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KAPITÄN IN ITALY ICM 1:35 Opel Kapitän Saloon

Issue 103 November 2014 www.modelmilitary.com

DEISEL AND DUST MENG 1:35 scale Leopard AS1 Conversion

RADICAL RHOMBOID INSIDE:

1:35 Somua S35 ■ 1:35 Panzer 35(t) ■ 1:35 Water Tanker ■ 1:35 Admiral Cabriolet ■ 1:35 King Tiger ■ and more...

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Tamiya 1:35 British WWI Mark IV Tank November 2014 / £4.20 / Issue 103

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Tankograd 6032 - U.S. WW II M4A3 Sherman Medium Tank 75mm/105mm 48 pages with 150-200 illustrations, among them WW2 action photos, colour photos and technical drawings. Illustrated throughout.

Excerpts of technical manuals, wartime photos, photos of restored vehicles.

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Czechoslovak Tanks 1930-1945 Part 2 - LT vz. 38 - Panzerkampfwagen Pz.Kpfw. 38(t) A4 format, soft cover, 96 page, English and Czech language, 96 pages, contains more than 210 historical photographs mapping the development, production and combat deployment of tanks produced by in Czechoslovakia in 1930 - 1945. £21.99

D.A.K Profile Guide This book shows the original German camouflage of vehicles used by the Deutsche Afrika Korps, with color variants throughout the war. 108 pages, Over 170 profiles cover schemes, published by A.K Interactive. £23.99

Painting Guide for AFV of World War Two and Modern Era Much more than a new technique, this book offers you a novel approach of AFV painting. The author clearly explains, through detailled step by step photos, how to give your model the perfect enhance of contrast and a ‘eye catching’ look. 82 pages, full colour. £17.50

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MMiR 61 The M103, a Primer: Part One. Beautiful Bofors, Times Two: Looking at the AFV Club kits. Get your Goat: The Tamiya Gama-Goat. Ma.Kín it up as I go: Building Wave’s KetzeR. Ha-Go-a-Go-Go: The Return of the Smart Kit. Patton, pathologically: Dragon’s M48A3. Thrilling Drilling: AFV Club’s Sd.Kfz. 251/21 Ausf. D ‘Drilling’. Great Leapin’ Leopard: Meng’s Leopard 1 A3/A4. Model Citizen: 29th Infantry Division Bar Gunner. £8.99

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Camouflage & Markings of Allied Armor in the Battle for Cassino January-May 1944 This is an authoritative guide to the armor deployed by the Allies over the course of the fighting for this strategic objective.

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Nuts and Bolts 32 - The medium cross-country Lorries 3 ton (6x4) of the Reichswehr and Wehrmacht To date, Nuts & Bolts has only produced publications on tracked, half-track vehicles and weapon systems. With this volume, the first issue in a series which will deal exclusively on Lorries - in particular the medium cross-country Lorries (commercial) - m. gl. Lkw. (o) - of the Reichswehr and Wehrmacht. 225 pages, 16 camouflage schemes, 471 photos. £25.15

Aces High magazine issue 2 - WWI Aces High is a new, specialized magazine for scale aircraft modellers. The magazine is divided into several articles, which guide the reader step by step through the processes of building amazing models.

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Challenger 1 Main Battle Tank Volume 2 In Challenger 1 Volume 2 Robert Griffin outlines the service career of the Challenger 1 Main Battle Tank and Challenger Repair and Recovery Vehicle. This exciting Photosniper title includes numerous period photographs, ten colour plates and vehicle plans for the Challenger 1 Mk.3 as deployed into combat during Operation Granby. 80 pages, 185 photos. £13.99

Static Model Manual 7 - Painting Models step by step - One Hundred and One Tips This volume has allowed the publisher to showcase many different high quality techniques. Chapters include Paint references, Light at our service, Colour theory, Scale effect, Colour modulation, Pre-shading Natural metal finish, Interaction between painting techniques, Oil paints.

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Israeli Wild & Cruel Cats Volume 5 Namer - Merkava-Based Heavy APC This is the fifth volume in the Israeli Wild and Cruel Cats series which covers the tank-based combat vehicles and armored personnel carriers in service with the Israeli Defense Force. 80 pages in full color, more than 300 color photos, dozens of unique and previously unpublished photos, In-action photos, Walk-around photos, Tactical markings. £29.99

The Weathering Magazine 8 This time focused on the Vietnam War. Inside you will find how to create a jungle diorama, how to obtain the characteristic earth and dust colors of Vietnam, and realistic painting of helicopters and airplanes as seen in the war. This, and so much more. So much, that the magazine includes 8 bonus pages full of tricks and techniques to cover the topic in depth and have even more fun. £8.99

Tankograd 3022 - M60A2, M60A3, AVLB The M60A2 / M60A3 / M60A3 TTS MBTs and the M60A1 AVLB in Service with the US Army Up till the 1980s, the M60 MBT formed the backbone of armoured units of the US Army, Army National Guard and US Marine Corps, 107 colour photographs, 64 pages. £13.99

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Contents - Issue 103 November 2014 38 50

46

REGULARS

FEATURES

p 4 NEWS

p 6 THINK TANK

p 54 FIGURES

p 16 RADICAL RHOMBOID

p 58 1:48 SCALE

p 26 PREVIEW

What’s new in the world of military modelling MMI’s thoughts on the figure releases Luke Pitt explores 1:48 scale military models, figures and accessories.

p 60 BOOKS

Roundup of the latest modelling and reference titles

WWI Tanks Part One by Bruce Culver Tamiya 1:35 Mark IV Male by Brett Green Bronco 1:35 Panzer 35(t)

p 28 DIESEL AND DUST

Sam Dwyer converts Meng’s 1:35 Leopard to an AS1

p 36 PREVIEW

ICM 1:24 Admiral Cabriolet

p 38 KAPITAN IN ITALY

Antonio Martin Tello’s 1:35 diorama

p 46 TANK BOY GALLERY

Heller’s 1:35 scale Somua S35 by Takahiro Sumitomo

p 48 PREVIEW

Italeri 1:35 Water Tanker

p 50 SHOW REPORT

Great White North Show Report by Scott Taylor

p 66 LAST POST

Late breaking news and ramblings from the Editor

28

©ADH Publishing Ltd 2014 Tel: (UK) 01525 222573 Fax: (UK) 01525 222574 Email: enquiries@modelmilitary.com Address: ADH Publishing, Doolittle Mill, Doolittle Lane, Totternhoe, Bedfordshire, LU6 1QX, UK Model Military International is published monthly by ADH Publishing.

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 November 2014 - Model Military International 3

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Newsline - November ’14

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

TAMIYA NEW RELEASES 1:35 JAGDPANZER IV LANG AND MORE

T

he latest addition to Tamiya’s 1:35 Military Miniatures series is this entirely new kit of the fearsome German tank destroyer Jagdpanzer IV Lang. The original Jagdpanzer IV tank destroyer was based upon the Panzer IV vehicle and used extensive sloped armor with the 48-caliber 7.5cm gun that had already proven its worth on other vehicles.

In January 1944, it was decided to upgrade the Jagdpanzer IV, with the powerful 70-caliber 7.5cm anti-tank gun installed in place of the original 48-caliber weapon. This bigger gun was fitted to the Jadgpanzer IV with the intention of giving it the ability to destroy Allied tanks without even entering their weapons range. It was also the origin of the name Lang, which translates into English as "long".

Tamiya’s all-new kit will include a one-piece L/70 barrel, two crew figures and three marking options.

An aftermarket metal barrel and gun breech detail set will also be available separately as Item No. 12660. This will deliver a high level detail including operating wheel and equilibrators.

Nearly 40 years since they last released WWII Japanese soldier figures, Tamiya has announced a set of figures depicting Japanese army officers and infantrymen. Parts are included for accessories and surrounding items that will add to any WWII Japanese diorama. Two seated officers, one standing soldier and one standing tank crew figure are included.

The Lang, the barrel upgrade and Japanese Infantry Set will be available in November.

Finally, hot on the heels of the acclaimed motorized model of the British Mk.IV Male tank, Tamiya has also announced a motorized version of the 1:35 scale French B1 bis to be released in October.

The single motor gearbox will enable forward movement and is pre-assembled to save time on construction. Durable sprockets transmit the motor's power.

One-piece individual link tracks are also included.

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

First World War Battle Bus to return to the Western Front London Transport Museum’s recently restored London B-type bus No. B2737 is to be converted into a camouflaged First World War ‘Battle Bus’ and will visit battlefields in France including Belgium, Arras, Passchendaele and Zonnebeke near Ypres, in September 2014 to commemorate the sacrifices made by transport workers during the conflict.

The B-type bus No. 2737 cost around £250,000 to restore and was made possible with a grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) with additional funding being provided by the London Transport Museum Friends and public donations.

The restoration is part of a five year First World War commemorative project which includes an apprenticeship programme and collections support, as well as a programme of learning and participation which will ensure that communities across London will have the chance to see and learn about B2737, B-type buses and their role in the First World War through community exhibitions and a touring programme.

Thanks to the London Transport Museum for the information and image www.ltmuseum.co.uk

MENG MODEL FORTHCOMING KITS

Meng has announced that they will release a new 1:35 scale Russian 9K72 Scud-B Mobile Tactical Missile System plastic model kit. We will have more information on this forthcoming release as it comes to light.

Also soon to be released by Meng is a 1:35 scale Russian Main Battle Tank T-90 w/TBS86 Tank Dozer . This model kit will be 289mm in total length and 109mm in width.

Other features include: • Separate vinyl anti-radiation applique armour parts with a high level of detail.

• The “Shtora” system can be built in open or closed position, its adherent Light emitting electronic components are provided to replicate the infrared dazzlers.

• Crew hatch can be built in open or closed position.

• Precise and workable tank dozer can be in deployed or raised position. It may also be mounted on the T-90A MBT. • Brand-new cement-free workable single pin track links are easy to assemble.

• Engine air intake protective plates can be mounted on the rear of the vehicle.

Thanks to Meng Model for the information and images www.meng-model.com

4 Model Military International - November 2014

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Brush, Paint and Glue Included

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Think Tank - British and Foreign Tanks of World War I – Part I

This notebook page shows Leonardo da Vinci’s concept for an armoured car presented to the Duke of Milan in 1485.

Primarily of wood construction with armour plating, the vehicle had numerous cannon arranged to fire in all directions.

Note that the geared drive would have jammed the wheels completely, preventing the car from moving in any direction.

BRITISH AND FOREIGN TANKS OF WORLD WAR I – PART I

Bruce Culver examines the origins of military technology and the development of tanks. Part One covers up to the British Mark I tank.

T

he Great War, the “war to end all wars”, was fought between August 1914 and November 1918, and resulted in the deaths of over 20 million soldiers and civilians.

It was the first truly modern war. While the development of smokeless gunpowder and the fully automatic machine gun dated from the last years of the 19th century, the Great War introduced a number of inventions of the 20th century. It introduced the motor car and truck for transporting troops and supplies,

the airplane, tactical and strategic bombing, the semiautomatic rifle, the submachine gun, radio communications, aircraft observation for artillery, the portable infantry mortar, and even colour photography. Less known in the west, the eastern front gave rise to the development of swift movement, enveloping manoeuvres and rapid advances involving truck-borne infantry supported by armoured cars and truck-towed field artillery, completely different from the largely static forward lines on the western front. Most

notably, it introduced the military tank as an offensive weapon to support the infantry in assaults against enemy strong points and gun positions.

ORIGINS OF MILITARY TECHNOLOGY The development of “military technology” has been in progress since the dawn of time. Millions of years ago, early hominids discovered that a stick charred in a fire could be made sharper and harder than an unburned one, and that the thigh bones of large game animals made excellent war

The Lavasasseur Project of 1903 was for a self-propelled 75mm gun mounted in an armoured hull with continuous tracks to provide traction for moving. Though never built, the concept was remarkably similar to two that the French used later on – the Schneider CA1 and the St. Chamond tank, both of which mounted fixed guns in an armoured hull.

clubs. Indeed, the record of human technological progress has been described by archaeologists by the sophistication of their tools and weapons – Palaeolithic, Mesolithic, Neolithic. After the “stone age” came the age of metals – copper, bronze, iron and steel. Each represented a significant advance over the previous materials and often led to the rise and fall of whole civilizations as better equipped armies invaded other territories. Much of the development of technology down through the ages has been used

The Hornsby & Sons experimental tractor of 1907 proved capable of moving across rough ground, but the British army saw no need for such a vehicle. A suggestion that Hornsby mount a gun and protective armour on the tractor was never undertaken, and the Army lost interest in the concept. Hornsby then sold its patents on the track system to the American Holt company.

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The Burstyn Motorgeschuetz, seen here as a model, was based on imported American tractors. It was an innovative concept, with a rotating turret for the main gun, and unique movable arms at the four corners to support the tank crossing gaps or climbing obstacles. It also featured a separate engine compartment to protect the crew. The design was never built.

Another view of the Burstyn Motorgeschuetz, showing how the mechanical arms could support the vehicle while crossing a trench or other gap. The Motorgeschuetz was a small vehicle and this approach might have worked for a scout tank. This is a scale model.

Lancelot de Mole’s concept for a battle vehicle was prescient in anticipating the later British rhomboid tanks, but it actually was more flexible than the later design. Steering used a unique system of flexing the tracks and bogie frames to turn the vehicle. AWM

to make better weapons and give the innovating country a military advantage.

The development of the wheel, which appeared in several places in the Middle East and Europe around 3000-3500 BCE, made possible the design of wagons and other wheeled devices to move people and supplies more efficiently. The invention of the lightweight spoked wheel and the domestication of the horse led to the design of a new fast vehicle, the chariot, which first appeared in 2500 BCE in central Asia and soon spread through much of the known world. The war chariot was intended to carry out fast attacks on enemy troops, and they were often manned by skilled archers. Some chariots were armoured against arrows and similar defensive weapons, but their speed was the best defence.

The military use of chariots lasted until the first century CE. During the middle ages, various types of siege engines used to attack fortifications had extensive wood or metal armour protection for the sappers and soldiers inside, presaging the protective armour of the tank. Protected “war wagons” and other vehicles were used by governments and revolutionaries fighting against them. During the Jacobite wars in Europe in the 15th century, the Hussites rebelling

in Bohemia armed such heavy wood fighting wagons with early firearms and crossbows, using them successfully in groups or alone as strong points, supported by pikemen. Leonardo da Vinci designed a fanciful wheeled conical “armoured car” for the Duke of Milan in 1485 with cannon arranged around the circumference allowing a full 360° field of fire, but it was never built.

Technical Developments Technical development and improvements up to the end of the 19th century brought both artillery and armour, first of bronze, then of iron and finally steel. With the development of the internal combustion engine at the end of that century, there was then a way to power the vehicles of commerce and war. Breech-loading artillery and rifles, mortars and the machine gun all held promise to make war even more costly, and far-sighted inventors looked for ways to reduce the losses to their own troops.

The continuous track seen as a relatively modern device has a much older pedigree – there is evidence that some early megalith projects similar to Stonehenge involved using many round logs laid down to form a crude track to allow stones weighing several tons to be moved

The Russian Vezdekhod one-man light tank was conceived by an aircraft designer and was intended as a light scout tank, It traveled on a wide rubberized fabric belt, which made steering at low speeds more difficult though higher speeds were not a problem. It would have been fitted with a small turret for a machine gun if it had been produced.

over great distances, with logs being picked up from behind the stones and laid down in front of them in a continuous action. The concept of a continuous crawler or segmented track dated from the late 18th century and was improved in design and materials through the 1800s as well, being well-established by the early 20th century.

It is an oversimplification to say that the British invented the tank in 1915 – they did build the first practical mass-produced armoured tracked vehicles, but there were many other designs and concepts that came earlier, but found little backing for further development or production. Others were produced in small numbers but saw limited service and didn’t have any effect on the further development of the tank.

First Concepts The first concepts appeared soon after the commercial production of motor vehicles. One of the first designs for what would be later called the “tank” came from a French Captain of Artillery named Levavasseur, who submitted the first version of his concept as early as 1903. It was described as a “Projet de canon autopropulseur”, or “self-propelled cannon project”.

The proposal was for a vehicle consisting of an armoured box-

shaped hull mounting a 75mm cannon at the front, running on continuous crawler tracks.

It was to be powered by an 80 HP gasoline engine and carry a crew of a commander and three artillerymen, and ammunition for the cannon. The intention was to provide the gun crew with a crosscountry capability well beyond what other vehicles could achieve plus protection from small arms fire and artillery fragments.

Though a very advanced concept at the time, the Levavasseur Project was rejected by the French Artillery Technical Committee who felt there was no need for such a vehicle at that time.

Captain Levavasseur redesigned his machine and tried again in 1908, but it was rejected again, this time because the British Hornsby company had a tracked tractor. One of the committee’s officers was later involved in the development of the Schneider and St. Chamond tanks, which were very similar to Levavasseur’s original concept.

Initial British Designs In Britain, the firm Richard Hornsby & Sons produced a number of designs, among them a heavy oil tractor that used a chain track system that Chief Engineer David Roberts had developed. A

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Think Tank - British and Foreign Tanks of World War I – Part I

The Tsar Tank was one of the most bizarre attempts at building an armoured war vehicle.

The main wheels were 9 meters high and smaller wheels were used at the rear for steering. The design was abandoned as it was too vulnerable to artillery. It also suffered from poor cross-country performance due to getting bogged down.

The Frot-Laffly Landship was based on the chassis of a canal bed compactor, a large wheeled vehicle, with this very high boxy armoured body built over it. It was never fitted with armament – this view has been heavily retouched. The Landship was dropped due to poor mobility, and the army’s decision that tracked vehicles would be far more useful.

The Breton-Prétot machine was based on a wheeled tractor, and was fitted with a motorized saw installation as seen here. It was intended to cut through the extensive barbed wire entanglements found at the front in the Great War. Though put into very limited production, it apparently was never used in service.

B The chain track was patented in

1904, shown to the British Army in 1906 and an improved version was demonstrated to the Army at Aldershot in 1907. Roberts had proposed a tracked trailer for mounting a towed artillery piece, and this was demonstrated successfully the following year. It was at the Aldershot trials that the unusual tracks picked up their nickname of “caterpillar”, which has been used since as a trademark.

While the British Army’s Mechanical Transport Committee was impressed with the Hornsby tractor at Aldershot, the Royal Artillery was not and interest in the Hornsby machine appeared to fade; only five trial examples were built. In 1911, with no military or commercial interest in their machine and its tracked suspension, Hornsby sold their British patent to the Holt Manufacturing Company in the U.S., who promptly registered the “caterpillar” nickname as their trademark the same year.

Other Early Directions Also in 1911, Gunther Burstyn, an officer in the Austro-Hungarian army, designed a new armoured tracked vehicle based on imported American tracked tractors. The basic concept was quite advanced, featuring a rotating turret with a gunner’s seat above the hull for the main gun, full-length tracks running on sprung bogies, and a wall separating the engine from the crew to protect them from the noise, heat and gasses of the engine section.

The most unusual aspect of the design was the use of four mechanically operated arms with end rollers, two arms in front and two in back. These were normally raised but could be extended to mechanically lift the tank over obstacles or provide a selfcontained bridge to allow the tank to cross ditches or trenches. It was a fascinating design that (like so many others ahead of their time) was rejected by Austro-Hungary and Germany, in spite of being

Louis Boirault, a French engineer, developed this extraordinary attempt to build a large tracked vehicle. The central pod rode on the outer tracks of the very large track plate frames to move the assembly. It proved impossible to steer; turning the Boirault machine required lifting it off the ground, and it was abandoned as impractical.

more advanced than many later types in WWI. Another early design for a fully tracked fighting vehicle was submitted by Lancelot de Mole, an Australian engineer and inventor, who came up with an advanced tracked vehicle that was submitted to the British War Office in 1912.

Due to bureaucratic errors and the fact that there was at that time no demonstrated need for a tracked armoured vehicle, his design was rejected. Further attempts in 1914 and 1916 also failed. De Mole’s design anticipated the large rhomboid shape eventually chosen to traverse the badly torn up front lines on the Western Front, but had a better overall layout. No full size prototype was ever built. If it had, the British possibly would have had a better tank earlier in the war, as de Mole’s design was more flexible than the later rhomboids.

Armoured vehicle design was not limited to Western Europe. In 1914, a Russian aircraft designer, Aleksandr Porokhovschikov,

offered to build an armoured cross-country vehicle for the Russians. It was completed in early 1915, and was a very small (3.6m long) one-man vehicle that travelled on an endless belt track of rubberized fabric. The belt was carried by four drums with a fifth drum tensioning the belt for better traction. There were two auxiliary wheels at the sides that could be used for steering, and the vehicle proved capable of manoeuvring easily at speed. It reached speeds of up to 40 km per hour in tests but a number of technical problems resulted in its rejection as a production design.

The Russians also designed perhaps the most bizarre example of a tank ever conceived, a giant wheeled contraption now generally known as the Tsar Tank. Developed by four designers, the tank was a small armoured body mounted on a frame supporting two huge wire spoke wheels 9m in diameter with a solid tail piece with three small 1.5m steering wheels. Height to

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Boirault redesigned his concept into a much more compact version, this time with armour for the crew module.

The track frames were much smaller, but the device was still hard to steer, and could travel at only 1 km/h, making it completely impractical for the army.

The failure of the original tracks led to William Tritton, Fosters’ chief engineer, designing a completely new type of track suitable for trench crossing. The Lincoln Machine No. 1 was rebuilt with the new Tritton tracks and the turret removed. In this form, it was known as “Little Willie”, named apparently to insult Kaiser Wilhelm I of Germany.

the top of the turret was 8m. The project was cancelled because the rear wheels bogged down too often and the tank was judged to be too easily damaged by artillery. The disabled prototype remained at the test site until scrapped in 1923.

The French were also very interested in armoured vehicles after the start of the Great War, and produced a number of experimental types in 1914-15. The effects of heavy artillery barrages had been seen very early in the war, and there was a perceived need for vehicles to cross torn-up ground while providing protection for a gun and its crew. Col. Jean Baptiste Estienne, the father of the French armoured force in the Great War, predicted that the victor would be the first nation that could mount a gun on a vehicle that could cross all types of terrain, and a number of French designs attempted to meet that goal.

An early entry was the FrotLaffly “Landship”, a very large, rather ungainly wheeled vehicle intended to pass over the very rough terrain of the front lines while protecting the crew from enemy fire. As such, it was a form of what would become the “tank”.

Designed in December 1914 by Paul Frot, an engineer engaged

in building canals, the Landship used a chassis based on a Laffly compactor. This machine was used to compact the bottom of canals to stabilize the soil, and had large fluted wheels, which Frot intended to cross difficult ground.

A large box-shaped armour body of 7mm plate was fitted over the compactor base along with raised internal platforms for several machine gunners and cannon crew. In the event, the armament was never fitted. The Frot-Laffly Landship was assembled in early 1915 and tested in March. Though it destroyed a number of barbed wire entanglements, it was considered not sufficiently mobile, and no production or further development occurred, the prototype then being sold to Britain. Frot later claimed his design influenced the British rhomboid tanks, which the British denied.

The Breton-Prětot machine was an experimental device using a Bajac wheeled agricultural tractor to mount a set of motorized saws to cut through barbed wire. It was put into limited production in 1915, but apparently saw little or no use, as the wheeled tractor had insufficient mobility and was not well-protected. A similar saw-cutting mechanism was later

In late 1915, William Foster & Co. was given the task of designing a proof of concept vehicle for the Landship Committee. The first prototype was completed in two months, based on an American Bullock tractor chassis and an armoured box body, and was named Lincoln Machine No. 1. The tarpaulins cover a round turret that was removed when the vehicle was rebuilt in 1916.

“Little Willie” was tested with the new tracks and was successful enough that they were used on a new design by Lt. Walter Wilson. Note the curved bottom contour, which very cleverly allowed the tanks to turn easily on hard ground, but engaged more of the track’s length as the tank sank into soft ground. This was used on all subsequent designs, as was the un-sprung suspension.

fitted to an early prototype of the Schneider tank in 1916.

The very unusual Boirault machine was another attempt to build a vehicle that could negotiate badly torn-up ground, including trenches. There two main incarnations of this design.

The first, appearing in early 1915, was an enormous open-frame vehicle with a small triangular central pod which rode on the outer frame tracks and supported the centre of the upper track run. The tracks themselves were extremely large open frame sections (3m x 4m each) articulated to form a complete circuit around the central pod.

When advancing, the pod forced the tracks to move forming a roughly rhomboid shape, but while able to cross large barbed wire installations and trenches, it was virtually impossible to steer and had to be raised so the crew or outside personnel could turn the pod and track in a new direction. The design was rejected as impractical. A second, much smaller development appeared in 1916 with armour protection for the pod, smaller track sections and improved steering. However, its top speed was only 1 km per hour, considerably too slow to be

useful in any capacity, and the steering was still very poor. As better French tanks were being developed, the Boirault machines were abandoned.

The Great War Early in the fighting in France, in October 1914, Maj. Ernest D. Swinton, RE (Royal Engineers), was the official British war correspondent serving in France, and acting on a tip, investigated the possibility of developing an armoured vehicle based on the American Holt tractor, then being used for agricultural work.

He contacted Lt. Col. Maurice Hankey, who in turn tried to get Lord Kitchener of the War Office to promote this new idea.

Kitchener was not at all interested and Hankey then contacted the Imperial Defence Committee, of which he was a member.

Another member of the Defence Committee was the First Lord of the Admiralty, Winston Churchill, who in turn contacted the British Prime Minister, Herbert Asquith, who then ordered Kitchener to investigate. After testing a 75 HP Holt tracked tractor, Kitchener’s committee reported the tractor was not practical, and once again the general staff lost interest. A

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Think Tank - British and Foreign Tanks of World War I – Part I

In 1916 “Little Willie” was shown to King George V at a demonstration. Note the shape of the front of the body. The prototype “Mother” and subsequent models all followed this armour layout fairly closely, though the higher track runs on later models forced the addition of a cupola to see over the tracks to the sides.

In some ways a more primitive design than some of the ignored previous concepts, Lt. Walter Wilson’s new medium tank was still remarkably sophisticated and proved successful on the battlefield. The high track runs hide the fact that the central body was based on “Little Willie”. The main guns were mounted in sponsons to lower the centre of gravity to prevent turning over. This is the prototype, named “Mother”. Note the lower front area painted white for trials.

A Mark I tank makes its way onto a railroad flatcar at the William Foster & Co. factory. The sponsons had to be removed for rail travel due to width limitations. The Mark I tanks were almost identical to the “Mother” prototype. The front idler slot was for adjusting the track tension. The inscription in Russian was a ruse, lasting only until the new tanks reached their training field.

B While the Army had decided

its stand, Winston Churchill, as First Lord of the Admiralty, felt the Navy should take over the task of developing Maj. Swinton’s proposal. This was no doubt well beyond his authority, but he proceeded anyway, noting that in 1914, the Royal Navy was the only British service operating armoured vehicles in France, in the armoured car squadrons of the Royal Naval Air Service Armoured Car Division.

In February 1915, Churchill formed the Landships Committee to consider designs for a very large armoured troop transporter for infantry. The committee was initially composed of only three people, and operating in a very grey area, kept much of its activity secret to avoid being cut off from funding by the War Office, the Admiralty or the Treasury.

Specifications and Prototypes As new combat reports came in from France, the projected design of the intended vehicle changed.

The new vehicle was to travel at 4 mph (6km/h), climb a 5 ft (1.5m) vertical wall and be able to cross an 8 ft (2.4m) gap or trench, with

an armament of several machine guns and at least one light artillery piece. As it happens, the Army’s General Headquarters in France was proposing a similar design, and when the committee’s work became known, the Army took over the design task in July 1915, and the War Office and the Landships Committee began working on a combined proposal. To hide the true nature of the project, the Landships Committee was renamed the Tank Supply Committee in December 1915, as the cover story for the prototype was that it was a tank to carry water.

The Landships Committee had been working with the firm of William Foster & Co. in Lincoln, as they had experience designing heavy tractors. They considered many new proposals and looked at all possible existing machines. Most proved unsuitable – the popular Holt tractor was considerably too short to meet the trench-crossing requirement, most other caterpillar tracked vehicles were too weak or underpowered and most alternate designs such as giant wheels or wide single tracks like the Pedrail concept had already

The Mark I used the auxiliary steering wheels introduced on the first prototype. While they may have assisted steering, they also were prone to bogging down in craters and could be damaged by artillery. Subsequent marks of the British Great War tanks did not use the steering wheels. This tank carries the early Solomon four-colour camouflage scheme and an anti-grenade screen on top.

been proven unsatisfactory. Col. R.E.B. Crompton, RE, worked up many designs for troop carriers, self-propelled guns and gun-armed tanks but none were built.

In the end, Fosters was given the task of building a working conceptual prototype using the lengthened chassis of an American Bullock tractor, considered the best technical approach. Starting in August 1915, Fosters completed the vehicle in September. It had the Bullock chassis and tracks under a box-shaped body with a cylindrical turret on top, and weighed 14 tons.

It was called the Lincoln Machine No. 1, and was Britain’s first “tank”.

The original Bullock tracks proved to have some serious defects for the intended use. The worst was that when crossing gaps the tracks would fall down, away from the lower frame and would not always align correctly when the tank reached solid ground.

Since the whole reason for building the design was to cross gaps and craters, this was unacceptable. The Bullock tracks and all similar types were not going to do the job. This was a serious threat to the whole concept of a tank required to fight

on rough ground.

Fosters had an excellent engineer, William Tritton, who had redesigned and improved many of the firm’s machines, and had designed the unsuccessful Tritton Trench Crosser. He then worked with Lt. Walter Wilson, a brilliant engineer who had joined the Royal Naval Armoured Car Division and had been involved with the work of the Landships Committee, then was seconded to Fosters to assist in designing the new vehicle. They both realized the project needed a completely new track design.

Wilson suggested a larger track run, forming a sort of reshaped wheel, but Tritton finally came up with a new track design. It was simple to make, using new inner parts with track plates similar to the Bullock tracks riveted to them.

The key was the design of the inner piece, which had keys that fit into slots in the frame, preventing the tracks from dropping when crossing gaps. They now had their trench-crossing tank. The Lincoln Machine No. 1 was rebuilt with a longer chassis using the new Tritton track and renamed “Little Willie”, after German emperor

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The first use of the new Mark I was during the Somme offensive of September 1916. This Mark I male carried the Solomon camouflage and the grenade net, though much of the netting had been torn away. Note the rear wheels were raised. It was discovered the tanks could manoeuvre as well without the wheels and they were not used on later marks.

Ventilation in the Mark I was very poor, and contributed to many crew members being incapacitated from the heat and fumes from the open engine and the guns. Here the rear door in the sponson was open to allow better ventilation. Almost all early Mark Is had the Solomon camouflage, but mud and dirt quickly covered the scheme and later tanks were overall brown.

The earlier marks like this Mark I male carried long 6 pdr main guns plus defensive machine guns.

Later marks usually had shorter barrelled main guns to avoid digging the muzzles into the ground when crossing rough terrain. In virtually new condition, this Mark I showed the anti-grenade screen and complex Solomon four-colour camouflage scheme to good advantage.

Wilhelm. The bottom track run frame was curved to allow easier turning. Wilson also worked on the power train, which later became his main achievement. “Little Willie” was good only as a test vehicle, too small to serve at the front, but it had proved the concept of the tracked tank. A pair of steering wheels at the rear was to assist in turning the vehicle, and this was carried over to the next project.

The next design was for the substantially different production tank. A mock-up appeared at the trials of the “Little Willie” prototype. Designed largely by Walter Wilson, the new vehicle had a deep rhomboid form to gain the needed structural strength to cross large gaps without flexing, and to contain the systems, guns and crew behind armour plate. The nose featured a high front idler for climbing obstacles, and stability concerns led to a low-mounted drive sprocket at the rear. The long rhomboid shape gave the new design the best possible gap crossing capability. The tracks were carried on an un-sprung chassis.

Placing a gun turret above the hull put the centre of gravity too high, limiting the tank’s climbing ability over walls and obstacles.

The armament was then placed in sponsons on each side of the hull. Two types of armament fits

were selected. Some tanks had two long 6 pdr field guns plus two machine guns, while others had only machine guns to attack enemy infantry. Col. Swinton named them respectively “male” and “female”, and that is how they were known.

The types were almost identical except for the armament fitted.

Mother and the Rhomboids Trials of the first prototype, named “Mother”, took place in early 1916, and a special demonstration for senior officials and cabinet ministers occurred in February. The tank was run through obstacles, and tests were successful to the point that 150 were ordered for immediate production. Fosters built 37 “males” and Metropolitan Carriage, Wagon, and Finance Company of Birmingham built the rest, 38 “males” and 75 “females”.

The initial model, the Mark I, was nearly identical to “Mother”.

The rhomboid hull was open internally with the crew, engine and all internal equipment in one continuous space. There was little provision for ventilation and the atmosphere inside the tank in action was foul to the point of being dangerous – indeed, some crews collapsed from engine exhaust leaks and fumes from the internal fuel tanks, also a critical

This view shows how the curved lower chassis frame allowed the tank to turn no hard ground – note how little of the track touched the ground when it was firm. As the ground became softer, the tank sank further down, causing more of the track to bear the vehicle’s weight, improving flotation. The Solomon schemes were not completely identical, but followed the artist’s pattern.

fire hazard as they were in the upper forward horns and gravity caused any fuel leaks to run down onto the crew. There were also fumes from oil and cordite gunpowder from the guns, and extreme heat, sometimes reaching 50°C. Some tanks “broke down” due to crew incapacitation.

A major disadvantage of the Mark I design was that it took four men to control the power and steering, two to drive and two to steer. The noise inside the tank made communication almost impossible, and it required great skill to coordinate the tank’s movements. Crew comfort had not been a concern at all during the design process.

The Mark I retained the twin steering wheels used on “Mother” and many had anti-grenade screens erected above the roof, as grenades could be trapped between the track runs. Initially the Mark Is were painted in a special four-colour camouflage scheme designed by the artist Solomon Joseph Solomon, but this was dropped, as the mud at the front completely covered the tanks, rendering the scheme ineffective.

The “males” carried two longbarrelled 6 pdr guns and three 8mm French Hotchkiss machine guns. The “females” carried four Vickers machine guns and one

Hotchkiss. The multiple guns provided good coverage against enemy infantry, but the tanks were vulnerable to infantry attacks since they often weren’t accompanied by their own infantry under fire.

The new tanks first went into action during the 1916 Somme offensive in September, and few reached the enemy lines. Many of them broke down, some of them in German-held territory, and others got stuck in shell craters or other obstacles, but the roughly onethird of the force that entered German lines had the immediate desired effect – some German units retreated and others could not stop the tanks from advancing.

Still, the attack met only shortterm success – and the Germans recovered a number of brokendown vehicles.

The tanks had also proven vulnerable to artillery and often bullet strikes caused spalling of fragments off the inner face of the armour plate, injuring the crews. Direct hits could tear open the tank’s structure or fracture the rivets attaching the armour, causing them to fly around the interior resulting in severe wounds. Although losses of vehicles were fairly high, largely due to mechanical issues, the promise of an armoured support vehicle for the infantry in the A

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Think Tank - British and Foreign Tanks of World War I – Part I

The Western Front in the Great War involved enormous artillery barrages on both sides, and as a result, the ground in “no man’s land” was often impassable. This Mark I male advanced through a field of shell craters as large as the tank itself. With the very difficult four-man driving-steering system in the Mark I, it took great skill to coordinate moving through such obstacles.

The Mark Is were prone to mechanical breakdowns as well as crew incapacitation. Tanks that broke down for any reason were likely to be targeted by enemy artillery and were vulnerable. This Mark I female threw a track and then caught fire or was hit by a shell. Note the traces of the Solomon camouflage scheme under the heavy mud layer that covers almost all of it.

The Mark I was similar enough to the later Mark II, III and IV that older tanks were often reworked and repaired and restored to service. Tanks were always in short supply and units needed all the vehicles they could salvage. This old Mark I was seen in a collection yard. Its sponsons may have been damaged, or perhaps repair crews required better internal access.

The greatest vulnerability of the Great War tanks of all nations was the effects of high explosive artillery shells that could tear a tank and its crew to pieces, as happened to these Mark Is in a wood in France.

Despite their large size, the rhomboid tanks were made of thin large plates, and did often disintegrate when hit directly by artillery fire.

A number of Mark I tanks were refurbished and sent to the Middle East to fight against the Turkish forces in the Sinai desert and Palestine. Of the eight sent, three were destroyed by artillery as seen here. The thin plates could be penetrated by large shell fragments, and close and direct hits often punched holes in the plates or opened up the whole vehicle structure.

B attack had been proved, and the

British Army’s Commander-inChief, Sir Douglas Haig, requested production of 1,000 additional machines. As Fosters’ William Tritton had already been designing a completely new tank, the request for more Mark Is came as surprise and production was delayed for a time. The Germans took advantage of the wait and developed an armour-piercing 7.92mm “K” bullet

for their troops.

The remaining Mark Is were repaired and refurbished, and eight were sent to the Sinai and Palestine to fight against the Turks, where they gave good service, though three were lost and later replaced with Mark IVs. Further development brought improvements to the basic Mark I design, and that is a tale for another time. n

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This Mark I in Gaza was destroyed by direct hits during an artillery barrage. Turkish gunners were excellent shots, and once a tank was disabled, it was helpless. This tank carried a local camouflage scheme very roughly applied, perhaps by the crew. The colour for most of the Mark Is in the Middle East was the standard khaki brown used on the Western Front in France.

Even a long track run couldn’t save this Mark I female in France from bogging down in a shell crater.

Ground badly torn up by artillery was not only very uneven but also soft, which made it too weak to support the weight that firm soil could. This tank had the Solomon camouflage scheme and an antigrenade net that also covered the sponsons.

12/09/2014 12:34

KIT PREVIEW

ICM 1:35 L1500S LLG Fire Truck with German Crew • Kit No. 35528

The side panels are supplied as separate parts.

The kit decals.

Andy King revisits ICM’s 1:35 scale Fire Truck, now packaged with crew figures.

VALUE PACK FIRE TRUCK

I

CM released this as a standalone kit a while back but now include the set of German fire fighters (kit number 35632) in the same box so seeing that they have rehashed the kit I shall rehash the reviews I did for them both.

The fire truck comprises over 200 parts and in the box you get six sprues moulded in tan styrene, a sprue of clear styrene and seven large and two smaller vinyl tyres and a small decal sheet.

All parts are well moulded although mould seams and some light flash are present, there is no evidence of sink marks anywhere and mould pin marks are mostly in hard to see areas with the exception of the inside of the fenders (and no you can’t hide them in mud as these vehicles would be kept relatively clean).

You get a complete engine block and all that is really needed is the wiring to fully detail it but where the fun will really start is with the multi-part chassis assembly and getting it square.

For this you will need a flat surface, a set square and then once glued somewhere to let it set for a couple of days. It’s vital to do this as it’s very easy to end up with a twisted chassis.

The interior is quite bare as you would expect of a vehicle from this period however the doors are moulded shut so I doubt you would see much of the inside anyway. Looking at the body sides it is possible to open the crew compartment doors should you wish but the stowage locker doors would be trickier. The bonnet (or hood) panels can be modelled

open or closed which will show off that lovely engine.

The spare hoses that lie on the running boards are moulded in two halves and clean up will be very tricky, my suggestion here would be to replace them with thin wire wrapped around styrene tube of the same diameter. The trailer is just a box on wheels and should not present any problems during construction.

As you may be aware from previous reviews, I am not a big fan of vinyl tyres or tracks due to the difficulty in cleaning them up. Looking at the tyres in this kit, there is a mould seam running around the middle plus flash on one side in the centres. The tread pattern is very fine and care will have to be taken not to eliminate it when removing the seam.

Personally I would have preferred to have seen them moulded in styrene.

The clear parts for the windows are okay if a little on the thick side but due to the shape and flatness it would be easy to make new ones from thinner clear styrene sheet.

The decal sheet features instrument dials and licence plates, unfortunately these have been printed off-centre.

The good news is that the ‘Feuerschutzpolizei Wangerland’ inscription and emblems are legible and quite useable.

The figures are moulded in tan styrene and there is a solitary sprue with four figures and various items of fire fighting equipment such as a rolled up hose carried by one of the figures, a fire extinguisher and even a fire

Figures are well done.

Facial expressions are active.

hydrant. There is also a length of vinyl tubing included that attaches to the hydrant or the fire truck should you have one in the stash.

There are mould seams and some minor flash but this is easily removed prior to assembly. Yet again, the detail and sculpting is very well done, particularly the facial expressions. The distinctive helmets also feature very fine dimples that represent ventilation holes, a nice touch but one that can easily disappear under paint.

The fire service insignia on the upper left arm is moulded but unfortunately a mould seam runs through one of them so the detail will be destroyed during clean up.

I’m not sure if aftermarket decals are available for the fire service or whether Field Police ones can be adapted to suit as a similar insignia also featured on the left side of the helmet.

I have said in previous reviews of ICM kits that they are doing some excellent models at the moment and this one is no exception. With a relatively low parts count, this kit should be easy enough to nail together but with the added complication of getting the chassis square it should be enough of a challenge even for advanced modellers.

Also, there are some fine details that will be tricky to get off the sprue without sacrificing them to The Carpet Monster. The inclusion of vinyl tyres and the off-register decal sheet is a little disappointing as replacement items will have to come from aftermarket sources but on the whole it looks to be a good kit.

It’s nice to see something a little off-beat now and again and just for that I have to say that this kit deserves the ‘Highly Recommended’ accolade plus my apologies if you are having a sense of deja-vu after reading this review. ■

Thanks to ICM for the sample www.icm.com.ua

The roof.

Textures are well done throughout.

Wheel hub detail.

The hose reel.

Those vinyl tyres.

A hydrant is included too!

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FEATURE ARTICLE:

Tamiya 1:35 WWI British Mk.IV Male • Kit No. 30057

RADICAL RHOMBOID PART TWO – PAINTING, WEATHERING AND FIGURES

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Th up 1:3 IV ad Br

I

n Part One, I built a test shot of Tamiya’s new 1:35 scale Mark IV Male Tank. This early set of sprues was moulded in grey plastic, and did not include any of the motorisation parts, nor the chain or string.

Tamiya sent a sample of the final commercial release version a few weeks ago. Although I did not build it, I thought it might be interesting to show you some of the tan-coloured plastic parts as well as the motorisation gear and final box top.

IN THE BOX - REDUX

The Editor paints up Tamiya’s new 1:35 scale Mark IV Male tank and adds their new WWI British Infantry set.

Tamiya’s 1:35 scale Mark IV Male commercial release comprises 321 parts in the familiar tan coloured plastic and another 176 individual tracks links in medium grey.

Motorisation parts include a small electric motor already integrated with a gearbox and on/ off switch, eight metal sprockets, 12 turned brass tubes, eight nylon gears and twelve other nylin / flexible plastic parts, two pairs of Velcro strips, pressed metal battery contacts, plus a bag of metal screws and small ingots.

Tamiya also supplies a small screwdriver, an Allen key and a tube of grease.

Markings are provided for three vehicles. A sheet of warning stickers is also supplied, but these will somewhat compromise realism if they are used on the outside of the model!

Apart from the motorisation parts and the colour of the plastic, the commercial release the same as my test shot and every bit as good.

Surface detail is excellent.

Just like the real Mark IV, Tamiya’s model is festooned with prominent domed rivets. These are supplemented by raised hinges, peep-hole covers, bolt heads and a myriad of other structural details.

Panel lines are recessed where armour plates are butted together.

The distinctive rhomboid hull is broken down into a classic “flat pack”. As a result, moulding quality is perfect with no ejector pin circles on any of the external surfaces. The driver’s visors, the sponson hatches and roof hatch are all separate and may be posed open if desired. There are a few ejector pin circles on the insides of some of these hatches.

The main body is broken down into hull top, rear, front, bottom and inner and outer side subassemblies. The outer hull sides are themselves split into front, mid and rear panels, with the sponsons representing a separate and removable sub-assembly.

The six-pounder naval guns are A

Box art for the export version of Tamiya’s 1:35 scale WWI British Mark IV Male.

Tools are included.

Here are a small screwdriver and an Allen key.

The commercial release is presented in Tamiya’s familiar tan-coloured plastic.

Tamiya even supplies grease!

The electric motor, gearbox and switch are supplied as a single assembly.

Eight metal sprockets are amongst the multimedia parts.

Soft plastic parts include eight gears.

Velcro strips and pressed metal for the battery contacts.

Additional multimedia parts include various nuts and metal ingots.

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FEATURE ARTICLE:

Tamiya 1:35 WWI British Mk.IV Male • Kit No. 30057

The tracks have been removed and the model painted The front of the model was sprayed with Tamiya’s with Tamiya’s Grey primer straight from the can.

Fine White primer and masked with Tamiya tape.

The unpainted model made up from grey test shot sprues.

The red stripe left some surrounding overspray.

This was tidied up later with a white paint and a fine brush.

B nicely detailed, including separate

breechblocks and sights. They are cleverly mounted via polythene caps, which allows easy elevation and rotation after assembly.

Around half the tan coloured parts are for the running gear – 156 are for the road wheels alone.

These are mounted on axles moulded to the inner hull halves.

You should test fit the wheels carefully, as some pairs (and even one set of four) need to be interleaved before being pressed home onto their axles. Tamiya suggests that the axles should be lubricated, but the surface area where the wheels touch the tracks is so fine that the tracks should move efficiently even if the wheels do not rotate.

The tracks are a revelation. They are ready to use straight from the box – no sprue attachments or flash on any of my sample parts. I simply tipped them from their bags and started clipping them together.

The links click together positively and quickly. Simply slip one pin into one hole on the next link, stretch and click the second pin into place.

I did not have a single problem in assembling each run of 87 links.

The plastic is flexible enough to stretch while the pins are being fitted, and solid enough to hold the links together. The whole length is really quite robust.

The outer detail of the track links is crisp, and the side detail is

The identification stripes were masked off again with Tamiya tape.

The entire model was painted with Tamiya’s recommended mix of XF-52 Flat Earth and XF-55 Deck Tan.

convincing too. There is a single ejector pin mark on the inside surface of each link, but these are completely hidden once the tracks are fitted. These might just be the nicest track links that I have ever had the pleasure to work on.

CONSTRUCTION As mentioned in Part One, I built my model over the course of three days. As you would expect from a Tamiya kit, fit was close to perfect in all areas.

The model was built according to the instructions, with the motorisation sections omitted.

The single most time-consuming task was assembling the 54 small road wheels. 30 of these are made up from two parts each; and another 24 from four parts each.

Clean-up was a bit tedious, but I found that even that chore could be kept to a minimum if the inner road wheel sections – Parts A3 and A4 – were sliced off the sprue at an undercut angle (hopefully this will make sense when you see how the parts are attached to the sprue).

In the end, removing all the running gear parts, cleaning them up and assembling them only took around two hours.

I had to deviate from the instructions when assembling the drive sprocket and idler wheels as the production kit parts will feature metal sprockets and nylon gears, and these were not included with A

Initial airbrushed weathering has been applied here – spots and patches of a paler version of the base colour, plus streaks of thinly sprayed “scale black” – XF-1 Flat Black plus XF-64 Red Brown.

Kit decals have been applied over two coats of glossy Future Floor Polish. So far, so good.

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At this stage, the tracks received a sprayed base coat of Tamiya XF-1 Flat Black and XF-64 Red Brown, mixed in even proportions.

Uh oh… the flat coat left large patches of chalky white when it dried.

Lifecolor acrylic UA 907 Burned Rust was applied with a damp sponge, followed by a sparing application of UA 909 Streaking Rust.

When dry, the effect is subtle and quite convincing.

The crisis was resolved with a coat of Future Floor Polish mixed with a blob of Tamiya X-21 Flat Base.

MIG Pigments’ P039 Industrial City Dirt was sprinkled directly onto the roof of the tank and sealed with enamel thinners.

MIG Pigments’ P039 Industrial City Dirt was applied dry by brush.

P415 Light European Earth was also brushed on, but much more sparingly.

The pigments were sealed with enamel thinner sprayed from a small atomiser bottle.

The result is a nicely varied finish, but not too wildly over-the-top.

The muffler, exhaust, heat guard and guns were painted by brush.

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FEATURE ARTICLE:

Tamiya 1:35 WWI British Mk.IV Male • Kit No. 30057

B my early sample. Examining the

sprues, however, I noticed a set of two plastic drive sprockets and two idler wheels, plus four short lengths of tube that were not mentioned in the instructions. The drive sprockets were assembled and fixed to the rear of the vehicle.

Parts A20, A21 and A22 held the sprockets in place and still allowed them to rotate.

I had to fabricate axles for the idler wheels, as these parts did not appear to be on the sprues.

I simply cut two short lengths of brass tube and glued them inside the spacer tubes. The idler wheels were then clipped between the inner and outer hull halves. The kit features a working track tensioner on the idler wheels, so I took care to leave the brass axle loose in its cylindrical mount. This will make it easier to attach the tracks and adjust the tension at the very last assembly step.

Assembling the track links was next. This was a fast and satisfying job. Pick up link, click together, pick up next link, click together; and repeat until you have 87 links per side. I test-fitted my tracks to the unpainted hull as I thought it might be tricky to make that final click-join to link each end of the tracks. However, I found that there was a certain amount of “stretch” to the completed track length, allowing the final link to be clicked in place with a minimum of fuss.

BROWNED OFF Prior to painting, the tracks were removed by simply stretching one link and unclipping the runs on each side.

The model was sprayed with Tamiya’s Grey Primer straight from the can. This highlighted a couple of fine seams that were filled with Tamiya Surfacer.

I decided to finish my model in the scheme with the broad whitered-white identification stripes, so before applying the camouflage colour I sprayed the front of each side of the hull with two coats of Tamiya’s Fine White Primer straight from the can. When this had dried, I masked off the areas around the centre stripe and sprayed it red. Masking was not perfect due to the raised rivets and other lumpy surface texture, but the areas of overspray were touched up with a brush without too much trouble.

Tamiya recommends that the model should be painted in a shade of brown, offering a formula of 50% Tamiya XF-52 Flat Earth and 50% Tamiya XF-55 Deck Tan. This results in a medium brown colour, something like dirty salmon.

I mixed a paler version by adding more XF-55 Deck Tan, then sprayed large patches of this light shade on the roof of the vehicle, and random mottles, streaks and patches on the side, the front and the rear.

At this point I loaded my airbrush with a heavily thinned 50/50 mix of Tamiya acrylic XF-1 Flat Black and XF-64 Red Brown.

This was used to carefully spray mainly vertical streaks on the sides, front and rear of the hull, concentrating my efforts on the lower parts.

The model was now given two coats of Future Floor Polish and kit decals were applied.

I was pretty happy with this pale base colour and the initial airbrushed weathering.

The mix of water and MIG pigments applied directly from the atomiser bottle was unrealistically spotty.

The lower parts of the hull sides, front and rear were treated to Maru Easy Mud No. 21105, European Earth, thinned with water and applied with a short stiff brush.

A SUCCESSION OF MINOR FAILURES However, satisfaction did not last long. As I have mentioned in other articles, for me, weathering military vehicles is a bit of a dark art. Every project seems to present a different challenge, and I just can’t seem to find a single reliable, repeatable weathering technique.

As a result, I muddle through the weathering of each model as a once-off, hit-and-miss exercise.

This one was no exception.

The first problem to rear its head was when I sprayed an acrylic flat coat over the glossy Future.

When the Tamiya XF-86 Flat Clear dried, it left large white patches all over the model. I can only assume this had something to do with the high humidity resulting from heavy rain outside.

I didn’t panic as I have seen this problem before. The simple solution is to spray the white patches with Future Floor Polish and then spray another flat coat.

This time, I mixed Future Floor Polish with a glob of Tamiya X-21 Flat Base. The white patches evaporated and the new mixture dried to a semi-flat coat. This was good enough to serve as a basis for the ensuing weathering.

Next, I sprinkled MIG Pigments P039 Industrial City Dirt directly onto the roof of the tank. I assumed that the horizontal surfaces would be very dirty with earth kicked up from shell blasts, other vehicles and footfalls. I sprayed a light coat of mineral turpentine to seal the loose pigments. Unfortunately, this resulted in darkening the pigments.

MIG Productions’ P410 Oil and Grease Stain Mixture was applied by brush around some of the prominent inspection panels, plus the rack tensioner gear.

Heavily thinned Winsor & Newton Raw Umber oil paint was also applied to panel lines and selectively around some of the raised rivets and other structural detail.

The tracks were clicked back in place.

Thinned Maru Mud was spattered onto the front and side surfaces of the model.

TRACKING BACK At this stage I painted the exhaust, the machine guns and the tracks in my usual “scale black” mix of Tamiya XF-1 Flat Black and XF-64 Red Brown.

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The unditching beam was painted with Tamiya and Vallejo acrylics.

Painting and weathering tracks off the vehicle is a rare luxury for me. I usually build the vehicle with the tracks in place, painting the vehicle and tracks at the same time. I decided to take advantage of this luxury by testing out a different technique.

I recently received Mike Rinaldi’s latest book, “Tank Art 3 – Modern Armor” (reviewed

The exhaust, muffler and heat guard received a rusty treatment of MIG Pigments.

elsewhere in this issue).

Mike demonstrates a technique for weathering the tracks of a D9R Armoured Dozer that I thought would be applicable to my Mark IV too. Mike used two shades of Lifecolor acrylic rust paints over the dark base coat. I did not have the same two colours, but I did have two that I thought would do the job: Lifecolor acrylic

UA907 Burned Rust and UA 909 Streaking Rust.

I thinned the Burned Rust and applied it with a slightly damp sponge to each track run.

I left this initial rust coat to partially dry, then applied a random sponging of thinned Streaking Rust.

This dried to a convincing rusty finish that was not too over-the-top.

Now I applied my favourite MIG

Pigment – P039 Industrial City Dirt – directly to the tracks with a wide brush, followed by a more restrained dusting with P415 Light European Earth. The pigments were then sealed with a squirt of mineral turpentine from an atomiser bottle.

I was really pleased with the results and will certainly use this technique for tracks in the future.

A

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FEATURE ARTICLE:

Tamiya 1:35 WWI British Mk.IV Male • Kit No. 30057

B OVER THE TOP WE GO! With the tracks ready, now all I had to do was finish weathering the tank.

Continuing an experiment that I started last month on my Trumpeter T-64A (MMI Issue 102), I purchased six plastic atomiser bottles cheaply on eBay. I loaded one of these with water and a mix of MIG’s P039 Industrial City Dirt and P415 Light European Earth.

This muddy mixture was then sprayed over the entire vehicle, with a focus on the top. The pigments clogged the fine nozzle after a few pumps, so I think I will have to look for a different style of bottle. I also found that the atomiser applied the pigments in unrealistic spots, compounded by the liquid pooling on the acrylic surfaces of the model.

Fortunately, I could reduce and reorganise the dried pigments with a brush.

The results are encouraging enough for me to continue to experiment with applying pigments using a spray bottle.

The lower parts of the hull sides, front and rear were treated to Maru Easy Mud No. 21105, European Earth, thinned with water

and applied with a short stiff brush.

The same mixture was loaded onto the end of a large paintbrush. An airbrush was used to blow the mud off the airbrush onto the model. The result is a realistic and directional mud spatter.

MIG Productions’ P410 Oil and Grease Stain Mixture was applied by brush around some of the prominent inspection panels, plus the rack tensioner gear. Heavily thinned Winsor & Newton Raw Umber oil paint was also applied to panel lines and selectively around some of the raised rivets and other structural detail.

The exhaust, muffler and heat guard received a rusty treatment of MIG Pigments P025 Standard Rust; P055 Cream Rust and P414 Track Brown applied in an enamel thinner slurry.

The top of the rail for the unditching beam was brush painted with Gunze-Sangyo’s Mr Metal Colour 214 Dark Iron, then polished with a soft cloth to represent shiny wear. The unditching beam itself was painted with a mix of Tamiya and Vallejo acrylics.

The tracks were now clicked back in place and the model was complete. A

The top of the rail for the unditching beam was brush painted with Gunze-Sangyo’s Mr Metal Colour 214 Dark Iron, then polished with a soft cloth to represent shiny wear.

Tamiya’s five figures, assembled sans heads.

ICM has also entered the fray with several new 1:35 scale WWI figure sets.

Vallejo Neutral Wash was applied over the acrylic colours.

Box art for the Tamiya 1:35 scale WWI British Infantry Set. This is the box for the separately available set, but the sprues are included in the initial Export Version of the Mark IV kit.

Painting instructions are provided in colour on the back of the box. This is also offered as a separate colour sheet in the kit.

Moulding quality is good and the expressions are lively.

The figures are broken down into separate heads, torsos, arms and legs.

Moulding for this set is also crisp, with just a little flash to deal with.

One of the impressive faces, including a period handlebar moustache!

Details were picked out using Vallejo Panzer Aces 337 Highlight Ger. (Black).

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The exterior of the model is not compromised by the motorisation gear.

Tamiya recommends a base colour of Tamiya XF-49 Khaki for the uniforms, and who am I to disagree?

The flesh base colour is a mix of of Vallejo 70815 Flesh and 70877 Gold Brown.

The figures are moulded in action poses.

Highlights are mixed from Vallejo Panzer Aces 317 British Tankcrew and 321 Highlight British Tckr.

Packs and webbing were painted with Vallejo Panzer Aces 322, Highlight US Tkcr.

A thin wash of Rowney Georgian Burnt Sienna Oil Paint provides subtle shading.

The Vickers gunner laying down on the job.

The five figures in formation.

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FEATURE ARTICLE:

Tamiya 1:35 WWI British Mk.IV Male • Kit No. 30057

B FIGURES Tamiya has released a set of five 1:35 scale WWI British Infantry to accompany their Mark IV Male Tank. In fact, Tamiya has included the five figures with the initial Export Version release (that’s for us!), although they are also available separately as Set No. 339.

The five figures are in action poses and feature lively expressions. They are made up from 97 parts in grey plastic and are broken down into separate body parts – heads, arms, legs etc.

Detail is very good.

Although most of the parts are not keyed as such, fit is as precise as you would expect from a Tamiya product. Two small oval stands are offered for the standing and running figures.

Alternative helmets with and without covers are offered, as are different styles of cap. Weapons and packs are plentiful – four rifles – two with bayonets fixed, two holstered revolvers and two Lewis guns. You’ll have a number of these left over for your WWI spares box.

Assembly is quite straightforward. Mine were built straight from the box.

I painted my figures with a combination of Tamiya and Vallejo acrylics.

explain it. 2014 marks Tamiya’s 40th anniversary of radio control models. The very first Tamiya R/C model was an M4 Sherman, so perhaps their new motorised Mark IV is an acknowledgement of this landmark.

2014 is also the 100th anniversary of the outbreak of the First World War, so it is not surprising that Tamiya has chosen this year to debut its Great War range. I am sure that we will see a plenty of long-overdue attention over the next few years on the vehicles, equipment and troops of WWI. Tamiya’s 1:35 scale British Mark IV Male tank will be a great starting point for your WWI collection! ■

Tamiya has captured “ the Mark IV Male tank w

CONCLUSION Tamiya has captured the rugged rhomboid lines of the Mark IV Male tank with this new 1:35 scale kit.

The raised structural features such as the domed rivets are particularly well done.

The motorisation of this model was a surprise to many, but a milestone reached this year might

Just add a base and you’ll have an instant diorama!

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Modelspec

ptured the rugged rhomboid lines of tank with this new 1:35 scale kit...

”

Tamiya 1:35 WWI British Mk.IV Male Kit No. 30057 Modelling Products Used Tamiya Extra Thin Liquid Cement Revell Contacta Glue Selleys Supa Glue Brass tube Plastic Atomiser Bottle Paints & Finishing Products: Vehicle: Tamiya Spray Can - Grey Primer; White Primer Tamiya Acrylics – X-21 Flat Base; XF-1 Flat Black; XF-2 Flat White; XF-52 Flat Earth; XF-55 Deck Tan; XF-64 Red Brown; XF-86 Flat Clear Vallejo Model Color – 919 Foundation White Vallejo Panzer Aces – 310 Old Wood; 314 Canvas; 333 Germ. Tkcr. (Black); 337 Highlight Ger (Black) Gunze-Sangyo Mr Metal Colour 214 Dark Iron Lifecolor Acrylics – UA907 Burned Rust; UA 909 Streaking Rust Future Floor Polish Winsor & Newton Raw Umber Oil Paint Mineral Turpentine MIG Productions – P221 Brown Wash; P222 Neutral Wash; P225 Wood Ageing Solution; P410 Oil and Grease Stain Mixture; P411 Standard Rust Effects.

Maru Easy Mud – Item No. 21105 European Earth MIG Pigments – P025 Standard Rust; P039 Industrial City Dirt; P055 Cream Rust; P414 Track Brown; P415 Light European Earth Figures: Flesh: Mix of Vallejo 70815 Flesh and 70877 Gold Brown with a thin wash of Rowney Georgian Burnt Sienna Oil Paint. Details picked out using Vallejo Panzer Aces 337 Highlight Ger. (Black).

Uniforms: Base colour Tamiya XF-49 Khaki with highlights mixed from Vallejo Panzer Aces 317 British Tankcrew and 321 Highlight British Tckr.

Helmets – Tamiya XF-62 Olive Drab or Vallejo Panzer Aces 322 Highlight US Tkcr Packs, webbing etc – Vallejo Panzer Aces 322 Highlight US Tkcr Officer’s boots, gloves, and other leather gear – Vallejo Panzer Aces 312 Leather Belt ✓ High level of detail; authentic surface textures; brilliant individual track links; excellent fit; optional position hatches; clever motorisation. ✗ Some won’t like the motorisation.

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

Rating

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KIT PREVIEW

Bronco Pz.Kpfw.35(t) • Kit No. GB-35065

The main upper hull and turret shell parts.

The lower hull is broken down into flat parts.

35 TO A T T

he Skoda Lt Vz25 was a light tank developed for the Czech army in the mid-1930’s. With the occupation of Czechoslovakia in 1938, most of the tanks were modified and pressed into service with the German army. The tank saw service in German hands in Poland, France and Russia. To my knowledge, this is the third rendition of this vehicle in 35th scale and undoubtedly the best.

The kit is presented in the now familiar Bronco box with a crisp illustration adorning the box top. A large 22 page instruction booklet is included with 30 construction steps. The instructions are well laid out and wonderfully drawn but, are a little vague, in fact, I found myself scratching my head in places and indeed had to consult some of the steps ahead of various sequences to discover where certain items should be placed.

When opening the box, you are confronted with 643 parts over 29 sprues. After the initial shock from the sheer number of parts and reviewing the instructions, it becomes apparent that Bronco has done their homework with this kit. Almost everything is included with the exception of an engine bay.

The moulding of all the parts is to a very high standard with

Luke Pitt is impressed with Bronco’s first foray into the Panzer 35(t) family.

no flash present on any of the sprues. The upper hull and turret armour is handled well, being both thin and having no knock out marks on either surface. The lower hull is made up of four basic parts, the floor, both hull sides and a rear panel.

I’m currently in the middle of building this kit and can report the fit is superb resulting in a perfectly square assembly without the need for any trimming. This is a major achievement given that riveted hulls are notorious for getting right in “flat pack” form. The side panels have the suspension mountings with the other suspension being separate.

The drive sprockets are in five pieces each with the front missing out on the distinctive semi recessed holes on the hub itself - these are represented a slight raised circles.

The road wheels have excellent rim/hub details. The tracks included are very well done; in fact, all that needs to be done is, carefully remove them from the sprue gates with a sharp knife and click together. They are very fragile when complete so the “drape and glue” method would be the best approach here.

A complete interior is included (bar the engine bay) and is very complete and well done.

A large photo-etched fret is

The generous photo-etched fret.

included that addresses most of the small exterior and interior fittings that would be impossible to replicate in plastic.

Six marking choices are included with four being in overall panzer grey, and two in Czech three colour “hard edge” camouflage schemes.

This is a very good kit and it is, in my view, better than all other 35(t) kits that have preceded it.

The kit is state of the art and includes all of the materials you will need to make a quite stunning model right out of the box. After reviewing this kit I do believe there will be a large number of aftermarket sets for the kits that have preceded it floating around on e-bay. The kit is that good.

The downside - apart from putting all the sprues back in the box after this review - is the sheer number of parts. The vague instructions and the many very small plastic parts to contend with are a worry, as is the complex nature of the build. This unfortunately may put a lot of modellers off. Bronco kits demand a particular mindset. If you enjoy building as I do then this may be the kit for you.

Recommended. ■

Thanks to Bronco for the sample www.cn-bronco.com

Markings are supplied for four vehicles. The clear parts.

Nice raised texture on the track guards.

Lots of interior parts are on offer.

The road wheels.

Individual link tracks.

The tracks may be made workable with care.

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FEATURE ARTICLE

Meng Model 1:35 Leopard 1A3/A4 • Kit No. TS007

d n a l e essel and Du D Diie Sam Dwyer converts the excellent Meng Model 1:35 scale Leopard 1A3/A4 kit to an Australian Leopard AS1

I

n the early 1970s, the Australian government sought a replacement for its aging fleet of Centurion tanks, eventually settling on the German made Leopard 1 tank after exhaustive local testing. The Leopard was tested in Australia against the US M60 tank, the Leopard found to be the better suited to our conditions.

The decision was made to purchase 101 vehicles - 90 gun tanks, 5 bridge layers and 6 ARVs (armoured recovery vehicles).

The Leopard in Australian service was designated the Leopard AS1, AS being the NATO designation for Australia.

Australian Leopards are essentially a Leopard 1A3, fitted with a Belgian Sabca laser rangefinder. Our turrets don’t have the stereoscopic rangefinder as other Leopards, so the left side rangefinder port was deleted on our turrets. The Leopard was retired in Australian service in the mid 2000s with the introduction of the M1A1 AS tank.

MENG’S 1:35 LEOPARD 1A3/A4 There have been several Leopard 1 kits available in 1:35 scale up until recently, namely from Heller, Tamiya and Italeri. The general consensus is that the Italeri kit is the pick of them, but none of them compare to the new tool Leopard 1A3/A4 from Meng.

Moulded in dark green styrene, the kit comes with both individual workable track and single length rubber band style track. Both are very detailed and capture the look of the double pin track style well. The kit comes with markings for German and Greek vehicles,

amongst others, the instructions calling out building options to suit the markings.

Meng’s kit does not quite depict an Australian vehicle straight from the box (come on Meng, it’d only take one extra sprue!), and that is where Mouse House Enterprises (MHE) comes into play.

They have released a comprehensive series of updates and conversion sets to add to the Meng kit to show a vehicle in Australian service, all that is required is to pick a time period and select the appropriate options from their website. As with most military vehicles, stowage changed as the vehicle progress led through its life span. I chose to model a vehicle towards the end of service life, so one with SAAB Barracuda camouflage and the full width turret basket.

CONSTRUCTION AND CONVERSION Construction starts conventionally with the hull and running gear.

I chose to assemble the major hull and turret components first, so I could commence filling and modifying where necessary the components that would receive the MHE parts.

The Meng hull and turret go together with no fuss and no gaps.

I added some weld lines around the rear engine deck/rear hull armour join using some 5 thou styrene rod, and along the front glacis join. A

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FEATURE ARTICLE

Meng Model 1:35 Leopard 1A3/A4 • Kit No. TS007

The Mouse House gun barrel is dead straight, out of the box.

Voyager’s grouser racks are a nice addition to the glacis plate. Australian Leopards rarely carried grousers in use.

Hull side gaps were filled with Tamiya grey putty.

Australian Leopards had external stowage bins rather than exposed tool stowage.

Hull rear. Preparation of this area means a small gap to be filled where the hull deck meets the rear armour. The turret rear plate has yet to be added.

More filling. No gaps to speak of – Meng’s kit goes together perfectly. The suspension components remain workable if the modeller wishes to pose the tank on a scenic base.

Hull side stowage boxes.

These boxes are the same as used on the Gepard AA vehicle and Dutch and Norwegian Leopards. These boxes carry vehicle tools and track tensioning equipment.

Rear turret basket, late full width type. As on the real thing, the fridge box on the left side is held in with an M113 track pad, and a bolt and washer from an M113 interior floor plate.

Australian ingenuity!

B Australian Leos have tool

stowage bins fitted to their hull sides, rather than the exposed tool stowage as per the Meng kit.

These boxes are included in the MHE kit, so all the tool bracket mounting slots were filled with Tamiya grey putty.

Mouse House has also released a valuable reference book on Leopards in Australian Service entitled Military Briefs #5: Australian Leopard AS1 Family of Vehicles. This book is invaluable if you want to depict any Australian Leopard. Using this book I fitted the hull stowage bins, spare road wheel on the front fender and various other hull details. I also added MHE’s hydraulic bump stops to the suspension. These replaced coil spring bump stops on all Australian Leos in the early 1990s and are a straight fit to the Meng kit. And yes, you can see them behind the side skirts and running gear!

Finishing off the hull, I added the etch engine deck mesh supplied in the kit, and a strip of Evergreen styrene to the upper and lower glacis join to show the characteristic overlap in this area.

This is included in the kit. I just chose to enhance it. I also added track grouser mounts from Voyager to the glacis. It is not often the track grousers were fitted to our vehicles, so these photo-etched parts are necessary. In reality these were one of only a few parts I used from the Voyager set.

ANTIPODEAN TURRET The turret needs a little work to truly depict au Aussie Leopard, and whilst it might seem like a lot, in reality this could be an easy variant for Meng to release (hint hint).

I replaced the 105mm gun barrel for two reasons. First, I am incredibly lazy and hate sanding gun barrel seams, and secondly,

The milk crate and 9kg BBQ gas bottle come from MHE Australian stowage set. These add a terrific personal touch to the model.

The photo-etch on the turret top is kit supplied and fits perfectly. Meng includes the turret mortar blanking plate, mounted behind the loader’s hatch.

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Here you can see the small welds added to the join between the engine deck and the rear plate. You can see how little has been added to the rear plate, Meng got it spot on.

12/09/2014 12:37

Antenna mounts and GPS antenna. The MHE stowage basket fits perfectly with mounting brackets hooked into the turret bins.

Jerry cans and damaged road wheel are from Mouse House.

As Australian Leopards use a different laser rangefinder, the rangefinder port on the left turret side is blanked off. The spare wheel mounted on the turret is a late modification.

SAAB Barracuda camouflage added to the turret. You can see where I have pulled Barracuda camouflage wore down quite heavily. The left hand side of the turret the netting away from the front of episcopes. Crews did this on the real thing too. shows this wear, with the thermal blanket showing through.

I had to carefully remove the grouser racks from the glacis to add Barracuda camo, but it was worth it. I added track tools held on with straps to these racks, as done with the real vehicle.

Along with Barracuda camo, I added a camouflage umbrella bag to the rear of the turret basket. A wash basin tops off the turret stowage.

With mudflaps fitted, skirts trimmed and stowage completed, its time to prime and paint.

the MHE resin barrel has thermal jacket clamps that better reflect what we used on ours - giant hose clamps. Hardly a high tech solution, but the clamps shown on the kit barrel are the German style, not simple automotive hose clamps like on ours. The resin barrel is dead straight and a perfect fit on the Meng kit.

The turret was otherwise mostly built per the kit instructions, substituting the MHE antenna pots at the rear and adding the fillet that deletes the left hand side rangefinder port at the front.

This wasn’t a perfect fit (possibly designed for the aging Tamiya kit) so I filled it with Tamiya grey putty and sanded smooth when dry.

A spare road wheel was added to the forward turret face on the left hand side, a common late modification.

Using the MHE instructions and book, I added the GPS antenna and various other fittings to the turret roof. One troublesome issue was the crosswind sensor. In reality this has a tiny cage protecting the sensor, this is near impossible to show accurately in 1:35 scale.

I chickened out and scratch built a protective ‘sock’ covering this.

Yes, this is shown in the MHE book so its not something made up to get out of a tricky bit of the model!

FRIDGES AND BASKETS When choosing update parts from the MHE website, one must make a decision as to what timeframe you want to depict with your Leopard.

I chose a late in life vehicle, which means a full width turret basket.

This part comes with a fridge and associated mounting hardware to fit to the back of the kit turret.

It also comes with photo-etched mesh, which I replaced with some fine Alliance Models mesh.

In making this decision to show a late vehicle, I therefore consigned myself to showing a vehicle with SAAB Barracuda camouflage on the turret and A

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FEATURE ARTICLE

Meng Model 1:35 Leopard 1A3/A4 • Kit No. TS007

B hull. This camouflage system has

a thermal blanket and integral camouflage net that works to break up the silhouette of the vehicle, as well as helping to mask the heat signature of the tank. It also helps keep the inside a little cooler for the crew. In service shots show this camouflage to be quite ratty and worn in places, with whole sections missing entirely.

BARRACUDA! I overlapped some Tamiya masking tape to create the thermal blanket section of Barracuda, then with a fresh #11 blade carefully cut out around turret fittings such as cupolas and hatches. Once I was happy with the shape, I applied white PVA glue to the tape, and laid on some Kamizukuri laser cut paper camouflage net. This stuff is perfect, and once dry really looks spot on for Barracuda. I used some fine tweezers to pull some of the netting away from the front of episcopes and in areas where the crew would have worn the cam net away.

I repeated the same process to the Barracuda on the glacis area of the hull.

Barracuda was held on with Velcro tape sections. I simulated this with strips of Tamiya masking tape.

Final touches were some stowage items, tow cables from Eureka, lovely brass cables with resin ends, these fit perfectly. I added a milk crate and 9kg BBQ

gas bottle to the turret rear, and added a camouflage umbrella bag to the rear of the turret basket, using Tamiya 2 part epoxy putty to simulate this heavy canvas bag. A cut down jerry can and wash basin were the 2 last stowage items added, then it was on to paint.

AUSCAM As usual, my first step is to give the model a good coat of primer, using Tamiya Grey Primer straight from the can. I always like priming a model. It unifies all the disparate aftermarket items and it starts looking like a tank rather than a collection of bits.

In the mid 1990s, the ADF went to a three tone camouflage pattern for their military vehicles based around a colour called ‘Lustreless Olive Drab’. , Humbrol French Artillery Green was the colour of choice in the good old days, but this is long gone. MHE has released a set of enamel paints that is a good match for the camouflage colours used, but I can’t stand spraying with enamel paint so, after a hunt through the Life Colour range, UA222 Olive Drab was found to be absolutely spot on for our green colour.

Gunze H44 Flesh (yes, Flesh) is perfect for the tan used and Tamiya XF-69 NATO Black was used for the black. The MHE book includes a camouflage pattern so I used this to get the pattern right on the model. Once I was happy with the camouflage pattern, I

Decals on. Mouse House decals cracked somewhat, necessitating some touch ups here and there. The chevron was sourced from a Meng Merkava 3D.

Under primer, the paper camouflage netting starts to look like the real thing. A primer coat will show up any gaps or areas that need attention.

A few light coats of Tamiya grey primer unifies all the different materials and colours and its starting to look like a tank.

I stick with acrylics - easier to airbrush, clean up and are non toxic. Lifecolor airbrushes well when using their airbrush thinner.

The engine deck markings were brush painted with Humbrol flat white, then distressed with a brush moistened with thinners to show wear and tear.

“Christmas Tree” markings appear on all Australian Military vehicles, Vehicle names follow the squadron, so Bourbon is a B Squadron and depict where the vehicle is to be loaded if being transported by ship. vehicle. This is common with British Army vehicles too.

A battle board with turret marking ‘12’ was added from Evergreen styrene, painted black. The markings are Letraset dry transfers.

Tamiya tape painted black stands in for gaffer tape.

Hull rear markings are limited to ARN or registration number. Looks pretty plain here - still needs to be weathered.

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A light airbrushed coat of Tamiya XF-57 Buff starts the weathering process. Leopards do a lot of bush bashing so the paint cops a beating.

Washes of thinned Tamiya and Vallejo paints were used almost exclusively to weather and fade the model.

Here you can see the acrylic washes settle as dust would. The engine deck looks nice and grimy here.

I carefully airbrushed a mix of Tamiya XF-64 Red Brown and XF-1 Flat Black over the exhaust grilles to show exhaust stains. A black wash was also run into the exhaust louvres.

I always try to pick out the stowage and tool items early on, so these get weathered at the same rate as the rest of the vehicle.

To enhance the look of the Barracuda camo, I applied a wash of dark brown acrylics to add some depth and shadows.

gave it a quick coat of Future floor polish, then applied the decals, again from MHE. I could write a whole article on Australian markings, but to cut a long story short, I chose to do a B Squadron, 1st Armoured Regiment vehicle, 21B ‘Bourbon’. The chevron on the side skirts is from the Meng Merkava 3D. I painted 21B on the engine deck, using Humbrol flat white. I then used a brush moistened in clean thinners to distress and fade out the engine deck marking. I added a battle board on each side of the turret and used Letraset dry transfers to add the turret numbers ‘12’. No, I’m not dyslexic, there are many photos of Leopards with temporary turret numbers that do not match the hull number.

A final coat of Gunze H20 flat clear seals it all down and then the fun can commence, weathering.

DIESEL AND DUST I kicked off the weathering process by giving the model a light overspray with heavily thinned Tamiya XF-57 Buff. This is to just slightly fade out the colours and provide a kick-start to adding grime.

I have moved away from using pastels and pigments as a weathering medium, substituting washes and filters using acrylic paints to achieve a worn and faded look. There really is no science to it, just heavily thin Tamiya XF-57 Buff, XF-52 Flat Earth and Vallejo 70976 Buff and 70821 German camouflage beige and apply liberally to the model. I let each layer dry before starting with the next. Using acrylics to do this means you don’t poison yourself by using enamels, and you don’t stink the house out, and everything tends to dry nice and matt.

Tamiya’s Black and Brown panel line accent colours were used highlight panel lines and add fuel and oil stains to the engine deck.

The vehicle call sign is looking nice and faded.

I did use enamels to simulate fuel spills and oil stains on the engine deck, using Tamiya panel line washes.

I used a wash of Vallejo German camouflage black brown to add depth to the barracuda camouflage, when dry I dry brushed the camouflage netting with some Vallejo Flesh, Buff and Iraqi Sand in irregular areas, to add some variance and interest here.

I used the basic green camouflage colour UA222, heavily thinned, to add some paint chips where the original colour was showing back through the camouflage and the dust, this was applied with a section of make up sponge. These chips were added to with thinned Vallejo German camouflage black brown.

Final chips and scrapes were added with a 2B pencil.

It is sometimes tricky to know

where to stop when weathering a vehicle that’s not seen combat, and I think subtle weathering with acrylic washes and filters works perfectly here. I used washes heavily on the kit tracks to really highlight the fantastic detail included in the kit tracks.

Exhaust stains were added as a final tough to the weathering process. I airbrushed a thinned mix of Tamiya XF-1 Flat Black and XF-64 Red Brown to the exhaust grilles on the rear hull sides.

CREW FIGURES For crew, I scoured eBay for some US 1980s era tank crew. These old Verlinden figures are discontinued and I was lucky to find them.

They’re pretty close to Australian tankers straight from the box. I added epaulettes to the shoulders, then painted them using Vallejo and Life Colour acrylics. A

The loader is hunkered down low whilst the tank commander is out of his hatch scanning for targets. For 20 year old resin figures, they’re a good representation of Australian tankers. The MG3 at the loader’s station is the kit part and is perfectly moulded. I added 7.62mm belted ammo from Andrea Miniatures, painted with a gold artists pencil and topped off with a black wash. The red flag means live ammunition is loaded. The figures were painted with acrylics as well, mixing and matching colours to match the unique Australian pattern DPCU. November 2014 - Model Military International 33

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FEATURE ARTICLE

Meng Model 1:35 Leopard 1A3/A4 • Kit No. TS007

The Leopard is low and mean.

Meng has done a fantastic job of capturing the menacing lines of the Leopard 1.

A stolen milk crate and a 9km BBQ gas bottle really add to the model. Soldiers like their comfort and I’m sure there’d be plenty of jack rations stored in that turret basket fridge.

Finished. The kit tracks fit perfectly and go together in about one second. I chose the rubber band style rather than the individual links. Note the spare wheel on the turret is a slightly different green to the rest of the vehicle.

Careful painting of the turret stowage can really make them stand out. The jerry cans and damaged road wheel were painted in subtly different shades of green, as was the camouflage umbrella bag.

Australian tank crews mount track tools and shovels on the glacis plate, held on with ratchet straps or bungy cords. These were painted matt black then rubbed with powdered graphite to add a metallic sheen.

These rubber skirts would flex and paint and mud would chip off. I added some subtle chips with the original Lustreless Olive Drab colour using a make up sponge to show this

A heavy dust accumulation was applied to the rear of the tank.

Tail lights and reflectors were picked out with various shades of red, then weathered too.

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B For antennae I used RB Models

WWII German 2 meter antennas, which are a perfect fit.

The very last items added were the red and green flags.

These are used on firing ranges to let everyone know that live ammunition is being used, red for loaded, green for safe. I scratch built these using rolled out Tamiya quick type epoxy putty and some styrene rod.

Again, these were painted with Vallejo acrylics.

CONCLUSION Meng’s 1:35 scale Leopard 1 is a brilliant model, and captures the look of the Leopard 1 perfectly.

With a small amount of work I have been able to depict an Australian Leopard AS1 toward the end of service in the late 2000s. It wouldn’t take much from Meng to have them release this version as an out of box option – come on Meng! ■

Modelspec Meng Model 1:35 Leopard 1A3/A4. Kit No. TS007 Accessories Used Verlinden US Tank Crew 1980’s Voyager PE35636 Leopard 1 photo etch set MAD606 MHE 1st Armoured Regiment decals MA120 MHE Australian Leopard for Meng Kit TS007 MA121 Australian Leopard full width turret basket MA122 Australian Leopard L7A3 105mm with thermal sleeve MA123 Australian Leopard Hydraulic Dampers MA217 CES for Australian AFV’s ER3507 Eureka XXL Towing cable for Leopard 1:2 35A02 RB Model 2 metre Antenna for Military Vehicles FP35 Kamizukuri laser cut paper camouflage netting

Adding two crew members really adds a personal tough and makes the vehicle look lived in.

Paints used Lifecolor - UA222 Olive Drab; UA303 Green; LL01 White, LL02 Black Tamiya Acrylics - XF-69 Nato Black; XF-1 Flat Black; XF-64 Red Brown; XF-57 Buff; XF-78 Deck Tan; XF-52 Flat Earth Tamiya Panel Line Accent Colours - 87131 Black; 87132 Brown Vallejo Acrylics - 70833 German Camouflage Bright Green; 70983 Flat Earth; 70912 Tan Yellow; 70819 Iraqi Sand; 70821 German Camouflage Beige; 70822 German Camouflage Black Brown; 70976 Buff; 70928 Light Flesh; 70927 Dark Flesh; 70845 Sunny Skin Tone; 70860 Medium Fleshtone; 70947 Red ✓ High level of detail; perfect fit; excellent detail; optional tracks – individual link or full length. ✗ Nothing worth mentioning.

You can see the difference the Barracuda camouflage makes. It breaks up the outline of the turret and glacis plate very effectively.

Available from Meng Models are available from hobby shops worldwide including Hannants www.hannants.co.uk

Rating

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KIT PREVIEW

ICM 1:24 Admiral Cabriolet • Kit No. 24021

For hard bottoms only.

Graham Tetley takes a look at the latest in a growing range of 1:24 scale civilian German cars from ICM.

THE ADMIRAL ON THE ROAD

6

,404 Opel Cabriolets were built between February 1938 and October 1939. The kit instructions tell us that most were requisitioned by the Wehrmacht and Luftwaffe and used as personal transport for senior officers. Well, one has to travel in a little style, no?

This kit arrives in a very sturdy box and the company blub tells us that there are 162 parts to this model. It is generally cleanly moulded with a few bits of visible flash, but no imperfections. The chassis comes as separate pieces so care will be needed to get it all straight & true.

Moulded on 8 sprues, we have soft vinyl tyres, clear parts for the windscreen and a chromed sprue containing items such as the bumpers, hubcaps, headlights and door handles. The tyres have a lovely tread pattern moulded in, but to do this there some quite prominent seam lines in several places. Some careful sanding will be needed to remove these.

Detail throughout is good but a little simplified in places. We get a lovely 22-part engine that would look a lot better with some added wiring. In typical ICM style the doors are moulded integrally with the body and, while you could score them off, it will be a delicate job. I do wish that ICM would give

The kit decals

us individual doors.

The instructions are nice & clear and come over 23 steps.

Very easy to follow, they would make this an ideal kit for a beginner to start with. To finish it off, we have a decal sheet giving us four marking options but the patterns, especially the eagle pennants, are very vague. You will find no Swastikas here!

Construction starts with the engine, then moves on to the chassis construction. As mentioned earlier, the chassis is made from two halves and two cross-members, so a steel ruler and right-angle would be recommended for this part of construction.

We then build the wheels, axles & other bits and fit it all to the chassis in step 9, along with the radiator & engine. The front wheels are not positionable so just fix it as it is. The way that these parts have been designed would make it difficult for you to have the wheels turned as well, which is a shame.

The interior is very simple but special mention is made of the dashboard and steering wheel inner part – the detail is lovely. I mentioned earlier that the doors are molded shut. I guess that this keeps the kit costs down and also speeds up construction, but I would have liked to have seen options.

Lovely tyre tread texture.

To show off the engine, ICM indicate in Step 21 that you can cut and fold the bonnet (hood). We have a chromed Part E2 that acts as a divider and decoration for the front grille and you glue the two bonnet halves to this. I have always found that chrome & liquid poly don’t mix, so you will have to remove the chrome from E2 if you want to show the engine off in this way.

To finish off the car we add all of the chromed bumpers & headlights etc and fit in place the folded down cover.

To round off, I must comment on the chromed parts. Chrome is virtually impossible to pull off in plastic and, whilst it seems like a nice idea in practice, you will ruin the chrome finish both in removing all the parts from the sprue, and then cleaning up the mould lines. I am sorry to say that about the only chromed parts that you can use effectively are the hubcaps, everything else will have to be cleaned off and re-painted.

This is a welcome addition to the 1:24 scale world, and, on first impressions, quite impressive in many areas. The kit is let down by some detail being very clunky and toy-like, plus the chrome is best removed (and I feel that ICM would have been better leaving these sprues in bare plastic), but overall, I like it.

It is a quick, uncomplicated, model that will go together in a matter of hours thanks to the simple instructions. If you love a super detailing project then this will keep you busy for weeks. It is a unique kit that no-one else does in this scale, plus it is very reasonably priced, and for those reasons it gets a 7/10 from me.

Recommended. ■

Chassis rail.

Dashboard detail.

The engine block.

Main body sprue.

Radiator detail.

Thanks to Bronco for the sample www.cn-bronco.com Fully detailed axles.

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11/09/2014 14:35

FEATURE ARTICLE

ICM 1:35 Opel Kapitän Saloon • Kit No. 35475

Käpitan in Italy Antonio Martin Tello creates a rural scene with ICM’s 1:35 Opel Kapitän Saloon as its centrepiece.

T

he Opel Kapitän was the model being produced when the Second World War started. Manufactured between 1938 and 1940, Opel introduced the unitary body with this model, which was a modern feature for its time. Its 2.5 litre engine with 3 speeds allowed a maximum of 118km/h.

When production was interrupted in 1940 more than 25,000 units had been built and in 1948, with the war finished, Opel returned the production improving the design along the different production batches until 1958 in which a new line of cars inherited the name beginning a new “family”.

At the beginning of the war, most of these cars were requisitioned to be used by the Wehrmacht and Luftwaffe, among them lots of Opel Kapitäns that were deployed in all East and West theatres of war.

THE THREE UKRAINIAN KITS I received the ICM Opel Kapitän kit as soon as it was released as part of a batch of samples that the producer sent me for reviewing but unfortunately I couldn’t get started with it until 10 months later.

When I finally got my hands on it I started to think of a scene. I thought that some kind of pastoral scene would fit this elegant car better than a devastated surrounding so typical of many war dioramas. The scene changed in my mind many times, from a roadside somewhere on a hill to a garden full of flowers or parked at a nice building in some Mediterranean village. A

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FEATURE ARTICLE

ICM 1:35 Opel Kapitän Saloon • Kit No. 35475

ICM’s Kapitan Saloon features nice detail and is a straightforward build.

The kit was built straight from the box.

Black primer was used for the underside and in the engine compartment.

B In the end I decided to park the

car at the entrance of a private garden somewhere in Italy, watched by some civilians in a very casual and relaxed attitude as if the war had nothing to do with them. At the beginning of the project I imagined the people talking with the driver of the car, changing cigarettes or bread or something but finally I decided not to include the Wehrmacht soldier to increase the peaceful mood of the scene.

Looking through my diorama kits, I found that the Miniart kit 35505 French Wall and Gate fitted perfectly for what I had in mind, a simple vacuform kit that builds

itself in minutes and is very easy to paint. Luckily enough it included a metal forged fence to enhance the privacy look of the garden behind the walls.

Finally the figures. They came from two different sets of Master Box civilian WWII era kits, 35148 “Women of WWII” and 3567 “Civilians, Western Region WWII”.

They have no modifications. I just sanded the moulding lines and painted them with Vallejo colours.

BACK TO THE KAPITÄN The ICM kit is simple and has many fine details and subtle plastic parts that make aftermarket detailing sets almost unnecessary. The only

error I found in the kit was that although in the box it represents a German army car, the kit inside is the civilian one so some of the necessary parts for this version are not included, like the Notek light or the Jerry can rack. You will have to look for these elements in your spare parts box.

I built the car by simply following the instructions, painting the inside before closing.

Although I didn’t wanted to lift the hood, I painted the engine and chassis with a coat of Vallejo Black primer to get started, then I gave some lights in the interior floor with a thin layer of dark grey airbrushed as a filter to highlight

the few elements inside like the dashboard, pedals, gearshift, etc.

Then I applied a second filter with light grey from a greater distance to emphasise this effect.

Looking through some old photographs of the real vehicle I saw different leather trim colours used and I chose a light brown for mine. I applied a base coat with Vallejo primer and then made some washes with dark brown oils trying to leave an irregular pattern.

I glued the rest of the parts and prepared the car to the outside painting. I masked the windows doorways with tape form the inside and gave the whole car a coat of Tamiya Dunkelgelb as a primer.

AK Interactive set 544 for German late war colours was used for this project.

I applied a filter with the airbrush using the lighter tone of the base colour.

The kit decals were applied with the assistance of MIG Productions’ Decal Set and Decal Softener over gloss varnish.

The disruptive green camouflage came from the same set of AK Interactive paints.

I used some of AK Interactive’s dark washes to highlight the shapes of the shadows at the corners, joints, etc.

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Then I used the AK Interactive set 544 for German late war colours to achieve a light shade of the typical green camouflage over the dark yellow. I intended the car to look as if observed through a sunny day filter - very luminous.

So I started by painting with the RAL7028 shade and then I applied a filter with the airbrush using the lighter tone of this same colour provided in the box.

For the green stripes I used the darker of the two tones provided, then I applied another coat using the light yellow colour again but very diluted, as an atmospheric filter.

To place the few decals needed, I applied a layer of gloss varnish and, once dry, I used the MIG Productions Decal Set and Decal Softener. The way of using it is the same than with the Micro Sol and Micro Set products. The first one cleans the plastic and decal, and the second one softens the decal so it can better adapt to the surface.

I like to have rather heavy chipping on my models but with this one I had to moderate this tendency as I didn’t want it to look like a scrap, so I just painted some very small chips with Vallejo rust colour, mostly at the bumpers and the edges of the steps and lower part of the body. For this I used a little piece of sponge to stipple the colour randomly.

I used some of AK Interactive’s dark washes to highlight the shapes of the car dropping shadows at the corners, joints, etc. These products are very easy to use as they have the perfect

consistency and they run very well over a satin or glossy surface.

At this stage I masked the windows with a new masking tape of a company named Arsenal models and painted the rubber joints with satin black from Vallejo. Once I put the windows in their places, I dirtied the car using AK washes again, this time a medium earth tone with I applied mostly at the tires and lower part of the vehicle.

I let the model dry for a day and protected it with a coat of Vallejo satin varnish.

The last thing I did was to splatter many little dots of another AK product, a light grimy effect that I soon blurred down with a flat brush moistened in turpentine.

THE SCENE To create the base, I used a 25x19x2cm wooden block.

I drew the positions of the components of the scene on it and started to prepare the parts. First I cut the stone pavement parts form a Miniart vacuform kit, then I fixed them to the base with hot glue. Then I built the entrance and sidewalls. That part was very easy as the only thing I had to do was to be sure to sand the joints so they would fit perfectly. Once the pieces were glued together I used Vallejo Mud to add a bit of texture to the stones. This product is very nice, it can be diluted with water and it has a plastic like finished so you can paint it as any other plastic model.

I began painting the tiles with Vallejo Primer Dark Red. After a A

Once the pieces were glued together I used Vallejo mud to add a bit of texture to the stones.

Windows were masked with tape from a new company called Arsenal.

Miniart’s vacform French Wall and Gate was assembled and mounted on a base of wood.

The effect is quite realistic.

After a couple of hours I masked the tiles and painted the stone walls.

To achieve some variety I applied filters of different tones to both stones and tiles using again Vallejo Air model paints.

The only extra work here was to sand the joints so they would fit perfectly.

I began painting the tiles with Vallejo primer dark red.

The wall was now masked off before the pavement and sidewalks were painted with Vallejo medium grey primer.

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FEATURE ARTICLE

ICM 1:35 Opel Kapitän Saloon • Kit No. 35475

For the wooden gate I tried something different to recreate the typical woodgrain. Instead of oils I used felt pens. First I applied a light brown primer and 24 hours later I drew some lines along the planks with a dark brown pen, then some more with a red brown one and then some more with a medium brown one, not minding about covering the former strokes with the new ones as this is precisely what bends them creating a natural wood grain look. To finish the job I painted the planks with a wider, flesh colour felt pen melting the strokes that weren’t blurred yet.

B couple of hours I masked the tiles

and painted the stone walls. To achieve some variety I applied filters of different tones to both stones and tiles using again Vallejo Air model paints.

With the wall in place I added the sidewalks. These pieces were made in resin by a friend of mine, Javier Sanz.

I masked the base of the wall and painted the pavement and sidewalks with Vallejo medium grey primer. I let it dry for a day and then I made a wash using Vallejo 76517 Dark grey wash. The good thing about acrylic washes is that they run smoothly on a watermoistened surface. They come thin enough to use straight from the bottle but you can dilute them even more with just water and, of course, you don’t need to use any

strong solvent like turpentine.

For the wooden gate, I tried something different to recreate the typical woodgrain - instead of oils I used felt pens. First I applied a light brown primer and 24 hours later I drew some lines along the planks with a dark brown pen, then some more with a red brown one and then some more with a medium brown one, not minding about covering the former strokes with the new ones as this is precisely what bends them creating a natural wood grain look. To finish the job I painted the planks with a wider, flesh colour felt pen melting the strokes that weren’t blurred yet.

Next day I applied a coat of gloss varnish to protect the job as the ink of the felt pens tend to disappear with the minimum rubbing.

Individual tiles and stones were picked out using different Vallejo colours.

As I wanted my gate to be fnished with a worn look I gave it a coat of Vallejo chipping fluid and then I painted it with AK 715 green colour. Some minutes later I put the gate in warm water to dissolve the chipping product and this delivered the aged look.

I repeated the same process with the iron fence, using Vallejo Black primer, then some rust washes, the chipping medium and then White colour. To finish, I made another rust wash to cover part of the white paint too.

I wanted the garden to be on a higher ground than the rest of the scene, as if both street and entrance way would have been excavated to the elevation so I made the volume with green foam for flowers. I covered it with Vallejo mud and finally painted the ground

Vallejo’s acrylic Dark Grey Wash toned down and tied in the different shades nicely.

with a mix of paint and pigments.

To imitate the grass I used commercial static grass.

The hedge was made with a piece of sponge, covered with Vallejo mud and lots of little oregano leaves. I submerged the hedges many times in white glue diluted in water to secure the oregano and then I painted them with dark green colour and some lighter green filters to highlight the outer leaves.

I made the trunks with real sticks form a shrub that I glued in the sponge and into the ground.

I made one last wash with dust colour pigments mixed with water, trying to accumulate more at the corners and curbs and sweeping away the excess with a brush once it was dry. A

A close-up view of the painted cobblestones.

The same process was repeated with the iron fence, starting with Vallejo Black Primer.

The wooden gate was aged by first applying a brushed coat of Vallejo Chipping Medium…

…followed, when dry, by a coat of AK 715 Green, and finally a soak in warm water to dissolve the chipping solution.

This was followed by rust washes, chipping medium and finally white.

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Three figures are checked for fit but only the two civilians were used.

The horizontal stripes on the lady’s dress were masked.

The bag of Oregano leaves.

The hedge was made with a piece of sponge, covered with Vallejo mud and lots of little oregano leaves.

I made the trunks with real sticks form a shrub.

Vallejo’s Sand texture paint is easy to apply.

A few different positions were attempted for the vehicle and the figures.

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FEATURE ARTICLE

ICM 1:35 Opel Kapitän Saloon • Kit No. 35475

The figures lend a casual air.

B LA RAGAZZA E IL NONNO I hardly ever include figures in my scenes or vehicles as I am not very keen about painting them, but this time I felt that the scene would not be the same without them. I looked through my figures boxes and I found some that could fit perfectly the setting. All of them came from different Master Box kits.

Finally I chose a couple of them - an old man with a rake that looks like he is taking care of the garden behind the walls and a young lady taking a walk with an elegant look that seems so far form the war!

I imagined the scene with the two of them looking at the car and talking to each other as if they knew something about it, maybe some important passenger…

Neither figure needed any conversion, just a bit of putty to fill the joints and after I applied a coat of primer they were ready to paint.

I painted both of them with white primer and then masked the dress lines with tape to paint the rest with yellow. I used orange shadows and white for the highlights to avoid cooling the colour. The rest of both figures clothes were painted with the same formula using Vallejo colours. I also used some orange oils for the shadows on the faces and hands to add a bit of brightness to the skin.

The posters add interest to the scene.

A LAST DETAIL I decided to add a couple of political posters at the entrance gate. Both of them came from the printables gallery in my blog.

They are free for you to use at www.fcmodeltips.com Just download and print at home. ■

The car in its final position.

Modelspec ICM 1:35 Opel Kapitän Saloon

Kit No. 35475

Aftermarket Products Used: Miniart Item No. 35505 French Wall and Gate Master Box figure sets – Item No. 35148 “Women of WWII”; Item No. 3567 “Civilians, Western Region WWII” Paints & Finishing Products: Vallejo Acrylics AK Interactive Weathering Products MIG Productions Weathering Products ✓ Fine detail; good quality moulding; good fit. ✗ Interior and fittings are for a civilian car.

Available from Thanks to ICM for the sample www.icm.com.ua

Rating

This was an interesting and enjoyable project.

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Model Details

ATF Dingo 2 GE A2 PatSi

ND A R B EW N NG! LI TOO

03233

1:35 • Finely engraved surface details • Rear hatch and doors optionally open or closed • Detailed interior • Weapons station with 7.62 mm MG3A1 • Detailed chassis • Rubber tyres • Authentic decals for 4 vehicles Available in stores and online Revell GmbH, Orchard Mews, 18c High Street, Tring, Herts HP23 5AH. Tel: 01442 890285. Fax: 01442 827919. Email: ukbranch@revell.de © 2013 Revell GmbH. A subsidiary of Hobbico, Inc. All rights reserved. Trade enquiries welcome.

www.revell.eu

Publication:

Model Military Int

Job Number:

3871

Signed-off by:

Tom Randrup

Insert Date:

November Issue

File Name:

Revell_MMI_Dingo_A4_ad.pdf

Date:

08-10-13

Trim Size:

297 mm x 210 mm

Proof Stage:

1

Line Screen:

150

Date:

09.10.13

If any problems arise concerning this document, please contact Oyster Studios on 01582 761212 or email enquiries@oysterstudios.com

TANK BOY GALLERY

Heller 1:35 scale Somua S35 • Kit No. 81134

A plaque was added as a finishing touch.

TROUBLE

MAKER

T

he Somua S35 was a French Cavalry tank of the Second World War. Built from 1936 until 1940 to equip the armoured divisions of the Cavalry, it was for its time a relatively agile medium-weight tank, superior in armour and armament to both its French and foreign competitors, such as the contemporary versions of the German Panzerkampfwagen III. It was constructed from well-sloped, mainly cast, armour sections, that however made it expensive to produce and time-consuming to maintain.

During the German invasion of May 1940, the Somua S35 proved itself to be a tactically effective type, but this was negated by strategic mistakes in deploying its units. After the defeat of France in June 1940, limiting production to a number of 430, captured Somua S35s were used by the Axis powers.

A derived type, the Somua S40, with an improved suspension, lowered hull cast and welded turret armour, had been planned to replace the original version on the production lines in July 1940.

After the fall of France a number of S 35s (297 were captured according to some sources) were taken into service with the Wehrmacht as the Panzerkampfwagen 35-S 739(f).

The Germans modified the cupola by cutting its top off and installing a simple hatch. On 10 December 1940 the first German tank unit equipped with French Beutepanzer was formed: 201. Panzerregiment with 118 tanks, 36 of these were S 35s, the rest "38Hs". On 10 February 1941 202. Panzerregiment was established; both regiments were united into Panzerbrigade 100.

Some vehicles had their superstructure removed

The base is Miniart Item No. 36050 – French Village Street.

Takahiro Sumitomo presents a diorama featuring Heller’s venerable 1:35 scale Somua S35.

and were used for driver-training, while others were used for security duties. Some of these units fought in Normandy in 1944, such as 100. Panzer Ersatz und Ausbildungs Abteilung and 206. Panzer Abteilung, while others were used in Yugoslavia for anti-partisan duties (7. SS-Freiwilligen-Gebirgs-Division "Prinz Eugen", 12. Panzer-Kompanie z.b.V. and I./PanzerRegiment 202).

There were still twelve S 35s listed as in German service on 30 December 1944. *

Painting and Weathering The base coat is Mr Hobby’s MS Phantom Gray MIG Productions’ 502 Abteilung series Brown Wash has been applied over the top of the paint.

Further weathering includes AK Interactive’s Streaking Grime, Vallejo’s Light Fresh and Tamiya’s acrylic Black Panel Line Accent Colour. n * Historical background courtesy of Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SOMUA_S35

Modelspec Heller 1:35 scale Somua S35. Kit No. 81134 Accessories Used: Miniart Item No. 36050 – French Village Street Paints & Weathering Products: Mr Hobby MS Phantom Gray MIG Productions 502 Abteilung series Brown Wash AK Interactive’s Streaking Grime Vallejo Light Fresh Tamiya acrylic Black Panel Line Accent Colour

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The figures offer a sense of scale to this small French tank.

The small diorama was mounted on a wooden base.

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KIT PREVIEW

Italeri 1:35 2½ ton. 6x6 Water Tank Truck • Kit No. 201

Andy King takes a stroll down memory lane with Italeri’s venerable 1:35 scale GMC hard cab truck in water tanker guise.

HARD CAB JIMMY T

he GMC CCKW 2 1/2 ton 6x6 ’Deuce and a half or Jimmy’ is a truck that saw extensive service in WWII and Korea. The chassis was available as a long or short wheel base and was utilised for many different configurations from general purpose cargo truck, dumper truck, fire engine etc to the famous DUKW amphibious vehicle and could be found virtually everywhere from the front-line to airfields.

Production began in 1942 after the US Army issued a requirement in 1940 for a 6x6 truck with a 12ft (3.7m) cargo bed and a 21/2 ton off-road payload. General Motors modified a truck they were building for the French Army into the CCKW and when production finished in 1945 562,750 trucks had been built.

The designation ‘CCKW’ is translated as; C-designed in 1941; C- for closed cab; K-all wheel drive and W-dual rear axles. In 1942 the Yellow Truck and Coach Division began building the CCKW truck and in 1943 Yellow became GMC Truck and Coach Division and from then on the trucks were known as GMC’s or’Jimmys’.

The variant covered by Italeri in this kit is the Water Tank Truck with a closed cab and it was

Clear parts.

used to deliver drinking water to front-line troops. The kit has been around for ages and this time it’s been re-released under the ‘D-Day Normandy 1944-2014’ banner.

There are two sprues moulded in an Olive Drab coloured styrene, a single clear sprue for the cab glazing and headlights and a decal sheet printed by Zanchetti Buccinasco.

As mentioned earlier, the kit is years old, possibly dating from the 1980s and although it’s fairly basic it is still one of Italeri’s better ones. Obviously it doesn’t come up to today’s standard of moulding as there is flash and mould seams present and details such as the headlight and engine guard would be better replaced with etched items. Thankfully mould pin marks are confined to hard to see areas but there are a couple under the front fenders along with the original ‘Italaerei’ name, company logo and ‘Made in Italy’ under the footsteps to the cab.

The chassis is a multi-part assembly and will need care to get it square and level, the detail is good enough for what you will see when the model is on it’s wheels too. No engine is included and the cab interior is basic but that would be like the real vehicle anyway.

Two options are offered on the decal sheet.

The dials on the instrument panel are moulded as raised detail and there is also a decal on the sheet but it would be better replaced with aftermarket items as it’s not that good, the driver figure is best discarded too.

The tyres are two-part assemblies in styrene rather than vinyl and are pretty good at that but again aftermarket ones may be a better option.

The parts for the cab glazing are clear enough if a little thick but the four tabs that hold the rear window in place are quite visible and will need to be removed, this will then need the part polishing to regain it’s clarity.

Decal options are limited to two trucks from the famous ‘Red Ball Express’ that carried supplies across North Western Europe after the Allied landings in Normandy and you can have any colour you like as long as it’s Olive Drab, The decals look okay apart from the previously mentioned instrument dials and are legible and in register if a little on the thick side.

In conclusion, the kit is what you would call an ‘oldie but a goodie’ and with some tender loving care such as some etchy bits and new tyres it can be turned into a really nice model.

Although you could criticize Italeri for rehashing very old stuff year after year, to be fair this is the only chassis of the ‘Jimmy’ with a steel cab as Tamiya’s much later offering features an open cab and to be honest it’s not that bad a kit. Also with the huge amount of variations that the chassis was used for it makes a good cheap basis for conversion work.

Recommended. ■

This kit is so old that it is still labelled with the old Italaeri spelling!

Radiator and grille.

The hard cab body upper part.

Plastic wheels – that has to be a good thing!

Chassis rails.

Thanks to The Hobby Company Ltd for the review sample www.hobbyco.net The figure is showing his age.

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History is via Wikipedia

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Saturday 8 th & Sunday 9 th November

2014

The World’s Greatest Model Show!

Presented by

Open: Saturday 8th 10.00am to 6.00pm Sunday 9th 10.00am to 4.00pm Admission: IPMS Members FREE Adults £10.00 each day 2 Day Pass £15.00 Concessions £7.00 per day Children under 16 FREE

Venue: The International Centre Telford Shropshire TF1 4JH SMW Ad 2014NewA.indd 1 p 49 IPMS 103.indd 8

IPMS(UK) 08/07/2014 22:31:09 11/09/2014 14:25

SHOW REPORT

AMPS – Great White North 2014

AMPS GREAT WHI Scott Taylor reports on the AMPS 2014 Great White North Show, held for the first time in Oshawa Ontario.

One of the more exotic privately-owned vehicles on display was this BMP-1 in Iraqi markings.

Chris Johnson, Steve Guthrie, and Sandy McRorie discuss Chris’ 1:35 model of an Ontario Regiment Sherman being recovered by a 1st Canadian Heavy Recovery Section Diamond T 981.

I

f you have an interest in military vehicles, in either real or model form, then Oshawa, Ontario was the place to be in the southern Ontario region on May 30-31, 2014. The AMPS – Great White North Show brought the first AMPS regional model show to southern Ontario, while the Ontario Regiment RCAC Museum and the Ontario Military Vehicle Association held the Aquino Tank Day and military vehicle swap meet all at the same location, the Ontario Regiment’s museum location at Oshawa airport. Although the museum has run this event for a number of years, this year’s event was on a significantly larger scale than previous years, and it was also the first to bring an armour model show into the mix.

While most other military vehicle and scale model shows across the world were commemorating the 70th anniversary of the D-Day landings in Normandy, this event was instead remembering the 70th anniversary of the Battle of Aquino in Italy. The Battle of Aquino was part of the Allied offensive in the Liri Valley late May 1944 to break the Hitler Line and open up the road to Rome. As part of the “D-Day Dodgers,” the Allied troops who fought in the Italian Campaign during World War II, the Ontario Regiment (then also known as the 11th Canadian Armoured Regiment) was heavily engaged over May 18-24, losing 13 tanks during fierce German counterattacks.

The Ontario Regiment RCAC Tank Museum’s Tank Day and swap meet featured both the museum’s

Many owners were happy to provide interior access to vehicles. including the BMP-1.

The 25-pdr. field gun provides artillery support for advancing Canadian infantry and tanks during the Italian campaign re-enactment.

A CVR(T) Scorpion light tank leads a CVR(T) Striker antitank vehicle around the track. Not only were these vehicles Operation Granby veterans, but they had members of their original crews from Iraq in 1991 on board.

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WHITE NORTH 2014 vehicles and those owned by a number of other organizations and private individuals on display for the public to see close up. The museum boasts the largest number of nonmilitary running tanks in Canada, and their collection includes a pair of running M4A2E8 Shermans, an M24 Chaffee, a pair of M60A3s, and an M551A1 Sheridan. The museum also has an impressive collection of other armoured vehicles, from Ferret scout cars to representatives of all three members of the AVGP family (the Grizzly APC, the Husky recovery vehicle, and the Cougar Fire Support Vehicle), along with many M113 variants, including the Lynx reconnaissance vehicle, the M113 TUA antitank version, and recovery and engineering variants.

As Oshawa is the home of General Motors Canada, where hundreds of thousands of Canadian Military Pattern (CMP) trucks were produced during World War II, it’s fitting that a number of examples of these vehicles were on display as well.

While it was great to be able to inspect these vehicles close-up (modellers got special access to them on the Friday of the show), what was even better was seeing them in action. Three different re-enactments were staged at two different times on the Saturday of the show. As might be expected, the Second World War re-enactment was an Italian battle, commemorating the Ontario Regiment’s experiences during the battle of Aquino (although in the re-enactment, the Allies were attacking instead of the Germans).

This large (and loud!) mock battle featured a combined-arms Allied force, including infantry,

tanks, and Universal Carriers supported by artillery, attacking German positions (mostly infantry along with a ‘captured’ 6-pdr. antitank gun).

The second re-enactment was a Vietnam skirmish, featuring several M113s and a Sheridan light tank against a small force of Viet Cong. It was great to see the Sheridan tearing across the dusty battlefield, but it was a rather lopsided fight.

The final re-enactment, and probably the most spectacular, was an Operation Desert Storm battle.

This involved one of the Museum’s M60A3s and a variety of British vehicles (mostly members of the CVR (T) family, along with a Ferret and a Land Rover) against some Iraqi soldiers supported by a BMP1. The re-enactment unfolded in much the same way as the famous ‘100 Hours’ campaign from the first Gulf War did, with the Iraqis being overwhelmed and surrendering.

What made this re-enactment especially compelling was that not only were the British vehicles veterans of Operation Granby wearing the same markings they did in 1991, but the owner of the vehicles tracked down a number of the crew members of those actual vehicles from 1991 and flew them over from England to crew those same vehicles again, 23 years later. That’s a commendable devotion to accuracy!

It was in conjunction with this great event that the first AMPS – Great White North Show was held.

This marked the first time that a full-up AMPS regional show had been held in eastern Canada. For a first-time event, the show was

Another CMP at the show.

The Toronto Artillery Foundation’s Chevrolet CMP Field Artillery Tractor pulled their 25-pdr. field gun and its No. 27 Artillery Trailer advance past one of the Shermans participating in the battle of Aquino re-enactment.

Modellers attending the show had great opportunities to get up close to the vehicles that were there for the museum’s Aquino Tank Day.

A military vehicle show provides unique opportunities to see how dust and dirt actually accumulate on vehicles.

Here’s what a once-clean 25-pdr. looked like after a couple of turns around the dirt track.

This Ford F15A cargo truck with No. 11 cab was one of a number of CMPs on display.

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SHOW REPORT

AMPS – Great White North 2014

Bronco’s 1:35 Comet is always a pleasure to see built up, and Sandy McRorie did a great job on this one.

Jordan Baker’s Mirror Models Caterpillar D7 was posed hard at work clearing rubble. (photo by Paul Bird)

Chuck Rothman built his AFV Club’s M42 Dusters in seldom-seen Jordanian markings form the 1967 Six-Day War.

Bart Campbell’s 1:35 Ferdinand brought home a silver medal in Category I - Closed Top Tracked & Semi-tracked Vehicles – Up to 1945, Axis (Advanced). (photo by Paul Bird)

very successful, with some 109 models entered for competition by modellers who came from as far away as Virginia, Illinois, and New Hampshire. The combination of an armour modelling show with a military vehicle show proved to be a great mix for both the modellers who attended. What more could one ask than to be able to look at some great armour models, then step outside and see the real things in action? Well, author Roger Lucy was at the Service Publications table signing copies

of his massive new history of the Ram, Canada’s only domestically designed and produced tank.

Throw in 50 vending tables and an excellent raffle table, and there was just about everything an armour modeller could ask.

Admittedly, there were some minor challenges to having the model show co-located with military re-enactments (having judging discussions punctuated by the sounds of .50-caliber machine gun bursts and a 25-pdr. field gun firing is not the norm for model shows!),

The excellent groundwork really helps to give Jordan Baker’s Riich Universal Carrier an Italian flavour.

but nobody was really complaining about these ‘hardships.’

The 2014 AMPS – Great White North Show was the first of its kind in the southern Ontario region, but will not be the last. Plans are already in hand for this to be an annual event held in conjunction with the Ontario Regiment RCAC’s Tank Day, one that every armour modeller within driving distance would be well-advised to mark on his or her calendar. Real tanks in action, great armour models, lots of vendors, and the opportunity to

‘talk tanks’ with fellow modellers – it’s all there! Next year’s shows – both on the military vehicle and the armour model sides - promise to be even bigger and better. For information on the 2015 Tank Day at the Ontario Regiment RCAC Museum and the AMPS – Great White North Show, please visit the shows’ websites: http://www.ontrmuseum.ca/ OMVAevent.htm and http://www. ampsgreatwhitenorth.com/ ■

Sheridan tank underway

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Dave Forest’s 1:35 KV-85 was one of a number of Soviet heavy tanks on the tables. (photo by Paul Bird)

Sean Dunnage brought out this CMP F15A LRDG patrol commander truck, heavily converted from a 1:35 Mirror Models kit.

Jamie Grant’s 1:35 Revell PanzerHaubitze 2000 had a very effective whitewash application.

Moustafa Assad brought along this 1:35 M50 Sherman built from the DML kit in distinctive South Lebanese Army markings, displayed on a relic from.

John Keller’s AFV Club Sd.Kfz. 11 and Lion Roar Nebelwerfer had a very well-executed camouflage application.

Jason Lehrer’s massive 1:35 diorama “Shipping & Handling” depicted the loading of an LCM(3) on board an M26 Dragon Wagon in preparation for the crossing of the Rhine in March 1945.

John Maher’s exquisitely finished 1:35 T-34/76 won a gold in Category II, Closed Top Tracked & Semi-tracked Vehicles – Up to 1945, Allied (Advanced).

Bringing an AMPS Regional Show to southern Ontario provided the opportunity for lots of people to learn how the AMPS judging system works and then put their training to work.

Not many shows get this kind of signage! The museum kindly provided their M113 TUA to help direct visitors. With the recent release of Legends’ 1:35 M113 TUA conversion, this vehicle got a lot of attention from modellers with cameras.

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Figures

- A round-up of the latest figure sets on release...

DRAGON D-DAY MINIATURE STUDIO

1:35 SCALE ITEM NO. 35012 – BRITISH DESPATCH RIDER AND MP ITEM NO. 35015 - BRITISH / COMMONWEALTH INFANTRY WALKING ITEM NO. 72002 – AFRIKA KORPS SET 1 ITEM NO. 72003 – WAFFEN SS OFFICERS 1943-45 During the last few years, we have seen a rise in the number of small companies offering figures and other accessories for armour model kits.

Some of them pop up and quickly disappear like a meteor, whilst many others release new products about as often as Halley’s Comet appears.

Anyway, the sheer volume of new brands and their releases may result in an oversight of things that are truly worth noting.

These include products from the recently established company called D-Day Miniature Studio.

Currently the name of this brand may be considered a bit misleading, since the vast majority of their offerings are 1:35 and 1:72 figures of German soldiers. However, the founder and main sculptor of the company, Pawel Krasicki, does not lack any enthusiasm when it comes to reproducing other subjects also, as can be seen in the example of their latest sets, which include 1:35 figures of a British Despatch Rider and Military Policeman, as well as British/Commonwealth Infantrymen Walking.

What about the quality? With their fine details, perfectly shaped folds and realistic poses, the figures from D-Day Miniature Studio are world class. The only thing you can find fault with is perhaps that some of them may appear to be a bit too static. Although most of the figures offered by this company are in 1:35 scale, I really recommend you take a look at their 1:72 figures too. I am confident that many of you won’t believe that the latter are really only twenty-few millimeters high, even upon closer inspection.

It can be safely said that Braille-scale figures from D-Day Miniature Studio are more finely detailed and impressive than many 1:35 figures from other manufacturers.

Highly Recommended.

D-Day Miniature Studio products are available online from their website http://ddayminiaturestudio.com Kamil Feliks Sztarbala

1:35 SCALE BATTLE OF KHARKOV 1943 ITEM NO. 6782 The latest in Dragon’s huge range of 1:35 figures is this set and, interestingly, it features two German and two Soviet infantry. For each nationality one figure is in an ‘action’ pose kneeling and firing a machine gun and the other a more relaxed one, the German carrying bread and canteens and the Soviet standing smoking a cigarette. All figures are in winter uniform.

Four sprues are in the box with three of them being German personal equipment, Soviet gear is confined to the sprue with the figures. Moulded in the familiar grey styrene I was a little surprised to see mould-seam lines and some flash present although I wasn’t surprised to see the die-lines that still plague Dragon figures. These take the form of random uneven lines that run across the figure and can make filling tricky especially when it cuts through details such as webbing belts etc.

I felt the detail on this set was not as sharp as previous Dragon releases and would benefit from some re-scribing, particularly around uniform details such as belts, collars, pockets etc however the facial features ARE pretty good so all is not lost.

Assembly and painting details are on the back of the box and the usual Mr Hobby and Model Master colours are quoted.

Despite the softish detail I do like this set as the poses are pretty well done, especially the standing ones as I much prefer ‘relaxed’ poses on model figures.

Recommended.

Dragon products are distributed in the UK by The Hobby Company Limited www.hobbyco.net Andy King

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Figures

- A round-up of the latest figure sets on release...

DRAGON

1:35 SCALE OPERATION MARITA GREECE 1941 ITEM NO. 6783 Another new release from Dragon is this set of four German figures, which are depicted as being in Greece during 1941 but of course can be used for other campaigns.

Inside the box we find four sprues, three of which are for personal equipment and weapons. As with the previous set (6782 Battle of Kharkov) reviewed above again there are quite prominent mould lines, die-lines and some flash present plus the insignia on the uniforms is not that well defined. Looking at the SS officers cap for example, the eagle and death’s head are virtually indistinguishable from the surrounding plastic.

Dragon has done better in the past.

Included is an SS officer, an infantry officer, an infantryman holding a rifle and a Panzer crewman pointing to something interesting. Once again, it’s good to see a mixture of uniforms which is very useful plus you get a stack of equipment that is a bit over the top but great for the spares box. The poses for all four figures are relatively relaxed but whether they would work in context with each other is another matter however they would be great for other projects.

The box art by ‘Zgonnik’ is great quality and makes an excellent reference for painting for which Mr Hobby and Model Master colours are listed on the back along with the assembly instructions.

This is another very useful set of figures but I can’t help feeling that Dragon have dropped the ball a little regard the moulded detail as they have done much better. Anyway uniform details can always be improved on either with etch or Archer dry decals and undercuts on the webbing, collars, pockets etc. may be re-scribed to sharpen them up.

Recommended.

Dragon products are distributed in the UK by The Hobby Company Limited www.hobbyco.net Andy King

DRAGON

1:35 SCALE ITALIAN PARATROOPERS ANZIO 1944 ITEM NO. 6741 Something different this time - Italian Paratroopers. These make quite a change from all the German stuff recently. According to Dragon’s website, the figures represent troops from the 184th Airborne Division “Nembo” who fought alongside the Germans during the Allied landing at Anzio.

In the box there are only two sprues moulded in grey styrene, one of which has four figures and the personal equipment to go with them and a smaller sprue with a Beretta Model 38 9mm submachine gun, 6.5mm Carcano carbine rifle and Breda M30 light machine gun. On the larger sprue it’s worth noting the Panzerfaust anti-tank weapon too.

All the figures are in action poses and feature the typical uniform of the Italian paras for this period.

For a brand new set though I’m surprised by the mould lines and bits of flash that are present on the parts plus once again die-lines from the moulding process are visible running across the figures.

Detail-wise they are okay but things such as webbing belts, undercuts on collars and the legs of the jump smocks could do with sharpening up. However the facial features are good.

On the back of the box it shows decals to put on the Panzerfaust but unfortunately these were missing from my sample. Box art for this set is of the ‘photographic’ type which is not too bad and makes good reference for painting the figures and as per usual the instructions are on the back.

Altogether this is a welcome set of figures as I think the last time Italian Paratroopers were moulded in plastic it was by ESCI in the late 1970s.

Highly Recommended.

Dragon products are distributed in the UK by The Hobby Company Limited www.hobbyco.net Andy King

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KIT PREVIEW

Eduard 1:35 Pz.Kpfw. VI Ausf.B Tiger II ProfiPACK • Kit No. 3715

The lower hull is broken down into a flat pack with separate floor, rear and sides.

Markings for the three camouflage schemes.

Eduard repackages Academy’s 1:35 scale Tiger II Last Production kit. The Editor takes a look.

ONE LAST THROW OF THE DICE

T

he Tiger II was a German heavy tank of the Second World War. The final official German designation was Panzerkampfwagen Tiger Ausf.

B, often shortened to Tiger B. It is also known under the informal name Königstiger (the German name for the “Bengal Tiger”), often semi-literally translated as the King Tiger or Royal Tiger by Allied soldiers.

The Tiger II was the successor of the Tiger I, combining the latter’s thick armour with the armour sloping used on the Panther medium tank. The tank weighed almost seventy metric tons, was protected by 100 to 180 mm (3.9 to 7.1 in) of armour to the front, and was armed with the long barreled 8.8 cm Kampfwagenkanone 43 L/71 gun.

The Tiger II was developed late in the war and built in relatively small numbers, with 1,500 Tiger IIs being ordered — a slightly higher number than the 1,347 examples of the earlier Tiger I tanks actually produced — but production of the Tiger II was severely disrupted by Allied bombing.

The chassis was also the basis for the Jagdtiger tank destroyer.* There has been no shortage of Tiger II models in 1:35 scale over the decades. We have seen vintage offerings from Nichimo and Tamiya, the newly-tooled Porsche and Henschel Tamiya King Tigers from the 1990s, and a selection of original kits from Dragon too.

Academy entered this

Link and length narrow transport tracks.

crowded market in 2013 with their 1:35 scale King Tiger “Last Production” kit. This was an allnew model.

Eduard has now released this kit under their Profipack label with attractive box art, different marking options and a new photoetched fret.

Eduard’s 1:35 scale King Tiger ProfiPACK comprises 434 parts in caramel coloured plastic, 148 parts in black plastic, a nickelplated photo-etched fret and markings for three vehicles.

Instructions are offered in a colour 14 page booklet, with helpful illustrations in the usual Eduard style.

The lower hull is broken down into a flat pack of separate floor, sides and back, with individual torsion bars suspending the 18 road wheels. The road wheels are split into front and rear halves with separate tyres trapped between them. You might be pleased with this arrangement if you usually paint your wheels and tracks before assembly. Remember that the “tyres” on the Tiger II are steel though, not rubber.

The tracks are the narrow transport type. These were necessary for rail transport, as the combat tracks made the vehicle too wide for German railway platforms and tunnels.

The kit tracks are broken down into links and lengths.

I have to say that link and length is now my favourite type for “dead” tracks, offering a good compromise for speed of assembly and authentic sag.

Eduard’s new photo-etched fret.

The upper hull is a large single moulding. Hull tools and fittings look much better than the basic offerings on Academy’s recent Panzer 35(t). I’d be happy to use these on the model. The distinctive track guards are supplied but I believe that it would be rare to see these in combination with the narrow transport tracks. They’ll be handy if you buy a replacement set of final version combat tracks though.

The turret is made up from a large upper shell, a two-piece turret floor and a toothed turret ring. The 8.8cm gun breech is nicely detailed, and you will be able to catch glimpses of your handiwork if the turret hatches are posed open. There is not much else in the way of interior turret detail though, apart from a solid plastic scope, rangefinder binoculars and the close defence weapon. Vision blocks for the cupola are supplied as separate parts, but they are coloured plastic, not clear.

Hangers are provided for four pairs of spare track links on each side of the turret. Check your references though, as many final production Tiger IIs had provision for more.

Eduard has replaced Academy’s original small photo-etched fret with their own improved version.

The mesh looks woven – very impressive – and the inclusion of sights for the cupola-mounted machine gun is handy too.

Two figures are on the sprues but Eduard does not seem too impressed – they are marked “Not For Use”!

Eduard’s 1:35 scale Tiger II ProfiPACK is a very attractive and well detailed kit that will appeal to WWII German armour fans. ■

The suspension comprises individual torsion bars.

The metal “tyres” are separate parts too.

The one-piece upper hull.

Track guards are included – handy if you by after-market combat tracks.

The upper turret shell.

Thanks to Eduard for the sample www.eduard.cz The toothed turret ring.

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* Historical summary courtesy of Wikipedia

11/09/2014 16:11

A round-up of the latest news and releases in 1:72 and 1:76

DRAGON

1:72 SCALE PANZERFÄHRE FÄHRENDECK MIT GEPANZERTER LANDWASSERSCHLEPPPER PROTOTYPE NR.II KIT NO. 7509

The Panzerfähre (abbreviated to ‘PzF’) was an amphibious tractor conveniently based on the chassis of a Panzer IV Ausf.F tank. Development of the Panzerfähre began in early 1941, and by mid-1942 Magirus had delivered two prototypes. The lightly armoured, fully tracked vehicle had a boat-like bow and a propeller at the stern. The amphibian’s main function was combat supply on land and in water.

It could tow an amphibious trailer, or alternatively it could work in tandem with another Panzerfähre as a floating ferry platform capable of carrying a 24-ton load. However, because heavier tanks were appearing on the scene, the PzF never went into production because of its inadequate payload. (Source: Dragon Models USA).

This is an obvious follow on from the Armoured Amphibious Tractor Prototype No1 kit (No 4789) previously issued by Dragon, and this time includes the AFV Ferry described above. It shares many parts with the first prototype kit as would be expected, and likewise derives its running gear from Dragon’s Pz.Kpfw IV. Parts are in Dragon’s familiar quality style, and fully exploit the sliding multi-piece moulds they use. This approach certainly simplifies construction with the tractor’s hull provided as one piece other than its deck. A “conning tower” and curved bow-floats basically complete most of the tractor’s structure. There are of course details like exhaust mufflers and stacks, boat-poles, tow-chains, and propeller to add as well; but this is really quite a simple kit to build. The armoured ferry is even simpler, being made of only six parts in total.

The instructions are in Dragon’s usual clear style and include a parts map, colour-printed painting and markings guide, with call-outs linked to the paint ranges from Gunze Aqueous, Mr. Color, and Modelmaster. Parts count is a modest seventy including the pair of one-piece tracks. The small decal sheet is very clearly printed and should perform very well based on my experience of Dragon kits.

Dragon’s Panzerfähre Fährendeck mit Gepanzerter Landwasserschleppper Prototype Nr.II is a nicely produced kit that should be simple to build. It is an unusual and rare subject, with probably a more limited appeal than some other subjects. This may in part account for its higher comparative pricing to other Dragon 1/72 AFV kits. This seems fair enough to me, but it will potentially make modelling a pair of schleppers with their panzerfähre slung between a pricey proposition. Despite this, I happily recommend this kit.

Recommended.

Dragon kits are distributed in the UK by The Hobby Company Limited www.hobbyco.net Mark Davies November 2014 - Model Military International 57

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1:48 Scale – A round-up of the latest news and releases IT’S SCALE MODELLING!

Y

ou know, I’ve been in this hobby for a lot of years and one thing that strikes me as odd is how the hobby has drifted into what I would describe as the painting stage.

When, I was starting out it was all about the building and the accuracy of scale of a particular subject.

It might seem strange to some, but I miss those days. I still slavishly follow that scale rule. In 1:48 scale, nothing is more jarring to my eye than overly thick parts. Indeed, a good set of plans of a particular subject is almost essential.

Take for example the current trend of recessing rivets and panel lines on model aircraft. Sure, they look good and indeed they take washes well, but are they accurate? Probably not.

The key, I believe, is to keep everything in scale. Most plastic kits are produced to a budget and, as a result, many of the fittings are produced in an easy to remove from the sprue format. The reason for this is simple. If the manufacturers did everything to scale, the model would be too expensive to produce and indeed purchase by you and me. Photo etched parts can be a blessing for scale appearance and a curse, as fitting can cause problems for those with failing eyesight. Balance is the key, in both assembly and painting.

I have often seen the same weathering methods being applied to 1:48 scale models as they are to 1:35 with results that it just looks wrong in the smaller

scale. Being gentle and subtle with our weathering is another mindset that needs to be employed when making our chosen scale seem in scale.

I think that we all should be building down in our painting and weathering styles. If weathering and indeed painting is employed in scale, it will be more pleasing to the eye and, indeed, more accurate.

In my view, some parts can only be achieved by scratch building. The term scratch building is used quite often to describe everything from making a bracket to building a whole vehicle. Is this correct? I know that I have used the term to describe the building of a bracket in many of my articles but in reality that is not really correct at all. Scratch building should lend itself to a more prestigious area like complete vehicles or at the very least complete sub assemblies. What we are really doing is merely refining kit parts and improving upon them.

We live in a world where time is everything and for that reason, scratch building is more or less a dead art, which is a great shame as it should have more weight and prestige than mere painting.

Keeping things in scale is the most important thing; it’s not called “scale modelling” for nothing.

Until next time Luke Pitt

BRENGUN

1:48 SCALE MODERN SHOPPING CART ITEM NO. BRL48058

PLUS MODELS

1:48 SCALE GERMAN HEAVY GENERATOR SD.AH.24 ITEM NO. 4014

I have great admiration for Plus Models. Time and time again they have come up with unique and interesting subject choices. This one, in my view, is just such an example. Who would have thought even a few short years ago there would be a model of this in any scale let alone 1:48!

The German Generator is presented in the now familiar red-bordered box with a seven page instruction booklet together with a decal sheet and photo etch fret. 30 very well cast pieces are included and capture the shape and form of the unit extremely well.

This generator and trailer combination was used right throughout the Second World War so many settings would be appropriatw. If the access panel is left open you will have to check your references as the internal configuration varied wildly depending on who manufactured the generator.

In summary, this is a wonderful and interesting piece.

Highly Recommended.

Thanks to Plus Model for the sample www.plusmodel.cz Luke Pitt

The humble shopping trolley is used by many and found in the oddest of places all around the western world. Indeed, my son used to insist on riding in one when he was little while we shopped at the supermarket.

Brengun has now released a set of this iconic modern item.

The photo-etched bars on the trolley are superb. They are both fine and highly detailed. Care will be needed when assembling the four bends that make up the trolley body. A good bending tool is almost mandatory for this piece.

This is a unique and different accessory well worth the asking price. Our thanks go out to Brengun for providing the sample.

Highly Recommended.

Thanks to Brengun for the sample www.brengun.cz Luke Pitt

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Luke Pitt hosts MMI’s examination of the growing world of 1:48 scale military models, figures and accessories.

Upcoming

Gasoline from France has plans to release a 1:48 scale Dragon Wagon in the near future. If these photos are anything to go by, I can’t wait!

TAMIYA

1:48 SCALE BRITISH TANK DESTROYER M10 IIC ACHILLES KIT NO. 32582

HAULER

1:48 SCALE VALVE HAND WHEELS ITEM NO. HLX48345

If you’re like me and you indulge in a little scratch building from time to time, sourcing appropriate parts can sometimes be a real headache.

Hauler has released a nifty little set of valve hand wheels that will come in handy for all sorts of applications. I dare say if you buy this set it may well last you a long time as eight different size sets in two varieties are included.

The photo etch is well done and has only two cut points on each wheel. Our thanks go out to Hauler for providing the review sample Highly Recommended.

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

The M4 Sherman was the backbone of American and British armour forces by the time of the Allied campaigns in Italy and North Western Europe. The Sherman was a hard working tank available in vast numbers thanks to American mass-production techniques and it could hold its own against its German contemporaries, the Panzer III and Panzer IV. However, the 75mm main gun was ineffective against the German heavy tanks, the Panther and the dreaded Tiger.

The 76mm gun fitted to the dedicated US Tank Destroyer, the M10, fared little better against these behemoths.

The Achilles was an expedient response to this deadly challenge.

The Achilles was a British conversion of the American M10 Tank Destroyer redesigned to accommodate the powerful 17pdr anti-tank gun. This gun required a deeper turret, modified interior stowage and revised mantlet and gun mount. Although the Achilles was lightly armoured, the lethal 17pdr gun was more than capable of penetrating the heavy German tanks. The Achilles, and the similarly expedient 17pdr Sherman conversion, the Firefly, engaged Tigers and Panthers until the last days of the war.

MR Model offered a multimedia Achilles conversion for Tamiya’s M10 kit, but now Tamiya themselves has released a 1:48 scale mainstream model of this potent tank destroyer.

This new 1:48 scale Achilles Mk.IIc comprises 205 parts in olive coloured plastic, four polythene caps, four metal ingots and markings for a single vehicle.

Tamiya released their 1:48 scale M10 tank destroyer in 2005, and the kit shares a number of sprues, but there are some important differences. First and most obvious is a brand new sprue that offers the new turret, gun, stowage and other unique features of this British vehicle.

The kit also features a plastic lower hull, unlike the die-cast metal part in the earlier M10. Many modellers didn’t like the die-cast hull. I didn’t mind them though. If you yearn for scale weight, you are provided the option of installing four metal weights inside the hull.

Suspension units are common to the 2004 M4 Sherman release, with lateversion upswept return roller mounts and both laced and pressed road wheels on the sprues.

Tracks are rubber chevron. These are broken down into links and lengths, and should be a quick and easy installation if my previous experience with Tamiya’s 1:48 scale Sherman family is anything to go by.

A full complement of 17 pdr stowage is included, as are Sten guns and ammo boxes. Applique armour is provided for the front glacis, and the turret looks good with its characteristic duckbill counterweight and long 17 pdr gun.

The 17 pdr breech detail is well rendered too, and the modeller is also offered a turret mounted .50 cal M2 machine gun.

The small decal sheet provides markings for “Chelsea”, attached to I Corps in Normandy during the summer of 1944.

Tamiya’s Achilles is another welcome addition to their 1:48 scale family. This should be a fast, easy build and it won’t take up too much space on your display shelves, but the level of detail and potential for realistic painting and weathering delivers the best of both worlds.

Highly Recommended.

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

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Book Reviews

RINALDI STUDIO PRESS

TANK ART 3 - MODERN ARMOR

BY MICHAEL RINALDI • ISBN: 978-0-9883363-2-2

Michael Rinaldi is a world-class armour modeller whose work will be familiar through his extensive portfolio appearing in magazines and on the Internet.

Last year, Mike released the first two publications from his Rinaldi Studio Press imprint, Tank Art 1 – WWII German Armor and Tank Art 2 - WWII Allied Armor. Now it is the turn of the Abrams, T-72 and Merkava in Tank Art 3 - Modern Armor.

In common with the first two titles in the series, this book succeeds as a step-by-step painting and weathering guide for modellers.

The hefty volume is presented in a squarish format and is printed on 224 pages of glossy, high-grade paper between its soft covers.

The contents are broken down logically, commencing with Products and Materials before moving on to three Chapters discussing specific techniques - Weathering Principles; Combining Hairspray and Oil Paint Rendering, and Pigment Application.

These sections introduce new and modified applications of these essential techniques.

The bulk of the book is dedicated to six master class examples of painting and weathering. Mike uses five models as the blank canvas to demonstrate his wide range of techniques: A Meng Model D9R Armored Dozer, T-62M1. AMX-30B, FV221 Caernarvon and a T-72B Model 1989.

Andy Taylor also delivers a Chapter on his techniques applied to a 1:35 scale MTLB. The finishes are described using three parallel narratives. If you are a visual learner, the photographs will provide a comprehensive guide to the techniques on their own.

However, each photo is accompanied by detailed and useful captions that describe the technique in more detail, along with insights into their application by the Author. The body text is very readable and adds another layer of detail to the descriptions.

Each model Chapter is rounded out with a two-page Quick Reference guide summarising every step of painting and weathering for the specific subject The photography is the other highlight of the book, beautifully complimenting the outstanding quality of the finishes. All the subjects are evenly lit and brightly presented against a crisp white background. The photos are large - the two page spreads are particularly impressive - and outline the techniques in the most useful sequence.

The overall layout is bright, attractive and consistent too.

Tank Art 3 – Modern Armor is a fantastic guide to painting and weathering the Rinaldi way. The techniques are extensive, the photography, presentation first rate and the text ably supports the images. If you are looking for a step-by-step guide to obtaining high quality painting and weathering finishes for modern vehicle subjects, this really is the ideal one-stop manual.

Highly Recommended.

Available online from Rinaldi Studio Press www.rinaldistudiopress.com Brett Green

HISTOIRE & COLLECTIONS

STONNE 1940 - MEN AND BATTLES

BY ERIC DENIS • ISBN 9782352503064

Much has been written about the rapid German advances during the French campaign in 1940. Most authors wax lyrical about German “lighting war” and the precision, communication and superior tactics employed by the German commanders. There were a few battles with the French however, that the Germans were held up and even repelled.

This new book from Histoire & Collections outlines the battle of Stonne. This small village, consisting of only a handful of farmsteads, was heavily contested during the invasion. The village changed hands 17 times over the course of three days of fighting between 15 May and 17 May 1940. Operations near the town involved 90,000 German troops and 300 German tanks, opposed by 42,500 French soldiers and 130 French tanks. The Germans lost 26,500 men (wounded and killed) and 24 tanks, while the French lost 7,500 men (wounded and killed) and 33 tanks.

The book consists of 81 pages and is lavishly illustrated with an excellent lead up history to the battle and many maps to illustrate troop movements. I must say, I was intrigued by this battle and in some ways it was almost like an “airport page turner” for me. This work dispels the myth of German superiority. In fact, if the Germans encountered as much resistance as this all the way through France, the Second World War may well have played out entirely differently.

This is a great read for anyone looking for the more obscure battles of World War II. Highly Recommended.

Thanks to Casemate UK for the sample www.casematepublishing.co.uk Luke Pitt

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HISTOIRE & COLLECTIONS

1967-2000 THE STORY OF ESCI

BY JEAN-CHRISTOPHE CARBONEL • ISBN: 978-2-35250-310-1

Many of us will fondly remember kits from our early days of modelling and get nostalgic about those brands that started us in this hobby. One of the brands from my childhood was ESCI, which I discovered as a teen in the 1970s. This famous Italian manufacturer was pretty innovative and released an amazing range of subjects including an impressive range of 1:9 scale motorbikes alongside 1:72 aircraft, AFV and decal sheets. They were one of the first manufacturers to offer different versions of the same subject with differing decals and parts.

This latest H&C title is not their first covering well known model companies, with previous titles on Airfix Toy Soldiers, Heller kits (in French only) and Matchbox.

This one is published in full colour and tracks the full history of this famed Italian pioneer manufacturer from its fledgling days in 1967 through its heyday to the twilight years under US ownership.

The contents are well researched and I was amazed to see kits in here that Esci had planned to release but never did.

The book is broken down into many chapters including a History of its origins and a year by year description of its range, releases and the general company direction and personalities. It has a good deal of information in its Appendices including detailed listings: • Products announced but not released • Promotional Products • Products from outside toolings • ESCI around the World • Specials • ESCI kits, the list 67-1992 • ESCI Decals the list 1970 - 1974 Each Chapter is well illustrated with box tops and pictures of the kits including artwork for subjects that were never released (more’s the pity in some cases). The author has covered this extremely well and managed to track down some very rare subjects. The full story and background is presented in an easy to read format and I felt more than a twinge of nostalgia when reading this, which was an enjoyable experience.

I recommend this book to modellers with an interest in kit collecting, manufacturing, ESCI kits and those who cut their teeth on these kits. It is well researched and tables of the various ranges and their release dates are included in the appendices making this a great reference for the collector.

This is one of those feelgood books for the older modeller and it will bring back a lot of great memories.

Highly Recommended to the collector, modeller or historian.

Thanks to Casemate UK for the sample www.casematepublishing.co.uk Al Bowie

HISTOIRE & COLLECTIONS

GERMAN COMBAT EQUIPMENT 1939 - 45

BY JEAN-PHILIPPE BORG • ISBN: 978-2-35250-304-0

Throughout history, soldiers have required specialist equipment to hold the vast quantity of kit they employ in their duties, and this title is dedicated to the vast array of personal equipment carried by German Soldiers in WWII. The equipment (what I would call webbing today) was very close to that carried by their fathers in WWI. Due to shortages and new materials the equipment changed during the war and this book covers that progression. The book also charts new equipment like the camouflage shelter and other equipment changes including bayonets, gas masks, water bottles and entrenching tools.

Each major equipment is given a chapter and is supported by mainly colour photos of the real thing including excellent descriptive text detailing the changes. The chapters are as follows: • Belts and Buckles • M1931 Bread Bag • M1931 Mess Tin • M1931 Water Bottle • M1874 Entrenching Shovel • M1938 Folding Shovel • M1911 Cartridge pouch • M1939 Suspender Straps • M1930 & 1938 Gas Masks • M1933 Shelter Quarter • Bayonet Frog • M1939 Combat Pack Frame This book is an excellent reference and a valuable tool for the modeller, collector or historian. The photos are excellent and are well labelled.

Highly Recommended.

Thanks to Casemate UK for the sample www.casematepublishing.co.uk Al Bowie

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BUYERS GUIDE>>>>>>>>> AVID READER

Tel: 01299 823 330 Fax:01299 829 970

Unit 10, Hodfar Road, Sandy lane Ind Estate, Stourport On Severn, Worcestershire, DY13 9QB

PARABELLUM

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SPECIALISING IN AIRCRAFT, ARMOUR, VEHICLES & FIGURES IN 1/72, 1/48 & 1/35, VALLEJO PAINTS, MAIL ORDER

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INFO@BOOKWORLDWS.CO.UK

1/48 website: www.parabellum.co.uk

HALIFAX MODELLERS WORLD

Tel: 01422 349157

Halifax Modellers World , 29 Union Street, Halifax, HX1 1PR

email: sales@ parabellum.co.uk

MASTERCARD/VISA

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1/2 MILE FROM RAF MUSEUM

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MASTERCARD/VISA/SWITCH

ADVERTISE ON THIS PAGE! IF YOU ARE READING THIS THEN SO ARE THOUSANDS OF OTHERS. FOR INFORMATION, CALL GARETH LIDDIATT ON 01525 222573

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Contact Details - for companies featured in MMI...

ACCURATE ARMOUR/ ARMOUR DISTRIBUTION

Units 15-16 Kingston Industrial Estate, Port Glasgow, Inverclyde, PA14 5DG Scotland.

Tel; 01475 743 955 Fax; 01475 743746 www.accurate-armour.com

ADALBERTUS

Iberyjska 7/49, 02-764 , Warsaw,Poland adalbertus@adalbertus.com.pl www.adalbertus.com.pl

THE AIRBRUSH COMPANY Ltd

Unit 7 Marlborough Road, Lancing Business Park, Lancing, West Sussex, BN15 8UF. Tel; 08700 660 445 www.airbrushes.com

ALCLAD II LACQUER

5 St Georges Close, Bacton, Norfolk. NR12 0LL Tel; 01962 65216 Fax; 01692 652334

ALPINE, ROYAL MODEL, ARTISAN MORI, YOSCI; SMARTMODELLING No.7 Gordons Way, Oxted, Surrey RH8 0LN. UK Tel; 01883 734746 smartmodelling@smart7.fsworld.co.uk

AMPERSAND PUBLISHING (via Historex Agents in UK)

235 NE 6th Avenue #4 Delray Beach, Florida 33483-5543, USA Tel; 561-266 9686 Fax; 561-266-9786

ARCHER

(Historex in UK)

PO Box 1277 Youngsville, NC 27596-1277, USA www.archertransfers.co

BADGER AIR-BRUSH COMPANY 9128W Belmont Ave, Franklin Park, IL 60131 Tel; 847/678-3104 www.badgerairbrush.com email info@badgerairbrush.com (In the UK from www.shesto.co.uk)

BISON DECALS

Available from www.hannants.co.uk and www.pdi-model-supplies.com

DELUXE MATERIALS www.deluxematerials.co.uk info@deluxematerials.com Tel; 01529 455 0340

DRAGON MODELS

(The Hobby Company in UK)

Dragon Models Ltd, Kong Nam Ind. Building B1-10F, 603-609 Castle Peak Road, Tsuen Wan NT, Hong Kong Fax; (HK) 4110587 www.dragonmodelsltd.com (For 1:6 Action Figures, please contact Amerang in UK)

ECHELON FINE DETAILS

Available from; wwwaccurate-armour.com & http://pachome1.pacific.net.sg/~kriegsketten/

FRIENDSHIP MODELS

12 Delta Drive, Musselburgh, East Lothian, EH21 8HR Tel; 0131 665 0866 Mobile; 07877166225 www.friendshipmodels.com

GREAT NORTH ROADS

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

HANNANTS

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

CAMMETT

(Lifecolour, Scale Caliber)

Unit 5 Greenfield Industrial Estate, Forest Road, Hay on Wye, Powys, HR3 5FA Tel; 01497 822757 Email; cammettco@btinternet.com www.cammett.co.uk

CLASSIC PUBLICATIONS

Midland Counties Publications, 4 Watling Drive, Sketchley Lane Industrial Estate, Hinckley, Leics UK. LE10 1YF Tel; 01455 233 747, Fax; 01455 233 737 midlandbooks@compuserve.com www.classic-publications.com

CREATIVE MODELS LTD

(Mig Productions, Vallejo, Accurate Miniatures)

Unit 6-10, Honeysome Industrial Estate, Honeysome Road, Chatteris, Cambridgeshire. PE16 6TG Tel; 01354 760022 www.creativemodels.co.uk info@creativemodels.co.uk

DARTMOOR MILITARY MODELS Haylis cottage, Budlake, Broadclyst Exeter, EX5 3LJ, England Tel; 01392 881271 www.dartmoormilitarymodels.com

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

MILICAST MODEL CO.,

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

MISSION MODELS

(ETCHMATE, GRABHANDLER, MICRO CHISEL)

www.etchmate.com www.missionmodels.com Tel; 818 842 1885 Fax; 818 842 1886 info@missionmodels.com, sales@missionmodels.com, orders@missionmodels.com

THE ARMORY; M&MODELS

9329 S. Cicero Ave, Oak Lawn, IL 60453, USA http://home.earthlink.net/~mmodels/

www.airconnection.on.ca

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

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

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

MONROE PERDU

SQUADRON

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

ORDNANCE MODELS Via; www.steelmodels.com

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

PO Box 164, Heathfield, Sussex TN21 8WA, UK www.panzerwrecks.com (Creative Models in UK)

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

POCKETBOND LTD

(Trumpeter & AFV Club in UK)

PO Box 80, Welwyn, Hertfordshire, England, AL6 0ND Tel; 01707 391509 Fax; 01707 327 466 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

LSA MODELS

SB MODELS

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

SCHIFFER BOOKS

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

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

MDC

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

Tel; 01892 533036 www.modelwholesaleuk.com

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

(TASCA, MASTER BOX) Retail; 151 Sackville Road, Hove, East Sussex, BN3 3HD, England.

Tel/Fax; 01273 705420 orders@lsamodels.co.uk www.lsamodels.co.uk

SCHATTON BARRELS

MODEL WHOLESALE UK LTD

PLUS MODEL

ICM

Via Hannants in UK

(Creative Models in UK)

HUSSAR PRODUCTIONS, CANADA

BOOKWORLD WHOLESALE

CALIBRE 35

MIG PRODUCTIONS

PANZERWRECKS

IAN ALLAN

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

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

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

BLAST MODELS

Via AFV Modeller or www.blast-models.com

MODELING ARTISAN MORI

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

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

TRUMPETER

www.trumpeter-china.com Pocketbond in the UK

VERLINDEN PRODUCTIONS (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

Unit 5, Cobnash Industrial Estate, HR6 9RW Tel; 0844 415 0914 wem@onetel.com www.whiteensignmodels.com

WWII PRODUCTIONS, AUSTRALIA

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

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

SBX MODEL SHOP

ZVEZDA

SBLC

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

(The Hobby Company in UK)

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

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

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Next Issue On sale 6th November, 2014

ISSUE No.103 November 2014, Published October 2nd 2014 Editor;

Brett Green

Group Editor;

Marcus Nicholls

Publisher;

Alan Harman

Graphic Design;

Alex Hall

Advertising Manager;

Gareth Liddiatt

Advertising Assistant;

Joe Brown

Office Manager;

Paula Gray

Administration Manager; Hannah McLaurie MMI Website;

ADH Web Team

Printed by; Symbian Print Intelligence, Hertfordshire, UK 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

M6A1 HEAVY TANK

Steve Zaloga builds the new Dragon Black Label US M6A1 Heavy Tank, and provides reference too!

Matt Wellhouser builds and paints Bonehead Models’ large scale SS Squad Leader

...and much more!

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

TIGER KILLER The Editor builds Bronco’s new 1:48 scale SU-152 / KV-14

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!

MAXX PRO

Andrew Judson builds the 1:35 scale Kinetic kit; accompanied by a detailed Think Tank reference article by Stuart Ransley.

Model Military International is published on the first Thursday of each month by; ADH Publishing, Doolittle Mill, Doolittle Lane, Totternhoe, Bedfordshire, LU6 1QX UK www.modelmilitary.com Tel; +44 (0)1525 222573 Fax; +44 (0)1525 222574 Editorial enquiries; Email; editor@modelmilitary.com Advertising enquiries; Tel; +44 (0)1525 222573 Email; gareth@adhpublishing.com Subscription enquiries; Tel; +44 (0)1525 222573 Fax; +44 (0)1525 222574 Email; enquiries@adhpublishing.com 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.

Advertisements are accepted for publication in Model Military International only on ADH Publishing’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); £44 UK £56 Europe £69 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.

© ADH Publishing 2014

The paper used on this title is from sustainable forestry

Order online now at; www.modelmilitary.com

HE GOT LEGS!

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ICM 1:24 G4 WITH OPEN COVER WWII GERMAN PERSONNEL CAR. KIT NO. 24012

The Last Post...

BLAST FROM THE PA ST

YOU TAKE THE HIGH ROAD… W

ith the release of Tamiya’s new 1:48 scale M10 IIC Achilles, I thought it might be interesting to revisit my Achilles built in 2007 using the Tamiya 1:48 M10 Tank Destroyer and MR’s 1:48 scale multimedia conversion. This model appeared in Issue 142 of Tamiya Model Magazine (August 2007).

MR’s 1:48 scale conversion comprised 27 pieces in in grey coloured resin plus a replacement turned metal gun barrel to transform Tamiya’s 1/48 scale M10 into the British Achilles.

The conversion parts included the new mantlet, turned metal gun barrel, 17 pdr breech, counterweight collar, two styles of muzzle brake and the big new turret counterweight / rear upper turret wall. Additional stowage items were also supplied, including six 17pdr shells in two ready racks, ammo boxes, crates, FirstAid box and various bags and stowed camouflage nets.

Before working on the conversion parts, I started on the lower hull and running gear. First, all the parts were cut from the sprue and cleaned up with a sharp knife. The wheels have a seam line around the centre of each tyre, so I roughed up this area with a coarse MasterCaster sanding stick. This has the dual benefit of eliminating the seam and creating the impression of worn rubber.

Once the parts were cleaned up, assembly of the running gear was very fast.

Surprisingly, considering the quality of the base Tamiya kit, the hull sponsons are open. This creates a see-through effect from certain angles, so I blanked off these areas with thin sheets of plastic card. The new Achilles kit doesn’t have blanked off sponsons either, by the way.

Casting quality of the MR’s resin conversion parts was good, with only a few tiny pin holes in my sample, but another problem emerged when I was cleaning out the inside of the lifting

The Editor strolls down memory lane, recalling a 1:48 scale Achilles IIC Tank Destroyer built during 2007 using the Tamiya M10 and the MR multimedia conversion. eyes on the mantlet. When I inserted the file in the eye, the entire corner of the mantlet broke off. This was not a huge problem, as I simply rebuilt the corners of the mantlet with plastic card.

MR’s conversion instructions comprise a list of contents and two photos of the assembled model with the resin parts labelled and shown in place. This leaves several questions unanswered about assembly and parts placement. In particular, you should be aware that the top part of the rear turret wall needs to be cut out. It is easiest to do this before the turret halves are joined. The photos here show my attempt. The fit of the resin part was quite good, but some fairing-in with Milliput was necessary to smooth a few steps at the sides, and a gap beneath the large counterweight.

References are a bit ambiguous about turret equipment and ammunition stowage and the instructions do not help much. I eventually decided to install ready racks on both rear turret walls and on the port sidewall. I recommend Toadman’s Achilles online walkaround (http://www.toadmanstankpictures.com/ achilles.htm) as an easily accessible reference for this area.

The photos on Toadman’s walkaround show a very prominent guard fitted around the breech. I fabricated this part from brass wire and scrap plastic.

Mission Models’ Multi-Tool was very helpful for achieving the precise, multiangled bends required for the guard.

The holes in the muzzle brakes needed to be drilled out. This was a fast and easy job using a pin vise. With care, the rear section of Tamiya’s 76mm gun barrel was cut off and used as a mount for the resin mantlet. This will permit the barrel to elevate and depress.

The balance of construction was very straightforward.

Of course, with the release of Tamiya’s mainstream plastic kit, you can build an Achilles much more easily than I did in 2007! ■

MR’s resin parts.

The new counterweight fitted after some surgery to the turret.

Stowage is fitted and detail added to the gun breech.

The conversion complete.

Checking for imperfections under the primer coat.

The hard way – with the new Tamiya kit, you’ll have an easier path to a 1:48 scale Achilles!

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D6793 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 Find us on facebook Dragon models are available from all good model shops search Plastic Kits UK

p 67 Dragon 103.indd 8

www.hobbyco.net

11/09/2014 14:27