Kit Review: Trumpter 1/35 Scale Kit No. 01003; Soviet ZIL-157K Military Truck.
355 parts (334 in olive drab styrene, 11 in clear styrene, 7 in black vinyl, 1 length of cotton thread, 1 section of wire, 1 section of fine brass chain).
Retail price $36.95.
Advantages: First kit in this scale of this vehicle; very nicely done with complete engine and interior; scale thickness to parts.
Disadvantages: scale thickness to parts may make some very hard to remove and install.
Rating: Highly Recommended.
Recommendation: for all Soviet, Warsaw Pact, Third World and softskin fans.
F I R S T   L O O K

The Soviets were very embarrassed when the Second World War started and they realized how woeful their automotive industry really was in comparison with the rest of the world. The best trucks they had at the time – the GAZ-AA/AAA and ZiS-5 – were copies of foreign trucks from the early 1930s and not very sophisticated. Most only had brakes on their rear wheels, and the only reason they were in production as they were not technically demanding.

When the Soviets became an official ally of the USA, and the famous "Lend-Lease" agreement was signed, they were stunned to see the quality of the vehicles provided to them by the US. The light Willys MB "Jeep" was superior to the clunky converted cars like the GAZ M-1 and the six-wheel trucks – the GMC CCKW, Studebaker US6, and International M-5-6 – all had three driven axles, transfer cases, and brakes on all six wheels. They were also very reliable and rugged.

While the Soviet industry did not produce any really equivalent trucks during the war, once the war was over they took a look at creating their own versions of this class of truck. Using the two most prevalent – the GMC and Studebaker models – they created a synthesized and "Sovietized" version of the trucks at the "Stalin" automotive factory (ZiS) which initially had only two axles as had all previous Soviet medium cargo trucks (ZiS-150). But that was seen as not capable enough , and so a three axle version, the ZiS-151, entered production in April 1948, remaining on the production lines until1958. (When Stalin fell from favor in the 1950s, the ZiS factory was renamed for I. A. Likhachev – ZIL.) This used a ten-wheel three-axle chassis with a closed steel cab and open cargo body with folding troop seats. It was rated as a 2 ½ ton truck but could be loaded to 4 ½ tons for road travel. It was powered by a 5.5 liter straight six engine producing 95 HP in its original form. Trucks with a winch were dubbed ZiS-151A.

As time progressed, and the ZiL-151 was seen as becoming obsolete, a new updated version was created and placed into production in 1958 as the ZiL-157. This used parts and components from the closely related BTR-152 series of armored personnel carriers, based on the ZiS-151 (and of course, that was converted back into a common chassis for both the ZIL-157 and BTR-152!) The main difference was that the ZIL-157 used the large single wheels and tires from the BTR with their adjustable tire pressure feature for better traction in soft ground. Later, in 1961 the truck received a new transmission and was redesignated as the ZIL-157K. Other variants followed: ZIL-157KG, with electronic suppressors for use with communications gear; ZIL-157KYe, with two fuel tanks; ZIL-157KEh, export model for countries with humid climates; ZIL-157KYu, export model for countries with tropical climates; ZIL-157GT, a truck with electronic suppression and fitted out for tropical climates; and ZIL157KV, a tractor for use with semitrailers (like the SA-2 and SCUD B transporters). The trucks used the same engine with an upgrade to 109 HP. The final models produced were the ZIL-157KD with the vehicle later being replaced on the production lines by the more compact and more modern ZIL-131 series.

A Chinese knock-off of the ZIL-157, the CA-30, entered production in the mid 1960s.

More than any other truck, the ZIL-157V personified the Soviet Union during the heart of the "Cold War" and showed up very frequently on American TV screens in all parts of the world. As such, it was also used in a myriad of body styles from the radio van versions (KUNG in Russian) to mobile cranes and support equipment. For years, NATO ran a book called the "Box Body Vehicle Identification Guide" that showed drawings of every known version of Soviet trucks; more than half of those in the Guide in the 1980s were ZIL-157 variants.

Trumpeter released a series of four kits last year based on the ZIL-157 and its Chinese clone, the CA-30 –a cargo variant and an SA-2 transporter of each one. This is the Soviet ZIL-157V cargo variant, and it is an amazing kit when one realizes how many parts have been wedged into the box.

The model comes with the open cargo body and a very neatly done three-piece canvas cover (with grommets included so that they can be drilled out for installing tiedowns, a nice touch). The doors and hood sections are positionable as is the tail gate, and a section of chain is also included to use for lowered supports for that platform. The model has a very detailed engine, as well as very detailed chassis and driveline. Even the mounting pads for the cargo body (parts G20 and G21) are included as separate parts.

;The front axle cane be made to steer. The directions do not indicate it, but as with most Soviet vehicles (copied from US designs) the front windscreen sections can be opened, but the braces and locks are not included in the kit. Seats are also positionable. Many parts are provided but there is no direction provided as to how to improvement, such as an oil cooler on the radiator (part B10) or the air tank system. (This model properly needs a lot of wiring and lining, and I suggest if you can find a copy of the "Russian Motorbooks" issue on the ZiS/ZIL-151/157 you pick it up if you want to really make this model pop!)

The kit comes with a reasonably good if basic decal sheet, but only provides basic Soviet era markings (two number/two number/two letter registration plates) and a pair of Guards badges. This is sort of a shame, as it is a really great kit and as it was used by just about everyone not buying US trucks in the 1960s could really be painted up nicely into a Third World scheme.

Overall, this is a great kit that can stand alone or really perk up a diorama.

Cookie Sewell
AMPS

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(Originally written on July 28, 2004)

Kit Review: DML 1/144 Scale "Panzer Corps" kits:

Kit No. 14503, German Railway Gun 28 cm K5(e) "Leopold" with Artillery Crew.
77 parts (45 in in grey styrene, 24 in grey PVC plastic, 7 in etched brass, and 1 turned aluminum gun barrel).
Price not known.

Kit No. 14504, German Railway Gun 28 cm K5(e) "Leopold" with Artillery Crew.
79 parts (47 in in grey styrene, 24 in grey PVC plastic, 7 in etched brass, and 1 turned aluminum gun barrel).
Price not known.
Advantages: First kits of this gun in this scale; very nice details and turned barrel is a plus.
Disadvantages: Some fudging on scale (see text), some PVC parts may not be popular with modelers.
Rating: Highly Recommended.
Recommendation: for all German fans and those wishing to find a model railway compatible series of military items.
F I R S T   L O O K.

DML has led the parade so far with their new series of 1/144 scale armor kits, and the latest pair are these two interpretations of the famous 28 cm K5(e) "Leopold", better known to most Americans as "Anzio Annie" and currently resident here at the Ordnance Museum at Aberdeen Proving Ground.

This is a much more useful and "buildable" model of the big gun, as in this scale it works out to about 6" long (180 mm). Fiddly bits such as handrails come molded to the sides of the main carriage and the end sections or bogies, so they are not a problem for assembly. They are very thin and do not look visually offensive, so most modelers will be happy with them.

The gun also comes with a small sheet of etched brass (see through grille work, too!) and a turned aluminum gun barrel, which is about the size of a 1/35 scale 76mm gun.

The gun can be made to elevate with some care. However, while it comes with a really nicely done crew and even six complete rounds (included three "fluted" projectiles) they are all made from PVC vinyl. I am sure many modelers will complain about this, as it is hard to paint them due to "flex" in the plastic. However, in a sidebar conversation Freddie Leung of DML noted that they had to switch to this material in some cases to get the "right" level of detail in a figure, and these do have beautiful details. He also stated that the plastic is of the "glueable" type and can be attached using standard model cements. The choice of the grey plastic was to minimize painting here (no pun intended) due to the "flexing and flaking" problem.

The kits only differ in that 14503 comes with two sections of straight track with end caps and 14504 come with two switches (one LH and one RH) with four end caps. As noted in the "Disadvantages" the model fudges a bit on scale; correct gauge (4'8 ½" or 1435 mm) would be just at 10 mm and the model has 9 mm track. This is more useful in the long run, as 9mm is the standard track gauge for US (and European) N Gauge model railway equipment. However, the wheels for the gun's bogies are fixed and do not rotate, so it would take some work to add working bogies and couplers to the model. It does mean that standard European N Gauge engines and wagons (of the right period, of course!) can be used and displayed with the model.

A very nice decal sheet comes with the kits for "Leopold" and provides both white and black versions of the data, as the "straight" model is shown in grey and the "switch" model is show with a sand-and-brown finish.

Overall these are very nice little kits, and should please both very small scale modelers as well as model railroaders looking for something COMPLETELY different on their layouts!

Thanks to Freddie Leung of DML for the review samples.

Cookie Sewell
AMPS

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(Originally written on July 28, 2004)

Kit Review: Dragon Models Limited 1/72 Scale Armor Series Kit No. 7210; Bergepanzer Tiger I, sPzAbt 508 Italy 1944.
67 parts (62 in grey styrene, 2 in black vinyl, 2 in etched brass, 1 section of wire).
Price $8.95
Advantages: "Out of the box" kit of this vehicle in this scale, nice details like zimmerit molded on and brass exhaust guards.
Disadvantages: NOT a Bergetiger!
Rating: Highly Recommended.
Recommendation: To all small-scale German and especially Tiger I fans.
I know from hard experience when one is around noted German armor expert Tom Jentz and makes a faux pas, such as calling a Tiger II Ausf. B a "Royal Tiger" or a "Henschel Tiger" the eyerolling is enough to make Groucho Marx swoon in envy. This is one of those vehicles which will cause Tom eyestrain, but at least he has done some research and exposed the myth of this tank.

In 1944, the Germans in Italy were having a problem clearing mine fields. The problem  was that they were using explosives to clearing them but none of the other tanks were sturdy enough to both close with mines and withstand the shock of detonation when an antitank mine detonated. The solution as taken by schwerer Panzerabteilung 508 was to use a Tiger I and dismount the main gun from the tank. On the back of the turret, the Germans fitted a manual winch and hoist that could be used to lower the explosive charge into place; the Tiger was more than up to the blast of the charge when detonated (this assumes that the brave engineers got inside the tank BEFORE they detonated the charge, though!)

The name, according to Tom, that the Germans applied to this tank was "Umgebaute Tiger I fuer Minenraeumen" or "Converted Tiger I for Mine Clearing." Further, only one of the tanks was reportedly thus converted (other reports earlier mentioned three, but considering they needed every tank this doesn't seem quite right when only 1,385 Tiger Is were built and it was the only tank that could assuredly kill any Allied vehicle in Italy).

When discovered, none of the US or Commonwealth forces quite understood what it was for (one humorous photo even showed a pair of soldiers recovering a bicycle with the hoist) and so it passed on into legend as the "Bergepanzer Tiger." Considering that it could not have done much more than pull the engine hatch off a fellow Tiger, that always seemed a bit farfetched, and with Tom's additional research it should put paid to the myth.

On the other hand, it has always been a popular conversion subject for modelers, and now DML has released a version of it in 1/72 with their new Tiger I with zimmerit chassis. The complete zimmerit tank kit comes in the box, with the only addition of a new "B" sprue with the winch and hoist components as well as the blanked-off mantelet.

One interesting twist is that there were some complaints with the original release of the Tiger I kit about the fit of the road wheels on the suspension. In response, DML has added a set of pre-interleaved road wheels to the kit! These consist of two parts, the "inners" and the "outers," molded in interconnected sets and provided in the kit partially assembled. Likewise, the kit's drivers come completely assembled as well. All the modeler has to do is slide them onto the axles (that part has not changed, but as they are molded onto the lower hull they are all pre-aligned). Unless you are still into "carpet crawlers" this isn't such a bad idea in this scale, as it makes life easier and still permits the modeler to paint the parts relatively easily before installation.

Decals are provided for the one known example of the vehicle.

Overall, this should be popular with "Tiger fans," but hopefully that silly myth gets put to rest for once and for all as to what it is!

Thanks to Freddie Leung of DML for the review sample.

Cookie Sewell
AMPS

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(Originally written on July 28, 2004)

Kit Review: Dragon Models Limited 1/72 Scale Armor Series Kit No. 7222; Challenger 2 KFOR.
109 parts (103 in grey styrene, 4 in black vinyl).
Price $8.95.
Advantages: "Straight" C2 compliments the earlier kit of the "TELIC" one from Iraq; nicely done kit.
Disadvantages: Perhaps one kit with multiple parts would have been a better choice.
Rating: Highly Recommended.
Recommendation: For all modern armor and UK armour fans.

DML continues to build up its "stud" of small scale armor kits, and following on the recent release last year of the "Operation TELIC" Challenger 2 with all of the modifications made for Iraq is the "straight" model as was used in the UK and Kosovo with the British component of the KFOR peacekeeping mission.

The model comes with its three main components – upper and lower hull and upper section of the turret – partitioned off in a sectionalized plastic bag. These are the specific parts for the earlier model of the C2 and as such are unique to the kit. The other two sprues of parts are the same ones as used in the "TELIC" kit and have some discards on each one.

The kit comes with the short "sawtooth" skirts mostly attached to the upper hull, with only the last section separate. The rest of the kit is identical with the previous one, complete with screw holes and their "covers" (rear engine deck bits and driver's hatch) but no screws. The turret hatches are positionable and the gun can be elevated once installed. There is no way unless the modeler uses a drill and scrap plastic, however, to open up the big TOGS sight over the gun barrel.

 Markings are included for two vehicles of the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards, one with KFOR and one during exercise "Ulan Eagle 99".

Overall this should be a popular kit, as it is a big sleek tank and impressive in this scale.

Thanks to Freddie Leung for the review sample.

Cookie Sewell
AMPS

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(Originally written on July 19, 2004)

Kit Review: Dragon Models Limited 1/35 Scale ‘39-‘45 Series Kit No. 6206; Sd.Kfz. 251/6 Ausf. C Command Vehicle.
568 parts (546 in grey styrene, 14 in PVC vinyl, 7 in etched nickel, 1 in etched brass).
Price estimated at US $32-34.
Advantages: Bright, new kit of a variant only available in an obsolete kit; great job of rendering details.
Disadvantage: PVC figures will not be popular with figure modelers.
Rating: Highly Recommended.
Recommendation: for all German and radio equipment fans.

Why, in the very early days of the Second World War, were the Germans successful? This is an old question, and one rarely given realistic discussion. It was not due to their "great" tanks, as most other nations in 1939-40 had superior tanks to the German efforts. It was not that their tactics were so brilliant, as many other nations had similar plans. But it was due to one word – communications – where the Germans excelled over every other force on the battlefield, or did until the Americans showed up with better radios and command vehicles.

The Germans had conceived a complete family of vehicles that were fitted with communications to deal with every contingency and cover every echelon from mechanized infantry squad up to army and theater command levels. Each had precisely matched radio sets for a specific purpose. Commanders in France, up against French armor and artillery, simply made direct calls to artillery units or roving Stukas to deal with the obstacles. The French, unable to respond at the same rate of speed, were soon blasted off the battlefield. Ditto the Soviets and the British in North Africa.

Nearly all of the German communications at the time were medium- or high-frequency amplitude modulated (MF or HF AM) signals, produced by a networked system of communications. The radios varied in power from five watts for low level (infantry regimental internal communications) through 20 watt tank radios, 30 watt divisional command radios, 80 watt Panzer division command radios, and finally high-power sets of 100 to 1,500 watts for higher level command.

Command vehicles were created for specific purposes, and the first major armored command vehicles were the Sd.Kfz. 251/3 series and Sd.Kfz. 251/6. Most of the first series produced used the Ausf. A chassis, as few were built and they were seen as not quite as suitable for combat as the later B and C models. Production/conversion of these vehicles ran up until 1943.

Each vehicle was provided with a suite of radios matched to its purpose and echelon, and as a result the crew could maintain communications for the supported commander and his staff with both subordinate and superior headquarters. The /6 series was designated for divisional level command and above (corps, army and army group) use.

The Sd.Kfz. 251/6 came with a large number of communications sets:
1 x Funk f (low-power HF AM set from 20-21.475 Mhz for inter-vehicle communications)
1 x Fu 6 (medium-power HF/VHF AM set from 27.200-33.300 Mhz for communications with tanks)
1 x Fu 11 (high-power MF AM set from 0.200-1.200 Mhz for corps and above communications)
1 x Fu 12 (high-power MF AM set from 1.200-3.000 Mhz for division level combined arms command and control)
1 x Fu 19 (an auxiliary command radio set)

Some vehicles, at higher echelons, also were provided with an "Engima" three-rotor cryptographic machine (whose broken messages were classified ULTRA by the Allies) for use by senior commanders for direct communications with theater commands such as OKW or OKH. There is a famous photo of General Heinz Guderian in his Sd.Kfz. 251/6 command vehicle watching two radio operators break out an "Enigma" message.

For years, anyone wishing to build a model of the command variant (or convert one to the lower echelon /3 models) was stuck with the ancient Nitto Sd.Kfz. 251/6 Ausf. B model, which dated to the early 1970s. This was a dog – motorized, with rubber band tracks (the motor went in the engine compartment and the two AA batteries were fitted to a "trailer" that followed it around) and with no details to speak of inside. The "radios" consisted of a simple two-piece component that fitted in the back of the right side of the hull. Up until now, no other company had offered one of these variants, but now DML has created a really decent model of it.

The new kit is based on DML's recent C model – making it somewhat later than the early campaign vehicles, most of which as noted were A conversions – but is a gem. Two new sprues with a total of 83 parts are provided for the interior details and the radio sets, as well as the "clothes rail" antenna and a mast antenna provided on the later variants. This latter item comes with an etched brass "crow's foot" antenna head for it, making it relatively easy (if fragile!) to replicate.

The kit retains the A, B. C. D. and E sprue sets from the earlier /1 kit intact, but adds the new F and G sprues with the radio and interior bits. They also include a driver (Z) and a set of two radio operators.  These latter will no doubt cause a bit of unhappiness, as they are made from PVC vinyl and while the directions indicate they can be assembled with ACC cement, they are going to be hard to clean up and harder to paint. This is a shame, as they come with three distinctive heads each (two with sidecaps and different headsets, one wearing what looks to be a leather Luftwaffe helmet) and would be great if they were styrene.

The rest of the kit is the same, EXCEPT that the model does not come with the internal water tank. Comments indicate that fans who are really into the German halftracks found out that this was only used in the ambulance versions of the 251 (Sd.Kfz. 251/8.I and 8.II), and photos seem to bear this out. DML has therefore corrected the kit – the /6 comes with what appears to be a manpack radio for short-range communications in that position. The actual command radio console goes from the wimpy two-piece Nitto effort to some 45 parts, and can be intimidating! (Note: I do not have a wiring diagram for these sets, but can assure you that they will look better if "plumbed" with connecting cables, antenna leads, headsets, telegraph keys, or microphones.)

The rest of the kit is verbatim /1 and has the two-piece track links for the track runs. The directions are not real helpful with these (they are installed per the directions in Step 13 as a "stick here" with parts E1 and E11 called out, but no numbers and only an arrow indicating where they go; it does not call out how many or which way they face, either.)

Note that not all of the Sd.Kfz. 251/6 vehicles mounted the extendable mast unit at the right rear of the hull, so if you can get research photos of a specific vehicle it would help. At least one photo exists of what is reported to be a /6 (note the /3 looks alike externally with the same "clothes rail" antenna) with no mast and a 2.8 cm Gerlich gun fitted at the front of the roof!

There are two decals sheets included in the kit (!), one for the suggested finishing options and one which is a set of license plates and "number jungles" as model railroaders call them to make up your own plates. The kit provided ones are for command vehicles from the 11th Panzer Division, 9th Panzer Division, 4th Panzer Division, 24th Panzer Division, 39th Panzer Division, and one unknown unit. They range from grey (of the "Barbarossa" 1941 period) to three-color schemes from later in the war, but no estimated dates or locations are given.

Overall, while I wish it had provided a bit more history and locations for the recommended marking options, the kit itself is amazing and it should be popular. Unless, of course, you hate wiring and consider anything with radios "wiggly amps things..."

Thanks to Freddie Leung for the review sample.

Cookie Sewell
AMPS

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(Originally written on June 30, 2004)

Product Review: Chesapeake Model Designs 1/35 scale Accessories; Soviet 76mm F-34 Gun; 1 turned aluminum barrel.
Price $8.
Advantages: right barrel for the new DML Model 1941 kit; matches photos and scale drawings.
Disadvantages: specific product for a specific function; will require other kits to be used in other situations (e.g. KV-1 Model 1941 or Tamiya, Maquette or Zvedza offerings).
Rating: Highly Recommended.
Recommendation: for replacing all F-34 barrels.
Following up on the heels of their very nice L–11 barrel, CMD now offers the 76mm F-34 "long" barrel in 1/35 scale as well.

As noted earlier in both the article I did for "Military Modelling" (UK) that looked at the development histories of the Soviet tank guns prior to WWII, the Soviets had decided initially that the short L-11 gun produced in Leningrad would be the standard tank gun for medium tanks. This was a 30.5 caliber weapon barely able to fire a round faster than 612 meters per second, not a good set of numbers for armor-piercing functions.

The L-11 was a very short barreled weapon on purpose. The Soviets felt that if the gun barrel overhung the hull it would soon be damaged or cause the tank to get stuck in a ditch or trees and thus be lost. But it suffered badly in regard to accuracy due to the fact that the barrel was suspended from its cradle, not riding on top of it like most guns. As a result, it tended to wobble in the cradle, preventing any real accuracy beyond a few hundred meters.

While it was designed for the KV tank and was used in the KV Model 1939, the designers from Khar'kov also used this gun in their T-34 Model 1939 and later in the Model 1940. As a result, it placed both a strain on production and caused divisiveness among the plants. Leningrad was told, after a shooting competition, to drop the L-11 in favor of the Grabin-designed F-32. While only one caliber (e.g. 76mm) longer, this gun used a cradle under the barrel and was far more accurate. But its top muzzle velocity was only 613 meters per second, not a major improvement.

After weeks of fighting, Leningrad lost and had to adopt it. But when they did, they demanded all production support the KV-1 Model 1941 and the Khar'kov designers were out of luck. Fortunately, as they had no problems with overhang, they were offered the 76mm F-34 (41.5 calibers long).

The initial version of the F-34 had a muzzle velocity of 662 meters per second, and later got bumped up to around 800. With the later tungsten cored "arrow" shell this remained a reasonably potent antitank round up until late 1943-early 1944. More than 25,00 tanks were fitted with this gun, and the KV had to adopt the modified ZIS-5 gun based on the F-34 to become at least tolerable on the battlefield.

As with their L-11, CMD has nailed this gun and purpose-made it to drop-fit right into the DML kit without a single modification. As such, it's hard to find such a "modeler friendly" accessory. Other barrels, such as Jordi Rubio, usually need drilling out to fit, but then again they are "universal" barrels. Note that the F-34 barrel is based on the one found on the Aberdeen Proving Ground T-34 Model 1941 that was the subject of the article mentioned above.

;Thanks to Bill Miley of CMD for the review sample.

Cookie Sewell
AMPS

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(Originally written on June 26, 2004) Kit Review: Royal Model Diorama Accessories 1/35 Scale Kits:

No. 352, DUKW (Part 1).
295 parts (259 in 0.005" etched metal, 20 in 0.010" etched metal, 12 in grey-green resin, 3 in clear acetate, 1 length of steel wire).
Price $43.00.

No. 353, DUKW (Part 2).
130 parts (117 in 0.005" etched metal, 212 in grey-green resin, 1 in clear acetate).
Price $25.00.

No. 365, DUKW Stowage.
20 parts in grey-green resin.
Price $29.00.
Advantages: very neatly upgrades the Italeri kit with all of the bits necessary as well as dress up the cargo bay.
Disadvantages: not cheap; will not convert the kit to the early production version or provide for it.
Rating: Highly Recommended.
Recommendation: for all US or DUKW fans.

One has to have sympathy for those that dare. Many modelers wanted a kit of the WWII GMC DUKW amphibian in 1/35 scale, but for years the big companies met their pleas – and dozens of surveys – with stony silence. But finally, one company took the bit and produced a kit to meet the need.

But the company was Italeri, one which peaked as the best model company going in the late 1970s and early 1980s with kits like their M47 and Leopard 1A4. Since then they have been willing to do kits no other manufacturer will touch, but the results have been somewhat erratic.

The bottom line is always a driver, and in the case of Italeri lately it has been trying to get a good, all-purpose kit to the market that meets the mass market desires but still is good enough and accurate enough to please more sophisticated tastes. Translation: if you don't do much – or don't do multimedia – at least do what you do make right.

I can imagine their surprise when they heard some of the reviews on the internet of this kit. The most stunning one I saw was one that went on for what amounted to five printed letter-size pages of defects, errors and omissions. But nearly all of them were so petty as to befog the mind. I served in US Army tactical units for nine years, becoming intimately familiar with the DA2404 Discrepancy Repot or "gig sheet", which listed every thing wrong, missing or broken on a specific vehicle. Even the worst of one of my "hangar queen" Gama Goats at Fort Hood only ran 2 ½ pages.

There's always room for more details, to be sure; but why would any manufacturer want to produce kits when there is some oaf out there who will crucify the kit for this sort of petty failings?

Needless to say, for those who do want more details there are companies that rise to provide them, and now Royal Model is offering three sets to really dress this kit up. The first two kits cover the detailing – Part 1 covers the external upper decking of the vehicle, and Part 2 covers the cargo bay and interior.  The stowage fills up the interior bay.

Note that none of these kits do two things: they do not give the option to convert the kit to the early model vehicle with wheel skirts and a vertical windshield, nor do they provide parts or "skinning" to convert the inside of the cargo bay to a visible plywood interior. The latter is a moot point anyway, if either this stowage set or another from a different company or the spares box is used.

Part 1 upgrades the following areas: windshield, wave-breaker, front deck, air intakes and exhaust, tie-downs and tie hooks, the external rim around the cargo bay, the rear engine deck and winch area, and the engine deck. New blades are also provided for the propeller, but installing them looks to be something of a challenge!

Part 2 upgrades the following areas: the driver's compartment, air exhausts and grilles behind the personnel compartment, the interior details of the cargo bay, and the dashboard.

The stowage set consists of separate and "group" parts, and provides 12 US style "jerry" cans, three 55 gallon drums, four crates, one open crate of potatoes, three rolled canvas covers, one folded cover, several canteens, small crates and packs, and a barracks bag.

Detailed directions are included for Parts 1 and 2, but none for the stowage; nevertheless, the boxtop illustrations show about what colors the items should be painted as well as the suggested places for stowage inside the cargo bay.

Overall, this is a very nice and complete set. If nothing else, it tells the whiny critics of minutiae to stuff it.

Thanks to Bill Miley of CMD for the review samples.

Cookie Sewell
AMPS

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Kit Review: Royal Model Diorama Accessories 1/35 Scale Kit No. 349; T-55A.
395 parts (377 in etched metal, 18 in grey-green resin).
Price $49.00.
Advantages: pretty much covers all small surface detail to be found on a Polish or Czech built T-55 or T-55A tank, and most Soviet ones as well.
Disadvantages: small size and built-up nature of some assemblies will not be popular with some modelers.
Rating: Highly Recommended.
Recommendation: for all fans of the "55".

There are always people who claim that kits do not come with "enough" detail and want to grouse about it. This part is too thick, that is too bulky, there's no detail on this, and that is out of scale. People like that are one of the reasons aftermarket manufacturers came into being, and stay there today.

Royal Model is one of the most complete in this area, and its kits provide more than enough detail to keep even the most fussy detail dilettante happy. This kit is no exception, and provides an amazing amount of detail to take the Tamiya T-55/T-55A kit and turn it from super to stunning.

The resin parts cover the bulky items – machine gun boxes for the 12.7mm "Dushka" gun on the post-1972 model tanks or rebuilds, cleaner viewers and viewing devices, as well as the ones for the inside of the commander's and driver-mechanic's positions. The "Dushka" cans are useful, and there are 8 of them in this kit.

The rest is all etched metal, used to replace, detail or build up kit details, and includes about every type of hanger, hinge, snap, fastener, grille, grid, shield or bracket one could possibly think of to detail on this kit. As noted, they are more along the lines of the patterns used with the Polish or Czech built tanks (other than the right rear fan exhaust and the fact that they do not use the split hatch covers for the main radiator intakes) but most of them apply to the Soviet tanks as well. (Case in point – no pun intended – is that parts are included to detail the kit-supplied OPVT storage tube container that goes up under the extra fuel tanks as well as the Polish ZIP box that goes on the left side of the turret.)

The kit does come with three A4 size very detailed directions, citing which parts to keep and which to modify/replace on the kit.

Overall, this is a very nice set and will result in an amazing model if all of the parts, or even just the main ones are used.

Thanks to Bill Miley of CMD for the review sample.

Cookie Sewell
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Kit Review: Royal Model Diorama Accessories 1/35 Scale Kit No. 346.
M18 Hellcat Mufflers.
13 parts in grey resin.
Price $16.00.
Advantages: essential parts for completing the details on an M18 or M39 model.
Disadvantages: no instructions, nor even a hint of where it goes and what to do with it.
Rating: Recommended, with reservations.
Recommendation: for all modelers building an M18 or M39 model.

Kit manufacturers are up against it for a number of reasons. If they make models too simple or leave off "personality" items that define a specific object, they get complaints. If they use multimedia to provide everything – often resulting in a really complex or difficult model to built, let alone extremely expensive – they get complaints. As a result, they figure the odds and try to arrive at a happy medium the bookkeepers, the modelers, and the retailers can all live with.

When AFV Club and Academy released their respective kits of the much-awaited M18 Hellcat tank destroyer, neither one of them provided a set of etched metal engine deck screens for their kits. The reason for the first was probably a guess that it would be too expensive, and for the other, the domestic Korean version of the kit had an electric motor in the rear and thus there was nothing to expose by providing a see-through grille. The aftermarket boys caught up with that, but even while new grilles were provided for the kits, there was only an empty engine bay to show for the efforts.

When the vehicle was in service, there was little to be seen via the rear grille as the engine's mufflers took up the entire area under the screen. But as the kits provided no engine bay detail, they also provided no mufflers. The alternatives were to either buy a complete engine kit – most of which would not be seen, or to built it – ditto on visibility, or just get a set of mufflers.

Royal Model now offers a beautiful set of just the mufflers for the M18, and from the looks of things it will fit either kit. However, "looks" is the operative word, as there are no instructions or even a photo of the mufflers installed to use as a reference!

I was extremely disappointed to see this, as many other Royal Model kits come with excellent instructions and show precisely what to do and where to do it. In this case, the kit provides the exhaust collector, twin mufflers, twin reverse pipes with outlet fishtails, and four twin brackets for mounting. This goes in the rear right under the rear engine grille, but it does need some sort of indication of where it goes for the guy who doesn't have access to a museum or an operator's handbook of the vehicle.

Overall, I don't like giving a nice product a relatively low mark, but they do need to give the modeler something to work with as not everyone has a huge reference library.

Thanks to Bill Miley of CMD for the review sample.

Cookie Sewell

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Kit Review: Fruilmodel 1/35 scale track sets:
Kit No. ATL-78; M2 Bradley/LVTP-7/MLRS track (early type).
365 parts (180 links in white metal, 180 white metal bolt heads, 4 white metal drive wheels, and one length of wire).
Price $30.00.
Kit No. ATL-79; M2 Bradley/LVTP-7/MLRS track (late type "Big Foot").
365 parts (180 links in white metal, 180 white metal bolt heads, 4 white metal drive wheels, and one length of wire).
Price $30.00. Advantages: nicely done metal tracks lend "heft" to a model; fit a number of vehicles beside those listed.
Disadvantages: use of separate bolt heads is novel but will frustrate some modelers.
Rating: Highly Recommended.
Recommendation: for all American medium armored vehicle fans.

The US Army, like many other countries, finds things it likes and stays with them over the years. There are some things that do meet the criteria "if it ain't broke don't fix it."

The Army changed over in the early 1950s to families of vehicles sharing engines, component parts, and running gear. The earliest of them were the FMC designed T18 armored personnel carrier and T37 light tank, both of which came out right at the very beginning of the 1950s. The APC was first to go into service as the M75, seeing service in Korea in 1953. The tank took longer, finally being redesigned to produce the M41 light tank, the M42 twin 40mm SP AA gun, and the M59 APC later in the decade, as well as the M44 and M52 SP howitzers.

All of them shared the same basic parts: a Continenal air cooled flat 6 engine, transmission and the same 25.5" x 4.5" road wheels and T91E3 tracks. These were single-pin live tracks with a triangular rubber pad in the center that could be replaced without replacing the entire track link. They had a width overall of 21" and a pitch of 6".

These tracks served well over the years, and a slightly modified design was used when FMC created the LVTP-7 in the late 1960s, as well as with the same company's use of them and parts from the LVTP-7 when creating the M2/M3 Bradley family of fighting vehicles in 1976. These tracks, obviously a favorite of the FMC design teams, worked well and were a good match with vehicles in the 25-30 ton range.

As a result of lessons learned during Operation Desert Storm, the tracks were finally redesigned in the late 1990s and a new larger track pad was fitted; this was formed in the shape of a rectangle with a tab at the wide end of the link. This is the track currently fitted to the M2/M3 family.

Fruilmodel is now producing sets of both of these tracks, and they will match up well with the Tamiya Bradley kits, the Academy and Tamiya LVTP-7/AAV-7 series kits, as well as the DML MLRS launcher. However, photos are a good idea if trying to match vehicles as the changeover period appears to be based on wearout and not a firm date. Likewise, early model vehicles – unless you have photos of one in a current unit – only used the early style tracks.

These kits both provide the now-standard Fruilmodel system of a length of wire for pins and metal links with hollow cast hinges. The wire is inserted into the hinges to join links, a touch of ACC cement, a snip with wire cutters, and off to the next link. While tedious at first, the system is not that hard to learn, and some tricks do help. By putting a slight kink in the wire before insertion, friction will hold the nascent hinge pin in place until cemented down.

(There's another solution: as they are roughly 0.020" size holes, drill them out with an 0.020" drill and use styrene rod to joint them – faster and easier with less hassle.)

Some modelers have complained that this system is not prototypical, as it leaves a small hole at the end whereas the actual tracks have bolts or nuts (based on which end you look at.) As a "shut up" for them, Fruilmodel now includes a matching set of 1/35 scale white metal bolt heads to fill up or seal the open end of the pin cavity. These are molded laterally to the sprues so they have to be cemented on flat (you can't "cheat" as with a Grandt Line bolt head and leave a section of .010" rod from the sprue for mounting in this case.) They also redefine the term TINY.

Overall, these tracks are nicely done and as far as I know this is the only set of the new so-called "Big Foot" tracks available for the M2/M3, AAV-7A1 UGS, and MLRS as serving in Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Thanks to Bill Miley of CMD for the review samples.

Cookie Sewell
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Kit Review: Dragon Models Limited 1/72 Armor Series Kit No. 7221; AAV-7A1 USMC Mogadishu 1993.
98 parts (75 in grey styrene,18 in black vinyl, 3 steel screws, 2 diecast metal hull sections).
Price about $8.95.
Advantages: first mass-market kit of this vehicle in this scale; includes optional parts.
Disadvantages: diecast hull will make assembly more difficult; interior is barren.
Rating: Recommended.
Recommendation: For all AMTRAC and USMC fans, as well as fans of modern armor.
F I R S T L O O K.

While the new and improved USMC amphibious armored personnel carrier that went into service in 1972 as the LVTP-7, started off their career slowly, from their US combat debut in 1985 (Grenada) to the present they have been heavily involved in nearly every US major operation involving the Marine Corps. Redesignated as the AAV-7 family, they have remained in constant service for over 30 years now and are still providing good service.

Designed around a more seaworthy hull than their predecessor, the LVTP-5 series, they were also powered by diesel engines and shared some parts and component with the US Army's M2 Bradley fighting vehicle family. This rendered them more cost efficient and easier to modify/upgrade as new components were developed. While an original A1 version saw a few items change – mostly involving some work to the bow of the vehicle and changes to placement of the headlights as external indicators, the vehicles have undergone constant upgrades. The most significant were done right before Operation Desert Storm in 1990, when the vehicles received the ability to mount supplemental armor protection and also an upgraded firepower suite via the "UWS" or upgraded weapons station. This combined a 40mm grenade launcher and a .50 caliber machine gun in one turret.

While the LVTP-7/AAV-7 has been well served in HO scale by Trident and in 1/35 by both Tamiya and Academy, this is the first kit of this vehicle in 1/72 scale. DML has done a nice job of turning out this big beast (think self-propelled garage and you have a rough idea of the size and bulk of the vehicle) as part of their continuing 1/72 series.

The hull is provided as two sections of diecast metal held together with screws. This makes any modification or correction the modeler desires a bit difficult, as it is much harder to clean parts made of metal than styrene or attach the plastic components to it. DML has come up with a partial solution in that some of the supplemental hull parts are made of styrene (such as the sides with the road wheel arms and the bow section below the headights). This serves two main functions: one, it is now far easier to cement the parts on using standard model cements vice ACC or epoxy, and two, it prevents damage to the fragile road wheel arms that would come of their being cast in metal due to their location.

The kit does provide a number of options. While the kit comes with directions to install the UWS, the parts for the commander's hatch for the earlier version with a .50 caliber cupola are included. (Note that neither supplemental armor or its prominent hull mounting brackets are part of this kit.)_The wave-breaker can be installed either closed (part A3) or deployed (A4), as can the water jet drives (A21/22 open, A23/24 closed).

The rear ramp operates, but the top hatches have to be cemented in position either open or closed. Room has been left for installing an interior but none is provided. (Note: the screw mounts are more or less discreetly situated on the sides of the hull and in the bow, but the directions do not tell the modeler how to install them or when; since two of them are right above the running gear, I suspect it means leaving the wheels off until you have screwed the hull together. They are held on by vinyl bearings a la Tamiya, so it should not be a big deal.)

Tracks are black vinyl and seem pretty well done. Surprisingly, even with the amount of shared parts none seems to be from the M2/M3 series kits.

Markings are provided for two vehicles in Somalia during Operation Restore Hope in 1993; one left in Desert Storm sand and wedge markings, and one in the NATO tri-color scheme.

Overall this should be a nice adjunct to the USMC Abrams, and with some work a version from OIF with applique armor could be produced. A more industrious soul could also fashion an interior in it, making it a gem.

Thanks to Freddie Leung of DML for the review sample.

Cookie Sewell
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Kit Review: Dragon Models Limited 1/35 Scale ‘39-‘45 Series Figure Sets:

Kit No. 6234, U.S. Army Airborne Normandy 1944 "60th Anniversary of the Normandy Campaign".
117 parts in grey styrene.
Price about $8.95.

Kit No. 6235, U.S. Rangers Normandy 1944 "60th Anniversary of the Normandy Campaign" Series.
126 parts in grey styrene.
Price about $8.95.

Kit No. 6236, U.S. Infantry 2nd Armored Division Normandy 1944 "60th Anniversary of the Normandy Campaign" Series.
135 parts in grey styrene.
Price about $8.95.

Kit No. 6237, U.S. Army Anti-Tank Team "60th Anniversary of the Normandy Campaign" Series.
147 parts in grey styrene.,
Price about $8.95.

Kit No. 6211, U.S. 29th Infantry Division Omaha Beach D-Day 1944.
151 parts in grey styrene.
Price about $8.95.
Advantages: 60th Anniversary kits all come with new sprue of 48 parts as accessories; 29th ID kit has great poses for diorama artists.
Disadvantages: not British; will not yet assemble and paint themselves(!)
Rating: Highly Recommended.
Recommendation: for all D-Day and US WWII fans.

Dragon has a nice idea that they have been using this year – obviously tied into marketing related to the 60th Anniversary of the D-Day landings and the battle for Normandy – to re-release some older kits that have been off the market with new parts and at reasonable prices. The 29th ID kit is new and is another of the latest kits from DML with six figures per box vice four.

The "60th Anniversary" kits are old friends – the Airborne kit came out as #6010 in 1994, the Rangers as #6021 also in 1994, the 2nd Armored figures in 1999 as #6120, and the antitank teams as #6149 in 2001. All are great sets and set the standards that DML has maintained in this area for over a decade. The main difference with these kits is a new sprue of 48 parts that adds a lot of accessories and flexibility to the kits, and literally enhances them and their use.

The new sprue – dubbed "M-35Figure-C" – provides the following parts: four new heads, all complete and all bare; four new helmets, one with mesh and one with mesh and scrim attached; two German-style "teller" mines; two pistol holsters; four bayonets; two WWI type (fixed) and two WWII type (folding) entrenching tools; two M1A1 "airborne" folding stock carbines; an M1 bazooka with two rounds and a carry sack for three; a BAR with choice of bipods and handles; three M1 rifles (one regular, one with bayonet, one with grenade launcher and grenade); two Thompson submachine guns, and one twin and two single barrel cases. For good measure, two sections of logs are also provided as props.

The totally new 29th ID set contains six figures in assault poses – one prone, three kneeling or crouching, and two running. All come in the correct leggin and shoe dress, however, none is wearing the US beach assault vest created for D-Day. One is still wearing his chest life preserver, however! They all come with the usual kit – canteen, bayonet, butt pack, ammo pouches, and small arms (two carbines, two BARs, and four M1s). The poses will really be popular as they are very well animated and far from the usual static figure poses.

Overall, these are very nice sets and are sure to be very popular in this anniversary year of D-Day. The only grouses I have heard so far are "why aren't the Brits receiving the same level of treatment?" (from British modelers!) and complaints from the extremely lazy that for all of the great value and detail, why can't they put themselves together and paint themselves as well!

Just goes to show you can't please everyone.

Thanks to Freddie Leung of DML for the review samples.

Cookie Sewell
AMPS

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(Originally written on June 7, 2004)

Kit Review: DML 1-72 Armor Series Kit No. 7203; Sd. Kfz. 181 Ausf. E Tiger I Late Production w/Zimmerit.
99 parts (94 in grey styrene, 2 brass exhaust shrouds, 2 in black vinyl. 1 section of twisted wire).
Price $8.95.
Advantages: new kit of a very popular subject; all styrene kit; first kit in this scale with the zimmerit paste application molded into the plastic.
Disadvantages: some parts simplified, e.g. tools molded in place, one or two bad seams may be hard to align.
Rating: Highly Recommended.
Recommendation: for beginning modelers and small-scale German armor fans.

If you model German armor, especially the mid-war items that left the factory with the "Zimmerit" concrete paste on them to attempt to defeat Soviet magnetic mines and grenades, then you know that for years you have had to do it the hard way. Only Italeri ever attempted to give modelers the option in 1/35 scale, and their two kits (Panther Ausf. A and Tiger I Ausf. E) met with mixed results. Part of the problem was that their kits were provided smooth, and the zimmerit parts had to be bent to shape and installed to the outer surface. Since they were designed to carry these parts by the manufacturer, if you built them with it you had a hard time getting a good fit and good finish; if you left them off, the models were underscale and looked anemic.

DML has now made a shot at this, and their initial effort is this kit of a Tiger I with the zimmerit paste applied. As such, all parts come with the surfaces engraved to represent the coating and appear to be very nicely done. (Realize in real life this coating was only about 3-6 mm thick on average, which amounts to about 0.04-0.08 mm in this scale.) This is also the first kit in this scale with any attempt at it, and the initial look is that they did a great job of it.

The zimmerit is represented on the lower hull front, sides, rear plate, turret sides and mantelet, and upper hull glacis. All of these parts are new to the earlier "clean" Tiger kit and totally replace them.

The only bugaboo may be getting a good seam at the rear of the turret, but with some judicious use of a good slow-drying liquid cement like Testor's and a good Xacto knife, the seam should be easy to conceal.

This looks to be a really straightforward model, and the only complaint I foresee from some more serious modelers is the fact that the shovel and other small bits are molded in place on the top of the hull. It does, however, include a scale thickness steel cable for the tow cables.

Two finishes are suggested: s.Pz.Abt. 102 in Normandy, June 1944, and s.Pz.Abt. 101 in Normandy, July 1944.

Overall, this is a nice step by DML and one that should be well received, especially among new modelers not sure as to how to best replicate zimmerit. It also cries out for drybrushing!

Thanks to Freddie Leung for the review sample.

Cookie Sewell
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Kit Review: Dragon Models Limited 1/35 Scale ‘39-‘45 Series Kit No. 6186; Pz.Kpfw. I Ausf. B.
444 parts (414 in grey styrene, 20 etched brass, 7 etched stainless steel, 3 clear styrene).
Price estimated at $24-28.
Advantages: very nicely done kit, separate hatches at all openings, several different options permit a dead match for specific vehicles, choice of styrene or etched brass parts.
Disadvantages: very tiny individual track links will not be popular with some modelers.
Rating: Highly Recommended.
Recommendation: for all light armor, early WWII and German armor fans.
F I R S T L O O K.

Too many German armor fans tend to ignore the fact that the Tiger and Panther tanks did not spring from the earth cut from whole cloth; rather, they were the penultimate designs that saw production based on nearly a decade of open research and another decade of covert research that went before them. The tiny Panzerkampfwagen I series, which was never intended to be used in combat, was the progenitor of all those that followed it.

The German army was only starting to understand the value of tanks and design useful vehicles when the termination of World War I, and the crushing impositions of the Treaty of Versailles, prevented them from any open research in this area. As a result, the Germans entered into a period of covert research in Sweden and their former enemy, Russia, who as the fledgling USSR was seen as useful for testing projected weapons systems away from prying Western eyes.

After developmental and research work throughout the 1920s, after the Nazis came to power in 1933 the first prototype chassis of a new light tank, to be built essentially for proof of concept training of a new tank force – "Panzerwaffe" – emerged in the form of 150 "Agricultural tractors" produced by a consortium of German companies.

The "tractor" had an armored hull and a four-road-wheel per side spring suspension mounted low on the outside of the hull, much of it borrowed from German observations of British Carden-Loyd designs. It was not until 1934 that the "tractors" began to be produced with a small one-man turret mounting two machine guns on top of an armored casemate protecting the driver. The original tanks were first dubbed MG Panzerwagen but were quickly standardized as Panzerkampwagen I Ausfuerung A." 1,175 of this model were produced.

Later, as service showed up the shortcomings of the little tank, modifications were made. The first main one was adding a fifth road wheel per side to improve cross-country mobility and the ride, as well as a more powerful engine. 397 of these tanks, known as the Pz. Kpfw. I Ausf. B, were built in 1936-37.

But while the Germans knew full well these tiny tanks (the Ausf. B only weighed 5.8 short tons and had 13mm armor plate) were not what they had in mind for future combat, they did realize that war is a game of "run what you brung" and the tanks were used in the move into the Sudetenland, the Anschluss in 1938, and the battles of 1939-1940. By the time the Germans went into Russia, only 74 Pz.Kpfw. I tanks of all models were still listed as tanks in service.

The hulls were converted to other purposes, such as ammunition carriers, observation vehicles, and self-propelled guns. But all WWII German armor tactics originated with the use of these tiny tanks on exercise.

Surprisingly, unlike many early war or transitional armored vehicles (such as the British Light Mark VI series) this mini-tank has been better served. Italeri produced a good kit of it for its time back in the 1970s, and a more recent one has presented the earlier (and more numerous) Ausf. A version. DML has now released a very nice new kit of this old favorite that is state-of-the art, and provides for a large number of "tweaks" and options to build it.

The kit contains a total of nine plastic sprues, and since the upper hull is unto itself (sprue L) it would signify that at least one SP gun or the command variant will follow. The model also includes a set of etched brass (the now standard DML "MA" fret) as well as half of kit number 6029, the early German StuG III crew, with two figures and three heads – two with the "crash helmet" floppy berets and one with sidecap. The etched stainless steel fret is the headset headband component from that kit.

Molding is top-notch, and the kit comes with every port or door that can be opened provided as separate parts. Most have some detail, but there are a number of injection pin marks that have to be filled. There are a number of options for the kit as well, and an addendum sheet was included with the review sample for the upper left part of Step 6, as it calls out which parts can be alternated and with what other parts. The model comes with two styles of viewports riveted or smooth) and two different rear plates – one for the original version and one with the mounts for the smoke candle rack (included).

The kit includes 216 single track links, which are not going to be popular with some modelers as they are very, very small – each one is about 3 mm x 7 mm. If you do not have a fine sprue nipper or keyhole type razor saw, getting these off the sprues will be difficult. I recommend the following procedure. Before cutting them off the sprue, cut open the end bars of the sprue to take the tension off the parts. This way, as you trim the parts, they are not compressed upon themselves but instead come free. You wind up with fewer broken and damaged parts this way. Also, they do have a pin-and-notch system for assembly, at least, so assembly should be much easier than you would think once you have them off the sprue.

Most of the etched brass parts deal with the rear of the hull and are used with the smoke candles. This isn't so bad, as there are also some options where brass parts can be used to replace styrene ones, which is one of the best ideas that DML has come up with in a long time.

The model offers a total of six different marking schemes, but all of the ones provided are only in the Panzergrau paint scheme. The are for: 7th Panzer Division, France 1940; 4th Panzer Division, France 1940; 1st Panzer Division, Poland, 1939; Panzerabteilung zbV 40, Denmark, 1940; 14th Panzer Division, 1941; and 3rd Panzer Division, 1940. None of them are in the recently discovered (by Tom Jentz and Steve Zaloga) multicolored schemes, but these can be found with a bit of research and also some extra markings from companies like Archer Fine Transfers.

Overall this is one of the nicest efforts so far from DML, and is at least as nice as their recent early model T-34s.

Thanks to Freddie Leung of DML for the review sample.

Cookie Sewell
AMPS

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Kit Review: DML 1-72 Armor Series Kit No. 7246; Sd. Kfz. 182 King Tiger (Henschel Turret).
152 parts (144 in grey styrene, 4 etched brass, 2 metal screws, 2 in black vinyl).
Price $8.95.
Advantages: new kit of a very popular subject; all styrene kit.
Disadvantages: some parts may be confused due to use of the same sprues with other kits.
Rating: Highly Recommended.
Recommendation: for beginning modelers and small-scale German armor fans.

I am getting a scary feeling that DML has been reading my reviews and reacting to them, for this is the second kit in as many months that has shown up with corrections made to the original that make it more modeler-friendly.

DML produced some nice kits of small-scale armor last year, but as they were converted directly from their small-scale radio-controlled kits they had diecast metal hulls, which makes it very tough for the serious modeler to change or modify. This kit has now been released, and as such has a new all styrene hull (held together by screws) that replaces the diecast parts. The screws mount through the bow gunner/radio operator's hatch and left rear side of the engine deck under the deck.) As such, all axles are cast as part of the belly and are not adjustable.

The rest of the parts include nicely done hangers on the turret for the extra track link sections. A very shallow engine bay is also included (recall it must clear the screw mounts) as well as solid plastic screens for the front intakes on the engine deck. The turret has two optional position crew hatches and the rear gun removal hatch. A breech is included for the 88mm gun but no other turret interior.

The wheels appear to be nicely done, and all injection pin marks are hidden when the suspension is in place. The tracks are very soft but well detailed in this scale.

Four finishes are offered: one for s.Pz.Abt. 505 in Normandy (the "Charging Knight" scheme, with provisions to build all the tanks from this unit based on all of the numbers being included in a "number jungle"), a three color scheme from s.Pz.Abt. 501 in the Ardennes 1944, and anothe with whitewash, and one from s.Pz.Abt. 506 in Germany 1945.

Overall, this corrects the one observation that I made on the original kits, and now means that the kit is quite useful to the mainstream modeling community. But as they are inexpensive and do not require a great deal of engineer prowess (and are inexpensive by today's standards!)  as before I recommend them to younger modelers as they are a great place to start.

Thanks to Freddie Leung for the review sample.

Cookie Sewell
AMPS

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Kit Review: DML 1-72 Armor Series Kit No. 7229; M3A2 ODS Bradley.
156 parts (126 in grey styrene, 22 in black vinyl, 7 in grey vinyl, 1 steel screw).
Price $8.95.
Advantages: nicely done kit of current vehicle, lots of options.
Disadvantages: only provided with USAREUR paint and marking scheme.
Rating: Highly Recommended.
Recommendation: for OIF and other modern armor fans.

There has been so much minor modification made to US vehicles in recent years that is now getting hard to keep up with them. In the "old days" it was simple: a "T" prefix meant test or evaluation models of items; "M" meant it was militarily standardized; an "A" suffix indicated a major revision or variation of the original item; and "B" indicated a sub-variation. Ergo, an M32A1B3 meant: standardized vehicle number 32 (M32), first major revision (A1), third sub-variant (B3). What it translated to was a tank retriever built on an early M4A3 chassis that had been retrofitted with the HVSS suspension and some other improvements.

Nothing is as easy in this day and age, and we have a plethora of changes to designations that confuse even experts or service personnel. Note that in the last 24 years we have had the following: XM-1, M-1, IP M1, M1E1, M1A1, M1A1HA, M1A2, M1A2 SEP, and another M1A1 variant with a new electronics fit. The Bradley infantry fighting vehicles/cavalry fighting vehicles have been no different.

They went from XM-2 (IFV) and XM-3 (CFV) to M2 and M3, M2A1 and M3A1, M2A2 and M3A2, M2A2 ODS and M3A2 ODS, and now M2A3 OIF and M3A3 OIF. This kit represents the penultimate M3 variant, and yes, as I found out, the ODS does mean "Operation Desert Storm." That variant incorporated the lessons learned from the first trip to Iraq in 1991, and was the one used this time as well. (The OIF – Operation Iraqi Freedom – machines incorporate what we learned in 2003.)

This kit comes with a box literally filled with parts. In this scale, it does provide a great deal of options: all wheels roll, the rear ramp operates, and the gun can be made to move up or down. The latter comes at a price, as it requires using a vinyl aerial gunsight connector arm and other sight arm (parts D2 and D4) made out of black vinyl, but the directions do not indicate if this is "glueable" vinyl as in the Tamiya kits or not.

The hatches and missile launcher box are poseable but only if glued in place.

The kit also comes with a set of vinyl "kit" for stowage in the bustle rack and side bins for that "lived in" look. Thermal identification panels are also provided.

Only one marking option is given – 1-4 Cavalry, 1st Infantry Division, Germany 2001. This is in the NATO "tri-color" scheme with German highway warning markers, so you will have to dig around for other markings if you want to do an OIF ODS Bradley up!

Overall, it is a nice kit and a change from WWII items.

Thanks to Freddie Leung for the review sample.

Cookie Sewell
AMPS

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Friday, April 30, 2004
(Originally written on April 29, 2004)

Kit Review: Shanghai Dragon 1/35 Scale Korean War Series No. 6810; Chinese Volunteer T-34/85.
403 parts (401 in grey styrene, 1 nylon string, 1 clear styrene lens).
Price about $18-24.
Advantages: One of the better DML kits, a sure steal at these prices; provides the later "spoked" wheels suitable for use on a T-54 conversion
Disadvantages: engine radiator exhaust grille remains a solid piece.
Rating: Highly Recommended.
Recommendation: For all Korean War or T-34 fans.

The Soviets ceased production of the T-34-85 tank for their own needs in early 1946, as they were then producing the T-44 and gearing up to evaluate what would become the T-54 series of tanks. Nearly 28,000 had been produced, and as such were therefore suitable for military assistance to "needy" socialist nations. These included the Peoples' Republic of China, who had pushed the Nationalists off the mainland in 1949, as well as the Democratic Peoples' Republic of Korea. The Koreans received enough T-34-85 tanks to equip three brigades before the war broke out, but most of them had been lost before Inchon in September 1950.

The Peoples' Liberation Army – under the guise of the "Chinese Peoples' Volunteer Army" providing assistance to its smaller brother – joined the war in October 1950, but at that time The CPV did not have organic tanks in its divisions, and as such was at a massive disadvantage against the UN forces. They were quickly supplied with both IS-2 heavy tanks and T-34-85 medium tanks, but only the T-34s were ever encountered in action by UN forces.

At the end of the war each Chinese CPV infantry division had a combined tank/SP gun regiment with 24 T-34-85 tanks and 16 SU-76M guns assigned to it. In early 1953, the CPV forces had some 278 T-34 tanks, 38 IS-2 tanks, 27 SU-122 guns and 48 SU-76 guns in their inventory. The KPAF had 255 T-34 tanks and 127 SU-76M guns.

DML first offered one one of these tanks as a separate kit in 1997, and this appears to be a re-release via its Shanghai Dragon affiliate. It is similar to their other T-34-85 Model 1944 (late) and T-34-85 Model 1960 kits. This kit shares a large number of its parts with those two kits, as it uses the "select a sprue" system of kit formation. This particular one includes the following: standard sprues A, B, E, F, H, L and M, turret sprue G and wheel sets D for kit option "A", and hull top sprue C for either a type "A" or "B" kit. It would appear that "A" is the Model 1944 series of T-34-85 tanks and that "B" is the upgraded Model 1960, based on having all four T-34-85 kits.

As is now the standard for DML, this kit, like its brothers, has the most accurate overall dimensions and angles for a T-34 kit and also very sharp, crisp molding. Parts are sectioned in logical joint lines and areas, and the kit is a nearly snap to build.

The wheels for this tank are the late-war/postwar "spoked" steel wheels with lightening holes, and are of the "twelve large/twelve small/twelve rib" configuration similar to those found on early model T-54 tanks as well. The other kits have either the "solid disk" or "postwar starfish" type wheels, so if you want to do up a "spoked wheel" T-34-85 this is your base kit.

The "L" sprues are the late-model T-34 tracks (suitable for all T-34-85 series tanks) and as such are single link. But unlike many others, these require a minimal cleanup and go right together with a thicker plastic cement in short order. (I use Vollmer Superzement S-30 from Germany as it has the ease of use of a liquid cement and the holding power of old-fashioned tube cements.)

One major problem on BT and T-34 series tanks, as with some of the German monstesr, is that they have two part track sections, consisting of an "a" link and a "b" link, and which have to be installed in pairs. As I have found out the hard way, the best way to install them is front to rear; leave the front idler arm loose so that you can adjust the track span to accept a set of tracks. Therefore, when you get to the end, you will be able to adjust the track "span" to get a pair of links in to fit the model. Another of the interminable "Murphy's Law" corollaries is that if you do not you wind up with only one link distance between two pairs, and will have to make a "cheater" link sans hinges and details to fit.

Like its brethren as well it also has the solid rear deck cover over the radiator air exhaust louvers (part B15) which most modelers will have to cut open and use either an after-market brass set or another part in resin to correct. This is the one failing of DML kits; admittedly there are far more egregious ones from other manufacturers, but it is a shame that this is one production shorcut they took. Were it left open like the Maquette kits and a section of brass or aluminum screening supplied to fill it, it would make this a near perfect model as is, right out of the box.

Markings are included for three different KPAF tanks as well as one CPV one; the Korean tanks have only a pair of numbers on the sides of the turret, whereas the Chinese one has two standard Chinese national marking starts. While there is good evidence of the Korean markings, I must say I have not seen any shots of T-34s from Korea with the Chinese stars on them, as being nice and bright they would have made good aiming marks. They are more likely parade or training markings, but do brighten up a solid green tank!

Note that there was no difference whatsoever between Soviet service model tanks and these tanks as supplied to the KPAF and CPV, so that by changing markings you can build it as any other country's T-34-85 with the same features.

Overall, this is another great kit from DML, and at Shanghai Dragon's lower prices a real steal!

NOTE: This particular kit showed up minus its wheel sprues (D) and with a quick e-mail to Dragon I received replacement parts in about 10 days. Some people have stated they have had problems, but this seems to have been a case of everything in the system working well.

Cookie Sewell
AMPS

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(Originally written on April 23, 2004)
Book Review: Wings and Wheels Publication Present Vehicle Line No. 7; T-54/55 Variants in Detail by Frantisek Koran and Frantisek Sykora; RAK, Prague, December 2003.
192 pp.
Price US $38-45.
(ISBN 80-86416-325-6)
Advantages: beautifully shot and presented color photo layout of a large number of popular versions of this well-known and desirable tank family; details from the tank manuals very useful for modelers.
Disadvantages: the authors are not as good in English as they would like to believe, and some rather interesting captions result.
Rating: Highly Recommended.
Recommendation: to all Soviet and T-54/T-55 fans and modelers.

This is a really decent series of books which originated as what the company termed "photo sniper" books, and the little lion mascot on the cover has now come to symbolize a really high quality product.

This is a very well timed book, as it is released as the after-market boys really begin to spin up on the modification and supplemental kits for the excellent Tamiya T-55/T-55A kit. I get more questions personally on these tanks than any other subject except T-34s, so it is nice to point to a good reference for modelers to use.

The book covers a lot of different vehicles extant in the Czech and Slovak Republics, and is broken down into sections.

First up are 6 pages of T-54 and T-55 tanks in action, including the infamous invasion of Czechoslovakia in 1968. Next the book provides 8 pages on confiscated Serbian T-54 and T-55 tanks, showing their rough condition as well as some of the add-on rubber armor added to try and deflect RPG fire.

25 pages cover the basic T-54A tank – the production model from about 1956 that provided a single-axis stabilizer but was one of the first versions offered for license construction outside of the USSR. The tank is shown in full color inside and out, and as such will be a boon to anyone with an engine or interior kit for the Tamiya model.

One page of a privately preserved T-54M tank is also shown. Of interest to me is the fact that the authors point out these tanks use a different design "drop" tank at the rear, which the authors state is a 300 liter design and not the standard Soviet 200 liter ("55 gallon drum") version. This is the same drum as provided in the Lion Roar etched brass kit I recently reviewed and thus is a hint to anyone wanting to do a late model Czech or Slovak vehicle.

Pages 51-55 discuss the T-54K commander's model; alas, what they show is a Chinese Type 69-II tank (BZ-121C) captured in Iraq by the 1st Armored Division and on display in their garrison. Modelers must note this is NOT a Soviet tank and most of its features are unique to Chinese armor.

The basic T-55 is shown on 32 pages and covered in great detail. This is where a large number of cleaned up drawings from the tank's operator's manual are included. This is followed by 19 pages on the T-55M in its Czech built version, not the Soviet one. It then follows that section with one of 12 pages on the T-55AM1 Czech upgrade and then 15 more on the T-55AM2 tank. This is followed by another stating it is on the T-55AM2 "Hammer" but is really the well-known T-55AM2B with the AT-10 through-the-bore guided missile capability.

Finally, the book goes into some detail on individual components: wheels, the V-55 series engine (those who think all engines are black or grey need to see this section in particular!), T-54 and T-55 engine bays, T-55 transmissions, fans, radiators, air filters, ammunition, fuel tanks (the 200 and 300 liter ones) 8 pages on one of the mine plow sets, 4 pages on a Czech mine clearer, 4 pages on a Czech towed mine plow, and finishes up with 8 pages on the Czech Praga V-3S TPPA-M82 shop van for maintaining and repairing T-55 series tanks.

Overall, this book probably has nearly 700 good, crisp color photos of the various T-54 and T-55 variants, and should be in the library of every modern Soviet and T-54/T-55 fan.

Cookie Sewell
AMPS

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(Originally written on April 23, 2004)

Book Review: Model Fan Encyclopedia No. 5: T-34 - Stalin's War-Horse by Przemyslaw Skulski and Jacek Jackiewicz; AJaKS Military Books, Warsaw, Poland 2003.
84 pp.
Price about $25.
(ISBN 83-914521-4-X).

Model Fan Encyclopedia No. 6: T-34 In Combat - Volume II by Przemyslaw Skulski, Jacek Jackiewicz and Robert Sawicki; AJaKS Military Books, Warsaw, Poland 2003.
84 pp.
Price about $25.
(ISBN 83-914521-5-8).
Advantages: nice, new books on the history of the T-34 and provide amazingly detailed coverage for the modeler.
Disadvantages: half of the text is in Polish (direct translations are supplied), history is focused on Polish use of the T-34 so Soviet fans may be disappointed.
Rating: Highly Recommended.
Recommendation: to all WWII armor fans, T-34 fanatics and Soviet and Polish forces fans.

I first heard about these books last November at "Panzerfest 2003" in Livonia, Michigan, when Mark Klutchko of Michigan Discount Models sold me a copy of No. 5. This year at AMPS 2004 he had No. 6 with him, and I picked it up straightoff.

The title of these books is a bit disconcerting, as they are NOT related to Japanese or German publications with similar names. The authors and publishers are all Polish, and they not only wrote and translated the text into English (something the Russians still have not grasped – books will sell far better in English or with English split text than in the native language) but did the excellent drawings of tanks inside.

The first volume covers the development of the T-34 from its inception as a complete makeover of the BT series tanks in the late 1930s. Half of the book covers the development of the tank and also includes a section on available T-34 model kits (at the time it was written). The second half covers a large series of drawings and plans of T-34 variants, to include the following: the A-20 prototype, the A-32 prototype, 1st version of the A-34 prototype, 2nd version of the A-34 prototype, T-34 Model 1940, T-34 F-34 gun testbed, T-34 Model 1941, T-34 Model 1941 (STZ) in four variants, and T-34 Model 1941 from Factory No. 112.

The book then provides 3/4 views of 33 different variations on the early tank designs showing evolution and the factories which produced them, and ends up with nine full color paint and marking schemes for various tanks.

The second volume expands on the first one, but it is more suited to the history of the Polish 1st Armored Regiment and 1st Armored Brigade, including a lot of detail provided over 20 years ago by the late Janusz Magnewski. This covers the first 30 pages of the book.

Following that, it goes on to provide a continuation of the evolution of the T-34 series. Plans are provided for the following vehicles: T-34/ZIS-4 gun from Factory No. 183; T-34 Model 1942 ("hardedge"); T-34 Model 1942 (final variants of Model 1941 tanks); T-34 Model 1943 (with commander's cupola); T-34 Model 1943 with pressed steel turret from Factory No. 112; T-34 Model 1942 from the ChKZ; T-34 Model 1943 from the ChKZ; T-34 Model 1942 from Factory No. 174; T-34 Model 1942 from UZTM; and minor prototype vehicles including a Factory No. 112 tank with 85mm S-53 gun.

The book then provides a wealth of details on T-34 tanks including wheel types and track sets, and then continues the 3/4 view "cheat sheet" to various models of T-34 with another 27 tanks identified by model and factory.

Lastly is a new section on modeling to update the earlier one and also 19 color side views and a selection of color photos of the interior of T-34s showing the colors of the various items found there.

Overall, these are great books for the T-34 fanatic and can be recommended to all.

http://www.discountmodels.com

Cookie Sewell
AMPS

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(Originally written on April 19, 2004)

Kit Review: Eastern Express 1/35 scale kit No. 35187; 120mm SPG 2S9 "Nona-S".
372 parts in grey styrene.
Price varies between $24-28.
Advantages: nicely done exterior kit of standard Soviet and Russian multipurpose airborne artillery vehicle; one-piece hull is new for eastern European kits.
Disadvantages: some crude parts; needs photo etch to correctly complete the model.
Rating: Highly Recommended.
Recommendation: for all Soviet/Russian and airborne fans.
F I R S T   L O O K

Even from its first days in combat at Vyazma early in WWII, the Soviet airborne realized that it would need to have artillery to survive. At that time light 50mm and even 82mm mortars were not capable of doing the job, and only pitiful antitank means like RPTS and RPTD rifles were provided for antitank work. After WWII, some attempts were made to provide the VDV with artillery, but the major weapons fielded – the ASU-57 and ASU-85 – were either too light and flimsy or too big and bulky to do the job right. As a point of fact, the ASU-85 was more of an "Air Landing" weapon than an airdroppable one.

When General Margelov got his wish in 1965 with the development of the BMD-1 airborne infantry combat vehicle, it soon became apparent that an airborne artillery piece of some use could be produced for supporting the VDV. Their first effort, the 122mm 2S2 "Fialka," made the attempt to mount a D-30 howitzer in an open barbette mounting on a lengthened BMD chassis, but was not a success.

Later, in the late 1970s, a new type of weapon was created. This weapon, dubbed the 2B16 "Nona" in its intial form, was essentially a long tube breech-loaded mortar. But as it was breech-loaded, it could also be used to fire heavier projectiles in a direct-fire mode and thus, thanks to HEAT ammunition, could also be used as an effective antitank means. A new version was designed to be an SP weapon, using the BTR-D/2S2 extended BMD chassis, but this time the chassis was fitted with a high two-man enclosed turret. While Western sources heard of the use of what was termed a "toy tank" in Afghanistan, it was 1985 before photos of the new vehicle appeared in the west.

The 2S9 "Nona-S" was the first member of this family of weapons to go into service. Capable of being airdropped, being amphibious, and having a basic load of 25 rounds of mixed ammunition types (HE-FRAG, HEAT, and also a 120mm guided projectile for use with a laser designator) the 2S9 met all of the needs of the VDV, and also those of the VMF Naval Infantry, who also adopted the vehicle. With a range of over 8,850 meters, the weapon meets all basic initial needs of the VDV. It has been joined by the 2B16 "Nona-B" and the 2S23 "Nona-SVK" on a BTR-80 chassis. (Note: S - self-propelled; B - towed; SVK – self-propelled, high-mobility, wheeled.)

In line with its other three BMD based kits (BMD-1, BMD-2, BTR-D) the 2S9 "Nona-S" shares all but one sprue with the BTR-D airborne APC – common wheel and detail sprues, and the upper hull details. All are very accurate but very spartan.

Like the BTR-D, this kit provides only the external shell of the 2S9 – no interior and no parts to the 120mm weapon (it's not a mortar, not a howitzer, and not a gun, so the Soviets simply called it an "oruzhiye" – a weapon.) Only the external auxiliary fuel tanks are included (Parts 8M, 9M, 29M and 30M).

Construction other than the turret is like the BTR-D. The one-piece hull tub is new for an eastern European company, and the details show that this is not a "flat" kit where all parts and details must be built up from zip. The wheels are well done, and the track links – all 224 of them – are petite and crisp. I am sure people will squawk about these though as they are basically about 1/72 scale size parts and will be "airborne" at mostly inopportune moments if the builder is inattentive!

The hatches are absolutely smooth inside, but well done outside, and the commander's cupola is separate so that it may be mounted as the modeler chooses.

There is a positive suspension lock on this model to prevent the suspension arms from sagging during assembly. These are "square pegs" for "square holes" and fit fine. (NOTE: the suspension on all BMD based chassis is hydropneumatic and can be raised from 100mm to 480mm of ground clearance.)

Decals are included for four different schemes: the 7 November 1988 Red Square parade; one celebrating the 60th Anniversary of the Soviet/Russian VDV; one from the Russian Naval Infantry's Baltic Flotilla in August 2001; and one from Soviet days. Based on past experience, with a coat of Future these decals will work fine.

Alas, like the BTR-D the vehicle is missing a number of external fittings like headlight guards and will need a set of etched brass to complete it.

Overall, this a great base kit to start with. But this one begs for a resin interior to show off its quality. Note that "M-Khobbi" magazine selected this model as its "Kit of the Year" for 2003.

Cookie Sewell
AMPS

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Kit Review: Eastern Express 1/35 scale kit No. 35188; BTR-D Airborne Links Vehicle.
376 parts in grey styrene.
Price varies between $24-28.
Advantages: nicely done exterior kit of standard Soviet and Russian airborne squad vehicle; one-piece hull is new for eastern European kits.
Disadvantages: some crude parts; needs photo etch to correctly complete the model.
Rating: Highly Recommended.
Recommendation: for all Soviet/Russian and airborne fans.
F I R S T  L O O K.

In 1965, when the Soviets felt that their airborne forces would be cut to pieces if they landed in the rear of NATO troops with no support, legendary airborne General Margelov created his "centaur" - the BMD-1 or airborne infantry combat vehicle. Mounting a complete BMP-1 turret on a very lightweight hull, it created an 8 metric ton vehicle that could be airdropped, provide room under armor (albeit quite cramped) for six men, and provide airborne forces with overwhelming firepower against rear echelon forces.

Later, as new teams and weapons were introduced, it became apparent that they would need a larger vehicle to carry such systems. These included ATGM systems and MANPADS – shoulder-fired SAM missiles. The BTR-D was created, based on a 483mm longer version of the BMD-1 chassis with six road wheels rather than five and a larger crew compartment without a turret. The new version could now carry up to 12 troops and a driver-mechanic or a smaller number of troops and more kit. Standard armament consisted of two 7.62mm PKT machine guns, one on either side of the bow; early production models did not have this system. Two more can be fired from inside or on top of the fighting compartment. Other armaments include lighter PKSM machine guns or an AGS-17 grenade launcher.

Variants based on this vehicle include the 1V119 "Robot" artillery fire control vehicle; the BTR-RD antitank squad vehicle with two 9K111 "Fagot" (AT-4 SPIGOT) ATGM launcher teams, the BTR-ZD with a ZU-23 twin 23mm mount initially towed by the BTR-D but now mounted on the roof of the fighting comparment; the BTRD-KShM "Soroka" regiment-brigade command and control vehicle, the "Shmel" UAV launch and control vehicle; and the BREhM-D airborne armored repair and recovery vehicle.

The BTR-D remains a front-line vehicle today and still serves in the VDV, participating in combat operations in Chechnya among other places.

Eastern Express has become the third company to jump on the BMD bandwagon with a release of four kits – BMD-1, BMD-2, BTR-D, and the 2S9 "Nona-S" airborne artillery vehicle. All share common wheel and detail sprues, and the first two and last two share common hull parts. I have built the SKIF BMD-1P and have had good reports on the Zvezda one, but the consensus is that the EE kits are by far the most accurate if the most spartan.

The kit provides basically the external shell of the BTR-D – no machine guns, no crew, no innards. Even the bow guns are missing, but their ports remain. (This is easy to fix, with just the nubs of some stretched sprue to represent the flash hiders on the PKTs.) However, the external auxiliary fuel tanks are provided, so go figure. (Parts 8M, 9M, 29M and 30M).

That being said – and the interior of the SKIF kit being used to redefine "bare bones" interior as a comparison – the rest is very nicely done. The one-piece hull tub is new for an eastern European company, and the details show that this is not a "flat" kit where all parts and details must be built up from zip. The wheels are well done, and the track links – all 224 of them – are petite and crisp. I am sure people will squawk about these though as they are basically about 1/72 scale size parts and will be "airborne" at mostly inopportune moments if the builder is inattentive!

The hatches are absolutely smooth inside, but well done outside, and the commander's cupola is separate so that it may be mounted as the modeler chooses.

Fit of parts is not bad. There is a far more positive suspension lock on this model than the SKIF kit; to prevent the suspension arms from sagging during assembly on that kit I had to make a jig to rest the hull on during installation of the arms. These are "square pegs" for "square holes" and fit fine. (NOTE: the suspension on all BMD based chassis is hydropneumatic and can be raised from 100mm to 480mm of ground clearance. The SKIF kit was a bit too good about permitting you to represent that.)

Decals are included for five different schemes: the 7 November 1988 Red Square parade; an ambulance version in Chechnya, 2001; a straight VDV machine in the Belarussian MD in the 1980s; a regular VDV vehicle in Chechnya in 2001, and a peacekeeping vehicle in UN white in Kosovo, 2001.

The vehicle is missing a number of external fittings like headlight guards and will need a set of etched brass to complete it. That was one plus for the SKIF kit.

Overall, this a great base kit to start with. But it will need some TLC to become a star.

Cookie Sewell
AMPS

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(Originally written on April 18, 2004)

Product Review: P.S.P Models Ltd Scale White Head Light Optics; Set No. 3524, 5mm Diameter; 10 lenses.
Price $7.
Advantages: cast resin and metal lenses come with glass casting grid lines inside; very useful for 1930s-1940s headlights.
Disadvantages: new company; not as light reflective as MV Lenses.
Rating: Highly Recommended.
Recommendation: for all people needing scale commercial type headlights for trucks, cars or early armored vehicles.

Steve Zaloga and I were discussing the new DML T-34 Model 1940 kit and the one thing we noted about it was that it would be difficult to replace the kit's headlight lenses with MV Lenses as they are all smooth and unscored. Since the T-34 of that vintage had commercial headlights – with a very obvious grid pattern in them – it was nearly a forceout to have to use the kit lenses and try and get a good reflective surface behind them.

This product line – which is based on sizes by millimeters rather than matching up with specific headlight sizes in scale – is a new one to me but one that appears to be very handy. All of the products on display at AMPS 2004 were either gridded out like the review sets or smooth with what appeared to be a bulb in the center of the lens. The lenses have a very nicely done grid pattern and overall – since 10 are on a fret and the resin for the lens material is applied to them on the frets – pretty well done, with only one out of 20 lenses noted as being incompletely cast.

This is probably the most useful of the sets I saw, as the 5mm size is just about right for a 7" or 175mm light in 1/35 scale. (Other useful sizes would be 2.5mm for 3 ½" or 90mm, 3mm for 4" or 100mm.)

Overall, these seem to be good little items but so far I have no idea who is offering them in the US as the gentleman selling them had no sign at his stand. The address for the company is: P. S. P. Models Ltd. Unit 19B, Applin's Farm, Farrington, Dorset DT1 8RA, UK.

Cookie Sewell
AMPS

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Kit Review: Model Kasten 1/35 Scale "Working" Track Set SK-38: T-26 Light Tank; approximately 350 parts in light brown styrene.
Price estimated at $27-35.
Advantages: very nice plastic track set that replaces the useless Zvezda track set.
Disadvantages: use of two pins per link on short-pitch track guaranteed to frustrate most modelers.
Rating: Recommended.
Recommendation: for anyone with a Zvedza T-26 kit.

There is a point of diminishing returns in the battle between manufacturers in the "Anything You Can Do I Can Do Better" (and apologies to the musical "Annie Get Your Gun" for that one.) Model Kasten started the rage in replacement track sets with its very neatly done scale tracks (which were usually too accurate and required a lot of filing, fussing and modification to fit kits designed for motorized operation) and were followed by many others, such as AFV Club, Skybow, MB Models, DML, and Fruilmodelismo. As a result, M-K went back to the drawing board and redesigned their track sets to work.
That's a nice idea, but what it entails is the fact that each track link, instead of a single plastic part, now consists of a link and two pins that have to be cemented to the ends to hold it in place. This makes for a very tedious business, and most models (at least the ones M-K does not provide drivers for) will have to still have them filed, sanded and fussed with to take the new track sets.
To give them credit for trying to make it easier, M-K provide an assembly jig and the pins come on separate individual sprues, so that a set of about 10 links can be popped together in about 15 minutes. But these are rather fragile, so even though M-K cheerily notes on the directions that the track may be made operable and they provide axles to make it work on the model, this seems a bit optimistic.

But there are only three sets out there now for the T-26, and since Zvezda's tracks are too stiff and way too short (at least two links, and any attempt to mount them either means rotating the idlers too far forward or snapping parts off the model) one of the three must be used. The RPM/Maquette tracks are too bulky and require a lot of filing (such as guide teeth on each link), Fruil need to be put together with wire which a number of modelers hate, and these are the two-pins-per link ones. Your choice.

Cookie Sewell
AMPS

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Kit Review: Shanghai Lion Roar Art Model Company 1/35 scale etched brass set No. LE 35011; Russian T-55A for Tamiya kit #35257.
131 parts on two frets.
Retail price about $16.
Advantages: nice, useful set with most major items needed to detail a T-55 well designed and ready to go.
Disadvantages: built-up fuel tanks appear to be a royal pain in the neck to assemble.
Rating: Highly Recommended.
Recommendation: for any T-55 kit.

Brass or etched metal sets have become step 2 in upgrading or "superdetailing" most modern model kits, with step 1 being better tracks as a rule of thumb. Currently the "class leader" has been Eduard, followed closely by Aber and Show Modeling with smaller companies like Royal Model coming on strong. Based on their prolific output of materials, the "aiming stake" here has to be Eduard.

Lion Roar is a new company from the Peoples' Republic of China, and as such is literally another country heard from in this area. This set was offered by Baseline Hobbies at their stand at AMPS 2004, and as such was a bit of a surprise as these sets arrived unheralded.

These are brass parts and come on two frets, one of 63 mm x 146 mm and the other 78 mm by 115 mm. The parts are well rendered and include most of the basic items people want, such as fender braces, radiator intake/exhaust grilles, and new hasps and hinges for the various stowage bins. Also included are a new splash board and mounts, details for the gun mantelet cover and turret bits, but at least half of the material is devoted to built-up fuel drums.

Now I admit that fuel drums are the bane of many modelers as they are very difficult to assemble without nearly impossible cracks to fill around the ends or seams that tend to flatten the object if sanded smooth. But the solution used by most companies is a cast resin drum, and these are very busy objects. One fuel tank (these are the 200 liter "drop tanks" not the 95 liter side panniers) consists of 21 brass parts (plus a length of microrod the modeler must supply) including a shell that has to be rolled to size.

The results appear a bit odd, as there are no filler caps provided for on the ends of the tanks and the ridges on the drums are built up from a set of 12 rings.

While the rest of the parts seem quite nice and handy, this feature does not. Still, as inexpensive as the set is, even if they are left on the fret or only the strapping is used the set is still a good buy.

Cookie Sewell
AMPS

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Kit Review: Maquette 1/35 scale Kit No. MQ-32512; T-34 Model 1941.
429 parts (427 in varying shades of grey styrene, 1 length of nylon string, 1 section of nylon mesh).
Price varies from $24-28.
Advantages: one-stop shopping kit includes extra parts and wheel sets for the parts box; also includes parts for a Model 1940 tank so the modeler has a choice.
Disadvantages: based on the older "Rudy" T-34-85 kit with the same basic problems of that kit regarding dimensions and angles; transmission is incorrect for this tank.
Rating: Recommended.
Recommendation: for Soviet and T-34 fans.

I have been a big fan of T-34s for a long time, and at the end of 2002 did a long research and study of T-34s in order to produce a model of a T-34 Model 1941 (June 1941 construction) for an article that appeared in "Military Modeling." As it would figure, the Murphy's Law corollary about "If you scratchbuild or convert it somebody will release a kit" has come true. There are now two kits of Model 1940s on the market – one from DML and one from Maquette – and this new kit of the Model 1941 from Maquette; DML is to follow with their own Model 1941 later this year.

The hallmarks of the early Model 1941s are: solid disk wheels with "cheater" holes in the tire rims; a two man turret – either cast or welded – with the F-34 76mm gun; four 33.5 liter rectangular auxiliary fuel tanks on the front sides of the hull; a low storage bin at the right rear and a tall storage bin at the left front; two small objects on the rear fenders; lateral (vertical) grille fins on the radiator intake grilles vice longitudinal ones; multipiece welded tow hook mounts; and twin 7" headlights. There are other smaller detail differences but those are the main ones.

What Maquette has done – and similar to what DML did – is take their extant T-34-85 kit and use new parts to change it to the earlier model. To this end, the "Rudy" kit now has some 109 new parts added to it – 86 for the conversion of the T-34-85 to the T-34 Model 1941 and 23 for the V-2 engine and transmission kit sold separately as an accessory. The right parts are provided to build into a T-34 Model 1941 OR Model 1940, as a small bag with fine detail parts was included in the box.

While the basic "Rudy" parts were produced in yeoman style – not great, but not useless – the new parts are fairly crude in their production techniques but most appear to be close to scale in size and shape. Translation: plan on a lot of filing and fiddling to get them to fit. The turret is the welded type as found in the DML Model 1940, but here it consists of some 9 basic parts vice 4 – turret, race, lower rear, front, side armor braces/patches, side view ports, and rear plate. Both the L-11 and F-34 gun mantelet and barrel assemblies are included, but the breech is that of the F-34 and not the L-11.

New grille sections are provided for the engine deck, along with an open section rear radiator exhaust grille (the only thing I consistently grouse about with DML T-34s) and a section of metallic nylon netting for the openings. I would personally replace that with aluminum mesh, but it does come with the insert in the kit.

No grousers, jacks or spare track links are included for fender stowage, but the fuel tanks are included. A new hull rear plate with new exhaust shrouds and the rectangular hatch is also included.

The tracks are unfortunately for a short-run of Model 1940 T-34 tanks, and thus incorrect for a Model 1941. These will have to be replaced with links such as those found in the DML Model1940 kit, which are correct, or a set from Fruil or Model-Kasten. If you build the kit as a Model 1940, they work fine for October-November 1940 production.

The V-2 engine is fine, but the transmission represents the later 5-speed model used to replace the awful 4-speed of the early production T-34 tanks. If you use it, just cement the rear access hatch in the closed position.

Decals are included for three tanks with very simple markings on "protective green" backgrounds.

Unlike the DML kit, there are some side benefits to this kit. One of them is that it comes with the original "Rudy" kit's wheels, which are very late production T-34 wheels with solid tires and the "twelve" wheel – twelve fins, twelve big holes, twelve small holes – which make them suitable for use on a T-44 or T-54.

Overall, this kit is not bad, but it does tend to get overshadowed by the DML kit which is more accurate and much nicer in quality.

Cookie Sewell
AMPS

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Book Review: Allied-Axis: The Photo Journal of the Second World War; Issue 12 (2003).
96 pp.
No ISBN number

Issue 13 (2004).
96 pp.
No ISBN number.
Both published by Ampersand Publishing, Delray Beach, Florida.
Price $15.95 each.
Advantages: big, clear photos of subjects, keyed for the most part to recent plastic kit releases; wide variety of archives researched and used.
Disadvantages: some misidentified photos; some photos familiar to all from NARA or other heavily used sources.
Rating: Highly Recommended.
Recommendation: to all WWII fans.

I have become a fan of this series, as in a number of cases the authors have provided good coverage – or at the very least big, clear, uncropped versions of well-known photos – that are extremely useful in modeling their subjects. In some cases, A-A is the only source for some subjects, and as such merits inclusion in the reference library of anyone modeling WWII armor (albeit mostly US and German subjects – some archives are harder to access, such as the old Soviet State Archives in Russia.)

Issue 12 provides coverage of five subjects. First is the Sturmtiger self-propelled heavy mortar (45 photos) that concentrate on its interior and also the exterior differences between it and the standard Tiger I chassis.

Next is an in-action set of photos covering the long-wheel-base version combination dump and cargo truck version of the CCKW-353 GMC 2 ½ ton truck, with a wide variety of photos showing these trucks in the field. 22 large-format show the truck as used with 8 of them covering a preserved model and its piston and hinging arrangement; as resin conversions are now out for this variant, this should be very handy in building one.

This is followed by part 2 on the White M3A1 Scout Car in pre-war and wartime US and British service, and a total of 14 full-page photos show how the vehicle was used by the forces.

Next is a section on the M10 and M36 tank destroyers, now in kit form from two different manufacturers, and it provides a lot of new photos of both vehicles in service and maintenance. 35 mostly full-page photos cover their use in combat and also a nice shot of a Jagdpanther knocked out by an M36 with two shots.

Lastly is coverage of the lowly Krupp "Boxer" (L 2 H 143) 6 x 4 cargo truck that was the main carrier early in the war for the Panzergrenadiers. Photos (12) of both the tractor version and the cargo version are included.

Issue 13, following the same format as all Allied-Axis books, covers five more subjects in detail.

The first subject in this book is part 2 of the US M3 medium tank ("General Lee") and its use in both combat and training. 19 full-page photos show them in action or in servicing, including the British "Warwell" 50-ton bogie fishbelly flat car used to transport tanks. One shot of great embarrassment (not for Ampersand, but the victim!) is one of a 32nd Armored Regiment tank (3AD) upside down in Indio, California, after arguing with the Santa Fe and losing. The markings, 32-2-1, are not as noted 2nd Battalion I company (as I Company was in the 3rd Battalion) but 32nd Armored, 2nd Battalion, Tank 1, which at that time was the tank of the battalion commander. Ouch!

Next is a series covering the Panzer 38(t) Skoda-built light tank that formed the backbone of the early "Blitzkreig" forces. 20 photos show details of this popular subject.

The "Long Tom" and all of its various prime movers get the next slot with 26 full-page photos, and it shows the guns being towed by such items as a Caterpillar D8 tractor and the later M4 18-ton High Speed Tractor. The book also covers the point that there were two different rear body styles for the M4, the box body with winch/derrick assembly used for the 155mm and 8" prime movers, and a smaller box body without the winch/derrick for use with 90mm AA guns. There is even a photo of the 90mm prime mover with add-on wood panels to carry more ammunition boxes. Note that the text notes most of the switches between weapons, as they show the M1 (later M59) 155mm gun as well as the M115 8" howitzer that used the same carriage and prime mover.

There is a short "beginner's course" on early and late model Sherman tanks, with 28 full-page photos covering the variants and some "they didn't do that" models such as late model M4A3 tanks with HVSS (E8) suspensions and M1A1 guns with no muzzle brakes. Always good for the Shermahaholic!

Last is a short segment of a popular and widely used weapon that has yet to appear in plastic – the 40mm M1 Bofors gun, produced under license by nearly everyone during the war and yet not produced to date as a 1/35 plastic kit. 8 full-page photos cover this gun in both combat and march order, and give a lot of ideas as to what to do with that Tamiya GMC kicking around the model room.

Overall, these books are a good investment and provide a good set of reference photos for many new or recent kits. (Too bad that nobody has a good M4 18-ton or Bofors out!)

Thanks to Pat Stansell of Ampersand for the review copies.

Cookie Sewell
AMPS

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(Originally written on April 17, 2004)

DML 1/72 scale Armor Series:
Kit No. 7213; M1A1 Abrams with Mine Plow.
154 parts (110 in grey styrene, 28 grey acetal plastic keepers, 11 in grey vinyl, 2 in black vinyl, 2 steel axles, 1 screw).
Price about $8.98.
Kit No. 7226; M2A2 ODS Bradley Iraq 2003.
160 parts (126 in grey styrene, 22 in black vinyl, 11 in grey vinyl, 1 screw).
Price about $8.98.
Advantages: Nice, neat kits of their subjects, and the mine plow is very nicely done.
Disadvantages: Abrams betrays its motorized heritage; vinyl stowage is tough to paint and install.
Rating: (Bradley) Highly Recommended.
(Abrams) Recommended.
Recommendation: for modern armor fans.

DML has now introduced two more vehicles from Operation Iraqi Freedom, a US Army Bradley and a USMC Abrams with mine plow.

The Bradley is the better of the two overall and has operating hatches at the rear and on the rear deck, as well as all of the upgrades used in Iraq and thermal identification panels. It is a current M2A2 – the "ODS" means "Operation Desert Storm" and somebody seems to have misidentified it by that term! (OIF is the "inside the Army" term for the current operation in Iraq.)

Details are nicely done but the model comes with a standard sprue of grey vinyl accessory stowage. I am not sure if this is the "glueable" vinyl some companies now use in their tracks but it does not appear to be so, and also will be hard to paint. This is a shame, as the parts cover most of the bulky junk the Army forced to go on the vehicles – camo nets and poles, duffle bags, sleeping bags, etc. (The reason appears to be that they can be made solid and due to different pour/injection viscosities they can create better solid objects and details in vinyl.)

One finishing option is provided but the markings do not match the box art/photo.

The M1A1 suffers from the common problems of others in this series, namely a "pregnant" lower hull to clear its original motor fittings and also the solid bustle rack to avoid problems with thin rodding in this scale. That being said, it is a nice kit and the mine plow is very nicely done, with the entire frame and lower spade/teeth assembly done in one piece. It looks the part, but since the hull has fixed roadwheel arms it will be hard to get the hull to slant "nose down" as the real ones do thanks to the extra weight.

Finish is that of the USMC 1st MEF with the "come as you are" three-tone NATO scheme and the desert sand accouterments such as thermal identification panels. It also has the same sprue of vinyl accessories in the kit.

Overall, these are very nicely done little kits, with the Bradley being close to top rung work. Once you forgive the Abrams for its motorized beginnings, it is also a very nice and simple kit to assemble.

Thanks to Freddie Leung for the review samples.

Cookie Sewell
AMPS

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DML 1/35 scale ‘39-‘45 Series Kit No. 6196; German Anti-Tank Team (France 1940).
75 parts in grey styrene.
Price about $6.98.
Advantages: Good figures of early war German infantry; weapons are a nice change.
Disadvantages: Somewhat static poses.
Rating: Highly Recommended.
Recommendation: for all German fans, especially Blitzkrieg period.

DML has now produced a set of relatively rare German soldiers from the 1940 period, Until the Germans found out – as did everyone else, especially the British with their 0.55 caliber Boys antitank rifle – that antitank rifles could no longer be used as squad or platoon level tank destroyer assets, they used the Panzerbuesche 39 heavy antitank rifle. While lighter and introduced in 1939, this was basically not much different from the WWI vintage 13.2mm heavy antitank/anti-material rifle and was fitted with 10-round box magazine, two spare magazines mounting on the sides of the weapon in ready racks.

Like sniper teams, the antitank teams operated in teams of two – a gunner and an assistant gunner/spotter who also carried extra ammunition. But nearly from the first it was found that these weapons were not able to penetrate the armor of most tanks (even at that time) and were not good for much except anti-material operations against softskins. This was one incentive that led to the development of the much simpler Panzerfaust rocket-propelled grenades later in the war.

DML provides two teams in the box – one on the march and on in position with the spotter in action. Detail as always is good, and the Pz.B 39s are nicely done as well.

Overall this is standard good fare from DML and will liven up some dioramas for German fans.

Thanks to Freddie Leung for the review sample.  

Cookie Sewell
AMPS

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Kit Review: DML 1/144 Panzer Corps Series

Kit No. 14501, 54 cm Moerser "Loki" and Artillery Crew.
47 parts (38 in tan styrene, 9 etched brass).
Price not known

Kit No. 14502, 60 cm Moerser "Odin" and Artillery Crew.
47 parts (38 parts in grey styrene, 9 etched brass).
Price not known.

Kit No. 14507, 54 cm Moerser "Thor" and Pz.Beob.Wg. 111 Ausf. H.
44 parts (26 in green styrene, 9 in tan styrene, 9 etched brass).
Price not known.

Kit No. 14508, 60 cm Moerser "Ziu" and Pz.Beob.Wg. V Ausf. G.
42 parts (33 in tan styrene, 9 in etched brass).
Price not known.

Advantages: only ones in this scale (!); nicely done and will set wargame armor standards.

Disadvantages: very small, and will require a fine eye to paint!

Rating: Highly Recommended.

Recommendation: to all armor wargamers and German fans.

There is a rise in the number of 1/144 scale armor kits coming out of the far east, and now at least DML and Doyayusa are making kits in this scale. The latest releases from DML are of the well-known Karl 040 and 041 series heavy self-propelled mortars, and they are nicely done little pieces.

Little is an operative word here, for the first two each come with 12 crew figures in varied poses, and all of the figures are only ½" (12.7 mm) high. They do spice up the monstrous size of the mortars, and are a very nice and welcome touch. The number of parts to the weapons is not large, as all tracks and wheels are molded together in one part a la ROCO and thus cut at least 150 parts or more from a kit's size. The guns are moveable in their cradles, and the etched brass provides all of the die-hard's details – grills, shields and surprisingly, what appears to be the rifling for the barrel. (Note that there are NO instructions in any of the kits for the brass, apparently whoever wrote the directions assumes if you are historian and not a wargamer you will use it and "know" where it goes...)

The Panzer III and Panther command observation vehicles are based on earlier releases but are still nicely done and effective if simple models.

The same decal sheet comes with all four kits – the names are provided for all for in both black and white, as well as details and numbers for the command tanks.

Overall, this is probably the only way you could build at least four of the six known Karl mortars and still find a place to display them!

Thanks to Freddie Leung for the review sample.

Cookie Sewell
AMPS

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Friday, April 2, 2004
(Originally written on March 27, 2004)

Kit Review: DML 1/35 Scale ‘39-‘45 Series Kit No.6208;
Sd.Kfz. 182 King Tiger (Henschel Turret);
593 parts (584 in grey styrene, 8 etched brass, 1 length of nylon string);
Price about $34.95.
Advantages: follows on heels of the earlier "Porsche turret" version; very complete kit
Disadvantages: no Zimmerit, some parts may not match modelers' expectations 
ating: Highly Recommended
Recommendation: For all German WWII fans
F I R S T   L O O K

You cannot please modelers, no matter what you do. I learned this years ago when I first started to write articles on modeling and started to get hit with whines, whinges and in some cases, threats. Yes, threats: at least one possessed soul demanded I drop what I was doing and write something about what he wanted to hear, or I was (fill in your favorite epithets here) and should be (fill in your favorite means of demise here).

Such was the list of comments I got when I reviewed the first in this paring of new kits from DML, which to me –and the sources I use, namely books by Tom Jentz – seemed perfectly fine. These kits are state-of-the-art, contain useful brass bits, tons of teensy plastic bits to give the model a really good level of surface detailing, and single-link (two part) tracks.

The only really problematic point with this kit is that it needs (for one finishing option) to have Zimmerit paste installed, and there is only a small sketch included of what parts have to have it applied. This advice is better than that in many other kits that I have seen in the past, and the model will look the better for it.

But upon searching the Internet, I run into tirades about bolt holes being too big, DML is trying to get too much from their molds, detail x is not right so the model sucks, single link tracks suck, DML sucks, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera.

Bunk.

First off, in reviewing a kit, the goal is to do two things: one, determine if it is a reasonable replica of what it claims to be; and two, how hard is it going to be for the average (repeat, average) modeler, to get it to look like it is supposed to look?

Most of the problems our friendly neighborhood perfectionists see as "unacceptable" are caused by the law of man, nature and economics. If a company is going to have to come up with $200-250,000 to cut a set of molds, they want to ensure that they will have something that they can use for a good long time but will also give them the widest possible opportunity to get amortization out of the molds. They then have to make decisions: do we replicate an early modell a late model, or split the difference and "fuzz" things up? Here DML opted to have most of the parts match the earlier model, and added a new sprue O to cover the later model's parts. The result, as has been noted, is that the skirts on sprue K are not quite right.

The other problem then arises. What does the modeler have to do to get a good model out of the kit? Since not all Tigers sported Zimmerit, and molding it on would then limit the kit to one single option and one single vehicle, they leave it off, and trust that the modeler will do what it takes to get Zimmerit on. There are bunches of options – R &J's excellent "Zimmer-it-Right", thin resin strips, etched brass strips, or some other remedies found on the discussion groups. But it is up to the modeler to get it the way he wants it, not the factory to provide options for every occasion.

Likewise, there are a number of lazy (yes, LAZY) modelers who do not want to take the time to assemble and paint (or vice versa) single-link tracks. They tend to miss the point that most of the surveys done by modelers for modelers and used by these companies said that modelers wanted the option of single-link tracks included with the kits. Blame your fellow modelers, folks, not the companies.

If the model requires "tweaks" it should be the job of the modeler to get it right, not the company. I said a number of years ago that's what separates modelers from kit assemblers (for which the latter wanted my head on a pike.) It's one thing to assemble a kit out of the box for the fun of it and not expect perfection; it's another to do it and whine that it does not meet the modeler's goal of perfection. (Hint, folks: if you still feel that way, companies are now offering pre-painted and pre-assembled kits; think about them.)

This is not to say that if the company blows it completely and misses most of the vital parts of a kit that they should rate a pass; witness some of the dogs that have come out such as the early production Trumpeter kits or the original DML Nashorn kit. But overall we are living in what has to be a "Silver Age" (if you take the 1950s and 1960s as the "Golden Age" based on the volume and selection of kits that came out, and not considering accuracy as paramount) in which most products from Tamiya, Dragon, Italeri, Revell (Germany), Trumpeter, and Academy built into at least reasonably accurate replicas of what they are supposed to be, and in most cases very precise ones. The alternative, of course, is we either all go to scratchbuilding or prepare for the second coming of Aurora.

Suffice it to say this is a nice kit and will please many modelers. Good ones will correct its stumbles and great ones will make showpieces out of it.

Thanks to Freddie Leung for the review sample.

Cookie Sewell
AMPS

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Kit Review: Academy 1/35 Scale Static Kit No. 13010. M4A2 Sherman Russian Army.
501 parts 498 in olive drab styrene, 2 in steel grey vinyl, 1 length of vinyl string).
Retail price $40.
Advantages: first kit of this tank to reach the market; excellent suspension and lower hull from proven kits; combines best of earlier kits with new hull and turret.
Disadvantages: 76mm gun has "Italeri step" in it; turret shape is still not quite right (see text); hull rear plate is dead vertical.
Rating: Recommended.
Recommendation: for all Sherman and Soviet Army fans.
F I R S T   L O O K

About eight years ago I picked up one of the best armor books ever written out at the Combined Arms Center and School at Fort Leavenworth. The book, "Commanding the Red Army's Sherman Tanks" by retired Colonel (HSU) Dmitriy Loza, is a great read and covers a big gap in most Western reading: what did the Red Army do with the "Lend Lease" tanks they got? Until the collapse of the USSR, nothing was said and only a few stray pictures, mostly of British or US tanks in Soviet markings that were knocked out, were seen. This book showed how the Russians really appreciated the tanks and made the most of them. Loza was the first Soviet armor commander to drive into Vienna with an M4A2 76mm VVSS and one of the commanders of the Manchurian operation in a new M4A2 76mm HVSS tank.

With the photos from his personal collection and the great text, I've always wanted to do up his command tank. I was pleased to hear that, after the disappointing Italeri "do it yourself" M4A2 kit, two new kits of the late-model A2 were coming out this year, one from Academy and one from DML. I spotted this one in the APG Museum gift shop today and picked it up in a shot.

For its good points, the kit now shows that Academy is seriously committed to doing up the entire M3 and M4 medium tank family, and like all current manufacturers, has created common sprues for them: To wit:

A (55 parts) - VVSS suspension with early and mid-production track guards, spoked or welded-cover road wheels, and two types of drivers
C (61 parts) - Late production ("47 degree") hull details
D (47 parts) – .30 and .50 machine guns, ammo boxes, OVM tools  
E (32 parts) – 76mm ("T23") turret with oval loader's hatch details
F (17 parts) - M4A2 engine deck and exhaust details
H (216 parts) - detail sprue with casting details, jerry cans, spare tracks, wheels and shackles
I (33 parts) - "T23" type 76mm cast turret with oval loader's hatch

The kit comes with a lot of details, such as three-part periscopes, separate sections for the late-model canvas mantelet shroud, petite hand-holds, and a nice set of machine guns. (The .50 caliber is nearly as nice as those in the separate set, with a nearly cylindrical cooling collar around the quick-change fitting – why they don't simply include one of the sprues from the machine gun kit boggles me, but then again, this one already had the tools for the OVM on it.)

Overall, based on the ease of assembly of these kits in the past this would be a winner...BUT...

I wish that Academy would spend more time in research and get an accurate kit out on the market, rather than one which is close but suffers from some silly mistakes. This is, alas, one of those kits.

First off, the M4 and M4A2 shared a lot of basic hull components and fittings, and one of them was the fact that they both had an upper rear plate set at 10 degrees from vertical. The kit comes with the correct shape plate for the A2, but set at 0 degrees – dead vertical. This is correctable, but will require cutting off the entire rear plate, shimming the sides out about 1mm or so, and then filling and filing to get a good fit. Considering how difficult it is to "pull" vertical parts from an injection mold – and doing it right could have yielded a "universal" M4/M4A2 hull that would only have needed new upper rear plates, this is plain dumb.

The kit also keeps the lower wading trunk parts from the M10 GMC series with this kit; these are parts F10, F11, and F12, and can be left off. The Soviets do not appear to have ever tried to wade this tank, and as such I don't believe they ever got the trunking.

The turret is not quite right, either. But before I go on, I have to say that up until now NOBODY has a good, accurate plastic kit of a late model Sherman cast turret. The darn thing is all cast and smooth shapes, and very hard to reduce to a mold that pulls out to leave only two or three parts to replicate it. The ejection/pistol port on the left rear side is the Achilles' Heel of all injection molded turrets, and this kit uses a "stick-on" one to replicate it, and that translates as a lot of putty and fairing to get a good fit.

In plastic DML currently has the best, and this would be a good runner up, but so far the very best and most accurate ones are those from Chesapeake Model Designs in resin.

The kit also - and inexplicably – copies the worst flaw of the 30-year-old Italeri kit, namely the "stepped" gun barrel. The M1 series 76mm gun is smoothly tapered from the muzzle cap/muzzle brake all the way back to the breech. This has a step about one scale foot out in front  of the mantelet. Result: the barrel has to go.

The model comes with a set of T51 irreversible rubber block tracks, which is okay; but Loza's book both points out and shows the Soviets preferred the T49 triple-cleat cast steel ones for use. If you have the Academy M12 SP 155mm gun, if you swap tracks with that kit you will wind up with a decent set of vinyl ones to use. If not, RHPS makes a great set that literally snaps together and looks nice when installed.

The other thing is that the Soviets really believed in kitting out the tank, and as a result Loza's photos and the jacket cover show the tanks festooned with many Soviet "Must Have" items, such as unditching logs, 200 liter (55 gallon) fuel drums, extra tracks, etc. but few boxes and tarpaulins like their American brethern. If you have a few old Soviet tank kits such as the Tamiya T-34, filching some parts from them would be useful.

Decals are included for three different tanks: one in Berlin in May 1945, one in Germany in 1945 with the slogan "Vpered K Pobede!" (Forward to Victory!) on its side, and one from Loza's 1st Battalion, 46th Guards Tank Brigade in Vienna, April 1945 (it says Berlin but the photo and the book say otherwise.)

Overall, this kit is a bit of a disappointment, but it does provide the basis for a good model. It's just a shame that the modeler still has to go out to get after-market parts to get it right.

Cookie Sewell
AMPS

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(Originally written on March 20, 2004)

Kit Review: DML 1/35 Scale Imperial Series Kit No. 9058.
StuG III Ausf. G 10.5 cm.
649 parts (590 in grey styrene, 58 in etched brass, 1 turned aluminum barrel).
Price estimated at US $33-40
Advantages: crisp, modern kit of the howitzer armed version of the StuG III; "modelers' choice" of either styrene or brass parts for many details; lots of leftover bits for the parts box
Disadvantage: howitzer cannot be built without the muzzle brake, contrary to box art; some direction callouts do not seem correct; single-link tracks not popular with some modelers
Rating: Highly Recommended
Recommendation: For all WWII German fans
F I R S T   L O O K

There is a certain military way of thinking that, "if all else fails, get a bigger hammer." The Germans came to find out that was true in Russia in 1941. Not only did they run up against tanks that their antitank and tank guns could not defeat, they also found that most of their light artillery was not effective at dealing with dug-in Soviet infantry. The lightweight 7.5 cm howitzer rounds used in the early assault guns – only around 13-19 pounds – were not very effective in blowing away reinforced log bunkers or rousting Soviet infantry out of buildings.

While they switched from the L/24 infantry type gun in the early Sturmgeschuetz III vehicles to the much more powerful L/48 PaK 40 to deal with tanks, they decided in 1942 to switch over to mount the 10.5 cm le FH 18 in a Sturmgeschuetz hull. While work on this commenced in late 1941, it was not until March 1942 that a prototype was built, and not until October of that year that the guns went into production. 5 guns were produced on the Ausf. F chassis and the remaining production – 1,206 vehicles – on the Ausf. G chassis.

The Sturmhaubitze 42 or StuH 42 as the gun was known tracked with the Sturmgeschuetz III series models; they changed features when the StuG III did, so models could be found with both the early welded mantelet/recoil mechanism cover as well as the late model "Saukopfblende" cast "boar's head" version after February 1944. The guns were seen both with and without their muzzle brakes, but the howitzer barrels were all threaded for the use of the muzzle brake. Normal allocation was 9 StuH 42 to a StuG III brigade.

DML has now released a state-of-the-art kit of this "nutcracker" weapon in its Imperial series, which DML seems to still use for limited production and upscale versions of its other kits. This one uses several items from older kits – standard Pzkw. III track links, Pzkw. III series common sprues B and D, StuG III common sprue B, StuG III Ausf. G kit sprues A and E, Pzkw. III Ausf. J sprue H, and new 10.5 cm StuH 42 sprue K. There is also a turned aluminum gun barrel and two etched brass frets.

One nice feature of this kit is that the modeler is given an option as to whether or not he chooses to use styrene detail parts or brass ones; it is not a "mandatory" choice, so those modelers who do not wish to mess with the etched brass frets may use simple glue-in plastic parts. It also means that the modeler may use only those parts that he chooses, such as the engine cooling louver grilles (MA 29 with detail bits MA21 and MA22) and not be forced to use other sections as well.

It has to be pointed out in advance that the directions are very confusing, as there are a lot of options on these vehicles and DML has provided for most of them. However, the correct (or at least approximate based on time of manufacture) combinations are NOT called out on the directions. Options include a choice of the following: drivers; lower glacis plates; upper glacis plates; mantelets; canvas mantelet seal; with/without muzzle brake; and brass or plastic parts for the louvers and the "Schurtzen" auxiliary armor plate hangers.

If you follow the directions and the box art then the gun barrel is not correct; the directions show you as having the option of installing the muzzle brake or leaving it off. However, this vehicle was fitted with the standard le FH 18 barrel, all of which were threaded for muzzle brakes at the time the StuH 42 went into service. If you leave it off, since the original had a section about 9-10" long that was threaded ergo the gun barrel will come up short by that commensurate distance.

The interior is very sparse and the gun breech included is basically a "place holder." If you want it open, you will either have to scratchbuild a lot or use figures to fill up the hatches.

There are two painting options provided for in the directions. Neither one has a specific unit called out for it, but one is for Germany in 1945 in a three-color scheme sans muzzle brake; the other is for a vehicle in the "ambush" scheme used in the Battle of the Bulge in 1944. Simple black outline number sets are provided along with national markings.

Note that DML identifies them as "Sd.Kfz. 142 10.5 cm StuG III Ausf. G" vehicles; this is incorrect, and they should be Sd.Kfz. 142/2 10.5 cm StuH 42. I suggest picking up one of the Tom Jentz/Hilary Doyle books on this vehicle to get things sorted out and also to use as a reference for a specific vehicle and its specific level of trim and parts.

Overall, while somewhat clumsy in presentation, DML has provided nearly all of the parts in one box to make a great model with a lot of detail and "personality" not found in some other vehicles.

Thanks to Freddie Leung for the review sample.

Cookie Sewell
AMPS

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(Originally written on March 12, 2004)
Kit Review: Maquette 1/35 Scale Kit No. 35022: T-34 Wheels and Suspension Set.
124 parts (in various colors of styrene plastic).
Price about $6.98.
Advantages: provides correct late model solid tire 12-hole cast road wheels for use with T-34, T-44 or T-54 tanks
Disadvantages: Quality control is somewhat iffy, and attempts to make parts seem more or less like original castings are not impressive
Rating: Recommended
Recommendation: for all Soviet era armor fans

I had an interesting series of exchanges with a gentleman named Geoff Steer about trying to find the correct wheel set for an early model T-54 tank. He had picked up a Trumpter T-55 series kit and wanted to know if the wheels from that would work. Having had one, the answer was no, as Trumpter did not do a good job on its early kits and that one was a cropper.

We next discussed what had been "Modelers' Trick A" in 1974, or in other words, using the cast wheels from the Tamiya Model 1943 T-34 kit accessory sprue. Those were incorrect, as they were too thin, had the wrong arrangement of webs and casting holes, and to top it off, used the "cheater" rubber rim tires with holes cast in them to save material.

He then asked about the Maquette set of wheels. Upon further investigation, with some work these wheels CAN be used on early model T-54 tanks (basically, any T-54 tank but only a very tiny number of T-55s were fitted with these wheels.

These wheels are signified by being cast with 12 spines or webs connecting the hub to the rim, and have 12 large holes and 12 small holes with one of each in each webbed segment. All have solid tires. They are a bit thin but are broad enough to be useful and few people will complain about them, especially for the price of the kit.

The wheels do suffer from Maquette's clumsy attempt to "randomize" them by leaving some of the casting holes plugged; while some wheels show that they were plugged due to a flaw in casting, the kit overdoes it and as such most of the excess holes will need to be drilled out. Ditto for the inner casting holes, which are plugged on all wheels. They also may suffer from the "rain tire" look – being thick they tended to cool and shrink in the center of the tire, so therefore needing to be filled in – and some modelers dislike using a lot of putty on such parts.

Alert modelers who are "into" T-34s will recognize these sprues as the suspension parts from the 1996 Maquette/RPM "Rudy" tank kit of a T-34-85 tank. As such, they come with the complete wheel set, the springs and road wheel arm assemblies, four external fuel tanks, two smoke pots for the rear of the hull, handrails, the exhausts, tow hooks, and the wheel hub centers.

Overall, this set does give the modeler an option to fit cast or "spider" wheels to a Tamiya T-55 to backdate the hull to T-54 standards. Note that if you don't like the work required, there are cast resin wheels out there that can be used instead, but be careful. While some companies like Chesapeake Model Design do such parts from scratch, thus creating a "drop fit" set that will fit on the T-55 chassis, others simply cast up the old Tamiya T-34 parts and pass them off as T-54 wheels. Check a review before you buy!

Cookie Sewell
AMPS

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Kit Review: AFV Club 1/35 Scale Kit No. 35030: M4 Sherman Medium Tank (HVSS) Horizontal Volute Spring Suspension.
140 parts (128 in olive drab styrene, 12 black vinyl).
Retail price US $19.98
Advantages: Very nicely done set for the late model Shermans or related vehicles; working suspension permits poseable use in dioramas or scenic bases
Disadvantages: vinyl springs compromise the overall high quality of the kit
Rating: Highly Recommended
Recommendation: For all US and Sherman fans

Two of the hardest kits to find in the US since their release in 2003 have been the Academy US Machine Gun Set and the AFV Club M4 HVSS suspension kit. The latter is going to be part of the long-forecast AFV Club M40 155mm SP Gun kit when if finally comes out. (It should – they have the gun, the suspension and the tracks done!)

The kit is a real jewel and will provide for an upgrade to any VVSS Sherman suspension or an upgrade to others, based on the predilections of the modeler. It provides the complete suspension set needed: drivers, return rollers, idlers, and six complete bogie assemblies, as well as mounts for the drivers, idlers, and bogie hangers. All wheels except for the small return rollers are detailed on both sides, which is where some modelers will want to replace a kit's suspension.

The parts are done to the usual AFV Club high molding standard, but one unfortunate feature is the use of vinyl springs for the HVSS mounting cups on the suspension. These are made with prongs that will flex when pressure is applied, but this first forces the modeler to have to use ACC cement to hold them in and secondly compromises what would otherwise be a truly magnificent kit. Serious modelers may wish to replace them with sections of Evergreen styrene tubing, or the springs from the kit which is having its suspension replaced. (Somehow there is a logic flaw there, but never mind...)

The parts will really dress up a Sherman or related vehicle with HVSS, and this will also help out in conversions of other kits such as DML M4A4 tanks to Israeli standards for use by the IDF.

Overall, this is a nicely done set and should be popular – well, it must be already as it is so hard to find it!

Cookie Sewell
AMPS

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Kit Review: Maquette 1/35 Scale Kit No. 35022: T-34 Wheels and Suspension Set.
124 parts (in various colors of styrene plastic).
Price about $6.98.
Advantages: provides correct late model solid tire 12-hole cast road wheels for use with T-34, T-44 or T-54 tanks
Disadvantages: Quality control is somewhat iffy, and attempts to make parts seem more or less like original castings are not impressive
Rating: Recommended
Recommendation: for all Soviet era armor fans

I had an interesting series of exchanges with a gentleman named Geoff Steer about trying to find the correct wheel set for an early model T-54 tank. He had picked up a Trumpter T-55 series kit and wanted to know if the wheels from that would work. Having had one, the answer was no, as Trumpter did not do a good job on its early kits and that one was a cropper.

We next discussed what had been "Modelers' Trick A" in 1974, or in other words, using the cast wheels from the Tamiya Model 1943 T-34 kit accessory sprue. Those were incorrect, as they were too thin, had the wrong arrangement of webs and casting holes, and to top it off, used the "cheater" rubber rim tires with holes cast in them to save material.

He then asked about the Maquette set of wheels. Upon further investigation, with some work these wheels CAN be used on early model T-54 tanks (basically, any T-54 tank but only a very tiny number of T-55s were fitted with these wheels.

These wheels are signified by being cast with 12 spines or webs connecting the hub to the rim, and have 12 large holes and 12 small holes with one of each in each webbed segment. All have solid tires. They are a bit thin but are broad enough to be useful and few people will complain about them, especially for the price of the kit.

The wheels do suffer from Maquette's clumsy attempt to "randomize" them by leaving some of the casting holes plugged; while some wheels show that they were plugged due to a flaw in casting, the kit overdoes it and as such most of the excess holes will need to be drilled out. Ditto for the inner casting holes, which are plugged on all wheels. They also may suffer from the "rain tire" look – being thick they tended to cool and shrink in the center of the tire, so therefore needing to be filled in – and some modelers dislike using a lot of putty on such parts.

Alert modelers who are "into" T-34s will recognize these sprues as the suspension parts from the 1996 Maquette/RPM "Rudy" tank kit of a T-34-85 tank. As such, they come with the complete wheel set, the springs and road wheel arm assemblies, four external fuel tanks, two smoke pots for the rear of the hull, handrails, the exhausts, tow hooks, and the wheel hub centers.

Overall, this set does give the modeler an option to fit cast or "spider" wheels to a Tamiya T-55 to backdate the hull to T-54 standards. Note that if you don't like the work required, there are cast resin wheels out there that can be used instead, but be careful. While some companies like Chesapeake Model Design do such parts from scratch, thus creating a "drop fit" set that will fit on the T-55 chassis, others simply cast up the old Tamiya T-34 parts and pass them off as T-54 wheels. Check a review before you buy!

Cookie Sewell
AMPS

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(Originally written on March 2, 2004)
Book Review: "Armeyskaya Seriya 50: BMP: Boyevaya Mashina Sovetskoy Pekhoty" (Army Series 50: BMP: Soviet Infantry Combat Vehicle) by Ye. V. Yegers (Editor), translated into Russian by G. B. Brylevskiy; Tornado Publications, Riga, Latvia, 1998.
52 pp. plus color covers.
Price $10 via East View Publications.
Advantages: None.
Disadvantages: Only for non-English speaking native Russian speakers.
Rating: Not Recommended.
Recommendation: Buy the Osprey/New Vanguard version instead.

I am usually pretty tolerant of people that borrow a bit here and there when they put a book together, but have little use for the total theft of intellectual property rights. This book is another in a long line of examples of fast-buck work from the former USSR in which someone translates a book from a known author into Russian, scans in some photos and artwork from books or off the internet, and then publishes under his own name.

At least Mr. Yegers does not claim authorship, which is good; this particular book is a verbatim copy of the Steve Zaloga/Peter Sarson New Vanguard Number 12 published in 1994. It adds in some sketches of the BMP vehicles which, based on the disclaimer at the front of the book, were "freely accessible on the Internet" as it insinuates the text and photos were. Unfortunately since I am fluent in my Russian comprehension this work only qualifies as what Canadian author Barry Beldam refers to as "outright theft."

There are a large number of reputable Russian authors like Svirin, Baryatinskiy, Shirokorad, Kovshchevskiy and Kolomiets, but this lot from Riga will not join their ranks by simply swiping and translating others' materials.

Cookie Sewell
AMPS

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(Originally written on February 29, 2004)
Product Review: Chesapeake Model Designs 1/35 scale Accessories; Soviet 76mm L-11 Gun turned aluminum barrel.
Price $8.
Advantages: right barrel for the new DML Model 1940 kit; matches photos and scale drawings
Disadvantages: specific product for a specific function; will require other kits to be used in other situations (e.g. KV Model 1940)
Rating: Highly Recommended
Recommendation: for replacing all L-11 barrels

I recently did two long articles for "Military Modelling" (UK) that looked at the development histories of the Soviet tank guns prior to WWII. The Soviets had a basic disagreement over calibers and sizes of guns, with the conclusion that they would have a light multipurpose gun (first 37mm, and then later 45mm) and a short howitzer for direct artillery support roles. The 20-A 45mm gun (also called Tank Gun Model 1932, 1934 or 1937 from time to time) was the choice for the former. For the latter, things varied greatly.

The first gun used was the KT-28, a 16.5 caliber long weapon used in the T-28 and the T-35. This was soon replaced by the L-10, a gun built in Leningrad specifically for the tanks built there as well. It was 26.5 calibers long and easy to make, but left a lot to be desired. This was soon replaced by the slightly longer (30.5 calibers) L-11.

The L-11 was a very short barreled weapon on purpose. The Soviets felt that if the gun barrel overhung the hull it would soon be damaged or cause the tank to get stuck in a ditch or trees and thus be lost. But it suffered badly in regard to accuracy due to the fact that the barrel was suspended from its cradle, not riding on top of it like most guns. As a result, it tended to wobble in the cradle, preventing any real accuracy beyond a few hundred meters.

While it was designed for the KV tank and was used in the KV Model 1939, the designers from Khar'kov also used this gun in their T-34 Model 1939 and later in the Model 1940. As a result, it placed both a strain on production and caused divisiveness among the plants. Leningrad was told, after a shooting competition, to drop the L-11 in favor of the Grabin-designed F-32. While only one caliber (e.g. 76mm) longer, this gun used a cradle under the barrel and was far more accurate. (Note from a modeling standpoint the two barrels externally look identical.)

After weeks of fighting, Leningrad lost and had to adopt it. But when they did, they demanded all production support the KV-1 Model 1941 and the Khar'kov designers were out of luck. Fortunately, as they had no problems with overhang, they were offered the 76mm F-34 (41.5 calibers long) and as a result the T-34 went on to become a legend and the KV-1 to become a flop.

CMD has captured the nice proportions of this purpose-made gun to drop-fit right into the DML kit without a single modification. As such, it's hard to find such a "modeler friendly" accessory.  (Note that as soon as the DML Model 1941 is released, CMD plans to market a new F-34 barrel for that kit as well.) I only wish this barrel had been released when I had to use a Jordi Rubio L-10 barrel (which it was not or which required drilling out a LOT of plastic in a T-28 or T-35 to get a fit).

Thanks to Bill Miley of CMD for the review sample.

Cookie Sewell
AMPS

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Kit Review: Hobby Fan 1/35 Scale Resin Figure Set No. HF-556; U. S. Marine Digital Uniform (1) - Two Figures with Base.
28 parts.
Price not known but estimated at $20-25 US.
Advantages: beautifully sculpted figures and elegant weapons; nicely done base for the two figures
Disadvantages: no painting instructions provided makes finishing problematical!
Rating: Highly Recommended
Recommendation: for all modern USMC or Operation Iraqi Freedom fans

There is an old interservice saying that "You can tell a Marine, but you can't tell him much." The reason – other than the usual interservice banter – is that the Marines are more likely than any of the other services to go their own way and not worry about comments.

A few years ago, after a lot of research the Marines introduced a new camouflaged combat uniform made up of pixilated images on a cloth background to replace the US Army "woodland camouflage" and "desert camouflage" pattern battle dress uniforms that the Marines had been forced to adopt by default back in the early 1980s. The new uniforms had some stylistic changes to pockets, cut and other minor differences, but the camo pattern was an amazing difference, and many photos of the two patterns side by side showed that the digital pattern did more to break up the outline of the wearer – the prime function of a camouflaged uniform – and allow him to blend into his surroundings.

The Marines had enough of these uniforms on hand to issue them in both woodland and desert schemes and use them during Operation Iraqi Freedom. They still had a large number of troops wearing the older second desert pattern (the first was the "chocolate chip" pattern from Operation Desert Storm in 1991) but some could be seen on TV wearing the new model.

Hobby Fan has now released a new vignette of two heavily loaded Marines covering behind a doorway with all of their kit on their backs. One has an M4 carbine with accessories like the sight rail and sight, and the other an M249 SAW light machine gun. Both are wearing a large rucksack with cover, Kevlar helmets, and the "roughout" boots.

I have no clue as to how a modeler will paint the "digital" cammies in this scale, and since there are no directions apparently neither did Hobby Fan! The photo shows what would appear to be the second desert pattern on the figures used for the display. They do not have the shoulder pockets that the Marines added to the digital cammies, so that may be a help rather than a hindrance in painting (e.g. use the second desert scheme instead).

Overall the figures are nice, and the wall base even has neat pockmarks from bullets in it as well. If you like the Corps or have an idea on an OIF diorama, you might think about picking up this neat little vignette.

Thanks to Miin Herng Tsueng of Hobby Fan for the review sample.

Cookie Sewell
AMPS

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Kit Review: DML 1/35 Scale ‘39-‘45 Series Kit No. 6194; Panzergrenadiers Wiking Division (Hungary 1945).
106 parts.
Price varies from $6.95-8.95
Advantages: first time that this reviewer has seen the later war short German parka modeled; nice poses as is typical for DML figures
Disadvantages: figures are limited to winter/cold weather use
Rating: Highly Recommended

DML would seem to have access to just about every German uniform type used in the Second World War, and have been kind enough for German fans to bring most of them into plastic. Better still, many of them are easily interchangeable with other parts from other DML kits to permit a tremendous selection of poses and combinations.

This set is based on the end of the line for the 2nd SS Panzer Division, a unit hammered by both the Soviets and the Americans, and after the Battle of the Bulge essentially withdrawn to Hungary to lick its wounds. While the soldiers here appear a bit better equipped and healthier than I think the originals were, DML (and Ron Volstad, their "artist of record") have created a nice set of four soldiers marching. All wear the late-war short parka jacket with hood, but the trousers vary from a snow camo pair to overalls to camouflage smock.

Weapons are mundane (one sprue from set #6005, one from #6070, and two from #6105) but as they have been top notch all along this is not a problem. The prime focus is an MG-42 machine gun team so most of these parts are for extra machine gun ammo boxes.

The uniforms are well done, and all of the hoods are molded separately.

Overall, this is another nice set from DML, but I personally think they should have looked more forlorn!

Thanks to Freddie Leung for the review sample.

Cookie Sewell
AMPS

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Kit Review: DML 1-72 Armor Series Kit No. 7231; Sd. Kfz. 182 King Tiger (Porsche Turret).
127 parts (123 in grey styrene, 2 in diecast metal, 2 in black vinyl).
Price around $8 US
Advantages: new kit of a very popular subject
Disadvantages: diecast hull limits the ability of the builder to modify or adjust the kit
Rating: Recommended
Recommendation: for beginning modelers and modelers who do not modify kits out of the box

Somebody read the first few reviews I did of this new series of kits and came to the conclusion that I do not like small scale armor nor have any respect for it. As usual, and to cite the eminent social critic Mr. Bugs Bunny, "He don't know me very well, do he?"

I started as with most long-time armor buffs with the US made armor kits – Revell, SNAP, Adams, Monogram and Aurora – back in the 1950s, and in the early 1960s moved on to ROCO. In the mid 1960s most of us moved on to 1/76 scale (Airfix) kits as they were "real models" with more than 10 parts (early ROCO was somewhat simpler and cheaper than today for those not aware of that change) and could be made into nice models. They were also cheap enough to buy by the case (!) and use for a lot of modifications and scratchbuilding projects.

Comes the 1970s and in comes the new (revamped) Tamiya line, followed by Italeri, Nichimo, Peerless, and now a host of 1/35 scale kits. As most of us suffered from the joys of changing eyesight (and more cash flow) many modelers switched scales at that time; I went over to the so-called "manly scale" in 1973 (also called "pipe-fitter's scale" by those who did not change.)

Many very nice kits have come out in 1/72 (which basically knocked out 1/76 – a scale that came about due to Airfix's commitment to British OO gauge or 4mm, which is 1/76 scale) and many very good modelers still work in 1/72. Revell Germany has now produced some of the finest kits in that scale going.

DML's kits are so far by and large based on their amazing 1/72 R/C tanks and as such suffer from the compromises made to get the motor into the model. As such, they have tried to make sure the models are still well made and accurate, but there are concessions that have to be made, and anyone who can't understand that does not understand the term "Scale Modeling."

This is NOT to say that the DML models are poor; one just has to understand up front that the model that comes out of the box with compromises made to it.

Such is the case with this nice new little kit from DML, which covers the popular German Tiger II Ausf. B heavy tank. It has a two-piece diecast metal hull designed to screw together, but no screws are provided (the screws mount through the bow gunner/radio operator's hatch and left rear side of the engine deck under the deck.) As such, all axles are cast as part of the belly and are not adjustable. The hull halves come pre-primed in grey.

The rest of the parts are injection molded and very crisp, and include nicely done hangers on the turret for the extra track link sections. A very shallow engine bay is also included (recall it must clear the screw mounts) as well as solid plastic screens for the front intakes on the engine deck. The turret has two optional position crew hatches and the rear gun removal hatch. A breech is included for the 88mm gun but no other turret interior.

The wheels appear to be nicely done, and all injection pin marks are hidden when the suspension is in place. The tracks are very soft but well detailed in this scale.

Two finishes are offered, one for s.Pz.Abt. 503 in Normandy in a three color scheme and one from s.Pz.Abt. "Feldherrenhalle" in Hungary with a three-color scheme under whitewash.

Overall, the model is not bad, and anyone wanting to build it right out of the box will be quite happy. But the metal hull means the mandatory use of either ACC or epoxy, and that can be tiresome.

I have recommended in the past that young modelers would enjoy assembling these kits, and still maintain that they are a great place to start. But when they have to use ACC glue, that means that a parent MUST assist them to prevent accidents.

Thanks to Freddie Leung for the review sample. 

Cookie Sewell
AMPS

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Kit Review: AFV Club 1/35 Scale Kits and Accesories:
No. 35059; German "Scheuntor" Pak 43/41 8.8 cm Antitank Gun.
288 parts (230 in olive drab styrene,11 in etched brass, 2 black acetal tubes, 2 brass rods, 2 black vinyl tires, 1 turned aluminum barrel).
Price not given but estimated at around $40.
No. 35073, 8.8 cm Pak 43/41 and 7.5 cm Pak 40 Brass Shield Bolts.
40 turned brass bolt heads.
Price not given but estimated a $10-12.
Advantages: First plastic kit of this weapon; amazing level of detail provided; innovate new methods for packaging
Disadvantages: many modelers who hate "fiddly" bits not going to be happy with gun shield construction
Rating: Highly Recommended
Recommendation: to all WWII and Artillery fans
F I R S T   L O O K

Imagine the frustration of famed German General Erhard Raus in 1941 when he came face to face with a Soviet KV-1 that turned into a pillbox and kept his division from advancing. He was horrified at how many troops and weapons had to be sacrificed to knock it out, and even after repeated damage it survived. Even the vaunted 88 – the 8.8 cm FlaK 36/37 combination antiaircraft antitank gun – had only penetrated its armor with 3 out of 10 rounds, and in the end the tank was finished off by an infantryman who slipped a grenade into one of the 88 penetration holes.

The German planners likewise panicked, as even the new German Tiger I tank with its L/56 8.8 cm gun (based on the FlaK 36 ballistics) was suddenly seen as not as capable as had been thought. So a crash program to develop guns capable of dealing with such tanks was conducted. As is normal, the Germans developed an elegant solution in the purpose-built PaK 41 heavy antitank gun, but while completely effective it was too complex to build with any sort of haste. The solution was to cobble up a faster method of getting the guns to the field.

The compromise weapon, now dubbed the PaK 41/43 (both for years of introduction) used a simplified PaK 41 barrel with a new breech on a simpler two-wheel carriage that combined a gun shield design copied from the 7.5 cm PaK 40 and the trails of the le FH 18 10.5 cm howitzer. The combination also used the steel wheels with solid rubber tires from the s FH 18 15 cm howitzer.

Overall the combination did permit faster production, but of a clumsy and awkward gun. Even with simplification, the gun only shed about 1000 pounds (500 kg) and still weighed nearly five tons. It was quite long (the barrel alone was 20 ½ feet long and the trails had to provide some balance) and cumbersome, with a high center of gravity. This was not a weapon easily moved anywhere on the battlefield, and one nearly useless in city fighting. As a result, the German troops sarcastically dubbed it "Scheuntor" or "the barn door."

It was also a very nasty weapon on both ends. While no tank made during WWII could withstand the rounds fired by the PaK 41, it also used such large amounts of propellant and fired at such a high velocity (1100 mps or 3700 fps) that the resulting CRACK tended to deafen its gunners with only a few rounds. 829 PaK 41/43 guns were built, and were encountered on all fronts. A number of them were captured and preserved, including examples at Aberdeen Proving Ground and Carlisle Barracks.

AFV Club has outdone the job they did on their earlier le FH 18 kit, and this one is an amazing testament to the moldmaker's art. It combines state-of-the-art moldmaking with the judicious use of other materials. The barrel is gorgeous – none of the previous "working" types here – and the gunshields (there are an accurate four main sections to creat the sandwich effect necessary) are very nicely done as well. Surprisingly, based on historical accuracy only one sprue from the le FH 18 kit is needed or provided; all other molds are new and unique.

Most problematic for many modelers will be the gun shield assembly in Step 6. The modeler either has to use the plastic bolts provided (parts E45, and there are several extras included due to their tiny size) or to purchase the aftermarket brass set listed above. But while the directions do give some hints on how to get the shields together and also bend them to shape, it will be tricky and require some skill to get a nice, neat assembly. Note that while a choice is offered for the protective slide for the gun shield (parts G10 in brass or E57 in styrene) there is no choice for the main gunshields.

The tires are very nicely done and are shipped slipped over two of the four wheel halves. AFV Club managed to get them molded without any seams and only some small teats to cut off to get a nice smooth tire. They even bear the "Continental" logo.

The gun can be presented in either march or firing order, but you must pay close attention to the directions as some times they are not too clear on which is which. Three paint schemes are suggested. No markings are included.

Overall this is an elegant and very nice model of an important gun, and one that will be popular with German fans. Note that AFV Club will also be releasing a set of styrene ammunition for this gun (AFV 35072.)

Thanks to Miin Herng Tsueng of AFV Club/Hobby Fan for the review sample.  

Cookie Sewell
AMPS

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Saturday, February 28, 2004

(Originally written on February 9, 2004)

Kit No. 14001, Sturmtiger + Demolition Tiger.

18 parts (8 in grey styrene, 8 in etched brass and 2 in vinyl) and 13 parts (7 in grey styrene, 4 in etched brass and 2 in vinyl).

Price not available.

Kit No. 14002, German Heavy Tank Maus + Tiger I Early.

17 parts (7 in grey styrene, 8 etched brass and 2 in vinyl) and 16 parts (12 in grey styrene, 4 etched brass and 2 in vinyl).

Price not available.

Kit No. 14003, German Super Tank E100 + Tiger I Late.

17 parts (9 in grey styrene, 6 etched brass, and 2 in vinyl) and 14 parts (8 in grey styrene, 4 etched brass and 2 in vinyl).

Price not available.

Kit No. 14004, Pz. 38(t) and Pz. IV Ausf. D.

17 parts (10 in grey styrene, 5 etched brass and 2 in vinyl) and 15 parts (7 in grey styrene, 6 etched brass and 2 in vinyl)

Price not available.

Advantages: First armor kits in this scale; brass gives them very fine details; will be a new scale for wargamers.

Disadvantages: Use of "airliners' scale" may not find wide approval; not in an established wargame scale (e.g. 15mm or 1/125, 10mm or 1/180, etc) or model railroading scale (N Gauge or 1/160).

Rating: Recommended.

Recommendation: for wargamers who have not sunk great costs into their armies or are just beginning to assemble forces.

In his heyday with "Monty Python's Flying Circus" rubbery English actor John Cleese said it best: "And now for something completely different."

DML is now releasing the first of a new line of 1/144 scale armored vehicles. The first eight (each kit is sold as a related pair, and the first ones out are German WWII) are now in hand and can be assessed.

What they are NOT are kits as involved as the 1/35 scale DML efforts, or even their 1/72 scale siblings. The average kit consists of two complete track runs, hull bottom, hull top and turret (broken down a la ROCO) and a number of small add-on details such as gun barrels, mufflers, mantelets, etc. The etched brass covers either very fine details such as mantelets or hatches and engine deck screens.

For example, the Panzer 38 (t) kit comes with a pair of track runs, hull bottom, hull top, turret, mantelet, main gun, muffler, antenna, stowage bin, and bow machine gun in plastic and an optional mantelet, bow plate, gun mount, rear deck vent, and stowage bin in etched brass. The Pzkw. IV Ausf. D comes with a pair of track runs, hull bottom, fenders, hull top, turret, mantelet, gun, and bow plate in plastic and front and turret side hatches and engine deck grilles in etched brass. Note that the track runs are in vinyl and not styrene, to give some flex and options to the builder.

The inference – since the etched brass is not called out on the directions – is that those modelers who want more detail can use it, but those who only want "wargame quality can simply pop these together in short order and ignore the fancier (and more fragile) details.

Each pair comes with one of two decal sheets – either an early war one with a variety of crosses and a small number set or a large number set with command codes for later war period vehicles. There is enough variety to permit making at least one company of each type of vehicle with no repeats on the sheets, and that also leads to the wargamers' angle.

Simplified but typical paint schemes are included for each type of vehicle, but again DML seems to consider that the purist will get a precise fit whereas the wargamer will be happy with the suggestion.

The idea is good, and these should be relatively reasonable. Each is also brightly packaged in a small box 8" x 4" x 1" or about the same size as a VHS tape. Inside are two separate plastic inserts with clear tops; one holds one kit and the other holds the other kit, the etched brass and the decal sheet taped to the top. A window is provided to examine the latter.

The main question is – currently what can be done with them? Wargamers do not use the same scales as either railroad or scale modelers, and as such this is sort of a isolog. 1/144 scale is now a common model aircraft scale – usually called "airliner" scale as most airline models are made in this scale, but with a large number of military aircraft now available as well – and so far no other type of kit is available. If they are going to be used for wargaming, all of the other pieces of kit will have to follow – artillery, infantry, softskins, buildings, fortifications – or it may turn into a nice but orphaned series of models.

Still, the subjects are appealing and do not take up much space at all. They may sell well as ROCO 1/87 or HO scale kits now sell for what 1/35 scale kits went for 15 years ago, and a new "ground floor" for armor collectors is needed.

Thanks to Freddie Leung of DML for the review samples.

Cookie Sewell
AMPS

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Friday, January 30, 2004

(Originally written on January 29, 2004)

Book Review: Service Publications "Canada: Weapons of War" series: The Land Mattress in Canadian Service by Doug Knight; Service Publications, Ottawa, Canada 2003.

24 pp.

Price CDN$9.95.

ISBN 1-894581-18-0.

Advantages: Very interesting little book on a relatively unknown (outside Canada) weapons system; very good explanation of rocket weapons.

Disadvantages: No plans included.

Rating: Highly Recommended.

Recommendation: For all Commonwealth and US built halftrack fans.

This is another of the excellent Weapons of War series; as I have noted before they are dedicated Canadian views of weapons systems and present an operational view of the vehicle or weapon covered.

For some odd reason, probably the novelty of them during the Second World War, it appears none of the major powers wanted to call "multiple rocket launchers" by that name. The Soviets called them "Katyusha" (Little Katie) and their formations "Guards Mortar units." The US Army referred to the launchers as "Calliope" (which described the appearance of the Sherman tank mounted versions) and the Navy called their anti-submarine ones "Hedgehogs." The Germans called theirs "Nebelwerfer" (fog caster). And apparently the Royal Navy referred to their shore bombardment rocket system as "Mattress." The terms were not effective very long, and essentially wound up as the service nicknames of the weapons.

After a firefight in North Africa was only solved by the use of an antiaircraft rocket launcher battery interceding on behalf of some British troops, the surviving officer, Lieutenant Colonel Michael Wardell, tried to convince the British Army to adopt land based multiple rocket launchers. As with most instances of bright ideas that work, the School of Artillery turned him down flat as it did not deem it worthy, and their assessment was it would take two years to get prototypes built and tested for evaluation. (Translation: "NIH" – not invented here.)

But a Canadian observer, Lieutenant Colonel Eric Harris, immediately grasped the significance of the weapon and after finding no success with British officers turned to the Canadian Army. With Harris providing the incentive, CMHQ proceeded to have two prototype 40-round launchers built for test and evaluation.

The rocket launchers were made up from stray bits and pieces, but the result was actually quite good. A crude trailer with 40 tubes was built, providing only a single fixed elevation for launch. The rockets were cobbled together from a 29-lb Naval bombardment warhead, an RAF 3 inch rocket motor, and an Army artillery fuse.

One item many people are not aware of is the fact that rockets come with only one charge for firing - a single motor that cannot be adjusted for time of burn. As a result, rockets are fired using an elevation setting and a special braking ring or spoiler on the nose of the rocket warhead to slow it down. (The Russian BM-21 "Grad" with its 122mm rockets still uses that method today, so it is old and reliable.) The first version of what was dubbed the "Land Mattress" (land for Army, Mattress from its Naval cover term) was tested in June and July 1944. After successful testing, a 10-launcher battery using 32-round launchers was fielded along with 10,000 rockets, all made up from available parts and in spite of protests by the British artillery authorities. Using men from a light AA battery, the force set sail for Europe in October 1944.

The battery received its baptism of fire on 31 October when some three salvoes – about 960 rockets – were fired on German AA gun positions. The battery wound up in action fairly often, and on 10 November the equipment was turned over to a new cadre of artillerymen. They were replaced on 16 December, and another battery took over on 24 January 1945. Finally, "production" rocket launchers were issued in March 1945 with a new 30-round launcher being the "standard" model. By that time the original 32-round ones were pretty much worn out.

The 30-round model , dubbed the "Projector, Rocket, Three Inch, Number 8 Mark 1" or Tillings-Stephens Projector after its makers. It could fire its rockets over a moderately broad series of ranges in three bands (large ring, small ring, no ring) with a maximum range of up to 8,250 yards. Time for a complete salvo was just under 8 seconds.

As with all rocket weapons, the Land Mattress suffered from its voracious appetite for ammunition – a single battery salvo of 10 launchers consumed 320 rockets, and if three salvoes were fired, the consumption could reach nearly a thousand rounds a mission. But one salvo could blanket an area roughly 800 x 800 yards, which is excellent for an area fire weapon such as this.

The weapon achieved a high degree of effectiveness when used, and only one launcher was destroyed in action – and that by a Spitfire!

One launcher – or projector – survives today with the Canadian War Museum in Ottawa.

Doug Knight is listed as a retired Canadian Army officer and is obviously very skilled as a "gonner" in his clear and easily understandable explanation of how the weapon works and what it could do in action. This is a handy little book, profusely illustrated but alas having no plans of the "beastie" permitting it to be easily modeled. Still, if you are a "Redleg" (US artillery term) or fan of interesting weapons, this is a nice read and worth your effort.

Thanks to Clive Law of Service Publications for the review copy. http://www.servicepub.com

Cookie Sewell
AMPS

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Sunday, January 18, 2004

(Originally written on January 17, 2004)

Kit Review: DML 1/35 Scale ‘39-‘45 Series No. 6204; Sd.Kfz. 165 Hummel (Early Version).

739 parts (697 in grey styrene, 38 in etched brass, 4 in etched metal).

Price not given but most likely around $40.

Advantages: Early version with joint Hummel/Nashorn hull; uses the same new moldings as the Hornisse/Nashorn kits, includes brass louvers for the sides of the hull, as well as three figures and two horses (!)

Disadvantages: Very complex kit may discourage some modelers.

Rating: Highly Recommended.

Recommendation: for all German and "Redleg" fans.

L O O K

The Hummel is arguably one of the more popular non-gun tank variants of German WWII armored vehicles, and it came in two distinct models. Approximately the first 100 vehicles built (out of 666 total) were based on the same Gw III/IV chassis as the Sd. Kfz. 164 "Hornisse" for use in the Summer 1943 offensives in Russia. These were much different than the improved later models and had different interior arrangements as well as a single "parapet" position for the driver and a flat simple hatch for the radio operator.

The second of the two Hummel kits from DML has now arrived, and it is as nice as it predecessor (#6150). This is the early version of the vehicle with the common Hornisse/Nashorn type hull with the single cab for the driver and only a hatch for the radio operator, as well as some more changes to replicate the earlier vehicle.

Kit #6150 came with the following sprues: common ones A, B, E, G, H, and Q, and new sprues F, N, and O. The new kit comes with these sprues: A, B, E, F, G, and MA, and also f, L, N, O, Q, R and MB as well as the complete kit #6046, 8th SS Cavalry Division "Florian Geyer". Sprue f indicates it is just the 15 cm FH 18, and may indicate that DML is contemplating the original towed weapon as a separate release later. The kit uses the new multi-part hull so it is far more complex than the early and obsolete version of the kit from the mid 1990s (#6004).

This series of molding s far better replicates the intricacies of the Gw III/IV chassis than the earlier one-piece hull top kits did, as well as has all of the parts in alignment which the first versions of the Nashorn and Hummel did not. It again uses the new-style directions – full-color photographs – which are an improvement on the old black and white drawings. In them, however, the kit is completely painted so some details may be hard to see.

As is now normal, the tracks are single-link which are best assembled before installing the top of the hull and the fenders, as even with the new and improved moldings the fender/track clearance is tight.

The gun comes with a total of four loose projectiles but no charges; the projos are either full caliber or one fitted with sabot-like driving rings.

The figures match the box art, but since the entire set is included along with a new, specially molded single figure of the gun commander, you get both of the cavalrymen even though the directions only call for one figure to be used.

This kit includes a very nice set of etched brass that can be used to replace the side louvers on the hull. DML has wisely included them as an "extra" and left the moldings as they are, for many modelers today still prefer to just "slap plastic" and would be disappointed to have to install as complex a structure as these grills appear to be. Each grille consists of a backing, three full louvers, three divider/separators, and eight bolt heads. The kit grilles have to be removed with a razor saw to mount the brass ones, but it is a very nice touch to give the modeler his choice of options. The remaining brass covers the hatch handles, the locking mechanism for the rear doors, and details for the driver's viewer.

The model has three finishes and sets of markings proffered: PzArtRgt 116, 5th Panzer Division, Russia 1944 (three color red/green/Panzerbraun); same unit, different scheme; and PzArtRgt 73, 1st Panzer Division, Greece 1943 in green over Panzerbraun. All finishes show the aiming stakes painted red and white, which gives some color "lift" to the rear of the vehicle.

DML has now pretty much "atoned" for the problems of the original kits of the early 1990s, and their current efforts are hard to fault both for accuracy and value for the money.

Thanks to Freddie Leung for the review sample.

Cookie Sewell
AMPS

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(Originally written on January 17, 2004)

I just received the new DML catalogue and here is what they are showing for 2004. Some are intriguing -- 1/144 scale "double" kits and a lot of new 1/72 and 1/35 entries.

1/144 Scale
14001 Shturmtiger and Demolition Tiger
14002 German Super Tank Maus and Tiger I Early
14003 German Super Tank E-100 and Tiger I Late
14004 Panzer 38(t) and Pzkw. IV Ausf. D
14005 Marder III and Marder III Ausf. M
14006 Challenger 2 OIF (Uparmored) and Warrior OIF
14007 Pzkw. III Ausf. E and Pzkw. II Ausf. B
14008 Hornisse and Pzkw. IV Ausf. F2
14009 Leopard 2A5 and M2 IFOR
14010 Pzkw. III Ausf. G and Pzkw. IV Ausf. F1
14011 Nashorn and Panther G Early Production
14012 M1A1 with Mine Plow and MLRS
14013 Warrior IFOR and Challenger 2 IFOR
14014 Leopard 2A6 and M1A2
14015 Pz.Beob.Wg III Ausf. H and Hummel Early Production
14016 Marder II and Wespe
14017 M1A1 USMC and AAV-7
14018 Panther G with Night Sights and Panther F
14019 Leopard 1A4 and Leopard 1A5
14020 Merkava I and Merkava II

1/72 Scale
14501 60 cm Morser "Karl"
14502 54 cm Morser "Loki"
14503 28 cm Railway Gun "Leopold"
7201 Sd.Kfz. 184 "Elefant"
7202 Sd.Kfz. 184 "Ferdinand"
7203 Sd.Kfz. 181 Tiger I Late Production with Zimmerit
7204 German 38cm Assault Mortar Sturmtiger
7205 Sd.Kfz. 171 Panther G Early Version
7206 Sd.Kfz. 171 Panther G Late Version
7207 Sd.Kfz. 171 Panther F
7209 Ferdinand Tiger
7210 Demolition Tiger with Zimmerit
7212 Sd.Kfz. 173 Jagdpanther Late Version
7213 M1A1 Abrams with Mine Plow
7215 M1A1 Abrams 3rd Infantry Division (Iraq 2003)
7216 M1A2 Abrams 194th Brigade Task Force 1-70 NTC
7217 M1025 with M2 and M1026 with Mk. 19
7218 M1114 with M2 and M1114 with Mk. 19 (Iraq 2003)
7219 M996 TOW and M1045 TOW
7220 M1097 and M998
7221 AAV-7
7222 Challenger 2 KFOR
7226 M2A2 ODS Bradley
7227 Bergepanzer Tiger (P)
7228 Challenger 2 (Iraq 2003)
7229 M3A2 ODS Bradley
7230 Pz.Beob.Wg V Ausf. G
7231 Sd.Kfz. 182 King Tiger Porsche Turret
7233 AAV-7 (Iraq 2003)
7236 Flakpanzer Coelian
7237 AAV-7 Upgrade
7239 Avenger and M1037
7241 Sd.Kfz. 173 Jagdpanther Early Production with Zimmerit
7245 M1035 and M1069

1/35 Scale
3534 M1 Panther II Mine Clearing Vehicle (2004)
3535 M1A1 AIM (2004)
6062 M4A2 - Okinawa (2004)
6083 M4A3 (76mm)W (2004)
6107 StuG IV Final Production Version (2004)
6183 M4A3E8 "Thunderbolt VII" (2004)
6185 T-34 76mm in German Army Service (2004)
6186 (SECRET ITEM)
6188 M4A2 76mm Red Army Service (2004)
6192 Sturmgeschuetz Crew Reloading, Russia 1941 (four figures)(2004)
6194 Panzergrenadiers, 2nd SS "Das Viking" Division, Hungary 1945 (four figures)(2004)
6196 German Antitank Team France 1940 (four figures with AT Rifles)(2004)
6198 U.S. Army Support Weapons Teams (six figures with 75mm RR, M1919A4, and 60mm mortar)(2004)
6199 2nd SAS Regiment (France 1944) (four figures) (2004)
6205 T-34/76 Model1941(2004)
6206 Sd.Kfz. 251/6 Ausf. C Command Vehicle (2004)
6207 (SECRET ITEM)
6208 Sd.Kfz. 182 King Tiger (Henschel Turret) (2004)
6209 Sd.Kfz. 182 King Tiger (Henschel Turret - Final Version) (2004)
6210 Ferdinand Tiger (2004)
6211 U.S. 29th Infantry Division (Omaha Beach D-Day 1944) (six figures)(2004)
6212 British Infantry(Normandy 1944)(six figures) (2004)
6213 German Command Staff (four figures) (2004)
6214 German Panzer Crew LAH Division (Russia 1943) (four figures)(2004)
6215 Fallschirmjaeger 8 cm Mortar Team (Italy 1944) (four figures)(2004)
6216 German 1st Cavalry Division (Russia 1941) (two figures and two horses)(2004)
6218 (SECRET ITEM)
6221 (SECRET ITEM)
6224 Sd.Kfz. 251/10 3.7 cm PaK (2004)
6226 Bergepanzer Tiger (P) (2004)
6227 Sd.Kfz. 251/1 Ausf. A (2004)
9056 Sd.Kfz. 252 Ammo Transporter with Ammo Trailer (2004)
9058 StuG III Ausf. G 10.5 cm
9059 Jagdpanzer IV A-0
9060 Panther G/M10 "Ersatz"

This could be a fun year!

Cookie Sewell
AMPS

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(Originally written on January 9, 2004)

Kit Review: DML 1/35 Scale ‘39-‘45 Kit No. 6195; Fallschirmjaeger Regiment 3 (Sicily 1943).

90 parts in grey styrene.

Pprice $7-8.

Advantages: first set of German paratroops in the lightweight tropical uniform.

Disadvantages: not sure of any specific vehicles for these figures to complement.

Rating: Highly Recommended.

Recommendation: For all German and Italian Campaign fans.

DML basically "owns" the styrene figure market for WWII figures, and the one advantage that this gives them is the ability to branch out into more esoteric and little-known campaigns of the war. As a result, they have been able to provide a set of four or more figures for just about every theater that the Germans fought in during the war.

This set comprises one of the elite units that fought against the joint US/Commonwealth campaign to take Sicily in 1943. As such, unlike most German paratroops that fought in smocks and with special weapons, this regiment was given lightweight tropical tan uniforms and essentially fought as conventional infantry.

The four figures in the set have a nice combination of poses, and can be used by themselves or with a vehicle or building to make a nice vignette. However, right off the top of my head I cannot recall any specific vehicle kit from DML which is marked for Sicily! (After-market sets and some research should solve this problem.)

The figures provide one NCO and three privates with sleeves rolled up and the cut-down jump helmets, four Kar 98K rifles and two MP40 submachine guns. The figures are carrying extra ammo pouches and are pretty well kitted out for combat.

Overall, it's nice to see something other than the usual run of SS troops with late-war weapons and camouflage smocks, and this is a nice change of pace. (It should also be easier to paint that the other figures, too.)

 Thanks to Freddie Leung for the review sample.

Cookie Sewell
AMPS

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(Originally written on January 9, 2004)

Kit Review: DML 1/35 Scale ‘39-‘45 Series Kit No. 6092; T-34/76 Model 1940; 415 parts (412 in grey styrene, 2 clear styrene lenses, 1 section of nylon string).

Price around $28-34.

Advantages: first good kit of this seminal vehicle; turret molding is truly amazing, especially the fit; captures the good looks of this tank; excellent detailing.

Disadvantages: due to the fact that the Soviets did not mark these tanks, nor camouflage them, only one paint scheme – "Protective Green 4BOP" (FS 34102).

Rating: Highly Recommended.

Recommendation: for all early war armor and Soviet armor fans or "34 freaks!"

F I R S T   L O O K

I am an unabashed T-34 freak, and loudly admit it. The story behind the creation of the tank itself, let alone the legendary combat utilization that it received in WWII, Korea and even up to the present day, cries out for a movie. Ignoring the fact that making movies about tanks is probably about as well received as a society to "Save Scorpions, Fire Ants, and Coyotes" would be in Texas, it is probably only a fond wish.

To provide a bit of background about what makes this tank - the first series production model of the T-34 – so important, a bit of background is required.

In May 1937 Mikhail I. Koshkin was sent to take over KB-190 – the tank design section – at Khar'kov Steam Locomotive Factory No. 183.  Until he arrived, the factory produced steam locomotives on its own and tanks under the guidance of the Leningrad "Kirov" Factory. At the time Koshkin took over, they were building the BT-7 fast tank, armed with a 45mm gun and able to operate either on wheels or tracks.

Koshkin got bedded down in the factory (this was during the Purges of 1937, and as a point of reference both the factory manager and previous chief designer were denounced and summarily shot) and found he had a good assistant in Aleksandr Morozov, who was in charge of transmission designs. Koshkin soon received a task to "improve" the BT-7 tank; one improvement going on nearby was that Khar'kov Engine Factory No. 75 was gearing up to produce the BD-2 high-speed diesel engine – what would become the V-2 diesel, progenitor of over 200,000 tank engines that have followed it. Koshkin's first task was installing the BD-2 in the BT-7 to create the BT-7M.

But Koshkin was no fan of the complex transmission design, and also was aware of another proposal to put sloped armor on the BT-7. This was tested in a tank dubbed the BT-SV-2 but it came to naught. Another modification was the BT-IS which was to have all-wheel drive to supplement its tracked drive. This nearly got into production as the high command liked the concept of wheel and track tanks, but Koshkin wanted it eliminated. As it would figure, an engineer from Leningrad nearly got it to work; this poor soul had the unfortunate name of A. Dik. Koshkin managed to keep Dik so busy he eventually nearly collapsed from stress.

With the BT-IS off the table, Koshkin proposed a new tank dubbed BT-20. He promised a prototype of this tank, but at the same time gathered his team and announced he wanted a second tank prototype – one with a fully tracked drive, wide tracks, sloped armor and a 76mm gun. This tank, the A-32, was built at the same time as the A-20 prototype for the BT-20 proposal. But the A-20 used the same four road wheel convertible suspension as the BT-7, even though it shared its hull and turret design with the A-32.

When the new tanks were shown in September 1939 to the command of the Red Army, Koshkin was proud of the new A-32; while this tank was clearly superior to the other offerings – the A-20, BT-7M, and the new KV tank from Leningrad – it was not what the command wanted. But the new Peoples' Commissar for Medium Industrial Production (a euphemism for tanks), Vlacheslav Malyshev, loved it and was very emphatic about it. Even Stalin liked the idea of a powerful, fast and nimble tank, and while he still preferred the wheel and track concept, he permitted the A-32 to proceed.

However, the "competition" in the form of Zhosef Kotin from Leningrad was not happy. Kotin wanted his KV design – named for his wife's godfather, Kliment Voroshilov – to be the "only tank" for the Red Army. Voroshilov agreed and when both the KV and improved A-32 were ordered into production in December 1939, Voroshilov pulled a fast one: he approved that the A-34 version, the improved A-32, go into production.

But there was a catch. Since the A-32 had passed all of the state tests, and the A-34 had not, Koshkin had to go back to square one and build 10 prototype tanks before April. The command in Moscow kept tightening the timeline on Koshkin, and as a result in early March he was ordered to report to Moscow with the first two T-34 tanks for a command performance. In a driving snowstorm and the dead of winter, Koshkin and a small group of technicians drove the two tanks to Moscow, arriving in the middle of the night and having to quickly put on a demonstration for the command. Koshkin had caught pneumonia on the drive, and as a result annoyed Stalin as he coughed badly while explaining the virtues fo the tank. Stalin was impressed, and the tank was ordered into full production. While Voroshilov and Kotin tried a couple of other times to dethrone the T-34, when war broke out in June the T-34 was the only useful tank in production.

Mikhail Koshkin died from the results of pneumonia in September 1940 and never got to see his creation vindicate itself in combat.

The first production tank, the Model 1940, was a transitional tank from the peacetime VT series to the stripped down and highly compact and functional T-34 tanks of the war. It came with headlights and a lot of concepts that were later proven to be poorly thought through, such as its early and unreliable 4-speed transmission. (The later 5-speed was much more reliable.) It was armed with two 7.62mm DT machine guns and a 76mm L-11 gun – ironically produced in Leningrad. This gun – a "powerful" gun for its time but one blessed with a barrel length of only 30.5 calibers – was a woeful design, highly inaccurate due to its being suspended from its cradle. When the superior F-32 gun became available, however, Voroshilov and Kotin ensured that the entire production run would only be used for the KV-1 and not the T-34. The result was that the T-34 team was offered a new gun – the 41.5 caliber long F-34, which became the reason that the Model 1941 T-34 was so highly feared by German tankers.

One myth which Morozov let out about the T-34 is why the Model 1941 used a cast turret. Supposedly during the withdrawal from Khar'kov to Nizhniy Tagil the rolling machine needed to roll the turret armor plate into the components for the welded turret was lost on a siding, and as a result the factory bravely created a new design in a matter of days for a cast turret. This is not true, for we know that Model 1940 tanks had both the welded and the cast turret, as did early Model 1941 tanks.

DML has done a bang-up job of creating the first of the T-34 tanks – the Model 1940, with its short L-11 gun and underslung cradle giving it the "boar's head" type of mantelet. Having spent the last six months of 2001 building a T-34 Model 1941 out of a Zvezda Model 1942 and a Tamiya "Model 1942" (Model 1941) I got very familiar with all of the detail differences in the tanks and the Model 1940. This kit has nailed every one of the key details spot on.

The Model 1940 comes with headlights (which are not symmetrical due to the machine gun mount) as well as a single tail light; all are there, and the headlights come with clear lenses to boot. Vehicle stowage consisted of four 33.5 liter rectangular fuel tanks, two jacks at the right rear, one or two tow cables on the right side, two sets of spare track links at the rear of the fenders, and a variety of small bins, with two irregular ones mounted on the rear mudguards. Depending upon the individual command, anywhere up to 45 grousers could be carried on the fenders; the kit only provides about 21, but that is more than sufficient. (They stopped using most of them when they came up with the "waffle" track, which had more traction.) All present.

The Model 1940 also had a different driver-mechanic's hatch with three offset viewers, a concealed hinge, and vertical louvers on its radiator intake and air intake vents. A single rectangular hatch in the rear provided access to the engine. All present.

The suspension is the same as that found on the T-34-85 series tanks, but since it did not change, no problem. The wheels are the original solid disk wheels with rubber "bandazhi" or tires, perforated with "cheater" holes to save rubber. The tank also has the early style idler with rubber "bandazhi" and roller drivers. Track links have faint ejection pin marks on the inner face, but these are easily removed; the tracks are the original pattern "longitudinal cleat" type hated by Soviet tankers as it tended to let ice build up and gave no traction in mud or snow.

There are things one could wish for but with this kit the only thing I would have asked for is an open rear engine radiator air exhaust grille with an etched metal screen, but that can wait for another day.

The rolled welded turret is an amazing piece of work. Even dry fitting this yields no seams or cracks. The mantelet is composed of several pieces but – suprise! – so were the originals. (You can even find a huge seam on at least one of the actual tanks here at the Ordnance Museum in Aberdeen! So much for what model railroaders call "it ain't prototype!")

The model does offer two finishes on the back of the full-color directions: either the previously mentioned "protective green 4BO" scheme or a color scheme used by the 1st Mechanized Division (not Motor Rifle as it states in the directions, they came much later) in the summer of 1941. This combines "dark green 4BO" with "dark brown 6K" and "yellow earth 7K"; one is a dark reddish brown and the other is a brownish tan.

Overall I only wish this kit had come out two years ago! This is my personal choice for "Kit of the Year" but then again I am biased towards ‘34s.

Thanks to Freddie Leung for the review sample.

Cookie Sewell
AMPS

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(Originally written on January 8, 2004)

Kit Review: DML 1/35 scale ‘39-‘45 Series Kit No. 6189; Sd. Kfz, 182 King Tiger (Porsche Turret).

553 parts (544 in grey styrene, 8 etched brass, 1 section of nylon string).

Price estimated at $34-40.

Advantages: new, clean kit of this popular vehicle with many of the small details provided in styrene; includes separate grilles for the engine deck, detailed gun access hatch, and early/late gun barrels.

Disadvantages: no AA machine gun, some ejection pin marks.

Rating: Highly Recommended.

Recommendation: for all German heavy tank fans.

F I R S T  L O O K

I have to state up front that I am not a Tiger II fan. This vehicle, to give its due, was BIG; but it was also one of the biggest dogs ever fielded by the Germans. Consider this: for the same weight as a modern Abrams or Challenger 2, each of which has a 1500 HP engine with modern torque converter transmission, the Tiger II limped along on the same overtaxed 700 HP gasoline engine used in the Panther. Coupled with a relatively slow speed of only 35 kph on flat ground and a range of just over 100 miles (170 km) it was not a very good offensive weapon. Prone to snapping axles and track links, the tank was as likely to be a victim of its failings more than it was to be a victim of enemy action. It was awkward, had serious problems with bridges and soft ground, and was occasionally even a victim of its own success!

Consider this anecdote from "After the Battle Then and Now: Battle of the Bulge." A Tiger II crew managed to get to the top of an icy road in Belgium to discover a US M10 tank destroyer about 300 meters away. The M10 shot at the Tiger II without results, but was totally ineffective. The Tiger shot back, nearly atomizing the hapless M10, but when it fired, the blast started the monster going backwards down the same road it had just carefully negotiated. The driver frantically tried to halt the slide, but to no avail. When the US troops returned sometime later, they found the unfortunate Tiger embedded in some Belgian's barn! Pretty poor trade.

But I digress.

DML has now used some of the parts from its earlier and very nicely done Jagdtiger kits to produce a new kit of the Sd.Kfz. 182 Tiger Ausf. B or Tiger II. (King Tiger was a Western nickname, not the German one. Use in a sentence and watch Tom Jentz light up!) This is the early model with the Porsche turret originally made for the VK4502(P) tank that was not accepted for production. Only the first 50 out of 485 eventual Tiger II tanks were fitted with this turret. Personally, I think it is the better looking of the two, albeit it does limit your modeling options as far as where the tank was used.

DML has gone out of its way to provide a number of options with this model, and I appreciate the fact they give you a choice of either the early or late barrel; one tank with each barrel is called out on the painting instructions. It also comes with what are now the usual touches for preparations for those who will add after-market parts to the kit, such as an engine and interior parts. The top turret hatch and the rear turret hatch are also nicely detailed on the insides, but there are a few pesky ejection pin marks that must be removed.

The turret does come with an elementary gun breech and recoil mechanism assembly. There are a lot of little "fiddly bits" for the turret such as spare track link hangers. No AA machine gun or mount comes with the kit, but I believe that there is one in the DML set of German Panzer crewmen so I guess they expect the modeler to pick up a set to complete the kit. (Apparently the AA MG was not a "basic issue item" for the Tiger II, or at least not according to one of the Jentz articles on it.)

The skirts are one piece, but come with the hanger holes molded into them so they appear nice if installed. They may be a bit thick to section, so anyone who wants to show "combat damage" may have to think about etched metal skirting.

The kit provides for two finishes: one tank from the s.Pz.Abt. 503 in Normandy 1944, painted in the three color Panzerbraun/green/ red brown scheme, and one from s.Pz.Abt. "Feldherrenhalle" in Hungary in 1945; this sports a two-color Panzerbraun/green scheme with a hastily applied whitewash winter camouflage scheme over it.

Tigers seem to be the armor modeler's P-51 Mustang as there never seem to be enough kits of them around! Seriously, this is a really nice kit and with some TLC and a bit of zimmerit if needed it should be a very nice addition to most modelers' shelves.

Thanks to Freddie Leung for the review sample. 

Cookie Sewell
AMPS

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(Originally written on January 8, 2004)

Kit Review: DML 1/35 scale ‘39-‘45 Series Kit No. 6187; Sd.Kfz. 251 Ausf. C.

556 parts (553 in grey styrene, 3 in grey vinyl).

Price estimated at around $28-33.

Advantages: Gorgeous new kit of a popular subject; captures tiniest details in most areas and comes ready for an after-market engine; includes five figures and optional parts for detailing them and the vehicle.

Disadvantages: two-part single track links unlikely to be popular with some modelers; multi-piece hull body may cause some minor problems.

Rating: Highly Recommended.

Recommendation: for all German armor fans, especially of Panzergrenadiers.

F I R S T  L O O K

There are times you can feel sorry for fans of some modeling subjects when the most common kit going is a real dog. Such was the case with the 1973 vintage Tamiya Sd. Kfz. 251/1 halftrack kit. While it came with what seemed to be a good package then – and it was, providing a number of reasonably well animated Panzergrendiers and optional parts to mount the Pak 36 3.7 cm AT gun on it and make a "stroke10" model out of the kit, it had a host of problems. The main one was that the hull – for whatever reason – was around 8 mm too narrow, which amounts to a foot off in 1/35 scale. I recall swearing a blue streak while vivisecting the hull of a half-assembled one to get the correct width to it. (It wound up going back in the box until I used it to make a correct Sd. Kfz. 251 engineer variant with the Ausf. D hull.)

It was also blessed with "dwarf" figures – not big strapping Saxons or Brandenburgers, but itty bitty 5' tall Germans. (Nobody cared at the time, for this was the only kit in town! The ancient Nitto Ausf. B was pretty much a toy.)

Tamiya never fixed the problem with that kit, albeit they did come out with a correctly proportioned Sd. Kfz. 251/9 series that was used to make a new "stroke 1" model – but this was the later Ausf. D hull. Most of the early halftracks used in Russia during Operation Barbarossa were the C model, so it still left this common vehicle missing. Also, more conversions were made with the C model than with the D, so it was the base vehicle for most of the more interesting conversions.

DML has now followed up its nicely done Sd.Kfz. 250 series halftracs (both the early and late models) with a similarly done version of the Sd. Kfz. 251/1 Ausf. C. This is a state-of-the-art kit and unless you want a fast build it is time to send the obsolete Tamiya kit packing. It comes with a driver figure (who appears to be the same one from the 250 series) and a complete set of No. 6124 "Grossdeutchland" figures, but with the new DML replacement head and detail sprue and three vinyl parts that represent casual uniform discards – two uniform blouses and a pair of boots.

The kit has the old-style black-white-blue directions, but these are pretty clear and the model is not hard to sort out. The kit comes with everything except the engine, but the engine access doors are separate so that when the inevitable resin engine kit comes out – or a separate on from DML, as they did with the 250s – it will drop into place. Some of the lower hull details are included as well, such as the fuel tank, battery and transfer case/transmission.

The hull builds up from the chassis pan, nose section, two lower hull sides, the upper hull and hood section, forward machine gun platform, lower tail section, and the doors and engine access panels. This is to simplify getting all of the details together, such as the interior stowage bins behind the seats. Fenders are in single-piece units but the fender stowage bins are molded as one and have a single piece door assembly.

The wheels are very nicely molded, but the tracks are single-link with two parts to each link (link and pad; careful assembly will yield working tracks.) This is likely to bother some modelers who do not like "fiddly bits" but I think most will enjoy this level of detail as part of the kit.

The rest of the details appear to match the kit's high quality. All of the interior bits – from what I can see in the old Bellona handbook series on the 251 – are there or at least the main components are provided. This includes all of the levers, spare vision blocks, Funk f radio set, rifle racks, and a much thinner and more scale set of hinges for the rear doors. The doors appear to be made to work if one is careful, but unlike the roundhouse quality hinges on the Tamiya kit these are quite delicate and may not. The steering can also be made to work, or at least will permit posing the front wheels.

Decals and painting are included for two vehicles: a 251/1 from "Grossdeutschland" at Kursk in 1943, and a grey one from the 14th Panzer Division, Ukraine 1942. The figure painting and assembly instructions are separate and cover the uniforms for "Grossdeutschland" but not for the other division.

Note that there are two optional parts, a section of mine-protection armor plate for the lower front of the hull and a small part that goes at the rear. These are found on the figure instruction sheet, not the main directions.

It is likely that this will be the first of the series, and that DML has 21 more versions of the 251 that can be built if they also expand to offer an Ausf. D hull as well.

Overall, this should be a popular kit and is a contemporary kit, well executed.

Thanks to Freddie Leung for the review sample.

Cookie Sewell
AMPS

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