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Contents - Issue 113 September 2015 38

REGULARS p 4 NEWS EWS

What’s new in the world of military modelling

p 54 SMALL MALL SCALE

News of models and figures, 1:72 scale and smaller

p 56 BOOKS OOKS

46

New model-related titles

p 58 INCOMING NCOMING

News on accessories, tools and finishing products

p 60 1:48 SCALE

Luke Pitt explores 1:48 scale military models, figures and accessories

p 66 LAST POST

Late breaking news and ramblings from the Editor

34 ©ADH Publishing Ltd 2015 Tel: (UK) 01525 222573 Fax: (UK) 01525 222574 Email: enquiries@modelmilitary.com Address: ADH Publishing, Doolittle Mill, Doolittle Lane, Totternhoe, Bedfordshire, LU6 1QX, UK

FEATURES p 6 THINK TANK

The Dieppe Raid and the Churchill Tank

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.

p 12 BOOK REVIEW

Modelling Churchill Tanks

p 14 DOOMED AT DIEPPE

AFV Club + Inside the Armour 1:35 Churchill Oke conversion

p 22 PREVIEW

Tamiya 1:35 Panther Ausf. D

by Marcus Nicholls

ISSN 1749-8864

6

p 24 LITTLE STUGGIE

Tamiya 1:48 kit by Luke Pitt

p 34 PREVIEW

Workshop Essentials by James Hatch

p 38 DANA’S DEMISE

Hobby Boss’ 1:35 Dana by Zack Sex

p 46 BUILD PREVIEW

Dragon 1:35 Tiger I by Graham Tetley

p 50 PREVIEW

Tamiya 1:35 Sherman Vc Firefly

p 52 TANK BOY GALLERY Meng 1:35 D9R Dozer

September 2015 - Model Military International 3

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Newsline - September’15

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

SQUADRON EAGLEQUEST 2015 WWII Veterans RV Burgin (Islands of the Damned) and Bob Hilton (B-29 Combat Photographer)

Gwynne Gorr, Jill Verswyvel, Marni Stallings, and Jeff Melton, all members of the team at Squadron, pause for a brief photo op.

E

agleQuest 2015 took flight at the Embassy Suites in Grapevine Texas June 19 and 20 with over a 50% increase in attendance from last year’s event. Modellers from all over the country came together to compete in a broad range of categories within the theme of “Heavy Metal” as well as to enjoy a weekend of camaraderie and friendship at the headquarters of MMD-Squadron.

Special guests Bob and Susan Letterman, founders of MasterCon were on hand to share memories of past conventions as well as their vision for the future of the hobby. Special guest Bob Hilton was also there for the keynote address, sharing his experiences as a B-29 combat photographer in WWII. In addition to Bob, RV Burgin (author of Islands of the Damned) also attended, sharing his experiences in the pacific during WWII and signing his book for attendees.

Tom Grossman from Iwata gave a workshop on using airbrushes and George Canare and Bill McEuen from Tamiya America exhibited an exciting group of the newest in Tamiya’s kit line. Additionally workshops were hosted by Matt Wellhouser on figure painting and by Jef Versywvel, Squadron’s Chief Modeller, on weathering of armour and airplanes.

In addition to the workshops and modelling competition, attendees enjoyed a fun-filled Welcome Party on Friday evening and an Awards Banquet Saturday night to celebrate the artistic and creative endeavours of the model hobby. Gwynne Gorr, CEO from MMDSquadron stated “This event is a highlight of the year for us and the increase in attendance coupled with the excitement of everyone present reflects the greatness of this hobby and the overall health of this business. We were very happy to be the catalyst to bring all these enthusiasts together for a wonderful weekend and look forward to what the future will bring.”

Top award winners for presented models went to: • Master’s Division Bronze: Brian Joslyn for “Visible Man” • Master’s Division Silver: Don Martin for “Heavy Metal Trio” • Master’s Division Gold: Bob Waltman for “Over Watch Tribute to Chris Kyle” • People’s Choice: Bob Waltman for “Over Watch Tribute to Chris Kyle” • Big Eagle: Terry Barrow for “The Kreig Adler Project” For a full list of all winners and more photos of the event, please visit Squadron.com

Excitement built throughout the day as voting on the models completed and the ballots were tallied.

EagleQuest 2015 had over a 25% increase in modelling entries.

MasterCon Founder Bob Letterman and wife Susan strike a pose with Squadron Chief Modeler Jef Verswyvel.

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Creative Models Limited

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TRU05546 1:35 - Soviet T-10M Heavy Tank

MAS35178 1:35 - German Motorcyclists WWII era

MAS35173 1:35 – French Soldier, WWII era

MAS35114 1:35 – British Infantry before the attack WWI era

HBB83832 1:35 – US GMC CCKW-352 Wood Cargo Truck

HBB83853 1:35 – Soviet T-28 Medium Tank (Riveted)

HBB83858 1:35 – French Saint-Chamond Heavy Tank (Early)

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Think Tank - The Dieppe Raid and the Churchill Tank

The

Dieppe Raid and the

Churchill Tank

The role of the Churchill Tank at the disastrous Dieppe landings, and a close-up look at The Tank Museum’s Churchill Mk.II.

T

he Dieppe Raid, also known as the Battle of Dieppe, Operation Rutter and, later, Operation Jubilee, was an Allied attack on the German-occupied port of Dieppe during the Second World War. The raid took place on the northern coast of France on 19 August 1942. The assault began at 5:00 a.m. and by 10:50 a.m. the Allied commanders were forced to call a retreat.

Over 6,000 infantrymen, predominantly Canadian, were supported by The Calgary Regiment of the 1st Canadian Tank Brigade and a strong force of Royal Navy and smaller Royal Air Force landing contingents. It involved 5,000 Canadians, 1,000 British troops, and 50 United States Army Rangers.

Objectives included seizing and holding a major port for a short period, both to prove that it was possible and to gather intelligence.

Upon retreat, the Allies also wanted to destroy coastal defences, port structures and all strategic buildings. The raid had the added objectives of boosting morale and demonstrating the firm commitment of the United Kingdom to open a western front in Europe.

Virtually none of these objectives were met. Allied fire support was grossly inadequate and the raiding force was largely trapped on the beach by obstacles and German fire. Less than 10 hours after the first landings, the last Allied troops had all been either killed, evacuated, or left behind to be captured by the Germans. Instead of a demonstration of resolve, the bloody fiasco showed the world that the Allies could not hope to invade France for a long time.

Some intelligence successes were achieved, including electronic intelligence.

THE LAND COMPONENT Under pressure from the Canadian government to ensure that Canadian troops saw some action, the 2nd Canadian Infantry Division, commanded by Major General John Hamilton Roberts, was selected for

the main force. The troops were drawn from Combined Operations and South-Eastern Command, under Lieutenant General Bernard Law Montgomery.

The plan called for a frontal assault, without any heavy

Churchill tank “Betty” disabled on the beach, a common fate for the armour.

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German soldiers examine the carnage on the beach following the Allied withdrawal.

preliminary air bombardment.

The absence of a sufficient bombardment was one of the main reasons for the operation’s failure, and various reasons have been given to explain why one was specifically excluded. British and Canadian officials supposedly withheld the use of air and naval bombardments in an attempt to limit casualties of French civilians in the port-city core. The planners of the Dieppe Raid feared that unjustifiable civilian losses would anger and further alienate the Vichy government; an unattractive option considering the intent of Operation Torch not three months later. Maj. Gen. Roberts, the military force commander, is also said to have argued that a bombardment would make the town streets impassable, and thus hinder the assault after it had broken out of the beaches.

The Dieppe landings were planned on six beaches: four in front of the town itself, and two to the eastern and western flanks respectively. From east to west, the beaches were codenamed Yellow, Blue, Red, White, Green and Orange. The Royal Regiment of Canada would land on Blue beach. The main landings would take place on Red and White beaches by the Royal Hamilton Light Infantry, the Essex Scottish Regiment, Les Fusiliers MontRoyal, A Commando Royal Marines and the 14th Army Tank Regiment (The Calgary Regiment (Tank)).

The South Saskatchewan Regiment and the Queen’s Own Cameron Highlanders of Canada would land on Green beach.

An LCT (Landing Craft Tank) burns just offshore of Dieppe beach.

CHURCHILL TANKS AT DIEPPE

A German soldier poses for a photo beside a knocked-out Churchill.

Churchill “Bert” is equipped with the QF 6 pdr gun.

Armoured support was provided by the 14th Army Tank Regiment (The Calgary Regiment (Tank)) with 58 new Churchill tanks, to be delivered using the new landing craft tank (LCT). The tanks had a mixture of armament with QF 2 pounder gun–armed tanks fitted with a close support howitzer in the hull operating alongside QF 6 pounder–armed tanks.

In addition, three of the Churchills were equipped with flame-thrower equipment and all had adaptations enabling them to operate in the shallow water near the beach.

Several tanks in each of the four waves were lost on or before reaching the beach. Only fourteen got off the shore and past the sea wall.

Although the tanks were effective in engaging the defenders in the town’s buildings, their progress was blocked by concrete defences. Demolition teams – killed

A

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Think Tank - The Dieppe Raid and the Churchill Tank B or pinned on the beach – had not been able to accompany the tanks.

Some tanks were able to return to the beach once a withdrawal had been signalled but none were taken off.

The Germans were unimpressed by the specifications of Churchill tanks left behind after the withdrawal. One report assessed that, “in its present form the Churchill is easy to fight”. Its gun was described as “poor and obsolete”, and the armour was compared unfavourably with that used in German and Soviet tanks.

Aftermath A total of 3,367 of the 6,086 men (almost 60%) who made it ashore were either killed, wounded, or captured.

The Royal Air Force failed to lure the Luftwaffe into open battle, and lost 106 aircraft (at least 32 to flak or accidents), compared to 48 lost by the Luftwaffe.

The Royal Navy lost 33 landing craft and one destroyer.

The events at Dieppe influenced preparations for the North African (Operation Torch) and Normandy landings (Operation Overlord). * n

Forward hull and glacis plate.

A Churchill Mk.II is on display at the Bovington Tank Museum. This is finished in the markings of the 14th Army Tank Regiment as they appeared during the Dieppe raid.

* Text adapted from Wikipedia - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dieppe_Raid

8 Model Military International - September 2015

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The

The inside mount for the idler wheel.

The early-style heavy tracks.

A front three quarter view of the tank.

Churchill in profile.

Note the multiple curved track skids at the top of the hull. Later vehicles featured rails.

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Think Tank - The Dieppe Raid and the Churchill Tank

The outer flap of the multi-layered driver’s visor is open here.

The outer mount for the idler wheel. Note the rubber rim in addition to the toothed sprocket.

A view of the inner surface of the tracks.

Detail view of the pannier side.

The early-style rear mudguard.

The radial reinforcements were an attribute of early-style road wheels.

A close-up view of the early-style rear pannier side. Note that the scraper is not fitted to these early vehicles.

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The rear of the turret.

The pitted texture of the casting is very obvious from here.

The early cast turret.

The front of the turret displays characteristic casting marks.

The early-style inverted cast metal intake housing.

Rivet and bolt detail.

The rifled muzzle of the QF 2 pdr gun.

The long, flat rear deck.

The rear hull.

Hull side with the pistol port partially open.

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Book Review - Modelling Churchills

MODELLING CHURCHILLS Al Bowie examines Inside the Armour’s new publication on building and converting the AFV Club and Tamiya 1:35 scale Churchill tanks.

The Churchill tank has been a popular modelling subject in 1:35 scale despite the dearth of releases available until fairly recently when AFV Club started to offer their excellent kits of the mid-production series of Churchill tanks (Mk III – VI).

Previously the only 1:35 scale kit was the venerable Tamiya Mk VII. Many aftermarket products sprung up to offer corrections and conversions for the excellent AFV kits with one brand being Inside the Armour. They have become leaders in the field of Churchill subjects. Chris Meddings of Inside the Armour is a big fan of the Churchill. His latest project is a book devoted to modelling the Churchill. This is the first book in a series.

The book is a soft cover in a large portrait format printed in high quality with excellent colour photos supporting a series of articles covering different Churchill variants. These are well supported by templates, modelling tips and reference material on the Churchill.

The book is 107 pages packed with modelling eye candy and useful information guaranteed to inspire the modeller within. A good range of subjects has been selected for this title. They are presented by well-regarded and talented modellers from around the globe. This gives the reader exposure to many different styles and finishing techniques which can easily be followed in the accompanying texts.

The book is divided into a number of chapters: • About the Authors • Build 1 – Sabre by Chris Meddings – MK IV AVRE w/Fascine - 20 Pages: - Overview - 1 page - Analysing the Pictures - 1 page - Choosing the kit and Aftermarket - 1 page - The Build - 11 pages

- Painting and Finishing - 4 pages - Markings Guide - 1 page • Build 2 – B 19 Special Irish Mk VI by Roman Volchenkov: - Overview - 1 page - Analysing the Pictures – 1/2 page - Choosing the kit and Aftermarket – 1/2 page - The Build - 5 pages - Painting and Finishing – 8 pages - Markings Guide – 1 page • Build 3 – Snow Bound Crocodile – James Guld - Overview - 1 page - Analysing the Pictures – 1 page - Choosing the kit and Aftermarket – 1 page - The Build - 7 pages - Painting and Finishing – 5 pages - Markings Guide – 1 page • Build 4 - Long Forgotten Carrier - Sean Mc Connell (Abandoned 3” Gun Carrier) - Overview - 1 page - Analysing the Pictures – 1 page - Choosing the kit and Aftermarket – 1 page - The Build - 7 pages - Reference Pictures – 4 pages - Painting and finishing – 10 pages • Build 5 – Soviet Mk II - Kristof Pulinckx - Overview - 1 page - Choosing the kit and Aftermarket – 1 page - The Build - 5 pages - Painting and finishing – 7 pages - Markings Guide – 1 page • Appendices - Churchill Minutiae - Details Common to all Marks - Mk 1 to Mk VI details - Mk I & II details

- Mk VII, VIII & Crocodile Details - Engine Reference • Part Templates • Building Suspension the easy way (AFV Club) The subjects chosen are all extremely well document and have excellent quality photographs that are large and sharp in detail. Unlike the recent trend in modelling magazines, you are not swamped by the photos and those presented support the article and aren’t there as filler. Each builder / finisher (as many are collaborations) offers his own techniques and these will prove beneficial to many an AFV modeller. The subjects cover a range of Churchill variants from both Tamiya and AFV and show what can be done to these subjects to produce a real showstopper. I particularly liked the range wreck of the 3” Gun Carrier that is so realistic you will question whether it is the real thing or a kit.

The Appendices are an excellent supplement and will add to the modeller’s knowledge of the subject matter, and aid in construction and conversion Churchill subjects. The 1:35 scale colour plates are excellent, covering each subject and giving a fourview marking guide.

I have no hesitation of recommending this title to modellers with an interest in AFVs or Churchill tanks. Initial releases of this title come with an excellent decal sheet covering the subjects within whilst stocks last Highly Recommended.

Available online from Inside the Armour’s website www.insidethearmour.com and your favourite hobby book store Also see the complimentary site of Churchill Walkarounds at www.modellingchurchills.com

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The International Plastic Modellers Society (UK) Presents

Saturday 7th November 2015 Open: 10.00am to 6.00pm

Sunday 8th November 2015 Open: 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

The International Centre Telford Shropshire TF1 4JH SMW includes over 370 exhibitors, including some 190 trade stands and 180 model clubs

The World’s Greatest Model Show Incorporating the IPMS (UK) National Competition

FEATURE ARTICLE

AFV Club 1:35 Churchill Mk.IV (AF35154) Inside the Armour 1:35 Churchill Oke Conversion (35060)

DOOMED AT Brett Green gets to grips with AFV Club’s 1:35 scale Churchill tank and Inside the Armour’s Oke flamethrower conversion. In this opening instalment, Brett deals with construction and conversion.

PART ONE

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T DIEPPE A ONE - CONSTRUCTION

The donor kit – AFV Club’s 1:35 scale Churchill Mk.IV.

lthough the Churchill tank was ultimately one of Britain’s most successful armoured vehicles of the Second World War, its debut at Dieppe was inauspicious to say the least.

In addition to nearly 60 standard gun tanks destroyed or abandoned on the Dieppe beach that day, three vehicles named "Boar", "Beetle" and "Bull" had been modified to carry a Ronson flamethrower and self-contained fuel tank. The flame fuel tank was fitted at the rear, with a pipe leading to the fixed nozzle on the front hull to the left, leaving the hull machine gun unobstructed.

This variant was based on the Churchill Mk.II and III. It was named Churchill Oke after its designer, Major J.M. Oke. Despite its failure at Dieppe, the Oke served as the predecessor for the successful Churchill Crocodile flamethrower tank, which later saw specialised use in North West Europe and Italy.

Inside the Armour has released a resin Churchill Oke conversion, designed to transform AFV Club’s 1:35 scale Chuchill Mk.III and IV kits into this fascinating but ultimately doomed design.

AFV CLUB’S CHURCHILL MK.IV IN THE BOX Let’s take a look at the donor kit upon which this conversion will be based.

AFV Club’s 1:35 scale Churchill Mk.IV comprises more than 400 parts in olive coloured plastic, one sprue of reddish-brown plastic, 15 parts in clear, 24 large springs, a turned brass 6 pdr barrel, a photoetched fret, two flexible tracks, a length of string and markings for four vehicles.

The standard of moulding is excellent overall. The upper and lower hulls are built up from individual panels. The running gear is a remarkable piece of engineering that reflects the workings of the real vehicle. Each individual suspension unit includes a workable metal spring. These form the basis for amazingly authentic but intricate running gear, which is made up from a total of nearly 200 parts. Patience and a steady hand are needed in equal portions, but the modeller will be rewarded with a remarkable result.

A

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FEATURE ARTICLE

AFV Club 1:35 Churchill Mk.IV (AF35154) Inside the Armour 1:35 Churchill Oke Conversion (35060)

Don’t forget to drill out the holes from inside the panier covers before you commence assembly.

B The level of exterior detail

on the remainder of the model matches the high standard of the suspension. Engine grilles are solid, but they look fine. A number of after-market options are available for those who would prefer the seethrough look of photo-etched mesh.

The hull and turret mounted Besa machine guns are supplemented with photo-etched parts. Tools and on-vehicle equipment is well done. All the track guards are separate so you might opt to leave some off to expose more of that lovely suspension. The gun looks good andit will elevate thanks to the use

The suspension is workable thanks to real metal springs.

of polythene caps.

Almost every hatch on the model may be positioned open, but there is no interior detail.

The shape of the turret has been brought into question. It does seem a little squared off, but once again there are a number of replacement turrets available from after market companies if your eye is offended.

The tracks are provided in fulllength flexible black vinyl. These are well detailed on inside and outer surfaces.

We are given a taste of aftermarket flavour with a single sprue of spare individual track links. These are two pieces each.

Markings are provided for four vehicles, all in overall dark green.

Two of these are depicted in service on D-Day, 6 June 1944, while the third option is Italy 1945 with the final markings for a postwar unit in Germany during 1949.

ASSEMBLING THE SUSPENSION WITHOUT TEARS I have admired AFV Club’s Churchills since they were released in 2010, but I have also been quite intimidated by the suspension.

AFV Club has rendered a very realistic looking running gear.

Shock absorbers and swing arms are designed to be fully workable.

In fact, they really need to be

You need to be both firm and accurate when you bring both sides of the panniers together.

All the shock absorbers must be trapped between the panniers simultaneously.

At this stage, the dividers and the girders (the long side parts) are all laid out in part number order and cleaned up in preparation for assembly.

The sprung shock absorbers must very carefully be placed on one side of the panniers.

workable in order for assembly to proceed as it needs to.

The only problem is that the assembly sequence as suggested in the instructions is difficult, to say the least, with more than 20 small similar looking parts having to be lined up and assembled in one go.

I finally decided to bite the bullet, but first I did a Google search on the subject of building the AFV Club suspension. I found a very useful illustrated guide by Chris from Inside the Armour, plus some more tips by Ted Hayward.

I incorporated Chris’s and Ted’s suggestions into my build and although assembly was still

Glue was applied sparingly so as not to interfere with the working of the sprung shock absorbers.

The assembled pannier halves were clamped until the glue had completely set.

At this point we diverge from the instructions. The dividers are glued to one half of the girders. Take care to make sure that the edges of the dividers are slotted into their locating recesses in the girder. Tolerances are tight.

The opposite girder is then glued to the open side of the dividers. Once you are happy that everything is lined up, set aside these subassemblies to allow the glue to dry completely.

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The fully cured girders may now be carefully located over the springs and glued in place. Allow the glue to set.

Now the swing arms may be cut from the sprue, cleaned up and arranged by part number in preparation for assembly.

challenging, it all fitted together very well. I expect the next time I build an AFV Club Churchill it will be even easier.

In summary, follow the kit instructions for Steps 1, 2 and 3.

Take care not to get glue on the plastic shock absorbers (Parts D5 and D6) when fixing the pannier halves. Workable springs will make later stages of suspension assembly much easier.

In Step 4, glue the dividers (Parts D17, D19 and D20) to one half of the girders (Parts D2 and D3). Take care to make sure that the edges of the dividers are slotted into their locating recesses in the girder. Tolerances are tight.

Contrary to the instructions, do not fit the swing arms (Parts D21, D22 and D23) in place at this stage.

Instead, glue the opposite girder to the open side of the

dividers. Once you are happy that everything is lined up, set aside these sub-assemblies to allow the glue to dry completely.

With the glue allowed to fully set, the girders may now be carefully located over the springs and glued in place. Allow this glue to set.

Now the swing arms (Parts D21, D22 and D23) may be cut from the sprue, cleaned up and clicked into place between the locating pins on the girders. Start by pressing the locating hole on one side of the arm over one pin, then flex the wall until you can pop the other side onto the opposite locating pin.

Note that the mounting holes for the road wheels on the swing arm and the shock absorber have to line up. This will be much easier if the shock absorbers are fully workable. A

AFV Club has rendered a very “ realistic looking suspension. Shock absorbers and swing arms are designed to be fully workable...

The swing arms may now be clicked into place between the locating pins on the girders. Start by pressing the arm over one pin, then flex the wall until you can pop the other side onto the opposite locating pin.

Here’s what they should look like. Note that the mounting holes for the road wheels on the swing arm and the shock absorber have to line up.

This will be much easier if the shock absorbers are fully workable.

�

One pannier with complete suspension. Only one to go!

Here is one of the road wheels pushed through the paired mounting holes, awaiting the outside wheel to be fitted.

I found the axle of the road wheel fitted more easily into the paired mounting holes if the end was sanded slightly.

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FEATURE ARTICLE

AFV Club 1:35 Churchill Mk.IV (AF35154) Inside the Armour 1:35 Churchill Oke Conversion (35060)

B CONVERSION PARTS Inside the Armour’s conversion At this stage we can start to think about the resin. This is includes parts to build any of the Inside the Armour’s Churchill four Churchill Okes. These were all Oke conversion set. subtly different, and ITA provides three different PDF instruction booklets to avoid confusion.

Inside the Armour’s resin parts are well cast and very nicely detailed. The turret is especially impressive with its subtle cast texture and crisp raised features.

The instructions contain basic line drawings. Text and reference to kit part numbers is minimal. I An all-new turret is thought that some of the drawings included, as well as and sequences were a bit unclear. breech and optional It will really help if you clean up turret boxes. and identify all the conversion parts before you commence assembly, and have some good reference handy.

I also found that online photos of Inside the Armour’s Churchill Oke built but unpainted model were extremely helpful in identifying the location of a number of key elements. These photos may be found on Inside the Armour’s website at www.insidethearmour.com A number of parts are The flame fuel tank, fuel line, flame nozzle To summarise, here are some of also supplied for the hull. and optional early style inverted intakes. the important points: 1. DO NOT fit the lower front hull plate (Part A4) when assembling the lower hull. Cut the two domed rivet heads off the lower hull plate (Part A4) before assembly. Once the hull bottom and sides are glued together, you can fit the horizontal front plate first (Part B20), followed by the lower front plate (Part A4). The glacis (Part B21) may The turned metal 6 pdr and two Besa gun barrels.

Two photo-etched frets are also included. be added at the same time as the hull top.

Casting quality was 2. DO NOT fit any of the fittings to generally very good, the lower rear hull plate. but the back of one 3. If you are fitting the rear flame of the rear pannier fuel tank cover, the upper front parts had a large forward section of the cover has awkward bubble. to be either cut off or folded back inside the cover. There is no half-etched folding line for this, so it will be much easier to do before folding or assembly The bubble commences. was backfilled The accompanying photos and with Milliput captions should give a clearer two-part epoxy putty. Easy fix! illustration of these points.

The balance of assembly was The two completed panniers, relatively straightforward. Just complete with the early-style make sure you test fit regularly resin sections. and look ahead in the instructions. A The resin and plastic parts matched nicely.

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The drive sprockets remain workable thanks to soft vinyl caps.

In fact, they are so soft that I sliced clean through one of them!

The raised mounting strips need to be removed from the inside of the rear hull sides to accommodate the new resin rear hull plate.

The idler sprocket is a separate assembly that is being added to the panniers here.

Inside the Armour’s “ conversion includes parts to build any of the four Churchill Okes...

”

The lower hull about to be assembled.

Please note – do not glue the lower front hull plate on at this time. Don’t say I didn’t warn you!

The assembled lower hull.

Yes, I did glue on the front plate, but I had to pull it off later.

The sloping horizontal plate has to be positioned first, followed by the front hull plate and finally the glacis.

ITA instructs the modeller to fill the locating recesses for the engine deck handles. ITA supplies photo-etched replacements for the kit’s plastic parts.

I taped the centre track cover in place to act as a positive locator for the rear track cover.

The rear track cover has been glued in place, and the centre cover removed and discarded.

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FEATURE ARTICLE

AFV Club 1:35 Churchill Mk.IV (AF35154) Inside the Armour 1:35 Churchill Oke Conversion (35060)

Detail parts for the flame fuel tank. The casting block looks daunting, but you can fairly easily remove it by using a razor saw to cut through from each side.

The fuel tank cover is an amusing piece of brass origami. The sides of the cover are separate pieces. I glued small blocks on plastic to the inside of the main cover to offer positive locations for the side sections.

Although not mentioned in the instructions, the front forward section of the cover has to be either cut off or folded back inside the cover.

This will be much easier to do BEFORE the cover is assembled!

The wire was cut to size and bent to shape, replacing the rear section of the resin flame fuel pipe.

A spool of soft craft wire came in handy to replace one of the resin parts.

The detail parts, safely removed in once piece and glued to the end of the flame fuel tank.

A view of the box from below.

ITA supplies a nice photo-etched cover for the late-style air intakes.

“

Mission Models’ Etch Mate was used to make the tricky bend of the frame for the air intake.

The bend is made with this plastic wedge while the photo-etched Here we can see the flame fuel line, the air intake photo-etched parts and the part is securely clamped against the straight metal edge of the tool. spare early-style track link mounted on photo-etched parts supplied in the AFV Club kit.

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te l

Modelspec

B INTERMISSION

The turret base is cast with radio and Commander’s seat in place.

The conversion set includes some very nice turned metal barrels and breech detail.

The assembled turret, sans hatches.

AFV Club’s 1:35 scale Churchill kits are stunningly detailed and beautifully moulded, while Inside the Armour’s Oke conversion boasts good quality casting, a high level of detail and sound fit.

Despite some confusion with the instructions (which may have as much to do with me as with them), this has been a very enjoyable and satisfying project so far.

Multimedia conversions almost always demand some level of improvisation and creativity. They are a great way to expand your modelling skills. ■

NEXT TIME: Next time, Brett will build the tracks, add a couple of crew figures, and paint the model.

AFV Club 1:35 Churchill Mk.IV

Kit No. AF35154

Conversion Used: Inside the Armour 1:35 Churchill Oke Conversion.

Item No. 35060 Accessories & Materials Used: Evergreen plastic sheet (scraps from larger sheets) Soft wire Tools Used: Mission Models Multi-Tool (Small) NorthWest Short Line “The Chopper II” Mission Models Etch-Mate CMK and Tamiya Saws Various Electrical Pliers – flat nose, round nose, pointed Modelling Products Used: Tamiya Extra Thin Liquid Cement Revell Contacta Cement Selley’s Super Glue Zip Kicker Super Glue Accelerator Milliput White two-part epoxy putty Tamiya Surfacer Tamiya Masking Tape (6mm and 10mm) ✓ Accurate; relatively simple conversion; generally high quality casting; useful options; illustrated instructions; interesting subject; includes Commander figure. ✗ Vagueness and omissions in instructions.

Available from Thanks to Inside the Armour for the sample www.insidethearmour.com

The conversion completed.

Rating

Make sure you “ test fit regularly and look ahead in the instructions...

”

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SNEAK PREVIEW

Tamiya 1:35 Panther Ausf. D • Kit No. 35345

Marcus Nicholls takes a close look at a test shot of the forthcoming all-new Tamiya 1:35 scale Panther Ausf. D

T U B E D R PANTHE T

amiya will be releasing an all-new 1:35 scale Panther Ausf.D, the first production version of this famous German tank, and we have received an early set of sprues at the ADH Publishing office.

The Panther was developed by Germany to combat the mighty Russian T-34. Given the importance of stopping the T-34 as the Russians turned the tide in WWII, the Panther was a priority and this was emphasised by armoured warfare expert Heinz Guderian's role in the design process.

The Panther packed a powerful L/70 7.5cm gun (rumoured to have taken out a T-34 at 3km) and combined it with excellent mobility and a

55km/h top speed. Just as importantly, it made great use of T-34-inspired sloped armour, up to 80mm in places.

As it turned out, the rushed development of the Panther led to severe reliability problems in early engagements such as the Battle of Kursk in July 1943. Despite that, it proved offensively and defensively highly capable.

The Ausf.D was the initial variant of the Panther; 842 were manufactured between January and September 1943.

Tamiya designers travelled to Breda in the Netherlands to pore over the final remaining Panther Ausf.D, and the result is this gorgeous replica of the tank.

The model includes a commander torso figure, plus a full-body crewman figure, as well as 3 marking options depicting Battle of Kursk Panthers. Tracks are full-length flexible vinyl.

Also available separately will be a gun breech detail set with a turned metal barrel, and optional individual link tracks. â–

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

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a

B

C

E

F

H

UTANT

Q

G

I

K

N

D

L

O

R

J

M

P

S

A. A Tamiya factory-built example of the kit.

B. This all-new kit features gorgeous surfac e textures. C. Check out the subtle torch cut and weld beads. D. Subtle armour plate pitting marks on the rear deck. E. The one-piece upper turret all-plastic and feature crisp moulding. H. shell. F. Turret detail. G. The road wheels Radiator and fan detail are provided to install are under the engine deck. I. Cast texture on the J. The rear stowage bins. K. One and a half mantlet. nicely moulded crew figures are offered. L. The two-piece muzzle brake tops the one-pi barrel. M. Nice detail on the final drive cover. ece plastic N. Full-length flexible vinyl tracks are provid ed as standard. O. An optional gun breech barrel upgrade is available separately. P. Option and metal al photo-etched grilles. Q-S. A set of early individual link tracks is also due for releas e.

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FEATURE ARTICLE

Tamiya 1:48 Sturmgeschutz III Ausf. G • Kit No. 32525

LITTLE STUG

Luke Pitt upgrades Tamiya’s 1:48 scale Sturmgeschutz III Ausf. G with the Atak zimmerit conversion, plus foliage and stowage.

I

have always liked the lines of the late model Sturmgeschutz III. A fairly average infantry support vehicle weapon when first introduced, it morphed into a capable and deadly tank destroyer later in its career.

I remember building the Tamiya’s first 1:35 scale rendition of Stug III as a kid and marvelling at the detail it exhibited. As I grew older I always thought to myself, I must build another. The only problem was, it seemed that everybody else had the same idea

and publications were awash with every conceivable variation in model form.

When Tamiya re-launched their 1:48 range they included three Stug variants. I purchased them all in the vain hope I would build at least one. As it happens, the aftermarket crowd came on board and produced a multitude of updates. I purchased and received review samples of many of these.

It seemed that nothing would motivate me to build one.

All that changed when Atak

introduced their 1:48 zimmerit update. Upon opening the box I was amazed at the level of detail and the sheer simplicity of the update. The zimmerit was so finely rendered it astounded me. What’s more, the complete upper hull was supplied as one unit with the coating already attached.

Some time later, a small company by the name of Figures with Attitude released a 1:48 scale head set that was as good as the Hornet head sets in scale. Now is the time, I thought. Now is the time

to build a 1:48 scale Stug III. I roughly broke the build down into seven distinct phases and I did not move on until I was happy with the results of each preceding phase phases. I call this “Modular Modelling” (or “MM” for short). I break the build into a number of steps and approach each build step in small bites adding as much detail as I can possibly manage. In reality, we all do this and all I have done is simply put a name to the process.

I wanted a Stug with a full set of schurzen (as I like the look of

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UGGIE

A QUICK REVIEW OF THE ATAK UPDATE. ITEM NO. 4804

A marvel of the casting art! The Atak Zimmerit update is simplicity itself.

The wonderful thing is that it is not only accurate but the Zimmerit is cast onto the upper hull itself.

In this close-up forward view one can appreciate how well cast the update is.

The rear view you will note that the casting is an exact match for the Tamiya part and fits like a glove to the metal lower hull.

them) together with lots of foliage.

The foliage idea was scaled back as the build progressed. I simply did not want to cover up the outstanding Zimmerit that Atak had produced in their update.

One thing this build did was to reinforce my romance with 1:48 scale. It is so much easier and quicker to produce a good result than with other scales. I like the palm size appeal. To me, it is perfect for detailing and ease of building. It is also a lot quicker than 1:35, which for a time starved

individual like me is the real motivator.

This article has been written in the “Spanish way� (for want of a better term) as most of the build process has been covered in some way or another with photos.

I have not specifically reviewed the Tamiya kit as it has been done many times before, but suffice to say it is an accurate kit and straightforward build that is well worth the purchase price.

I hope you enjoy my little Stug journey over the following pages.

Most of the additional parts are included in this view. What is not shown is the lower hull Zimmerit sheets. In my rush to build this model I attached these to the lower metal hull almost immediately.

They are more traditional in their application and are supplied as wafer thin resin sheets.

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FEATURE ARTICLE

Tamiya 1:48 Sturmgeschutz III Ausf. G • Kit No. 32525

GETTING STAR TED

Atak’s upper resin and Tamiya’s lower metal hull parts have been joined together. As the Atak part is not an exact match for the Tamiya assembly, a noticeable gap will result will appear when joining the two together. To avoid the inevitable see-through look, I filled the joint with a combination of plastic strip and putty. The two were then sanded to shape and coated with Tamiya Surface Primer. The Tamiya muffler was then added together with the lower mesh screen from the Aber update set (48 042)

The Aber screen and deflector assembly have been attached. You will note that the side muffler shields have been extended with plastic card as they were a little short in length. The exhaust pipes were also drilled out and thinned for a better scale-like appearance. The side Atak zimmerit lower hull sheet has also been attached and blended in with the aid of putty and a coating of Tamiya surface primer directly from the rattle can.

The application of Tamiya surface primer really brings out the detail of the Atak Zimmerit coating.

If I was to tackle this project again I would extend the front lifting eyes on the front of the hull out by a half a millimetre, as the application of the Zimmerit tends to give the impression that these are too shallow.

In this view I have attached the front sprocket, bogie wheels and rear idler to the track. You will note that I have drilled out some of the guide horns on the tracks themselves. This was done to better reflect what I was seeing in my references as both early (hollow guide horn) and late (solid guide horn) were sometimes used together on the same track length.

The rear Aber engine screens were added next.

The contrast between the unprimed and primed surfaces is apparent. The Tamiya surface primer really brings out the detail.

The addition of primer not only brings out the detail but also adds a good contact and mating surface for the addition of further photo etch.

I used the “drape and glue” method for assembling the tracks.

What this means is, you merely tack the bogie assemblies in place and carefully glue the track together and onto the road wheels with the desired drape. When dry, the bogie assemblies can then be removed and set aside. This method aids the painting process. I was tempted to use aftermarket tracks on this build, but in reality it would have been a waste, as much of the track would be hidden by the schurzen.

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ADDING THE ET CH I have used various pieces of photo etch and resin pieces from a whole range of manufacturers.

It is true that not all photo etch are created equally. Some are better than others and I will discuss the various merits of each as we progress through these series of photographs. I am more fortunate than most as almost all of these sets were given to me for review. As a result, I have the luxury of cherry picking what I consider to be better (or easier) to put together.

You now might be thinking to yourself “well that’s alright for you sunshine, but what about the rest of us!” Rest assured, I will give you my recommendations if you decide to embark upon anything like this on your build.

The rear of the vehicle includes the photo etch from Hauler for the stowage frame (Item Hlx48106) and mesh screens from Aber (48 042).

Side skirts and mounting rail are from Aber (48 044) and rear track holder from Voyager Model (vpe48019)

My main criticism of most photo-etch is the placement instructions. Most give a three-dimensional view of where the part is meant to go but they don’t provide any precise measurements on where it should be placed. With this build, nobody provided exact measurements on where the brackets for the schurzen plates should go. Okay, I thought, I’ll just consult my various references but try as I may, I found. I was reduced to taping the skirts together and trying to figure out where the brackets should go by placing a pencil through the skirt bracket openings onto the hull and fenders.

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FEATURE ARTICLE

Tamiya 1:48 Sturmgeschutz III Ausf. G • Kit No. 32525

The Aber set has some wonderful brackets but on closer inspection no real bending instructions or placement locations for the support bars. I used the mounting brackets from the Hauler set (Hlx48104) for the rail as these had precise indents on where the inside support braces should go. The machine gun shield was sourced from the Aber update.

The periscopes came from Voyager set as I found the Aber ones to be overly complex to cut off the fret effectively. The Hauler ones The Hauler Notek light assembly (item Hlx4807) was used on the front of the are equally as good in both their execution vehicle, as this exhibited greater detail than the kit supplied item. and detail. The front pericope was a detailed kit part. I simply cut off the end of one of the unused smoke discharges in the kit and glued it onto the kit part.

Suitable diameter lengths of tow cable were used from the quite superb Karaya tow cable set. These cables are soft copper wire and were merely drilled and inserted into the kit provided end connectors. If you haven’t tried these I suggest you do. I use this material on most of my builds as it is just so easy to use.

The Aber side skirts were used but on reflection, I could have used the Hauler ones - they are basically the same.

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On clo oppose remova section of thes they’re more. the kit

THE FIGURE FROM BEGINNING T O END I am a firm believer in adding figures to vehicles. They add a certain context and life to any armoured fighting vehicle. Up until now, it has been a real challenge to obtain suitable heads in 1:48 scale. This has now thankfully changed with the introduction of a head set from Figures with Attitude. The heads on offer are equal to anything available in 1:35 scale.

On close inspection you will note that I have left the bottom brackets open as opposed to bending the end section into an L shape. This was done to allow removal of the side skirts for painting at a later stage. You will also note a small section of the now out of production WW2 Productions track. I have two sets of these in my stash and use them very sparingly as they are so good, and when they’re gone, they’re gone! It’s a great shame these are not in production any more. The same effect could be obtained by hollowing out the guide horns on the kit parts, but this would take a good deal longer.

I have removed one side of the side skits to test the fit and function of the plates themselves on the model.

For whatever reason, I never seem to be able to find a suitable figure out of the box for my builds. I therefore tend to mix and match parts from various manufactures.

For this build I used an upper torso from Total War Miniatures, a head from Figures with Attitude, hands from ICM and the hat from Alpine Miniatures (sculpted by Mike Good).

The headphones were cobbled together from plastic card and brass with the belt coming from lead sheet, The headphone wires were replaced after this photo was taken as they were too thick.

The completed figure was then coated with Tamiya Surface Primer to highlight any imperfections.

In keeping with the modular build concept, I laid out the various semi-complete sections of the model ready for painting. This approach allows greater freedom when painting and correcting mistakes. If I was to do this project again my photo-etched choices would be Hauler. I only purchased the Voyager when the Tamiya kit was release as included Zimmerit, and I found that it was sadly lacking). The Aber set looks good on the fret and includes everything but in reality, it is hard to use and most of the parts are only for the super-super detailers. The Hauler sets strike the right balance. However, none have precise mounting instructions for the side skirt brackets, which upset me no end.

You will note in this view the headphone wires have been replaced with thinner material and a more suitable drape but alas, they still seemed to be too thick.

Painting figures in 1:48 scale can be a real challenge. On close examination, many faults appear. I’m a student of the Shep Paine school of figure painting, learnt so many years ago from those old Monogram painting guides in their armour kits. I found it very difficult to paint this head correctly as my brush tended to catch on the brim of the hat. After a few attempts I removed the hat, stripped the head with Tamiya airbrush cleaner, and re painted.

I generally use Tamiya enamel sand as a base coat and shade with Vallejo. Brush selection is important and I always use Winsor & Newton series 7. They are expensive but if cared for, they last for years.

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FEATURE ARTICLE

Tamiya 1:48 Sturmgeschutz III Ausf. G • Kit No. 32525

GETTING THAT CAMOUFL AGE COL OUR AND PATTERN RIGHT Many years ago, I was working for a large I don’t paint as well as Chris but I do have a dogged determination computer manufacturer and a hobby shop to extract the very best I can from my airbrush. I make mistakes often and I am never really pleased with my results. I choose to opened nearby. The shop was called Absolute start the painting process with the side plates, my reasoning Hobbies. The shop was owned and run by being, if I stuff up I can always strip the paint off those easily.

Chris Wauchop.

As fate would have it, that’s exactly what happened. The first I wandered in one lunch time and a camouflage was a three colour rendition and as a little too fussy display cabinet caught my eye. Within that for my liking. The demarcation lines exhibited spatter and my cabinet were some of the most masterfully inner voice had to remind me, “consistently of milk”! airbrushed models I had ever seen.

I asked the tall guy behind the counter (who vaguely looked like “The Dude “ from The Big Lebowski movie) who built those models.

“They’re mine”, came the reply.

Taken back, I replied how on earth did you get the demarcation lines so fine between the two camouflage colours? Easy he said I’ll show you how. The trick, he said, was thin the paint to the consistently of milk. He then went on to demonstrate. Over the years Chris showed me other tricks and methods.

The shop became a meeting point and training ground for many local modellers, In fact, I met the Editor of this magazine in that very same shop. With this little story in mind, After the paint strip, I produced the camouflage you see here. Happy with the result, I moved on to the main body of the vehicle.

I approached the painting of my Stug.

The whole theme of this model was to show a heavily foliaged vehicle but firstly I had to paint the darned thing. The paint was thinned 30% paint, 70% thinner. I generally spray with a higher air pressure than most (in my case 35 PSI) for the first pass, as I tend to do a few light coats rather than one thick coat. I then sprayed Tamiya XF-67 toned down with XF-59 for the camouflage colour.

The foliage is from Scale Link and is 1:72 scale (SLF-39)

The model was sprayed with a Tamiya Dark Yellow XF-60 mixed with equal parts of Tamiya Buff XF-57 with a little White XF-2 added to tone it down. This was done after a discussion with one of my modelling friends and it was our conclusion that a lot of German armour had more of a buff colour than a yellow colour that is so often seen.

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The lower body zimmerit is seen in this photo. It is a shame that it is covered in the final configuration.

The Saukopf mantlet was painted separately as I wanted to paint in and around it.

The barrel was painted separately.

ST OWAGE – A L ATE ADDITION When the model had been sprayed it became clear that stowage was needed for the rear of the vehicle. I approached this as a model within a model.

I had purchased and reviewed some nice little vehicle accessories from Red Zebra.

One of their sets is called “Rations in a Box”.

I cherry picked one of these pieces (apples in a bag) and built the stowage around that.

Red Zebra may be contacted here: http:// www.redzebramodels.co.uk/#!scale/ciaa

I made two 20 thou wooden planks by scoring the plastic with a needle. I then placed and glued a Hauler 1:48 oil drum in place and left it overnight to dry.

The rear of the vehicle looked a little sparse and at this point.

I thought it may be a good thing to add a bit of stowage.

The Red Zebra apple sack was glued to the barrel as well as a wooden box and Jerry can from Plus Models. I then added a nap sack from hauler. The tarps were then fabricated from Milliput and draped in strategic places to hold the entire array in place.

The beauty of the Atak zimmerit is readily apparent here. A subtle oil wash really brings out the detail. It is important to be restrained with the weathering washes as too much will produce an almost comic book appearance.

I hand painted the entire assembly. The application of paint to this sort of assembly can be tricky, and a good quality brush is essential. I always use Winsor & Newton Series 7 brushes as they keep their point if taken care of.

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FEATURE ARTICLE

Tamiya 1:48 Sturmgeschutz III Ausf. G • Kit No. 32525

FIN AL PAINTING AND WEATHERING

If you look at any normal leaf you will note that the leaves themselves are not flat, indeed in most cases they are bent at a slight angle from the centre of the leaf to the outside edge. I try to imitate this by placing the fret on a semi-soft surface. In this case I have used a small pad of Post It Notes and press the curl in to each and every leaf with aid a fine needle. I generally only exert a small amount of pressure on each leaf. This is the most time consuming part of the process and, be warned, you will need the patience of a saint, but the results are worthwhile

I adopt a less-is-more approach with the shading process. The colour choice of the wooden barrier was also a deliberate attempt to add contrast to the model.

The mud between the tracks and on the rear of the vehicle shows up well in this photo.

The track ends were simply coated with a silver pen that I found at a newsagent

I have used 1:72 Scale Link foliage. It is designed in such a way as most of the leaves are joined to other leaves by a thin bridging point between the leaves themselves. Care is needed to firstly to cut them from the fret and produce a 3d branch complete. In this view the subtle variations in the leaves and branches can be appreciated

The mud mix was applied to the wheels and lower half of the body in a random pattern.

When complete, the areas treated were highlighted with a thin oil wash and dry brushed in a sand white mix.

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I generally use 30% paint, 70% thinner. For this model I thinned the paint with Mr Hobby Levelling Thinner. It does wondrous things to Tamiya paint, making it so much easier to achieve a fine demarcation line between the base tyre colour and the dust on this front wheel itself.

When complete, the areas treated were highlighted with a thin oil wash and dry-brushed in a sand white mix.

Modelspec Tamiya 1:48 Sturmgeschutz III Ausf. G Kit No. 32525 Materials and Updates Used Atak Zimmerit Stug update item 4804 Aber Stug 3 update 48 042 Hauler Stug 3 Stowage Frame item HLX 48106 Hauler Stug 3 Schurzen item HLX 48104 Hauler Notek light item HLX 48047 Karaya Tow Cable (TC SET) Voyager Model update 48019 Figures with Attitude 1:48 head set 2 Paints Used Tamiya: XF-2 Flat White, XF-69 Matt Black, XF-67 NATO Green, XF-1 Black, XF-52 Flat Earth, XF-49 Khaki, XF-60 Dark Yellow, XF-79 Deck Brown Mr. Hobby: Khaki Brown 404 Humbrol: Matt White “34”, Wood Brown “62”, Brown “94” Vallejo: Matt Varnish “520”, Red “829”, Brown ”856”, Maroon“859”, Yellow “953”, Orange Brown “981” Revell Colour: light flesh “35”” Andrea: Flesh paint set “ACS-01” Tools Used Waldron Sub-Miniature Punch and Die Set Small Shop Brass Assist Roller set Small Shop Hold and Fold References Squadron Publications Stug 3 Walk around Number 2 ISBN 0-89747-434-1 Achtung Panzer No5 Stug ¾ ref ISBN 1910076034009 ✓ Interesting project, great base kit and excellent updates and accessories. ✗ Photo-etched set instructions.

Available from Tamiya kits are distributed in the UK by The Hobby Company Limited www.hobbyco.net

Rating Acknowledgements

I avoided mounting all the side plates in their proper positions. Having looked at what seemed like hundreds of photos of late-war Stug IIIs, none seemed to stay perfectly in position for long. It also adds a little visual difference to an out of the box build.

The oft-used hand shot is a good way to illustrate the diminutive size of 1:48 scale subjects.

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I would like to thank the following people in sharing their knowledge: Ross Ferro for his views on German camouflage colours, Bill Wiseman for his casting help and Phil Young for his figure help and general encouragement with this build.

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PREVIEW

HobbyZone Modular Workbench Units

First impressions last: Hobbyzone’s 24kg box arrived in only 6 days from Poland, to the UK. Packaging is excellent, being both robust and with plenty of bubble wrap included.

All modules are supplied in kit form, and are beautifully presented and very professional looking.

James Hatch builds and installs HobbyZone’s modular workbench units

WORKSHOP ESSENTIALS

T

here’s nothing like a house move to make you re-evaluate your man cave. When I came back to the hobby a few years ago, I worked on a coffee table in the living room, much to my wife’s annoyance. When we moved house, I was granted a workroom, but it was cluttered for the 3 years I worked in it, creating articles for magazines. And I mean clutter. I spent more time looking for things than I actually did building. Or at least it seemed that way. However, I have been given another chance to redeem myself and the way I work, as at the time of writing, my next house move is only weeks away. So, how can I do things differently this time?

ENTER HOBBYZONE This Polish company may be one you’ve heard of, but very possibly not. They first came to my attention a couple of years ago, but I didn’t pay them much attention. I really wish I had. They produce some of the most amazing workshop storage solutions that I’ve ever seen. Thanks to forum member Jamme, on Large Scale Modeller, this company again fell onto my radar when I was asking about re-equipping my new man-cave. If you’ve never seen their products before, head over to www. hobbyzone.pl and prepare to be amazed and to go green in envy at what they offer. There are units with drawers, to store paint, and to also display models.

Looking at their site, you might think

that their products are expensive, but they really aren’t I bought 17 of their units, in order to create the setup that you’ll now see, and the 25kg box was shipped from Poland, by courier, for around £200, plus only £12 shipping via UPS! Shipping, from what I gather, appears to be a flat rate (at least within the EU), so the more units you buy at one time, the cheaper this works out to be for you. Unlike other workbench solutions, this one is totally flexible too, and can not only be re-jigged to your own preferences, but the neodymium magnets on the module sides, mean you can add new modules at a later date.

ARRIVAL It took 6 days for my large and wellpacked box to arrive from Poland, and I was impressed. Each of the seventeen modules within was individually packed into its own sturdy, corrugated box, lined with bubble-wrap, and with a product label sealing the lid closed.

Inside, all the parts were beautifully packed, and CNC cut from composite materials, such as MDF. The cutting of the parts was also excellent, with no jagged edges, burrs, or other defects.

Test fitting showed them to be precise.

A small stack of magnets is supplied with each kit, and all you will need to assemble them is a soft mallet, white glue, and a few hours of your time.

My units were carefully chosen after measuring the benching in my new workshop, and working out my own

A product label is used to seal the lid of the box, and contains the number of the specific unit ordered.

More bubblewrap! Certainly no complaints or indeed worries about these getting to you in A1 condition.

requirements with regards to tool and consumable storage. I also relied heavily on the setup that HobbyZone have as their showcase ensemble on the front of their website. As I don’t use standard kitchen paper towel, I omitted that storage module, and substituted it. I also didn’t opt to have my finished suite curve round on the right hand side. I would be building into a left-hand corner, and continuing along a wall, only. Each unit from HobbyZone is 300mm long, and 150mm tall, except for the large display unit that is 300mm square.

Along the top of my creation, I will install units to store my Vallejo paint, tools and brushes. The other units will be a combination of display and storage.

My finished solution would extend 750mm on the left arm, curving to the wall for a further 1200 along the facing wall. Simple eh?

Each kit is so well packed that you may struggle to get the parts to all fit back in the box once removed. None of my units suffered any damage and they were all complete.

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Unlike some manufacturers that use laser cutting, these MDF parts are precisely machined with a CNC cutter, and all joints are perfect, with no flaws. Notice a small stack of powerful neodymium magnets. These are common to all units.

HobbyZone produce paint storage modules for both 26mm and 36mm paint jars and bottles, which are essentially designed for Vallejo and Tamiya/Gunze respectively.

Assembly begins. Here we see OM07 Brushes & Tools module being constructed. All parts are essentially flat, but I still used a number of clamps to help with holding parts until dry. PVA white glue is used for all MDF parts.

The most complex and heaviest module is this one; OM03 Corner Drawers module. Every possible bit of space is utilised, and dividers are included for the central drawer. These are removable.

EXAMINATION AND ASSEMBLY In turn, each unit is removed from its package and the parts checked to make sure they are all there. What is VERY important now is that you orientate the magnets so that you don’t get opposing poles when you click the modules together. At this point, I cheated.

To make things easier, I removed all magnets from the various boxes, and used a small stub of these to check each part against my initial module construction. North poles to the upper and left hand sides, and south poles to

Some modules use acrylic parts. Here, you can see OM09 Showcase WIP module being built. Protective film covers all of the acrylic parts, and remains in place until ready for the workshop.

Here, you can see the complete ensemble in place in my new workshop.

The magnets really help to create some rigidity in the whole construction, and everything aligns perfectly.

the lower and left hand sides. Of course, you can’t tell which is technically north or south, but as long as the poles are the same, you’ll have no problem. I used EvoStik PVA adhesive to assemble my units, and had a very damp cloth at the ready, to remove any glue that seeps out from the assembled joints. The first task with each unit was to attach the magnets to the four sides. These appear to be tight.

Don’t open them up, but simply tap them in with a plastic or rubber mallet. They do fit! If the unit has drawers, then these are assembled whilst I was waiting for

No special glues are required for the acrylic parts. The drawer windows are simply sat in a deeper rebate and held in place with the MDF drawer front.

glue to dry on the carcass. Each carcass also has a back face, helping make these units more rigid, and improving their quality further.

All of the main drawers in this suite are fitted with slotted separators, and you can use or lose these as you see fit.

There are no handles on the drawers.

Instead, there is a scalloped edge into which you slip a finger and pull them out from the case. You’ll note that some drawers also have clear windows in their fronts. No special glues are required here. Once you remove the A

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PREVIEW

HobbyZone Modular Workbench Units

B protective film from the clear acrylic

pieces, these sit into a double-depth rebate in the front of the drawer, and then you just glue the drawer front with PVA, trapping the clear part.

Genius! The display modules also have an acrylic front. This pivots at the top end, allowing you to access the shelves within. The acrylic fronts for the display units, plus all other modules, are machined with the HobbyZone logo. No actual pivot parts are included for the display fronts. Instead, there are two protruding acrylic pins that fit into the machined MDF side walls.

I really have no excuse not to be organised now, with a drawer for every need. Again, the dividers in the large drawers aren’t glued and can be removed.

INSTRUCTIONS The instruction sheets that are supplied, are also super-easy to understand.

However, the logic behind the design of the units does sort of make the instructions superfluous! Even in one of the well-stocked boxes with many parts, working out what goes where is as easy as arranging numbers into numerical order, or letters into alphabetical order. All you need is some patience, and preferably a glue with a quick grab time, which will allow you to work more swiftly. If you order a large number of units, as I did, then the grab time makes a lot of difference.

I’ll say it again though….watch the magnet orientation. I actually made a few mistakes, and still can’t fathom how. Removing them afterwards was actually fairly easy. I sat a drill bit on top of them, and tapped them through the MDF. The magnet was then turned around and tapped back into place. It’s far easier to reapply them than it was to initially insert them. That’s no criticism of the original hole sizes though, I assure you.

Drawer-o-rama again, as you can see just how amazing this workbench solution is. I’ve not moved in yet, but already, I can’t see how I worked without being this organised.

WHAT I GOT The units I ordered were: • OM01 – 6 Drawers Module (Qty.2) • OM02 – 3 Drawers Module (Qty.3) • OM03 – Corner Drawers Module (Qty.1) • OM04 – Corner Shelves Module (Qty.1) • OM05s – Paints Module 26mm (Qty.2) • OM05u – Bottles Module (Qty.1) • OM07 – Brushes and Tools Module (Qty.1) • OM06s – Corner Paints Module 26mm (Qty.1) • OM09 – Showcase WIP Module (Qty.1) • OM10 – Big Showcase Module (Qty.1) • OM11 – End Corner Drawers Module (Qty.2) • OM12 – End Corner Shelves Module (Qty.1) For this little lot, I estimate total assembly time was around 10 hours. I certainly haven’t ordered every type of module from HobbyZone, and there will be others that will perhaps more suit your purpose, and as you can arrange them however you like, the personal permutations are almost limitless, whether you have a large workbench, or if your space is limited.

Now, clutter begone! ■

The acrylic front lifts up on this unit, and the self can be re-positioned to suit. This is ideal for WIP, even though it’s described as a display unit.

Racks are included in my setup, designed for bottles and jars (left hand side), and paintbrushes and tools (right hand side)

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COMING SOON in the ‘HOW TO BUILD...’ series NEW How to Build the Tamiya 1:32 Mosquito FB.VI

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FEATURE ARTICLE

HobbyBoss 1:35 scale ShkH DANA • Kit No. 85501

A

Zack Sex depicts a Georgian Dana in distress.

DANA’S DEMISE

U

ntil the release of HobbyBoss’ 1:35 scale VZ-77 Dana selfpropelled gun, the only other model of this powerful Czechoslovakian artillery was Panzer Shop’s resin and photo-etch extravaganza, by all accounts an extremely complex build requiring many hours of work, much patience and a whole lot of filler.

On the other hand, HobbyBoss’ offering, while containing three small etched frets, and a myriad of plastic parts, is an involved but straightforward build that can be accomplished over a week or two depending on the level of one’s addiction!

DELVING INTO THE DANA

Designed and built in the 1970s, the Dana self-propelled gun entered service in 1978 with the Czechoslovakian Army. This revolutionary self propelled gun mated an eight wheel drive Tatra 813 high mobility truck chassis powered by a V-12 diesel engine with an armour clad 152 mm artillery piece.

The concept of putting a selfpropelled on a wheel chassis rather than a tracked body was as futuristic as the wedge shaped body and angular turret.

First seen during one of the Warsaw Pact associated parades of the early 1980s, the Dana was

testimony that even under the stultifying hand of centralised communism, Czechoslovak arms designers still maintained the innovative approach and technical inventiveness handed down from the days when the Skoda works produced such armoured vehicles as the 35 and 38(t) and a whole line of conversions culminating in the Hetzer manufactured under the yolk of Nazi fascism when the Czech works were a part of the Reich protectorate. Indeed, whether adapting such Soviet designs as the AK-47 which the Czechs produced as the more refined VZ-58 or licence producing T-54’s, T-55’s or T-72 tanks, many

B

A. Early version of the BRAMS SPAAG. B. Detail image of the SPAAG engine section. C. Rear veiw of SPAAG, mounted on Dana chassis. D. The modernised SPG Suzannia variant.

E. Lesney's Dana under cover.

in the developing world such as the Syrians had a preference for the more refined touch of Czech weapons producers.

Other indigenous Czechoslovakian weapons such as the Scorpion machine pistol and Semtex plastic explosives were to gain notoriety in the hands of guerrilla fighters and terrorists around the globe.

D

DECIDING THE DANA Before assembling the Hobby Boss kit, I examined the possibilities in terms of colour scheme and military service of this particular artillery piece.

First on the list were the Czechs

A

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A

B

C

D

E

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FEATURE ARTICLE

HobbyBoss 1:35 scale ShkH DANA • Kit No. 85501

B who decorate their Danas in a

number of camouflage schemes.

In high summer they may be seen in colourful hues of green while during the snowbound winters of central Europe it is not uncommon for them to be daubed in temporary white swathes.

The next option was the more recent Polish deployment to Afghanastan where Polish Danas were deployed in NATO fire support bases. These vehicles bore a type of NATO schemes similar to what one would find on the likes of a Leopard MBT. Their main appeal however was their interesting markings with names such as ‘Lady Ga Ga’ painted on their barrels, an indication perhaps of the youthfulness of the crews and their diabolical taste in music.

The third option involved depicting the Dana in the service of Muhmmar Ghaddafis thoroughly discredited forces.

The forth and final option, and one of the more interesting in my humble opinion, was a Georgian Dana, as deployed in their abortive summer war in South Ossetia in 2008. This attack by Georgian forces was an attempt to take territory in an operation similar in concept to the Croat operation in 1995 to take the Krajina in a storm of rocket and artillery fire. Unlike the Croatians, the Georgian forces bit off more than they could chew, having attacked not only civilian infrastructure in South Ossetia but also Russian peace-keeping forces.

In a short vicious campaign, large formations of Russian reinforcements poured through the strategic Roki tunnel while Russian helicopter gunships and fighter jets managed to achieve air superiority despite the Georgians deploying Israeli and Ukranian SAMs in the form of the Spyder system (a SAM version of the Python 5) and Buk-M. Within days, the Georgian forces’ wild rampage into South Ossetia was in disarray and had come to a bloody halt. The

Additional work on the engine using wire and plstic.

The kit’s vinyl tyres were easy to work with.

One of the suspension units completed.

This engine is reasonably represented but needs correctional work on its upper surface, which should be curved with rims and repositioned by at least a centimetre.

The 152mm cannon sub-assembly.

The armoured cab cover.

The hull, suspension, turret and gun have been test-fitted here.

Lots more work to be done though!

A detailed view of the engine as it takes shape.

The engine, painted, detailed and weathered.

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This side view gives a good idea of the wrecked road wheel. This is the first step, cutting off the bottom of the tyre.

evidence lay not only in the form of dead and injured Georgian troops but also in the form of abandoned T-72s, BMPs, Turkish Otokar Cobras and the aforementioned Dana SPGs. So a Georgian Dana abandoned on a South Ossetian mudflat it had to be!

DEVELOPING THE DANA I assembled Hobby Boss’s 1:35 scale Dana essentially in accordance with the kit instructions.

First I constructed the multijointed front and rear suspension systems. These go together with relative ease and require very little cleaning up.

While the eight tyres provided

by Hobby Boss are of the vinyl variety not always favoured by modellers, I found them easy to use and more importantly easy to sand and Dremel.

As my plan was to depict the desolate but deadly Dana in distress, I based my compositional plan on a photo reference of a Dana with its second forward left wheel punctured and flat.

Further to this end, on assembling the driver’s armoured cab, a neat piece of assembly in itself, with many light guards and viewing portals, I deliberately crushed and bent the right hand tubular headlight housing and bar work.

Other areas of detail were the interiors of the gun turret section.

This consists of two armoured compartments mounted on each side of the 152mm gun, the turret section on the right hand side feeding the 152mm projectiles into the main gun and the left hand side feeing the cartridges.

I chose to expose part of the inner workings of both of these units and the gunners station on the left as I felt there would be a good chance that scavengers, trophy hunters or the simply curious would open these hatches.

Similarly, the rear engine deck was left open exposing the Czech built V-12 diesel, this being a very different piece of construction compared to the standard Soviet V-12.

This engine is reasonably represented in Hobby Boss’s VZ77 but needs correctional work on its upper surface, which should be curved with rims and repositioned by at least a centimetre so as to be in the correct location in reference to the hatches.

The hatches, in turn, require reinforcing ribs as depicted in the photographic reference.

152mm shells are stowed inside the vehicle.

DECORATING THE DANA With the vast majority of the construction completed, it was now time to sort out the Georgian colour scheme.

Georgian Danas during the 2008 war wore a dark green colour scheme with black wheel hubs.

This differed from the medium green schemes seen during earlier parades in Tiblisi.

While these schemes were not as exotic as the three colour options on the Czech vehicles, they still allow the modeller great latitude when it comes to weathering and general wear on such abandoned vehicles.

The first step was to prime the vehicle in an overall green mix.

This was achieved using Humbrol Olive green blended with various oil washs.

I then overlaid the primed vehicle with an appropriate wash produced using Mig Washes and MIG Pigments.

This in turn was clouded with a slightly paler version of the same colour over the large flat surfaces such as the turret and armoured cab.

With the base colour applied, the real fun begins. Having thoroughly examined photo references of these abandoned Danas taken in Tskhinvali, and in one case in display in Kubinka, I set out to replicate the

The completed engine bay. Looks cosy in there!

Textured metal foil was used to make the non-slip floor inside the armoured cab.

Good references are really important.

The cab interior, painted and weathered.

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FEATURE ARTICLE

HobbyBoss 1:35 scale ShkH DANA • Kit No. 85501

The turret takes shape with the addition of photoetched detail parts.

The vehicle itself features even more photo-etched parts.

These are included in the kit.

At this point the bottom of the flattened tyre was added from putty.

Almost ready for paint now.

Dana received a base coat of overall green. This was achieved using Humbrol Olive Green blended with various oil washs.

The base coated vehicle was further treated with appropriate Further weathering was achieved using a combination of Mig and AK washes produced using Mig Washes and Mig Pigments. This in turn Dust washes, terracotta pottery washes and distressing achieved by was clouded with a slightly paler version of the same colour over the rubbing a blunt cocktail stick over some areas. large flat surfaces such as the turret and armoured cab.

B appropriate degree of wear, tear

and weathering that was evident on these abandoned and neglected canon bearing warhorses. This was not to be overdone and was achieved with a combination of Mig production and AK Dust washes, terracotta pottery washes and

distressing achieved by rubbing a blunt cocktail stick over some areas.

This was further reinforced with pin washes of raw umber and burnt sienna oil paints diluted with mineral spirits.

Finally, tiny paint chips were added with 000 brushes.

I had to adopt a considered approach to weathering as these vehicles were only in action for a number of days and were well maintained in their barracks before deployment. I therefore resisted the temptation to overdo it and lose the run of myself entirely.

Two kitbashed figures were also prepared for the diorama.

The vehicle paint job was further reinforced with pin washes of raw umber and burnt sienna oil paints diluted with mineral spirits.

Finally, tiny paint chips were added with 000 brushes.

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DANA’S DIORAMA With the Dana’s livery complete, the time had arrived for an appropriate base on which to display the VZ-77 with its tyres Dremeled, and in one case nearly Dremeled away.

It was necessary to sit the Dana down onto an undulating plaster base. To this end I chose a simple square base on which to place the vehicle.

This was to be complemented with two kitbashed figures representing two Russian troops standing in conversation as they discussed the Czech colossus and one taking a few quick snaps on his mobile phone. The pair seemed to add a nice dynamic to the overall composition while adding a good sense of scale to the layout. These were produced using Masterbox tank crew bodies, Hornet heads topped off with ICM Russian army hats.

I had to be careful not to over-weather the vehicle, as it was still quite new when it was in service.

The vehicle sits down nicely on the plaster groundwork of the simple square base.

The flattened tyre is particularly effective.

Detail view of the armoured cab.

CONCLUSION Upon finishing this little project I had a visit from Paul Kunkles and his young lad Oran. “What do you think lads?” I asked. ‘Look Da, Zak’s tank has a puncture, haw haw” guffawed Oran. “Well that’s the idea, Oran” I replied a little sternly as I eyed his father’s giggling face. The apple never falls far from the tree, I thought to myself!

On a lighter note, now that Hobbyboss has produced the Tatra 813 chassis required for the Dana, it is hopefully an indication that they will not be shy about releasing the similarly chassied Czech built RM-70 multiple rocket launcher system numbers of which have seen action recently in Libya and Sri Lanka. Now there’s a prospect!

It only remains for me to thank Noah Sex for his great assistance to his ageing father on this project and Paul Walsh for having the only model shop in Dublin that brings in the actual models that the customer wants. ■

HobbyBoss’ Dana is an involved but logical build.

The vehicle and figures on their base.

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KIT PREVIEW

Italeri World of Tanks Roll Out – Tiger I (36502) and Sherman (36503)

The models are offered a context in the World of Tanks universe.

The Sherman is conveniently moulded in Olive Drab plastic.

The Sherman is a simple, fast-to-build kit appropriate for young (and older) wargamers.

ITALERI WORLD OF TANKS ROLL OUT Andy King examines Italeri’s 1:35 scale Tiger I and Sherman kits, now recycled for the multiplayer World of Tanks game.

W

orld of Tanks (WoT) Chaffee, Pz.Kpfw VI Tiger and M4 is an online multiSherman, the latter two being the player game that, ones received for review. as you can imagine In both boxes you have a from the title contains tanks, lots tank-guide booklet that gives an of them. Created by Wargaming. introduction to World of Tanks, a net you start with small pre-war history for each tank, game-play ‘Tier 1’ tanks like the Renault hints and tips and codes on the FT-17, Leichttraktor etc., and by back of the booklet to unlock engaging in battles on various various in-game goods if you maps you earn credits and ‘XP’ have an existing account plus (experience), working your way up for new players just signing up to the heavier and later ‘Tier X’ you get a Tier II light American stuff such as the E-100, Maus and premium tank, a garage slot, Conqueror through the research seven days premium account and purchase of various modules. and 1000 gold. Also there is a The tanks featured are a varied generic waterslide decal sheet mix of real and drawing board that features the various insignia examples and date from late found in the game and the WWI up to the 1950s, which can kit instructions are obviously be a bit of a shock when running geared toward WoT as the colour A nicely cast bonus resin around the battlefield in small schemes are those that you can figure is also included. recon tank such as a Panzer II apply in-game.

‘Luchs’ and coming up against a The kits themselves are getting T-62. not funny! on a bit in modelling terms as Around a year or so ago WoT they have been around a long announced a proposed tie-in with time and long since surpassed a kit manufacturer to reproduce by newer examples, although some of the many tanks featured the Sherman can be made into a in the game and later on it was nice model with some resin and announced that Italeri would photo-etched goodies (although be the one. For the WoT range that would put the price up to the there is a set of six acrylic paints, far superior Tasca kits). The Tiger four tank kits from the Italeri unfortunately was not one of back catalogue and diorama set Italeri’s better kits and needed a based on the ‘Himmelsdorf’ map lot of work the first time around. with the probability of more The quality of the decal sheet for to come. The four tanks in the both kits is not brilliant either. range are the Ferdinand, M24 As these kits are basically

starter sets I would have expected at least some glue included and maybe some paints as it was pointed out to me during an online discussion between modellers recently that the RRP is higher than if you had bought the kits without the WOT packaging.

I wasn’t sure what to make of these kits at first as the cynical side of me would be very wary of old kits in fancy eye-catching boxes but to put them into some sort of perspective they are aimed squarely at devotees of the game and not hardcore armour modellers. Even at the basic level the Sherman is moulded in green and the Tiger in grey styrene and the parts count is low compared to those from Dragon or Tasca so they would make a relatively quick build for something to put in front of a computer monitor.

With the WoT branding and packaging it’s more likely to attract younger people to the hobby which can only be a good thing (if you can tear them away from the computer long enough that is), however for serious armour modellers there are much better kits available. ■

Thanks to The Hobby Company for the review samples (and the two new premium tanks in my garage) www.hobbyco.net

One-piece vinyl tracks.

The Tiger has been superseded by other newer releases, but it is still a straightforward build.

The Tiger features link and length tracks.

WoT markings are provided with each kit.

The Commander gives a clue to the vintage of this kit.

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BUILD REVIEW

Tiger I Early Production(Michael Wittmann), Eastern Front 1944 - Smart Kit • Kit No. 6730

AW, NOT ANOTHER Graham Tetley details construction of Dragon’s newest 1:35 scale Tiger variant.

I

am a bit of a sucker for Tigers.

When I was much younger, my late Uncle George told me of the time he came across a Tiger in North Africa and I was hooked on them from there. The first 1:35 scale kit that I ever built was Tamiya’s old Tiger, but fast forward 30 years and we have Dragon’s latest to work with.

The aim of this review is simply to offer you an insight into what is in the box and how it goes together. Along the way

we will encounter good and bad, frustration and joy, but I will show you what it builds into. There is no painting involved, just a good old fashioned build-up, so pull up a chair and read on.

Cutting Plastic A lot of the parts here are new, with most of those shared with the prototype Tiger released at the same time. Some we have seen before, dating all the way back to the first Dragon Tiger released and

1

This illustrates the gap due to the lower hull.

2

The gaps at the front of the hull.

TIGER! even from the extinct Cyberhobby DAK Tiger.

Before we start though, Dragon kits are famous for instructional errors and forewarned is forearmed. Here is what I found: 1) Step 2 – Don’t attach G11 or G12 to the road wheels G3 as there are no location points – they go onto roadwheels G1 or G2 in Step 3. See Photo 21.

2) Step 4 – Part P16 is shown as being fixed to an incorrect area.

It is drawn correctly in Step 5.

3) Step 5 – See the text for what to do with the jack. Don’t build it as shown here 4) Step 10 – The smoke discharger pots are noted as G26 – they are in fact K1 5) Step 10 – The positioning of the fire extinguisher. See the text below.

6) Step 14 – The positioning of Part A9. See the text below My aim was to follow the instructions with no exception, but this was impossible after studying

3

Gap in the front interlocking plates.

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Fuel tank inserts.

4

A lot of the parts here “are new, with most of

those shared with the prototype Tiger released at the same time...

5

6

Front plate before gluing

and test-fitting the main parts.

The issue that I encountered was getting the hull straight and true.

The problem lays in the way that the hull tub has been moulded in that the sides ‘bow’ out marginally as a result of the moulding process.

Starting at the back, I fixed the rear plate E8 to the bottom of the hull and let it dry overnight. I then used the guides on the inside of the rear plate and clamped the hull tub in place, one side at a time.

Photo 1 shows you what I mean and you can see the gap, as well as the guides on the rear plate, where you need to clamp it all together.

The front plate V4 was then glued in place but which also revealed the same problem at the front. Photo 2 shows this to good 8

7

One bit done…

effect as you can see the gaps and the step. Again, this had to all be clamped and left to dry. I then recommend that the upper hull glacis is then glued to the upper hull.

Take a breather here and don’t glue the upper hull as you need to assemble the fuel tank inserts as per Steps 6 & 9. Or do you? (Cue ‘X-Files’ theme tune) ……

Dragon devotes a lot of etch to these parts, but you can barely see any of it when the engine deck screens are on – Photos 34 & 35 show that you can’t see a lot even with the etched screens removed.

Parts Y4 fouled the fit of the upper hull so I cut them off - it is no loss as you cannot see them when completed anyway. In Step

Volia!

THE JACK OF DAMNATION (AND OTHER CAD ERRORS)

9 you have to fit a subassembly to the upper hull but there are no location points, but I simply glued the subassembly to the fuel tanks as per Photo 4 and checked the fit. With that done, we can fix the upper hull in place. Photo 3 shows the gap at the front where the plates interlock, so get out those clamps again as Photo 5 shows what you are facing. I clamped the bottom first (Photo 6) then the front glacis (Photo 7), and slowly worked my way along the upper hull part affixing that in place.

Once done, you can add the new hull side plates E1 &E2 (beware – the location holes are smaller than the corresponding pips) and that’s it, one hull all square and gap free - Phew!

9

”

Leaving the road wheels off for now, I completed the detail on the rear plate and here I discovered that the jack doesn’t fit. Do not assemble it as per the instructions in Step 5, but instead leave off the handle Part F15 and the jack ‘foot’ part F11. The problem is that F15 is supposed to align with a hole on the rear plate, but when fixed into the mounts you cannot move the jack over far enough. Photos 8 & 24 show the problem. There are two solutions: either fill in the hole or shorten the handle part F14.

Once you have got the positioning right and the jack glued into the mounts then fix part F11.

As an aside, Dragon give us A 10

Tow cable blues.

11

That pesky jack.

Jack location points.

See how the tow cable fouls the fire extinguisher mount.

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BUILD REVIEW

Tiger I Early Production(Michael Wittmann), Eastern Front 1944 - Smart Kit • Kit No. 6730

12

13

The air cleaner pipes under construction.

The pipes fixed in place.

15

Surgery needed to the collar.

B separate mounts for the rear track

guards, as shown in Photo 9. In reality these mounts were welded to the hull, as you can see on a comparison shot of Tiger 712 that I took some years ago, so Dragon has missed this minor detail.

From here on I followed the instructions pretty much to the letter all the way through to the construction of the engine deck.

Here we have two problems – the tow cable part E6 fouls the fit of the fire extinguisher J18. Photos 10 & 11 show this, and the only solution I found was to cut a hole in the fire extinguisher. The drawing in Step 19 shows the cable disappearing under the fire extinguisher, so something is wrong.

Almost Done Moving on, we get to the air cleaner assemblies and I again deviated from the instructions. The best thing to do is fix the air cleaners to the back of the hull and once done then fix parts M7 & 8 to M4.

Attach Parts V15 to W2 and then dry-fit the whole assembly. You will need to twist W2 into place, but the fit overall is quite good.

And once done, I ran liquid poly around the joins to fix it all. Repeat that process for Parts M9 &10 to M4 and then to W1. Photos 13 & 14 show it all under construction.

From here, the rest of the hull assembly was trouble-free. The newly-tooled headlight mounts are a thing of beauty and you can have the headlights in place or not. A recent thread on Missing Links (http://www.network54.com/ Forum/47207/thread/1422111475/ Questions+about+Wittmann's +Tiger+S04+(Dragon+6730) however indicates that the

14

Top view of the air cleaner pipes.

17

16

The completed breech…

mounts themselves on ‘S04’ were removed. I added mine before I came across this thread – doh!

…and the real thing!

Turret Time So now we hit the turret. Most of this is made from new parts and it shows, as the detail and fit throughout is first class. There is one blooper though. The barrel is moulded with a notch at the end and this notch fits into a collar that is sandwiched between the recuperator halves. Unfortunately this collar is too big to fit so you have to trim it down as can be seen in Photo 15. The completed gun breach can be seen in photo 16, along with the real thing: Bovington’s ‘131’ before she was repainted.

Alternative caps are provided for the vent on the turret roof and ideally you should use Part C5 on this vehicle. I went with C6 & C29 because I thought it looked better but it is incorrect – oops! The new smoke discharger mounts are really good and can be depicted with or without the smoke bombs. I found that the location guides on the turret roof were too pronounced so I shaved them off. The spare tracks on the turret (why-oh-why can’t you release these as a separate set Dragon?) are beautifully moulded and the top mounts can be built either as single or multiple pieces.

I went with the two-piece option as those parts have some exquisite cast number detail (see Photo 20), and we also have optional lower mounts to depict the track links removed. I found that the location guides on the turret were of no help, so I shaved them off and instead glued the lower mounts

18

Yummy smoke dischargers.

19

When in place, the spare links are gorgeous!

20

Can you see the tiny casting numbers?

21

This is where G11 or G12 go.

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23

22

to the track links themselves. See Photo 19 for how delicious they look when in place.

To conclude, we round off with the DS Tracks. When trying to glue them together the location tabs on both tracks split and whilst recoverable, does not bode well. I will simply say that they are marred by lots of flash & mould separation lines, are not to my taste, and will be discarded and replaced.

Five Dudes & Lots Of Clean Up

Wittman & his crew, fully assembled.

24

The man himself.

25

Something isn't quite right here.

26

Spare links all stowed.

“

Detail (and flash) on the DS Tracks.

Dragon’s best Tiger yet...

27

”

Included in this kit are 5 figures of Wittman and his crew. On first inspection the detail on them is lovely, but when you come to build them they do possess some niggles. Firstly, each of the figure’s legs has a sprue attachment point right over the hip pocket that is very difficult to remove and clean up. Secondly, all of the figures have some hefty mould separation lines and, in many places, the folds in the clothing do not join up. Also, the areas around the shoulder lapels were marred by where the mould halves joined together. Thirdly, the way that the leg halves & torsos join together leaves a lot to be desired. That said, after a lot of sanding, filing, alcohol and cursing they do actually look good and the poses are certainly original.

Conclusion This is not a beginner’s kit due to the parts count and tricky assembly, but I have to say that it is Dragon’s best Tiger yet. The new parts are simply exquisite and make this one stand out. I have to say that I am disappointed with Dragon’s love affair with DS Tracks and would urge them to reconsider the use of Magic Tracks as an option in the box.

Take your time, study the instructions and continuously testfit the parts, it is worth it in the end. I would give it an 8.5/10. n

My kit came courtesy of my wallet.

Dragon kits are distributed in the UK by The Hobby Company Limited www.hobbyco.net Purr-fect!

28

Close-up of the etch for the removed roadwheels.

29

Turret top detail.

30

The lovely bow machine gun.

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KIT PREVIEW

Tamiya 1:35 Sherman Mk.Vc Firefly with 6 Figures • Kit No. 25174

JUST AS GOOD

Tamiya has reboxed the excellent 1:35 scale Tasca Sherman Firefly, and added a few goodies of its own.

THE SECOND TIME AROUND

T

ASCA is known amongst Allied modellers and particularly that unique breed, the Shermaholic, as manufacturers of superbly engineered and well detailed Sherman kits.

Why am I talking about Tasca in a review of a Tamiya Kit? The reason is that Tamiya has reboxed the excellent Tasca Vc Firefly (kit no. 35-009) and added a set of their British Infantry on Patrol. This is very welcome as availability of Tasca (now known as Asuka) is patchy compared to Tamiya products.

Also the price is surprisingly low and represents excellent value for money. I will refer to the kit as Tasca throughout except where there is a difference such as the instructions and decals.

The Firefly was one of the most important British AFVs in the later war period and was the result of the mating of the excellent British QF 17 pdr gun to the readily available and reliable Sherman tank. This gave the British armoured formations some desperately needed hitting power when it was so desperately needed.

The M4 and the M4A4 variants were selected as suitable for conversion and by war’s end approximately 2139 of the 3000+

ordered had been converted, although this figure is possibly a bit low due to incomplete records.

Conversions were undertaken on M4 and M4A4 variants only as the M4A1, 2 and 3 were deemed unsuitable due to turret traverse gear fitted and hull layout problems.

The M4A4 was a welded hull design with a 56 degree glacis and protruding hoods for the Driver and Bow Operator Gunner – Co-Driver. This was a numerous variant of the Sherman and mainly supplied to the British. Of the three Armoured Divisions used by the British in the Invasion of Nth West Europe, two were equipped with the M4A4 (Sherman V) along with 1 Canadian AB and the Polish Armoured Division administered under the British Logistic umbrella.

The Vc was original the most numerous conversion to the Firefly and the most numerous variant in Normandy Campaign.

The Vc was used by all the British Armoured Divisions and most of the Armoured Brigades. It also served in Italy with British, Canadian, Polish and New Zealand forces. A handful were supplied to the US very late in the war in Italy but it is doubtful that they saw any combat.

Tasca was not the first to offer a Vc Firefly and I found myself comparing this release with the

earlier DML releases, which were the first Fireflies the mid 1990s and updated over the years.

The variant depicted in the kit is fairly typical for an early Firefly Vc and has a low bustle mid production turret (as has the DML kit).

The kit comprises approx 413 parts in a olive drab plastic although many of these are not used and a large number of very useful spares will be left over for other Sherman projects.

As is the norm for a Tasca Sherman, kit clear parts and photoetched parts are also included as well as a very useful jig for the photo-etched light guards. The kit has a multi-part lower hull that has absolutely precise fit resulting in a very accurate lower hull. The transmission is the three piece bolted cover and Tasca has cleverly engineered this so that the bolted flanges but together rather than mould them in one piece which makes it difficult to get the gap between them. A small amount of filler will be required to blend parts C 52 7 53 (final drive housings) into the transmission cover, but this is easy. Unlike almost all the DML Shermans, the fit of the transmission to the hull is perfect, and engineered along the lines of the real thing They also have the bolt strip that attaches

it to the hull sides. Photo-etched screens are provided for the underhang at the rear along with the deflector in plastic.

The kit has a number of options including the road wheels with a full set of pressed steel and spoked varieties; AND idlers being provided. The idler has rear detail as do all the road wheels which also have the small rivets for their inner faces provided on the sprues (B) to be shaved off and included if you require that level of detail (this is not mentioned in the Tamiya instructions).

The Tasca bogies are articulated like the real thing and can be made to work with a little care although the Tamiya instructions also don’t tell you this. They provide the original foam sheet that Tasca supplied plus the bonus of plastic spacers to use in their place. I recommend the plastic spacers unless you want you suspension articulated to conform to a base. If that is the case I recommend you cut up an eraser for the spacer and glue it in the desired position. Two types of tracks skids are provided.

The Firefly turret is very well done although I noticed there were no casting marks, which are prominent on the bustle of the real thing. This is same turret included in Tasca’s 35-009 VC Firefly and

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The lower hull is a multi-part assembly.

n The one-piece upper hull with separate sponso covers.

Optional sand shields and extended mudguards

Tasca’s original Commander figure is also in the box.

are supplied.

The 17 pdr barrel is supplied in plastic, with a choice of muzzle brakes.

Tamiya’s very nice British infantry figures are

The turret is very nicely done.

The bottom of the lower hull.

Photo-etched parts are included.

The flexible vinyl tracks.

a bonus.

Sten Gun, Bren Gun and two nice cups of tea.

Detail parts are well sculpted and perfectly moulded.

does not have the thickened cheek of the mid production Low Bustle turret. Applique is provided which was common on earlier turrets particularly the Vc. The three types of radio box lids are included and the kit offers the early split commanders cupola. Two types of muzzle brake are included along with a superbly moulded B Set antenna base with protective ring.

Periscopes are included as either OD plastic or clear plastic but no periscope guards are included.

The standard British stowage box is also included as well as a full figure of the tank Commander in beret and denim overalls. The excellent Tasca .50 cal is not included.

The hull follows the contours of the real thing well and compares favourably to photos of the real thing although it is missing a main weld that attached the glacis to the hull sides but again this is easy to add. All weld seams are the correct raised neat style. The cast effect is subtle and on par with effect in earlier Tasca Shermans.

Cast numbers match perfectly in position and layout to the example I have had access to and are on

the transmission housing. Like most TASCA Shermans, they have omitted the welds that join the glacis to the hull sides and this is particularly noticeable. The appliqué plates have the welds already included but to me are understated. Tasca have also supplied the houseboat fittings (these were brackets to allow a deceptive frame and canvas cover to make it look like a truck), which are applicable to early Fireflies.

The rear of the hull is detailed and has the exhaust deflector plate and mesh screening found under the rear hull overhang which is finely done with the frame as a separate part to the photoetch. Both round and square air filters are included along with a British tow bar and smoke generators. The tracks represent the T62 steel chevron type, which was commonly seen on Chrysler supplied M4A4s. These are in the two sections per run.

Decals are the same as the original Tasca Release and are provided for four vehicles: • A Sqn 24 Lancers 8 Armoured Brigade Normandy June 44 T148495

The .303 rifles are crisply presented.

Ample markings for four vehicles.

• 1st Sqn 2nd Armd Regt, 10 Cavalry Brigade 1st Polish Armoured Div U.K. Spring 44 T228615 • “Belvedere” B Squadron Staffordshire Yeomanry, 27 Armd Bde Normandy June1944 T-212680 • C Squadron HQ 20th Armoured Regt, 4 New Zealand Armoured Bde Italy April 45 – T 288935 All are in SCC15 overall.

“Belvedere” markings are presented in white and it is highly likely these would have been in yellow given other markings within 27 AB but this is a debatable point. With this exception, all match my references.

The instructions are typical Tasca, although Tamiya has left out some items like the rivets for the road wheels and optional working suspension. They are very well written and easy to follow. I found no problems when following the construction sequence.

Tamiya has added a bonus of five British Infantry figures in patrolling poses. These are typical of Tamiya figures and quite good.

The only criticism I have of them is that they have sword bayonet

scabbards from the early war but have the No 4 Mk.1 rifle, which uses the smaller spike bayonet.

They are also missing the gas mask case. They are armed with Rifles No 4 Mk.1, a Bren Gun and a Mk II Sten. Pouches for the Bren and the Bren No.2 are correctly supplied.

This is Tamiya’s first Firefly kit and covers a much used variant using a kit widely regarded as one of the most accurate and buildable Sherman Kits to be released. It offers a very well engineered rendition of a typical early Firefly.

It is not without omissions but what omissions are listed above are all within the easy reach of the modeller. I was impressed by this release and welcome more cooperative ventures with Tasca/ Asuka. It offers fantastic value and makes this excellent kit available to many more modellers - a very welcome release.

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

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TANK BOY GALLERY

Meng 1:35 D9R Armoured Bulldozer • Kit No. SS-002

COMBAT DOZE Takahiro Sumitomo presents Meng’s 1:35 scale D9R Armoured Bulldozer.

M

eng has hit the market with the first big 1:35 scale mainstream injectionmoulded military bulldozer kit, and it is a beauty. Meng’s D9R features the revised cab and additional armour, but not the most recent Israeli slat armour. It can’t be long before we will see either Meng or the aftermarket fill this interesting space though.

Meng’s 1:35 scale D9R comprises 366 parts in dark yellow plastic, 270 parts in black plastic, 18 parts in clear 18 parts in tinted clear blue, a set of polythene caps and one length of flexible vinyl tube.

The main body and cab are provided as a flat pack on the sprues and build up with separate parts for the sides, front and rear.

The cab is well detailed inside and out, including a colourful decal for the instrument panel.

The driver’s door is hinged, allowing it to open after assembly and display the seats and controls inside. Meng has thoughtfully supplied duplicate clear parts for the armoured glass – one tinted blue and one totally clear – so you have a choice depending on your personal preferences. I think this is a really nice touch.

Hydraulic hoses are cut from the supplied vinyl tubing. Clear instructions are provided for the length and location of each hose.

The running gear will be fast to assemble but is very well detailed. The tracks should not take too long either. Although there are five parts per link, there are only 43 links per side.

The big dozer blade and its associated hydraulic arms are very well detailed. If you are careful with assembly, taking care to avoid excessive glue, the ripper and the big spade should be moveable when the model is finished.

PAINTING AND WEATHERING Gaianotes paints were used on this model.

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 Flesh and Tamiya’s acrylic Black Panel Line Accent Colour. ■

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ZER

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A round-up of the latest news and releases in 1:72 and 1:76 ITALIAN KITS 1:72 SCALE FIAT 626 NLM KIT NO. IKA72001

As the name suggests, Italian Kits specialises in producing resin models of military equipment designed in this southern European country. Their most extensive product lines are detail sets and conversion kits for 1:72 and 1:48 aircraft kits, as well as a range of WWII soft skin kits in 1:72 scale. Despite appearances, the latter are actually really interesting modelling subjects, mainly due to their remarkable and elegant design.

Quite recently, I have received a few 1:72 vehicles manufactured by Italian Kits. One of them is a model of a Fiat 626 NLM, the standard Italian army medium truck, which operated on all fronts during WWII. The first thing that drew my attention was the size of kit’s box. It was really small. This surprised me, as even though it contained a 1:72 kit. The real truck was quite large, and had a canvas-topped cargo bed.

The box is indeed tightly filled with small zip bags, which contain kit’s parts, cast in grey resin. We also get a small decal sheet, and a black and white A4-size instruction sheet.

The first page of the instructions includes the assembly drawings. A minor glitch is that the part numbers mentioned here refer to nothing. Nevertheless, the drawings are sufficiently clear, so as to be easy to follow, even for novice modellers.

The second page features the decal placement guide. Each of the marking options is presented on three-view drawings, showing the front, rear and port-side of the truck.

We are offered the choice of four vehicles: • Fiat 626 of 1 Gr.Cavalleggeri di Lodi, Tunisia 1942, • Fiat 626 of Luftwaffe Field Division, Normandy 1944, • Fiat 626 of Organization Todt, Italy 1943-1944, • Fiat 626 of Btg Barbarigo, RSI, Italy 1944-1945 The main disadvantage of the instructions is the lack of any colour notification. The modeller has to research this on his/her own.

The decal sheet is thin and flawlessly printed. Even the smallest markings are in perfect register.

An initial look at the main parts reveals two little secrets. To fit the kit within the tiny box, the manufacturer removed all casting blocks. As the part numbers had been engraved on the latter, the connection between the parts and assembly drawings was spoiled.

The quality of the main parts is very good. There are a few minor imperfections, resulting from the casting process, such as small air bubbles and seams, but only a little cleaning will be necessary to deal with this. However, the damage caused by the sloppy removal of the casting block from the chassis generates some extra work.

The cab is amazingly detailed. Kudos to the master kit builder, Alexandru Giersch, for faithfully reproducing the interior detail, which is not common even in many 1:35 scale models. The details are sharp and crisp, although this excellent work is slightly spoiled by the caster, who neglectfully attached the window plugs, essential for the casting process.

The cargo bed looks great too. Perhaps the wood grain texture could be slightly more pronounced here and there, but the quality of detail and thinness of the walls deserve recognition.

The canvas top is somewhat less impressive. I’m not fully convinced by its texture and the way the fabric is spread over the framing. Also, this is another part that was damaged by the manufacturer, whilst removing casting blocks.

Casting the tilting front window frames as separate parts is certainly a good solution.

The cab doors are available in two variants; with or without the window frames. It’s a small shame that the assembly guide doesn’t include any templates for clear parts. This would make cutting the windows from acetate sheet, a lot easier.

The steering wheel is a little too thick, but this is understandable, considering the fragility of resin. If it was thinner, it would be very much prone to damage. This is one of only a few parts that may be worthwhile replacing with photo-etched details. In this case, we can source a substitute from Hauler’s photo-etched steering wheel set.

Talking of wheels, the main ones would be fabulous if the caster had done his job as good as the master kit builder. Due to this problem, the finely engraved tire tread and other small details, have been damaged during the casting process. This mostly concerns the dual rear wheels.

The kit also includes some equipment and accessories, such as bags, tools, bottles, etc.

Of course, their quantity is too small to fill the large cargo bed, but still, they are a nice addition.

CONCLUSION Italian Kits’ 1:72 scale Fiat 626 NLM is an interesting product, not only because it depicts a rare and, in my humble opinion, visually attractive modelling subject. The master kit builder should be praised for the fantastic work he did with this model, and it’s a shame that this was slightly spoiled during both the casting and packaging processes. Despite the latter issues, I honestly recommend this kit. If you have at least a little experience with resin models, you’ll handle all the imperfections easily.

Recommended.

This and other Italian Kits products can be purchased directly from the manufacturer www.italiankits.it Kamil Feliks Sztarbala

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DON’TT MISS A THING....

Don’t worry, all the issues are still available to buy and full details are on the website @ www.modelmilitaryinternational.com

Only

£4.20 (UK) £5.25 (Europe) £6.45 (World-wide) including postage

Issue 90

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• • • • • • • • •

• 1:48 Panther A Conversion • Dragon 1:35 StuG III Ausf. G Late Production • Tamiya 1:35 Merkava 1 • Bronco 1:35 Jeep w/ 37mm Anti-Tank Gun • Dragon 1:72 Churchill in a diorama • Bronco 1:35 Korean War M24 Chaffee • Young Miniatures’ 1:10 Battle of Jang-Jin Reservoir 1950 bust » and more...

• Tamiya 1:48 BA-64B • 1:48 Tamiya 1:48 Steyr Kommandeurwagen • HobbyBoss 1:35 Hungarian Light Tank Toldi III (C40) • HobbyBoss 1:35 Panhard EBR-11 • ICM 1:35 Packard Twelve • HobbyBoss 1:35 Meng Shi • Bronco 1:35 Valentine Mk.IX • Panda 1:35 Object 279 • ICM 1:35 Leader’s Car » and more...

Kinetic 1:35 R-11 MRAP Meng 1:35 D9R Bulldozer Dragon 1:35 M48A3 Mod B Zvezda 1:35 BMD Panzer II Diorama Meng 1:35 T-90 Tamiya 1:35 Japanese Type 10 tank Dragon 1:35 Flak 37 Bronco 1:35 Fiat Topolino » and more...

Issue 93

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Issue 96

• Academy 1:35 Pz.Kpfw. 35(t) • Dragon 1:35 Panzer IV • MiniArt 1:35 GAZ-AAA Model 1943 Cargo Truck • Bronco 1:35 75mm Zrinyi • ICM 1:35 Mercedes Typ G4 • Tasca 1:35 M32B1 Recovery Vehicle with scratch-built mine roller • Trumpeter 1:35 BRDM-2 » and more...

• Tamiya 1:35 scale Gama Goat • Dragon 1:35 Waffentrager Pt.2 • Dragon 1:35 Sexton SPG Normandy diorama • Young Miniatures 1:10 British Infantryman Somme 1916 • Dragon 1:35 Zugkraftwagen 1t • Meng 1:35 Leopard 1A3/1A4 • Bronco 1:35 Korean War M24 Chaffee • ScaleACT 2013 Show report » and more...

• • • • • • • • •

• • • • • • • • •

Issue 97

Issue 98

Issue 99

Issue 100

• • • • • • • • •

• Ojay 1:35 Rhodesian Kudu Mine Protected Vehicle • Bronco 1:35 Versuchsflakwagen 8.8cm Flak 41 auf Sonderfahrgestell conversion • Trumpeter 1:35 2S3 • 1:35 scale Tamiya T-55 Enigma upgraded • Tamiya 1:48 scale GMC CCKW 2.5 ton 750 Gal. Airfield Fuel Tanker • Meng Model Contest at the China Hobby Show 2014 » and more...

• Meng 1:35 AMX-30 • Tamiya 1:35 Tiger British WWI Mk.IV Male tank • Bronco 1:35 Toldi conversion • Shizuoka Hobby Show 2014 • Large scale Panther Commander bust • Bronco 1:35 6 pdr • Bronco 1:35 sWS Cargo Version • Kinetic 1:35 MRAP » and more...

Issue 102

Issue 103

Issue 104

• Trumpeter 1:35 T-64A Mod 1981 • Panzer II Ausf. C and Polish wz.34-II armoured car in 1:48 • Scratch built 1:35 SS-Ki Combat Engineering Vehicle • Dragon 1:35 Sd.Kfz.10 • Italeri 1:35 LCM • Tankfest 2014 report » and more...

• • • • • • • •

• • • • • •

Issue 106

Issue 107

Issue 108

• • • • • • • •

• • • • • • •

• Bronco 1:35 KV-85 • Italeri 1:35 Stuka Zu Fuss • Tamiya 1:48 Dingo Mk.II • Tamiya 1:35 Dingo Mk.II Vignette • Tamiya 1:35 Somua S35 Preview • Bronco 1:35 Panzer 35(t) • Large scale Lt. Winters bust • Meng’s 1:35 FCM-2C • AFV Club’s 1:35 Centurion Mk.5/1 » and more...

• Tamiya’s 1:48 scale GAZ-MM Truck • Bronco Panzer I Ausf. F • Italeri’s LCVP and Revell’s LCM in a 1:35 scale diorama • ZiS-30 conversion from Mirror Models 1:35 Komsomoletz • Small-scale Nashorn wreck • Takom 1:35 Leopard C2 MEXAS kit and Trackjam Conversion » and more...

Issue 101 • Dragon 1:35 M2A1 Half Track • Amusing Hobby and Panda Object 279 Comparison • Italeri’s 1:35 L6/40 Italian Tank • Dragon 1:35 Ostwind • Dragon 1:35 Jagdpanzer IV L/70(A) • AMPS 2014 Report » and more...

Issue 105 • Italeri 1:35 Crusader • Puckapunyal Crusader in detail • AFV Club 1:35 M1130 Stryker CV/TACP • Dragon 1:35 Panzer T-34-747(r) • Zvezda 1:35 Panther Ausf.D • Italeri 1:35 BMP-1 • Tamiya 1:35 M4 Sherman showcased • Roden 1:35 Rolls-Royce Armoured Car » and more...

Takom’s 1:35 Leopard C2A1 MEXAS Tamiya 1:35 Panther Ausf. G Late Version Tunnel Rats In Vietnam Reference 1:35 Vietnam War vignette Bronvo 1:35 6 pdr Bronco 1:35 M24 in Indochina Tamiya 1:35 Tilly by Tamiya 1:35 6x6 Airfield Fuel Truck Bronco CV-3-33 » and more...

Tamiya 1:35 Jagdpanzer IV /70(V) Academy 1:35 Merkava IID Dragon 1:72 AAVP7A1 IBG Models 1:35 Marmon Herrington Mk. I Tamiya & MR Modellbau 1:48 Achilles HobbyBoss 1:35 White 666 Truck Scale Model World 2014 report Italeri 1:48 Huey » and more...

HobbyBoss 1:35 T-26 Meng Model 1:35 Achzarit WWI Tanks showcase Tamiya & AFV Club 1:48 Sd.Kfz. 251 kits ICM 1:35 Type G4 (W31) Neo for Iwata pistol trigger airbrush Tamiya 1:35 Ford Mutt Dragon 1:35 SAS Jeep Bronco 1:35 Valentine Mk.XI » and more...

Tamiya 1:35 Mark IV Male Meng 1:35 Leopard to AS1 conversion Kapitan In Italy 1:35 diorama Heller 1:35 Somua S35 Great White North Show Report Bronco 1:35 Panzer 35(t) ICM 1:24 Admiral Cabriolet Italeri 1:35 Water Tanker » and more...

Char B1 bis History and Walk Around Tamiya 1:35 Motorised Char B1 bis Iwata Custom Micron B Airbrush Dragon 1:35 M1A2 Upgrade 1:35 scale Berlin Street Diorama MiniArt’s 1:35 AEC Mk.I Armoured Car Bronco 1:35 Pz.Bfwg. 35(t) » and more...

Diopark 1:35 Mercedes modern sedan Resicast Wading Sherman Mk.III conv Dragon 1:35 Tauchpanzer III Meng Model’s 1:35 Char 2C Italeri Opel Maultier Hobby Boss 1:35 German Sd.Kfz. 254 Xact Scale Models 1:35 T-80U Bronco 1:35 Panzer I Ausf. F Tamiya 1:35 revamped LRDG Command Car » and more...

Kinetic 1:35 Maxx Pro Dragon 1:35 M6A1 Heavy Tank Tamiya 1:35 Toyota Model AB Phaeton ICM 1:35 WWII Ambulance Xact Scale Models 1:35 Tiger Bonehead Models 200mm SS Squad Leader • Dragon 1:35 Jagdpanzer IV L/70 • ICM 1:35 V300 Maultier & Pak 36 » and more...

Issue 109

Issue 110

Issue 111

Issue 112

• ICM V3000 • Dragon Black Label 1:35 Saladin • Dragon 1:35 Panzer III Ausf. M • G.W.H. SWS diorama in 1:35 • ICM 1:35 Lastkraftswagen • 1:35 scratch built figure modelling • UM 1:72 Su-76M • NUREMBERG 2015 Show Report » and more...

• • • • • • •

• Pz.Kpfw. 38(t) Think Tank • Tamiya’s new 1:48 Pz.Kpfw. 38(t) & BMW R75 Motorcycle • 1:72 scale diorama • Tamiya 1:35 Tiger I Early • NSW Scale Model Comp and Expo 2015 • Dragon 1:35 Hummel-Wespe • AFV Club 1:35 Churchill Snake • Centurion Twin-Forty 1:35 Kitbash » and more...

• 1:35 Bishop self-propelled gun diorama • Tasca’s 1:35 M4A3E2 Sherman Jumbo • MiniArt 1:35 GAZ-AAA and Quad Maxim conversion • Trumpeter’s 1:35 BTR-70 • Neo for Iwata Airbrush • Dragon 1:35 Sd.Kfz.10 • Melbourne Model Expo 2015 » and more...

Somua S35 Think Tank Somua S35 Close-Up Reference Tamiya’s new 1:35 Somua Dragon 1:35 Panzer III in Allied hands Hobby Boss 1:35 EBR ICM 1:35 Zil-131 Easy figure painting » and more...

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Tel: 01525 222573 - Email: enquiries@adhpublishing.com p 55 BackIssues 113.indd 57

16/07/2015 14:26

Book Reviews NUTS AND BOLTS

VOLUME 34 SD.KFZ.7 8 TON ZUGKRAFTWAGEN KRAUSS-MAFFEI AND VARIANTS

BY DR NICOLAS HETTLER

The German 8 ton half-track has been a perennial favourite amongst modellers for as long as I can remember. I think this is in part the result of its many variations and the availability of it in kit form. There is no denying the appeal of the type; the armoured cab version for example looks purposeful. This new reference work has some 185 pages prepared with the aid of restored examples and backed up by impeccable research and period photos.

This reference work is logically broken down into segmented parts. The first 89 pages are devoted to the development and history of the weapon’s use. Selected subsections discuss the development and technical description of the many variations of the vehicle itself. A very useful chart describes how all the units operating this vehicle - be it artillery, anti tank or flak - were set up in the field together with their accompanying support vehicles. Toward the end of this section a complete list of available kits is supplied. The book is jammed packed with little details like this and shows a great attention to detail.

This first section is lavishly illustrated with a little over 188 black and white period photos. The great thing about these is that they all in one place and not scattered over several sections of the books.

The next 29 pages are devoted to a selection of very well drawn 1:35 scale plans of all the common versions of this vehicle. John Rue has again captured the essence of the vehicle in these drawings.

Twenty colour profile drawings follow over the next 10 pages and are wonderfully executed and presented.

What I like about these profiles is that within the profile itself is a small black photo is included on which the profile is based. I believe this should be the industry standard.

The next section is 37 pages of walk around photos from various restored examples. Almost the entire vehicle is covered from the interior and engine through to a detailed study of the running gear.

The last eight pages are devoted to a number of model builds and these are generally to a high standard.

In my opinion, this is the best reference source I have come across for the Sd.Kfz. 7. It strikes the right balance between historical fact, photo coverage and high quality colour profiles. For me, it is all I would ever need, reference-wise. It includes information that was both easy to digest and presented in a logical manner.

It is almost as if this was three traditional books in one. Modelling reference doesn’t come much better than this.

Thanks to Nuts & Bolts for the sample www.nuts-bolts.de Highly Recommended.

Luke Pitt

AMX-30 CHAR DE BATAILLE 1966-2006

BY M.P. ROBINSON ISBN: 978-8362878994 KAGERO PHOTOSNIPER BOOK 10

In 1956 the French, German and Italian governments entered into a cooperative development program with the aim of designing a standardized Main Battle Tank. This would alleviate supply and logistics problems for NATO. Due to political differences both France and Germany began work on their own distinctive prototypes. The intention was to test both prototypes and combine the best of both in the final design. Both prototypes were tested with the German design leading, but further political differences caused the program to fail. The Germans refusing to adopt the French 105mm gun as they had already ordered the British L7 105mm gun and the French stating they could not produce the new tank till 1965. As a result, the French and Germans decided to separately develop new Main Battle Tanks based on their own prototypes. The German prototype became the Leopard 1, while the French prototype became the AMX-30.The French continued the development of the AMX 30 and a number of changes were made to the design before the first production vehicles finally entered service in 1966.

The AMX 30 underwent further design changes and modernisation and remained in service with the French Army till 2006 when it was replaced by the LeClerc MBT. It was exported to Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Venezuela, Spain, Cyprus, Chile and the United Arab Emirates.

This is the second volume covering the French AMX-30 tank from Kagero's Photosniper series and deals with the design and development of the AMX-30B2 variant. It has 86 pages covering the design and development leading to the final version of the AMX30, the AMX 30B2. The AMX30B2 “In Service” the 1984 reorganisation of French Armoured Units, and Operation Daguet, the French involvement during the 1st Gulf War. There are approximately 139 colour photos and diagrams showing the vehicle in service with the French Army, Spanish Army and the Cypriot National Guard in the first section of the book. The second section of the book has a detailed 56 photo “walk around” inside and outside of the vehicle. The third and final section of the book consists of artwork showing colour schemes for eight different vehicles including a French Vehicle from the 1st Gulf War 1991. This is the first detailed publication I have seen on this vehicle and found it to be a fascinating and informative read. This is an awesome reference source on the AMX30B2 for modellers and those interested in Armoured Vehicles in general.

Highly Recommended.

Thanks to Casemate Publishing for the sample www. casematepublishing.co.uk Stuart Ransley

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BRITISH CRUISER TANK A13 MK I & II

BY PETER BROWN ISBN: 978-83-60672-23-5 MODEL CENTRUM PROGRESS

Model Centrum’s Armour Photo History series of books continues to add to the growing stress on my bookcase shelves with this title being devoted to British A13 Cruiser Mk I &II. Not much print has previously been devoted to this important vehicle which formed the backbone of the early war armoured divisions and soldiered on long past its use by date until newer tanks could replace it in production.

What has been written was also penned by Peter Brown, the author of this excellent title and that appeared as multipart articles in Military Modelling magazine. I found myself pulling out those articles and couldn’t help but notice a lot of the information is very similar however do not take that as a criticism as the articles were excellent. Peter Brown has written extensively on early war British armour and his enthusiasm for this neglected subject results in excellent materiel being served up to the reader.

The A13 was the backbone of the Cruiser formations that made up pre-war and early war armoured divisions and was developed into two Marks with various sub-variants. It had a lot of redeeming features and was well armed when introduced however was let down by poor mechanical reliability and track design being rapidly made obsolete long before its equally outclassed successor the A15 Crusader took to the battlefield exhibiting the same mechanical immaturity. The A13 served in France with most being abandoned there (to later be used by the Germans in Russia!) and a handful were returned safely to the UK. With new production vehicles the A13 then was deployed in its Mk.II guise to the Middle East with a small detachment serving on Malta. The suffered at the hands of the Afrika Corps newer reliable Panzer Mk III but held their own against the Light German and Italian Armour. A combination of mechanical unreliability and poor tactics led to large loses in both Libya and the Greek campaigns. The lack of an HE round for the now obsolete 2 Pdr gun hampered their ability to defend themselves against the German PAK front which was responsible for most British Armour losses in the North African campaign. They served in most of the early desert campaigns and were found in the Tobruk Garrison during the siege.

Peter Brown has collected a huge volume of excellent photos and the majority of the book is devoted to them as well as a good set of plans and various detail drawings of the A13’s features. A 16 page history of the vehicle and its service history opens the book and is a fascinating read which will give the reader a great understanding of the battles fought and the various strengths and weaknesses of the vehicle. The author’s research is backed up by numerous tables covering manufacturers, variants, specifications, distribution, losses etc.

The photo gallery is the majority of the book and is 51 pages of high quality black and white photos of the vehicle in development training and action with British forces as well as the German captured versions. These are well support with accurate and descriptive captions. Drawings to the popular modelling scale of 1:35 are provided for the A13 Mk 1 Cruiser III, A13 Mk II Cruiser IV and the A13 Mk IIA Cruiser IVA with Mk 1 Gun Mount. Hopefully these will dispel a lot of the confusion that has reigned over this vehicle amongst modellers made all the more confusing by the lack of survivors and the nonstandard fittings on the surviving museum example.

Three more pages of technical drawings (from the operator or technical manual?) follow the plans and the title is rounded out with a section of colour plates with 7 pages each devoted to one vehicle. These are high quality colour plate with a very good description of the vehicle and the scheme, which will be appreciated by modellers.

This is a long overdue and excellent title that fills a longstanding hole in our knowledge of this important vehicle. It is more appealing to the modeller but there is plenty for the armour enthusiast, historian or collector. The quality of the information is excellent and easy to digest. I had wished for such a title after reading Peter’s excellent articles and was not disappointed with the title when it arrived. It is very pleasing to see long neglected subjects being covered.

Highly Recommended.

Sample purchased by reviewer Al Bowie September 2015 - Model Military International 57

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Incoming

DEF.MODEL

ITEM DW30001A: SCHWIMMAGEN TYRE SET 1 (FOR THE TAMIYA KIT) 5 WHEELS ARE INCLUDED. ITEM DW30032: SCHWIMMAGEN TYRE SET 2 (FOR THE TAMIYA KIT) 5 WHEELS ARE INCLUDED. ITEM DW30028: KUBELWAGEN / SCHWIMMAGEN TYRE SET (FOR THE TAMIYA KIT)

I am a great fan of the wheels sets released by DEF.MODEL. I really like the complete nature of the product. They combine accurate well cast resin wheel replacements with excellent tread and tyre detail. DEF.MODEL has sent along some quite outstanding 1:35 scale wheel updates for review: • Item DW30001A: Schwimmagen Tyre Set 1 (for the Tamiya kit) 5 wheels are included.

• Item DW30032: Schwimmagen Tyre Set 2 (for the Tamiya kit) 5 wheels are included.

• Item DW30028: Kubelwagen / Schwimmagen Tyre Set (for the Tamiya kit) 5 wheels are included.

All of the wheels sets have sagged effect, which is a flat spot where the tyre touches the ground. The effect is both subtle and very well done.

The casting is flawless with no visible porosity or deforming in evidence. The casting plugs are quite small with some just breaking away with little or no effort.

The tread pattern on all the wheels is the most outstanding aspect of these updates; all are different and all highly accurate.

The updates for the Schwimmagen are real beauties not only are they accurate they capture the feel of these cool looking off road tyres.

Set DW30001A is the classic wide tyre often seen on the Schwimmagen. A lot of manufacturers have given these a crack with varying degrees of success. The only real alternative for these up until now have been the Hussar sets but comparing the two, I believe these may be slightly better as the tyre cross section seems to be a little more rounded, where the Hussar ones and slightly squarer.

Set DW30032 is the rarer cross-country rims. These are very well done and also dead accurate. A variation of these was also used on the 4 x 4 VW Beetle.

The wheels for the Kubelwagen / Schwimmagen (DW30028) are the standard tyres fitted to both vehicles. What set these apart from the kit-supplied items are the finely rendered tread pattern and the manufactures logos on the sidewalls. As a bonus a complete set of inner hubs are included. These would be great for a tyre changing type diorama. These sets are specifically designed for the Tamiya kits and simply replace the kit parts. The mounting points are identical Every time I review DEF.MODEL products, I am left with the feeling that these guys really know what they’re doing. Their products are presented well, accurate and include wheel masks. If you’re after replacement wheels for the kits in question I really don’t thing you can go past these.

Highly Recommended.

Thanks to DEF.MODEL for the samples www.defmodel.com Luke Pitt

LM DECALS

1:35 SCALE HELLENIC ARMY UNIVERSAL CARRIERS GREECE 1941 ITEM NO. LM35007

This sheet by LM Decals covers the usage of the Bren Gun Carrier with the 19th Motorised Division of the Hellenic Army during 1941.

The markings seen on the Greek carrier were relatively simple with just the division emblem and vehicle serial number. In contrast to the simple decal sheet the extensive reference material supplied on the downloadable instructions is second to none. The researchers at LM Decals have provided a comprehensive set of written and photographic evidence.

Discussion surrounding the schemes and colours used is supplied with period black and white photos provided courtesy of several private collections.

The reference material logically steps through the assumptions made regarding the colours and where ambiguity remains, the benefit of the doubt is given to the builder. White Ensign model colours are referred for colour matches.

The decals are produced by Fantasy Printshop and don’t show any sign of printing problems.

Registration isn’t an issue as only white is used. Carrier film is extremely thin edges barely visible.

18 different marking option are supplied across three different colours schemes. Photographic evidence for each of the schemes is provided in the instruction guide.

LM Decals continue with providing us with some interesting indigenous subjects to Greece.

Though a simple set of decals, this Greek version of the Bren Carrier will certainly fill a niche for the Greek World War 2 armour enthusiasts. I recommend them.

Note: Please be aware that LM Decals does not supply paper instructions with any of their decal products. In order to keep retail costs down, they have chosen to do away with printing the instructions out and provide downloadable instruction guides from their website.

Recommended.

Thanks to LM Decals for the samples www.lmdecals.gr Mick Drover

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Figures

TAMIYA

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

1:35 SCALE WWI BRITISH INFANTRY W/ SMALL ARMS & EQUIPMENT ITEM NO. 32409 Tamiya continues its foray into the world of WWI subjects with a second set of 1:35 scale British figures.

I was surprised to see these figures hot on the heels of the first set, released in tandem with Tamiya’s WWI Mark IV Male tank, until I noticed that the box credits the contents to ICM of Ukraine.

This is no bad thing though, as ICM’s figures have been very impressive of late, and these figures will add to the variety available for WWI modellers.

Tamiya’s new WWI British Infantry set comprises 192 parts in bright tan coloured plastic. One of the sprues contains four figures. These include the obligatory standing and pointing Officer, a standing and a kneeling soldier, plus a final figure wearing a woollen cap who is in the process of throwing a Mills Bomb.

The remaining two sprues are packed with a big array of weapons and equipment.

These include Lee Enfield and Ross rifles, Lewis Guns, Mills Bombs, No.16 Grenades, Webley revolvers, helmets, packs, canteens, tools and more. There’ll be plenty of grist for the spares box once you’ve finished these figures!

Moulding quality is excellent with a minimum of seam lines and no imperfections that I can find.

In my opinion, the poses of the three helmeted figures are perhaps a bit wooden, but their generic nature will ensure that they are versatile additions to any WWI scene, either as a figure vignette or accompanying a vehicle.

Highly Recommended.

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

BRONCO MODELS

1:35 SCALE WWII BRITISH PARATROOPS IN ACTION SET A ITEM NO. CB35177 WWII BRITISH PARATROOPS IN ACTION SET B ITEM NO. CB35192 Bronco Models tend to think outside the square in terms of delivering different subjects with a high degree of style and presentation. These two new releases hit the mark on both counts. These figure sets will no doubt be useful in their forthcoming 1:35 scale Horsa Glider kit due for release shortly.

The figures are moulded on just two plastic sprues each with all the hardware on separate sprues. All of the figures are basically moulded as upper and lower torsos, with the heads and arms as separate items. The facial details, which can make or break any figure, are very well done and are a credit to the sculptor involved. The only weak point is the moulding of the ears, which is difficult in this medium. The uniform details are crisp as are the fabric folds.

The figures themselves measure out at around 5’ 9” or 10” in the Imperial scale and are acceptable in height and bulk.

The box tops are of particular note, as the illustrations are first rate and can be used as a reference point for painting the rear paint call out illustrations are however are poor. The all-important equipment sprues are handled very well with the bikes in both sets receiving fine photo-etched spokes.

To round both sets off, a set of well printed rank insignia and Wellbike container markings for set B are included.

These are outstanding figure sets and well worth the asking price.

Highly Recommended.

Thanks to Bronco for the samples www.cn-bronco.com Luke Pitt

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1:48 Scale – A round-up of the latest news and releases A MODELLER’S ROAD TRIP A few weeks ago I ran out of supplies needed for a modelling project.

Sadly, most of the hobby shops in my local area have either closed down or have cut back on stock to such an extent that they are almost not worth visiting.

I understand that most modellers purchase kits online these days, but in my view nothing beats a well stocked hobby shop.

I remember a time when going to a hobby shop was an experience. It began with the journey itself.

It involved meeting a few friends at the railway station and travelling to the hobby shop together.

Tales were told and friendships began on those trips so long ago. It was a personal experience, full of the joys of dealing with real people in real time.

Fast forward some 30 years and now we all seem to sit in front of a computer and order from the vast selection of kits from the many online retailers.

All the kits are there but the problem is. I just can’t touch and feel them the way I used to.

Now some of you may say “so what”, but for me, part of a really good shopping experience is touching and feeling something. I can spend hours in a well stocked hobby shop, enjoying nothing more than just staring at kits. Sadly, well stocked hobby shops are now very few and far between. I brought this up in a phone conversation with one of my modelling friends and he offered to drive to another city to visit one of the last remaining hobby shops in our region.

The day began with me driving to his place and having a rather nice coffee on his deck overlooking

his back yard.

He mentioned that his young son was coming along, so we set him up with a portable DVD player for his ride in the back. The drive took a little over an hour and a half but seem to fly by as we talked modelling and the state of the hobby for the entire journey.

Arriving at the shop which in reality is three shops joined together, one is greeted by staff that were not only helpful but knew where things were. In my mind, I was thinking, I’m giving this a big tick.

After gathering the items I required I wandered over to the paint section and was greeted by the largest selection of paints from multiple manufacturers that I had ever seen. Again, I was thinking, that’s another tick; I selected some paints and thinner and wondered past the book reference section, thinking to myself as I passed, “it just doesn’t get much better than this”.

I then entered the plastic kit section and my breath was taken away; the 1:48 or larger armoured vehicle section for example as seen in the accompanying photograph, has hundreds of kits.

To put the icing on the cake, the small sale armour and aircraft sections are equally large. All the major manufacturers are stocked as well as some very obscure ones as well.

A nice touch was two lounge chairs and a table in the aircraft section to enable you to sit down and view the kits contents if you wish. I wandered over

to my friend and he said, “Dude I’m in heaven - all hobby shops should be this good!” Funnily enough, these were my very same thoughts.

I don’t normally do this but I will on this occasion.

The store is called Frontline Hobbies and if you’re in Newcastle Australia the shop is well worth a visit more photos can be viewed on their website www.frontlinehobbies.com.au.

On the drive home, a thought came to mind. It may be a good idea to ask our readers to submit a small photo of their favourite hobby shop and tell us why you like it. As modellers we should support and visit these more often, because once their gone they will be gone for good. So, if you know of a good hobby shop send us a photo and we will post it in this column.

Until Next Time Luke Pitt

HAULER

HLX48353 RUSSIAN LIGHT TANK T-70 M (FOR THE MIKRO MIR KIT) HLX48355 M10 11C ACHILLES (FOR THE TAMIYA KIT) HLX48357 RUSSIAN AA TANK T-90 (FOR THE MIKRO MIR KIT) HLX48360 STEEL CONTAINERS

There is no doubt that Hauler really look after 1:48 scale modellers.

Almost without exception, they offer sensible photo-etched updates for almost all 1:48 scale plastic kit releases.

Let’s looks at the current batch they have sent for review.

The first is for the Mikro Mir kit of the Russian T-70 and includes a complete set of fenders together with all the tool clasps. The upper hull updates include a fine mesh screen and support brackets, while the side of the hull is updated with light and horn brackets. The set finishes off with the various hand holds around the turret. Overall this is a sensible update and will improve the base kit tremendously.

The second set is for the recently released Tamiya Achilles. This update is quite compressive and includes the front mudguards, rear engine vents, headlight guards, bogie upgrades, driver and radio operator seat backs, tool clasps, track supports, ammunition supports and finally the multitude of small tie downs on the side of the turret. This update is basically all you would ever need to add a little finesse to the Tamiya kit.

The third set is basically the same as the T-70, but this time for the AA version or the T-90, the only real difference between the two is the T-90 has five impressed ribs on the mud guards and a few extra hinges for a stowage box on the side of the vehicle.

The last update is a set of two steel crates often seen in warehouses for stowage of heavy or bulky items; these would be quite useful for a modern diorama and are very well done. This is a quite an impressive release from Hauler and well worth it.

Highly Recommended.

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

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Luke Pitt explores the wonderful world of 1:48 scale models and after market.

TANK WORKSHOP 1:48 SCALE WC-54 AMBULANCE KIT NO. TWS48057

The WC-54 Ambulance was used almost everywhere that the US operated during the Second World War and even well after that conflict as well. Until now, this particular ambulance has been released by three manufacturers that I can think of, namely FM Models, Peolini Designs and Mig Productions.

All of these kits have become a little difficult to find.

This new kit by Tank Workshop is a nice piece. The kit consists of some 48 cast resin parts. The casting for the most part is done very well, The master from which the castings are taken is a little rough in places. The undersides of the all the mud guards for example were lumpy, but that can be forgiven as they always accumulated dirt and grime.

The kit also exhibited a little mould slippage in this area but again, this can be forgiven.

The entire upper body work is cast as one piece into which the front and rear interior is inserted. This is a pretty cleaver idea as it allows you to paint and detail the interior as a separate piece. The chassis is also cast as one piece onto which all the associated undercarriage hardware is placed. The chassis on my example was slightly warped but when dipped in boiling water revered back easily to original flat shape.

The wheels are the best examples of type I have seen in 1:48 scale and with a little work this could be made in to a fine model. The kit does not include decals but has a very well thought out instruction sheet.

This kit would be perfect of any Second World War diorama and is pleasing that a kit of this type is now freely available again Recommended Thanks to Tank Workshop for the sample www.tankworkshop.com Luke Pitt

LETTERS Hi Luke, Happy to see the 1:48 scale round up in my latest Model Military International!

When I was a teenager I used to do military modelling and dabbled with them as my family grew up. I am now over 50 and found myself back at the modelling bench again. Actually I started modelling again because of the Warlords Bolt Action game. They use 28mm scale WWII figures. They are supposed to be 1:56 scale but I had a few problems with it. First, the figures are Heroic scale... that means they are over sized. To me they look better with 1:48 models. Second, the tanks are not detailed enough for me. I can’t stand looking at a tank bogie and seeing it solid when it isn’t supposed to be. I am happy back making models again. For the first time, I bought an air-tank and

spray gun. So I am taking it more serious than any time in my life. I also have the money to spend. I am digging up old Bandai kits off the internet as well as others... I am building up my army. To the true modeller they must be horrified to know I use them. But I am having fun. Model vendors would be wise to pay attention to this area. Italeri is making 1:56 models for Bolt Action. Other vendors need only beef up their 1:48 WW2 armour ranges. 1:48 currently has the advantage with aftermarket products. For years now folks are wondering how to get the new generation into models. The answer is here! They need only to run with it.

Ken Erker Grande Prairie, Alberta Canada

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WWW.BOOKWORLDWS.CO.UK

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

VISA/MASTERCARD/MAESTRO

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ALL MODELS,ALL MAKES,ALL SCALES.

OPEN 10.00AM - 5.30PM, THURS & FRI OPEN UNTIL 7.00PM

OPENING HOURS: MON,TUES,THUR 10.30-17.30,WED CLOSED, FRI 10.30-17.00,SAT 9.30-17.00,SUN 10.30-16.30

NO1 IN EUROPE FOR PLASTIC KITS AND ACCESSORIES INCLUDING THE FULL RANGE OF TAMIYA (NOT RC)

www.halifaxmodellersworld.co.uk Email:halifaxmodellersworld@fsmail.net

email: sales@hannants.co.uk

1/2 MILE FROM RAF MUSEUM

www.hannants.co.uk

MASTERCARD/VISA/SWITCH

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WEB BROWSER>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> eduard.com

creativemodels.co.uk

www.hobbyco.net tamiya.com

italeri.com

revell.com

www.missing-lynx.com www.hyperscale.com p 62 Buyers Guide 113.indd 62

16/07/2015 14:41

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16/07/2015 14:44

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!

64 Model Military International - September 2015

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16/07/2015 15:33

Tamiya Panther Ausf.D

We build Tamiya's brand new Panther Ausf.D, and Bruce Culver presents the first instalment of a Panther reference series.

Next Issue On sale 3rd September, 2015

ISSUE No.113 September 2015, Published August 6th 2015 Editor;

Brett Green

Group Editor;

Marcus Nicholls

Publisher;

Alan Harman

Graphic Design;

Alex Hall

Advertising Manager;

Sean Leslie

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 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; sean@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.

PETIT FRANCE WINTER BEUTEPANZER

Radek Pituch works over Dragon’s 1:35 scale T-34, adding a winter whitewash finish and a German crew.

THE TIGER AND THE PUSSYCATS Tamiya’s 1:48 King Tiger in a post-war scene by Kamil Feliks Sztarbala.

Meng’s 1:35 scale FT-17 plus a walk-around pictorial.

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!

...and much more!

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

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 2015

The paper used on this title is from sustainable forestry

Order online now at; www.modelmilitary.com

Subscription enquiries; Tel; +44 (0)1525 222573 Fax; +44 (0)1525 222574 Email; enquiries@adhpublishing.com

September 2015 - Model Military International 65

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The Last Post...

Surprisingly, the barrel is not metal.

AIRBORNE 6 PDR

T

he 6 Pdr Anti Tank gun was originally designed in 1938 but manufacture did not really start until 1941 due to the need to rapidly rearm after the disaster in France and the immediate threat of invasion. It first appeared in the Mk 1 form in the western desert in 1942 and proved an immediate success. It was standardised as the Mk II and equipped specialist Anti Tank regiments of the Royal Artillery. It was adopted with minor modifications by the US as the M1 57mm Anti Tank gun. When the 17 Pdr AT gun was introduced the 6 Pdrs were issued to Infantry Battlaions as organic Anti Tank protection. With the invasion of Europe looming an Airborne variant of the current model, the long barrelled Mk IV, was developed which could be carried in a Horsa Glider.

These had a modified folding trail and narrowed carriage (mk III) as well as a narrowed and slightly lowered shield. These were very successful and with the new HVDS (High Velocity Discarding Sabot) ammunition capable of penetrating 143mm of Armour could take on even the Panther and Tiger tanks at battle ranges. The Airborne gun was also issued to US Airborne forces and used in Normandy and During the Market Garden and Rhine Airborne operations.

We have been poorly served with kits of the 6 Pounder and previously have only had the toy like Tamiya Mk IV and the reasonable Max Peerless, Tomy, Airfix, Italeri & Zvesda Mk II gun. We have waited nearly forty years for a newly tooled 6 pounder and this new kit shows just how far the hobby has come. Bronco has embarked on an Airborne theme lately and this kit is being released with an in action crew and also as a towed gun with an Airborne Jeep and crew. This review will deal with the gun and crew only.

Having Built Bronco’s 17 Pounder Anti Tank gun I was curious to see how complex this kit would be and Bronco have maintained their ability to make a highly detailed but complex kit. Given that the Gun alone comprises 150 pieces plus 20 miniscule PE parts for such a small and compact gun you will get the idea.

Construction starts with the gun and cradle which surprising does not include a turned metal barrel. The barrel is a single piece forward of the recuperator but split vertically back to the breech.

66 Model Military International - September 2015

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A one piece Muzzle Brake is very well done and has the prominent retaining screw. The breech itself captures the complex look of the real thing well and can be assembled open or closed. This is the easy part of construction and it is now time to get out the Optivisor and someone with a degree in Micro Origami for the complex PE. The gun sight has 8 plastic parts and five minute PE parts. This could easily have been done in half the parts with just as much detail.

The sight and traverse/elevation mount is equally complex and will require a very difficult joining of two PE parts with very little surface area to join them with basically a butt join on the thin edge of the PE being the mating surface – good luck! The Shields are next with some minor plastic and PE parts.

The trails and axles are quite busy with a lot of parts but construction seems pretty straightforward with only a few pieces of small PE. Bronco have moulded the outer tyre as one piece and the tread seems to match period photos. One point I noted is that the rims have the prominent tabs used for rope attachment during manhandling the gun mould integrally and they don’t show like the real thing. Given the PE included I am surprised they weren’t done in PE although they would drive you crazy installing them!

The gun can be modelled in the stowed, towed or deployed configurations and the modeller will need to pay close attention to the instructions here.

Four figures are included and these are typical of Broncos figures with good detail and undercut uniforms cleverly designed for the Denison smocks.

The weapons sprue from the Humber scout car is included giving the small arms for the crew as well as some goodies for the spares box. This gives two SMLE No 4 Rifles, a Mk II Sten, A Bren, and a holster. The M1928 Thompson is not really applicable. A quantity of ammunition and boxes is included. This will yield 6 rounds (four SVDS and two HE) in six and four round containers although the four round crate seems undersized.

Highly Recommended. ■

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

Detail parts are beautifully rendered.

KIT NO. CB35168, OQF 6 PDR ANTI-TANK MK.IV ON CARRIAGE MK.III (AIRBORNE) W/CREW

Al Bowie examines Bronco’s latest incarnation of the 6 Pdr

Alternative wheels and a brass shell casing.

Trailing arms.

Weapons are included for the figures.

The figures wear typical Airborne garb.

Facial expressions and poses are very good.

Multi-part figures mean more joins but less moulding seams.

A small photo-etched fret is included.

Decals for the uniforms.

16/07/2015 15:34

D6736 Find us on facebook search Plastic Kits UK

p 67 Dragon 113.indd 8

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

16/07/2015 14:47