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A new high quality magazine dedicated exclusively to the world of model airplanes, their weathering and painting techniques. With a special and thematic structure in each number, the best modellers show us step by step how to make planes and much more... This first issue is dedicated to the German Night Fighters, with extra pages and many surprises. 82 pages, full colour.
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Duel in the Mist Volume 3 Centurion in Detail part 2 The Leibstandarte During the Ardennes Offensive. Hardback, 272 pages, 16 full color maps, 110 rare photos.
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Camouflage Profile Guide Waffen SS Colors Through 80
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Painting Techniques: 30,5CM SFL BAR, Beginners: Trumpeter SBD 1/2 ‘DAUNTLESS’-Techniques: MasterBox British MK I ‘MALE’ Tank-Painting Techniques: Mig Productions KV-2X Heavy Walking Tank-Techniques: Meng Models Achzarit Early-Tip: Working with Vinyltracks-Tip: How to construct round PE-buckets?
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Airbrush Essential Training DVD This is an initiation DVD
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PHOTOSNIPER No. 10 AMX-30. Char de Bataille 1966-2006
M.P. Robinson The AMX-30 was France’s principal battle tank for over 30 years and continues to serve the French Army in later forms even to this day. Paperback, 80 pages, 110 archive photos, 4 color profiles.
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Tankograd 7028 - ANZAC New Vanguard 207 - Medium Static Model Manual 7 PaintArmy Vehicles Vehicles of Mark A Whippet This title looks at ing Models - step by step One the Modern New Zealand the Medium Mark A Whippet, one of the most Hundred and One Tips. This volume, has allowed successful British tanks of World War I and, the publisher to showcase many different high and Australian Armies when placed alongside existing titles covering quality techniques Chapters include Paint refer-
Variants Mk.12,ARV.AVRE-165,Brigade Layer,IDF Shot KAI,Swedish Stridsvagn 104. Published by Wings and Wheels Publications. Paperback,105 pages,full colour.
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The Weathering Magazine 7
Inside, the theme of snow and ice is covered in depth with all of the techniques needed to set our models in a winter environment with plenty of Ice and Snow. From how to make a spectacular frozen diorama to adding subtle snow effects on a T34. Furthermore, this issue has 16 additional pages to learn and enjoy even more. As always, these techniques will be explained by the best modelers in the world. £8.99
ences Light at our service, Colour theory, Scale effect, Colour modulation, Pre-shading Natural metal finish, Interaction between painting techniques, Oil paints. 73 pages, full colour. £19.99
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Contents - Issue 101 September 2014 28 40
52
REGULARS
FEATURES
p 4 NEWS
p 6 THINK TANK
p 38 PREVIEW
p 55 SMALL SCALE
p 16 BEATS WALKING!
p 40 LA STRADA EST
p 56 INCOMING
p 26 PREVIEW
p 52 SHOW REPORT
What’s new in the world of military modelling The latest in the world of 1:72 scale and smaller MMI’s thoughts on the latest kits and accessories
p 58 1:48 SCALE
Luke Pitt explores 1:48 scale military models, figures and accessories
p 60 BOOKS
Roundup of the latest modelling and reference titles
p 66 LAST POST
Late breaking news and ramblings from the Editor
US Half Tracks Part 1 by Bruce Culver Dragon 1:35 M2A1 Half Track by Luke Pitt Dragon 1:35 Ostwind
p 28 ATOMIC WARRIORS Pawel Rzymski builds and compared the Amusing Hobby and Panda Object 279 kits
Dragon 1:35 Jagdpanzer IV L/70(A) Italeri’s 1:35 L6/40 Italian Tank by Brett Green AMPS 2014
©ADH Publishing Ltd 2014
16
Tel: (UK) 01525 222573 Fax: (UK) 01525 222574 Email: enquiries@modelmilitary.com Address: ADH Publishing, Doolittle Mill, Doolittle Lane, Totternhoe, Bedfordshire, LU6 1QX, UK Model Military International is published monthly by ADH Publishing. Reproduction in part or whole of any text, photograph or illustration without written permission from the publisher is strictly prohibited. While due care is taken to ensure the contents of Model Military International is accurate, the publishers and printers cannot accept liability for errors or omissions.
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Newsline - September ’14
MMI Newsdesk, ADH Publishing, Doolittle Mill, Doolittle Lane, Totternhoe, Bedfordshire, LU6 1QX, UK Tel:01525 222573 Fax:01525 222574 Email:editor@modelmilitary.com
Combined Ops show to commemorate Frontline Kent SOUTH AUSTRALIAN SCALE MODEL EXPO
The annual two-day South Australian Scale Model Expo (SASME) is the longest running model event of its type in Australia, boasting a 32 year history. Details of this year’s show are as follows: South Australian Scale Model Expo 2014 11 – 12 October Centenary Gym, Christian Brothers College, 214 Wakefield St, Adelaide, Australia Further details can be found on the website http://expo.saplasticmodellers.com.au/expoindex.shtml
T
he Combined Ops Show this year commemorates the 100th Anniversary of the start of World War 1, the 75th Anniversary of the outbreak of World War 2 and the 70th Anniversary of the D-Day landings at the Headcorn Aerodrome, Ashford, Kent.
THE FIRST WORLD WAR Combined Ops will be commemorating the start of the First World War with demonstrations of WW1 weapons and equipment by re-enactors representing British and German soldiers of the period, as part of the multi-period living history. In addition they will take part in a recreation of a First World War battle, which will include a replica WW1 British Mark IV tank.
WORLD WAR TWO AND THE D-DAY LANDINGS From early 1944 until September of that year, Headcorn Aerodrome (then known as RAF Lashenden) was the operational base for RAF,
Canadian Air Force and US Army Air Force fighter and fighter bomber aircraft which were flying from there in support of Allied landings in Normandy on D-Day and afterwards. The Aerodrome still retains many of its wartime features, including the Mess Hall, various hangers and support buildings, as well as an almost unique example of the Hamilton retractable airfield defence gun turrets. All these can be seen on the aerodrome during the show, as well as the Lashenden Airwarfare Museum, which houses one of the very few surviving examples of the V1 Flying Bomb. In the air, the show will feature the Lancaster, Spitfire and Hurricane aircraft of the RAF Battle of Britain Memorial Flight, who will be putting on their amazing display on both days. All these types of aircraft featured during the D-Day operations and of course the Hurricane was the principal RAF fighter plane at the start of WW2. The wartime role of RAF Lashenden will be particularly commemorated with flying displays by a USAAF P15 Mustang of the type
Kit Form Services 1:24 Scale TQ-209 120mm L1 BAT / L4 Mobat / L7 Conbat Anti-Tank Gun kit Following on from the 120mm L6 Wombat & 106mm Recoilless Rifle kits released earlier, Kit Form Services now presents the third anti-tank weapon in the series. This time the forerunner to the carried Wombat, the towed 120mm BAT, or Mobat as it generally became known. The kit consists of 27 high quality resin parts, 33 in white metal & 90 in etched brass plus decals & complete instructions. The kit includes ammunition, ammo cases & optional parts for the modeller to build either the L1 BAT (Battalion Anti Tank) with its twin layer gun shield, or the L4 Mobat (Modified BAT) with its .303" Bren ranging gun, or the L7 Conbat (Converted BAT) with its M8 .50" spotting rifle. TQ-209 is Now In Stock @ £55.00 (GB & EU) (£45.83 export outside EU) and available online from Kit Form Services. www.kitformservices.com
which operated from the aerodrome in 1944, as well as other period military and civil aircraft. On the ground the show will be host to numerous WW2 military vehicles, including tanks and other armoured vehicles, of both the Allied and German armies. There will be battle re-enactments of the D-Day Normandy fighting, and a 1940s village will recreate the atmosphere of civilian life throughout the war, such as having to cope with German bombing and food rationing. Displays will demonstrate 1940s cooking, clothing, hairstyling, firefighting, farming, etc. A host of stalls will be offering, amongst other things, wartime uniforms and equipment, civilian clothes and visitors can Jitterbug and Jive to the famous wartime songs and music in the bar marquee. Visit www.combinedops.co.uk as tickets can be pre-booked at a discounted price (and to avoid disappointment as may sell out) also for more general information.
NEW RELEASES FROM INSIDE THE ARMOUR Chris from Inside the Armour has advised us of the following new releases: • 35095 Churchill Gun Carrier correction and detailing set Includes a new PE set including stowage bins with working hinges, straps for the lakeman mount and clips for the tow cables for the AFV Club kit. • 35061 - Churchill Basic PE with air intake grills, hatch handles and tool clamps • 35100 early mudflaps (to replace the incorrect kit flaps) • Corrected resin front mudguards £16 - available now from insidethearmour.com
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Think Tank - M2 Scout Cars and M3 Armoured Personnel Carriers U.S. Halftracks
U.S. HALFTRACKS
M2 SCOUT CARS AND M3 ARMOURED PERSONNEL CARRIERS Bruce Culver explores the origins and development of the US M2 Scout Car and M3 Armoured Personnel Carrier families.
W
orld War I, the “Great War”, was the first mechanized war in history. The development of smokeless gunpowder and the fullyautomatic machine gun in the late 19th century had changed the conditions for infantry combat, but the invention of the internal combustion engine, the automobile and truck, and the caterpillar tracked tractor would change forever the very nature of modern ground warfare. At the beginning of the war in 1914, horses and mules far outnumbered motor vehicles, and many armies had only started to investigate the use of cars and trucks to assist in, and then take over, the task of transporting troops and supplying them in the field. The development of useful motor vehicles was aided by the needs of the various military forces, and by the beginning of World War I, there were available several hundred makes of cars and trucks, several of the latter being four-wheel-drive models with useful cross-country capabilities. Tests conducted by the US Army before the war had proven that automobiles and trucks were capable of hauling troops and supplies much farther and faster than horses and mules could. Thus, over the course of the war, hundreds of thousands of automobiles and trucks were used in the front lines and to bring up supplies. The difficult terrain in the front lines limited the speed and especially the load capacity of most trucks, in particular vehicles used to carry or tow heavier loads like artillery pieces. As a result, military officials began to search for vehicles with better traction capability in soft ground. An early development was a continuous-track-laying system by the British company Richard Hornsby & Sons in 1905. In 1909 they demonstrated a tracked
tractor to the British Army, but the idea wasn’t pursued. Hornsby sold the design and patent to the American Holt Tractor Company, who developed a successful line of continuous-track-laying tractors used widely in agriculture in the United States. With the start of World War I, Holt sold a number of tractors to the British and French governments to haul heavier loads than the trucks of the day could accommodate. In 1914, Captain Ernest Swinton, then serving as a war correspondent in France, learned about the Holt tractor and suggested it could be useful as an armoured weapon to destroy German machine guns. Thus was born the concept of the armoured tank in modern warfare. That was in the future in 1914-15, as the Holt tractor became a favourite vehicle for towing large artillery pieces and other heavy loads. To improve the steering on poor ground, Holt developed two designs, a smaller model that used differential track steering, the Holt 75; and a heavier type, the Holt 120, which used a separate wheeled front axle to improve handling. It was the first military halftrack, and thousands were used in the war. During World War I, efforts to improve the load-carrying and cross-country ability of the cargo trucks of the day led to fitting selected trucks with a short Holt caterpillar tracked chassis to replace the rear axle and wheels, and raise the load capacity over rough ground. Both British and American armies experimented with these halftrack trucks, the Americans with the Garford-Holt light truck and the British with the Four Wheel Drive (FWD) all-wheel drive truck. Many of the latter were built as balloon tenders with a full body and winch to raise and lower observation balloons, serving after the war’s end. The end of the war brought major contractions to military budgets and the progress seen
A Holt 15-ton tractor tows an 8-inch gun through a French town during World War I. The Holt tractor was used by England, France, and the United States during the conflict, and the chassis was the basis for both French and German tanks.
The Garford-Holt halftrack was an early design developed for the US Army Quartermaster Corps. This example was photographed in June 1918.
The Four Wheel Drive (FWD) truck was used by US and British forces in WWI. This example, used to raise and lower observation balloons, was fitted with a Holt tractor suspension to carry the weight of the winch assembly and provide better mobility.
A major improvement of early halftracks was the Citroen-Kegresse P-17, which was capable of higher speeds and greater durability. Its secret was the use of a continuous rubber band track that could travel at higher speeds than the early Holt tractor chassis.
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The T1E1 was adopted and standardized as the M1 scout car in 1939, when it was essentially obsolete. It was armed with three .30 Browning MGs. The layout of the chassis and track was leading to the later successful designs used in WWII.
The T5 experimental halftrack truck was developed by General Motors using a GM truck fitted with a Cunningham rear suspension featuring an articulated bogie assembly and a continuous rubber band track. 24 of these were built, intended as artillery prime movers.
The T9 halftrack truck was based on the 1936 Ford truck fitted with a Marmon-Harrington driven front axle and halftrack suspension with volute springs. The four wheels per side had no rubber tires, and the track was a continuous rubber band.
The T7 halftrack personnel carrier prototype was converted from an M2A1 (later M3) scout car, and was a precursor to the final developments. The scout car body proved to be considerably too small, but testing showed the basic concept was sound.
during the conflict soon slowed considerably. Nonetheless, farsighted military leaders had glimpsed the future, and tried to maintain some budget funds for experimenting with better vehicles. Despite the resistance of less progressive officers and politicians, testing did continue. A problem with the early trucks converted to halftracks with the Holt tractor chassis was that they were extremely slow, so much so they could not be used in standard military truck convoys. They were, however, quite reliable, and variations of the Holt chassis were used up into the 1930s in
The T9E1 halftrack truck was the same as the T9 except for the revised rear suspension. The volute-spring bogie had two larger wheels per side to test operation over rough ground compared to the T9 suspension. This design, however, was not adopted.
The T14 was one of the final developmental prototypes leading to the production versions of the US halftracks used in WWII. It retained the suspension of the T7 but had a wider and longer body more suitable for the role of a scout car and personnel carrier.
spite of the low top speed. Speeds did increase, but were still not acceptable for tactical use. The solution came in the form of a French design, the CitroenKegresse halftrack, which used a different suspension and displayed much better performance. An early design tested in 1925 had a better ride and performance than the existing types, and a second Citroen-Kegresse car, the P-17, was tested in 1931 at Aberdeen Proving Ground. The advantage of the Citroen P-17 was its unique suspension and track. The suspension used an equalizing frame to distribute loads, but the
real secret was the track, which was a continuous band of moulded rubber with reinforcing steel cables placed inside. This provided a superior ride and higher speed, and though crude in some respects, it was the first in a series of new vehicles leading directly to the types used in the next great war. U.S. Army Ordnance directed the development of a fully American design. They contracted the firm of James Cunningham and Son in Rochester, New York to design a new chassis based on the advances of the Citroen-Kregesse P-17. This vehicle was completed in 1931 and designated the T1 halftrack
car in 1932. It was considerably larger and more powerful than the P-17. The 6-inch (15cm) rubber track had a roller type chain embedded in the moulded rubber band. The suspension used leaf springs in a layout similar to that of the P-17 but allowing more wheel travel cross-country. Cunningham went on to develop numerous improvements to the halftrack chassis. Thirty modified T1E1 armoured cars were built and served until 1940 before being declared obsolete. In 1934, the next iteration of the U.S. halftrack appeared, the T1E3 – converted from the T1 – which
A
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Think Tank - M2 Scout Cars and M3 Armoured Personnel Carriers U.S. Halftracks
The M2 halftrack car was the first version of the US halftracks to be produced, deliveries beginning in May 1941. The M2 was intended to serve as a scout car for reconnaissance and also as a prime mover (tractor) for towing artillery, and seated 10 men.
This is a view of the pilot model for the M3A2 “consolidated” halftrack intended to replace both the M2 and M3. It was successful, but not put into production. This vehicle closely resembles a late-production or remanufactured M3A1 APC in late 1944-45.
An M2 scout car guards a bivouac near Souk el Khemis, Tunisia, in November 1942. Note the shelf across the back for stowage. The marking on the stowage box is a shipping route mark, developed from a pre-war British system and widely used by Allied forces.
B introduced a new suspension with
volute springs replacing the earlier leaf springs. This would lead to the volute spring suspension used on WWII U.S. halftracks. In 1936, the T2 appeared, a 1933 Ford truck converted with the same suspension as the T1E1, followed by a similar but unsuccessful Chevrolet-based prototype. At the same time, a series of truck designs appeared, intended to carry heavier loads. The Linn Tractor WD-12 led to similar
offerings from Linn, all of which used a heavy Holt-type rear suspension. The General Motors T4 was a halftrack cargo truck using the Cunningham chassis of the T1. There were a number of variations, but in the event, none of the cargo truck designs were accepted for use, the last, the T17, using the M3 chassis. The next designs were based on the 1936 Ford 1.5 ton truck fitted with driven front axles by MarmonHarrington and Cunningham volute
The second model of the US halftrack family was the M3 armoured personnel carrier, designed to carry a squad of 10 armoured infantry, who sat in the rear compartment, with the driver, assistant driver and squad leader in three seats in the front compartment. A variety of weapons were fitted, primarily the .30 and .50 Browning MGs.
International Harvester won contracts to build halftracks for Lend-Lease, supplying a large number of M5s and M9s to British Commonwealth and other forces. This is an M5A1 with the pulpit for the .50 BMG. Note the all-welded construction.
This M2 scout car was seen in Bizerte, Tunisia in May 1943. It is an early production example with a winch and fixed headlights (here covered with cloth). This vehicle was in the 15th Combat Engineer Battalion of the 9th Infantry Division.
spring halftrack suspensions. The T9 used the standard suspension. The T9E1 used a modified chassis using two large road wheels per side instead of the four smaller wheels of earlier types. The T9 was standardized as the M2 halftrack truck in the late 1930s but only a few were built. During the design development process of the 1930s, the Army was trying to figure out how to use these new vehicles, and provide theory and tactics for the best use
in military manoeuvres and conflict. Though the experimental halftracks didn’t have the cross-country performance of fully tracked tanks, they were capable of traversing most types of terrain, especially with the driven front axle. The early experimental vehicles had narrow bodies that were too small and alternate armour structures appeared, giving more space for troops and weapons. The initial direct predecessor of the U.S. halftrack was the T7
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halftrack car, which resulted from a request to modify an M2A1 (later M3) scout car with a halftrack suspension. The T7 was tested in 1938 at Aberdeen Proving Ground, and found to be a successful design, passing numerous terrain exercises. A roller added to the front frame proved valuable in un-ditching in rough or soft ground. The driven front axle gave the T7 superior cross-country performance, a trait that carried over to later production models. The T7 was underpowered and too small for tactical use, so a new project was ordered in 1939, a larger vehicle with a more powerful engine, designated T14. The T14 was the pilot model for the WWII U.S. halftracks. It had a wider, longer body than the T7 but retained the T7 suspension to expedite testing. After testing, the Ordnance Department recommended standardizing the T14 as the M2 halftrack car, intended as a 10-seat armoured reconnaissance scout car and artillery prime mover (tractor). A number of modifications were made before series production, mostly involving the suspension. At the same time, the Diamond T Motor Car Company was developing the T8, a halftrack based on the T14, but with a body and frame 10 inches (25cm) longer, intended to carry 13 men with their weapons and equipment. This was standardized as the M3 halftrack armoured personnel carrier in 1940. At the same time, the M2 halftrack scout car was modified to carry an 81mm mortar with crew and ammunition stowage, and this new configuration was standardized as the M4 mortar carrier. The burgeoning need for halftrack vehicles outstripped the capacity of any manufacturer, and in September 1940, the Army established a consortium to
produce the halftracks required. There were three primary manufacturers: the Autocar Company, the Diamond T Motor Car Company, and the White Motor Company. Later, the International Harvester Company would be tasked with building a modified design for Lend-Lease to U.S. allies. Production began in 1941, with the first M2s being completed by the White Motor Company. White and Autocar produced 11,415 M2 halftrack cars before switching to the M2A1. The larger M3 personnel carrier was produced by all three manufacturers, who made 11, 391 examples before switching to the later M3A1. All of these models were very similar and built in the same way. The chassis was built on a ladder-type truck frame, with a driven front axle below the engine, suspended on leaf springs. The drive sprockets were part of the large drive axle, mounted in the middle of the frame. The bogie trucks were bolted to the frame behind the drive axle and the fixed rear idlers were mounted near the rear of the frame assembly. The armoured body covered the radiator, engine section, and the rear fighting compartment. Armour comprised face-hardened plates ¼ inch (6.35mm) thick for the whole body except the driver’s front plate, which was ½ inch (12.7mm) face-hardened plate. The armour was attached to an internal framework with semi-recessed cap screws. The radiator section had a nose assembly with controllable slats to allow better cooling. The floor plates protected the crew from mines, but the armour was always considered thin, necessary to limit the overall weight and allow acceptable performance. The driver’s front armour could be raised to expose the standard windscreen for better visibility. A
This M2 halftrack was seen landing near San Raphael, in southern France, August 1944 during Operation Husky. It towed a 57mm M1 anti-tank gun, used in anti-tank battalions in infantry divisions. Note the field-made double-deck side stowage racks.
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An M2 scout car crew observes enemy forces near Venafro, Italy in December 1943. Even at this midwar stage, this halftrack is covered with an enormous amount of extra stowage, necessitating fieldmade racks and shelves to accommodate the load.
This M2 halftrack is a prime mover (tractor) for a 37mm M3 anti-tank gun, and was photographed landing in Algeria in November 1942, near the town of Les Andalouses. The name on the side is “ONE DOZEN ROSES”.
An M2 scout car of the 601st Tank Destroyer Battalion, seen near El Guettar, Tunisia in March 1943. It was common for these halftracks to have the canvas top covers erected for protection. Note the modified mine stowage and cold weather uniforms.
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Think Tank - M2 Scout Cars and M3 Armoured Personnel Carriers U.S. Halftracks
This is a very interesting M2 halftrack in that it has been rebuilt so the ammunition bins and doors are at the rear of the body, not in front. The vehicle was photographed in Thoux, Belgium in September 1944. Note the chalk messages on the halftrack, written by local citizens to send news of relatives to people in other villages as the Allies advanced.
B The M2 had front seats for two,
with two seats between two large ammunition bins; there were six seats along the rear walls. The two ammunition bins could be accessed from the top inside, and the lower shelves were reached through large hatches on the forward sides, hinged to swing down. There was no rear door on the M2. Two 30-gallon (113.5 litre) fuel tanks were placed at the rear corners of the rear compartment. The armament for the M2 consisted of a .50 Browning M2 heavy machine gun on a skate rail that allowed the mount to be slid around the perimeter of the whole vehicle. Usually two .30 secondary light machine guns were carried also. Crew weapons were carried
in brackets inside the vehicle. In practice, the skate rail mounts proved to be less satisfactory than expected. Crews often augmented the issued weapons with additional guns acquired during their service. It was not uncommon to see two .50 Browning heavy MGs on M2s, and various other combinations. The larger M3 armoured personnel carrier used the same bolted construction as the M2. The longer body had a rear access door and seats for 10 men in the rear compartment. There were three seats up front, for the driver, assistant driver, and squad leader. The fuel tanks were in the front of the rear section, behind the front seats. Unlike the M2, the early M3 did not use a skate rail. The .50
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During the Battle of the Bulge, winter camouflage was common after the snows came. This M2 scout car shows a thorough application, leaving some OD exposed for contrast. The “S� in the vehicle serial indicates a suppressed ignition system for use with radios.
This M2 prime mover was seen in Aachen, Germany in October 1944 as the crew unlimbered their 57mm M1 anti-tank gun. Note the extra armour plates stacked in the mine racks and the usual heavy stowage surrounding the rear of the body.
Late 1944 was a wet season and many vehicles carried log fascines for un-ditching when bogged down. This modified M2 has the ammunition bins and doors at the rear of the body not the front. This vehicle from 6th Armoured Division was heading for Bastogne.
18/07/2014 10:15
The primary role of the M3 halftrack was as an armoured personnel carrier (APC) but it also served as a scout car like the smaller M2. This early M3 of the 82 Reconnaissance Battalion was seen in Rebera, Sicily in late July 1943. Note the early fixed headlights.
This M3 was photographed carrying the officers engaged in an armistice meeting in Fedala, French Morocco in November 1942. Many Allied vehicles were painted with the American flag as an identifying marking. The star marking here is in yellow.
Among the uses for the M3 halftrack was an ambulance, as shown here in an M3 seen near Kasserine, Tunisia in February 1943. The interior could accommodate a number of wounded troops. Note the Italian M13/40 medium tank, one of many captured in Tunisia.
This M3 APC was photographed in Mazagan, French Morocco in November 1942 during Operation Torch. On this vehicle, the star is white. The racks on the sides of the halftrack held M1 anti-tank mines. Note the extended deep-wading exhaust installation.
Most armour was transported by train or towed trailers to reduce mechanical wear. This early M3 APC has fixed headlights and rear stowage racks. Halftracks were built with either anti-ditching rollers (seen here) or winches, without any new type designation.
Browning heavy MG was mounted on a stanchion at the front of the rear compartment, with auxiliary mounts for secondary .30 or .50 MGs on the sides and rear, allowing the weapons to be placed where needed for better coverage. Early M2 and M3 halftracks were built with un-ditching rollers on the front of the frame; later models could be built with the roller or a 10,000 lb (4545 kg) Tulsa winch
in an extended frame. Side racks carried M1, M1A1 or (later) M4 anti-tank mines, but in the latter part of the war, these were often used for stowage. Units in the field often devised additional stowage arrangements, fabricating racks and cages from available materials. In addition to the ad hoc stowage arrangements, field and test experience led to modifications and additions to
This M3 APC was seen in Montechiaro, Sicily in July 1943, as American and British troops fought to reach the port city of Messina. The wide circle markings were common in the Sicilian and early Italian campaigns, here yellow circles around white stars.
the basic halftrack configuration. The early fixed headlamps were susceptible to damage even with the screen guards, and removable headlamps appeared on midproduction vehicles, moved from the wings to the sides of the radiator armour shell. Springs were added to the rear idler. The stanchion mount for the .30 or .50 MG proved to be clumsy to use; it was impossible for a gunner to
cover the whole vehicle. A new raised pulpit mount was developed which enabled the machine gunner to swing the weapon in a full circle, allowing full coverage. Three secondary weapons mounts remained, for a .30 light MG, one at the rear, and one on each side. Halftracks receiving the new M49 pulpit mount were designated as M2A1 scout cars and M3A1 APCs. Autocar and White built A
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Think Tank - M2 Scout Cars and M3 Armoured Personnel Carriers
U.S. Halftracks
M3 APC halftracks were assigned to many types of units. These later production M3s were part of the 640th Tank Destroyer Battalion of the 40th Infantry Division on Gloucester, New Britain in late May 1944. The second halftrack has a winch.
This is a most stereotypical appearance of US halftracks in the last year of the war. “COPENHAGEN” is an M3APC from 5th Armoured Division, seen in Witten, Germany in April 1945, covered in stowage from nose to tail with added racks to hold everything.
Field modifications were common in the U.S. Army, and this is a good example. This M3 has been converted into an ad hoc “M3A1” with the addition of a truck ring mount for the .50 Browning heavy MG. While lacking armour protection, it was a useful mounting.
An early M3 converted to an M3A1 passes a burned out M4A3 (76mm) tank of the 14th Armoured Division in Barre, France in November 1944. A number of M3 halftracks were reworked and upgraded to M3A1s, as the pulpit mount for the .50 MG was more useful.
An M3A1 APC halftrack serves as a platform for the town crier of Anrechte, Germany, as he reads the new military government laws to townspeople. The M1 anti-tank mines were long gone by now, replaced in their racks by food boxes and other stowage.
This M3 APC was seen passing through a destroyed German anti-tank trap, composed of welded plates. This photo shows it was almost impossible to overload an M3. As was often seen, the driver’s armour has been raised to form a shelf for carrying more stowage.
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B
Halftracks of the 44th Armoured Infantry Battalion of the 6th Armoured Division sport a variety of winter camouflage finishes during a rendezvous outside Mageret, Belgium in January 1945, during the advance against German forces in the Battle of the Bulge.
B 1643 M2A1 scout cars, and Autocar and Diamond T built 2862 M3A1 APCs. In addition, 1360 M3A1s were converted from M3 Gun Motor Carriages declared surplus to needs. Besides that, troops in the field modified M3s into ad hoc M3A1s by taking M49 pulpit mounts from unserviceable vehicles or adding their own mounts by adapting the M32 truck ring mount for the .50 Browning heavy MG. As mentioned, the requirements for large numbers of halftrack vehicles required several manufacturers to meet the demand. With the addition of requirements from America’s allies, an extra source for halftrack production was needed. The International Harvester Company was contracted to produce a different version of the M2 and M3 for Lend-Lease supplies to allied nations. The resulting vehicles, the M5 (replacing the M3) and M9A1 (replacing the M2), were similar to the earlier models but were assembled from welded rolled homogeneous armour (RHA) plate. Because the rolled armour was not as strong as the face-hardened plate used on the M2 and M3, it was increased in thickness, to 5/16 inch (7.9mm) for the body and 5/8 inch (15.9mm) for the driver’s front plate. The front wings were flat in section and the rear corners of the body were rounded, but otherwise they looked very similar to the M3 – both the M5 and M9A1 used the M3’s longer body. With the pulpit MG mount, the M5 became the M5A1; all M9s were built with the pulpit, so they were all M9A1s. The M2 halftrack was intended to meet two requirements: armoured reconnaissance scout car, and artillery prime mover (gun tractor carrying a crew and ammunition). In the first mission,
the M2 and M2A1 halftracks were assigned to reconnaissance battalions in armoured divisions and also issued to many other units requiring armoured command or support vehicles, such as combat engineer battalions. For the second task, M2s were issued to towed artillery and anti-tank battalions in armoured divisions and infantry divisions, to tow any of a number of light artillery pieces, among them the M3 37mm anti-tank gun, the 57mm M1 antitank gun, and the 75mm M1A1 pack howitzer. Many of these vehicles also towed ammunition trailers for replenishment. The larger M3 halftrack was intended as a personnel carrier, but because of its size, it served well in many roles, among them a radio vehicle, command vehicle, ambulance, ammunition supply vehicle, an engineer vehicle, a prime mover for artillery like the 105mm M1 field howitzer, and as the basis for a large number of selfpropelled artillery weapons, ranging from the .50 Browning M2HB heavy MG to the 105mm M1 howitzer. Their crews altered them in ways large and small, adding stowage racks, frames, extra armour, sandbags, and collections of acquired and found items that beggar description, the mark of a well-equipped and well-supplied army. The photographs in this article are the best testament to the inventiveness and creativity of the combat soldier, who worked to make his mobile “home” more to his liking. In the last months of WWII, U.S. halftracks were often so heavily laden with stowage they almost disappeared. Despite long service after the war in many armies, now they have disappeared, many of the survivors existing in collections or in groups of military re-enactors, reliving old times… ■
An M3A1 of the 9th Armoured Division passes through Engers, Germany in March 1945 during the final drive into the Third Reich. Note the log fascines on the sides, used for extricating the vehicle from the mud commonly found in Germany in early 1945.
British and Commonwealth forces also used halftracks supplied by the United States. This is a British M5A1 built by International Harvester. Similar to the M3A1, it differed largely in having a welded body instead of a bolted assembly. Note the round corners.
French citizens celebrate the liberation of Paris, climbing on this M5 halftrack of the French 2nd Armoured Division, August 25, 1944. The French division was given the honour of entering the French capital as the first Allied unit to liberate the city. September 2014 - Model Military International 13
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FEATURE ARTICLE
Dragon 1:35 M2A1 Half Track • Kit No. 6329
Luke Pitt makes Dragon’s 1:35 scale M2A1 Half Track the focal point of a scene with a truck full of figures.
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E
ver have one of those kits that you collect stuff for but never build? Well, this is my example. When Dragon released their US Halftrack in 2006 I quickly purchased it. Over the ensuing years I collected, swapped and purchased too many updates than I care to mention. When going through my stash a few months ago I picked up this kit and thought to myself “man this is heavy”. Looking through its contents I was frankly embarrassed to find the sheer number of updates I had. This was the tipping point. “Enough”, I said to myself, “it’s time this kit get this thing built”. The US Halftrack has always had a special place in my heart as the old Airfix 1:76 kit was the first military model I ever made. Over the years, I had started the old 1:35 Tamiya kit but was always put off by the tracks. When Dragon released their kit the one thing that motivated me then was their elegant solution to the track problem that had befallen all kits that had preceded it. A simple two-part track solution was the key. On top of that, the front and rear idlers were state of the art moulding at the time, and showed great finesse. I roughly broke the build down into five distinct phases. I did not move on to the next phase until I was happy with the results of preceding phases. I call my approach “Modular Modelling” or “MM” for short. I break down 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 to tell a story with this piece with as many figures as I could possibly manage. My painting style is slowly evolving and although I’m generally happy with my end results, I’m still never going to win any figure painting contests. With this build, I found the figure painting to be the most frustrating part of the build. I stripped the figures twice, so unhappy I was with my results. A tip I learned along the way was, if you stuff up the painting on resin figures and you use enamel paint as the base coat, you can simply strip the paint off with Tamiya airbrush cleaner. The reason for this was the figures I used were from the now out of production S&T and were basically too good to scrap let alone replace. 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. To be honest this is not my best model, but then again it’s not my worst either. I hope you’ll enjoy my little journey.
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FEATURE ARTICLE
Dragon 1:35 M2A1 Half Track • Kit No. 6329
THE START - ASSEMBLING THE BODY
The build had to begin somewhere and with this one it was converting all the lovely little domed rivets into domed screw heads. The best way I found to tackle this task was with a plastic chisel of the appropriate width. The trick here is - and I only learned this by experience - is to slightly off centre the chisel and press down with a rocking motion to achieve a well defined screw head indication. I did this before I glued the body panels together. In this photo, I have begun the process on the rear of the upper body.
The body is now assembled. You will note the passenger side door has been left off to accommodate both the driver and gunner at a later date
The front grillwork was replaced with the armoured louvres from the Voyager model M2A1 update set (PE35118). They were a little thinner and better detailed that the kit provided photo-etch. The The quite superb Alders Nest US Antenna base (MP-48) was used. In this photo it is shown to good advantage the piece allows you to bend distinctive cross bars behind the louvers were added from thin brass the aerial into a tied down position, which was ideal for this build as I wire. You will also note that the front windscreen has been masked off both on the inside and the outside of the screen itself. This is had some height restrictions in its final configuration. best done before this piece is glued to the main bodywork as it would be next to impossible to do it when the body is together.
The Jerry can holders were carved off the base kit. I filled the holes left with plastic card, sanded them flush both inside and out, then I replaced the brackets with the ones supplied in the Voyager update set (PE35118). You will also note the front windscreen uprights have been replaced with a combination of square plastic rod and thin brass wire of the appropriate diameter.
The .50 cal machine gun position has been modified by firstly thinning down the side panels to half, and replacing all the detail lost by a combination of plastic card. Some of the Voyager details in their update set were also used. The rivets were produced with my trusty Waldron Punch and die set. The machine gun ring provided in the Dragon kit is slightly wrong as it lacks the prominent step with in the ring. The Tamiya ring in their 1:35 Greyhound kit is almost an exact match. In this view, I have attached the ring to the mount with the aid of plastic card inserts appropriately detailed from my available references.
The underside of the cab was detailed with the inclusion of two plastic shims to ensure that the main underneath cab rail was flush. You will also note that I have installed various items from the Voyager update set namely the mine rack, tool brackets and a number of tie downs.
The rear of the crew area was detailed with the inclusion of a number of the Voyager parts from their update. The tie downs were used as were the step grates, which are oddly missing from the Dragon kit. I have also installed some homemade stowage, tied down with lead foil to the rear of the vehicle.
The passenger side door was purposely left off the build as the fitment of the figures would be next to impossible to achieve if this assembly was glued in place. I nevertheless detailed this piece with the aid of the Voyager update set and cutting off the door handles, refining them and then re-attaching them with liquid cement.
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The front armoured windscreen cover was thinned to around half the thickness (from the inside surface) detailed and set aside. I did this purposely, as if it was attached at this stage, removal of the masking tape from the front of the windscreen would be impossible.
The late model removable headlights are one of the weak points of the The Voyager light guards were then assembled and added to light Dragon kit. The headlight assembly is moulded in clear plastic and while assembly. I mounted both assemblies on a small plastic base to aid this is an admirable thought, they really didn’t impress me. I replaced the the painting process. main reflector assembly with some from the Elf range. I then liquid glued the Dragon clear lens to the reflector together with the main assembly and distance lights.
DETAILING THE MAIN CHASSIS
The spacer bars between the main bogie assemblies have been replaced with plastic rod as the kit parts were a little short and almost impossible to clean up. The rear tension springs have also been replaced with springs made from an appropriate diameter solder.
The front axle and steering assembly were modified in order to have the front wheels turned to the left. I did this to add a little visual interest to the completed model.
The main chassis went together without much fuss at all. It is a testament to how well thought out the kit is. The assembly was refined with the addition of a few aftermarket options and homemade additions. In this photo the addition of the quite suburb “k59” bogie assembly (K59-C008) is seen in yellow resin against the light grey kit parts.
The K59 suspension upgrade kit (K59-C008) was used on this build and is without a doubt some of the finest casting I have ever seen on any update produced for the Dragon M2 series. Included are the front and rear idler wheels, idler springs (not used) rear suspension units with the appropriate holes and cast numbers an exhaust pipe support bar. It’s and outstanding upgrade if your budget can support it.
The front winch assembly is tricky to clean up and assemble. The inside mating surfaces required a special homemade tool to sand them flush and remove the join line on the inside surface. The same could be said for the outside surface of the front bar assembly. To clean up this assembly effectively, a lot of detail was lost and as a result, had to be replaced. You will also note a number of the mounting holes on the front of the bar assembly itself have been incorrectly placed and as a result had to be filled and drilled again.
One of the more minor criticisms of the Dragon kit was the excessive flat spots on the front tyres. To my mind, I thought that the tyres do look a little flat. On reflection my solution is somewhat flawed also, as I have used the wheels from the HobbyBoss White armoured car with the centre hub dome taken from the Dragon kit. A better solution would have been to take the entire hub assembly from the Dragon kit and mate it to the HobbyBoss tyre. I have received word that DEF Model will produce a resin replacement wheel set for the M2 in the near future so this will be the ideal solution.
The last part of the chassis assembly was to replace the winch wire with a suitable diameter wire from the “Karaya” range of copper tow cables. I highly recommend this product as it is made of soft copper and as a result is very easy and forgiving to use.
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FEATURE ARTICLE
Dragon 1:35 M2A1 Half Track • Kit No. 6329
The bed rolls and tarps were made from Milliput and carved to the appropriate shapes. I then added tin foils straps and mounted them on plastic card stands to aid the painting process.
THE MACHINE GUNS AND STOWAGE
A combination of commercially available packs and scratch built items were all mounted on small stands again in an aid to the painting process
The .30 cal machine guns were improved with the addition of outstanding Alders Nest gun barrels (ANM 35004) and parts from the Voyager M2A2 Update set
The .50 cal machine gun was replaced with a Tasca item with the Voyager update set together with the Dragon grip and ring mounting hardware .
The completed machine guns were mounted in to small plastic card stands to aid the painting process.
THE FIGURES I am a firm believer that any figure connected to an AFV should be part of the vehicle not merely placed on top of or within it. To this end, I played around with a lot of different scenarios for the figure placement on this piece. The first figure to be completed was the half track commander, He would be the focal point. I used a figure from the New World Miniatures set (NWM-35037). He is the standing figure with his hands in his pockets. I carved off the arms and drilled holes into some appropriate hands from the Hornet range. After attaching some soft solder to the hands. I then drilled holes in the upper body arm sockets and glued the hands and solder in place.
The next figure to be tackled was the Platoon commander .I had purchased a couple of the outstanding US Army figures from the now out of defunct S&T range. The figures were amazing in their execution. Playing around with the figure, I found I could have him engaging in a conversation with the halftrack commander. The main problem was that he as a tad too tall for my desired location. In order to achieve the proper fit, I simply cut down the figures legs below the knee joint.
The completed figure is some four scale inches shorter than the original casting but still manages to say in proportion. In this view I have included the box top photo to give some indication that even a slight change can change the mood of any figure.
The figure was then glued to the passenger seat and propped up against the rear of the machine gun ring. When dry, the arms were then manipulated into the appropriate position when dry, remembering that the arms are merely soft solder. I wrapped the solder arms in a thin layer of Milliput. I bulked out the arms and back with Milliput to fit snugly around the machine gun ring.
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Again, even replacing a head can change the whole mood of any figure. In this case, compare the sombre feel of the original to my more upbeat example.
The BAR gunner was originally intended to be facing the laughing trooper at the rear. One thing led to another and in the finished piece he is now looking forward. All the heads of the standing figures have been replaced with ones from the Hornet range. The jubilant heads are from set “HH27” and are truly works of art.
The driver figure was hardest to get right, and not only because was he difficult to position. I had to make allowances to fit him in the final piece. The basic body and left arm are the driver figure the New World Miniatures set (NWM-35037) , while the left arm is a combination of the same soft solder and hand method I have previously discussed.
The kit driver’s seat was modified to enable the figure to have the correct sit. The kit steering wheel has also been incorporated into the figure as I wanted the hand to grip the steering wheel. The head is from the US GI Bodi set (35006)
All five figures were then mounted to a plastic card bases (in an aid to the painting process). As it turned out, almost all of these figures would be stripped not once but twice - but that’s another story!
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FEATURE ARTICLE
Dragon 1:35 M2A1 Half Track • Kit No. 6329
PAINTING, WEATHERING AND COMPLETION OF THE MODEL The whole idea of this project was to tell a small story and in doing so, have some sort of interaction with in the vehicle. I always start the painting process with figures with the heads themselves. I generally spray an enamel flesh tone and in this case I used Revell Colour Matt flesh number 35. This comes in a small tin, much like Humbrol. I tend to paint the whites of the eyes followed by a thin very dark brown line on top of the eyelid. This is followed by the pupil. I then shade the face. I have used the Andrea Flesh paint set (ACS-01) and to be honest, I had a lot of trouble blending the colours. I think it may be partly me just getting used to the paint itself.
The rear trooper has probably the best blending. The base figure was from the S&T range (STP35009) which, is now sadly out of production. The head is taken from the Hornet set (HH27) and is without a doubt some of the best they have ever produced.
The details on the S&T figures are amazing. In this view the subtle detail on the uniform is quite evident. Careful shading just pops the detail.
The interaction between the Platoon commander and the half track commander is evident in this photo. It is almost like he is saying “can’t this thing go any faster!”
Application of paint to the uniforms can be tricky. A good quality brush is essential. I always use Winsor & Newton series 7 brushes as they keep their point (if taken care of).
In this photo you can almost hear the half track commander’s response to the platoon commander’s insistence on the vehicle going faster and the trooper’s amusement with his reply.
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Seen from a different angle, the same scene takes on a somewhat different meaning.
The driver figure was deliberately painted in such a way to evoke a sense of anger.
I used the “‘less is more” method with the shading process. The colour choice of the tarp was also a deliberate attempt to add contrast to the model The US decals on the tarp itself were sourced from the Hudson and Allen decal sheet (item 9509). In this view, the instrument dials can be seen as can the fallen leaves on the drivers step.
The rear tarps have been scratch built from Milliput and tied down with lead foil straps. The shading is deliberately muted.
You will note that the strap ends all fall in a natural central position. The fallen leaves collected on the bodywork are shown to good advantage here.
The large tarp on the passenger side mudguard was scratch built using Milliput and was a very late addition to the build. You will also note the build up of mud between the wheel treads.
I generally use 30% paint, 70% thinner. For this model I have thinned the paint with Mr Hobby “Levelling Thinner”. It does simply 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. When complete, the areas treated were highlighted with a thin oil wash and dry brushed in a sand white mix.
The fallen leaves on top of the armoured windscreen cover were a deliberate attempt to add a little visual interest to the top of the vehicle. September 2014 - Model Military International 23
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FEATURE ARTICLE
Dragon 1:35 M2A1 Half Track • Kit No. 6329
I resisted the temptation to put windscreen wiper marks on this vehicle. It is my view that the effect is generally overdone.
The engine louvre decal was tricky to apply. I cut the decal into four pieces and applied them individually.
I wanted “ to tell a story
with this piece with as many figures as I could possibly manage...
”
In this overhead shot, the rear tarp placement is shown to good advantage.
This ground eye view gives a good impression of the amount of weathering applied to the vehicle.
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The vehicle was weathered with the “micro chipping” method on the sides and doors of the half track.
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.
Modelspec Dragon 1:35 M2A1 Half Track
Kit No. 6329
Materials and Updates Used
The weathering on this vehicle is what I would describe as extreme and I had to push myself well outside my comfort zone to achieve it.
As I do with all of my completed models, I mount this one on a display stand with a custom built acrylic dust cover. The model is glued to the base and is now complete.
Alders Nest US Antenna base (MP-48) Voyager model M2A1 update set (PE35118) ELF smooth reflectors transparent lenses K59 bogie assembly (K59-C008) Karaya range of copper tow cables Alders Nest gun barrels (ANM 35004) New world Miniatures set (NWM-35037) S&T BAR gunner STP35008 S&T BAR Trooper STP35009 S&T BAR Platoon CommanderSTP35010 Hornet Jubilant Head set “HH 27” Hudson and Allen decal sheet (item 9509) Paints Used Tamiya XF-2 Flat White, XF-69 Nat Black, XF-58 Olive Green, XF-1 Black, XF-52 Flat Earth, XF-49 Khaki, XF-51 Khaki Drab, 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/Signal Publications M2/M3 Walk Around number 4 ISBN 0-89747-480-5 Squadron/Signal Publications M3 Half Track in Action ISBN 0-89747-363-9 AFV Modeller issue 34 ISSN 1747-4183 ✓ High level of detail; clever and easy to assemble tracks; lots of useful options. ✗ Overly flattened front tyres. Available from Dragon models are distributed in the UK by The Hobby Company Limited www.hobbyco.net
Rating
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KIT PREVIEW
Dragon 1:35 Flakpanzer IV Ausf.G w/zimmerit • Kit No. 6746
A self-confessed sucker for Flak vehicles, Graham Tetley takes a close look at Dragon’s newest 1:35 Ostwind.
FANTASTIC FLAK DRAGON’S OSTWIND TAKE 2
I
t wasn’t too long ago that Dragon released kit 6550 and gave us a state-of-the-art Ostwind. Well, we now have an extra one to add to the mix Dragon’s Panzer IV continues to provide the basis for this kit and we get lots of generic Panzer IV sprues, as well as those from the Wirbelwind, Brummbar, Panzer IV H, J, and the G with Zimmerit. Only the etched fret is brand new, everything else we have seen before. Sadly, Dragon continue with the backward step (in my opinion) of adding DS Tracks to their kits - more on this below. Whilst your spares box will thank you for the extra parts, there are approximately 290 of them that we are paying for in the cost of the kit. I would rather see these deleted and Magic Tracks included. The moulding is typical Dragon – clean and blemish free. The instructions are busy with many sub-assemblies contained within the main assembly steps, but fortunately this is not a 3 in 1 kit so by Dragon standards the instructions are easier to follow. Construction of the lower hull and suspension system is pretty conventional. The hull itself is a one-piece tub, beautifully covered in zimmerit, to which you attach the correct front and rear plates. A note on the zimmerit here – Dragon have really mastered it and the depiction is of fine, worn, zimmerit. It is simply outstanding. The eight suspension units are the simplified ‘Smart Kit’ versions that are superbly detailed. The roadwheels have the manufacturer’s mark moulded on the rubber rims and you get plenty of spares for stowage. On the front glacis you get plastic parts for the spare track and 18 Magic Track links. Apparently some modellers prefer DS Tracks, but for me they are truly awful. As you can see from the photos,
they are blessed with flash that is impossible to clean in this medium. Come on Dragon, get shut of the many unnecessary spares that included in the cost of the kit and give us our Magic Tracks back. A basic interior is present for below the turret. The tracks are ‘Magic’ and moulded in two shades of grey to represent the left and right hand sides. Most of the upper hull parts here are new. The fenders are beautifully detailed top and bottom and to these to add the tools with moulded on clasps. Now, let’s turn to the turret & gun. The Flak 43 is new for this kit and construction starts with the ammunition trays. The shells themselves are moulded in an 8-shell clip and attach to the feed tray. The gun is superbly moulded and the perforated muzzle is as good as a brass part, although the holes will benefit from twist of a small drill. The cradle is a multi-part assembly that allows for full elevation of the gun, and, to this cradle, you attach the seats and sighting mechanisms. There is some really fine detail on the cradle parts, Dragon have missed nothing here. Once the cradle is assembled you are then directed to add the shell basket. This comprises of a solid floor and some really fine tubular sides, care will be needed to get it all straight and level. Added to this are the etched basket parts representing the basket and, whilst the sides will need no bending, the front part will. Take your time and you will be fine. The turret itself is a lovely twopart assembly where Dragon has reproduced the weld seams and other detail beautifully. The main turret front part has the turret ring moulded integrally and the infamous slide-moulds have been used here which have resulted in
commendably thin sidewalls. Markings are provided for 5 vehicles but, that said, the markings only comprise of three Balkenkreuz. Photographic reference of the real thing is rare so just consult your Panzerwrecks collection.
Dragon show their skill at representing weld beads.
Even the turret interior is detailed! What the Flak!
Nothing has been missed on the underside of the fenders.
CONCLUSION Being a sucker for Flak vehicles my opinion may be somewhat clouded, but you cannot go far wrong with a Dragon Panzer IV. The new Ostwind parts are lovely, the Flak 43 especially so, and this fills a gap in the Panzer IV family. Now Dragon, when will you grace us with a Mobelwagen? Recommended without reservation. ■
And the tops are crawling with detail too.
The flak 43 in all its glory.
Don’t you just love Dragon Zimmerit?
The etched frets.
The lovely flak sidewalls.
The new fret for this release.
Thanks to Bronco for the sample www.bronco-model.com The new, zimm’ed hull side.
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FEATURE ARTICLE
Amusing Hobby 1:35 Object 279 Soviet Heavy Tank • Kit No. 35A001 Panda 1:35 Soviet Heavy Tank Object 279 • Kit No. PH35005
ATOMIC WARRIORS
DOUBLE 279 Pawel Rzymski builds and compares the Object 279 kits from both Amusing Hobby and Panda.
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O
bject 279 (Объект 279) was a Soviet experimental heavy tank developed at the end of 1959.This special purpose tank was intended to fight in difficult country terrain, inaccessible to conventional tanks, acting as a heavy breakthrough tank, and if necessary withstanding even the shockwave of a nuclear explosion. It was planned as a reserve tank of the Red's Army Supreme Command. One of the reasons that this tank project was abandoned, as with other heavy tank projects, was the fact that the Russians stopped operating with heavy fighting vehicles of that type around 1960. Since then, the heaviest ones were kept to about 50 metric tons of
weight, that is without counting in any extra equipment such as additional reactive armor, mine clearing devices (mine ploughs, mine rollers) etc. In 1960 at one of the demonstrations to Nikita Khrushchev - a supporter of guided missile tanks, forbade any tanks with a weight of more than 37 metric tons to be adopted by Red Army. Furthermore, the Russians wanted tanks with a suitable weight for crossing their own bridges in case of homeland defence situations similar to those that occurred during World War II, which at that time seemed to be unreliable for heavy vehicle crossings. Another reason was the fact that a number of serious
deficiencies of the running gear appeared during the trials. *Historical text courtesy Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ Object_279
COMPARING THE PAIR When the news of the Object 279 being released by Amusing Hobby and Panda hit the Internet forums I decided to get both of them. I thought that building two kits of a very special vehicle from two “newcomers” to the modelling market and trying to compare them would make an interesting story. Both kits come in standard size cardboard boxes. The Panda kit is moulded in a dark green plastic. At first sight it’s clearly visible that there’s is quite a lot of flash
on some parts and the detail is soft. All parts come on no more than eight sprues of which three are carrying track links. Lower and upper hull come as loose parts. To complete the package Panda threw in a small photo-etched fret and a nice copper towing cable. It’s quite a pity that it is too thick but I’ll speak about this later. What can be quite surprising is the fact that Panda haven’t included a single clear part in their kit. The front headlights will surely suffer from it. The casting texture of the upper hull and the turret seems nice but after looking on reference pictures I must admit that it is not correct. So first impression: not bad but could be a lot better at some points. A
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FEATURE ARTICLE
Amusing Hobby 1:35 Object 279 Soviet Heavy Tank • Kit No. 35A001 Panda 1:35 Soviet Heavy Tank Object 279 • Kit No. PH35005
B STARTING WITH AMUSING HOBBY
Fuel tank size difference between Panda (green) and Amusing Hobby (grey).
Fuel tanks.
Let’s take a look at the the Amusing Hobby kit. It comes moulded in light grey plastic. There are 8 sprues with parts and one with the upper and lower hull. The part count is a bit more important so the kit will be better detailed. Moulding is quite good, details are sharp and there is almost no flash. The texture on the turret and the hull is very nice. It accurately reflects the original as far as I can say after looking at the vehicle’s pictures from the Kubinka museum. To make the package more attractive, Amusing has included two small photo-etched frets giving us more details comparing to Panda, a clear parts sprue and last but not least workable tracks. First impression: A solid kit! I must say that the part count is quite low in both kits and made me think of Tamiya kits - shake the box and the kit is ready. Let’s get started!
Comparison of tracks Panda on the left Amusing on the right.
B Rear sprockets.
BUILDING BOTH KITS
Panda and Amusing turrets and the noticeable texture difference.
Panda (green) and Amusing (grey) upper hulls.
Assembly starts with the running gear. Both kits feature nice details but I would grant the Amusing few more points, although it is just a question of personal feeling. This part of the build is quite simple and painless. The Panda manual has a small error. the part A3 in step 1 (the sprocket) is in fact the A4 part. Other than that it's worth mentioning that the Amusing kit offers a workable suspension arms. Combined with the kit workable tracks it gives a nice possibility to those who would wish to set the tank upon an uneven terrain. Next came the lower and upper hull(s). The main difference between the two models is the sides of the hull. They may be represented in folded down position in the Panda kit as they come as separate parts. I haven't been able to find any picture of the "279" in this configuration but I can imagine that it could be a useful feature during the transport. The lower hulls are quite simple to build. Both companies offer here few PE parts. Panda offers the choice of plastic or PE parts (A18 / PE7) the Amusing kit gives the hooks for attaching the fuel tanks. These parts are available only in brass (Y18). Even if they don't have the same level of finesse both upper hulls are well detailed and will satisfy most of modellers. In this duel it is however the Amusing kit which grabs the first place. Why? Well, there are many aspects. First of all, the hull surface is more realistic. The Panda kit offers an A
Road wheels.
Comparing the suspension of the two kits.
The Panda (green) and Amusing (grey) turrets completed.
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The two models ready for paint.
B evenly "grainy" surface (hull and
turret) that doesn't match the real thing. Secondly, the Amusing Hobby quality of moulding is ahead of Panda's so small and/or fine details look better (headlights, driver periscopes etc). The Panda kit’s engine deck suffers from moulded on details and lack of PE parts which adds a lot to its opponent case. I will try also to point out some differences between those two contestants as well as detected anomalies. The Amusing Hobby kit doesn't provide any pioneer tools. It is strange as the fittings are supplied (ex: PE parts Y4, Y5 and the holders for cleaning rods). My guess is it may be something about the prototype not having them on board during the trials. On the other hand the Panda kit offers only one set of parts for the towing cable (I would think that two towing cables are standard equipment for a tank). In addition, they suddenly appear (unmentioned) on the last page of the manual without being mentioned anywhere before. Panda supplies a very nice copper cable which... is far too thick to match the towing cable ends! Luckily I found a replacement cable from my own Ali-Baba cave! The guys from Amusing Hobby had chosen another path in the matter of towing cables. Two sets of plastic A
Running gear and lower hull of the Panda kit.
The Panda kit was tackled first.
The completed upper hull has been added to the lower hull here.
The Small Shop tool was used to bend some of the photo-etched parts. The join between the two barrel halves is difficult to remove even after filling and sanding.
Terrible parts – Panda’s driver periscopes.
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FEATURE ARTICLE
Amusing Hobby 1:35 Object 279 Soviet Heavy Tank • Kit No. 35A001 Panda 1:35 Soviet Heavy Tank Object 279 • Kit No. PH35005
B parts are supplied but... not a single
piece of cable was found in my box! The Panda cable was too thick for the Amusing kit too so I went once again to the previously described, private cave and sourced a thin yellow string from the Tasca M32B1 kit I had left. Jokes aside we must stay focused here. From this point the Panda instruction manual suffers from quite a few minor errors. Each of the two hand railings C25/C3 are shown on the wrong side of the hull. The good news there is no way you cannot discover this yourself as mounting them on the wrong side is impossible. Next, the parts C2 (fittings of the gun travel lock) are in fact... A22. It actually took me few minutes to find the right parts on the sprues. The last error I found was the inserts for the hull sides parts: C45 and C32. They were also inverted between the two folding parts of the hull on the Panda manual. Nothing really very tricky but some test fitting is highly recommended before applying the glue. The Amusing Hobby kit is error free from what I could see.
The Panda kit received a simple dark green base painting using the 4BO Base paint from the AK set.
White bands over the turret and hull were added using Tamiya masking tape and Vallejo white paint.
An overall wash of Mig Productions Deep Green Wash was applied to the whole model.
Dots of artist’s oil paint were applied and than gently wiped of with white spirit leaving a faded surface.
The result after the oil dot treatment.
AK Interactive Dark Wash was applied in all recesses and around raised points to give more depth to the model.
FUEL TANKS The next important parts are the rear fuel tanks. Both companies made them multi-part so they are really nice. Panda tanks are simpler and easier to build but less detailed. The biggest advantage of the Amusing fuel tanks are their fittings. They are not moulded on like on the Panda kit but are supplied as PE stripes to be attached to the previously glued hooks on the lower and upper hull. The additional effort in putting everything together is really worth it.
TURRETS Turret time! The two turrets are very nice. The big minus for the one from Panda is its texture. As mentioned before - too uniform, too grainy on the sides. The Panda two part barrel is surely a downside too. Even after very careful gluing and sanding the joint was always quite visible. There are few photo-etched parts to deal with. Nothing to worry about too much. The only difficult part is the PE8 - a sort of support. There is no clear "how to" so I was obliged to look for reference pictures. Once they were found it was easy. Other than that I don’t have any complaints about the Panda’s turret. There are quite a few parts to put on but the fit is good. The Panda kit offers a search light on the commanders hatch. A clear par for the glass would have been nice...
A rusty wash was applied on the foldable parts of the hull as those elements could represent more wear.
Standard Easy Mud was applied first on the lower hull and tracks to simulate dry mud.
Dry mud ready!
After roughly 40 minutes, Dark Easy Mud was applied over the first layer to imitate the fresh mud.
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The final result.
What is the situation on the Amusing side? Well, The texture of the turret is quite correct and looks good. The barrel parts fit well and... when the barrel was finished I realised that there was something wrong. In fact muzzle openings are not on the left and right side of the barrel but are directed vertically. It's clearly en error and must be corrected. The Amusing kit offers even better fit and detail for the injected parts, also the amount of photo etched parts is more important. Looking at the pictures of the Kubinka vehicle one can clearly see multiple loops on the turret side. They are included in the Amusing "package". I found them a little over scaled but nevertheless once added to the turret they give it another, tougher look. The last detail about the turret and its components: the coaxial MG. The one from Panda is quite nice the one from Amusing Hobby is... solid. We are not used anymore to see barrels ends solid but here... you WILL have to drill. A
A muddy filter made of Easy Mud heavily diluted with water was applied over the entire tank and especially on the lower parts of the upper hull.
AK's Dark Mud was gently applied using a brush and a toothpick. This method gives more control than using the airbrush.
Edges of some elements like grab handles were treated with a very soft pencil to suggest the steel showing through the paint.
Dark Mud pigment was applied around the turret. It has a slightly rusty note and matches well with the heavily weathered vehicle.
The engine deck with oily stains and oak leaves from Plus Model.
The Panda kit after painting and weathering is complete.
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FEATURE ARTICLE
Amusing Hobby 1:35 Object 279 Soviet Heavy Tank • Kit No. 35A001 Panda 1:35 Soviet Heavy Tank Object 279 • Kit No. PH35005
B TRACKS Last but not least, THE TRACKS! If you don't like working with individual tracks... DON'T buy either of these kits or you WILL suffer. You have been warned! First of all, both kits require a lot of work. The Panda kit offers classical individual track links on three sprues. After removing the tracks, the clean up time is quite long. Moreover, all the links have a nasty, centrally positioned ejector pin mark on the outer side that is almost impossible to clean up. In my opinion, adding snow or mud should cover them those marks and resolve the problem. The purists might not agree, but I didn't feel like cleaning over 300 links. Putting the tracks together goes quite quickly. I did it exactly the same way as I always do with any kind of single link tracks. I glued together enough of tracks to make around 90% of the needed length and put this portion of tracks around the suspension before the glue hardened. The missing portion is very easy to add as this is always the flat part of the track (in touch with ground). The four runs of tracks were all done during one evening (but cleaning them took at least two!). The Amusing Hobby Object 279 offers workable tracks - a Modelkasten style. There is very little clean up required. The ejector pin mark is also there but this time it is on the inner side. I left it as it was and must say that after fitting the tracks they were not visible at all. If the first part of preparation was fairly easy and quick the second was quite different. Assembling the track took a long time. A small jig is supplied to make the task easier but frankly speaking I found my Mk.1 fingers the best way to put the small connectors into the track's mounting holes. The connectors fit very tight so I had absolutely no need of glue. All in all, the total amount of time needed for assembly for both "279" tracks is comparable. Undoubtedly when it comes to painting and weathering the Amusing Hobby workable tracks will be far easier as you can take those off fairly easily.
SIDE BY SIDE – CONCLUSION
Amusing’s lower hull finished.
Amusing’s upper hull complete.
Multipart fuel tank strap.
Turret assembled and ready. Amusing’s multi-part barrel.
The Amusing kit complete and ready for paint.
The first of four layers of paint - 4BO Dark Base.
The next tone - 4BO Base.
As you can probably already tell, I have a clear preference for the Amusing Hobby kit. Even if it is not sin-free, for almost exactly the same price it offers more details, better moulding, more photoetched parts where you actually need them and workable tracks.
The next shade - 4BO Light Base applied on upper surfaces of the model.
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The last paint I decided to use was 4BO Highlight, applied mainly on top of raised details.
Wheels have been painted with a Tamiya enamel marker - very easy to use.
Some darker colours were applied on the lower part of the turret. Two AK enamel washes Dark and Light Rust were applied in all corners and recesses.
PAINTING From the very beginning I had the idea of using different techniques and different products (or at least some of them) on the two kits. The Panda kit was going to have a simple paint with some more or less Sci-Fi additions suggesting an active field service. The Amusing Hobby kit was to be painted using the Color Modulation technique and would represent (more or less) the vehicle seen on trials during fall/winter time in quite muddy conditions.
PANDA COLOURS I started with the Panda kit. After applying a grey primer the tank was entirely painted with the 4BO Base colour from the AK Interactive Color Modulation set. At the same time, the tracks were brush painted with a mix of dark black and brown Tamiya paints. Shortly after, using the Tamiya masking tape and Vallejo white paint bands crossing on the top of the turret were painted. I think these bands were used on some Russian tanks during invasions
(e.g. in Hungary in 1956). I would however agree that this is more or less a Sci-Fi element whose main role was to add some more interest to the model. In the stash I found some white tactical markings and applied them on the turret. To add more depth and vary the base colour, a green wash was generously applied to the whole surface, but more like a filter than a wash. Even though the wash was applied and had some effect, the finish still looked too uniform. The oil paint dots technique was then applied to fade the surface. To finish, the “enamel treatment”, two pin washes were applied. With a fine brush AK Interactive Dark Streaking Grime and Light Rust washes were applied in all recesses and around raised elements. This greatly helped to achieve more contrasted surface with many details more visible.
WEATHERING CONTINUES With the oils and all the washes done it was time to get to the heart of the weathering process. The Object 279 natural
The Amusing kit also received Mig Productions Deep Green Wash treatment to give more depth and also to unify the painted surface.
All the lower hull received a thick layer of mud made of AK Interactive Earth Effects mixed with plaster and a medium brown oil paint.
environment was a very rough terrain where other tanks would have difficulties to operate normally. To create the mud I picked up a very innovative product: Easy Mud. Easy Mud is an acrylic based thick paste which after adding some water becomes much more “manageable”. I have already used this product several times and the best way to apply this paste is with an old brush and the airbrush. The compressed air blows apply randomly the paste to the surface creating a very nicely textured effect of stuck mud. In the first instance a light colour (Easy Mud Standard Light) was applied to simulate the dry mud. Soon after - the paste dries really quickly - another layer, this time a darker one imitating fresh mud, was applied exactly the same way. At the same time the mixture was also applied to the tracks and road wheels. The paste that was not used in the previous step was diluted with tap water and applied over the upper hull and turret. It acted as a muddy filter. A large brush then easily applied
accumulated mud to areas in the lower parts of the upper hull. At the end splashes, of mud were added using the AK Interactive Dark Mud ready to use liquid. This time instead of using the airbrush a simple toothpick was used. Using a toothpick gives a lot more control, which was quite important as the end was very near. Overdosing the splashed at this stage would spoil the desired, subtle effect. Dry pigments were simply brushed-on under the turret and just beside it. A very soft pencil were used to add a worn metal effect to some parts such as the grab handles on the turret. The very last phase consisted of oily stains being added on the engine deck along with few oak leaves from Plus Model.
PAINTING THE AMUSING HOBBY KIT As previously, stated the Amusing Hobby kit was to be painted using the Colour Modulation technique. The AK Interactive 4BO set A
Next a special track wash was applied on both sides of each track.
A portion of tracks for one run.
Finally done!
First the tracks were painted with a black brown mix of Tamiya acrylics.
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FEATURE ARTICLE
Amusing Hobby 1:35 Object 279 Soviet Heavy Tank • Kit No. 35A001 Panda 1:35 Soviet Heavy Tank Object 279 • Kit No. PH35005
The last stage- the surfaces of tracks in touch with the ground were given bare metal appearance with a very soft (8B) pencil.
No point being very subtle with tracks! AK Earth Effects + plaster of Paris were roughly applied as the first layer of mud. The second application of the darker AK Dark Mud mixed with Plaster of Paris and Brown Van Dyke oil paint for richer colour.
Ready to roll!
B provides all the necessary green
colours starting from almost brown one to an extremely light shade. First of all the model was primed with a grey primer supplied in the AK set. I didn’t dilute it but the next time I will as it is quite thick and it almost clogged the airbrush. When the primer dried, 4 paints were used: 4BO Dark Base, Base, Light Base and Highlight. The paints were applied in that order, gradually lightening up the model. The last 4BO Highlight shade was mainly applied on some raised details. There’s one more even lighter shade in the set (the 4BO shine) but I decided to not to use it as I think it goes too far on the lightness scale. Than came a few identical steps to the Panda kit. The green wash, oil dots and Dark Brown and Light Rust washes were applied in the same manner and order as previously described.
Excellent quality Plus Model Oak leaves were coloured with Vallejo acrylics.
AMUSING WEATHERING The model was then ready to take on some mud. The work started under the hull. AK Earth effects mixed with plaster of Paris was
When the leaves dried, they were placed in random way and fixed with a tiny quantity of white glue.
Wet patches on the turret were made using a very thin mix of White Spirit, Vandyke oil paint and Mig Productions Wet Effects.
The completed Amusing kit.
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Modelspec Amusing Hobby 1:35 Object 279 Soviet Heavy Tank. Kit No. 35A001 Panda 1:35 Soviet Heavy Tank Object 279. Kit No. PH35005 Paints & Finishing Products: Tamiya Acrylics, AK Interactive 4BO Colour Modulation Set, Various AK Interactive Weathering and Finishing Products, Vandyke Oil Paint, White Spirit, Easy Mud, Plus Models Oak Leaves, 8B Pencil Amusing Hobby: 8/10 ✓ Good quality moulding; useful PE and clear parts; workable track links. ✗ Some missing details; inconvenient ejector pin marks. Panda: 7/10 ✓ Generally good quality moulding; individual track links. ✗ Cast finish too uniform; ejector pin marks in prominent position on each track link. Available from Available online and from speciality hobby stores worldwide including Hannants www.hannants.co.uk
A comparison between the Panda kit (left) and the Amusing Hobby kit (right).
generously applied with a brush. The next day, AK Dark Mud mixed with dark oil paint and a bit of Mig Production Grease and Stains liquid solution was applied as the second layer of fresh and darker mud. The darker oil paint and the Mig Productions oily liquid may seem a bit odd choice here but they were added as I was looking for a very dark and very fresh looking mud. While the mud was drying, the tracks made their way to the workbench. They were first painted with a mix of black and brown Tamiya acrylics. The same evening all four track runs received a generous layer of AK interactive Track Wash. When the wash dried, the dry and fresh mud made from AK’s Earth Effects and Dry Mud mixed with plaster was applied. At the end, the edges of tracks that normally would be in contact with the ground were given the
bare metal look with the help of a very soft (8B) pencil. You can find such pencil in the store with paints for artists. Work continued on the rest of the model. Dark streaks were applied all over the hull and turret. The easiest way is one of the ready to use products available on the market. The final weathering of the surface of the upper hull was exactly the same as on the tracks. Only the application method was changed. Instead of the airbrush, a simple toothpick and my Mk.1 finger were used! It helped a lot to obtain a more balanced effect. After both dry and fresh mud were applied, there was nice contrast between them. However, the next day when the last layer of fresh mud dried, it became hardly different from the dry mud layer. The final solution was to mix the Dark Mud with Vandyke oil paint. It had greatly changed the aspect.
The liquid became much darker and what’s most important it kept this very dark appearance even when completely dry. Next, earth and dust colour pigments were applied and fixed with White Spirit. A diluted AK Fuel Stain liquid was then applied over them on the engine deck. It created a quite nice effect of spilled fuel and engine grease and dirt. Darker pigments were applied around the exhausts and fuel tanks also the turret was dusted up to match the hull. The tracks were finally added. The outer tracks went on without any problem but the inner were quite difficult to put on. The difficulty came from the hull shape at the rear. There’s very few place left between the edge of the track and the hull. This forces the outer guide horns aside so the sprocket doesn’t fit the holes in the tracks. It took me quite a lot of time to
get them where they should be. Afterwards, the guide horns and edges of the road wheels were dry brushed with steel pigment. To finish the weathering, a few Plus Models oak leaves were added to the rear. Some edges were again treated with the soft artist’s pencil and wet traces were painted on the turret.
OVERALL CONCLUSION I must admit that both kits are nice even if they have some imperfections. Personally I found the Amusing kit to be more accurate and better detailed. During the build, the Takom Object 279 kit was not available but afterwards I saw good quality sprues shots and would stand by my opinion that Amusing has still better details especially around the engine deck, and it is the only kit offering workable tracks for an attractive price. ■
Both kits have their good points but Pawel prefers the Amusing Hobby option.
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KIT PREVIEW
Dragon 1:35 Pz.Kpfw.IV L/70(A) Final Production • Kit No.6784
Alex Dutt examines Dragon’s latest variation on the theme of the Jagdpanzer IV in 1:35 scale.
ALKETT JAGDPANZER T he Pz.Kpfw.IV L/70(A) was a late war variant from the Panzer IV based tank destroyer family often referred to in modelling circles as ‘Jagdpanzer IV’. Originally conceived to replace the Sturmgeschutz III, the ‘Jagdpanzer IV’ series were produced in large number from January 1944 through to March 1945. The Pz.Kpfw.IV L/70(A) version was of Alkett design and mounted the powerful 7.5cm PaK 42 L/70 gun – Hence the namesake. Approximately 278 Pz.Kpfw.IV L/70(A) were built by war’s end. The Pz.Kpfw.IV L/70(A)’s distinct raised fighting compartment/casemate shape distinguished it from other ‘Jagdpanzer IV’ variants. The vehicle also possessed prominent features such as; ‘Thoma’ steel mesh side skirts, ‘flammentoter’ exhausts, and steel tyred road wheels at the front four stations to accommodate its nose heavy nature resulting from the imposing main armament and additional armour. The Pz.Kpfw.IV L/70(A) weighed in at 26 tonnes, and was an impressive example of how far the vulnerable Panzer IV chassis could be stretched. This is the third ‘Jagdpanzer IV’ kit in Dragon’s newly tooled ‘Smart Kit’ line up and the second version of the Pz.Kpfw.IV L/70(A), albeit this time around including those features seen on the vehicle during the final stages of the war. Beyond the beautiful and inspiring Ron Volstad box-top artwork, the kit is a typical example of what we’ve come to expect from Dragon’s next-gen kits; sharp mouldings, amazing attention to detail, and plenty of parts – Over 680 to be precise! These parts are spread over 22 light grey & clear sprues, two bags of handed ‘Magic Tracks’ individual track links, and a bag of plastic road wheel tyres. Also included is a relatively small photo-etch brass fret, along with some precut metal mesh to depict the ‘Thoma’ side skirts. Amongst the
aforementioned sprues there are well over 100 parts marked within the instructions as “not for use”, in turn providing plenty of useful bits for the spares box. As you might expect, the Pz.Kpfw.IV L/70(A) kit shares sprues with earlier kits from Dragon’s Pz.IV ‘Smart Kit’ family (there’s even a sprue marked ‘Brummbar’ in the mix). On that note, I’ll be keen to see how all of these various parts come together. That aside, looking through the kit parts some really nice features stuck out to me; ‘slide moulded’ tow cable ends, flammentoter tubes, tow pintle, and gun barrel (with rifling). Other nice features that caught my eye were the tiny injection moulded clear piece to represent the glass tube for the convoy light, photoetched brackets for the side skirts, and the fine manufacturer’s branding on the road wheel tyres (I realise that this is pretty ‘old hat’ these days, but speaking as someone who cut their teeth on the Tamiya 1/35 military kits of the 70’s, this particular feature still blows me away!). The kit-supplied decals are pretty sparse, with markings for just one vehicle labelled as “Unidentified Unit, Eastern Front 1945”. This vehicle sports a three colour camo scheme with three balkenkreuz and no further markings. One aspect of Dragon’s Pz.Kpfw. IV L/70(A) that I admittedly found a little puzzling is the approach to how the fighting compartment interior is kitted. The underside of the fighting compartment roof is extensively detailed with very finely reproduced hatch hinge details, periscopes (moulded in clear plastic), and even an MP-44 machine gun for the Vorsatz-P mount. Furthermore, the breach assembly for the 7.5cm PaK 42 L/70 is faithfully reproduced in fine detail. However, that’s the sum total for the fighting compartment interior with no attempt to reproduce the internal hull walls, hull floor, crew seating, etc.
It is possibly expecting a bit much for a comprehensive fighting compartment interior to be included, but Dragon has done so in the past with their Stug.III series of ‘Smart Kits’ for example so they are capable of such a task. Furthermore, I would suggest that not only would the inclusion of an interior make this an absolute sensational kit, but it would make the internal detail that is included so much more useable and relevant. But again, I may be asking a bit much in this instance. In summary, my nit-pick re the interior aside, this is a fantastic effort from Dragon and from my perspective it’s a very welcome addition to their ‘Jagdpanzer IV’ series of kits. Highly recommended! ■
The one-piece main superstructure piece.
The rear deck features separate hatches.
The one-piece lower hull.
Optional plastic skirts.
Markings are a bit sparse! The superstructure roof moulding.
Kit-supplied photo-etch.
The Saukopf mantlet.
Magic Tracks – hooray!
Thanks to The Hobby Company Limited for the sample www.hobbyco.net
Pre-cut metal mesh for the Thoma skirts.
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FEATURE ARTICLE
Italeri 1:35 Carro Armato L6/40 • Kit No. 6469
Brett Green finishes Italeri’s 1:35 scale L6/40 Italian Tank as a Bersaglieri vehicle on the Russian Front in 1942.
The box art for the Italeri L6/40 Italian Tank.
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T
he L6/40 was a conventional light tank design of riveted construction. A one-man turret in the centre mounted a single Breda Modello 35 20 mm main gun and a Breda Modello 38 8 mm coaxial machine gun. The driver sat in the front right of the hull. The riveted armour was six to 30 mm in thickness, which was roughly equivalent to existing Allied light tanks. A further development of the Fiat L3 light tank, the L6 went through a number of prototypes during the late 1930s. The first was armed with a sponsonmounted 37 mm main gun and a machine-gun armed turret. A later version featured a turret mounted 37 mm gun and yet another version had only twin 8 mm machine guns. Ultimately, the production configuration, named Carro Armato L6/40, was put into production in 1939, with 283 finally produced. The most successful of the L6 variants was the Semovente 47/32, which eliminated the turret and substituted a 47 mm anti-tank gun in the open-topped hull. A final version late in the war was an ammunition carrier armed only with a single 8 mm Breda machine gun. It was used alongside the Semovente 90/53, carrying extra 90 mm ammunition, as the Semovente 90/53 itself could only carry six rounds. L6/40 light tanks were used by the Italians in the Balkans Campaign, in the war against the Soviet Union, in the latter stages of the North African campaign, and in the defence of Sicily and Italy. The L6/40 was the main tank employed by the Italian forces fighting on the Eastern Front. The gun tank fought alongside the L6/40based Semovente 47/32 self-propelled gun. Although a good light tank for its size and an improvement over the tankettes that were common within the Italian army, it was already obsolete by the time of its introduction. The low silhouette of the vehicle (somewhat taller than the average man) made it useful for reconnaissance, and its armament was effective against any light vehicles it might encounter. However, due to a lack of a suitable medium tanks, it was often employed in a combat role, for which it was unsuited. The L6 was also used by the German Army and the Croat Ustaše militia.*
ITALERI’S 1:35 L6/40 IN THE BOX Italeri released their 1:35 scale L6/40 tank back in 2008. This kit reflects the improved standard of Italeri’s other recent releases, which include other Italian subjects such as the AB 40 family and even the P40 Heavy Tank. Italeri’s L6/40 comprises 247 parts in tan coloured plastic, 12 parts on a small photo-etched fret, 2 clear parts on a thick acetate sheet and markings for five vehicles. The quality of moulding is generally very good, with ejector circles and other moulding features appearing on interior surfaces only. The lower hull and the superstructure are both supplied in “flat pack” form – separate parts for the sides, front, top and bottom. Surface detail is very good except for the turret, where the domed rivets are far smaller than those on the hull. Some interior detailing is supplied, including transmission, drive shaft, driver’s seat, engine compartment bulkhead, and a simple gun breech. All hatches, including those on the engine deck, are separate and may be posed open. Although Italeri does not supply an engine, an after market upgrade from Model Victoria offers not only a full engine compartment but a fighting compartment and turret interior too. The running gear is well detailed and may be workable with care. Link and length tracks are supplied. There are 92 track pieces in total, which includes a number of spare individual links. A handy reference booklet is included too, with wartime photos, historical text and a museum walk around.
The superstructure is broken down similarly.
The kit turret is okay dimensionally, but surface details are a bit too subdued.
The turret interior includes some basic details.
BASIC CONSTRUCTION The plastic on this kit is quite soft, so take care not to gouge out chunks when you are removing parts from the (sometimes substantial) sprue connectors. Overall, I found the construction process to be straightforward and trouble-free, even considering the “flat pack” breakdown of the hull and the superstructure. I followed the instruction sequence. The fit of the main components was very good. There was some margin for error when assembling some of the smaller parts, including the road wheels, but a few seconds ensuring correct alignment was enough to avoid problems. The one notable exception was the fit of the individual tracks around the drive sprockets. It would appear that either the A
* Historical summary courtesy of Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fiat_L6/40
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The lower hull is broken down into a “flat pack” with separate sides, front, rear and floor.
Link and length tracks are included.
Road wheels and return rollers. Detail is a little soft here, but they look fine under dirt and mud!
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FEATURE ARTICLE
Italeri 1:35 Carro Armato L6/40 • Kit No. 6469
Model Victoria from Italy offers a replacement turret for the L6/40.
This all-resin turret features vastly superior interior detail.
The real benefit of the new turret is the surface textures, which is a big improvement over the understated rivets on the kit part.
B track links are slightly short or
Lower hull parts awaiting assembly.
the gaps between the sprocket teeth are too wide, as there is a gap between the links on the drive sprockets. With the benefit of hindsight, next time I would cut off seven pairs of sprocket teeth before doing this, and glue the loose teeth into the holes in the tracks after they had been glued to the sprockets. Assembling the remainder of the link and length tracks was quite straightforward, although I did bend the two upper runs to suggest sagging in these areas. The model was built in sub-assemblies – lower hull, superstructure and turret.
ADDITIONS AND MODIFICATIONS
The lower hull parts build up quickly and fit well. I did not bother to deal with the ejector circles on the interior, as very little of this would be seen on the finished model.
Rivet detail and other surface features are really well done here.
The installation of a few of the resin replacement parts requires the removal of some structural features. It is best to do this early, before the running gear is fitted. Ideally, it should have been done before the hull was assembled!
The raised rectangle, excised from the hull. This area will be completely covered on the completed model, so the finish does not need to be perfect.
I bought a few accessory sets for my L6/40, including Model Victoria’s Item No. 4083, a replacement turret; and their misleadingly-titled Item No. 4084 “Conversion Kit” (it is an upgrade set really). The biggest benefit of the resin replacement turret is the muchimproved rendering of the domed rivets and surface detail. The turret also includes interior detail cast in place, plus a really nice gun breech and coaxial Breda machine gun. The gun barrel is copper tube, cast in place. A replacement turret basket and related paraphernalia is supplied too. Clean-up of the resin parts was fast, although care is required for the delicate turret base. I broke mine in one place as I was removing the resin waste. The turret interior was sprayed with Tamiya’s Fine White primer, along with the hull and superstructure interiors. All three sub-assemblies were weathered with a dark wash and “chipped” with Vallejo acrylic 337 Highlight Ger. (Black). The breech was sprayed with Gunze-Sangyo’s Mr A
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The simple road wheels are made up from two pieces each.
The suspension components awaiting assembly.
If you are careful with the application of glue, the suspension will remain workable.
The “exploded view”!
Drive sprocket and idler wheels. I found that I had to adjust the idler arm lower so that the idler wheels touched the ground.
of 17 individual links was arranged on the sticky side “A run of a piece of Tamiya tape, acting as a simple jig... ”
Here are all the links and lengths required for one full run of tracks.
I started by wrapping seven individual links to the drive sprockets. Fit was poor here. With the benefit of hindsight, next time I would cut off seven pairs of sprocket teeth before doing this, and glue the loose teeth into the holes in the tracks after they had been glued to the sprockets.
The drive sprocket is not glued in place. It may be placed on its mount and adjusted to fit the short diagonal track run. The long bottom track run has also been glued in place here.
A run of 17 individual links were arranged on the sticky side of a piece The still-workable links were then draped around the idler wheel and up Before they were glued in place, the two short top lengths were of Tamiya tape, acting as a simple jig. Tamiya Extra Thin Liquid Cement to the rearmost return roller. bent to suggest sag between the return rollers. was applied and allowed to dry for around five minutes.
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FEATURE ARTICLE
Italeri 1:35 Carro Armato L6/40 • Kit No. 6469
B
The Model Victoria turret requires the kit’s raised turret ring to be removed and the hole slightly enlarged. This was done with a new hobby blade and sandpaper.
The superstructure parts awaiting assembly.
Tamiya tape helps hold the parts in place as the glue dries.
Test-fitting is always important. Here, the superstructure and the rear deck are dry-fitted to the lower hull.
Model Victoria’s turret shell and basket ready for painting.
Although little of the interior would be seen, I painted the interior white and added a thin dark oil wash and some chipping to the turret and hull compartments.
Turret shell painted and awaiting assembly.
The lovely Model Victoria gun breech.
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The kit’s interior detail as seen here is adequate for glimpses through an open hatch or visor, but Model Victoria also offers a super-detailed resin fighting and engine compartment set.
The gun, painted and fitted to the turret. It’s a shame we’ll never see it again!
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B Metal Colour 214 Dark Iron, and
buffed to a high sheen. The Conversion Kit replaces the kit’s exhaust, tools, jack, stowage boxes and headlights with nicely detailed resin parts. A photo-etched fret also offers wing nuts, number plates and other smaller details. In addition to these replacements, three resin sandbags are provided as improvised armour for the front glacis. The resin parts were quickly cleaned up and attached to the vehicle. I reinforced the join between the two parts of the resin antenna mount with a piece of copper wire.
ARMOURED FRUIT TRUCK I think that stowage always lends a little more interest and individuality to a military vehicle. I recently bought a slightly unusual stowage set from an Australian model railway resin accessory company, Craftsman Scale Accessories. Their Set No. CMI3500 provides food and supplies, some cast in bags, some in boxes and a number of individual pieces. I decided that a box of fruit or vegetables would make a colourful feature for the rear deck of my L6/40. After all, a tank crew has to eat too! The same set included a few wooden barrels, but I thought Royal Model’s barrels looked better. A wooden bucket was also pilfered from the Royal Model set. This bucket fitted perfectly between the spare road wheel and the port side stowage box I like to lay down a base of custom-made tarps or packs on the engine deck before adding solid resin cast parts. I formed one folded and one rolled tarp from Kneadatite Blue Yellow Epoxy Putty. A few straps were cut from the waste material and laid onto the tarps. These were then placed carefully on the engine deck and over the wooden bucket, then pressed lightly to ensure that they conformed to the surface. On top of these, I added a pack from Value Gear and the barrel from Royal Model. I then glued the box of veggies and another Value Gear rolled pack onto the other side of the engine deck. A metal bucket (another resin item from the Craftsman set) was hung from the rear number plate light fitting as a finishing touch.
Clamps are our friends! Two large Irwin clamps hold the superstructure firmly in place as the glue sets.
A smaller clamp was used to make sure the trackguards fitted the bottom of the superstructure with no gaps.
Tape and a clamp were also used to hold the rear deck in place while the glue set.
PAINTING AND WEATHERING The model was prepared for camouflage with a few quick coats of Tamiya Grey Primer, then the tracks and tyres were roughly sprayed with a mix of Tamiya XF-1 Flat Black and XF-64 Red Brown. A
Basic construction is almost done with a few smears of Gunze’s “Mr Dissolved Putty” and Tamiya Surfacer.
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FEATURE ARTICLE
Italeri 1:35 Carro Armato L6/40 • Kit No. 6469
Poses of the two crew figures are excellent, and specifically designed for this model.
I bought a couple of Allarmi!! Figure sets to accompany my L6/40.
I checked the poses before adding detail or paint. Looking good so far.
Alternative heads, and even feathers for Bersaglieri tankers, are included for both figures.
B
I also bought Model Victoria’s misleadingly-labelled Conversion Kit. It is actually a resin update set…
...that also includes sandbag armour for the front hull. All the resin replacement parts are an improvement on their kit counterparts.
The base camouflage shade is Tamiya’s acrylic XF-78 Wooden Deck Tan. I settled on this colour as it is quite pale, and I wanted a light base that could handle darkening under the subsequent layers of weathering. The base coat was then streaked and mottled with an even paler shade – simply mixed with a few drops of white – followed by an overall wash of MIG Productions’ P241 Brown Filter. Packs, wooden items and vegetables were picked out with Vallejo acrylics using a fine brush. MIG Productions’ P225 Wood Ageing Solution was used on the wooden barrel, the bucket and the box. This was simply brushed over the wooden items. The bucket and barrel were also dry-brushed with a light-medium grey shade to suggest fading and ageing. The sandbags were painted with Vallejo acrylic 847 Dark Sand prior to further weathering. This included a thin coat of MIG Productions’ Neutral Wash.
Model Victoria includes a photo-etched fret with number places and smaller detail parts.
Decals are also included for four vehicles.
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The Model Victoria resin parts glued in place.
The tools, exhaust and jack are particularly nice.
I formed a couple of base packs from Kneadatite Blue Yellow Epoxy Putty, added a barrel and a wooden bucket from a Royal Model set; and a few packs from Value Gear.
Chipping was added using Vallejo 337 Highlight Ger. (Black) applied both with a sponge and a fine brush. I was very concerned about the overall finish at this stage. I thought it looked very poor, and was considering stripping the paint off and starting again. However, this issue’s deadline loomed and, when deadlines come up against the quest for perfection, the deadline always wins! I carried on. Maru Easy Mud is an acrylic paste available in a range of colours and finishes. I used Item No. 21105 European Earth on the running gear and lower hull parts. This dries to a colour quite similar to the base camouflage shade, but there is a subtle distinction in colour and texture. In order to create contrast between dry dirt and wet mud, AK Interactive Dark brown wash was selectively brushed over the Easy Mud. AK’s Dark Brown Wash was also used to spatter the front of the hull. The last weathering step was to run the tip of a 2B pencil over the high points of the track pads, and some of the edges of the hull and superstructure. A
The box of veggies and the bucket hanging from the rear hull came from a local Australian company called Craftsman Scale Accessories, which appears to specialise in model railway parts.
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FEATURE ARTICLE
Italeri 1:35 Carro Armato L6/40 • Kit No. 6469
The model was prepared for camouflage with a few quick coats of Tamiya Grey Primer.
The driver’s hull opening and the Commander’s hatch were masked prior to painting.
The tracks and tyres were roughly sprayed with a mix of “scale black”.
The base camouflage shade is Tamiya’s acrylic XF-78 Wooden Deck Tan.
This was streaked and mottled with a paler shade – simply mixed with a few drops of white – followed by an overall wash of MIG Productions’ P241 Brown Filter.
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MIG Productions’ P225 Wood Ageing Solution was used on the wooden barrel, the bucket and the box.
Packs, wooden items and vegetables were picked out with Vallejo acrylics using a fine brush.
The sandbags were painted with Vallejo acrylic 847 Dark Sand prior to further weathering.
Chipping was added using Vallejo 337 Highlight Ger. (Black) applied both with a sponge and a fine brush. Easy Mud has been applied to the running gear and lower hull parts here too.
AK Interactive Dark brown wash was selectively brushed over the Easy Mud to suggest areas of damp and dry dirt and mud.
A closer look at the two-tone mud effect on the rear hull.
AK’s Dark Brown Wash was also used to spatter the front of the hull.
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FEATURE ARTICLE
Italeri 1:35 Carro Armato L6/40 • Kit No. 6469
B CONCLUSION Italeri’s 1:35 scale L6/40 Italian Tank was a pleasant surprise to me. The detail and fit were better than I was expecting, and the vehicle itself is a good size for customising – not too big and not too small. The link and length tracks work well, and they’ll work even better if you cut the drive sprocket teeth off before fitting them. I was delighted with both the Model Victoria Turret and Conversion (upgrade) Kit. Each adds character and detail to this pugnacious vehicle. The Allarmi crew is great too, regardless of my indifferent figure painting skills! This was an enjoyable project, and the result is a bit different too. ■
The gun barrel was painted with Tamiya XF-1 Flat Black and polished to a gloss finish with a fingertip.
The bodies of the two crew figures, prepared for paint with Tamiya Grey Primer.
White Primer was used for the heads. I prefer this lighter base for the flesh tones to follow.
Modelspec Italeri 1:35 Carro Armato L6/40
Kit No. 6469
Accessories Used: Model Victoria (4083) – Turret for L6/40 Italian Tank Model Victoria (4084) – Conversion Kit for L6/40 Italian Tank Royal Model (641) – Wine Barrels and Farm Accessories Craftsman Scale Accessories (CMI3500) – Food & Supplies Value Gear – two generic packs Allarmi!! (35046) – Tank Crew for L6/40
The base flesh colour was a mix of Vallejo 70815 Flesh and 70877 Gold Brown. A thin wash of Rowney Georgian Burnt Sienna Oil Paint was applied over the base colour to lend some initial depth and shade. This also acts as a darker flesh glaze.
Modelling Products & Tools: Kneadatite Blue Yellow Epoxy Putty, Evergreen Plastic Strip, Irwin Clamps, Brass Wire, M Workshop Non-Fuzzy String (two thicknesses), Olfa hobby knife, Revell Contacta Cement, Tamiya Masking Tape, Tamiya Extra Thin Liquid Cement, Gunze Mr Dissolved Putty,Tamiya Surface Primer Paints & Finishing Products: Vehicle - Tamiya Spray Can Grey Primer Tamiya Acrylics – XF-1 Flat Black; XF-2 Flat White; XF-60 Dark Yellow; XF-78 Deck Tan. Vallejo Panzer Aces and Model Colour Acrylics – Various Gunze-Sangyo Mr Metal Colour 214 Dark Iron Future Floor Polish Alclad II Klear Kote Flat MIG Productions – P222 Neutral Wash; P241 Brown Filter; P225 Wood Ageing Solution; P410 Oil and Grease Stain Mixture AK Interactive Enamel Wash – AK 045 Dark Brown Maru Easy Mud – Item No. 21105 European Earth 2B Pencil Figures - Flesh: Mix of Vallejo 70815 Flesh and 70877 Gold Brown with a thin wash of Rowney Georgian Burnt Sienna Oil Paint. Details picked out using Vallejo Panzer Aces 337 Highlight Ger. (Black). Uniform Blue: Base Colour - Mix of Vallejo Model Colour Acrylics 919 Foundation White; 816 German WWII Luftwaffe Blue and 963 Medium Blue. Highlight shade with white added. Leather Black: Base Colour - Vallejo Model Colour Acrylics 70862 Black Grey. Highlights 337 Highlight Ger. (Black); and also with white added. Paint was polished with fingertip to obtain slight sheen. ✓ Generally good fit; reasonable detail; includes link and length tracks; poseable hatches; partial interior.
The tip of a 2B pencil was applied to the top of each track pad, suggesting fresh wear on a hard surface.
Details were picked out using Vallejo Panzer Aces 337 Highlight Ger. (Black).
The base colour for the uniform was a blend of Vallejo Model Colour Acrylics 919 Foundation White, 816 German WWII Luftwaffe Blue and 963 Medium Blue.
✗ Poor fit of individual links around drive sprockets. Available from Italeri kits are distributed in the UK by The Hobby Company Limited www.hobbyco.net
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The figures lend a nice sense of proportion to the scene.
The rope for the wooden bucket and the tie-downs were sourced from The M Workshop’s “Non-Fuzzy String” range.
The standing figure’s leather jacket was painted Vallejo Model Colour Acrylics 70862 Black Grey with highlights in 337 Highlight Ger. (Black). The paint was polished with fingertip to obtain slight sheen.
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SHOW REPORT
AMPS 2014
The magnificent National Museum of the Marine Corps was not far from the convention site. This depiction of street fighting in the Vietnam War, featuring incredibly realistic mannequins, is one of several spectacular full-scale dioramas at the museum.
AMPS 2014 Scott Taylor reports on the 2014 AMPS show, returning this year to Fredericksburg Hospitality House for its 20th Anniversary International Convention.
T
he Armor Modeling and Preservation Society held its 20th anniversary International Convention from April 3-5, 2014. This year’s convention returned to Fredericksburg Hospitality House in Fredericksburg, Virginia, the site of the 2011 convention. This year’s theme, “Tanks on Film,” focused on military vehicles in the movies and on television. The AMPS international convention is the organization’s flagship event, drawing people from all over North America, Europe, and as far away as Australia. The convention plays an important role within the organization, both as a means to bring much of the membership together to meet in person and
as a recruiting opportunity for modellers in the area of the convention. The show always has a very friendly, relaxed feel to it as friends who often see each other only once a year get reacquainted and “talk shop.” The competition is also critical, and is one of the main ways that AMPS sets itself apart from other modelling organizations. In the AMPS judging system, models are scored by teams of four judges against a set of fixed criteria, and medals are awarded according to the model’s score, not relative to other models in the same category – thus, one could (and often does) end up with a number of gold medal winners in the same category. The judging system is designed so that every modeller receives written feedback
on his or her model, thus pointing out ways that they can improve their work. This feedback system is highly valued by the organization, although it is very manpowerintensive. However, the judging system also helps develop a deep sense of camaraderie within the organization – a majority of the people at the show are pitching in to help make the show a success. Attendees who participate in judging get to meet other modellers and discuss in depth various aspects of modelling while examining the models being judged, and those discussions often extend to the vending room and various local drinking establishments after the show is closed down for the night! Although there were no museum tours scheduled for this year’s
convention, the Fredericksburg area still provided plenty of opportunities for attendees to immerse themselves in history when they weren’t at the show. Aside from various American Civil War battlefields and related museums and other historic sites, the superb National Museum of the United States Marine Corps was about 20 miles north of the show (although given the traffic on Interstate 95, it could take a while to get there!). This museum is a must-see destination for anybody visiting northern Virginia with an interest in military history. In fact, for a variety of reasons beyond the organization’s control, several planned events for this convention fell through, but there was still lots to do between viewing
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Tony Zadro’s “A Day of R&R” won Best Diorama. The 1:35 diorama, which featured the crew of a Faun ZRS taking a break on a bridge, had very nice water effects, complete with a fish breaking the surface.
Harvey Low’s scratch built 1:35 Japanese SS-Ki engineer vehicle won the Best Small Army and People’s Choice awards. The awards featured this year’s Hollywood-themed logo.
Chris Durden became the newest AMPS Master when he won the Judges Grand Award for Best of Show with his 1:35 FMTV Warpig, based on the Trumpeter FMTV kit.
“The Road to Berlin,” by Dan Tisoncik, was an imaginatively presented diorama showing a Russian truck driving over an antitank ditch that has been filled with destroyed German equipment.
One of the more interesting items at the Legends table was this test shot of their new 1:35 ADATS antiaircraft missile vehicle – the real things recently retired from service with the Canadian Army. The conversion is intended for the Academy M113 family, but should work with any 1:35 M113 in your stash
Tony Zadro’s 1:35 IS32 Pat Hand radar vehicle, built from the TankMania resin kit, won Best Russian/Soviet Armour Award.
“Is this going to be a stand-up fight, sir, or another bug hunt?” Using the Halcyon 1:35 kit as its centrepiece, this elaborate (and lit!) diorama depicted a scene from the classic 1986 film Aliens.
This nicely finished 1:72 Japanese 28cm howitzer, as used in the Russo-Japanese War, was built from the Pit-Road kit. It was entered in Category VI (Ordnance), Advanced.
The David Harper Award, named after noted Marine armour historian Merit International brought along test shots of a number of new AFV One of Takom’s new FT-17 kits was on the table. Even in 1:16 scale, it David Harper, is awarded to the best US Marine armoured vehicle model. This year’s award included a legendary part of Marine heritage Club and Merit kits, including sprues from the eagerly awaited AFV Club wasn’t a whole lot larger than some of the 1:35 tanks on display. M60A1 and Sh’ot Kal Alef, as well as Merit’s huge 1:16 artillery pieces. - a genuine USMC KA-BAR Fighting and Utility Knife.
and judging the models - hitting the vending room, and attending the seminars that were offered. Seminar ranged from modellingrelated topics such as model photography and armour modelling techniques to historical seminars on topics ranging from US small arms in World War II to first-hand accounts of Marine tanks in the battle of Fallujah and the capture of Saddam Hussein. Vending is always a big part of any AMPS convention, and this year didn’t disappoint, despite the absence of several long-time vendors. It’s great to see new products in the flesh and meet
some of the people responsible for the stuff we love, whether it’s kits, detail sets, decals, tools, or books. Among the personal highlights for me were the test shots of AFV Club’s M60A1 and 1982 Centurion, Legends’ extensive multimedia ADATS conversion, and the new David Doyle’s new Ampersand book on the Caterpillar D7. This year’s theme provided a rich field of interesting, unusual subjects. While there were certainly some imaginative models – from an M51 Sherman that starred as a ‘Tiger” in 1980’s The Big Red One to an M41 Walker Bulldog that stood in for a German tank in the
1960s television show Combat – I was perhaps more surprised by what wasn’t on the tables. For instance, Oddball’s Sherman from Kelly’s Heroes, certainly one of the most popular tank films, was nowhere to be seen, despite the fact that a commercial conversion for this vehicle exists, as well as figures. Neither were there any of the T-34-85s converted to represent Tigers for that film or so many others, nor Humphrey Bogart’s M3 “Lulubelle” from 1943’s Sahara, nor any of the hundreds of hapless vehicles from the Japanese Ground Self Defence Forces that were stomped on by
Godzilla and his friends in so many Toho films over the past 60 years. Not that I can cast any stones, however: I had intended to build an M24 Chaffee from 1951’s The Day the Earth Stood Still, but it just wasn’t in the cards this year. I’m sure there were other film-themed models that suffered the same fate. An interesting change in the demographics of the models on the table was evident this year compared to previous years. While traditionally the tables have been dominated by Second World War subjects, especially the German ‘big cats’ like Tigers and Panthers, this year there were probably A
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SHOW REPORT
AMPS 2014
There were a number of nice 1:48 scale pieces on the tables, including this Hobbyboss M4A3E8 in the elaborate tiger markings worn by the 24th Infantry Division’s 5th Infantry Tank Company in Korea during the winter of 1951.
Bill Auerbach from Panzerwrecks had several new goodies at the show, including a copy of Duel in the Mist3. Darren Neely (left), co-author of Nürnberg’s Tank Factory, popped in on Saturday to hang out with Bill.
This Xact Models T-80U had very convincing wet mud effects on its base.
John Hayes took home the KA-BAR for Best Marine Armor with Ann, his 1:35 rendition of an M4A2 from the 3rd Tank Battalion on Iwo Jima.
It’s hard to believe that Dragon’s 1:35 Maus is over 20 years old. This nicely camouflaged example showed the kit can still have a presence on the tables.
Anthony Chin from Merit International and Johnson Wang from Jaguar Models were able to get away from their display long enough to take in some of the models on display.
This 1:72 Grant was fitted with scratch built Sunshields shields, which There were two examples of Meng’s big 1:35 Char 2C kit on the table, were designed to make the tank look like a truck from the air. including this one with a complex camouflage scheme.
By far the largest model at the show was this D-Day diorama featuring Accurate Armour’s 1:35 LCT-4. The base was made from a door!
Winner of this year’s theme award was Alex Ball with his 1:35 “Panther” tank from the 1977 film A Bridge too Far . Alex built this model from a Tamiya Leopard 1 that dates back to when the film was first released!
The judging teams worked diligently throughout the show to score all of the models and provide written feedback to their builders.
B more Russian vehicles than any
other nation. More interestingly, there seems to have been a swing towards postwar armour, especially post-Cold War vehicles. While this is likely at least partially due to the kits being available, it also probably has to do with the combat service that modern vehicles have seen in Iraq, Afghanistan, and other hot spots around the globe since the fall of the Iron Curtain, as well as people building models of vehicles that they have a personal connection to. From a modelling perspective, World War II definitely seems to be moving deeper into history.
Marc Sehring from the National Museum of Americans in Wartime in nearby Nokesville, Virginia was at the show promoting the museum’s upcoming open house on October 4 and also selling some vintage kits donated to the museum over the years.
The sheer volume and diversity of kits that have been released over the past several years has translated into models getting built. Some recent releases, like AFV Club’s M42 and M109 family, Meng’s FT-17 and Char 2C, the Xact Models T-80, Bronco’s M22 Locust, Dragon’s M48A3, and Tamiya’s Gama Goat, could be found in amongst the various Abrams, T-34s, Shermans, and Panzer IVs. I would say that there seem to be fewer and fewer ‘old chestnuts’ getting the full-up detail treatment in favour of newer kits; a sign of the times, I suppose, but it is still nice to see old-school
scratchbuilding and detail skills put to use. It’s nice to see that at least some of the great new kits coming out are being completed! While the majority of the models entered were 1:35, there was a healthy turnout of 1:48 and 1:72 subjects. Overall, this year’s AMPS convention was a big success – show chair Ashley Abernathy and his crew once again ran a very smooth show. With 504 models entered by 167 modellers on the tables, entries were up from last year’s show in Atlanta and slightly higher than when the show was in Fredericksburg in 2011. The 2015 AMPS International Convention will
return once again to the National Military history Center (formerly the WWII Victory Museum) in Auburn, Indiana on April 30-May 2, 2015. The show has always been very successful at this venue, which offers great facilities and 20,000 ft2 of space for the show, although the place will have a different feel after the auction in December 2012 that saw a good portion of the museum’s military vehicle collection go on the block. The theme for the 2015 show is “the first of the line” – referring to early versions of vehicles or ordnance. For more information on AMPS and the show, visit www.amps-armor.org ■
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A round-up of the latest news and releases in 1:72 and 1:76
Casting and detail are pretty spectacular. Turret roof detail.
Drive sprockets, idler wheels and smaller details.
The solid main hull casting.
Some parts will demand great care when removing them from their casting blocks.
CROSSHAIR
Clear resin vision blocks are included.
1:72 SCALE BMP-1 RESIN KIT • KIT NO. 72001
Crosshair Resin Models is a new manufacturer on the 1:72 scale scene whose stated aim is to produce the most accurate and complete models on the market today. This is quite an ambitious aspiration in these days of CAD designed, mass produced kits, but if their first kit of the ubiquitous BMP-1 is anything to judge by then they are well on their way to achieving their goal! The kit comes in a sturdy, corrugated cardboard box and consists of 166 resin parts, 26 clear parts, 88 photo-etched parts, a small sheet of metal mesh, a sheet of pre-cut paint masks for the clear parts and a well printed instruction booklet. There are no decals as these vehicles rarely carried any markings. Road wheels and the link-and-length tracks. The resin parts are supplied in three ziplock bags, as are the photo-etched sheet, metal mesh and painting masks. The main hull is one solid casting that is wrapped in bubble wrap to protect it as are the bags of parts, ensuring that everything is safe from damage. The quality of the casting is truly outstanding with no flaws, air bubbles, etc. in evidence on the review sample. There is some very fine flash associated with some of the parts, but this is common with resin kits and very easily dealt with. However, great care will have to be taken removing many of the parts from the casting blocks because of the delicacy of the moulding, but this is what makes this such an exceptional kit – this is definitely one for the experienced modeller! The tracks and running gear are amazing showing fine detailing on the link and length tracks and tiny suspension arms, shock absorbers and wheels (which have detail on both sides). The driver’s and commander’s hatches on the hull are separate, enabling them to be posed open, but the turret hatch is moulded closed as are the roof hatches and rear doors of the troop compartment. However, the casting quality more than makes up for this shortcoming. The turret is a miniature kit in itself, and even includes the Sagger anti-tank missile on its rail above the barrel. Detail is very good – remember this is 1:72 scale! The multitude of photo-etched parts will really enhance an already impressive model, as will the clear resin parts for the periscopes, lights, etc., making it hard to fault this kit, but there is one tiny omission to be found on the early examples. This is a small vent that is missing from the front right side of the hull. This, I am informed, has now been rectified by the makers and will appear on all new examples. Photographs really do not do justice to a kit such as this, the quality needs to be seen to be believed, making the relatively high price seem perfectly justified. This is a truly remarkable kit, and if the manufacturers continue to produce models to this standard, they will certainly have achieved their initial goal, and I for one am looking forward to their next releases with great anticipation! Highly Recommended! Photo-etched parts. A sheet of fine mesh is also supplied. Thanks to Creative Models Australia for the sample www.creativemodels.com.au Steve Shrimpton September 2014 - Model Military International 55
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Incoming
ICM
1:35 SCALE KADETT K38 SALOON KIT NO. 35478
TAMIYA
1:35 SCALE BRITISH PARATROOPERS WITH SMALL MOTORCYCLE KIT NO. 35337
The diminutive Welbike was a motor scooter developed by the Excelsior Motor Company in response to a 1943 requirement for a vehicle that could be dropped by parachute. At this time there were no British aircraft capable of carrying a jeep or other motorised transport. The Welbike weighed just 75 lbs and could be folded to fit inside a compact drop container, but it was uncomfortable to ride and it could only carry a single Paratrooper. Despite its limitations, the Welbike was used during the D-Day invasion and Operation Market Garden. Its twostroke, two cylinder 98cc engine delivered a range of 90 miles. Beats walking in full battle gear I suppose! Tamiya has packaged four WWII British Paratrooper figures in the same box as two Welbikes, although they are coyly referred to in this set simply as “Small Motorcycle”. Four sprues of grey coloured plastic are supplemented by two small photo-etched frets. Moulding quality is excellent, with no ejector pin marks or other imperfections apparent. The Welbikes and figures are presented on two identical sprues, each complete with parts for a scooter plus the figure parts. The bikes may be built deployed or folded. Tamiya offers optional heads and arms so that the figures will look suitably different from each other despite being sourced from two basic sets of parts. The photo-etched fret provides finely detailed spokes for the wheels and drive chains. I believe that this is the first time Tamiya has included fine photo-etched detail with a military bike or motorcycle kit, and it is a very welcome development. In 1:35 and smaller, photo-etch is really the only way to accurately depict spokes in scale.A four-piece plastic jig is provided to press the spokes to the correct shape. The bikes are made up from eleven plastic pieces each, plus six photo-etched parts. The figures are nicely detailed. Arms, legs, torsos, heads and helmets are all separate. The para helmets do not have camouflage netting. Two of the figures are seated on the bikes and two are standing. All are in casual poses. Two additional small sprues provide generic British weapons, tools and personal stowage. These include .303 rifles, Bren guns, Sten guns, holstered sidearms, picks, shovels, helmets and more. Tamiya's 1:35 scale Paratroopers and Welbikes is a great little set that should fire the imaginations of modellers. There is plenty of potential to use this set as a standalone vignette, or in combination with a vehicle for a larger diorama. Now all we need is an injection moulded 1:35 scale Light Tank Mk.VII Tetrach! Highly Recommended. Thanks to Tamiya for the sample www.tamiya.com Tamiya kits are distributed in the UK by The Hobby Company Limited www.hobbyco.net Brett Green
Comprising 130 parts, ICM’s latest kit is of the Opel K38, a prewar saloon car that served in Wehrmacht & Luftwaffe units on the Western & Eastern Fronts right up to the war’s end. This is quite a basic kit by today’s standards, coming on 5 sprues with one for the clear parts and another for the soft rubber tyres. A set of markings gives us two options, one for Russia and the other in France. Detail is best described as being to the standard of Italeri’s best in the 1970s. It is sharp in most areas, soft in some, but more than adequate. Something that seems to run in ICM car kits is that the outer door panels are moulded with the doors in situ but you get separate inner door parts. It will not be too difficult to scribe and separate the parts, but it would be much easier if the doors were moulded individually. Construction starts with the engine and progresses through the suspension units and main body. Please refer to the photo to see the level of detail that ICM have built into the radiator – lovely! There are 24 steps in all but, in typical ICM style, they are clearly drawn, uncluttered, and simple to follow. Detail on the engine and suspension is really quite good and a shame that most of it is hidden – I recommend you leave the bonnet off so as to see all of this. We get decals for the dashboard gauges and a full set of driver’s pedals and levers. Beware the teeny-tiny door handles as they have heavy sprue attachment points and will either easily break or make a snack for the Carpet Monster. The main body itself is made up of separate panels but a test fit of the main parts showed a surprisingly good fit. A standout for me is the detail on the wheel wells. The contours of the front grille have been captured well, as have the louvres on the bonnet sides. Turning to the wheels, ICM provide these in soft vinyl and with a very detailed tread pattern. Unfortunately there is a mould seam right down the middle that you have to clean off, but it is better than a onepiece plastic part. This is a lovely little model. It is cleanly moulded with no faults and, if you like your WWII cars, fits a nice little gap. ICM are really setting their mark with these car and it gets a thumbs up from me. Highly Recommended. Thanks to ICM for the sample www.icm.ua Graham Tetley
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THATCHWEAVE PRODUCTS
ITEM NO. TWN01 – 1:35 CAMOUFLAGE NET STOWAGE ITEM NO. TW003 – 1:35 GPA AMPHIBIOUS JEEP BUMPERS ITEM NO. TWN05 – 1:35 CAMOUFLAGE BARREL WRAP (17 PDR.) ITEM NO. TWSB1 – 1/35 SANDBAGS (SET OF 10)
Thatchweave Products has four new releases that will be of interest to 1:35 scale military modellers. The first is a set of two stowed camouflage nets. What makes these unusual is that they are made from cotton and silk. They will conform to surfaces and you’ll be able to stiffen them with a mix of white glue and water. They look a little stark and glossy straight from the packet, but they should respond well to staining and weathering techniques. Next up is a set of four finely woven bumpers for Tamiya’s venerable GPA Amphibious Jeep. These are much more realistic than Tamiya’s plastic parts, and Thatchweave supplies detailed instructions about the additional parts that will be necessary to successfully install the bumpers. The third set being reviewed is the characteristic camouflage wrap seen on Firefly and Comet 17 Pdr barrels. This clever silk and cotton wrap is simply slipped onto the end of the barrel and pulled back using the threads sewn on. The threads can be cut off when the wrap is in place. Finally we have a set of ten empty sandbags. Once again, these are made of very fine material. Simply fill the bags with wet plaster or sand, seal them and pose them on your vehicle. These fabric accessories look very interesting and I look forward to testing them out on some of my future projects. All Recommended. Thanks to Thatchweave Products for the sample www.thatchweave.tripod.com Brett Green
ARCHER FINE TRANSFERS
AR35375 – 1:35 NORTH KOREAN FLAG AR35376 – 1:35 CITROEN INSTRUMENTS AR35377 – 1:35 SIMCA AND BUSSING NAG INSTRUMENTS AR35381 – 1:35 GERMAN WWII AMBULANCE MARKINGS AR35382 – 1:35 JEEP INSTRUMENTS AND PLACARDS AR99064 – SUPERHERO EYEBALL DECALS
Archer Fine Transfers has an interesting selection of recent releases. The first is a set of five 1:35 scale North Korean flags in four different sizes. Each flag is made up from two pieces – one side each – and they are designed to be applied to aluminium foil for a realistic effect. This will be handy for Korean War or more modern dioramas and vehicles. The next two are instrument sets for 1:35 scale Tamiya Citroen and the Tamiya Simca or AFV Club Bussing Nag kits. These will be simply rubbed down in the appropriate place on the kit instrument panel to deliver authentic and highly detailed dials. Archer’s markings are dry transfers, meaning that the decals are rubbed down onto the painted model without the need for water. I have used Archer Dry Transfers myself, and they work beautifully. However, if you are a dedicated wet-decaller, Archer supplies instructions for two wet application methods using these decals. Full instructions are included in each set, and further reference photos are available on Archer’s website. Modellers of German subjects will be pleased to see a selection of German WWII Ambulance Markings. 30 red crosses in white circles are supplied for vehicles. These are supplemented by small versions for German helmets, and armband decals too. Once again, these are dry transfers, with the option of wet application if you really prefer. Next up is a set of instrument dials and placards specifically designed for Bronco’s recently released (and jewel-like) Jeep kits. Enough dials and placards are supplied for three vehicles. The final release that we are examining is “Superhero Eyeball” decals. Three different sizes are provided in six colours, ranging from a quite human blue to a decidedly superhuman orange. Unlike the previous releases, these decals are waterslide. In fact, the instructions suggest adding some white glue to the water to assist adhesion on the curved eyeballs. You will need to paint the whites of the eyes first, and then apply the fully circular eyeballs. The excess will need to be either trimmed or (preferably and more easily) painted over. These eyeballs are a rather unique approach to one of the most challenging aspects of figure modelling. Archer’s eyeballs should be suitable for large scales – 1/4 to 1/6 scales. All Recommended. Thanks to Archer Fine Transfers for the samples www.archertransfers.com Archer Fine Transfers are available online from Creative Models Australia www. creativemodels.com.au Brett Green September 2014 - Model Military International 57
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1:48 Scale – A round-up of the latest news and releases
THE BLACK MIRROR BECKONS
I
have begun to use a mobile phone. Yeah, I know what you’re thinking. “Really?”. I am unashamedly old school. I mean, if people want to contact me they can ring me either at work or at home. I can however see some benefits. For example, if someone were to tell me 20 years ago I could access the sum total of all human knowledge in a little black box that fits in my back pocket I would have told them, “there is your space ship dude, let me walk you to it”. But it’s all there if you care (and are willing to pay) to access it. This new age of instant information got me thinking. Is your phone’s face the last thing you see before you sleep and your first friend in
the morning? My research into this strange phenomenon is that whenever you get a ping on your phone your brain gives you a tiny squirt of dopamine as a reward, exactly the same as any addiction gives you, the cumulative effect is that brains of mobile phone users come to resemble those of drug or gambling addicts. I get why people are into it it’s exiting and convenient. I myself can’t really get into it partly, because I am not by nature social creature, but mostly I just don’t want the noise. I believe in daydreaming. For me, it is the most fertile and creative state. The simple act of allowing my brain to freewheel can lead to connections and solutions
previously hidden in plain sight. Sure, I can gain access to instant “mind candy” on the web but for me, coming up with an original idea usually takes place while daydreaming. My phone also gives me access to a whole raft of modelling forums, but one must be careful there too. It is tempting to voice your opinion on a whole range of subjects. I’m always reminded of what my late father once said to me when I was being cheeky. He said, “Son, life will afford you many opportunities to say nothing. My advice is to take all of them”. Or, as a wise old cowboy said, “If you find yourself in a hole, stop digging”. Hang on, I just heard a ping from my mobile phone. Might be another kit I can add to the stash. I don’t have any addictions, not me!
Until next time Luke Pitt
TANK MANIA
1:48 SCALE SOVIET SA-4 GANEF KIT NO. 48-001
The Soviet SA-4 “Ganef” was a long-range mobile system first deployed in the mid-1960s. The missiles, carried in pairs on a tracked launcher, used drop-off solid-fuel boosters and a ramjet sustainer motor. Employing a combination of radar command guidance and active radar homing, and supported by an array of mobile radars for target acquisition, tracking, and guidance, they could engage targets over the horizon. Never in a million years would I have imagined that this kit would be produced in 1:48 scale. This weapon system has always intrigued me. The twin missiles look purposeful and deadly. Tank Mania is a new firm from Poland and is headed by master builder Pawel Urbanek. If this kit is any indication of his work, then he truly is in the “master” category. The real vehicle is quite large but until I opened the kit box I had no real idea how large it really was. The upper hull for instance, measures 15 cm long by 6 cm wide. The kit is very complex and consists of some 231 resin, 7 photo-etched pieces and 2 lengths of copper tow gable. 7 large resin castings take up most of the box and consist of the upper and lower hulls, 2 missiles, 2 launch arm assemblies and 1 front arm cradle. The level of detail is outstanding and you would be hard pressed to add anything in terms of detail. The 28 road wheels, 8 front and rear idlers and 8 return rollers are equally well detailed. Generally in kits of this type, the tracks seem to be an afterthought. Not so with this kit. They consist of 48 individual tracks and 52 four link sections. The detail on these is superb and rivals anything any aftermarket producer could produce. A final bag of loose resin pieces contains items like the missile fins and all associated hardware on the outside of the hull, 16 road wheel arms, 8 solid-fuel boosters and 2 launch arm pistons. A small photo-etched fret is included that tackles the various engine and exhaust grills rounds out the package. You know, every so often a kit comes along that is just too good to miss out on. This is one of them. Sure, it’s expensive and the instructions are not as precise as I would like but brother, the quality of detail and the complete nature of the kit makes this a cut above the rest. In all honestly this is one of the best 1:48 scale resin kits that I have ever reviewed. If you want to experience how good a 1:48 scale resin kit can be, go out and buy this one. You will not be disappointed. Our thanks go out to Tank Mania. The kits can be purchased direct from them on the following web site www.tank-mania.com Highly Recommended. Thanks to Tank Mania for the sample www.tank-mania.com Luke Pitt
S
M
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Luke Pitt hosts MMI’s examination of the growing world of 1:48 scale military models, figures and accessories.
RED ZEBRA
1:48 SCALE FOOD RATIONS IN BOXES AND BAGS
Simple, yet highly effective comes to mind when viewing this quite small update from Red Zebra. Armies run on food and the fresher the better, This set consists of 3 bags of what look like potatoes (but they could be any roundish fruit or vegetable), four wooden boxes in various sizes with a variety of food stuffs and two wicker baskets filled with vegetables. These could be placed in any setting and their placement is only limited to your imagination. The really good thing about these is, if painted well, they could become a focal point of any diorama or indeed stand alone vehicle. Highly Recommended. Thanks to Red Zebra for the review sample. They can be contacted and ordered directly by email at redzebra100@tiscall.co.uk Luke Pitt
HISTORY WARS
1:48 RED ARMY COMMANDER ITEM 48 001 1:48 GERMAN PARATROOPER ITEM 48 002
This new firm has sent us some quite nice resin figures for review this month. The first figure is a Russian Commander and consists of a body, two alternative heads and two arms. The sculpting on this figure is really quite good with fine facial features in evidence. The uniform is also handled well with very fine fabric folds and uniform details. The pose is also a versatile one, as it lends itself to almost any setting. The second figure is a German Paratrooper in action trowing a grenade. Strangely, this figure is some two scale feet taller than the Russian Tank Commander and is more in line with the Evolution range of figures in terms of height and bulk, whereas the Russian Tank Commander would not look out of place with the Tamiya range. The Paratrooper is very well done with the face being particularly good. The uniform detail is also done to a high standard. I like both of these figures as they are both rendered to a high standard. Recommended. Thanks to History Wars for the sample. Luke Pitt
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MODEL MILITARY INTERNATIONAL September 2014 - Model Military International 59
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Book Reviews
KAGERO
TOPCOLOR 39 CAPTURED PANZERS - GERMAN VEHICLES IN ALLIED SERVICE
AMMO OF MIG JIMENEZ TIRAN, IN LEBANESE WARS BY SAMER KASSIS ISBN 8432074060000
When building a model kit, a good reference book is always a very welcome thing, and here we have an interesting addition to any armour modellers collection. TIRAN In the Lebanese Wars is a very comprehensive book on this subject just making you want to build this subject in kit form. The author, Samer Kassis, is a Lebanese citizen and has a passion for this vehicle. He has experienced the horror of conflict in his country, and put his life in extreme danger to get some of the photos in this publication, nearly being shot by Syrians, Lebanese and Israelis over the years it took him to get these pictures. There are also pictures by others - all friends happy to share their great collections. The book itself is in soft bound A4 format, with high quality glossy cover, with a total of 96 pages just bristling with many brilliant, never before seen photos of this vehicle in action and also close up detail shots. It is here where you see just how close to danger Samer came. One photo that particularly grabbed my attention was that of two South Lebanese Army Tankers with an Australian Peacekeeper, posing for the shot, but there are far many other fantastic shots between the covers. Also at the back are some great colour profile illustrations, showing the many groups that used this vehicle including that of a Uruguyan unit. This is an excellent book, well worth grabbing and adding to your collection indeed. 9.5/10 Highly Recommended. Thanks to Ammo for the sample http://www.migjimenez.com/en/ Andrew Judson
This is No. 39 in Kagero’s Topcolor series and covers a unique and lesser known subject, captured German vehicles in use by the Allies. The book has decals in three scales for 16 different vehicles of the following types: Panzer II F (US Tunisia); Skdfz 222 RAF Nth Africa; Hetzer (Polish Home Army); Panther A (French NWE); Sd.Kfz. 4 15cm Panzerwerfer (French NWE); Panther G “Deserter” (Canada/UK Italy); Panther G “Cuckoo” (UK NWE); Pz IVH/J (French NWE); Sd.Kfz. 251/8 D (US NWE); Panther G (USSR Hungary); Panther G “Dauphine” (French NWE); Sd.Kfz. 251/9 (UK Holland); Sd.Kfz. 251/1 D (Czech, Prague); Sd.Kfz. 250 Ausf A (Czech, Prague) and Stug III G (Polish, Poland). The decals appear to be well printed with little carrier film and cover an interesting array of subjects, most of which feature reasonably colourful markings. Each subject has a background and description in both English and Polish. Three scales are provided being 1:72, 1:48 and 1:35, along with slogans and numerals. A lot of the subjects are covered in whitewash and the information page gives some interesting notes regarding this and general Soviet schemes. This is a great collection of markings for an interesting subject not often seen. As such, it should appeal to modellers of Allied armour and those modellers of German armour looking for something different. If I have one criticism it is the Blue of the Guards Armoured Divisional and RA AoS insignia is way too light a blue, being Sky as opposed to Royal Blue. Despite that, I look forward to more subjects from this manufacturer. Recommended. Thanks to Casemate UK for the sample www.casematepublishing.co.uk Al Bowie
AMMO OF MIG JIMENEZ
WAFFEN SS COLORS - CAMOUFLAGE PROFILE GUIDE ISBN 8432074060017
There are many types of books on the subject of camouflage profile art, but here is another that is of a very high quality and well worth adding to the collection. It comes in the form of a soft cover, A4, high quality gloss cover and pages publication, with 79 pages. The book commences with a good introduction explaining why this subject was chosen, the work that went into it, and what to expect within the pages. There is also a technical section explaining the whole colour perspective, with some nice colour plates, showing variations of the colours, very interesting stuff. The rest of the book is profile after profile with beautiful artwork, showing the many colour schemes used by the Waffen SS, and vehicles. For the modeller, this is a bible of colour. 16 different divisions/units are covered, with accurate descriptions of the colours, vehicles and where they were used. At the end of the book there are photos of a truck model in various schemes and colours to show differences of shades and weathering effects. These are built by Pere Valls and look to be nice. At the end of the day, I recommend getting this book, as it appears a lot of research went into getting this information, and it will help anyone who loves or wants to build a nice vehicle of the Waffen SS. It won't disappoint. Highly Recommended. Thanks to Ammo for the sample http://www.migjimenez.com/en/ Andrew Judson
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PANZER ACES
NO.44, ACCION PRESS, EURO MODELISMO
Here we have the latest issue of Panzer Aces Magazine, which over the years has had some very fine works within its pages. This one again does not disappoint at all. It is 64 pages full of high quality photos of brilliant models, and well written articles. In total, there are five articles, all based on WWII subjects. These are a 1:48 Jagdpanther by Jose Luis Lopez, a Ferdinand in 1:35 scale by Mario Gabas, a StugIII Hybrid in 1:35 by Jari Hemilia, a Stug IV in 1:35 by Alejandro Quintana, and lastly a modelling lesson on applying and fixing Pigments to a kit, with a Panzer III by Rodrigo Hernandez Cabos. All the articles are very informative, explaining the techniques used to build the kits and weather them. This is yet another great issue of this magazine, that is well worth a look, filled with beautiful works as always. Great read. Highly Recommended. Thanks to Euro Modelismo for the sample www.euromodelismo.com Andrew Judson
MODEL LABORATORY
PANZERJAGER "JAGDTIGER" SD.KFZ.186 FRUHE PRODUKTION ACCION PRESS, MODELISMO
TANKOGRAD IN DETAIL LEOPARD 2 MAINTENANCE BY JOCHEN VOLLERT ISBN 978 3 936519 34 1
The Leopard tank has always been a popular subject for both armour enthusiasts and modellers, and although there have been several publications on the subject, I believe that this is a first of its kind covering the actual maintenance of this formidable beast. The book is a soft cover A4 size, with 96 pages containing 219 full colour photos. These photos range from pictures of the vehicle in the field, to the vehicle in various forms of repair with very detailed and close up shots. There are a lot of shots of the power pack, the main gun removed from the turret, driveline and track detail - basically the whole vehicle. Also of interest are photos of the training systems used before a tanker gets to set foot into the real thing. These are both external and internal shots, and also computer screen shots from a combat simulator used by commander and crew for different combat situations. Lastly, there are some very interesting images of the actual maintenance hall where all the work is done and the equipment used to perform this. Overall, I’d say that this is a very interesting and different view of the Leopard tank, and also a very good reference/walkaround. I recommend this book to all a great read indeed. Highly Recommended. Thanks to Tankograd Publishing for the sample www.tankograd.com Andrew Judson
This is the fifth edition of a great new series by Accion Press, this one covering the subject of building the 1:35 scale Tamiya Jagdtiger. There are 33 pages in total, with many step by step photos, all in full colour. There are 6 chapters: • Colour chart and materials employed, covering everything needed and used in this project. • Detailed Assembly, showing the initial build, and then going into the adding of aftermarket items and surface detailing. • Paint treatments, showing the basic and advanced techniques used to paint this up, including the weathering. • General Overviews, showing a series of very nice photos of the finished kit from all different angles, • Colour Profiles, offering a series of four different colour schemes and markings, and finally • Choosing Products, giving a very comprehensive list of all kits and products available to build this kit, wether out of the box, or jamm packed with aftermarket. This is a very good publication, well written and illustrated with high quality photos, giving any modeller a brilliant guide to build this kit, although the techniques described may be used on many other projects. I recommend this to all, especially those who really want to up the level of their build style. Highly Recommended. Thanks to Euro Modelismo for the sample www.euromodelismo.com Andrew Judson
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BUYERS GUIDE>>>>>>>>> AVID READER
Tel: 01299 823 330 Fax:01299 829 970
Unit 10, Hodfar Road, Sandy lane Ind Estate, Stourport On Severn, Worcestershire, DY13 9QB
PARABELLUM
Tel: 0121 551 8878 Fax: 0121 707 1471 54 Vyse Street, Hockley, Birmingham, BI8 6HR
MILITARY, AVIATION, NAVAL, MODELLING, RAILWAYS, CAR & MOTORCYCLE BOOKS
11.00AM TO 5.30PM THURSDAY, FRIDAY & SATURDAY
9.30 – 4.30 MONDAY TO FRIDAY BY APPOINTMENT ONLY
SPECIALISING IN AIRCRAFT, ARMOUR, VEHICLES & FIGURES IN 1/72, 1/48 & 1/35, VALLEJO PAINTS, MAIL ORDER
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
HANNANTS MODEL SHOP Tel: 0208 205 6697 Fax: 01502 500521 Unit 2, Hurricane Trading Estate, Grahame Park Way, Colindale, NW9 5QW
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
ADVERTISE ON THIS PAGE! IF YOU ARE READING THIS THEN SO ARE THOUSANDS OF OTHERS. FOR INFORMATION, CALL GARETH LIDDIATT ON 01525 222573
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 101.indd 62
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Contact Details - for companies featured in MMI... ACCURATE ARMOUR/ ARMOUR DISTRIBUTION
Units 15-16 Kingston Industrial Estate, Port Glasgow, Inverclyde, PA14 5DG Scotland. Tel; 01475 743 955 Fax; 01475 743746 www.accurate-armour.com
ADALBERTUS
Iberyjska 7/49, 02-764 , Warsaw,Poland adalbertus@adalbertus.com.pl www.adalbertus.com.pl
THE AIRBRUSH COMPANY Ltd
Unit 7 Marlborough Road, Lancing Business Park, Lancing, West Sussex, BN15 8UF. Tel; 08700 660 445 www.airbrushes.com
ALCLAD II LACQUER
5 St Georges Close, Bacton, Norfolk. NR12 0LL Tel; 01962 65216 Fax; 01692 652334
ALPINE, ROYAL MODEL, ARTISAN MORI, YOSCI; SMARTMODELLING No.7 Gordons Way, Oxted, Surrey RH8 0LN. UK Tel; 01883 734746 smartmodelling@smart7.fsworld.co.uk
AMPERSAND PUBLISHING (via Historex Agents in UK)
235 NE 6th Avenue #4 Delray Beach, Florida 33483-5543, USA Tel; 561-266 9686 Fax; 561-266-9786
ARCHER
(Historex in UK)
PO Box 1277 Youngsville, NC 27596-1277, USA www.archertransfers.co
BADGER AIR-BRUSH COMPANY 9128W Belmont Ave, Franklin Park, IL 60131 Tel; 847/678-3104 www.badgerairbrush.com email info@badgerairbrush.com (In the UK from www.shesto.co.uk)
BISON DECALS
Available from www.hannants.co.uk and www.pdi-model-supplies.com
DELUXE MATERIALS www.deluxematerials.co.uk info@deluxematerials.com Tel; 01529 455 0340
DRAGON MODELS
(The Hobby Company in UK)
Dragon Models Ltd, Kong Nam Ind. Building B1-10F, 603-609 Castle Peak Road, Tsuen Wan NT, Hong Kong Fax; (HK) 4110587 www.dragonmodelsltd.com (For 1:6 Action Figures, please contact Amerang in UK)
ECHELON FINE DETAILS
Available from; wwwaccurate-armour.com & http://pachome1.pacific.net.sg/~kriegsketten/
FRIENDSHIP MODELS
12 Delta Drive, Musselburgh, East Lothian, EH21 8HR Tel; 0131 665 0866 Mobile; 07877166225 www.friendshipmodels.com
GREAT NORTH ROADS
9a Marcombe Road, Torquay, South Devon, TQ2 6LL Tel; 01803 400436 www.greatnorthroads.co.uk email svfarrugia@yahoo.co.uk
HANNANTS
Harbour Road, Oulton Broad, Lowestoft, Suffolk, NR32 2LZ, Tel; 01502 517444 Fax; 01502 500521 www.hannants.co.uk sales@hannants.co.uk
HISTOREX AGENTS
Wellington House, 157 Snargate Street, Dover, Kent, CT17 9BZ, UK Tel; 01304 206720 Fax; 01304 204528. www.historex-agents.co.uk sales@historex-agents.co.uk
HOBBYLINK JAPAN
CAMMETT
(Lifecolour, Scale Caliber)
Unit 5 Greenfield Industrial Estate, Forest Road, Hay on Wye, Powys, HR3 5FA Tel; 01497 822757 Email; cammettco@btinternet.com www.cammett.co.uk
CLASSIC PUBLICATIONS
Midland Counties Publications, 4 Watling Drive, Sketchley Lane Industrial Estate, Hinckley, Leics UK. LE10 1YF Tel; 01455 233 747, Fax; 01455 233 737 midlandbooks@compuserve.com www.classic-publications.com
CREATIVE MODELS LTD
(Mig Productions, Vallejo, Accurate Miniatures)
Unit 6-10, Honeysome Industrial Estate, Honeysome Road, Chatteris, Cambridgeshire. PE16 6TG Tel; 01354 760022 www.creativemodels.co.uk info@creativemodels.co.uk
DARTMOOR MILITARY MODELS Haylis cottage, Budlake, Broadclyst Exeter, EX5 3LJ, England Tel; 01392 881271 www.dartmoormilitarymodels.com
C/ Santiago Rusinol 7, Pral 2a, 08750 Molins de Rei, Barcelona, Spain www.migproductions.com
MILICAST MODEL CO.,
9 Rannoch St., Battlefield, Glasgow G44 4DF, Scotland Tel/Fax; 0141 633 1400 milicastmodels@hotmail.com www.milicast.com
MISSION MODELS
(ETCHMATE, GRABHANDLER, MICRO CHISEL)
www.etchmate.com www.missionmodels.com Tel; 818 842 1885 Fax; 818 842 1886 info@missionmodels.com, sales@missionmodels.com, orders@missionmodels.com
THE ARMORY; M&MODELS
9329 S. Cicero Ave, Oak Lawn, IL 60453, USA http://home.earthlink.net/~mmodels/
www.airconnection.on.ca
www.ianallanpublishing.com Mail Order Dept 01455 254450 Kiev 02099, Ukraine, Borispolskaya 9 building 64. Tel/fax; (+38044) 369-54-12 export@icm.com.ua www.icm.com.ua
ITALERI
(The Hobby Company in UK)
Via Pradazzo, 6, I-40012 Calderara Di Reno, Bologna, Italy, Tel; 051 726037 www.italeri.com
JUST BASES
21 Graham Road, Paignton TQ3 1BB Tel; 01803 558520 www.just-bases.co.uk
JUST KITS
Schiffer Publishing, 4880 Lower Valley Rd, Atglen, PA, 19310 USA www.schifferbooks.com
SCHIFFER BOOKS in UK
Bushwood Books, No.6 Marksbury Avenue, Kew Gardens, Surrey TW9 4JF, UK. Tel; 020 8392 8585, 020 8392 9876, email; info@bushwodbooks.co.uk
SCHUMO KITS
www.schumo-kits.com
SDV MODEL www.sdvmodel.cz
SIMPLE 2 TRADE
No 2 Hollywood Lane, Hollywood, Birmingham, B47 5PP Tel; 0121 474 3030 www.simple2trade.com
SMARTMODELLING
No.7 Gordons Way, Oxted, Surrey RH8 0LN UK Tel; 01883 734746 smartmodelling@smart7.fsworld.co.uk
MONROE PERDU
SQUADRON
Monroe Perdu Designs, 3168 Renee Court, Simi Valley, CA 93065, USA. www.monroeperdu.com
ORDNANCE MODELS Via; www.steelmodels.com
PACIFIC COAST MODELS Tel; 001 707 538 4850 info@pacmodels.com www.pacmodels.com
PO Box 164, Heathfield, Sussex TN21 8WA, UK www.panzerwrecks.com (Creative Models in UK)
Jizni 56, 370 10 C. Budejovice, Czech Republic. plusmodel@plusmodel.cz www.plusmodel.cz
POCKETBOND LTD
(Trumpeter & AFV Club in UK)
PO Box 80, Welwyn, Hertfordshire, England, AL6 0ND Tel; 01707 391509 Fax; 01707 327 466 info@pocketbond.co.uk
PSP MODELS LTD (Mission Models in USA)
Unit 19B, Applin’s Farm, Farrington, Dorset DT11 8RA, UK Tel/Fax; 01747 811 817 www.psp-models.com
QUICKBOOST
www.quickboost.net
REVELL GmbH & Co. KG
LSA MODELS
SB MODELS
Model Design Construction, Victoria Place, Victoria Road, Ripley, Derbyshire DE5 3FW Fax; 01773 513344 orders@modeldesignconstruction.com www.modeldesignconstruction.com
SCHIFFER BOOKS
(Swash, Tasca, Gap, Yosci, Royal Model)
4 High Street, Botley, Southampton, SO30 2EA Tel; 01489 781177 www.justkitsandmodels.co.uk
MDC
Industriestrasse 6, 94347 Ascha, Germany Fax; 09961 910 7826
Tel; 01892 533036 www.modelwholesaleuk.com
Orchard Mews, 18C High Street, Tring, Herts, HP23 5AH Tel; +44 (0) 1442 890285 www.revell.eu
(TASCA, MASTER BOX) Retail; 151 Sackville Road, Hove, East Sussex, BN3 3HD, England. Tel/Fax; 01273 705420 orders@lsamodels.co.uk www.lsamodels.co.uk
SCHATTON BARRELS
MODEL WHOLESALE UK LTD
PLUS MODEL
ICM
Via Hannants in UK
(Creative Models in UK)
HUSSAR PRODUCTIONS, CANADA
BOOKWORLD WHOLESALE
CALIBRE 35
MIG PRODUCTIONS
PANZERWRECKS
IAN ALLAN
Unit 10 Hodfar Road, Sandy Lane Ind Est Stourport, Worcs, DY13 9QB Tel; 01299 823330 Fax; 01299 829970 info@bookworldws.co.uk
http://www3.ocn.ne.jp/~m.a.mori/index_eng.html
Sano-shi, Kurohakama-cho 162-1, Tochigi 327-0813, Japan www.hlj.com
BLAST MODELS
Via AFV Modeller or www.blast-models.com
MODELING ARTISAN MORI
UK distributor for Model Victoria and Royal Model
P.O. Box 114, Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria, LA13 0WY. Tel/Fax; 01229 430 749 sales@sbmodels.fsnet.co.uk www.sbmodels.net
1115 Crowley Drive, Carrollton, TX 75006-1312 U.S.A
SWANN-MORTON
Owlerton Green, Sheffield, S6 2BJ Tel; +44 (0)114 234 4231 Fax; +44 (0)114 231 4966 General: info@swann-morton.com www.craftknives.com
TAMIYA JAPAN
Tamiya, Inc., 3-7 Ondawara Suruga-ku, Shizuoka 422-8610 JAPAN www.tamiya.com
TAMIYA UK;
THE HOBBY COMPANY LIMITED Garforth Place, Knowlhill, Milton Keynes, MK5 8PG, UK Tel; 01908 605686 Fax; 01908 605666 enquiries@hobbyco.net www.hobbyco.net
TRUMPETER
www.trumpeter-china.com Pocketbond in the UK
VERLINDEN PRODUCTIONS (Historex in UK)
811 Lone Star Drive, O’Fallon, Missouri 63366, USA www.verlinden-productions.com
VALLEJO
(Creative Models in UK)
Acrylicos Vallejo, SL Apartado 337 - 08800 Vilanova i la Geltrú, Barcelona, Spain Tel; (34) 93 893 60 12 Fax; (34) 93 893 11 54 www.acrylicosvallejo.com
VLS CORPORATION (LSA in UK)
(TRAKZ, WINGZ, CUSTOM DIORAMICS, WARRIORS); Lincoln County Industrial Park, 1011 Industrial Court, Moscow Mills, Missouri 63362, USA www.modelmecca.com
WHITE ENSIGN
Unit 5, Cobnash Industrial Estate, HR6 9RW Tel; 0844 415 0914 wem@onetel.com www.whiteensignmodels.com
WWII PRODUCTIONS, AUSTRALIA
PO Box 794, Cheltenham GL52 3ZW, UK RICHARDSBLC@aol.com
12 Prince Street, Waratah, 2298, NSW, Australia Tel; +61 (0)2 4967 3205 Fax; +61 (0)2 4967 3207 ww2prod@optusnet.com.au
SBX MODEL SHOP
ZVEZDA
SBLC
Norwich Road, Ipswich. IP1 5DN Tel; 01473 464311 www.sbxmodelshop.co.uk
(The Hobby Company in UK)
Promishlennaia Str.,2, Lobnya, Moscow Region, 141730 Russia office@zvezda.org.ru www.zvezda.org.ru
n Please mention ‘Model Military International’ if you make contact with any of the companies listed above - thanks! 64 Model Military International - September 2014
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Next Issue On sale 4th September, 2014
ISSUE No.101 September 2014, Published August 7th 2014 Editor;
Brett Green
Group Editor;
Marcus Nicholls
Publisher;
Alan Harman
Graphic Design;
Alex Hall
Advertising Sales;
Gareth Liddiatt
Advertising Assistant;
Joe Brown
Office Manager;
Paula Gray
Administration Manager; Hannah McLaurie MMI Website;
ADH Web Team
Printed by; Symbian Print Intelligence, Hertfordshire, UK Distributed by; Seymour Distribution 2 East Poultry Avenue, London, EC1A 9PT Tel; 020 7429 4000
MAXX PRO Andrew Judson builds the 1:35 scale Kinetic kit; accompanied by a detailed Think Tank reference article by Stuart Ransley.
Newstrade; Select Publisher Services 3 East Avenue, Bournemouth, BH3 7BW Tel; 01202 586848 Email; tim@selectps.com
TANKFEST SHOW REPORT
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
Andrew Willis covers the 2014 Tankfest show in words and pictures.
Editorial enquiries; Email; editor@modelmilitary.com Advertising enquiries; Tel; +44 (0)1525 222573 Email; gareth@adhpublishing.com
...and much more! Due to many influencing factors, we cannot guarantee the appearance of the above projects, but we’ll try our best!
ACHILLES
Brett Green builds the brand new 1:48 scale Tamiya M10 Achilles IIC.
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!
Reproduction in part of any text, photograph, or illustration without written consent from the publisher is strictly prohibited. While due care is taken to ensure the contents of Model Military International is accurate, the publishers and printers can not accept responsibility for errors and omissions. Advertisements are accepted for publication in Model Military International only on ADH Publishing’s standard terms of acceptance of advertising, copies of which are available from the advertising department. Please write to the address above. All advertising, circulation and subscription enquiries should also be directed to the UK address above. Subscription rates are; 1 year (12 issues); £44 UK £56 Europe £69 Worldwide (Airmail) Binders; £8.50 plus postage (UK £2.45, Euro £4.45, World £6.45) For all orders, please call; (UK) +44(0)1525 222573 or visit www.modelmilitary.com Back Issues; Back Issues are available at the current cover price. See the latest back issues advert or visit www.modelmilitary.com The paper used in this magazine is manufactured at the Leipa Georg Mill and is 100% recycled using de-inked pulp. The mill conforms fully with the requirements of both FSC and PEFC and carries the full accreditations for their environmental policies.
1939
Kamil Feliks Sztarbala commemorates the outbreak of the Second World War with a 1:35 scale diorama.
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© ADH Publishing 2014
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
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D6793 Dragon Kits are distributed in the UK by The Hobby Company Limited, Knowlhill, Milton Keynes, MK5 8PG See the full Dragon range at www.hobbyco.net Find us on facebook Dragon models are available from all good model shops search Plastic Kits UK
p 67 Dragon 101.indd 8
www.hobbyco.net
18/07/2014 11:05