mmi.106.2015

■ All the information you’ll ever need to create the best military models... ■

SCALE MODEL WORLD 2014 SPECIAL REPORT

Issue 106 February 2015 www.modelmilitary.com

TRANSVAAL WARRIOR IBG Models’ 1:35 scale Marmon Herrington armoured car

DON’T WASTE ANYTHING Academy 1:35 scale Merkava Mk.IID

Tamiya’s brand new 1:35 Jagdpanzer IV /70(V)

GUDERIAN’S DUCK

INSIDE: p 01 CoverMMI 106B.indd 1

1:35 White 666 Truck ■ 1:35 Jeep and 75mm Gun ■ 1:48 Huey ■ Jagdpanzer IV Think Tank ■ 1:72 AAVP Gallery ■ and more

February 2015 / £4.20 / Issue 106

08/12/2014 21:16

UK D istributors

. . i n c o r p o r a t i n g

Modelling Trees Part One Broadleaf Trees 92 pages, full colour. £19.95

Modelling Trees Part Two - Conifers 92 pages, full colour. £21.95

Wholesale terms available to genuine outlets.

a v i d

Modelling Grassland and Landscape Detailing Featuring Weeds and Wild Flowers, Hedges, Roads and Pavements, Mud, Puddles and Rivers by Gordon Gravett.

This book is a great follow up, to the two books published on Modelling Trees.

Full Colour, 108 pages. £24.95

r e a d e r

of

T ankograd m a i l

Nuts and Bolts Volume 33 Leichte Feldhaubitze 18, GW II für le.F.H. 18/2 Wespe and HummelWespe. Paperback, 184 pages, Black/white and Colour photos, line drawings. £25.15

o r d e r

b o o k s

Tankograd In Detail Fast Track 04 M109A6 Paladin US Army Self-Propelled Howitzer In action photographs and a detailed walkaround, English text. - Limited print-run 999 copies - As our series ‘In-Detail’ but half size / half price! Quantity Photos and Illustrations: Illustrated with 89 colour photographs, Pages: 40 £10.99

Tankograd In Detail Fast Track 05 M992A2 FAASV US Army Field Artillery Ammunition Support Vehicle (for M109) In action photographs and a detailed walkaround, English text. - Limited print-run 999 copies - As our series ‘In-Detail’ but half size / half price! Quantity Photos and Illustrations: Illustrated with 75 colour photographs, 40pages. £10.99

if you are a publisher looking for a wholesaler or distributor in the UK please contact us:

info@bookworldws.co.uk

Tankograd Fast Track 06. Type 10TK Modern Japanese Army Main Battle Tank In action photographs and a detailed walkaround, English text. - Limited print-run 999 copies - As our series ‘In-Detail’ but half size / half price!

Quantity Photos and Illustrations: Illustrated with 70 colour photographs, 40 pages. £10.99

Tankograd 9022 - Cold War Exercise SPEARPOINT 80 Joint British and American Forces face the Threat from the East. After two years of preparatory work, the field training exercise Spearpoint 80 was conducted as part of the large-scale Exercise Crusader 80 between 11 and 26 September 1980. Since NATO came into existence, this exercise was the largest British one held on West German soil.Illustrated with 86 colour photographs, 32 black&white photographs and 4 maps. £13.99

Painting Wargame Tanks The definitive guide to paint Wargames armored vehicles by the hands of the famous Ruben Torregrosa (Heresybrush) and Mig Jimenez. Through its 96 pages we will discover, in a very visual and easy manner, how to get the results we want in our vehicles, since the book adapts to the needs of each player. From a basic guide for materials, through painting a tank in an easy but effective way, to obtaining the best possible professional finish. £21.99

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

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

Camouflage Profile Guide Eastern Front Russian Vehicles In this book you will find all the inspiration you need to make original Soviet vehicles with a wide and never seen variety of colors, effects, and camouflage. Here you have more than 180 profiles which are strictly based on historical photos, many of them never seen before, in which the colors have been studied in depth. Paperback, 80 pages. £19.99

Bookworld Wholesale Ltd.

The Men Inside the Metal Volume 2 This book, the second volume in a series of two, completes the story of the uniforms and equipment of British and Commonwealth tank and AFV crews, 1939-1945.

The evolution of uniforms, and the variations in actual use on all fronts, are described and illustrated, as is the personal equipment of AFV crews.Illustrated with many photos and drawings, covering all uniform variations and equipment. £24.99

Aces High Magazine 3 - The Empire of Japan The third issue of Aces High Magazine takes you on a journey to the Far East. We give in depth coverage to models depicting Japanese aircraft used during World War Two, including the legendary Zero, in two of its best-known variants; a 1/32 A6M5 and 1/72 A6M2. Paperback, 66 pages, full colour. £8.99

Tankograd 5054 - FUCHS Volume 4 FUCHS The Transportpanzer 1 Wheeled Armoured Personnel Carrier in German Army Service Part 4 - Battlefield Surveillance Radar / Radio Communications / International The Transportpanzer 1 Fuchs (ëFuchs’ being German for ëfox’) wheeled armoured personnel carriers are, aside from the Leopard main battle tanks, the most iconic and most prominent assets of the modern German Army. £13.99

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p 02 Bookworld 106.indd 1

A.K Learning Volume 3. Tracks and Wheels Tracks and Wheels is the third release from the already famous AK Learning Series. The extremely talented artists within this book, take you on a journey through every aspect of painting and weathering tracks and wheels through their very own words, guiding you through their styles and approaches.

Paperback, 83 pages, full colour. £10.99

How to Build The Leopard Family in 1:35 How To Build The Leopard Family In 1:35 is a comprehensive guide to modelling this famous vehicle in its many forms. From battle tanks to recovery vehicles, homeland protectors, to battle-hardened veterans, you’ll find much to enjoy and inspire within the pages of this exciting new book. 82 pages, full colour. £12.95

WW1 The First Mechanized War This book provides a comprehensive and complete view of the crude beginnings and fast evolution of armored warfare during the Great War. It includes historical texts illustrated with period photographs, and detailed colour profiles of each of the most outstanding models. Paperback, 167 pages, Black/White photos, colour profiles. £27.99

How to Build Tamiya’s Armour Kits in 1:35 This new book brings together five detailed features that will show what is possible from this extensive range of kits. In so doing, it offers hints and tips, detailed step-by-step guides and written descriptions on all manner of techniques from basic construction, through detailing, painting and realistic weathering.

Paperback, 82 pages, full colour. £12.95

Tankograd 6034 - U.S. WW II & Korea M4A3 Sherman (76mm) Medium Tank 48 pages with 150-200 illustrations, among them WW2 action photos, colour photos and technical drawings.

Illustrated throughout. Excerpts of technical manuals, wartime photos, photos of restored vehicles. Ideal compagnion for modellers and fans of technology. Complete background history and variants. £9.99

Tankograd 6033 - U.S. WW II Dodge WC62-WC63 6x6 Trucks 48 pages with 150-200 illustrations, among them WW2 action photos, colour photos and technical drawings. Illustrated throughout. Excerpts of technical manuals, wartime photos, photos of restored vehicles. Ideal companion for modellers and fans of technology. Complete background history and variants. £9.99

The Modeller’s Guide: Superdetailing, Painting and Weathering Aircraft of WWII, with airfield accessories, ordnance and diorama Intended for for both beginners and advanced modellers as it covers wide variety of modelling tasks ranging from basic detailing, scratch-building, painting, weathering, machining custom parts using resin as well as scratch-building part from brass and aluminium and of course, diorama making. Paperback. £18.95

The Weathering Magazine 9 - K.O and Wrecks This issue is dedicated to destroyed, abandoned, and sunken vehicles.The best modellers in the world will offer a repertoire of exceptional examples and they explain with detailed step by step process, all the newest tricks and techniques to get your models represent similar conditions. £8.99

FUCHS Part 3 Ambulance / Electronic Warfare / NBC The Transportpanzer 1 Fuchs (‘Fuchs’ being German for ‘fox’) wheeled armoured personnel carriers are, aside from the Leopard main battle tanks, the most iconic and most prominent assets of the modern German Army. 64 pages, full colour. £13.99

YOU CAN VISIT OUR WEBSITE: www.bookworldws.co.uk Stockists of the following subjects: Aviation, Military, Naval, Modelling, Railway, Motoring Major credit cards accepted, UK cheques payable to Bookworld Wholesale Ltd UK Postage Single Book £2.50 Two or More Books £4.50 Overseas airmail please add 15% of order value minimum £7.50

28/11/2014 14:42

Contents - Issue 106 February 2015 14

44

32

REGULARS

FEATURES

p 4 NEWS

p 6 THINK TANK

p 55 LARGE SCALE

p 14 GUDERIAN’S DUCK

What’s new in the world of military modelling What’s happening with releases 1:24 scale and larger

p 56 INCOMING

News on accessories, tools and finishing products

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

Jagdpanzer IV by Zack Sex and Hilary Louis Doyle Tamiya 1:35 Jagdpanzer IV /70(V) by Brett Green

p 24 DON’T WASTE ANYTHING Academy 1:35 Merkava IID

by Sean Lynch

p 32 GALLERY

Dragon 1:72 AAVP7A1 by Andrew Judson

34

p 34 TRANSVAAL WARRIOR IBG Models 1:35 Marmon Herrington Mk. I by Alex Adamec

p 40 TALES FROM THE CRYPT

Tamiya + MR Modellbau 1:48 Achilles by Brett Green

p 42 PREVIEW

©ADH Publishing Ltd 2014

p 44 SHOW REPORT

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

HobbyBoss 1:35 White 666 Truck Scale Model World 2014

p 52 PREVIEW

Italeri 1:48 Huey

p 59 PREVIEW

Bronco 1:35 British Airborne 75mm Pack Howitzer & ¼ Ton Truck

Model Military International is published monthly by ADH Publishing.

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

ISSN 1749-8864 February 2015 - Model Military International 3

p 03 Contents 106B.indd 3

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Newsline - February ’15 THE TARTAR ROAD

Dennis Oliver advises that the next book in The Firefly Collection, “The Tartar Road”, will be released shortly.

As with the last title, Stephen Andrew and Dennis Oliver share the illustration duties and this is going to be a permanent feature in future publications.

This book is something of a prequel to the first release with ADH, Viking Summer, and covers the SS-Wiking division during the battles for the Caucasus oilfields in

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

the summer of 1942.

The illustrations also feature vehicles of other units that served in southern Russia at the time and the book tries to make sense of the semi-official camouflage schemes and colours that were coming into use at the time.

As always the book will contain black and white archive photos, maps, diagrams and more.

Available soon through ADH Books website www.adhbooks.com

UK TROOPS CONDUCT JOINT EXERCISE IN POLAND

M

ore than 1300 British soldiers and 100 armoured vehicles, including Challenger 2 Main Battle Tank and Warrior Armoured Infantry Fighting Vehicle, from the 3rd UK Division are taking part in Exercise BLACK EAGLE, a British/Polish NATO exercise taking place in Western Poland.

Soldiers from Tidworth-based The King’s Royal Hussars (KRH), the UK’s Lead Armoured Battlegroup operating Challenger 2, are conducting live-firing battlefield scenarios alongside their Polish counterparts with Leopard Main Battle Tanks, whilst 1st Battalion The Royal Welsh (1R Welsh), with the Warrior, is providing the troops on the ground.

A significant demonstration of the UK’s support to the region and NATO’s Immediate Assurance Measures, Ex BLACK EAGLE also highlights the British Army’s ability to deploy an armoured battlegroup at short notice anywhere in the world in support of the nation’s allies.

“It’s important to put it in the context of a raft of wider initial security measures on behalf of NATO to reassure our Eastern European allies of the importance of deterrence,” said Lieutenant Colonel Justin Kingsford, Commanding Officer of The KRH. “That has been the foundation of UK defence policy since 1949.

“And, to send that message to our wider Eastern European partners that collective security is important to us, to the alliance and very much to NATO itself.

“It’s been a few years since we have deployed a force such as this at such high speed. But, we’ve got the capabilities to project force when we need to, albeit in a

training scenario such as this, at fairly high speed and at fairly long distances.”

Major Alex Michael, Second in Command of The KRH, said: “Coming out here has been a revelation. We have been given the latitude to be able to create some valuable training that we would like to conduct. The infantry companies have found great value in being able to design the training exactly how they want it to run. And we have found that very productive.

“Certainly, there are lessons for us to learn in terms of how to deploy a battlegroup away from our shores, but it’s also been a lesson in how we can interact with foreign armies and how we can do some low level training with them.

“I know that the Polish are very keen to understand how we go about business. For example, low level things like how we mark our maps, how we give orders, and how we manoeuvre across the battle space. And, they have been very generous people and a joy to work with.”

Some of the Challengers, which saw action a decade ago in Iraq, were brought out of storage in Germany and updated with the latest armour and communications equipment. The Combined Service Support Group (CSSG) Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers (REME) is responsible for providing support to the battlegroup.

“You have the lead armoured battlegroup and behind them is the CSSG.” said Lt Col Anna-Lee Johnston, the Commanding Officer.

“Basically, wherever they go we go and provide what we call second-line support.

That’s logistics, medical, equipment support, policing support, signals support and EOD

support. We are responsible for deploying and redeploying them.”

Integration has been the key factor on this exercise. “There’s no question they are reassured,” said Lt Col Johnston, who is the first woman to command an armoured close support REME battalion. “The Polish have really enjoyed working with us at every level, from the guys working on the tanks side-by-side with the guys working on Leopards, right the way through to the guys firing mortars or the snipers working together. It’s been brilliant.” © Crown copyright 2014

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M48A2GA2

ND BRAEW N NG! LI TOO

03236

1:48 Now for the first time as a kit • Authentic reproduction of cast part surfaces • Finely detailed gratings • Easy mount vinyl tracks • Smoke dischargers • Rotating turret • Detailed gun • Hatches mountable in the open position • Search and target designating searchlight • Authentic decals for four versions REV ELL HA S MOVE D : Revell GmbH, Unit 10, Old Airfield Industrial Estate, Cheddington Lane, Tring, HP23 4QR Tel: 0845 459 0747, Fax: 01296 660041, Email: ukbranch@revell.de © 2014 Revell GmbH. A subsidiary of Hobbico, Inc. All rights reserved. Trade enquiries welcome.

Available from all good model stockists.

Visit our brand new website and online shop

www.revell.de/en

Think Tank - Jagdpanzer IV L/48, L/70, L/70(A)

JAGDPANZER IV L48, L70, L70(A) Zack Sex and Hilary Louis Doyle offer a brief history of the Jagdpanzer IV family, with profiles by Dennis Oliver.

W

ith the success of the Sturmgeschutz III during various battles on the Eastern Front, Hitler demanded the production of more assault guns for the Artillerie Truppen, something that Heinz Guderian disapproved of as he preferred tanks. This was ironic, as later it was troops in the field that would christen the Jagdpanzer as Guderian’s Duck.

As StuG production already utilised the now out-dated Panzer III hull to mount the standard 75mm L/48 gun, it was decided that the larger Panzer IV hull would be used as the basis for a new StuG, later named Jagdpanzer IV. The L/48 gun was considered capable of dealing with any Allied vehicle likely to be encountered on the Eastern or Western fronts.

INTO SERVICE These assault guns were available for action by early 1944.

Units such as the 116th “Greyhound” Division and 12th SS Hitlerjugend deployed their new mounts against the Allies in Normandy where small numbers of these new Jagdpanzers with their stubby 75mm guns and Zimmerited hulls fought in the hedgerows of the Bocage in the desperate and failed attempt to stop the Allied onslaught and advance into the Reich.

Later, small numbers of the L/48 variants would see action with improvised SS units during Operation Market Garden with Kampfgruppe from the Hohenstaufen and Frundsberg units.

UPGRADING It was the appearance of the Josef Stalin series of tanks and assault guns that suddenly created a demand for a more heavily armed Jagdpanzer. The main armament of the new Panther tank was chosen.

With the installation of the L/70 gun, the Jagdpanzer IV became a very different beast and was

designated Panzer IV/70 (V).

Suddenly this assault gun had an extremely powerful anti-tank weapon capable of knocking out any Soviet tank no matter how well armoured. The penalty for this new firepower advantage however was a large overhanging barrel that protruded several metres to the front of the vehicle. This required a sturdy barrel/travel lock to be used when the vehicle was not in action. This extra weight as well as the extra wedge of frontal armour created excessive weight and wear on the front set road wheels. In response to this, Vomag, the assembly company, replaced the front pairs of rubber-rimmed wheels with all-steel units and in some cases the first three or four on either side. Most of these Jagdpanzers no longer featured the Zimmerit anti magnetic mine finish of earlier models.

These steel-rimmed wheels may also be found on all of the stations on the Sturmpanzer heavy duty assault gun.

The L/70 was issued to many Waffen SS units such as the 12th Hitlerjugend, the Totenkopf and Das Reich, many seeing action for the first time in the Ardennes offensive, a hilly forested area where the L/70s abilities could not be best utilised.

The same could not be said during Operation Spring Awakening where Waffen SS units desperately tried to fight their way across the Hungarian plains and Gran bridgehead to rescue Budapest from the Red Army’s deadly embrace. The low flat terrain in the Danube Valley was ideal for the L/70 Panzer IV/70 to do its merry hunting. In the end however, Spring Awakening, like all the other German offensives, was ground down by lack of fuel, ammunition and reserves by a remorseless foe in the form of the monumental force of the Red Army that not only had the vast output of Tankograd and legions A

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Think Tank - Jagdpanzer IV L/48, L/70, L/70(A)

A front three quarter view of a Jagdpanzer L/70 stored at Kubinka testing ground outside Moscow, resplendent in its ambush camouflage scheme, showing its lower hull frontal armour wedge and large L70 main gun.

Front view of a Jagdpanzer L/70 at Aberdeen proving ground showing the low silhouette of the tank hunter, its side swinging conical machine gun cover positioned on the front right hand side of the front sloped armour.

An original Jagdpanzer L/48 preserved in Trun in Switzerland. The L/48 fitted here was considered to be sufficient until the appearance of heavy Soviet tanks and SPGs.

A side profile of the Trun L/48 variant showing the short barrel length of the Pak 39 weapon mounted on this version. Not all L/48s had muzzle brakes fitted.

Top shot of an L/48 preserved at Samur showing the upper armoured casemate, side by side with its stablemate the Sturmgeschutz III.

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A rear shot of the Aberdeen Jagdpanzer /70(V) showing its Panzer IV origins. This version mounts an early exhaust muffler unit, later replaced with two simplified exhaust tubes.

Front three-quarter view of the Ottawa based Jagdpanzer /70(V) complete with its transport barrel/ travel lock. Of note are the prominent wield seams around the Vomag built frontal armour section and simplified transmission covers.

The /70(V) also saw service with the Bulgarian army, being handed out by the Red Army to their newly acquired Allies towards the end of the war when Bulgaria rather wisely switched sides. This L70 features a hollow travel lock unlike the solid example found on the Ottawa variant.

Rear three-quarter view of Sofia-based Jagdpanzer /70(V). This well worn example shows many road wheels have lost their rubber tyres and the use of three steel return rollers rather than four as found on earlier models.

While many features have been removed from the this Bulgarian /70(V) model, one can still see the layout of the upper armoured casemate, which would have had a small side mounted hatch for the commander’s periscope sight as well as the main one which could rotate in the curved slot to the fore.

Top shot of the Saukopf (pig’s head) ball mounted armour cover. Of note is the early Jagdpanzer transmission cover with its air cooling louvre. This was done away with in later models such as the variant in Ottawa in favour of a flat plate with a simple wire handle.

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Think Tank - Jagdpanzer IV L/48, L/70, L/70(A)

Side shot of the Alkett built L/70(A) with its modified and elongated casemate, which was placed upon a fairly unaltered Panzer IV hull.

Of note is the anti-tank round lodged in the front armour plate.

Detail shot of the Samur-based L/70(A) right hand side lower chassis showing the four all-steel road wheels found on the first two bogeys on each side of the front hull. This was designed to compensate for the extra weight of the main armament on the front suspension.

Side profile of Samur’s L/70(A) showing the damage inflicted by a number of direct hits to the armoured casemate. Note the all-steel road wheels.

An impressive three-quarter veiw of the boxy L/70(A) minus various fitting such as its mesh Schurzen armour skirts.

Detail shot of the front armour plate and Saukopf mantlet of the L/70(A).

Detail photo of the damage inflicted on the L/70(A) as it was captured by French forces at war’s end.

B of other Soviet factories at their

disposal, but also had hundreds of thousands of tons of lease-lend aid available to them.

It is in the photos and images of the retreat from Hungary where one sees abandoned Tiger 2s, Late Panthers and abandoned Panzer IV/70 (V) and Panzer IV/70 (A) As many missing road and drive wheels, some with shortened track sections in a vain attempt by their crews to retreat in good order and husband their precious armour resources.

Panzer IV/70(A) These armoured trophies daubed with white numbers by triumphant Soviet troops include such vehicles as the Nibelungenwerke-built Panzer IV/70(A), the last of the trio. This Jagdpanzer involved an even larger casement super structure designed for ease of production by Alkett. Assembly was at Nibelungenwerke where the L70 was mounted on an unaltered Pz.Kpfw IV chassis minus the armoured frontal

section hull unit which the steel companies were having trouble producing in sufficient numbers, it also featured extended travel-lock.

This awkward and ungainlylooking beast perhaps best symbolises the last desperate improvisations of Hitler’s Third Reich where, towards the end, not only were boys and old men

thrown into the front line, but also odd-looking and crazier weapons hurled in the path of its advancing enemies.

Small numbers of Jagdpanzer IVs saw active service after World War II with the Syrian army in the Golan Heights, and as pillboxes with the Bulgarian Army. n

A Jagdpanzer L/48, its Schurzen semicomplete, its Saukopf mantlet blown off and its close-defence machine gun mount open.

A scene repeated all over Europe in 1945. Abandoned and damaged German armour, in this case a /70(A), in the rubble of a destroyed town.

This /70(V) found its final resting place in a river in the Ardennes.

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Detail of Panzer IV road wheels as found on earlier Jagdpanzer L/48 with appropriate wear, tear and mud build up.

Standard Panzer IV road wheels with a mix of hubs was not uncommon.

Of note are the chunks of tyre rubber worn away.

This may be easily replicated by dremeling.

Detail shot of an all-steel return roller found on mid war Panzer IVs and Jagdpanzers.

Of note is the zimmerit pattern on the lower hull.

Detail image of the bogey suspension unit and bump stop.

The rear idler as found on many Panzer four based vehicles.

Lower view of the rear engine compartment and various assembles found on Panzer IV and Jagdpanzer series. Of note is the tubular exhaust unit found on earlier and mid production models.

The rubber tyre has come off this road wheel an example of the type of wear and tear common on well-used Jagdpanzers and Panzer IVs.

Top shot of the right hand side Panzer IV engine compartment as it was found also on the Jagdpanzer.

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Think Tank - Jagdpanzer IV L/48, L/70, L/70(A) Left hand of the Panzer IV engine compartment housing the Maybach HL120TRM powerplant.

Detail of the early steel return rollers common on Jagdpanzer. Of note are the two differing tracks, one with a hollow guide horn.

Detail image of later vertical exhaust mufflers found on Panzer IV Ausf. J and many /70(V)s.

Ausf. J rear lower hull details the same basis as that found on the L/70 and L/70A.

Front view of Ausf. J hull featuring a final model steel return roller found on late model /70(V) and L/70(A).

Interesting cast number details found on late model Ausf. J in the Jaffa collection, housed in Israel.

Late model vertical exhaust mufflers found on Panzer IV Ausf. J and many /70(V)s .

All steel road wheels used on the L/70 and L/70(A), seen here on a late model Strumpanzer IV.

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p 11 ADs Collated 106.indd 8

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FEATURE ARTICLE

Tamiya 1:35 Jagdpanzer IV/70(V) Lang (Sd.Kfz.162/1) • Kit No. 35340

N A I R E GUD ew 1:35 scale Tamiya has released an all-ne 21st Century.

Jagdpanzer IV /70(V) for th soon as it The Editor built the model as landed on his doorstep.

.

Jagdpanzer IV /70(V) Lang The box art for Tamiya’s all-new 2014

T

he Jagdpanzer IV /70(V) represented the ultimate development of the Panzer IV chassis. The original pre-war tank design had been up-armoured, up-armed and reshaped to ensure that it remained a serious threat to contemporary Allied vehicles right up until the last days of the Second World War. Its low profile shape and the hard-hitting 75mm L/70 gun as used so successfully in the Panther tank would seem to be a perfect combination in a hit and run defensive war. However, this final version, burdened by excessive weight and being front-heavy, lacked manoeuvrability and speed.

The Jagdpanzer IV has already been kitted by four companies in 1:35 scale - Italeri, Nichimo Tamiya and later by Dragon in various versions. Monogram released a 1:32 scale kit during the 1960s and Nichimo had a crack in 1:30

scale as well. There have also been several smaller scale kits too, plus a 1:48 scale release by Bandai.

And so we come to the obvious question – do we really need another Jagdpanzer IV kit?

Well, considering Dragon’s Jagdpanzer IV family dates back to the 1990s, it is probably high time that this sleek tank destroyer was treated to 21st Century moulding technology.

TAMIYA’S JAGDPANZER IV/70(V) IN THE BOX Tamiya’s brand new 1:35 scale Jagdpanzer IV/70(V) has nothing at all in common with their 1976 Lang release. In fact, this model does not share any parts with the more recent Panzer IV Ausf. H and J kits. Even the lower hull, running gear and tracks are new.

This new kit comprises 252 parts in tan coloured plastic, two lengths of black polyethylene (tracks) and a bag of polythene caps.

Moulding quality is every bit as A

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K C U D N’S

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FEATURE ARTICLE

Tamiya 1:35 Jagdpanzer IV/70(V) Lang (Sd.Kfz.162/1) • Kit No. 35340

B good as we have come to expect

The one-piece upper hull and superstructure.

The lower hull is also moulded in one piece.

This injectionmoulded length is for the spare tracks.

from Tamiya. Surface textures are subtle and effective, with nicely rendered weld beads and fine cast texture on the Saukopf mantlet.

The lower hull is provided as a tub – no flat-pack assembly here.

Interestingly, the bottom of the hull features a rectangular opening that is blanked off with a hatch in this boxing, which clearly suggests a motorised version some time in the future.

Running gear is simple but crisply detailed.

These sprues seem specifically set up for the /70(V) version, with four sets of all-steel road wheels and 14 pairs of rubber-rimmed road wheels. All the wheels are made up from an inner half, an outer half, a separate hubcap and a polythene cap that will permit rotation after assembly - and also makes painting a breeze! The idler wheels and drive sprockets are secured with poly caps too, although the steel return rollers are glued in place.

Tracks are supplied as two polyethylene lengths representing the final lightweight links almost always seen on the /70(V) version.

Personally, I would have preferred to see link and length tracks included in this kit. Tamiya do these so well, and link and length is an excellent compromise between ease of assembly and a realistic depiction of the track sag so often seen on German vehicles, including the Panzer IV family.

Having said that though, these are very nice full-length tracks featuring crisp detail on the inner and outer faces, as well as correctly “dented” guide horns. The polyethylene lengths may be glued with regular plastic cement too.

The upper hull and superstructure are moulded as a single part. Separate sponson covers are provided to blank off the superstructure from the running gear. The commander’s and loader’s hatches are both separate, with small and somewhat fiddly plastic hinges allowing them to be workable.

The upper and lower hull may be assembled without glue. The forward upper hull slots into a locating strip, after which the upper rear body is pressed onto two polythene caps trapped in the lower hull. This also strongly suggests a forthcoming motorised release.

The kit supplies a one-piece barrel with a separate hollow muzzle. The 75mm L/70 gun is fully workable in elevation and traverse. Cleverly, the gunner’s sight and its curved cover both move when the gun traverses.

This operates perfectly if you are careful with assembly and painting.

The travel lock is movable too. The gun barrel almost snaps into place when it is stowed for travel.

Armour hangers are included but side skirts are not.

Markings are provided for three vehicles.

The full-length tracks feature nice detail on the inner and outer faces.

The crew figures look really nice.

Markings are supplied for three vehicles.

The kit-supplied mantlet and breech.

The flexible polyethylene material may be glued using standard model cement.

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icles.

‘Europe’s Number One Model Shops’

www.hannants.co.uk Bronco Models

AB3567 1:35 WWII British Airborne Weapon & Equipment Set £22.50

Tamiya’s Metal Gun Barrel Detail-Up Parts set, available separately. The upgrade set includes a plastic sprue with a detailed gun breech.

The upgraded turned metal gun barrel.

CB35065 1:35 Pz.kpfw.35(t)in co-operation with SKP Model £31.99

TAMIYA DETAIL-UP SERIES 1:35 GERMAN JAGDPANZER IV /70(V) LANG METAL GUN BARREL SET Tamiya has also released a metal barrel update set to coincide with the new Lang kit.

In addition to a very nice turned metal barrel, Tamiya has also included a sprue of 22 plastic parts plus some polythene caps and a metal rod to make up a welldetailed gun breech.

Detail is well done, although most will be hidden inside the sealed superstructure. I really like the elevation piston, which operates thanks to a poly cap and a chromed metal rod.

The instructions advise that the mounts for the two crew figures should not be fitted if the DetailUp gun set is fitted, as they will obstruct the main gun breech. I ignored this advice though, and found that I could still carefully manoeuvre the breech around the crew mounts, albeit with some limitations.

ZB48004 1:48 Russian Self-Propelled Gun SU-152 (KV-14) March 1943 Production £24.99 Suspension bumpers and the steel return rollers ready to be glued to the hull tub.

RV35027 1:35 Universal Carrier Mk.II with full Interior £29.99

LANG UNDERWAY Construction gets underway with the lower hull and running gear.

The interior face of the rear hull panel is fitted with an assembly that traps two large polythene caps. This permits the later attachment of the upper hull without cement.

The running gear is built up quickly and easily. I test-fitted the road wheels, idler wheels and

Riich Models

H.G.Hannant Ltd, Harbour Road, Oulton Broad, Lowestoft, Suffolk, NR32 3LZ, England.

A

The wheels, drive sprockets and idler wheels are secured to the model using polythene caps.

Open from 09.00 to 17.30 Monday to Saturday.

Phone: 00 44 (0)1502 517444 (8 lines) 0845 130 72 48 local rate from UK phones only (NOT mobiles) Fax: 00 44 (0)1502 500521 E-Mail: sales@hannants.co.uk Web Site: www.hannants.co.uk To join our mailing list so you receive our free weekly email news letter please use this link: February 2015 - Model Military International 17 www.hannants.co.uk/cgi-bin/mailinglist.pl

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FEATURE ARTICLE

Tamiya 1:35 Jagdpanzer IV/70(V) Lang (Sd.Kfz.162/1) • Kit No. 35340

The brand new hull has a square opening, suggesting that we’ll see a motorised version some time in the future.

The running gear test-fitted to the hull.

The side engine vents have been attached here.

Detail parts attached to the rear hull.

B

The tracks are test-fitted here.

Tamiya supplies sponson covers to blank off the running gear from the fighting compartment.

Upper rear deck details. The tools are nicely moulded.

The basic breech shape as supplied in the kit.

“Mr Dissolved Putty” is a no-nonsense Mr Dissolved Putty was stippled onto the mantlet and the description of this handy product! casemate to add to the cast texture.

The metal barrel has been added here. The assembly must be This is how the assembly should look from the inside once The “Detail-Up” breech. passed through the front armour plate at a 90 degree angle. it is glued in place.

The basic gun mount assembly.

Detail is excellent.

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The crew figure mounts and the moveable gunner’s scope cover as viewed from inside the superstructure roof.

B drive sprockets, and even glued

the tracks together at this stage to see how tight they were. Fit of the tracks was good, but of course being full-length there was no sag along the upper run.

TRACK TENSION I had bought a set of Modelkasten workable individual track links for this project but for some reason I had a lot of trouble getting them to stay together. My frustration with these aftermarket links led me to try something a bit different.

I cut a length of brass strip into sections, then bent them into curves. These curved metal sections were super-glued to the undersides of the sponsons, in positions that corresponded with the gaps between the return rollers.

When the upper hull was fitted to the lower hull, the curved brass strips pressed down on the top run of the flexible polyethylene tracks, creating the impression of sag between the idler wheels, return rollers and the drive sprockets.

With this successful test run completed, I removed the tracks and wheels from the model in preparation for painting later.

CASEMATE Tamiya has moulded subtle cast texture and casting numbers onto the mantlet and casemate. This actually matches reference photos pretty well but I thought I would apply a little artistic licence and add to the effect. I simply stippled on some Mr Dissolved Putty with a stiff brush.

Tamiya sent a sample of their Detail-Up Metal Gun Barrel Set with the kit. This was too nice to leave off. The turned metal barrel was attached to the mantlet with super glue.

The interesting ball mount for the gun was then assembled

and fed through the front of the superstructure at a 90 degree angle, as indicated by the instructions. Once glued into place, the gun elevated and traversed perfectly.

The detail provided by the aftermarket breech is impressive, and the fit is every bit as good as the rest of the kit.

The balance of assembly was straightforward. I glued the commander’s and loader’s hatches in the open position although they could theoretically be made to be workable.

LATE WAR COLOURS I spent some time examining photos of Jagdpanzer IV /70(V)s. Most exhibited a hard-edged three-colour camouflage, although the patterns varied considerably and the finish was sometimes hard to determine due to dust and low contrast between the colours. I found photos of one particular captured vehicle taken from both sides.

This Jagdpanzer IV was devoid of markings except for crosses on each side. I used this vehicle as the basis for my paint job.

The photos seemed to suggest that the base colour might have been either Red Brown or Green. I chose Green. A

All the major components test-fitted prior to painting.

Brass strip was cut to length, bent to curved shapes and glued to the bottom of the sponson covers.

The curved brass strips press down on the top track runs, creating the impression of sag.

The model was prepared for paint with a coat of Tamiya’s Grey Primer straight from the spray can.

The wheels were separated into colour groups and primed before painting too.

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FEATURE ARTICLE

Tamiya 1:35 Jagdpanzer IV/70(V) Lang (Sd.Kfz.162/1) • Kit No. 35340

B The surface of the model was

prepared with Tamiya Grey Primer sprayed straight from the can.

Mr Colour 122, RLM 82 Light Green lacquer was used as the overall colour. Although this is quite a light and bright shade, it would be darkened by later blending and weathering. This base coat was applied with my Testor Aztek A470 airbrsh, and thinned with Mr Colour Leveling Thinner 400.

The outline of the camouflage pattern was now painted onto the base green using a fine paintbrush.

For Dark Yellow, I used a mix of Tamiya XF-60 Dark Yellow, XF-59 Desert Yellow and XF-1 Flat White in roughly equal proportions. The Red Brown was Tamiya XF-64 Red Brown.

The model looked pretty scary with the camouflage pattern roughly brush painted. You really need to keep the faith at this point, and realise that this is just a transitional phase.

Next, the Dark Yellow and Red Brown camouflage outlines were “coloured in” by airbrush. Although I tried to be careful, there was a fair amount of overspray on the Green and Red Brown areas. I spent a bit of extra time respraying these areas to achieve a nice tight demarcation between all three colours.

The pattern was looking more sensible now, but the colours were pretty lurid.

The road wheels, drive sprockets and idler wheels were separated into colour groups and sprayed too.

WEATHERING The first order of weathering was blending and fading. For this, I simply sprayed Tamiya XF-57 Buff diluted with 90% thinners over the entire model. This toned down the bright Red Brown and Green shades and also disguised any tiny remaining spatters of overspray.

Next, the model was sprayed with several coats of Future Floor Polish. This achieved two objectives: 1. to provide a glossy base for the decals 2. to deliver an acrylic barrier between the paint and the next stages of weathering.

Once the kit decals had been applied, the entire model received an overall wash. This comprised a smudge of Lamp Black and

Raw Umber oil paints mixed with Mineral Turpentine. Before the wash had dried, it was streaked vertically on the superstructure sides with a clean brush. Excess wash was also removed with thinners.

A slightly heavier version of the same wash was used to highlight detail on the insides of the hatches, the scopes and the wheels.

Once the model was completely dry, two coats of AK Interactive’s Ultra Matte Varnish were applied.

Vallejo Panzer Aces Acrylics 337 Highlight Ger. (Black) was applied in streaks and spots to represent light scratches and rusty run marks.

Before the tracks were added permanently to the running gear, they were sprayed with a “scale black” shade – a 50/50 mix of Tamiya XF-1 Flat Black and XF-64 Red Brown, then brushed with a mix of water and Easy Mud Item No. 21105 – European Earth. The excess mud was wiped off the track pads with a clean cloth.

The same watered-down mix of Easy Mud was used to flick small spatters onto the front, sides and rear of the model. Make sure you practice this on scrap plastic or paper, as it is very easy to go overboard!

The final step was to add the painted and weathered wheels and tracks to the model, and to seal the upper and lower hulls.

I decided to glue the hull halves together to ensure there would be no unwelcome gaps.

With the hull halves joined, the pressure of the curved brass strips under the sponsons created a pretty convincing sag along the top track runs.

CREW FIGURES I really liked the hunkered down poses of Tamiya’s crew figures, so I decided to paint them up to accompany the vehicle.

Unfortunately, one of the heads flew off into the clutter of my workshop while I was drilling it out for a toothpick handle, and I could not find it. I therefore replaced the Tamiya head with a resin Hornet item. The styles of the Hornet and Tamiya heads were starkly different, so I thought I’d better replace the other Tamiya head too. A

1 The base colour is Gunze Mr Colour Lacquer Paint 122 RLM 82 Light Green.

2

The outline of the camouflage pattern was now painted onto the base green using a fine paintbrush.

3

For Dark Yellow, I used a mix of Tamiya XF-60 Dark Yellow, XF-59 Desert Yellow and XF-1 Flat White. The Red Brown is Tamiya XF-64 Red Brown.

4

The Red Brown camouflage outlines were “coloured in” by airbrush.

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5

6

Although I tried to be careful, there was a fair amount of overspray on the Green and Red Brown areas.

I spent a bit of extra time respraying these areas to achieve a nice tight demarcation between all three colours.

8

7

The model now received several coats of Future Floor Polish.

9

A wash was applied next, comprising a smudge of Lamp Black and Raw Umber oil paints mixed with Mineral Turpentine.

10

Once the model was completely dry, two coats of AK Interactive’s Ultra Matte Varnish were applied.

Vallejo Panzer Aces Acrylics 337 Highlight Ger. (Black) was applied in streaks and spots to represent light scratches and rusty run marks.

12

11

The tracks were sprayed with a 50/50 mix of Tamiya XF-1 Flat Black and XF-64 Red Brown, then brushed with a mix of water and Easy Mud Item No. 21105 – European Earth.

The painted wheels and tracks were now re-attached to the model.

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FEATURE ARTICLE

Tamiya 1:35 Jagdpanzer IV/70(V) Lang (Sd.Kfz.162/1) • Kit No. 35340

B When test-fitting the figures, I

The upper and lower hull halves were glued and clamped.

Nice detail on the commander’s binocular sight.

found that the loader would not squeeze into the open hatch. He was obviously designed to be fitted from the inside but I had already firmly glued the hull and roof parts in place. I therefore cut a wedge from one side of the torso, permitting him to be fitted from the outside. The radical surgery was completely hidden once the figure was glued in place.

The figures were sprayed with Tamiya White Primer straight from the spray can, then brush painted with Tamiya and Vallejo acrylics.

Facial features were given a wash with heavily thinned Rowney Georgian Oil Paint 221 Burnt Sienna before details were picked out with a fine brush.

CONCLUSION

Almost finished! A spatter of thinned Maru Mud has been applied here.

The Tamiya crew torsos and Hornet resin heads, all coated with Tamiya’s White Primer.

Pigments were added to the late-style exhausts and the spare tracks.

Facial features were given a wash with heavily thinned Rowney Georgian Oil Paint 221 Burnt Sienna before details were picked out with a fine brush.

Paints were a combination of Tamiya and Vallejo acrylics.

Tamiya's new 1:35 scale Jagdpanzer IV /70(V) is another instant classic - high level of detail, perfect fit, and a very fast build. In fact, construction took place in a period of less than seven hours.

The Gun Barrel Detail-Up Set is a worthwhile addition too.

If you’re not a fan of full-length flexible tracks, individual links are available from after market companies including Model Kasten and Friul Model.

I do hope that we’ll see other versions of the Jagdpanzer IV from Tamiya in the future, or perhaps even scaled down to 1:48. ■

The figures at home in their vehicle.

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Jagdpanzer IV in profile.

Modelspec Tamiya 1:35 Jagdpanzer IV/70(V) Lang (Sd.Kfz.162/1) Kit No. 35340 Accessories Used Tamiya Detail Up Series 1:35 German Jagdpanzer IV /70(V) Lang Metal Gun Barrel Set Hornet 1:35 Heads (x2) Tools & Modelling Products: Tamiya Extra Thin Liquid Cement Revell Contacta Plastic Glue Selleys Super Glue Mr Dissolved Putty Gator’s Grip Acrylic Hobby Glue Irwin Clamps (various sizes) Testor Aztek A470 airbrush Iwata HP-CP Airbrush

Tamiya's new 1:35 scale Jagdpanzer IV /70(V) is another instant classic high level of detail, perfect fit, and a very fast build.

Paints and Finishing Products: Vehicle: Tamiya Spray Cans - Grey Primer Gunze Mr Colour Lacquer Paint - 122 RLM 82 Light Green Tamiya Acrylic – X-25 Clear Green; XF-1 Flat Black; XF-52 Flat Earth; XF-57 Buff; XF-59 Desert Yellow; XF-60 Dark Yellow; XF-64 Red Brown.

Mr Colour Leveling Thinner 400 Figures: Uniforms Tamiya Acrylics – XF-1 Flat White: XF-59 Desert Yellow Vallejo Panzer Aces Acrylics – 333 Germ. Tkcr. (Black); 334 Germ. Tkcr. I (Feldgrau); 335 Germ. Tkcr. II (Feldgrau); 337 Highlight Ger. (Black); 338 Highlight Ge. I (Feldgrau); 339 Highlight Ge. II (Feldgrau).

Flesh Base Coat: Tamiya acrylic XF-15 Flat Flesh.

Wash: Rowney Georgian Oil Paint 221 Burnt Sienna.

Variations and Highlights: Vallejo Model Colour acrylics 70815 Basic Skin Tone; 845 Sunny Skin Tone; 919 Foundation White (mixed).

General Detailing (all Vallejo Model Colour acrylics) – 70862 Black Grey; 70865 Oily Steel; 70891 Intermediate Green; 919 Foundation White.

Winsor & Newton Oil Paints – Lamp Black, Raw Umber Easy Mud Item No. 21105 – European Earth

Tamiya has captured the low menacing lines of the Jagdpanzer IV very well.

✓ High level of detail; superb fit; clever engineering; easy build; minimal ejector pin marks. ✗ Option of link and length tracks would have been nice.

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

The sagging top track run may be appreciated here.

Rating

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FEATURE ARTICLE

Academy 1:35 Merkava Mk.IID. Kit No. 13286

DON’T WASTE ANYT IDF MERKAVA IID

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NYTHING Sean M. Lynch builds and improves Academy’s 1:35 scale Merkava Mk.IID.

T

he Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) are well known for not wasting or taking for granted any vehicles that have come into their possession throughout their history. This has often led to many fascinating and interesting vehicles that have been redone from existing vehicle lines, such as the “Super Sherman” and Tiran that have given older and even obsolete vehicles an extension of their usefulness on the battlefield.

The introduction of the indigenous Merkava line in the 1970s did not end the use of other vehicles. It also didn’t end the use of early generation Merkava’s as newer versions were introduced.

The Merkava II began production in 1982 and even though the most current version of the Merkava is the MK IV, the Mk.II is still in use today. This is possible due to the IDF tradition of upgrading older vehicles instead of just replacing them. The most advanced version of the Merkava II is the Mk. II D. This version includes features found on even the Mk. IV such improved fire control, use of a missile detection system and the characteristic modular add on armour similar to that seen on the Mk IIID and Mk. IV, giving the old Mk. II a solid place on the current battlefield.

its release of the base Merkava II from the 1990s and reengineer it with the Merkava IID parts. While some of the common parts are still there such as the lower hull and road wheels, most of the kit has been redesigned with the specific details for a Mk. IID. These include the upper hull and turret. Academy has also learned a lesson from Meng and added molded plastic ball and chain armour to the common parts sprues for the road wheels.

This is a very welcome addition as I for one am not a fan of trying create ball and chain armour with real chain and the BB-like balls found often in other offerings. Also some options, such as type of side skirts, may be chosen. A

ACADEMY’S 1:35 MERKAVA MK.IID KIT There have been resin versions of the Merkava IID available for a while however none have existed in styrene.

Fortunately, Academy decided to capitalize on

These images show the main features of the redesigned parts in the Academy Merkava IID offering, principally the add-on armour to the turret, upper hull and the belly armour.

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FEATURE ARTICLE

Academy 1:35 Merkava Mk.IID. Kit No. 13286

The rear hull prior to any work being started on the rear bar armour. The door handles were left off at this point.

Tracing paper was used on both stowage doors to trace the outline of the doors and used as a template for cutting the base plate of the bar armour.

B CONSTRUCTION Construction is very smooth with no fit issues encountered. The options provided in the kit allow one to build it OOB if so desired and get a nice replication of the original vehicle. However, photos of the real vehicle will show certain items that are missing which should be included but are not provided for in the kit. Principal among these is anti-slip coating on the vehics upper surfaces. This is very coarse on IDF vehicles and the model surface just looks too smooth without it. The drive sprockets should have lightening holes in them, even though these will be mostly covered by the side skirts once the kit is finished.

Other minor items are things such as various wiring for mounted equipment, chains for the horns on the front of the hull and stowage.

Reference photos show there are some interesting items that can be added to the kit to increase the visual appeal of the model. These variations add some extra interest to an already unique looking vehicle. Two major additions I found interesting were the use of the Anti-Tank Guided Missile Fire Control System, often referred to as the “Droid”, on the turret and the inclusion of antiRPG bar armour racks with ball and chain armour covering the rear hull stowage doors. I decided these additions as well as correcting some of the other details would be fun.

REAR STOWAGE BAR ARMOUR The first upgrade I decided to work on was the rear bar armour. These were scratch built using plastic sheet and strip, with only the ball and chain armour being used from extra ball and chain included in the kit (in fact a lot of extra is left over). The following series of photos will show my process.

The base plates were cut out of 0.4mm thick styrene sheet using the templates as guides. Each plate was labelled so that I wouldn’t confuse which side they belonged to.

Next, brackets and support arms were added with the bolts coming from the Grandt line. The support arms were installed too long and then cut to the proper length.

The frame for the bar armour has been added. Longer than need pieces were added on each side and then cut to length once the glue was dry. I found this to be easier and more accurate than trying to measure each side piece.

The vertical supports have been installed.

The length of these was determined by measuring an item in the refernce photo that is also on the model. This provided the scaling needed to convert the length of the support from the photo to match the scale of the model and part being made.

0.5 mm Rod was used for each bar. The frame Some of the extra ball and chain armour is not a square with one side going out at an sections in the kit were cut to the proper length angle so each bar had to be measured for it’s and added to the bar armour. given location and each bar is more or less equidistant from each other.

The bar armour cages added to the rear. While not shown, a base for the cages to attach to was cut from 2 pieces of 2mm channel and glued to the centre of the stowage door. The support arms and mounts to the hull were then added.

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Next up is to add the Droid to the vehicle. I used ET Models Windbreaker offering. The Droid on the Merkava IIIs and IVs is mounted on the top of a shaft and the ET Model offering has all the parts for this. However, the Droid on the Merkava II is mounted onto a cross arm attached to a shaft. This required the scratch building of the proper mount for the Droid on the Merkava II. Luckily the Droid itself is the same on all versions so only the mount needs to be built with ET Model Droid portion being built per instructions. The ET Models Droid is a mix of resin and photo etch, so some soldering was required for the photo-etched portions. A

The cap for where the mast of the Droid would be mounted was removed and drilled out in preparation for the attachment of the mast.

A section of plastic rod was cut to the proper length using a mitre.

The proper length was determined in the same manner as the RPG cage armour by relative comparison of reference photos measurements to kit parts.

The cross arm was cut to the proper length and the end shaped to what is seen in photos.

Collars for sections of the mast and base plate where made by using a punch and die set to first punch the disk out of plastic sheet and then carefully centring the disk to a smaller punch and punching out the centre. The centre punch wasn’t quite large enough so these were widened slightly with the tip of a hobby knife.

The cross-arm for the Windbreaker Droid to sit on was made by laminating several layer of 2.5mm plastic strip together. These were glued so that one end would have a curve in it so that the mast could easily be attached to the curvature of the rod. The width was checked against the supports of the Windbreaker base plate.

More spacer plates have been added. The wiring conduit was made from 1.6mm angle shaped plastic strip.

The Droid base plate has been attached after it was soldered together, wiring added and photo-etched strips used to simulate the tape holding the wiring in place. The rivets on the mast are from the Grandt line. Note that at this point I had forgotten to wash the PE after soldering which left some of the flux on it. This would cause some issues with the painting.

The completed mast and Droid attached to the turret.

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FEATURE ARTICLE

Academy 1:35 Merkava Mk.IID. Kit No. 13286

The front of the hull was improved by adding 2.6 x 3.8mm chains to the horns, replacing the tow mount bolts and adding a braided wire to the step.

B FINAL DETAILS The kit provides front mounted horns that all photos show to have chains mounted to them.

Unfortunately, the chains are not provided in the kit and the horns don’t have attachment points for the chains. Holes of 0.5mm diameter were drilled into the horns and corresponding plastic rod installed. The chain was draped to the rods and a cover plate installed. The bolts on the plow mounts on the kit are a bit soft so those were replaced. Some braided wire was used to improve the look of the step on the front of the hull.

The kit doesn’t have the nonskid texture molded into the upper hull and upper turret. The no-skid

is quite visible on IDF vehicles and I feel that the lack of it on the model makes the surface look too smooth. In the past I have used sand to model this, but someone on Missing Lynx had mentioned trying Chinchilla sand. This seemed like something to try as sand can be a bit too course for the scale and the Chinchilla sand is much finer.

The target surface had a coat of AK Interactive Ground Effect liquid glue brushed on and the Chinchilla sand sprinkled on with a pepper shaker. The excess was then blown off. This was done in a box to avoid too big of a mess in the work area.

Other details were added or improved. The drive sprocket in the kit does not have the

The set up for applying the chinchilla sand to the model can be seen in this photo.

lightening holes and so these were replaced with ones from an unfinished Merkava III from Hobby Boss. These were a bit larger than the kit ones and caused some issue with the track fit but the superior detail was worth the exchange.

Antennae mounts and vehicle edge marker mounts were replaced with brass ones.

Wiring for the smoke discharges

was added.

A Voyager Models resin 0.50-caliber mg block with a metal barrel was used to replace the kit offering. While the kit offering was good, I had the resin one sitting in the extras drawer in the hobby room and felt the detail was better.

Chains for attaching the tow cable to the turret were added as well as brackets for the tow cable.

The completed model before painting shows the different details added.

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The base coat has been applied and the mask removed. Although it looks more brown in this photo, a slight grey tone could be seen in person, with lighting and background altering the colour perception.

The gun barrel was painted white after the primer coat and masked off for the white barrel markings.

PAINTING There is often much discussion about how to paint the IDF Sand Grey. Looking at photos of IDF vehicles doesn’t help the confusion. Depending on the picture, Merkava’s can appear grey, khaki-brown or even slightly green. Dirt and dust accumulations don’t help matters either. Many people have come up with different solutions to whatcolours to use to paint their models. I am not an expert on the subject, but have found a mix that I have used a few

times. This covers the grey-brown colour seen on many photos. The mix I like to start off with is AK Interactive German Grey Beige with a touch of Vallejo Black, at a ratio of 30:1. This gives more of a grey tone, but retains the brown beige as well, though the lighting can affect this colour perception.

Many of the details were painted after the application of the base coat. Some items were left unpainted, such as rubber surfaces, lights and weapons, as I didn’t want

those to have the same finish as the main paint.

The model was then given a gloss coat using Future floor polish. Decals, provided from an Isradecal set, and washes were applied. Details were given a brown pin wash. The areas that were covered with the no skid texture were given a very thin black oil wash to recapture the depth of the texture.

Once dry, the vehicle was first coated in a matte varnish and

then satin varnish to achieve the desired finish.

After looking over my reference photos some more, I realised that I really wanted to try and capture the slight green tint seen in photos. I decided the best way I could do this was with a filter. I made a filter from permanent light green oil paint and airbrushed the filter onto the vehicle, varying the concentration on different parts of the vehicle. Any remaining details were painted and chipping added. A

Many of the details were painted and certain features mapped out to give variety to the basic paint scheme.

A light green filter made from oil paints was airbrushed on to the vehicle in hopes of giving a slight green tint to the vehicle. Final details were painted and stowage added.

Decals and washes were applied to the Future coated vehicle. These were followed by a coat of matte varnish and a coat of satin varnish from Vallejo.

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FEATURE ARTICLE

Academy 1:35 Merkava Mk.IID. Kit No. 13286

B FINAL WEATHERING Now that all the painting was completed it was time to make the vehicle dirty. Fuel stains were added around the fuel caps using fuel stain and oil stain products from AK Interactive.

Dirt accumulation was started by mixing Tamiya Flat Earth and Buff and spaying this in light layers onto the running gear and areas of accumulation such as crevices. Dark mud was made by using mixing Wilder Dark Brown pigments with Wilder Fine Dark Brown Textured Earth to achieve the desired shade as seen on vehicles in the Golan area of operations. This was then hand brushed onto the suspension, road wheels and lower parts of the hull and skirts. Pigments from various manufacturers and colours were brushed on to the hull to add dirt accumulation to the hull and turret. Wet effect were made by mixing AK Interactive’s Wet Effects Fluid and Earth Effects and using a fine brush to paint them onto desired areas. Some of the Wilder Dark Brown pigments were added to the wet areas to add mud accumulation. Finally black pigment was brushed onto the engine exhaust area. ■

Construction is very “ smooth with no fit issues encountered... ”

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28/11/2014 14:49

GALLERY

Dragon 1:72 AAVP7A1 RAMS/RS, W/EAAK • Kit No. 7233

DESERT N A I B I H P M A s Andrew Judson tries hi ling. hand at 1:72 scale model

I

have recently seen some brilliantly done 1:72 scale kits on the web and published in magazines to a standard where I thought they were 1:35 scale. I was inspired to step out of my 1:35 scale comfort zone and give one a go to see what I could come up with.

After looking around, I chose this great little 1:72 scale Dragon kit of a AAVP7A1, firstly because it is modern and that’s my thing, and second because it is also one of my favourite vehicles.

Upon opening the box, I was greeted with three sprues filled with parts, the upper and lower body parts, a generous sheet of photo etch, some DS tracks and a small sheet of decals. In total there are 100 plastic parts and 39 photoetched parts, so for me in this scale a challenge laid ahead.

Studying the instructions made

it clear that this was a detailed little kit, with six stages but with eleven sub-stages, so off to work I went.

The first stage of the build was to assemble the main body parts, which proceeded smoothly. Next, the the rear ramp door was glued this in place. Stage two and three consisted of putting the suspension and drive line together, being only the wheels as all the suspension was a single moulding. When gluing the wheels on, I had to make sure that they were all straight from all angles, as there was a fair bit of play in them.

Stage four was the turret, which only consisted of five parts and was an easy exercise, the end result looking nice. Lastly stage five and six. This is where I had to concentrate a little more, as it was time to finish with the last

details, including the photo-etch.

Construction meant adding all the hatches and tools, plus the construction of the EAAK armour.

This was a smooth exercise.

The majority of photo-etched parts were for non-slip plating over the top deck, but there were also some very fine grab handles and the exhaust shroud. To attach all of these I used Gator’s Grip Acrylic Glue.

The construction was now done and I put the kit aside for 24hrs to completely dry before the next stage, painting.

Now to my favourite part where I get to bring some life to this little beast. To start with, I gave the entire kit a base coat of Tamiya XF-67, NATO green and left it to dry. Whilst that was drying, I sprayed the tracks in a mixture of XF-64 Red Brown and

XF-1 Flat black giving a dark dirty brown, a good base colour for well used tracks.

With the base coat dry I then sprayed on random patches of XF-68 NATO Brown as the first disruptive colour, and shortly after XF-69 NATO Black.

I chose to something a little different when choosing the paint scheme - the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit, USMC, serving in Iraq in 2005. What’s unusual about it is that all is painted in standard Marine camouflage, apart from the EAAK, and Anti slip plates, that are in Desert Yellow, making quite a spectacular scheme in my opinion.

The initial colour used for this was XF-59 Desert Yellow, and once dried lightly dry brushed with Citadel Bleached Bone (their colour names are crackers), giving a nice

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base effect before weathering begins. At this stage I placed the tracks onto the vehicle using standard model cement, then left it all to completely dry before the next stage, weathering.

Weathering started with a light coat of Fading Agent from True Earth that toned down the colours a little and at the same time gave a nice effect of built up dust in areas where it pooled, Next, using Vallejo products, I applied a pin wash in areas such as the EAAK armour, to bring out the panels and bolt details, and also in the large Grilles/vents on the top front deck.

I then laid the vehicle on its side and applied some more fading agent into each wheel, leaving to dry, giving a great effect of dirt and sand inside the wheels. This was repeated on the other side. Lastly I made up a wet slurry of sand coloured pigments and applied this to the front and top deck of the vehicle, left to dry, and then toned down by brushing of the excess and leaving it in areas where dirt may build up. I also did the same to the tracks followed by a dry brush of XF-85 Rubber Black onto the track pads, bringing out further detail on the excellent DS Tracks.

With the weathering done, it still looked like it was lacking something. After some thought, I dug out some Legends 1:72 scale packs and stowage and three of the new Blackdog US Tanker Figures, which by the way are very nice little items, little being the keyword.

I painted all the stowage up in various tones of green and brown, applied a wash, and then glued them in place, hanging packs from the side and a stack of gear on the back, and then a light coat of the slurry, dusting it all down once dry.

Now things were getting there.

Finally, I noticed that I hadn’t put on the whip antennas often seen on these, so out came some very

The unusual camouflage looks great in this small scale.

fine brass rod, glued in place and painted in XF-1 Flat Black. I was now calling the little beast done.

I painted the figured in XF-59 Desert Sand, with small dots of XF-64 Red Brown, to depict the USMC Digi Pattern, applied a Dark Brown wash to enhance the detail, and then finished of with a light dry brush of my favourite, Citadel Bleached bone. Flesh colours are XF-15 Flat Flesh with a sepia wash in the face. They were all glued in place and I can now say, project finished.

This was a fun little project, and challenging as well due to its size.

I don’t know if I achieved the high quality I was aiming for, but I gave it a good go, and I must say that I am very happy with it overall.

If you want to do something different, try 1:72. It’s very enjoyable. ■

Mini Modelspec Dragon 1:72 AAVP7A1 RAMS/RS, W/EAAK Kit No. 7233 Accessories Used:

The main hull assembly builds up quickly.

The armour sections are separate parts.

Legends Stowage, Blackdog T72051 Paints Used: Tamiya XF-1 Flat Black, XF-15 Flat Flesh, XF-59 Desert Yellow, XF-64 Red Brown, XF-67 NATO Green, XF-68 NATO Brown, XF-69 NATO Black, XF-85 Rubber Black Citadel Bleached Bone Vallejo Sepia wash, Dark Brown Wash Ready for paint, with figures test-fitted.

The weathering on the rear was achieved using a wet slurry of sand coloured pigments.

Legends’ 1:72 scale US Packs lend interest to the vehicle.

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FEATURE ARTICLE

T

IBG Models 1:35 Marmon Herrington Mk. I South African Reconnaissance Vehicle • Kit No. XS35021

he Marmon Herrington Armoured Car is without a doubt one of the iconic vehicles of WWII. In the early stages of the war, after the loss of most of British army vehicles and tanks on the beaches of Dunkirk, Marmon Herrington Armoured Cars provided much needed mobility for British and Commonwealth forces, especially in the North African theatre of operations.

Of South African origin, its development started in late 1930s. The Mk. I version was based on Ford 3-ton truck chassis with 2-wheel drive and Ford V8 engine. Armament consisted of 2 .303 Vickers machine guns, one mounted in the turret, the other on the left side of the hull.

Since South Africa lacked a developed automotive industry, many of the components had to

be imported from the UK, US or Canada.

The name of the armoured car is derived from the name of US company Marmon-Herrington which has provided 4 wheel drive train for the vehicle, though this was only used starting from Mk. II version.

After the breakout of the WWII the production program was accelerated and the first Marmon Herrington armoured car Mk. I was produced in July 1940.

Overall, 5777 Marmon Herrington armoured cars of all types were produced between 1940 and 1944.

Of this only 135 were of Mk. I and these were used by Union Defence Force in South Africa.

IBG KIT A plastic model of this vehicle was conspicuously missing in 1:35 scale until IBG decided to fill the gap and offered modellers four different

models of early versions of this armoured car.

Kit No. 35021 represents the first version of the vehicle in use by the Union Defence Force (South Africa’s armed force) in the 1940s.

Having never built a kit from IBG before, I was naturally curious about what this model will bring.

The kit consists of 3 large and 6 small sprues, clear parts and a photo-etched fret.

Instructions are in booklet format in black and white and are clear and easy to follow.

Kit parts are moulded in a darker grey colour with the plastic being quite soft, so I had to be careful when cutting and sending the parts to avoid damaging them.

CONSTRUCTION Construction of the kit was very smooth, apart from an episode with my 4 year old daughter trying to

help me by brushing Tamiya Super Thin glue all over the model.

The model then being beyond help, I had to get the second one… lesson learned.

Depending on whether you choose to leave the engine and interior open or hidden, you will need to plan the construction and painting phase carefully. IBG has included some nice interior details such as the radio, which is one of the best reproductions I have seen in a 1:35 plastic kit.

The interior however seems to be far from complete. There are no interior details provided for turret, so I decided to leave the turret hatches closed. IBG also offers option of leaving all doors open, but unlike the rear doors, which again have nicely moulded details, the side doors have no details on the inside at all, so you will either have to scratch build these or leave the A

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TRANSVAAL WARRIOR IBG has bridged one of 1:35 scale’s missing links with their new Marmon Herrington Mk.I armoured car. Vladamir Adamec builds the kit and offers his thoughts.

The first step of painting was the application of grey primer. The advantage of having the upper hull separate at this stage was that the clear parts for windows were only added after the painting and weathering of interior was finished.

I split the model into two main components before proceeding to the painting phase – the upper hull and lower hull with chassis. The wheels were only temporarily attached with superglue. A number of smaller parts were painted separately.

There are number of small photo-etched hooks on the sides of the hull. Unfortunately too many were lost during the priming and cleaning phase, so I decided to remove the remaining ones rather than losing them later.

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FEATURE ARTICLE

IBG Models 1:35 Marmon Herrington Mk. I South African Reconnaissance Vehicle • Kit No. XS35021

The interior was painted and weathered separately. Some interior parts were attached to the upper hull so that I could put the two main hull parts together later.

B doors closed as I have decided.

Fit of the parts is excellent. I was particularly surprised by the fit of the 5 main body parts – roof, side, front and rear walls. These went together perfectly without any gaps and no filling required.

The kit has overall crisp surface details such as weld marks on the roof and front hood.

Other parts with excellent fit are hinges on doors, armoured shield and engine hood, these are very well moulded, are not oversized and fit perfectly.

Machine guns in ball mounts are not movable and have to be glued in fixed position.

Armoured shield over the windscreen and armoured doors at the front of the engine compartment can also be positioned open or closed down.

There is very little visible of the chassis due to the fenders and overall low profile of the vehicle, so it will be your choice how much do you want to spend weathering the underside.

Exterior tools (shovel, axe, and pick) look very nice, some of them

however are missing mounting brackets or loops, so based on the instructions they seem to be magically attached to the hull.

Photo-etched parts are provided for some interior and exterior details. I found some of them to be extremely small, such as the hooks that are on the side of the hull. These are supposed to be attached along its edge to the hull. I tried to use them, but while handling the model in the early painting stages I have lost quite a few of them, so decided to remove the rest as well rather than to risk loosing them later.

As I did not intend to leave engine bay open, I built the kit in two main subcomponents – upper hull and lower hull with chassis.

This enabled me to paint and weather the interior rather easily without having it split into number of smaller parts. Because of the other interior details, attachment of the two subcomponents required removal of some details on the engine (and careful application of force) to make the two parts fit together.

Once the interior was finished, I attached the upper and lower hulls and masked off the windows, rear doors and turret opening.

The model was then preshaded with Tamiya NATO Black to add more depth to the base coat.

Some modulation of the base coat was added on the horizontal surfaces along the upper edges of the hull sides.

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The interior is dominated by the radio, which is finely moulded and has very nice surface details.

INTERIOR

CAMOUFLAGE

All the parts were primed with Tamiya Fine Primer straight from the can. This was followed by pre-shading of the interior with NATO Black. This is critical as it adds significant depth to the subsequent base coat of white interior paint. Weathering was done using AK’s Winter Streaking Grime, which was brushed on and then the excess was removed with clean brush until the dirty and worn out look was achieved.

Interior details such as the leather parts of the seats were painted with Vallejo acrylics. The radio was painted and weathered separately and inserted into its spot only after the interior was completely weathered.

Weathering of the interior was finished with pigments. I mixed three different shades – light, dark and mid-tone - each consisting 4 to 5 different Mig Pigments mixed in different proportions. The same pigment mixes were later used for weathering of the exterior.

After the interior was finished I inserted clear parts into window slots and attached upper and lower hull together. I have then masked off the windows and openings (rear door, turret opening), so that subsequent painting of exterior would not spoil the inside of the model.

As the model was already primed, the next step was preshading, done in the same way as for the interior.

I wanted to paint this model in the interesting camouflage pattern seen on the car used by the Union Defence Force in the Komatipoort Area in 1940.

The first step was the base coat of Olive Green, which was the base colour of the vehicle over which the Light Stone colour was applied in disruptive pattern.

The Olive Green was mixed using Tamiya XF-61 Olive Green and XF-4 Yellow Green. Modulation of the base colour was added using three lighter shades based on the base colour, that were mixed with higher proportion of Yellow Green and with Flat White added.

As for the camouflage pattern, there are noticeable differences between different references, so I tried to replicate the camouflage as best as I could guess.

First I transposed the approximate dimensions of the outer surface areas onto Tamiya masking tape that I attached onto a smooth plastic board. Based on the references, I then sketched the camouflage pattern for that area onto the tape and cut it out using an Xacto knife. I peeled the tape off the plastic board and applied it to the model. Sometimes this masking stencil did not fit well and I had to correct it or add some more tape to cover corners and nooks. Some of the small details were covered with putty as it was easier then to cover them with masking tape.

The base coat was mixed from Tamiya Olive Green and Yellow Green. For modulation, I used multiple lighter shades of base coat with higher proportion of Yellow Green and with Flat white added.

08/12/2014 22:58

Once this was done for the whole exterior of the vehicle, I proceeded to the application of the second camouflage colour.

The Light Stone colour was mixed from Tamiya XF-59 Desert Yellow and XF-2 Flat White. Also for this second colour I have applied modulation using lighter shades of the base colour. This was done in a way consistent with the modulation of the base coat of XF-61 Olive Green.

Right after the application of second camouflage colour, the model looks very toylike as the contrast between the two colours is unrealistic for a scale model, so the subsequent process of weathering had to reduce this contrast and blend the colours.

The first step to achieve this is application of wash using AK’s wash for DAK vehicles. For the first layer I usually thin the wash so that the effect is built up in stages and I avoid darkening the model too much in one step.

For the heavier effect I brushed the wash in thicker layers on the model and then lifted it with a moist flat brush, breaking the monotony of the paint finish and creating shadows and dirty areas.

Along the bottom edge of the model, in the areas which would be constantly exposed to dust and dirt, I have also airbrushed AK’s Dark Mud to darken the paint effect and create an underlayer for later application of pigments.

The advantage of using a product such as AK’s Dark Mud instead of acrylic paint is that it builds the effect more slowly leaving me more control over the ultimate look. It also gives a chance to fix any mistakes due to longer drying time of enamel based paints.

Raised surface details and edges, primarily at the top, were treated with highlighting that was applied by dry-brushing oil paints. For the green areas I used mix of Winsor & Newton’s Oxide of Chromium, Naples Yellow and Titanium White, for areas painted with Light Stone, Naples Yellow straight from the tube provides a good effect. The secret of drybrushing is to achieve the right level of contrast of the highlighted area and the base coat underneath and avoid the raised details looking almost white.

At the most exposed areas, I added chipping using the same technique as for highlights, this time using a mix of Winsor & Newton’s Ivory Black and Burnt Umber. Between highlighting and chipping, I left the model stand for few days, otherwise I would remove the highlights during the process of adding chipping. A

Using the references I have sketched the mask on the Tamiya masking tape, cut it out and then adjusted as necessary to better fit the shape of the vehicle.

Masking some of the smaller surface details would be difficult, so I later covered them with putty. The rear doors were temporary placed on the model to make sure the camouflage pattern was consistent.

Right after the application of the camouflage the contrast between the two colours is too high and will need to be toned down.

The second camouflage colour was mixed from Tamiya Desert Yellow and Flat White.

Some modulation was added with lighter mix of the same paints in a manner consistent with the modulation of the Olive Green base coat.

Markings on this vehicle were rather limited to the number on front and rear of the model. The decals are shown here before they were blended with the paintwork.

Wheels were painted with Tamiya Rubber Black, which is great colour for painting tyres. I also use it as pre-shading the metal rims of the wheels. These were painted using a geometric stencil.

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FEATURE ARTICLE

IBG Models 1:35 Marmon Herrington Mk. I South African Reconnaissance Vehicle • Kit No. XS35021

The first step in weathering was the application of AK Interactive’s wash for DAK vehicles. This blended the two camouflage colours and toned down the bright stone colour.

B I added streaking effects on the

sloping armoured side and rear walls. This was done in two steps.

First I used Streaking Grime for DAK vehicles from AK range. This can be painted with a fine brush in the area where the streaks are to be added and after few minutes blended with brush moistened with enamel or oil thinner.

The second technique uses oil paints I placed a small dot of oil paint (I have used my trusted Burnt Umber) at the point where the streak would be starting and then spread it downward using a wide flat brush. Sometimes when the effect was not exactly to my liking, I used a finer brush to correct the streak shape or removed it altogether and started again.

The difference between the two techniques is that the effect from using AK’s streaking grime is softer and more diffused, unlike the streaks added with oils, which are stronger and with higher contrast.

Additional depth to the base colour was added on the horizontal surfaces using the oil mapping technique. This consists of adding small dots of light and dark oil paints in different areas and then blending it with brush to achieve soft transitions. I use a rather limited range of colours for this techniques, the main ones being Burnt Umber, Naples Yellow and one or two other earth tone shades.

WHEELS The wheels were painted with Tamiya XF-85 Rubber Black, which is an excellent colour for rubber wheels or other rubber parts (skirts, etc.). I airbrushed the colour over the whole of the wheels including the rims, where this colour would serve as preshading layer. The rims were then painted in the Light Stone colour with the help of a plastic geometric stencil with circular cut-outs of different sizes, which I bought in a school supplies store. I just needed to

I also airbrushed Dark Mud from AK Interactive along the lower edges of the vehicles as an under layer for subsequent application of pigments.

find the cut-out with the diameter matching the rim size and use the stencil to mask off the tyres.

Weathering of the wheels was done with pigments. These were applied with a painbrush on the wheel placed horizontally and then fixed with enamel thinner.

Excess pigments were then removed by rubbing the wheel with fingers until pigments accumulated only in protected areas, as would do the dust on the real vehicle.

Machine guns were painted with Vallejo Acrylics using a mix of Black and Black Grey colours and then rubbed with graphite from pencil to achieve the metallic look. To convert the graphite into powder I simply rub the pencil on a piece of sandpaper. Graphite was then applied by rubbing it on the guns with fingers or, in areas close to surfaces painted in camouflage colours, I have used make up brush (just make sure you don’t use wife’s one).

PIGMENTS The last step in the weathering process was the application of pigments. These were primarily added along the lower half of the armoured car, where dust and soil would accumulate as a results of long cross-country moves.

I have applied the pigments by first placing them on the horizontally-placed surface with a brush. The pigments were then fixed in place by airbrushing acrylic thinner on top. This has to be done from a distance, so that the pigments are not blown away completely. Instead of steady, long airbrush moves, acrylic thinner has to be applied in short bursts using lower pressure of 10-15 PSI. The resulting effect is extremely realistic and the process can be repeated multiple times to built thicker pigment layers.

Unfortunately, most of this effect on the sides of the vehicles is hidden by the recovery ramps.

Using the same technique,

The lower hull is dominated by the stowed recovery ramps that were heavily weathered to reflect they frequent use in harsh environment.

The finished model with all the parts that were painted and weathered separately attached.

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pigments were also added to the roof, primarily around the turret base and adjacent roof surface details, but the effect was kept lighter compared to the bottom of the car.

The recovery ramps were subjected to the most extensive The recovery ramps almost completely cover the lower sides of the hull, so you may decide whether to use them or not. There are photographs showing the car in the field without them.

weathering. This started with a base paint coat that was heavily chipped and covered with wash thicker than the rest of the vehicle.

Most of the visible weathering is done using pigments to reflect the use of these parts – recovery of the vehicle from muddy, soggy

and dirty ditches and holes, where vehicles usually get stuck.

Because these recovery ramps cover most of the lower parts of vehicle sides you may want to omit them if you want to show the weathering on these areas.

A final simple refinement to the model was the addition of an antenna. This was cut from a thin brass wire, painted in a dark grey colour and placed in the hole drilled in the antenna base, which is provided in the kit.

CONCLUSION IBG’s 1:35 scale Marmon Herrington Mk.I is a very nice kit.

It surprised me with a high quality of moulding, excellent fit of the parts and some really crisp details. As the parts count is relatively moderate, you don’t need to be afraid of super complicated construction and you will be rewarded with great looking model. ■

Modelspec IBG Models 1:35 Marmon Herrington Mk. I South African Reconnaissance Vehicle Kit No. XS35021 Paints and Finishing Products: Tamiya Fine Surface Primer Tamiya Acrylics: NATO Black (XF-69), Rubber Black (XF-85), Olive Green (XF-58), Yellow Green (XF-4), Flat White (XF-2), Desert Yellow (XF-59) Tamiya Acrylic Thinner (X-20A) Mr. Color Leveling Thinner; Winsor & Newton oil paints: Burnt Umber (076); Ivory Black (331); Naples Yellow (422); Oxide of Chromium (31) AK Interactive: Wash for DAK vehicles (066); Winter Streaking Grime (014); Streaking Grime for DAK vehicles (067); Dark Mud (AK-023); Dark Steel Pigment (AK-086); Odorless thinner (AK-050) Vallejo Acrylics: Black (950); Black Grey (862); Panzer Aces Old Wood (70.310); Slow Dry (597) Mig Productions pigments: various earth tones References For all Marmon Herrington enthusiasts, William Marshall’s Marmon Herrington, A History of the South African Reconnaissance Car published by Model Centrum Progress is excellent reference material. ✓ Great subject; crisp details and sharp moulding; excellent fit. ✗ Missing interior details; some extremely small photo-etched parts.

I decided to leave one rear door open to show the radio and bit of the interior. Simple refinement of the model is addition of the antenna.

This was made of thin brass wire and painted in dark grey colour.

Available from IBG Model kits are available from Hannants www.hannants.co.uk and hobby retailers worldwide.

Rating

Gentle streaking was added using oil paints and streaking solution from AK interactive on the sides and rear of the hull.

The side doors are moulded separately in order to have the option of leaving them open. However, the doors have no interior details so I chose to have them closed.

Chipping along the edges was applied by localised dry brushing of oil paints. I used Winsor & Newton’s Ivory Black and Burnt Umber.

The wheels were weathered with pigments. I applied the pigment mix with a brush and then rubbed it off with my fingers.

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GALLERY

Dragon 1:72 AAVP7A1 RAMS/RS, W/EAAK • Kit No. 7233

T P Y R C E H T M O R F S E L TA

N O I S R E V N O C ACHILLES ted 1:48 scale kit, ca di de r ei th ed as le re a Long before Tamiy er using MR oy tr es D nk Ta es ill ch A Brett Green built an conversion.

Modellbau’s multimedia

T

he Achilles was a British conversion of the American M10 Tank Destroyer designed to accommodate the powerful 17pdr anti-tank gun. This gun required a deeper turret, modified interior stowage and revised mantlet and gun mount.

MR Modellbau released a resin and metal conversion for this potent tank destroyer back in 2007. The base donor kit is Tamiya’s 1:48 scale M10.

MR's 1:48 scale Achilles conversion comprises 27 pieces in in grey coloured resin plus a replacement turned metal gun barrel.

The conversion parts are the new mantlet, gun barrel, 17 Pdr breech, counterweight collar, two styles of muzzle brake and the big new turret counterweight / rear upper turret wall.

Additional stowage items are also supplied, including six 17

Pdr shells in two ready racks, ammo boxes, crates, First-Aid bix and various bags and stowed camouflage nets.

Casting quality is very good, with only a few tiny pin holes in my sample. There was another problem that emerged when I was cleaning out the inside of the lifting eyes on the mantlet though. When I inserted the file in the gap, the entire corner of the mantlet broke off. This was not a huge problem, as I simply rebuilt the corner of the mantlet with plastic card. Check the rear of your mantlet to see if there are any air bubbles that might effect the integrity of this area on your conversion too. If there are, they can be backfilled with either super glue or epoxy putty to reinforce this area.

The instructions leave several questions unanswered about assembly and parts placement. In particular, you should be aware that the top part of the rear turret

wall needs to be cut out. It is easiest to do this before the turret halves are joined. The photo below shows my attempt. The fit of the resin part was quite good, but some fairing-in with Milliput was necessary to smooth a few steps.

References are a bit ambiguous about turret equipment and ammunition stowage and the instructions do not help much.

I eventually decided to install ready racks on both rear turret walls and on the port sidewall. I recommend Toadman's Achilles walkaround as an easily accessible reference for this area http:// www.toadmanstankpictures.com/ achilles.htm The photos on Toadman's online walkaround show a very prominent guard fitted around the breech.

The resin components and the metal gun barrel from MR Modellbau’s 2007 Achilles Tank Destroyer conversion.

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N

I fabricated this part from brass wire and scrap plastic.

The holes in the muzzle brake needed to be drilled out. This was a fast and easy job using a pin vise. With care, the rear section of Tamiya's 76mm gun barrel may be cut off and used as a mount for the resin mantlet. This permits the barrel to elevate and depress.

The balance of construction was

very straightforward.

MR Models' 1:48 scale Achilles conversion really looks the part when finished, although modelling skills will be essential when adapting the new turret counterweight to Tamiya's turret.

Of course, if you want to build a 1:48 scale Achilles today the prospect is much easier with Tamiya’s dedicated 2014 release!

Surgery to the turret was required.

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

Stowage on the front hull.

The conversion complete, and ready for paint.

Paint was Gunze H320 JASDF Dark Green mixed almost 50/50 with Tamiya XF-2 Flat White. This resulted in a nice medium Olive Green shade.

MR Modellbau’s conversion looks the part, but it has now been superseded by Tamiya’s dedicated 1:48 scale Achilles kit, released in 2014.

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KIT PREVIEW

Hobby Boss 1:35 US White 666 Cargo (Soft Top) • Kit No. 83802

ONE BIG TRUCK F ollowing on from the hard top release of this truck, Hobby Boss has just filled a large gap by giving us this kit. According to the specifications, there are over 355 parts to this model, which includes an etched fret, 12 soft rubber tyres, a length of nylon rope and some fine chain. The standard of moulding throughout is very good as there is little to no flash on the parts: in fact the only issue that I can find is that some of the small items have hefty sprue attachment points on them.

Worthy of note is the nice wood effect on the cargo bed parts.

Something that I have seen before and is peculiar to Hobby Boss is that they take the care to wrap any fragile parts in protective foam. This kit has several sprues that are so treated and not a single part is damaged in my kit.

Top marks!

CONSTRUCTION This kicks off with the chassis, in fact 8 of the 12 construction steps are devoted to it. The basic chassis is moulded as single rails and cross-members so I recommend the use of flat surface and set-square to get the angles all straight and true.

As is common with this type of construction my personal method is to look for large parts to key it together, in this case the front & rear cross-member and the lower engine block. Take your time and you will be fine.

The chassis itself is very well detailed but we do not get a full engine. The one-piece cab and bonnet would require major surgery to display an engine, so it’s no great loss in my opinion.

The attachments for the rear leaf springs are a bit fragile so I would wait until the road wheels are attached before fixing it all together. When we get to the axles there is some lovely detail and I especially liked the chain link drives.

We get some photo etch for the petrol tank cover and some that you bend around the cab stowage lockers. The bending guide on the parts for the latter is not very noticeable so my advice is to test fit and bend really carefully. The plastic grill rounds off the chassis and, whilst nicely done, is very thick in plastic. Etch would be nice, if you have patience to do this sort of thing.

Moving on to the cargo bed we have so very good wood grain texture on all major parts. No stowage is provided, but we do get the mounts for two spare wheels and the benches for the soldiers – all of whom must have had bottoms made of iron!

Lastly, we get to the cab. This one-piece shell is nicely moulded but there are some moulding lines (especially on the bonnet sides) that have to be smoothed over. The dashboard is crawling with detail and we do get a decal for it all, but here I can foresee problems. As a lot of this detail is

Decal sheet with nifty dashboard markings.

Graham Tetley is suitably impressed with the new softtop version of the Hobby Boss 1:35 scale White Cargo Truck. raised and very prominent I doubt if even the most aggressive decal setting agent will do the job. It may be best cutting up the decal sheet and painting the rest.

An often overlooked part of any kit is the instructions and Hobby Boss score highly here. Whilst there are many sub-assemblies built into the 12 steps it is all remarkably clearly drawn and uncluttered. This is on a par with Tamiya and I like them. Markings are provided for one vehicle only and there is no clue as to what unit or time period this relates to.

I think that the A-Team may have got one running in one of their escapades, so you can have free reign on markings!

And that’s it. Bring it all together in the final step and Voila! One big truck.

One-piece cab shell.

The new soft top tarp.

Dashboard and rear tailgate.

CONCLUSION I like this kit. I like it a lot. It has a parts count and detail that will satisfy the majority, plus the clarity of instructions and ease of assembly that will suit the less experienced modeller. Detail throughout is really good and the standard of moulding equally so.

There are a few niggles (the etch and decal sheet noted above) but nothing that cannot be addressed with basic modelling skills. Highly recommended and an 8.5 out of 10 from me. ■

Hobby Boss kits are available direct from Creative Models www.creativemodels.co.uk

The heavy, but adequate, plastic grille.

Tread plate detail on the fenders.

Lots of tyres!

Painting guide.

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The kit’s photo-etched fret.

08/12/2014 23:01

NEW in the ‘HOW TO BUILD...’ series HOW TO BUILD...

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This new book brings together five detailed features that will show what is possible from this extensive range of kits. In so doing, it offers hints and tips, detailed step-by-step guides and written descriptions on all manner of techniques from basic construction, through detailing, painting and realistic weathering. No stone is left unturned in the quest to inspire the modeller to complete similar projects for themselves. It really is a one-stop-shop for the budding military modeller!

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08/12/2014 22:59

SHOW REPORT

– SCALE MODEL WORLD 2014: IPMS UK NATIONALS

Presentation on the ADH Publishing stand.

The Editor takes a stroll around the aisles of Scale Model World 2014, the IPMS UK Nationals at Telford.

A POSTCARD FROM TELFORD

T

he IPMS UK Nationals, Scale Model World, is held each November at The International Centre west of Birmingham in rd, Telfo in England’s Midlands. Although the the weather is invariably chilly and a ide prov halls the , grey skies are happy sanctuary for modellers.

Traders, clubs and display models are housed in three large s halls, while the competition table in ay hallw the ss acro ed locat are a fourth area with the benefit of

natural light.

The tables were packed with s entries in more than 100 categorie from 25 different countries. The ing standard was very high and judg by the spectators snaking their in way along the aisles, the models . competition were a real drawcard Traditionally, the majority of competition entries are aircraft. There was certainly a at preponderance of winged models ary milit but , year this Telford again ing vehicles made an excellent show ty. quali and tity quan in both

On the military front, there Top competition award honours many after market were his went to Barry Sharman with es on hand with new and pani com Salvage Vessel, whilst Junior Best g releases. One of the estin inter s Angu Euan by of Show was won of the show for me is s light high with his Char B1 bis tank. to actually see these able g bein In addition to the models, the one time and under at ucts prod full a 2014 show also featured large roof. very one the sized exhibit - a Chieftain ARVE releases included Tommy’s New one , ction Colle well from The Cord War’s 1:32 scale Crossley Light of only about 14 made. r Tender 20/25 – an ideal crossove This is a truly international s’ Wing nut subject for Wing event. Visitors flock to the show magnificent WWI aircraft kits. from all over the UK and Europe, Accurate Armour’s stand was and from as far afield as the USA ed with recent releases pack ys alwa and Australia. There is ding their 1:35 scale inclu a lively dedicated international Rover CAV100 "Snatch" Land was year this and section set up, ns and the first batch ersio conv are no exception. Food and drink Ireland accessories & hern Nort of ter. the order of the day in this quar Also new were accessories ls. deca for ting thirs Whether you are and figures for the UK UBRE schnapps or you have a hankering refuelling system, T-55 Mantlets for a slice of reindeer, you’ll find with LRF's (A156, A161), a dumped what you want here.

3-piece suite for dioramas (A124), The halls are also packed 9). and BCF Fire Extinguishers (A15 with traders and display stands. our was at the Arm the e Insid m There were many mainstrea ses show with two exciting new relea manufacturers this year including scale Shilka ZSU-23-4 1:35 a – oura ei-M Zouk , Airfix, Revell, Meng ) Upgrade and their T-54 (Egyptian and more.

Conversion. Also on the stand was a draft sample of the forthcoming book, “Modelling Churchills”.

Zoukei-Mura’s stand included samples of their fantasy 1:35 scale military vehicles, “Edelweiss” and “Shamrock”.

Resicast’s new 1:35 scale WWI Holt Tractor, 8” Gun and 60 Pdr. Gun look stunning.

As always, the local UK model clubs and Special Interest Groups were out in force with some It is creative and colourful displays. els mod y man see to t always grea following a particular theme on these stands.

ScaleModelworld 2014 featured more traders and exhibitors than ever before, although competition entries were understandably down on the record numbers of the 2013 50th Anniversary show.

The organisers of Scale Model World are to be congratulated for another excellent show that was enjoyed by all. I will look forward to see what is in store for us next year at Telford! ■

The International Centre, Telford UK, the home of the IPMS UK Nationals for two days each November.

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THE TRADERS

Hot out of the moulds was the brand new 1:35 scale ITA Egyptian T-54 Conversion.

Accurate Armour had a large presence at the show.

The Saracen Ambulance with full interior detail is just one of the Accurate Armour new releases shown at Telford.

This book on building Churchill tanks will be available soon from ITA.

Graham from Resicast with his jewellike products on display.

Smaller new releases were available too – REME tools.

Friulmodel’s stand was New Friul track releases for WWI tanks. popular as always.

Armourfast small-scale injection moulded models.

Inside the Armour was on hand with their growing range of kits and conversions.

More of the Inside the Armour line-up.

Resicast’s new 1:35 scale Leyland Retriever Gantry.

Some of Reality in Scale’s buildings.

Resicast’s new 1:35 scale WWI Holt Tractor, 8” Gun and 60 Pdr. Gun look stunning.

Diorama accessories from Reality in Scale.

MMK’s stand had a big range of unusual subjects in 1:35 scale resin.

The range of Armourfast models is always growing.

The new Shilka ZSU-23-4 Upgrade is comprehensive and impressive too.

ADM Models are expanding their 1:35 scale buildings and diorama accessories.

Zoukei-Mura’s 1:35 scale fantasy vehicles were on display.

Tommy’s War’s 1:35 scale Crossley Light Tender 20/25.

Wehrmacht ’46 fans should enjoy these.

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SHOW REPORT

– SCALE MODEL WORLD 2014: IPMS UK NATIONALS

THE CHIEFTAIN AVRE

A Chieftain ARVE from The Cordwell Collection was on display over the weekend.

Locker box with a nice view of the latches.

The wooden axe handle is painted black.

Rear corner detail. Note the weld beads.

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Mudflap and track tread detail.

Headlights and guard detail.

beads.

A good view of the exhaust and rear towing shackle.

An overall rear view of this large and impressive recovery vehicle.

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SHOW REPORT

– SCALE MODEL WORLD 2014: IPMS UK NATIONALS

THE COMPETITION ROOM

Tamiya 1:48 scale Matilda.

Airfix 1:48 scale Jackal with Black Box update sets.

Small but perfectly formed – a Gold Medal winning 1:72 scale Revell Merkava.

UM’s 1:72 T-28 railway armoured platform.

Tamiya 1:35 Mark IV Tank, 1919.

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M-ATV MRAP in 1:35 scale.

Roden’s 1:35 scale Rolls Royce Silver Ghost, 1914 pattern, built straight from the box.

Takom’s 1:35 scale St Chamond, straight from the box.

Meng DR9 Doobi IDF Bulldozer with Voyager slat armour.

Trumpeter SAM-6 Missile and Transporter.

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SHOW REPORT

– SCALE MODEL WORLD 2014: IPMS UK NATIONALS

Trumpeter 1:35 Sd.Kfz.7/2 enhanced with Lion Roar, Aber, Friul, Alpine and Bronco.

1:35 scale Meng T-90.

A multimedia feast! AFV Club Churchill, Resicast’s 45 ton Recovery Trailer and Sherman DD Mk.I form the basis for this combination.

Diamond T 969A Wrecker, June 1944.

Resicast 1:35 Sherman BARV.

Tamiya Mk.IV with Fascines from real wood and chain.

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Merit 1:35 Diamond T Transporter with Academy’s M20 semi-trailer and M3A1.

Gorgeous large scale diorama entitled “Cycle of Life”.

Wingnut Wings’ 1:32 scale Pfalz D.XII converted into something entirely different, based on an actual wartime photo.

“Derelict”

“The Workshop” diorama.

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KIT PREVIEW

Italeri 1:48 AB205, Arma dei Carabineiri • Kit No. 2739

One fuselage half.

Andy King examines the latest boxing of Italeri’s 1:48 scale Huey, this time in the guise of Italian Military Police.

AIRBORNE CARABINIERI T he AB205 is a version of the single engine UH-1H Iroquois or ‘Huey’ built under license from Bell helicopters by Agusta in Italy.

Used in a variety of roles by the Italian military this particular version kitted here is for the Arma dei Carabinieiri or Military Police from the 1970s.

Included are two sprues moulded in a rather dark blue styrene, a clear sprue for the cockpit and cabin and a decal sheet.

Moulding quality isn’t bad but there are touches of flash here and there with mould seam lines on virtually every part.

Interior detail is OK but the seats really need the moulded-on belts replacing, the instrument panel, roof and centre consoles all feature raised detail which may look OK after drybrushing, the jump-seats in the cabin have a reasonable canvas texture moulded on and there are some pin marks inside the cockpit and cabin doors that may be visible.

The exterior features engraved panel lines that are a bit heavy, plus all the grills and vents are moulded in and also crying out for etched replacements. The fuselage halves have rivet detail

represented as recessed holes but these need filling as the Huey had raised dome type rivets. The top of the fuselage has an antislip texture moulded in but it too seems a bit heavily done and may need sanding back.

The cabin glazing is quite thick so it will distort the view into the cabin and cockpit and will either need replacing with aftermarket (if it exists) or if you are feeling very brave sanding down and re-polishing, the cockpit door glazing is particularly bad in this respect.

Markings in the kit are confined to three Carabinieiri Huey’s from the 1970s. The decal sheet is printed by Zanchetti Buccinasco and it’s okay, if a little on the thick side. The decals are in register with a couple of the stencils that are illegible but at least the roundels are centred.

Although the kit looks pretty basic you have to remember that real Hueys are too, and it would make a good model with what is provided in the box plus a bit of extra work. I think the biggest challenge with the kit will be getting it to sit on the skids properly as it looks to be a tailsitter. Getting enough weight in the nose to compensate might

be tricky.

As this is a Police helicopter the subject matter may be a little out of the scope of a military focused magazine such as MMI, however the AB-205 was exported to other countries and used by quite a few other military forces so if you can get the decals there’s no reason to dismiss it out of hand just because it looks civilian.

In fact doing some research on the net for this review I found a rather attractive camouflaged Greek Search and Rescue machine with a large yellow band around the fuselage so this one will stay in the stash as a future project.

Recommended. ■

The instrument panel features raised circles for the dials.

The cockpit floor.

Textured helicopter roof.

Thanks to The Hobby Company Limited for the sample www.hobbyco.net Kit decals.

Some of the grilles and vents cry out for replacement.

Quilted texture for the soundproofed rear bulkhead.

Lots of clear parts for this one.

Side door windows are a bit distorted.

Basic harness detail is moulded to the seats.

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Bronco 1:35 scale M24 Chaffee Tristar 1:35 scale Panzer IV/70(A) Tankfest 2012 show report LZ Models 1:35 M29 Weasel Tamiya 1:35 scale Matilda conversion Dragon 1:35 Panzer IV Ausf.A MiniArt 1:35 scale YA-12 Dragon 1:35 Welded Hull Firefly Bronco 1:35 Jeep » and more...

Tamiya 1:35 BT-7 Model 1937 Tamiya 1:48 Sd.Kfz.232 Bronco 1:35 scale Marder II Ausf. D Tamiya 1:35 M1A2 SEP TUSK II Abrams Kinetic 1:35 RG-31 Pit-Road 1:35 Type 92 “Early Version” Dragon 1:35 Type 95 Tank Dragon 1:35 Ostwind Model Victoria 1:35 Fiat Berlina » and more...

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FREE 1:35 DECALS! 1:35 HobbyBoss Leopard 2A6M CAN Tamiya 1:35 Tiran 5 HobbyBoss 1:35 Toldi Meng 1:35 AUF1 Dragon 1:35 M4A2 Sherman Trumpeter 1:35 German 12.8cm PAK 44 Waffentrager Krupp 1 » and more...

Inside the Armour A10 Cruiser Tank HobbyBoss 1:35 T-26 Meng 1:35 Merkava Mk.3 BAZ w/ Mine Roller Brach Models 1:35 French R35 Meng 1:35 Pickup w/ZU-23-2 1:35 Kinetic M109A2 MiniArt 1:35 GAZ-AA truck Riich Models 1:35 Universal Carrier Dragon 1:35 25 Pdr with Limber » and more...

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

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

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

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

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

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Figures

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

DRAGON

DRAGON

1:35 SCALE GERMAN INFANTRY BIVOUAC ‘39-‘45 SERIES • SET NO. 6695 Just arrived from Dragon is this set of German WWII soldiers doing a spot of camping.

In the box you have three figures, 2/3 of a Zeltbahn poncho, three sprues of weapons and personal equipment and a small fret of etch for what may be two rifle slings as there is no mention of them on the back of the box.

The standard of moulding is okay but there is flash and mould seams present plus the figures have small random lines running across them (I usually refer to them as die lines) which is something Dragon seem unable to control.

These lines usually cut across raised detail too and as such are tricky to eliminate.

Detailing is good and facial features are well defined although the sprue attachment points on the kneeling figure are on the bottom of the boots so when removing the parts the detail on the soles will be more or less removed too.

The pole supplied to hold up the Zeltbahn has three sprue gates and two knock-out pins on it plus with the flash it will be easier replacing it with styrene rod or similar. The Zeltbahn itself is well detailed on the outside but totally featureless on the inside.

The figures are in relaxed poses. The two standing figures are wearing trousers and braces over off-white collarless shirts and the kneeling figure has the grey v-neck sweater that was issued to troops during this period.

Weapons and personal equipment are the usual generic Dragon items although on the sprue with the figures you have an open ’Tornister’ backpack and a smaller pack that contained the tent pegs and guide ropes for the Zeltbahn.

Assembly and painting instructions are all on the box using the excellent artwork by Ron Volstad as reference so don’t throw it away when in hurry to build the kit.

This is a useful set for diorama or vignette builders that may be used for an endless variety of vehicles and situations. On the negative side I do wish Dragon would address the moulding process with the die-lines that consistently appear on their figure sets as they do spoil them.

Other than that, the set is highly recommended.

Thanks to The Hobby Company Ltd for the review sample www.hobbyco.net Andy King

1:35 SCALE ‘CHOW TIME’ GERMAN ANTI-TANK CREW- ‘39-‘45 SERIES • SET NO. 6697 More Dragon goodies through the door courtesy of my friendly Postman Roy and this time it’s a set of WWII German figures enjoying a break. The set includes three figures and a 3.7cm Pak 36/37 (Panzerabwehrkanone) anti-tank gun. Four sprues in grey styrene are included, one for the crew and three for the gun.

Starting with the figures and moulding quality is generally good with the usual flash and mould seams however those small random die lines are present. Detail is good and facial features are well done. All three figures are depicted wearing great coats and ‘feldmutze’ (field cap) similar to the 1942 pattern. Personal equipment as you might expect with this set is limited to canteens and mess tins only.

The 3.7cm Pak 36-37 is not new and has appeared in various boxes over the years but is still a nice little kit and this time it includes the longer 4.5cm Pak184 barrel.

Again there is some minor flash here and there but nothing too taxing however there are a couple of pin-marks in areas where you can see them such as the back of the gun shield so these will require filling. The gun barrels are split in two halves so care will be needed after gluing them together so as to avoid ‘flat-spotting’ them during clean up, personally I would replace them with aftermarket metal ones.

The instructions are the ‘photo’ type and have arrows pointing vaguely here and there and as such it’s not that clear as to where some parts go, especially later on in the build where it gets busy.

Ammunition is in the form of a single antitank grenade that goes into the end of the barrel and that’s it although not mentioned in the instructions is an open ammo box (parts 36 to 38). Considering what this set depicts I would have liked to have seen some more ammo and boxes although these are available from aftermarket sources.

Painting options are pretty bland (grey, grey and grey) although the gun was used on many fronts so there are other possibilities, for painting the crew figures - just refer to the excellent box art.

This is a useful set and virtually makes an instant diorama from the box. Of course the figures are not limited to being with the gun and can be used for a host of other vehicles and situations too. I have to admit I do prefer the relaxed poses of the figures in this set rather than the usual ‘in action’ type so I give it a ‘highly recommended‘.

Thanks to The Hobby Company Ltd for the review sample www.hobbyco.net Andy King

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08/12/2014 23:04

Incoming

T I K D O O G E I L A WHEE DRAGON

GERMAN BICYCLE W/PANZERFAUST 60 KIT NO. 75031

The Germans were famed for making unusual weapons that struck terror into the Allies – The Maus, ‘Anzio Annie’, the V2 to name but a few.

Overlooked until now, we have perhaps the scariest of them all – a double-Panzerfaust armed bicycle!

Known as the ‘Biggen Maschinen Xterminator’, or BMX for short, it was introduced in 1943 and used widely on all fronts.

Contemporary reports do actually evidence that this model of bicycle was used by Hitler himself, records show that he could often be found riding around the grounds of the Wolfschanze pulling wheelies to impress Eva Braun. It was Eva’s idea to stick two Panzerfaust’s to the front fork to provide that extra weight to stop Hitler showing off to Goering, who couldn’t actually ride a bicycle by all accounts.*

WHAT’S IN THE BOX? Designed to go with their 1:6 scale range of figures, we now have an 82-piece bicycle to add that extra spice to the range. Not only that, but we get two of the biggest Panzerfausts that I have ever seen in plastic.

Detail throughout is really good and this will be a really simple build, comprising of only 6 assembly steps keyed to a photo of an assembled kit. Starting with the two-part frame, you sandwich the wheel rims (with rubber tyres) between them then add the handlebars, front fork and rear shelf. The rubber tyres are nice with some really good tread detail and simply slip onto the plastic rims.

Speaking of the rims, the spokes are perhaps a little thick bit it isn’t too noticeable in this scale.

I should add that the chain is moulded solid, but if you glue the pedals carefully they will rotate – a handy option if you are placing an appropriate figure on this bicycle. A nifty feature is that the seat is sprung on little metal springs, a nice touch. All of the cables are moulded in plastic, which you may want to replace for something thinner. We get a little headlight but there is no wiring for it so just make some from spare copper wire etc.

We next turn to the 60mm Panzerfausts that you can display complete or as a separate warhead & launch tube. Pre-bent metal parts are provided for the launching mechanism and you get a single metal clip with which to fix them to the bicycle. I would point out the instructions are not at all clear how this clip fixes to the bike and how the Panzerfausts fit the clip, so I would recommend lots of test fitting to get it right.

Full decal options are provided for the Panzerfausts and, if you ever wanted to know how to fire one, the kit-supplied decals will tell you, albeit in German.

No painting instructions are supplied, but these machines were seen in everything from 3-tone camouflage, to Dark Yellow to vivid metallic pink!

CONCLUSION If you like the 1/6th scale range of soldiers then this will be a nifty accessory. Detail is lovely and it will be a really simple and easy kit to put together. My warped mind cannot help but imagine how differently the war would have turned out if one of Hitler’s wheelies would have gone wrong.

A solid 8/10 from me.

Thanks to The Hobby Company Limited for the sample www.hobbyco.net Graham Tetley * Unreliable history entirely invented by Graham Tetley!

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COMBAT ARMOUR MODELS REVELL

1:35 SCALE WEISEL 2 LEFLASYS OZELOT, AFF, BF/UF KIT 03205-0389

Here we have a release from Revell that provides three 1:35 scale kits in one box, of three variants of the WIESEL 2.

The first of these three variants is the Ozelot, which is a weapons carrier with the capability to fire up to four guided missiles. Its armament is the missile launcher and an MG3.

Second is the AFF, which is a command type vehicle able to coordinate the fire control of unto eight Ozelots. This is the eyes and ears for a convoy of these vehicle. Its only armament is an MG3.

Lastly is the BF/UF (Battery Command and Support vehicle). These carry support and maintenance equipment and are armed only with an MG3.

These three vehicle all work together to form LeFlaSys Light anti-aircraft systems.

There are three complete kits in the one box. They have all previously been released as single options, but this is a way to get all for much better value.

The Ozelot is the largest of the three, with five sprues of Revell’s typical green plastic and vinyl tracks making for a total of 162 parts.

The second, AFF, also with five sprues has a total of 141 parts, and lastly the BF/UF with three sprues and a total of 119 parts. All kits appear to have nice detail, and parts will require only minimal cleanup. Each kit has a decal sheet as well.

The instructions come in the form of one book, taking you through the build of each individual kit at a time with paint and marking options at the end of each one. They are well drawn and easy to understand.

This set should not be overly time consuming to build due to low parts number and not being overly complex, but should build into three very nice little models. They are not large vehicles.

I think Revell has been very clever to release this as a full set, and can say that I would recommend this to all that want to build something different and not on the large size.

Well done to the team at Revell.

Highly Recommended.

Revell model kits are available from all good toy and model retailers. For details visit www.revell.de/en, @RevellGermany or facebook.com/Revell Andrew Judson

1:35 VCL LIGHT AMPHIBIOUS TANK KIT NO. CV35-001

The Vickers-Carden-Loyd amphibious tank was developed in 1931 by Vickers Armstrong. Two prototypes received the army designations A4E11 and A4E12. Powered by a Meadows engine, the amphibian was able to traverse both land and water at a respectable turn of speed. Russia was so impressed with the design it based some of the key design elements on their T-33 series of small amphibious vehicles.

The design was not without its flaws however, as it sat “back down” in the water and was only useable in all but the calmest of conditions.

I was somewhat surprised by the announcement of this vehicle. Up until now this sort of vehicle was generally reserved for resin or short run manufacturers.

When opening the box one is greeted with a very average painting of the vehicle adorning the box top lid. I must say I was a little put off by this and would love them to completely replace this art in future releases. The kit however was very much better. The instructions are a fold out affair and printed in black and white. There are 10 construction sequences with a refreshingly small part count of 147 plastic parts and 20 photo-etch parts. The decals are numbers only, but they are both thin and do not have excessive carrier film present. The painting options include a vehicle from the 8th Route Army, Canton Province, China 1933.

A vehicle from the 12th Army Group, Tsangshing, Canton Province, China 1938 and the last, an instructional Vehicle, Army Mechanised School, Hungkong, Wu Nam Province, China 1940. All vehicles sport a quite fetching five colour hard edge camouflage pattern.

The hull is made up of individual panels that will require care to ensure the correct orientation. The raised rivet detail is both crisp and well defined. There are photo-etched parts used in this area (which is kind of strange) but nevertheless work well in both their application and use.

The turret is made up of four parts plus the top and the bottom. I was a little mystified by this approach as the shape does not appear to be that difficult to mould, however, that being said, it assembles well.

The Vickers MG that goes into the turret has an acceptable level of detail. The hatch may be set in an open or closed position but is rather thick and would best be replaced with plastic card. The detail inside is limited to a seat and the back end of the MG and would be best described as basic.

The tracks on the other hand are link and length variety and are the best possible approach for this vehicle, as individual tracks would be too small and a rubber band would not produce a desirable “drape” of the tracks themselves. The road wheels are quite well detailed as are the very basic bogie assemblies.

This new kit from Combat Armour Models has some quite quirky construction sequences. On balance however, the kit is very well done and is a credit to Combat Models for having the guts to release it. It has a number of very good features like a very small part count. The fit is also noteworthy as the mating surfaces are sharp, which results in nice angular joins with no gaps to speak of.

I like this kit as it is refreshingly different and pretty much better than I expected.

Highly Recommended.

Thanks to Combat Armour Models for the review sample http://riichmodel.com Luke Pitt

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BRONCO MODELS

1:35 SCALE BUFFALO 6X6 MPCV WITH SLAT AND SPACED ARMOUR KIT NO. CB35145 We are indeed living in the golden age of modern AFV modelling. This new release from Bronco is a follow on from their two previously released versions of the same vehicle.

I’ve always liked the lines of this huge machine and welcomed the news of this third rendition.

To my mind, the combination of spaced and slatted armour give this vehicle an almost science fiction look.

The kit is basically the same as their previous version (kit CB35101) that Andrew Judson reviewed in issue 99 (July 2014).

This kit’s additions are the inclusion of the spaced armour sections on the ”Y” and “J” sprues.

Briefly, the kit consists of well over 1000 parts, of which 36 are clear, 80 photo-etched parts and one decal sheet with one sand coloured painting option.

The quality of the moulding is outstanding with no pins mark or flash that would be visible after assembly. As with most Bronco kits there are a large number of small parts that will need careful removal and cleanup. Thankfully all of them are very well detailed but fiddly to remove from the sprues.

Surface detail is very well done with subtle weld lines on the hull being the stand out with this kit. The wheels and tyres have a subtle “sag” moulded in (which is a nice touch). In fact, the kit is just so well done it is both a pleasure to look at and indeed build. The only negative is the sheer number of parts. You know, a few short years ago the modelling world was screaming out for kits this well detailed, that perception has changed somewhat over recent times, with the emphasis now, on “detailed simplicity” Bronco kits require a certain “mind set” they are neither a quick or simple.

They are however very satisfying when complete.

Highly Recommended.

Thanks to Bronco Models for the sample http://www.cn-bronco. com/en/index.php Luke Pitt

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08/12/2014 23:05

1:48 Scale – A round-up of the latest news and releases Luke Pitt explores the wonderful world of 1:48 scale models and after market.

ARE YOU M.A.D. OR MERELY S.A.D.?

T

here comes a time when you have to ask yourself, am I a collector or a builder?

Collectors are generally normal modellers with a mild dose of Manic Acquisitional Disorder (MAD). It seems to affect more men than women. It is prevalent in all socio-economic groups, and symptoms can occur at any age. It is incurable but mostly non-life threatening.

Another version of the syndrome is where the collector hides models and related purchases from their significant others, and then pretends they purchased the items at

some time earlier.

The other characteristic is that the cost is generally severely understated. This is called Surreptitious Acquisitional Disorder (SAD).

I assume that you cease to be MAD or SAD when a random sheikh offers you large sums of money for your collection. This mean means that I, like most of you, will remain a little MAD and indeed, a little SAD.

Until next time Luke Pitt

TORO MODELS TANK WORKSHOP

1:48 SCALE U.S. M3/M3A1 HALF TRACK KIT NO. TWS480055

Tank Workshop is one the “True Believers” in 1:48 scale. Along with a handful of cottage industry resin manufacturers, they continue to supplement sporadic mainstream releases with their own full multimedia kits, conversions and updates.

Tank Workshop has plugged another significant gap in 1:48 scale military vehicles with a full resin kit of the M3/ M3A1 Half Track.

The kit comprises around 135 parts in medium grey coloured resin plus two lengths of black flexible resin (at least I assume that it is resin) for the tracks.

The resin is well cast but will take some time and care when removing the parts from the casting strips and also cleaning up a fair amount of fine flash.

Interior and exterior detail looks very nice, including seats, tools and stowage.

Instructions are offered on a small CD. You’ll need to view these on a computer or print them out.

This kit will require considerable effort, but the result will be worthwhile for experienced modellers.

Recommended.

Thanks to Tank Workshop for the review sample www.tankworkshop.com Brett Green

1:48 SCALE CAPTURED AND NON STANDARD VEHICLES IN POLISH SERVICE ITEM NO. 48D15 Toro Models continues to release some very interesting 1:48 scale decal sheets.

With this sheet, eight different vehicles are covered. The first is an Autobinda AB41 in overall sand. The second is a Kubelwagen in again, overall sand. The third is an American Greyhound in Olive Drab, the fourth a German Schwimmwagen in overall sand. The fifth is interesting as it is an a Panzer IV in post war Polish Service in Russian Green and is the sixth as that is in the same scheme but this time a Sd.Kfz. 250/10 but this time closer to the war’s end. The last example is a Panther in a three colour camouflage.

The decal sheet is small but very well printed and more importantly thin. All of the vehicles depicted are quote interesting and would make great additions to any model collection. Our Thanks go out to Toro models for providing the sample decal sheet.

Recommended.

Thanks to Toro Model for the sample www.toro-model.com.pl Luke Pitt

ROYAL MODELS 1:48 SCALE DRINKING FOUNTAIN ITEM NO. 732

Another wonderful addition to the Royal Models 1:48 scale range is this very small but incredibly detailed city water fountain. The detail on this classically styled piece is crisp and free of any distortions. This will almost certainly add something special to any diorama it was placed in.

Recommended.

Thanks to Royal Model for the sample www.royalmodel.com/en/ Luke Pitt

WHAT I’D LIKE TO SEE IN 1:48 SCALE

We have had two more responses. The first is from Matt Palmer.

“First thing to say is that I have no great experience with 1:48 scale. Even so, I would concur with those who suggest modern armour as possible future subjects. These are invariably larger than their older brethren, so having the detail - for the most part - of 1:35 scale but not taking up quite so much shelf space could be a benefit. This would be true also of the even bigger vehicles the Russian mobile ICBMs or the larger MRAPs. Anyway, just a thought!

Regards, Matt Palmer”

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And the second from Ed Granger: “Hi Luke, I’d like to see modern armour, period. I love the scale, and have two Tamiya Humvees and an Airfix Jackal and Warrior in my stash. However, the current choice of non-WWII subjects is frankly pathetic considering their popularity in other scales, so I stick to 1:35. Just the obvious subjects to start with: An M1A1 Abrams, a T-55 and a T-72. I’d buy three of each.

Best Regards, Ed Granger”

08/12/2014 23:05

KIT PREVIEW

Bronco 1:35 British Airborne 75mm Pack Howitzer & ¼ Ton Truck • Kit No. CB 35163

Options include a covered windshield.

Al Bowie tells us about the latest in Bronco’s large family of Jeeps.

The impressive one-piece body.

GUN MEETS JEEP T

he first thing that surprised me was the weight of the box which is packed with 25 sprues and substantial PE. For anyone who has the other Bronco British Airborne Jeeps this kit will seem very familiar as it is the same Jeep and the same Figures that are in the other two kits with only the M1A1 Pack howitzer being added along with its Ammunition stowage for the Jeep. Bronco have taken the previous kit of the M1A1 from vision models and added the modifications the British added and added packaged ammunition in cluster tubes which I believe is the first time these have appeared in a kit. A wellresearched decal sheet is included for the Jeep and Howitzer as well as a separate sheet for the four man crew insignia.

This kit is definitely not one to give to a beginner and will be a challenge to even the competent modeller with many small parts and PE that render a highly detailed model. I have pored over photos of wartime and restored Airborne Jeeps and consulted friends more knowledgeable in the subject and identified a few minor points worth noting (and I do mean minor) which indicates the level of research undertaken

by Bronco. There is a debate about the rear plate of the body as to position of Reflectors and the trailer receptacle which I believe Bronco have correct for a Ford Built GPW. Not many wartime shots of AB jeeps show this due to their stowage and angles photograph but photos of other GPW variants match the kit supplied part.

Despite offering an unmatched level of detail in this kit, Bronco has left out the hip pads from the

cabin sides but these would not be hard to scratch build.

The Jeep has a detailed engine, radiator and these are supplemented by a lot of PE offering a stunning level of detail not even present in the larger scale models of the Jeep. Bronco offers the option of different steering configurations which faithfully replicate the real parts.

The kit designers have noted the various body modifications made to the British AB jeeps to allow loading in the Horsa Mk.1 Glider and these are all included with some requiring minor cutting. A faithful replication of the fuel cell is included and the seats have realistic shaping and texturing.

A correct removable Airborne Steering wheel is included although all the US and standard Jeep parts are also included just marked not for use.

Correct pattern British jerry cans are included along with their floor brackets and restraints in PE. One part that will benefit from a little research is whether to fit the folded canopy rails that some AB jeeps are seen without in period photos. The reflectors are moulded on the hull rear and rear sides and come with separate clear parts for the reflector, which is thoughtful as these were frequently removed on the real thing. Clear headlights are included which will give adequate realism.

The M1A1 is a lovely kit in its own rights and Bronco have given this one the relevant parts to convert it to a British modified gun. One thing that will be missing will be the weld seams on the tops of the trail but should be easy to add from aftermarket sources. The gun can be displayed in towed or firing modes however no “in action” crew is included.

Three, three round triangular canister clusters are included for Bonnet stowage but that is the extent of howitzer ammunition other than the old Vision models rounds which have a little flash.

The trailer is highly detailed and comes with a bunch of packs and wicker baskets as stowage.

The undersides are detailed as a faithful representation of the real thing and Bronco even give you a diagram of where the electrical wiring needs to be added from stretched sprue etc. The crew are four seated figures which come with a variety of small arms from Sten Mk V, a Thompson M1928 and SMLE No1 Mk IV as well as a Bren. Other unused parts include a No 19 Set, Vickers K guns and pouches which will all be useful for other projects. All figures have the Airborne Helmet, most with pre mould scrim. I would recommend that the Thomson SMG is not used as per the instructions and replaced with one of the kits other small arms. Decals are provided for the Airborne “Wings” and rank in the form of L/CPL. CPL and SGT’s stripes.

Two marking options are given.

This is a fantastic kit with sharp mouldings, a stunning level of detail that offers excellent value for money. It is not for beginners but will yield an above average model without resorting to tons of aftermarket. Just add a base for a readymade diorama. I am sure we will see further variants of the Airborne Jeep and the M1A1 Pack howitzer from Bronco.

Full marks to Bronco for offering a kit of this important subject.

Highly Recommended. ■

Thanks to Bronco Model for the review sample http://www. cn-bronco.com/en/index.php

The separate chassis.

Lovely radiator core detail.

The wheels are beautifully rendered.

A trailer is included, as well as a canvas tilt.

Clear parts.

Photo-etched parts for the jeep.

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Book Reviews NUTS AND BOLTS

VOLUME 31 MARDER II - PANZERJAGER II FUR 5.5 CM PAK 40/2 (SD.KFZ.131)

BY J.BASCHIN AND M.BLOCK

ADH PUBLISHING

HOW TO BUILD THE LEOPARD FAMILY IN 1:35

BY SPENCER POLLARD

When the people at ADH publishing release a new modelling book, it’s a pretty safe bet that its going to be good, and this one will not disappoint at all.

Spencer Pollard is a well known editor, writer and modeller who has been making very high quality models for quite some years now and his works seen in many publications. There are also other contributors who have assisted with this book, being Marcel Jussen, Brett Green, John Murphy with some of their excellent work, and also for the photo reference we have Rudi Meir and Anthony Sewards. The book comes in the form of a soft cover A4 size publication printed on high grade paper with 82 pages in total.

It is packed with full colour photographs of models in the various forms of build stages and also brilliant reference shots of the real vehicles.

So, what are the actual contents? Obviously, Leopard tanks!

There are seven projects in the book, being, a 1A3/1A4, AEV(Armoured Engineer Vehicle), 2A4, 2A6 with cam netting, 2A5DK, C2 Mexas by Brett Green, and another C2 Mexas by Spencer Pollard. All of these articles are covered in great detail from the building stage, painting and weathering, figures used and any aftermarket/modifications done. They are backed up with many excellent photos of the models as they progress from start to finish.

There are two lots of photo reference - a 2A6 in Royal Dutch Army service by Rudi Meir and C2, and C2 Mexas in by Anthony Sewards. These are excellent, and a great help to all when it comes to finer details and finishes.

I found this to be an excellent book on a fascinating and versatile subject, with brilliant works by all involved. I would not hesitate in recommending this to you all to add to the library.

Top stuff indeed.

Highly Receommended.

Thanks to ADH Publishing for the sample www.adhbooks.com Andrew Judson

The “Nuts and Bolts” series of reference titles really need no introduction. What they offer is a one-stop reference source for the particular vehicle they cover.

I must confess that I love these books. I like the convenience of just grabbing them, opening a page when I require it and basically getting on with modelling the subject. In reality, these books are more like four traditional books in one, a development history, wartime photo coverage, line drawings and colour profiles and a comprehensive walk around photo essay.

This new reference work has some 178 pages. Prepared with the aid of restored examples from a number of sources, it offers a complete source of reference material on the Marder II. You know, years ago this sort of reference was not readily available. Modellers had to scratch around, looking as they did at multiple sources and often finding conflicting information.

As with all in the “Nuts and Bolts” series, this book is logically broken down into segmented parts. The first 105 pages are devoted to the development and history of the weapon’s use in German service. Within this section, selected subsections discuss the development and technical description, followed by the differences between the prototype and production vehicles. A very useful chart describes how many were made and what units they were assigned to. The book is jammed packed with details like the variations of the weapon system itself and how they were used in the field. I particularly liked the chart describing the set up of a typical unit and all the vehicles that supported these “Panzerjager” units. This first section is lavishly illustrated with a little over 189 black and white war time photos.

The next 8 pages are devoted to very well drawn 1:35 scale plans of all the known versions and one page for the suspension system. John Rue never disappoints with his illustrations and the four three-dimensional drawings just add to the experience.

Twelve colour profile drawings follow over the next 6 pages and are wonderfully executed and presented. What I like about these profiles is that within the profile itself, a small black and white photo is inserted to which the artist has given his interpretation. This, I believe should be the industry standard.

The bottom profile on page 119 doesn’t quite match the profile however - the photo would indicate the sand overspray is softer than the profile and could be interpreted as white - but still, this is only a very minor criticism. The last page of colour profiles deals with the various ammunition used for both the 5 cm Pak 38 and 7.5 cm Pak 40.

The next 25 pages consist of 154 colour walk around photos from the various restored examples. The entire vehicle is covered from the interior, engine through to a detailed study of the radio’s fitted. The last 5 pages are devoted to two model builds that are generally ok but, in my opinion not really up to the standard set by the rest of the book.

Highly Recommended.

Thanks to Nuts & Bolts for the sample http://www.nuts-bolts.de Luke Pitt

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MMP BOOKS

PRINZ EUGEN - THE STORY OF 7 SS FREIWILLIGEN-GEBIRGS DIVISION 1942-1945 ISBN 978-83-63678-18-0

Here we have a new book by MMP Books in A4 hardback format, with 208 high quality gloss paper pages. There are 365 photographs, all very clear, many never seen before, telling a photographic story of this unit. There are also 28 colour plates of different armoured vehicles and aircraft used in the action, and ten coloured maps, showing areas of operations.

The written content is very descriptive, giving you a good, clear and easy to understand history of the unit, its missions and area of operations. This unit mainly fought across Yugoslavia in combat with Partisan units, and gained a reputation that made them a feared adversary in battle. The written content tells this story very well giving you a feeling of the actions taken in the harsh conditions, both in the freezing winters and the hot stifling summers.

The photos in this book really help tell the story of this unit, and are brilliant.

You have all areas covered here - aircraft, armour and men fighting these battles. Of particular interest are those of the anti aircraft units deployed, but appear to be using these weapons as ground to ground battle / anti personnel.

This book will be very appealing to those who are purely into the history side of things, but also modellers thanks to the great reference available with in the pages. It might not be your normal type of book with Tiger Tanks and the like, and shows conflict in these times that are not as widely published, hence making this a very interesting title.

Recommened.

Thanks to MMP Books for the sample www.mmpbooks.com Andrew Judson

ACCION PRESS

PANZER ACES MAGAZINE NO 46 EUROMODELISMO

Here is the latest issue of Panzer Aces Magazine. I must say that I was pretty excited on receiving this one, as it is a special edition on modern subjects, my favourite.

The magazine comes in the form of a soft back A4 edition with 63 pages of modelling delight. Each page is covered with excellent colour photos showing the models with in in the stages of the builds and painting, a great way to learn, and for ideas on your own projects.

Inside this edition there are five subjects being an Abrams TUSK 2 by Cesar Gonzalez Rubio and Jose Luis Lopez, an M49 A2C Fuel Tanker by Sergio Fenoy Cruz, an M2A3 Bradley/W BUSJ III by Javier lopez De Anca, a T72B by Fabrizio Pincelli, and finally a T-55 C1 by Jari Hemila.

All of these kits are built and painted to an incredibly high standard, and in each article there are great tips on finishing, weathering, painting etc., with fantastic photos to go with each. One that stood out for me was the T-55 C1 mine clearing vehicle as used by the Slovakian Army in UN colours. Very impressive indeed, and not your usual subject either.

I guess you can tell, I am very impressed with this issue and if modern is your thing, then trap a copy of this one. Brilliant!

Receommended.

Thanks to Accion Press for the sample http://www.euromodelismo.com Andrew Judson

February 2015 - Model Military International 61

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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

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

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

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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

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(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

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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

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ICM

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HUSSAR PRODUCTIONS, CANADA

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PANZERWRECKS

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UK distributor for Model Victoria and Royal Model

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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

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

TAMIYA UK;

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

TRUMPETER

www.trumpeter-china.com Pocketbond in the UK

VERLINDEN PRODUCTIONS (Historex in UK)

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

VALLEJO

(Creative Models in UK)

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

VLS CORPORATION (LSA in UK)

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

WHITE ENSIGN

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

WWII PRODUCTIONS, AUSTRALIA

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

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

SBX MODEL SHOP

ZVEZDA

SBLC

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

(The Hobby Company in UK)

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

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

64 Model Military International - February 2015

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Next Issue On sale 5th February, 2015

ISSUE No.106 February 2015, Published January 1st 2015

STING IN THE TAIL

GAZ-AAA and Maxim Quad AA Gun by Chris Leeman

Editor;

Brett Green

Group Editor;

Marcus Nicholls

Publisher;

Alan Harman

Graphic Design;

Alex Hall

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Gareth Liddiatt

Advertising Assistant;

Joe Brown

Office Manager;

Paula Gray

Administration Manager; Hannah McLaurie MMI Website;

ADH Web Team

Printed by; Symbian Print Intelligence, Hertfordshire, UK Distributed by; Seymour Distribution 2 East Poultry Avenue, London, EC1A 9PT Tel; 020 7429 4000 Newstrade; Select Publisher Services 3 East Avenue, Bournemouth, BH3 7BW Tel; 01202 586848 Email; tim@selectps.com 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

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AFV Club’s 1:35 kit by Chris Wauchop.

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THE ROAD TO MOROCCO

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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.

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Meng’s 1:35 scale FT-17 kit by Brett Green and reference by Zack Sex.

February 2015 - Model Military International 65

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The Last Post... y Boss’ Andy King takes a look at Hobbred car. latest 1:35 scale German armou

T

he Sd.Kfz 222 was a light fourwheeled armoured car that was used for reconnaissance duties. Based on the Horch 108 chassis, it was given an angular body and turret and despite the small size it had a crew of three. Armament consisted of a 2cm KwK 30 L55 and MG34, it was powered by a Horch 3.8 litre V8 engine and capable of reaching a top speed of 80kph (50mph) on roads. This series of armoured car proved very useful in Western Europe due to it’s good mobility on roads however when it was used in the deserts of North Africa and in the mud of Russia it’s off-road performance was very different and eventually it was replaced by the 250/9 halftrack.

This is the second kit by Hobby Boss of the Sd.Kfz. 222 and this time it’s the early firstseries type that featured the large symmetrical visors on the turret and hull front and sides, the flag staff on the front left fender and the larger grill on top of the rear upper hull. Also it lacked the armoured cover for the rear engine grill or brush guards for the side indicators that featured on later models.

The box is pretty packed with 13 sprues moulded in tan styrene, separate upper and lower hull parts, one clear sprue for the headlights, three quite comprehensive sheets of etch, a decal sheet, four vinyl tyres and a full colour A4 sheet for the painting instructions.

All parts are cleanly moulded with minimal flash although there are fine seam lines plus pin marks are present in areas such as the interior and under the fenders, also there is a serial number and the kit name on the inside of the upper hull so these will need removing should you wish to have the crew doors open.

The kit features a very detailed interior and engine with the chassis being a multipart assembly so care will be needed to get it square and flat. The gun mount is correct for the earlier model as later types were mounted on the turret however I’m not sure the round seat on the left is correct, I think it should be like the ‘bucket’ style seat on the right. There are three 2cm gun barrels to choose from so you will need to do some digging as to which type was fitted and when. The guns are pretty good and Hobbyboss have made a fair attempt at the flash suppressors on the ends but an aftermarket metal barrel would still have the edge.

The etch provided in the kit is almost equivalent to an aftermarket set as there is quite a bit of metal on the frets. The grill for the rear upper deck is very nicely done although I feel the mesh used for the turret grenade screens is a bit too small and would have benefited from a larger size.

Altogether the kit looks good on the sprues but it falls down slightly (or a lot depending on your viewpoint) in the dimensions stakes as compared to the plans in Panzer Tracts 13-1 the kit is approximately 2mm too short and 3mm too narrow. Because of this the turret is also 2mm too short and 2mm too narrow and of course it affects the angles. You could rebuild the turret to the correct dimensions but then it would be too big for the hull so personally speaking I would leave it and just build the model as is.

The tyres are quite good considering they are vinyl and feature a decent tread pattern but there is a seam of flash on each one that will need removing, personally I would have preferred to see injection moulded wheels included instead.

The decal sheet is okay with an assortment of numbers for Wehrmacht or SS licence plates and two types of Balkenkreuz (crosses) although no unit markings are included and the smaller stencils are illegible. The colour scheme is for an overall grey vehicle only with paints quoted from Mr Hobby, Vallejo, Model Master, Tamiya and Humbrol.

I like this kit!

The amount of detail included is pretty amazing given the small size of the 222 and although it has a few dimensional errors it’s safe to say that it’s not alone on that score as every other manufacturer who has kitted this particular vehicle have got it wrong to some degree as well.

The lack of unit markings on the decal sheet is a bit of a disappointment and to be really picky the mesh for the grenade screens may mean looking toward the aftermarket for replacements but for a very reasonable RRP (UK anyway) this kit for me is a winner just for all the detail alone so it comes highly recommended. ■

Many thanks to Creative Models Ltd for the review sample www.creativemodels.co.uk

The turret is nicely moulded too.

Note the fine latch and raised rivet details.

The tyres are quite good and feature a decent tread pattern.

The photo-etched fret is large and generous.

The decal sheet is well printed but does not include unit markings.

HOBBYBOSS 1:35 SD.KFZ. 222 LEICHTER PANZERSPAHWAGEN (1ST SERIES). KIT NO. 83815

ROLLING ARMOUR

Moulding quality is excellent throughout. Here are the main upper and lower hull parts.

66 Model Military International - February 2015

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Find us on facebook search Plastic Kits UK

p 67 Italeri 231.indd 8

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

www.hobbyco.net Find us on facebook search Tamiya UK

28/11/2014 15:01