hands with remote control as separate parts would be the most reasonable option, so I cut them off.

The figure was primed in black and subsequently airbrushed with a misted application of white paint. This allowed me to check the arrangement of shadows and highlights, which was very helpful given that I wanted to finish the figure in spotlight style.

For the painting process, I used a resin casting.

As you can see, it turned out really well.

I painted the face using the contents of the Lifecolor CS13 ‘Flesh Paint Set’…

…whilst the remaining details were painted with various Vallejo acrylics.

For the shirt and overalls, I used different green and khaki tones from the Lifecolor CS17 ‘WW2 US Army Uniforms Set 1’ and AK-Interactive AK3070 ‘US Army Soldier Uniform Colours’.

Various tones from AK3030 ‘Leather and Buckles Set’ from the Spanish manufacturer, were used to paint the shoes. However, I didn’t pay a lot of attention to this, as they will be hidden inside Goliath’s hull anyway.

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FEATURE ARTICLE

Tamiya 1:35 scale German Assault Pioneer Team & Goliath • Kit No. 35357 KFS Miniatures 1:35 scale U.S. Goliath Rider Figure • Kit No. 35-007

BASE

The basic materials I use for building the bases for At this stage, however, I didn’t yet halve them. Instead, models, are balsa wood and styrodur foam. Their main I dealt with their edges. Using a sharp scalpel blade or a advantage is the ease of cutting and shaping. The first razor blade, I cut them at an angle of circa 45°… step of making a base is to cut two similar pieces of balsa wood that will be used to build a boxed structure.

Two, because when I cut them across, I’ll get two pairs of walls of the same length.

I tend to leave the base side walls in their natural wood colour because it is neutral and does not distract the viewer from the vignette/diorama. However, if someone wishes to stain the walls with a wood dye, I believe that it should be done at this stage. Once the walls are glued together, the wood dye may not stain the surface in an equal manner. With regards to using high-viscosity super glue or wood adhesive, these aren’t good choices for this purpose.

The former aggressively soaks into the wood and stains it, whilst the latter require a long drying time. I therefore used a twopart clear epoxy glue.

…or even more acute. What’s important here is that the edges should fit each other well when the walls are aligned at the correct angle.

I applied this over two chosen edges and quickly checked if more glue isn’t needed, as balsa wood absorbs dense substances like this rather well.

Once I’d marked the cutting edge, which will be eventually become the upper edge of the boxed structure that I was going to build, I halved the balsa pieces. When the walls have different length, I additionally mark which sides should be joined together. In this case, it wasn’t necessary as the walls were square.

Next, I joined two halves of the boxed structure.

During this process, I didn’t care that any glue flows outside, but I did need to keep it flowing along the entire edge, as this ensures that it fills the joint and strengthen the edges of the structure.

This will help to stabilize the entire structure during the sanding process, as once I’d cut off the glue remnants from the edges, the wooden box had to be sanded with coarse sandpaper attached to a piece of wood…

Afterwards, I put the entire box together…

…and prepared a suitable piece of styrodur foam which was subsequently glued within the structure.

...and polishing blocks of 100 and 120 grits.

As balsa wood is quite soft and prone to damage or dirtying, I stained it with a clear gloss varnish. The latter was heavily diluted, allowing for better absorbance, and airbrushed in layers over all the wooden surfaces.

Even when the balsa is stained this way with a gloss varnish, its surfaces become rough.

However, once the varnish dries, the wood becomes quite hard, so we can smoothen the surface with polishing sponges of different grits.

At this stage, I cut out the excess edges of the side walls. In this case, I created a flat base, but you can create any desired shape with the styrodur foam.

The surface of styrodur foam is smooth, so to enhance the adhesion of the substances applied over this, I made numerous cuts which act as a key.

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This allows me to add various products used to form the ground. My first step was to apply a really thin layer which will increase the adhesion of further layers and fill the gaps between the styrodur piece and box structure. My most common choice for this task is Vallejo acrylic paste, which includes sand.

To create the sandy beach texture, I mixed two acrylic pastes, ie. Vallejo 26219 ‘Brown Earth’ and AK-Interactive AK8014 ‘Concrete’, and a small amount of fine quartz sand.

I distributed the mixture over the surface.

Before it fully dries, I smoothed this by tapping the surface with a flat brush…

…and subsequently imprinted the vehicle tracks. To avoid dirtying the latter during this process, I wrapped it with aluminium foil.

Using a leg which had broken off an old figure, I also imprinted the shoe tracks in sand.

I then weighted the model for the drying process.

To add more interest to the surface, I attached some tiny pieces of wood and vegetation mat from Polák Model. For this purpose, I used Ammo MIG-2012 ‘Sand and Gravel Glue’.

The Goliath was glued to the ground with AD25 ‘Scatter Grip’ from Deluxe Materials.

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FEATURE ARTICLE

Tamiya 1:35 scale German Assault Pioneer Team & Goliath • Kit No. 35357 KFS Miniatures 1:35 scale U.S. Goliath Rider Figure • Kit No. 35-007

Modelspec Tamiya 1:35 scale German Assault Pioneer Team & Goliath. Kit No. 35357 KFS Miniatures 1:35 scale U.S. Goliath Rider Figure.

Kit No. 35-007 Tools and Modelling Products: Tamiya Extra Thin Cement Various glues from Deluxe Materials Styrene sheet and rod Hobby Elements Micro Files Vallejo and AK-Interactive acrylic pastes Balsa wood Styrodur foam

The figure was fixed with high viscosity super glue.

Paints and Finishing Products: Paints: • Tamiya (acrylic) • Lifecolor • Vallejo • AK-Interactive (Acrylic and Real Colors ranges) Mr.Paint Clear Varnishes 8B Pencil 502 Abteilung ABT002 Sepia oil paint 502 Abteilung ABT113 Fast Dry Thinner AK-Interactive AK582 Decal Adapter Ammo MIG weathering products: • A.MIG-2010 Scratches Effect Fluid • A.MIG-2012 Sand and Gravel Glue ✓ Straightforward build; interesting subject; link and length tracks; includes crew figures. ✗ Hull stiffening bars too straight and thick.

Available from Thanks to Tamiya for the sample www.tamiya.com Tamiya kits are distributed in the UK by The Hobby Company Limited www.hobbyco.net

Rating

basic materials I use “forThebuilding the bases for models, are balsa wood and styrodur foam...

”

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FEATURE ARTICLE

Dragon 1:35 Panther II • Kit No. 6027

FANTASY FA

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FACTORY

John Bonanni converts Dragon’s classic Panther II to a hypothetical air defence platform.

B

uilding a paper Panzer offers a modeller the freedom to ignore virtually all historical accuracy rules.

I had freedom to make this vehicle completely my own.

As soon as I saw the Paper Panzer Productions (PPP) Heimdall radar turret I knew I wanted to build it. I went back and forth between using a Panther or King Tiger hull. Both were similar in shape and size, but offered different appearances. I settled on a Panther II, which is a happy medium. For this hull I choose the old Dragon Panther II option. Minor dimension inaccuracies and fixed torsion bars were of no consequence. I wasn’t in rivet counting mode and didn’t want to articulate the suspension.

Additionally, an E-50 or E-75 chassis can serve as a mount as well, I just didn’t have one in the stash!

Construction began by adding periscopes to the driver’s and radio operator’s positions and attaching the rear hull. Next, the upper and lower hulls were mated with Tamiya Extra Thin liquid cement. I added the inner row of road wheels for easier handling, I didn’t want to worry about damaging the lower hull when sliding the vehicle about during the painting process. All of the tools were replaced with updated versions from Tamiya, Rye Field Models, and Dragon’s Smart Panther G. The kit provides photoetch (PE) deck screes, but I opted for Aber replacements, which had a much finer mesh. Final hull details added to the vehicle included wire hatch handles, track hanging hooks, and tow clevises. I first attempted to use standard Panther track hanging brackets, but the Tiger II transport tracks are too thick. At this point the older style crimp together Friulmodel metal Tiger II transport tracks were assembled. I didn’t mind the crimp together assembly, but it is absolutely critical to know how many links are needed per side and to not add unnecessary links. Once crimped, it is nearly impossible to remove a link without permanently damaging the attachment gates. A

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FEATURE ARTICLE

Dragon 1:35 Panther II • Kit No. 6027

B FRANKENSTEIN The PPP Heimdall turret comprises only a few pieces of crisply cast light tan and grey resin. Reviewing the pieces revealed no air bubbles or warped areas enabling quick assembly. A variety of boxes and sight apparatuses are provided allowing the modeler to choose the turrets configuration. The rooftop sensors were placed similar to the box art, but I decided to only add one box to the turrets left side. I assumed it was an auxiliary power unit for the radar. The other to identical boxes were not used and placed in the spares box. Copper wire was provided for the turret lifting loops, which were bent and fixed with CA.

The turret has the flexibility to be mounted on any Panther, King Tiger, or E-Series hull. The Panther II hull supported the turret well and the composition looked right.

Sensor apertures, grey resin, were placed similar to the box art configuration.

PAYING HOMAGE The tried and true primer step was accomplished with a generic home improvement store brand of black aerosol paint. The ease of application and durability of the paints make it my preferred method. After letting dry overnight the surface was inspected to find areas that needed fixed before adding the base coat. Fortunately, there were no glaring faults and it was onto to the next step.

I followed some logic during this build in places and using a green base coat was one such place.

During 1944 the Germans ordered all vehicles being manufactured to switch from a Dunkelgelb base coat to Olivegrun. Knowing this and the vehicles intent to be used in 1946, I mixed several shades of olive green for trial. Mixing white with green will bleach the colour and make it appear cloudy. I prefer using XF- Buff or XF- Flesh, which create much richer tones.

Having several shades of green I began painting the vehicle in the modulation method. Modulation is certainly an artistic way of finishing a model. Tonal gradients on large surfaces and dissimilar detail colours lend this techniques be called cartoonish or unrealistic.

Personally, I love it for certain vehicles and it can bring an otherwise dull subject to life.

Turret lifting loops were added using the provided copper wire, which fits perfectly into the locating holes.

Tall rider! The vehicle provides are large silhouette creating easy target for prowling allied tanks.

Adding updated Dragon tools was an easy decision when compared to the original kit tools.

Despite their age the Friulmodel metal tracks were easy to assemble and are very durable.

You are given the option to have one turret hatch, in grey resin, to be fixed open or closed. The large box on the left side of the turret is visible which I assume would be an auxiliary power unit.

Aber photo-etch screens replaced the older Dragon option provided in the kit; the mesh was tighter and appears more to scale.

Spare tracks were hung using spare King Tiger hooks. I initially tried using traditional Panther brackets but the thickness of the tracks prevent the locking pin from being inserted fully.

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The key is trusting the process.

At first the model will look ridiculous, there’s no other way to put it. However, after applying the camouflage scheme and weathering layers the vehicle will achieve harmony.

Keeping that mindset I began by applying a uniform dark green tone from my colour palette. This layer will serve as the shadow layer and ensure all cracks and crevices are covered. Next, a slightly lighter green tone was airbrushed from varying angles to begin the gradual shift to light green. This step was repeated two more times to ensure the tonal gradient was perfectly blended. Small details were selectively masked off and painted in the three lighter shades of green. These details don’t require a gradient shift and a solitary colour will suffice.

From the moment I started this project I had a camouflage scheme in mind. One of my favourite models that continues to inspire me is Tony Greenland’s Panther II. Published in 1996 in his book Panzer Modelling Masterclass the vehicle was one of the first to start the paper panzer craze. Its striking scheme with altered circles used for an ambush pattern was such an eye catching approach. I liked the scheme so much I first used it on a Flakpanzer E-100 over 15 years ago. This time I was going to forgo the ambush circles.

After the camouflage scheme was complete the entire model received several thin coats of X-22 Clear and allowed to sit overnight.

Next, markings were added using water slide decals taken from the spares box. A coat of Micro Set was added before decal application followed by Micro Sol to make the decal form around details. Several more very thin coats, 5:1 thinner to paint ratio, coats of Clear readied the model for weathering. A

A solid black coat of primer unified the models finish and highlighted any areas that needed fixed.

The three forward facing radomes were painted in a grey colour similar to the noses of modern fighter jets.

After masking the radomes with Tamiya tape, the model received a uniform coat of XF- Olive Green.

I know what you’re thinking. “That doesn’t look realistic at all!” You’re right, but with the addition of a camouflage pattern and weathering these highlighted panels will add subtle colour shifts to bring attention to certain details.

Panels were selectively masked an airbrushed in lighter tones of the base colour to create the modulated finish.

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FEATURE ARTICLE

Dragon 1:35 Panther II • Kit No. 6027

A dark colour mix of Tamiya XF-1 Flat Black and XF-64 Red Brown served as the base track colour.

B BRINGING IT TOGETHER

The first camouflage colour added was Dunkelgelb, which was a mix of 1:1 XF-55 Deck to XF-60 Dark Yellow. The colour appears bright, which is due to it being applied over a dark base colour.

The colour combination and pattern was inspired by Tony Greenland’s Panther II, a model featured in his classic book Panzer Modelling Masterclass.

Already after applying the camouflage colours the modulated base coat begins to tone down. The brown colour was a mix of Red Brown and few drops of XF-8 Flat Blue.

Details begin to pop with the addition of Wilder’s Deep Shadow Wash.

To further blend the camouflage colours and unify the model’s tone a filter of Winsor & Newton Vandyke Brown thinned with Turpenoid was added with a wide bristled brush. This layer was allowed to fully cure for 24 hours.

The extended drying time of oils is a disadvantage, but it is important to ensure the filter is completely cured before proceeding to the wash stage. If not, the wash may attack the uniform filter and cause a ripple effect similar to a rock being tossed into a placid pond.

This effect will essentially ruin the uniform finish and require additional blending. Once cured, a dark wash of Wilder’s Deep Shadow Wash was applied to deepen the model’s shadows. I choose Wilder’s product because I thought the slight purple hue of the wash complimented the vehicles colours.

Excess wash removed after 10 minutes with a brush dampened with Turpenoid.

Chipping started by using a generic packing sponge loaded with thinned AMMO by Mig 033 Rubber & Tires. Thinning the paint before application will keep the sponge from clumping up with paint. The loaded sponge wash dabbed off the model several times to remove excess paint before going to the model. All of the edges and areas of high traffic were chipped using the sponge.

If unwanted chips were created the paint was allowed to fully dry and then a sharp toothpick was used to remove it. The process was repeated using lightened camouflage colours, which added dimensionality.

All vehicles become dirty once in the field and Paper Panzers are no exception. The dust and mud process began by using AK015 Dust Effects to achieve rain streaks along the vehicles vertical surfaces. First, the enamel product was brush on in thin lines, overdoing this step is not an issue because the enamel product can easily be removed. Next, a clean damp brush was used to blend the lines with a streaking motion. If the process is too faint, this step can be repeated multiple times to achieve the desired effect.

Horizontal surfaces received the same enamel colour, but application and blending differed.

First, dust was painted around details to simulate accumulation followed by blending in a stumping motion. This two part process was repeated again using AK016 Fresh Mud for damp areas, mainly around the turret ring and engine deck.

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Micro chipping around the hatches and edges was in large part Subtle horizontal streaks of oil paints colours similar to the base accomplished with sponge. A few chips were added with a brush to tie tones create the appearance of paint fading. certain areas together.

I have never seen a German vehicle identification number starting with seven so I decided why not. They were pulled from the spares box, but came from a Hobby Boss kit.

At this point the turret has been chipped. I follow Mike Rinaldi’s saying, “no chip is too small.”

Darker earth tones were added to the turret ring area that will never be seen, but I know they are there!

Vehicle tools were first painted in an assortment of acrylic paints followed by oils to add depth and grain to the wood details.

More layers of dirt and grime further blend the modulated panels to a palatable appearance. Don’t worry, there’s more to go.

Multiple layers of rust tones built up the rust effect on the exhaust pipes. I prefer using Life Color because they dry dead flat. This effect was accomplished by building up tones from light to dark.

Subtle weathering on the front hull armour plate.

GRIME TIME Heavier weathering commenced with a thick layer of mud added to the lower hull. This step is anything but clean and tidy, I masked off my entire bench with a garbage bag because the pigment mix goes everywhere despite having a backdrop. A combination of earth toned pigments, enamel effects, and dry plaster were mixed together and loaded onto a brush. Having the airbrush spraying 25 psi (2 Bar), the brush was unloaded, by spraying it with the empty airbrush, off the model until the speckling was determined to be in scale before moving onto the model. Layer by layer the

mud was built up, more enamel effects and pigment was added to further enhance the mud’s tonal differences. When I applied the mix near the top of the lower hull, the upper hull was masked off. Any stray mud speckles were removed with a damp brush. Mud was not added to the edges of the upper hull with such brute force. Instead, an old brush was used to flick the mud mix on by hand. Again, a damp brush removed any unwanted specks of mud. Pigments were applied dry over the upper surfaces of the vehicle and were fixed by speckling enamel thinner overtop.

The speckling creates a subtle random effect that makes the dust

layer look more natural. Darker pigments were added to areas prone to dirt build up and fixed in the same speckling manner.

An effect I have always been hesitant to try is adding wet effects to the vehicle. Adam Wilder has perfected this technique and I decided this model would be my ice breaker. I choose to use a product specifically designed for this technique AMMO 2015 Wet Effects, but any gloss varnish will do as well. A stirring rod was used to remove the solution and place it on a clean palette next to enamel thinner. I worked with multiple viscosities to achieve different effects. Heavier mixes, 1:2 thinner

to Wet Effect, was used to create large damp areas around details and streaking water marks. Lighter mixes, 2:1 thinner to Wet Effect, was speckled over the vehicle to replicate faint damp areas. Similar to Wet Effects is AK 084 Engine Oil, which is a dark glossy enamel product. To add opacity to the solution Winsor & Newton Mars Black was added before the mix was applied selectively around the engine deck and several road wheels. The last few steps included: painting the periscopes with Tamiya X-19 Smoke, adding wear around hatches and edges with a graphite pencil, and attaching the tracks. A

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FEATURE ARTICLE

Dragon 1:35 Panther II • Kit No. 6027

B FUN IN FANTASY LAND This project was a fun departure from the day in and day out historical realm of scale model building. The outlandish hypothetical turret created the perfect starting point for an off the wall vehicle. Could it have existed? Maybe, but who cares.

I had a blast with Paper Panzer Productions creation, which gave me the opportunity to add my own design twist to German armoured vehicles. Additionally, the project allowed me to explore different techniques I was always resistant to try. This was my first Paper Panzer in sometime and certainly won’t be the last. n

Modelspec Dragon 1:35 Panther II. Kit No. 6027 Additional Products: • PPP35025 Radar und KDO40 Turm Heimdall • Dragon Tools • Tamiya Tools • Fruilmodelisimo Tiger II Transport Tracks • Aber Photo-etch

Is it just me, or does the turret look like a Koala’s head?

Tools and Materials Used: • Tamiya Extra Thin Liquid Cement • Tamiya Tape • Copper Wire • Iwata HP-C Airbrush Paints and Finishing Products: • AK Interactive Enamels – Engine Oil, Fresh Mud, Earth effects • AK Interactive Pigments – European Earth • AK Interactive Oil Paint – Rust • AMMO by Mig Jimenez Acrylic Colours – Rubber & Tires • Mig Productions Pigments – Black • Windsor Newton Oil Paints – Vandyke Brown, Mars Black • Tamiya Acrylics – Clear, Red Brown, Medium Blue, Olive Green, Cockpit Green, Dark Yellow, Deck Tan • Tamiya X-20A Thinner • LifeColour Acrylics – Burned Rust, Corroded Rust, Streaking Rust • LifeColour Pigments – Eroding Burned Rust, Oxidation Rust • Humbrol Enamel Thinner • Turpenoid • Vallejo Acrylics – Khaki, Leather Brown • Vallejo Textures – Dark Earth • Wilder – Brown Rust Speckling Effect, Deep Shadow Wash ✓ PPP turret.

Building a paper Panzer offers a modeller the freedom to ignore virtually all historical accuracy rules.

✗ Dragon hull details.

Available from Distributed in the UK by The Hobby Company Limited www.hobbyco.net and are available from all good model shops Worldwide.

Rating

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A view of the turret rear.

PPP Heimdall turret “The comprises only a few pieces of crisply cast light tan and grey resin...

�

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KIT PREVIEW

Meng 1:35 Sd. Kfz.173 Jagpanther Ausf. G1 • Kit No. TS-039

Luke Pitt is impressed with Meng’s latest German WWII release, a 1:35 scale Jagdpanther Ausf. G1

The modest decal sheet.

The multi-part lower hull.

JAGDPANTHER WITH THE WORKS

P

robably the most aesthetically pleasing of all the German tank destroyers, the Jagpanther has been released before by many companies and in many different scales.

Meng’s brand new kit is presented in a crowded box with a first class illustration adorning the lid. A well printed and precise 21-page instruction book is included with 33 construction sequences and 4 marking choices.

The whole kit has a quality feel.

1,490 sand colored plastic parts are supplied over ten sprues, together with three photo-etched parts over two frets and one medium sized decal sheet together with two strands of wire. A big proportion of the massive parts count is made from the individual tracks, which take up 684 parts over three sprues.

Comparisons between this and the various other 1:35 scale kits of this type are inevitable, as are the different design and assembly approaches. The selling point with this kit is that you can make any of the mainstream versions straight out of the box; and price. Some of the options include a monobloc gun with a rear turned aluminium barrel that offers two different versions; three different gun collars (a fourth is included but not used); two different gun mantlets; three different hull MG armour covers with a third one not mentioned, hinting at a G2 to come; a choice of

cast or welded bump stops for the first road wheels and, lastly, four different exhaust configurations, including the late version with flame dampener.

Each track link features one main part and two separate hollowed out guide horns. The approach is probably the best solution that combines simplicity in construction with full and accurate detail.

The lower hull tub is supplied as a four-piece flat pack assembly.

Two clever “T” piece parts are glued to the base and sides to ensure this assembly is square.

The upper hull is also very clever as the part (B3) is generic and is used right across Meng’s Panther family of vehicles with the specific engine grilles and sides, top and front plates being supplied for the vehicle it represents. In this case, the front armored plate with its cut-outs is fitted first, followed by the side armor and then the rear armored plates.

A lot of thought has gone into this kit and the sensible use of photoetch is noteworthy. Take for example the Schürzen support ledge that runs the full length of the vehicle. Other manufactures have seen fit to supply this as an overly thick plastic part. Not so Meng. They provide this in photo-etch, which achieves scale thickness. The hull sides are also moulded with a slight raised portion to attach the supplied skirts effortlessly. The whole kit

is like this. Every effort has been made to make the build as painless as possible while still steadfastly adhering to accuracy.

MARKINGS Marking choices are: • A late G in a three tone camouflage of Dark Yellow, Dark Green and Red Brown from s.Pz. Jg.Abt. 559 that took part in the Battle of Ruhr pocket in March of 1945 • An early G in a three tone camouflage of Dark Yellow, Dark Green and Red Brown from s.Pz. Jg.Abt. that was located in Western France in 1944 • An early G in a three tone camouflage of Dark Yellow, Dark Green and Red Brown from s.Pz. Jg.Abt. that was located at Normandy France in 1944 • A late G in a three tone camouflage of Dark Yellow, Red Brown and White from s.Pz.Jg.Abt. located in the Ardennes in 1944.

The funny thing is, the only photo of the final one I could find has a group of three knocked out vehicles in a two tone scheme of sand and brown, but admittedly this photo was taken well after the battle so, maybe the white wash white had come off by then.

Meng’s Panther family are all based on the same upper hull shell.

The separate forward hull panel.

Two of the three mantlet options.

CONCLUSION You may ask, what would persuade me to buy this kit? Well if you don’t already have a Jagpanther in your collection, this one is probably the best of all the offerings out there today. You won’t need anything in the way of aftermarket to add as, it’s already there.

If you do have a Jagdpanther in your collection with no aftermarket, then this also will be a good option as an upgrade. ■

The well-detailed road wheels.

Thanks to Meng for the sample www.meng-model.com The kit’s clear parts.

The two photo-etched frets and lengths of wire.

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The late-style track links feature to separate hollow guide teeth.

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BUILD REVIEW

Dragon 1:35 Kugelblitz • Kit No. 6889

TRACKED FLA

A

few months ago now the Editor, via The Hobby Company, was kind enough to send me this new Dragon kit for review.

I am rather partial to tracked artillery of any type, especially when the turret looks like it should be on the Millennium Falcon, so this just had to be built. First impressions are very good, but you only get the true picture when you start sticking pieces together. However, one thing that you learn with Dragon kits is to study the instructions so, before we get started, let me first point out what I found.

INSTRUCTIONS The instructions to this kit are well-drawn and generally easy to follow. It does not suffer from multiple versions so, by Dragon standards, is rather uncluttered.

That said, Dragon kits are infamous for having bloopers present and this kit is no exception. Here are the errors that I found: a) In Step 1 we are asked to build six lifting hooks but only two are required. Just assemble two lots of ‘E’, parts A51 & 53. b) In Step 5, we are asked to open holes in the front glacis, part B8.

This is a ‘Cut and Paste’ from

previous kits because although we get three individual track links on Sprue Q to fill these holes, Dragon do not see fit to gives us the other spare links to fill the rack on the front glacis. Rather annoyingly then we get the mounts, but not the track links. c) In Step 9, Dragon give us a spare aerial to fit to the hull side. This is another ‘Cut and Paste’ from previous kits as this part is shown nowhere else within the instructions or on the box CAD artwork. d) Next up is an omission. Part G53 looks to be travel lock for one of the gun barrels but it is not called

out anywhere in the instructions. It is on the box-top artwork, but not in the CAD pictures, although the mount for it is clearly there on the new hull top. e) Another omission is that on Sprue G we get four sets of what appear to be seats although they are not called out in the instructions. On the sprue layout drawings these parts are not even on the artwork for that, so were they designed after the instructions were drawn? It may be possible that Dragon plan another ‘corrected’ version but it is not apparent from any of the parts

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LAK

Graham Tetley builds Dragon’s recent 1:35 scale IJN Special Type 4 ‘Ka-Tsu’ Here, you can see the front fillets standing proud.

Lower hull finished.

Close-up of the idler assembly.

The transmission fixed in place.

New front glacis parts.

Roadwheel detail.

The beautiful bow machine gun.

Those fender springs are gorgeous.

The new upper hull with some fixings added.

where these seats could go. It is times like these that I regret not picking up the appropriate Nuts & Bolts book when they are plentiful!

LET CONSTRUCTION COMMENCE – THE LOWER HULL As is normal with Dragon these days, this kit is a mix ‘n’ match of existing sprues from various past releases melded with some newly tooled sprues. In this case we get new parts for the hull top, sides & glacis as well as the turret.

I have built several Dragon Panzer IVs in the past and, if you have as well, this will hold no surprises. Steps 1 to 7 deal with the

sprockets, idlers and running gear, plus attaching this all to the lower hull. I find this the most tedious part of any Panzer IV but you will be pleased to know that it all goes together with no problems. The only real fit problem that I had was that the lower hull tub was slightly warped at the back, but the fit of the rear hull plate part B1 is so precise that this straightened out any warpage. One area that you will need to modify though is where the front lower hull fillets parts B10 & B11 fit to the hull. When attached, they stand proud of the rest of the hull side so that the transmission housings Parts A12 will not sit

flush. I filed the fillets flat to the rest of the hull to get a good fit.

It is good that the rear idler parts are moveable as the DS Tracks provided are too loose. It would be best to chop two links from each side and glue it all together. I have used the kit tracks here because it is an out of the box build, but I confess that they will reside in the bin as soon as my individual link replacement tracks arrive.

We then get to the upper hull where you have to modify the fenders by removing the Schurzen mounts but thankfully that is all. I can report that the fenders need no further modification and all

tools & fender stowage fits with no additional filling or drilling. We get a lovely bow MG34 which fills a space underneath the open hatch.

There are no issues with the new hull together than a little flash had to be trimmed from the rear to allow Part C4 to sit flush. We get some metal wire to make the tow cables and these are supposed to wrap around the supports on the rear plate. Although here I have built it as the kit intended, these plastic supports Parts A52 are too flimsy to hold the wire. I have previously replaced them with steel pins bent to shape and replaced the cable with kite string. A

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BUILD REVIEW

Dragon 1:35 Kugelblitz • Kit No. 6889

Fine etched chain for the jack block.

Work starts on the turret interior.

Note the solid brackets for the wiring.

A Jabo's eye view.

Er, where do the guns go?

Here we see the junction box in place.

The first lot of turret subassemblies.

The turret roof test-fit into place.

Gun, chutes & ammo boxes in place.

B THE TURRET Here is where this kit gets fun!

As noted above, I spent some time studying the instructions before starting construction. This is a complicated assembly, not because Dragon have made it so but because the original has many shapes and Dragon, to their credit, have tried to replicate everything in minute detail. There are many tiny, fragile, parts here so take your time. This turret is a collection of sub-assemblies. Now I generally followed the instructions but, by doing so, they caused me some fit problems later.

We kick off with assembly of the two sides of the ball turret and the

mounts that fix them to the turret ring. No problems so far. In Step 14 we attach all the junction boxes to the inner walls and Dragon provide us with a wiring diagram and some fine copper wire. The idea here is that we can wire it all up, but there are two problems: 1) Even with the top hatches open very little of this wiring is visible.

2) Several brackets are moulded to the inner walls, but they are solid.

The wiring diagram shows the wiring going through these solid plastic lumps, so if you do wire it up it is best to carve off these brackets.

I decided to skip the wiring because most of it will not be

Second set of subassemblies ready.

visible and I felt that the effort wasn’t worth it. Also, the copper wire is somewhat inflexible, so I was ready to use 5-amp fuse wire instead. In Step 15 we are asked to fit the access hatches to the turret centre piece but do not do this – leave them separate for now.

Next up are the guns and here is where you will need silence and a beer or two to aid assembly.

The problem stems from the fact that the breech assemblies fit into the one-part cradle part G12 and there are no positive location aids in that cradle. Added to that, the ammunition chutes G51 & 52 and boxes have very poor connection points and how they fit is not

apparent until you join the two halves of the ball turret together. I hope that my fumbling and cursing here saves you some effort.

Spanning Steps 15 to 17 here is what I recommend you do: a) Build the breeches and gun barrels in Step 15 but leave off the multi-part collars parts D8. b) Build the ammunition chutes but leave off the sub-assemblies that hang from them – Parts G47, 48, 56 & 64. Attach the ammunition boxes to the end of the chutes and leave to dry overnight. The reason for this is that they need to hang down from the chutes which have to be affixed firmly in place first. c) Complete Step 16 but leave off

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The main gun sleeve assembled.

The turret now taking shape.

The three-part sleeves and the gaps.

One barrel in place...

Closed up and in place.

Two barrels in place - and at an angle. Grr!

I can picture Chewbacca in this!

Nearing completion with the guns now enclosed.

You can leave the hatches off.

This is where the gun cradle goes.

Finis!

the spent ammunition trays parts G22 & 23 and the cradle covers Parts G15, 16 and 45. Do not glue the guns to the cradle but slide the barrels through part G24. d) Here is the important bit so that you can get the guns level and not (like mine) pointing at different angles (GRRR!). Join the two halves of the ball turret together and attach the two curved shields parts G13 & 14. Now you will see where the ammo boxes fit to the ball turret as there are slots in each lower half. Glue them in place and leave it all to dry. e) Now you can glue the multipart and very fiddly collars Parts G54 to the gun barrels. Let these dry

and, once ready, you can glue them to the curved shield Part G14. f) Now, and only now, can you centre the gun barrels in the collars. Glue the breaches to the cradle and wiggle them around whilst the glue is setting to get the barrels straight & true.

For giving us absolutely zero location guides for the guns and creating lots more work unnecessarily, thanks Dragon.

Would it really have been too much work & cost to mould a couple of pins and corresponding holes in the appropriate parts?

Rant over with, the rest of the turret can be glued together, I had to do a little bit of trimming on part

G19 to get it to fit the ball turret, but generally it went together well.

You will need to clean up the turret ring in the upper hull as it has a nasty mould seam that stops the turret fitting flush. A few swipes with sandpaper soon fixed it.

And there we are – one completed Kugelblitz.

CONCLUSION This is a good, sound, kit but I would not recommend it for beginners. That turret tested my patience at times, but Dragon has done a superb job in replicating this Kugelblitz. In their defence, I can see no other way to replicate the level of detail without breaking

it down into many tiny pieces, but I just wish that they would take more care over the instructions.

Don’t let my criticisms above put you off, this is one of Dragon’s better efforts and really rather good. The lower hull is sound and will cause no problems, but for the turret you have to plan ahead, test fit over and over again, and just take your time.

It looks the part, detail plentiful & crisp, and assembly is generally quite precise. I can’t give it 10/10, but it is certainly worthy of an 8.5.

Thank you to the Hobby Company for providing me with the review kit. ■

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1:48 Scale – A round-up of the latest news and releases

N

PLASTIC THINGS I’D LIKE TO SEE IN 1:48 SCALE

owI know this has been said many times before, but I’ll open up the debate again.

Tamiya is now a mere five kits away from their 100th 1:48 scale military kit. Let that sink in. 95 plastic 1:48 scale military kits! That’s quite something to be honest. And I am constantly amazed at the quantity of their releases. However, I believe there are a few large gaps that still need to be filled. Let me first discuss figures.

As we all know, the sheer quality and posing of Tamiya’s current range of 1:35 scale figures is outstanding. What I’d like to see is some of these be scaled down to 1:48 scale and to released as separate sets. A lot of modellers simply don’t like resin. Many are put off by the price and others quite simply have no experience with the medium itself.

I have seen a slow acceptance of the scale over the years and I am pleased to see some quite prominent modellers giving the scale a go - in most cases singing its phrases. There are some who steadfastly resist and I quite frankly get where their coming from. The sheer volume of new 1:35 scale (and indeed 1:72 and 1:76 scales) releases

is mind boggling. So it would seem for them, a switch in scales is often pointless.

I do however ask myself , “surely they can’t release another one of those”, but they do, and in some cases the same subject from different manufacturers. This makes me wonder whatever happens to the old kits of the various types that that have been replaced. Are modellers throwing them out? We in the 1:48 scale community don’t have that luxury so often it has to me asking the question what I’d like to see in plastic from our beloved scale.

For me, the tank transporter is a major gap. I ‘d love to see a Dragon Wagon or Scammell Tank transporter in 1:48 scale.

Even a Russian MAZ would tickle my fancy. These would be big enough to detail yet small enough to display and complete in a reasonable about of time something you really claim in 1:35 scale and yes, I have a few in my stash! As far as military vehicles are concerned, I’d like to see an M3 Grant or Lee, M-18 Hellcat or even a US Half Track.

In the modern arena I’d like to see an M551 Sheridan because I like the shape of the thing, but more importantly, because it was used from the Vietnam right through to the Gulf War and included some really cool versions used in the Fort Knox Armour Training Centre. The colour schemes and conversion potential for this vehicle are enormous. How about an S Tank? Wow that would be cool in 1:48 scale. Yes I know that Aurora and Tamiya did one years ago, but brother do I like the shape of the thing! Okay guys, I’ll open this up to you the readers. What do you think?

Until next time!

CORSAR REX

1:48 SCALE SOVIET TANK CREWMEN ITEMS NO. CR48031 AND CR48032

Hot on the heels of their superlative US Paratroops comes a further set of four Soviet tank crew figures from Corsar Rex. Two will be reviewed this month and two next month.

I am a big fan of all the 1:48 scale figures released by Corsar Rex as they are different and done to and incredibly high standard.

The first figure up for review is Item No. CR48031 depicting a Soviet tank crewman stretching with his hand on his back. The sculpt is masterfully done with all the fabric folds done to perfection. The head is also noteworthy as it has real character to it.

The second figure is well done as well but the pose is a bit of a mystery. I think he may be eating something, nevertheless without the arms, the base figure with all its wonderful detail will lend itself to many configurations.

Basically you could use these two from any period from 1940s to the late 1970s as the Soviet Tank overalls didn’t change much over that period.

Highly Recommended.

Thanks to Corsar Rex for the review samples http://corsarrex.com Luke Pitt

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TETRA MODEL WORKS 1:48 SCALE TYPE 10 DETAIL UP SET ITEM NO. ME-48001

This set is intended for the recently released Tamiya kit (item 32588) and, like the Abrams set reviewed last month, comes with a two-page colour instruction sheet.

More than 75 detailed photo-etched parts are included on the fret as well as a pre-cut thin black rubber-like material for the lower dust shields.

The etch includes all the mesh for the turret basket and engine outlets as well as some nifty headlight guards. Other parts updated with this set include the machine gun with an ammunition box and sights, all the various tie down littered on the hull, thermal site boxes and dust shield brackets.

The inclusion of the rubber like material for the lower portion of the dust shields is innovative and to be host I ‘ve never really seen this done before.

The material is ultra-thin and very flexible so it will be interesting to see how it performs when attached to the vehicle.

I like the idea as it’s different and it shows remarkable innovation.

Comparisons will be made to the Hauler set for the same vehicle and that is justifiable. I can say both are very well done and complete for what they are.

Either set will add that certain something and come highly recommended.

Highly Recommended.

Our thanks go out to Tetra Model Works for providing the review sample http://www.tetramodel.co.kr Luke Pitt

HAULER

1:48 SCALE JAPANESE STEEL PILLBOX ITEM NO. HLS48018

A unique feature of Japanese fortifications on Betio at Tarawa was the presence of prefabricated steel pillboxes left over from the Russo-Japanese War. These were hexagonal in plan, measured about 9' (2.7m) across the bottom and tapered to the top, and were just over 8' (2.4m) high. They had double walls 0.25" (6mm) thick with the layers spaced a foot (30 cm) apart and the space filled with sand. They were used as company command posts but also housed two heavy machine guns.

Many of these have been released in 1:35 scale but this is the first that I know of in 1:48. The kit comprises eleven very well cast resin parts (six sides, four end bars and one top). The raised rivets are masterfully done and are of the correct size and shape. A medium sized photo-etch fret that includes the machine gun ports, sliding doors and a raft of smaller fittings on the outside of the structure itself is included.

A double sided instruction sheet rounds out the package. This would be an outstanding back drop for any world War Two Pacific diorama or indeed a small vignette. Our thanks go out to Hauler for providing the review sample.

Highly Recommended.

Thanks to Hauler for the sample www.hauler.cz Luke Pitt

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KIT PREVIEW

Tamiya 1:48 German Luftwaffe Crew (Winter) w/Kettenkraftrad • Kit No. 32412

A sentry hut is supplied in the set.

WINTER WONDERLAND

The Tamiya 1:48 Kettenkraftrad is included.

The Editor reviews Tamiya’s latest 1:48 scale collaboration with ICM.

I

n recent years Tamiya has produced a number of collaborative efforts with ICM. Typically, ICM supplies the figures while Tamiya has provided a kit from their back catalogue.

This time around, Tamiya has combined their very nice 1:48 scale Kettenkraftrad tractor with a number of generic accessories plus five figures from ICM. The figures represent two mechanics, two fighter pilots and a sentry in a variety of winter uniform items. One of the pilots is wearing a sheepskin jacket with sheepskin gaiters and an officer’s peaked cap.

The second NCO pilot wears a leather jacket, later style jodhpurs with large pockets at the front and a cap with ear warmers.

The sentry wears a helmet, sheepskin greatcoat, mittens and gaiters. He is also supplied with a sentry box. This is painted in black and white diagonal stripes on the box top.

The two ground crew are also dressed in winter garb, this time with side caps. One is carrying a bomb while the other is holding a spray gun.

Accessories include a ladder, fuel drums,

jerry cans, toolbox and tools, a bucket, packs and rolls, a compressed air bottle and what appears to be a flagpole to be attached to the sentry box, although this is not mentioned in the instructions.

The detail and moulding of the ICM figures is excellent. Some of these guys look a little bulky but this is explained by their layered winter clothing.

Tamiya’s Kettenkraftrad is also very well detailed and will be a fast, easy build. The tracks are moulded as a single part with the inner road wheels and the drive sprocket. Just add four outer road wheels per side and hey presto!

The front mudguard, wheel, hub and Notek light are another simple one-piece assembly.

Decals are not included, so you’ll need to source your own number plate and other markings for the Kettenkraftrad.

This is a versatile set for Luftwaffe modellers to lend context and scale to their aircraft kits. ■

The running gear is well detailed but very simple to assemble.

Thanks to Tamiya for the sample www.tamiya.com

The figures are sourced from ICM.

The figures feature excellent sculpting.

Facial features belie their relatively small scale.

There are plenty of accessories included in this versatile set.

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MODEL WHOLESALE UK LTD Tel; 01892 533036 www.modelwholesaleuk.com

ORDNANCE MODELS

Harbour Road, Oulton Broad, Lowestoft, Suffolk, NR32 2LZ, Tel; 01502 517444 Fax; 01502 500521 www.hannants.co.uk sales@hannants.co.uk

HISTOREX AGENTS

Wellington House, 157 Snargate Street, Dover, Kent, CT17 9BZ, UK Tel; 01304 206720 Fax; 01304 204528. www.historex-agents.co.uk sales@historex-agents.co.uk

HOBBYLINK JAPAN

Sano-shi, Kurohakama-cho 162-1, Tochigi 327-0813, Japan www.hlj.com

HUSSAR PRODUCTIONS, CANADA www.airconnection.on.ca

ICM

Via Hannants in UK

(ETCHMATE, GRABHANDLER, MICRO CHISEL)

HANNANTS

BOOKWORLD WHOLESALE

CALIBRE 35

MISSION MODELS

MONROE PERDU

BLAST MODELS

Unit 10 Hodfar Road, Sandy Lane Ind Est Stourport, Worcs, DY13 9QB Tel; 01299 823330 Fax; 01299 829970 info@bookworldws.co.uk

9 Rannoch St., Battlefield, Glasgow G44 4DF, Scotland Tel/Fax; 0141 633 1400 milicastmodels@hotmail.com www.milicast.com

9a Marcombe Road, Torquay, South Devon, TQ2 6LL Tel; 01803 400436 www.greatnorthroads.co.uk email svfarrugia@yahoo.co.uk

IAN ALLAN

Via AFV Modeller or www.blast-models.com

MILICAST MODEL CO.,

www.ianallanpublishing.com Mail Order Dept 01455 254450 Kiev 02099, Ukraine, Borispolskaya 9 building 64.

Tel/fax; (+38044) 369-54-12 export@icm.com.ua www.icm.com.ua

ITALERI

(The Hobby Company in UK)

Via Pradazzo, 6, I-40012 Calderara Di Reno, Bologna, Italy, Tel; 051 726037 www.italeri.com

JUST BASES

21 Graham Road, Paignton TQ3 1BB Tel; 01803 558520 www.just-bases.co.uk

JUST KITS

4 High Street, Botley, Southampton, SO30 2EA Tel; 01489 781177 www.justkitsandmodels.co.uk

MDC

Model Design Construction, Victoria Place, Victoria Road, Ripley, Derbyshire DE5 3FW Fax; 01773 513344 orders@modeldesignconstruction.com www.modeldesignconstruction.com

MODELING ARTISAN MORI

http://www3.ocn.ne.jp/~m.a.mori/index_eng.html

MIG PRODUCTIONS (Creative Models in UK)

C/ Santiago Rusinol 7, Pral 2a, 08750 Molins de Rei, Barcelona, Spain www.migproductions.com

Monroe Perdu Designs, 3168 Renee Court, Simi Valley, CA 93065, USA. www.monroeperdu.com Via; www.steelmodels.com

PACIFIC COAST MODELS Tel; 001 707 538 4850 info@pacmodels.com www.pacmodels.com

PANZERWRECKS

PO Box 164, Heathfield, Sussex TN21 8WA, UK www.panzerwrecks.com

PARAGRAFIX

104 County Street, Suite 101 Attleboro MA 02703 USA Tel: +1 508.431.9800 M-F 9am to 4pm EST http://www.paragrafix.biz pgms@paragrafix.biz

PLUS MODEL

(Creative Models in UK)

SCHIFFER BOOKS

Schiffer Publishing, 4880 Lower Valley Rd, Atglen, PA, 19310 USA www.schifferbooks.com

SCHIFFER BOOKS in UK

Bushwood Books, No.6 Marksbury Avenue, Kew Gardens, Surrey TW9 4JF, UK. Tel; 020 8392 8585, 020 8392 9876, email; info@bushwodbooks.co.uk

SCHUMO KITS

www.schumo-kits.com

SDV MODEL www.sdvmodel.cz

SIMPLE 2 TRADE

No 2 Hollywood Lane, Hollywood, Birmingham, B47 5PP Tel; 0121 474 3030 www.simple2trade.com

SMARTMODELLING

(Swash, Tasca, Gap, Yosci, Royal Model)

No.7 Gordons Way, Oxted, Surrey RH8 0LN UK Tel; 01883 734746 smartmodelling@smart7.fsworld.co.uk

SQUADRON

1115 Crowley Drive, Carrollton, TX 75006-1312 U.S.A

SWANN-MORTON

Owlerton Green, Sheffield, S6 2BJ Tel; +44 (0)114 234 4231 Fax; +44 (0)114 231 4966 General: info@swann-morton.com www.craftknives.com

TAMIYA JAPAN

Tamiya, Inc., 3-7 Ondawara Suruga-ku, Shizuoka 422-8610 JAPAN www.tamiya.com

TAMIYA UK;

THE HOBBY COMPANY LIMITED Garforth Place, Knowlhill, Milton Keynes, MK5 8PG, UK Tel; 01908 605686 Fax; 01908 605666 enquiries@hobbyco.net www.hobbyco.net

Jizni 56, 370 10 C. Budejovice, Czech Republic. plusmodel@plusmodel.cz www.plusmodel.cz

TRUMPETER

POCKETBOND

VERLINDEN PRODUCTIONS

(Trumpeter & AFV Club in UK)

Bachmann Europe PLC Moat Way, Barwell, Leics, LE9 8EY Tel; 01455 841756 info@pocketbond.co.uk

PSP MODELS LTD (Mission Models in USA)

Unit 19B, Applin’s Farm, Farrington, Dorset DT11 8RA, UK Tel/Fax; 01747 811 817 www.psp-models.com

QUICKBOOST

www.quickboost.net

REVELL GmbH & Co. KG Orchard Mews, 18C High Street, Tring, Herts, HP23 5AH Tel; +44 (0) 1442 890285 www.revell.eu

SB MODELS

UK distributor for Model Victoria and Royal Model

P.O. Box 114, Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria, LA13 0WY. Tel/Fax; 01229 430 749 sales@sbmodels.fsnet.co.uk www.sbmodels.net

SBLC

PO Box 794, Cheltenham GL52 3ZW, UK RICHARDSBLC@aol.com

SBX MODEL SHOP

Norwich Road, Ipswich. IP1 5DN Tel; 01473 464311 www.sbxmodelshop.co.uk

www.trumpeter-china.com Pocketbond in the UK (Historex in UK)

811 Lone Star Drive, O’Fallon, Missouri 63366, USA www.verlinden-productions.com

VALLEJO

(Creative Models in UK)

Acrylicos Vallejo, SL Apartado 337 - 08800 Vilanova i la Geltrú, Barcelona, Spain Tel; (34) 93 893 60 12 Fax; (34) 93 893 11 54 www.acrylicosvallejo.com

VLS CORPORATION (LSA in UK)

(TRAKZ, WINGZ, CUSTOM DIORAMICS, WARRIORS); Lincoln County Industrial Park, 1011 Industrial Court, Moscow Mills, Missouri 63362, USA www.modelmecca.com

WHITE ENSIGN MODELS (Toms Model Works)

8532 Lamar Drive, Huntington Beach, CA 92647, USA Tomsmodelworks@aol.com www.whiteensignmodels.com

WWII PRODUCTIONS, AUSTRALIA 12 Prince Street, Waratah, 2298, NSW, Australia Tel; +61 (0)2 4967 3205 Fax; +61 (0)2 4967 3207 ww2prod@optusnet.com.au

ZVEZDA

(The Hobby Company in UK)

Promishlennaia Str.,2, Lobnya, Moscow Region, 141730 Russia office@zvezda.org.ru www.zvezda.org.ru

SCHATTON BARRELS

Industriestrasse 6, 94347 Ascha, Germany Fax; 09961 910 7826

■ Please mention ‘Model Military International’ if you make contact with any of the companies listed above - thanks!

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TR

The 1:35 and

WASTE NOT, WANT NOT

Ian Barraclough improves Tamiya’s venerable 1:35 scale British Army Chieftain Mk.5 with Castoff and Accurate Armour resin.

Next Issue On sale 4 October 2018

ISSUE No.150 October 2018, Published 6th September 2018 Editor;

Brett Green

Group Editor;

Marcus Nicholls

Publisher;

Alan Harman

Graphic Design;

Alex Hall

Advertising Manager;

Richard Andrews

Office Manager;

Paula Gray

Administration Manager; Hannah McLaurie MMI Website;

Doolittle Media Web Team

Distributed by; Seymour Distribution 2 East Poultry Avenue, London, EC1A 9PT Tel; 020 7429 4000 Newstrade; Select Publisher Services 3 East Avenue, Bournemouth, BH3 7BW Tel; 01202 586848 Email; tim@selectps.com Model Military International is published on the first Thursday of each month by; Doolittle Media, Doolittle Mill, Doolittle Lane, Totternhoe, Bedfordshire, LU6 1QX UK www.modelmilitary.com Tel; +44 (0)1525 222573 Email; enquiries@doolittlemedia.com Editorial enquiries; Email; editor@modelmilitary.com Advertising enquiries; Tel; 07708 028024 Email; richard@doolittlemedia.com

TRENCH TOURER

Reproduction in part of any text, photograph, or illustration without written consent from the publisher is strictly prohibited. While due care is taken to ensure the contents of Model Military International is accurate, the publishers and printers can not accept responsibility for errors and omissions.

The Editor builds Copper State Models’ 1:35 scale Lanchester Armoured Car and adds a crew.

M10 TANK DESTROYER

Clayton Ockerby describes the construction, detailing and painting of Tamiya’s 1:48 M10 Tank Destroyer.

“I’ll be at them with the bayonet” the 24th Foot at Chillianwalla 1849

History and scratch built figure modelling with John Roberts.

FOR YOUR SAFETY Don’t forget, when using solvents such as glues, paints, thinners and cleaning agents, always ventilate your work area thoroughly and wear a face mask.

When using power tools, side cutters or any tool that can suddenly break or create highspeed airborne particles, wear approved eye protectors with hard, clear lenses. Please always model in safety!

Advertisements are accepted for publication in Model Military International only on Doolittle Media’s standard terms of acceptance of advertising, copies of which are available from the advertising department. Please write to the address above. All advertising, circulation and subscription enquiries should also be directed to the UK address above.

Subscription rates are; 1 year (12 issues); £47 UK £59 Europe £72 Worldwide (Airmail) Binders; £8.50 plus postage (UK £2.45, Euro £4.45, World £6.45) For all orders, please call; (UK) +44(0)1525 222573 or visit www.modelmilitary.com Back Issues; Back Issues are available at the current cover price. See the latest back issues advert or visit www.modelmilitary.com The paper used in this magazine is manufactured at the Leipa Georg Mill and is 100% recycled using de-inked pulp. The mill conforms fully with the requirements of both FSC and PEFC and carries the full accreditations for their environmental policies.

...and much more!

Due to many influencing factors, we cannot guarantee the appearance of the above projects, but we’ll try our best!

© Doolittle Media 2018

The paper used on this title is from sustainable forestry

Order online now at; www.modelmilitary.com

Subscription enquiries; Tel; +44 (0)1525 222573 Email; enquiries@doolittlemedia.com

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The Last Post...

ISSUE 150 – HOW TIME FLIES! M

odel Military International magazine has reached the milestone of 150 issues.

I have been privileged to be Editor of this publication from Issue 38, before which John “Spud” Murphy guided the magazine through its launch and earliest issues.

I consider myself very fortunate to work with a talented and devoted team.

I would like to extend my sincere appreciation to all of Model Military International’s contributors, whose wonderful models and research have appeared between our covers over these first 150 issues.

Our Think Tank articles, usually related to a modelling subject in the same issue, are an important part of the character of the magazine.

I would particularly like to thank Bruce Culver for his remarkable ability to turn around high quality and original reference articles at amazingly short notice.

Stuart Ransley has done a great job with modern subjects, and it has been a pleasure to have had Steve Zaloga, Peter Brown, Zack Sex and Dennis Oliver as Think Tank contributors over the years too.

MMI is fortunate to boast a team of reviewers with expertise in a number of specialist areas, including

(but not limited to) Andy King, Graham Tetley, Al Bowie, Paul Giles, Andrew Judson and James Hatch. Not only do they know their stuff, but they also understand the importance of providing a balanced review pointing out both the high points and the potential problems with new release kits and accessories. I am very grateful to our ensemble of reviewers.

Alex Hall has been responsible for MMI design duties during my entire time at the magazine.

Alex does a fantastic job converting basic photographs and words into attractive flowing visual stories. I can’t imagine working on the magazine without Alex’s inventive impact.

Despite the extra duties imposed by MIM’s AFV Edition, ADH Publishing's Group Editor Marcus Nicholls continues to be an essential part of the creative process with his feedback,

MALI OPERATION

B

ritish helicopters have arrived in West Africa as the UK’s support to a key French counter-terrorism operation in Mali reaches its next phase.

Three RAF Chinook helicopters from RAF Odiham, supported by around 90 British troops, are now on the ground and ready to begin providing logistical and troop movement support to our allies.

Armed Forces Minister Mark Lancaster said, “The UK and France have a unique security and defence relationship that has lasted for more than a century and this deployment demonstrates our shared commitment to tackling

terrorism, instability and reducing threats to European security”.

The Chinooks will provide niche logistical support and will also help improve safety by moving troops by air, rather than ground where

suggestions and support.

Luke Pitt’s monthly 1:48 scale section has become a fixture of the magazine, and he has also found time to build models.

There is a surprising amount of administrative work associated with any magazine, such as dealing with correspondence and distributing samples. Thanks to Paula and Hannah for shouldering the back-office burden of MMI. I am also grateful to our Publisher Alan Harman to, for having the faith to give me this wonderful job almost ten years ago, and for letting me keep it.

And last but certainly not least, thank you, MMI reader, for your ongoing support of the magazine. We hope that you will enjoy the models, research and news that we will have in the next 150 issues! ■

they are more vulnerable to attack.

The UK has been a long-standing supporter of UN and EU military operations in Mali and has worked with international partners to prevent extremists from using the ungoverned space in the Sahel to plan and launch attacks on Europe, as well as counter the illegal trade in people, drugs, weapons and wildlife.

This is in addition to existing wider support to Africa including doubling our UN peacekeeping contribution with additional deployments to South Sudan and Somalia.

UK MOD © Crown copyright 2018

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E L A C S 6 / 1 E V I S MAS

D75025 Sign Up to our Newsletter on www.hobbyco.net Find us on facebook search Plastic Kit UK

p 67 Dragon 150 8

Dragon Kits are distributed in the UK by The Hobby Company Limited, Knowlhill, Milton Keynes, MK5 8PG See the full Dragon range at www.hobbyco.net Dragon models are available from all good model shops

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p 68 TamiyaOBC 150 8

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