I originally wanted to compare this kit to the excellent Tamiya M8, to see if they
had the same degree of differences found in their M8 with the Tamiya one. It took
me over a year to find one, so I wasn't able to do it right away. Upon getting this
kit, the differences are more marked than they were with the Tamiya one and the two
M8 kits. (First off, Italeri missed the fact that the correct name is M20 Armored
Utility Car, not "scout car.")
Again, like the M8, this is a nice effort with a minimum of ejection pin marks and
sinkholes noted in my sample. It is nearly identical to the Tamiya kit in almost all
major dimensions, and they both match up well with the info I have on the original.
But like before, even though the wheels state they are "9.00 x 20, whereas
the wheels on the Tamiya kit measure 7.5mm wide by 29mm in diameter; the Italeri
ones are smaller at 7.0 mm x 27.5 mm. But, a check of most photographic records finally solved
this problem. Postwar, most MAP vehicles – as well as the US ones – switched from the larger 9 x 20s
to 7.50 x 20s as they finally figured out its cross country performance wasn't as critical as the
designers thought, and most armored cars in the postwar period can be seen to have the smaller tires.
(Suggestion: doing WWII, use the Tamiya kit; postwar, use Italeri's).
This time the tool locating pin holes are now correct, as Tamiya set theirs up
to cover both vehicles but Italeri only gave the ones for the M20 rather than the M8. But as with
nearly all Italeri kits, the tools are very petite and have a look and "feel" of being too
fragile to do their job. I wish someone would come out with good basic US pioneer tool replacement sets.
The one place the Italeri kit comes across as superior in my opinion is the
suspension, which while "old fashioned" and in multiple parts, captures the tie rods and
other bits much better than Tamiya's. The muffler and exhaust also appear to be more part of the
vehicle than just stuck on.
The interior, however, is a bit of a disappointment. Italeri provides three M1 carbines, one 5-gallon
jerry can, and two packs plus a rolled canvas as extras. They now provide an SCR-508 radio, but while
acceptable if buried where it cannot be seen is not very well done overall. No SCR-506 high-powered
set in included, nor are mine racks an option. However, unlike the M8, the crew hatches are molded
with optional hatches so the modeler does have an option on doing up the interior.
The decal sheet only provides for two vehicles – a sparsely marked unidentified
US one from Germany and a French one from 1944. I can't validate the markings but the blue on the
"Napoleonic Eagle" style tricolor side markings appears to be way too light.
Overall, a reasonably effort. If you have picked one up, and plan on one in
Viet Nam or elsewhere, it's a good place to start.
Cookie Sewell
AMPS
November 21,
2001
Kit Review: Chesapeake Model
Designs 1/35 Scale Kit No. CMD 38, Late Pattern T23 Sherman Turret with Oval
Loader's Hatch and Canvas Mantelet Cover;
33 parts (32 in tan resin, 1
turned aluminum barrel);
Price $20.
Advantages: Great
quality and finish plus "plastic kit" assembly simplicity.
Disadvantages:
"Not German".
Rating: Highly Recommended.
Recommendation: for all very
late WWII and Postwar 76mm Sherman models and
conversions.
Pity the poor tanker. He works in a
nasty, noisy machine which is too hot in the winter and too cold in the summer,
and to top it off, since much of what the tank does has to move and flex,
there are openings and gaps in it everywhere. Today's tanker has it pretty good
– due to the side effect of sealing the tank to prevent chemical, biological, or
radiological contamination from leaking in – but his predecessors were not so
fortunate. Most of the "great" tanks from WWII weren't really so hot, as they
tended to leak in either water or air and be quite uncomfortable to use for the
crew. Dust also came in through all openings, and cordite smoke when in
combat.
The British seem to have caught on to this problem sooner than most,
and many of their tanks post-D-Day wore a British-designed canvas mantelet cover
to stop the biggest gaps – those around the gun shield and opening to the turret
for the main armament assembly – earlier than most. Surprisingly, it wasn't
until quite late in the war that the US finally began to make and issue canvas
covers for the 76mm and 105mm mantelets for the M4 medium tanks. Late production
tanks were fitted for them at the factory, but most of them didn't get to the
forward area, as they were not needed by that time.
With
postwar, however, all of
the US tank fleet was fitted for a canvas mantelet cover to both protect the
crew from the elements as well as help seal the tank from dust and moisture
during short-term storage. These were standard fittings on all US tanks through
the M-1 series, which used different arrangements of filters and masks inside
the mantelet to prevent air or moisture entry, plus overpressure when the NBC
system was activated.
Modeling a canvas mantelet can be a chore, as they are
hard to get to look right or get the right "drape" to the canvas, no matter what
material is used. CMD has now done one up using their outstanding T23 series
turret as a basis, and the results are very, very good. All of the fittings for
the mantelet are present in scale, and the drape and flexing of the simulated
canvas look realistic.
The only minor gripe one could have – and ont that cannot
be helped due to the material involved – is that the canvas is too smooth. This
is easily fixed with the use of a "stippling" technique using putty and a
short-bristled brush (the one inside a Testors Liquid Cement bottle cut down to
1/8" long bristles is about right). Using a putty which is soluble in Testors
Liquid Cement (Squadron White Putty and Dr. Microtools are two that do nicely)
paint it on the model and then, before the mixture dries, dabble it with the
brush. If you work with small areas, the result is a rough-out finish that will
look very good with painting and drybrushing. (Gunze Sangyo Mr. Surfacer 500 and
the same technique work equally as well.)
If you are doing a Korean War
Sherman, this is a super upgrade and will make a nice addition to your kit. It's
reasonably priced (it includes an M1A2 gun with muzzle brake as well) and very
nicely done.
Thanks to Bill Miley of CMD for the review sample.
Cookie Sewell
AMPS
October 27,
2001
Kit
Review: Boley Department 1/87 Military Model No. 2110; T-72 Tank; 30 parts in
olive green styrene; Price $7.99;
Petner
Panzers 1/87 Scale Kit No. P002;
T-62
Medium Tank;
15 parts
in light tan styrene;
Price
$7.99.
Advantages: Cheap (relatively) models for war gaming with
modern armored vehicles.
Disadvantages: Pre-1989 molds show their age with
errors.
Rating:
Recommended.
Recommendation: For war-gamers and small-scale
fans.
I have been
a fan of "small scale" HO armored vehicles since I began my fascination for
armored vehicles with Roskopf and ROCO models 40 years ago. I have a pretty fair
selection of them on hand and find it fun to play with them from time to time,
as it doesn't take much work to get the "little fellas" to look as good as their
larger counterparts any more.
I found
these two in a model railroad shop in Berlin, Maryland the other day and picked
them up. While I suspected that I had seen them before, it took only a few
seconds when I arrived home to prove that I was correct.
Boley is a
new company that came out about two years ago with "semi-scale" model vehicles
for HO model railroaders at dirt-cheap prices. Okay, so the model "sort of"
looked like a Ford F9000; it only cost $3 vice the $19.95 for a dead-on scale
version of the same truck. This changed earlier this year with the release of
scale models of International 4700 series trucks, albeit at three times the
price at $8-10. Boley also released a series of toy like military vehicles, but
then they have now released this model of a T-72. On close examination, it is
the old Petner Panzers P001 kit in a header bag and with a new dealer.
The Petner
Panzers T-62, on the other hand, is the older Armortec T-62 kit in a new box
with some minor changes to the model. Obviously the molds make the rounds in
this scale, as at one time ROCO was offering both models in Europe under its
auspices.
Both are
reasonable representations of the prototype. The T-72 model is apparently a
model of a T-72M minus its side skirts, and in this issue comes with the hull
assembled and bagged separately from the rest of the parts. While it
theoretically is a scale model, there are a number of goofs that tend to throw
its overall proportions off. The lower rear hull is too short, which results in
an overhang by the upper hull; they should fit flush. Also, the radiator exhaust
vent is completely missing, with the result that the auxiliary
fuel tanks
simply cement to the rear of the hull. All this means the main gun is slightly
too long. While a commander's searchlight is included, the main L-4G light is
not, and will have to come from the spares box. This version does include smoke
grenade launchers, which my original version of the kit did not. A commander
figure with separate arms also comes with the model.
The T-62
represents a T-62 Model 1970, and as a kit is an older model which theoretically
was cut by a different mold maker. Both models are missing the prominent exhaust
port on the left rear side of the vehicle, however, and they would appear to
have some common parentage in their design. The new version of the T-62 now
sports a moving gun barrel, a feature that did not come with the original model.
It also has a totally re-engraved belly pan that now says "PETNER PANZERS U.S.A.
T-62 USSR" in place of the small raised "ARMORTEC (C) T-62A" on the original
which was far easier to trim off. The turret has some shape problems at the
front, caused by molding limitations, and the front fenders are far too squared
off. The worst problem the model suffers from is that the mold maker apparently
used a burned-out T-62 as an example, for the road wheels have no tires!
Finally, the model appears to be about 5% overscale, as it is larger than the
T-72 in most major dimensions (it should be slightly higher, but not wider or
longer).
Overall,
however, they are relatively inexpensive at $8 or less apiece and can be used to
build up a good size force for a reasonable investment. It's not hard to add
basics such as skirts and splashboards to the T-62, or come up with skirts and a
searchlight for the T-72. They look the part, and en masse will be
suitably impressive. But unlike the ROCO kits, many of which are now jewels in this scale, they will
be hard pressed to turn into true scale models without a lot of work.
Cookie Sewell
AMPS
October
6, 2001
Kit
Review: Academy 1/35 Scale Kit No. 1392; British Tank Destroyer Achilles; 565
parts (562 in sand tan styrene, 2 in steel colored vinyl, 1 nylon string); price
$35.
Advantages: Amazing kit with tremendous level of detail;
"prepared" for after market detail additions; "H" sprue nearly worth the price
of admission on its own.
Disadvantages: Choice of relatively esoteric version of
this vehicle may hurt sales.
Rating:
Highly Recommended.
Recommendation: for all Commonwealth armored fans and small
postwar army followers, as well as all "Shermaholics".
F I R S
T L O O K
I had seen
the preliminary review on this kit from Peter Brown in the UK, and as a
died-in-the-wool Sherman fan had to pick one up no matter what. I must preface
things with saying that I may never build it as the Achilles, but the kit is one
of the best recent plastic kits I have personally seen, and considering what's
in the box a tremendous value for the money.
I won't
steal any of Peter's thunder, as he has been to the IWM and Public Records
Officer several times in recent weeks to check on vehicles such as this and has
the latest information on it. Suffice it to say that M10 and Achilles were used
as synonyms, but not on a regular basis.
The kit
represents a 17-pounder conversion of the final production model of the M10 3"
GMC with the "duckbill" counterweights fitted to the turret, and the rearward
slanting turret rear to provide more room for the crew. It comes with a plethora
of details, not all of which are accurate for this particular version, but one
of the most appreciated will be a very nice set of vinyl "British style" steel
chevron tracks. These are very nicely done, with the three studs on the surface,
and only a small "teat" on the inner face of every 10th link or so to clean
up.
Academy cut
a special hull top and "E" sprue for this kit, and the rest of the layout bodes
very well for Sherman or just US M4 series tank fans. Some are plainly marked
"Sherman series" so they would appear to have more kits planned beyond the
current Achilles, M10 and M36 vehicles.
The parts
layout in the kit suggests that the M10 and M36 will share some sprues, as a
separate engine deck with the M4A2 style louvers indicative of diesel engines
are included on one of them. (Only the louvered doors, parts C19 and C20, are
needed for the Achilles). Of note to engine fans is the fact that the engine bay
major components are also provided, needing only engines and radiators to
complete (Note: The Tank Workshop makes an M4A2 engine bay set which should fit
this model, but I am willing to bet that Model Valley, a Korean resin company
that appears to have some relation to Academy, will have a "drop-in" engine
assembly for this model soon). A reasonably complete front-end interior, including
the SCR-508/608 style radio set, is included with the kit.
There are
two different transmission covers ("Rounded" and "Sharp-nose"). They also
provide the optional bogie component set which came with the M12 155mm GMC kit,
which provides for either cast or welded ("spoked") wheels and early or late
track skids on the top of the bogies.
The rest of
the model is very nice with the glaring exception of the upper rear hull panel,
which has "outlines" cast on it for mounting the tool sets. This is pretty lame
considering the rest of the kit, as the concept went out of style in the early
1960s, and someone at Academy needs to get his or her wrist slapped for letting
it go out the door on a kit of this quality. There are a few large knockout pin
marks inside the turret that will have to go, but overall they are at a minimum
and kept out of sight. Also the decal sheet is incomplete (doing only one and a
half vehicles) and in my example one item was off
register.
One error
several people have spotted is that British crews did not store 17-pounder
shells in cardboard tubes as US crews did with their ammunition. The model comes
with 32 rounds stored in cardboard tubes, which are wrong for a British vehicle
with the big gun. The projectiles that come with the turret sprue seem correct,
and it only takes a few seconds to see that these rounds will not fit in those
tubes.
But one of
the best items in this kit is Sprue "H". This is a really useful set of bits,
and includes the following items: a pair of five link "extenders", similar to
those found on the old MP Models M4A4 hull, so the vinyl tracks can fit on an A4
chassis; six spare T51 smooth non-reversible shoes, with a choice of either US
or UK style stowage racks; three whip antenna mounts, including one which is
angled at 45 degrees; three jerry cans (one German and two US style), all with
separate carrier bases provided and needing only straps to complete; two late
production "dish" type M4 VVSS series wheels; and the neatest bits of all,
add-ons in styrene. These amount to 21 bolt heads, 7 rivet heads, 7 studs, 15
buckles in three different styles, 10 tie-down brackets, five wing nuts, and a
complete alphabet plus two number sets of 0-9 and casting marks for two
foundries. (One unfortunate thing is after all this Academy doesn't tell you
what sort of numbers should go on the vehicle, or where they only indicate the
mantelet should have a number attached to it.)
The kit
also includes Academy's Sprue "D", a generic Sherman sprue, which provides nice
little bits, a good .50 caliber and .30 caliber machine gun, and decent pioneer
tools. (If they sold this one separately, it would permit rapid upgrades to all
Italeri and DML kits out there suffering from anemic tool set
syndrome.)
Overall,
the quality of this kit is astounding. The choice of the Achilles, until the
history of the actual vehicles becomes wider known, may not be the best as it is
a very small part of the US Tank Destroyer story. But if nothing else, this kit
is a standard setter, and one of the best bargains on the market
today.
Cookie Sewell
AMPS
October
6, 2001
Kit
Review: Maquette 1/35 Scale Kit No. 35025; T-34 Separate Track Links Early
Version; 160
parts in
white styrene; price $6.98.
Advantages: Price is right!
Disadvantages: Finding the right T-34 kit to put them on
(see text).
Rating:
Highly Recommended.
Recommendation: for use on T-34s built before November
1940.
T-34 track
shoes have been a bone of contention among modelers for some years now. Part of
the problem was that, unlike the US that used "T" numbers to designate specific
designs, German use of Werknummer diagrams and parts, and others such as the
British WE210 series, the Soviets used no such designator system for their track
shoes.
Recently
noted Russian armor historian and writer Mikhail Svirin published an excellent
history of the evolution of T-34 track links in the low-circulation Russian
magazine "Poligon" (Spring 2000). In this he covers the tracks in quite a bit of
detail.
To provide
a "Reader's Digest" version of the article, initially the T-34 was equipped with
a wider version of the stamped steel track shoes used on the BT series tanks.
These were similar in design to the last BT-7 "short pitch" tracks but 550mm
wide. But experience showed that they tended to bend, shatter and break as the
tank was too heavy for them, and in late 1940 a new design was created. The new
one was a cast link with built-in stiffeners, and was much more durable. It was
also 550mm wide, and was much more durable. The tracks were fitted to the
developed first production series T-34s ("Series 1.5") and the improved series
2. They were also fitted to most of the tanks produced at the Stalingrad Tractor
Factory (STZ).
In early
1941, tests showed that the projected T-34M 450mm tracks worked better on the
T-34 itself, and plans were made to switch over to this track. They also used a
single pin (the first two types of T-34 track used two pins or "half-pins" held
in by shims; the new ones simply used a "pin knocker" bracket on the hull to
knock them back in when they became loose.)
In summer
1941, a new design of shoes, based on the T-34M track but 500mm wide, was placed
in production. Due to the problems with relocation to the Urals, however, this
track did not enter widespread use until mid 1942, where they became known as
the "waffle" tracks to modelers and "webbed" tracks to the Soviets. Several
different designs were made, but all shared common dimensions and were usually
cast in pairs (one with and one without a guide tooth, as they had to be used in
matched sets of two).
One last
basic design was created, called the "split" link. The T-34 had much better
mobility over snow and swampy terrain than any German tank, but it was not as
good as the Soviets wanted. After trying a number of grousers and bolt-on
extensions, all of which caused problems, somebody came up with the idea of
"splitting" the "smooth" link in two and simply using a longer pin and a regular
"smooth" track shoe to extend every other link out to 750mm. Only a few T-34s
were fitted with this type of track, but it was heavily used for a short period
of time by UZTM on SP guns such as the SU-122 and SU-85, as well as adopted by
the Chelyabinsk factory for a small number of IS-2 and ISU SP
guns.
The last
major modification to the tracks was to standardize the links used by the T-34
and the T-44 tanks.
Having said
all that, Maquette has produced a very nice model of the first "pressed" steel
550mm track shoes for the T-34 Model 1940 series 1 tanks. They nearly "click"
together and only need a minimum of cleanup. However, one will have to find the
right model to use them on! While two T-34 Model 1940 kits have been announced
from Eastern Europe (Maquette being one, no surprise) none are currently
available! It should be noted that the shoes on the box top illustration are
those from the later Model 1940 series 1.5 and 2 and STZ production tanks, not
the ones which come inside the box.
Now to wait
for the Model 1940 series 1 kit...
Cookie Sewell
AMPS
September 10, 2001
Kit
Review: ROCO Minitanks 1/87 Scale Model No. 469; M113A3 ACAV Armored Personnel
Carrier; 103 parts in olive drab styrene; price $8-10.
Advantages: Plethora of parts makes it a
bargain.
Disadvantages: Will not build up as neither an M113A1 ACAV
nor an M113A3.
Rating:
Recommended.
Recommendation: for all friends of "Papa Chucks" ROCO began
their really detailed kits with a series of M113A1 kits about 20 years ago, and
they were spectacular at the time for the amount of detail and parts provided in
a model less than 55 millimeters long. For the first time, wheels were included
as an "option" rather than stuck on at the factory, and the model came with
really tiny details like antenna bases and lift rings as separate parts. In
every sense of the word, they were the prototypes for all of the detailed models
that came behind them.
I missed
this release by ROCO which purported to be an "M113A3 ACAV" and that immediately
hit the wrong chord. The true ACAV was born out of frustration in Viet Nam
during the late 1960s, as the M48 tanks were too heavy to go most places and did
not have sufficient suppressive firepower in an ambush to defeat the VC. The
result was to take the M113A1 APC with its less flammable diesel engine and
provide it with an armored pulpit for its commander, as well as twin M60 machine
guns behind gun shields in the troop compartment. 476 of these kits were
manufactured and sent to Viet Nam in 1966.
The M113A3
was a more survivable version of the product-improved M113A2 that had external
fuel tanks, a new engine and transmission, and the ability to use applique armor
panels on its external surfaces. However, most A3s accepted for US service were
without the applique panels or their mountings.
The model
is the old M113A1 APC with a slew of extra parts provided for it. It CAN be
built as an M113A3 with the commander's pulpit and external fuel tanks, but it
is NOT an ACAV as that term only pertains to the Viet Nam
models.
The model
comes with a .50 caliber M2HB, an M60 and a .30 M1919A4 Browning. It does not
have the mounts and shields needed for the ACAV, but these can be made up from
scrap plastic and an extra M60 could be found in another kit. The model does
provide the early M113/M113A1 skirts as separate parts as well as modified
cutdown skirts with footholds; the skirts can also be left off. 24 items of kit
are included, mostly barracks bags, sleeping bags, and the like. No interior is
included, which has been standard for all ROCO versions of this vehicle.
Like its
predecessors, the model comes with working ramp and personnel hatches, and
optional position commander's and driver's hatches. Three versions of the
driver's hatch are included. The commander's cupola has an optional base
section, so a ROCO or Preiser commander figure can be cemented into the
position. The belly needs to be sanded smooth and sealed, however, as it still
has the gap for the wheel "keeper" cut into the center.
Overall,
this is still a nice little model. It has become a bit pricey now but with the
amount of details and spare bits included is still reasonably good
value.
Cookie Sewell
AMPS
September 2, 2001
Kit
Review: RHPS 1/35 Scale Track Accessory EC2; Extended End Connectors for Sherman
Track Sets; 168 parts in light grey styrene; price
$17.95.
Advantages: Perfect fit with the previously released RHPS
VVSS Sherman track sets.
Disadvantages: Tiny little devils to get off the sprues,
interesting to trim up.
Rating:
Highly Recommended.
Recommendation: For anyone who wants to put a truly
different set of "shoes" on a Sherman.
There is a
great deal of problems that engineers designing a tank face. One of them is the
size and width of the tracks used. If the track run on the ground is short, the
tank is highly maneuverable but tends to pitch and rock excessively. If the run
is too long, the tank is very difficult to turn. If the tracks are too narrow,
the tank tends to have high ground pressure and sink in soft ground. If the
tracks are too wide, the tank runs the risk of snapping them off the wheels when
they turn. It's much harder to get a good balance than people would
think.
One of the
drawbacks faced by the Sherman is that due to its evolution from the T5 (M2)
series through the M3 to the M4 family it was stuck with the 16 9/16" tracks of
the M2 series. They weighed only 19 tons, which gave pretty good mobility. But
the production Shermans in the M4 to M4A4 series ran around 33 to 36 tons, and
tended to get stuck more than most crews would have liked. The ultimate solution
was the introduction of the HVSS suspension with its 23" wide track sets, but
since replacing all Shermans with that suspension was not possible during the
war, the next best thing was simply to widen the tracks that were in
use.
Chrysler
Corporation, who designed most of the components for the M4 series tanks, worked
on a quick solution and the result was a simple extension that could be welded
on existing end connectors, or cast up in one piece as new parts. Tests showed
that the new "duckbill" shaped end connector extended the surface area of the
track some 3 9/16" inches, which provided 20% more area in contact with the
ground, thus educing the ground pressure considerably and giving the tank extra
"flotation" over soft ground. They also had the advantage on streets and hard
surfaces of not touching the ground, letting maneuverability remain
high.
The
ultimate proposal resulted in the E9 suspension option, which added 4 1/2"
spacers to the bogie units, final drives, and idler mounts, and then the tracks
were installed with "duckbill" extensions on each side. The result was a track
23 11/16" wide, which was very close in performance to the new HVSS track. 1000
kits were produced for use in the field, and 1000 tanks were remanufactured with
this suspension.
Up until
now there were several after-market resin sets of tracks with these connectors,
as well as the tired set of tracks which comes with the Tamiya M4A3 and M4A3E2
kit (the latter of which HAS to have the extended end connectors due to its 42+
ton weight). Some were provided with the AFV Club T51 track set, but no enough
to do a complete vehicle. RHPS has now released a set of extended end connectors
designed specifically for its tracks, although I think they will probably fit on
the AFV Club T51 and T48 track sets as well.
The kit
consists of 168 end connectors, enough for one row of extensions for a complete
M4A4 vehicle with no overage, or one other Sherman type with 10 extras. If you
want to do a vehicle with an E9 suspension, you will need two sets. As one of my
planned Shermans is to be the "ultimate" rebuild version with the E9 suspension,
I have been waiting for these sets. Since most of the ones I have seen in photos
use the T54E1 steel chevron track, I used a set of RHPS T54E1s for my "guinea
pig" test bed.
The hardest
part of assembly is getting these little nippers off their sprues, as they are
small and moderately delicate. I used the legendary Cutting Edge Polish Razor
Saw (essentially a Gillette Blue Blade with saw teeth cut
into by laser) but any of the new superfine saw blades (like those from Tamiya)
should work.
Once off,
you then have to trim them up a bit (deburring the sprue attachment) and then
simply cement them in place on the end connector. RHPS recommends doing this
before assembly, and if you wish the tracks to flex until installed, I agree.
The best way to do that is cement them to the end connectors BEFORE removing the
latter from its sprue. Good news is that if you do it the end connectors are
much easier to find and handle. Also, for anyone doing "battle damage" omitting
one every so often is much easier than trying to clip off extensions molded in
place.
The results
are amazing. Get one set of these done and then compare them to the 20-year-old
Tamiya tracks and the Tammy ones are consigned to the graveyard of also-rans.
Admittedly these are expensive, but they are relatively easy to use (all things
considered) and are dead on the money in scale - my measurements were very close
to scale, 20.2" with one extension and 23.5" for two.
Thanks to
Robert Schwarz of RHPS for the review sample.
Cookie Sewell
AMPS
August
14, 2001
Kit
Review: Hobby Fan 1/35 Scale Resin Kit No. HF-023; Canadian/NATO 6 x 6 Cougar
AVGP; 147 parts (112 in tan resin, 34 in olive styrene, 1turned aluminum gun
barrel); price between $90-105 US.
Advantages: First kit of this vehicle; molding clean and
sharp, cleanup fairly simple.
<
Disadvantages: Some warpage in thinner
parts.
Rating:
Highly Recommended.
Recommendation: For all wheeled, Canadian, and modern
armored fans.
F I R S
T L O O K
I don't
think that when the Swiss MOWAG Company first offered its Piranha series of
wheeled armored vehicles for sale back in 1972 that they ever thought the
vehicle would become as popular and flexible as it has in service. While MOWAG
has only built less than one-half of those in service (the rest being licensed
to other builders such as GM Canada, the main manufacturer outside Switzerland)
there are literally hundreds of them worldwide. Even the US Army has decided to
buy the latest version, the Piranha III, as its interim armored fighting vehicle
for the future medium brigade structure.
The MOWAG
concept was quite simple: using standardized parts, the basic vehicle could be
assembled into 4 x 4, 6 x 6, 8 x 8, and even 10 x 10 variants for a number of
battlefield functions. The most popular have proven to be the 6 x 6 and 8 x 8
variants. The USMC uses the 8 x 8 chassis as its LAV series of vehicles, and
Canada uses the 6 x 6 and 8 x 8 versions. The most common of the 6 x 6 models
are the Grizzly APC with a small turret and an armament of one 12.7mm and one
7.62mm, and the Cougar WFSV (wheeled fire support vehicle) mounting the turret
and armament of the British Scorpion reconnaissance
vehicle.
The Cougar
provides direct support to Canadian mechanized infantry units and peacekeepers
via the 76mm howitzer carried in the Scorpion turret. The Cougar has a crew of 3
and is highly mobile and amphibious, like most other members of the Piranha
family. Based on my personal observations at model shows, the Cougar is the most
popular of the family.
Hobby Fan
has acquired a reputation in recent years for very high quality resin kits, as
well as interiors and conversion for the parallel line of AFV Club injection
molded kits that they market. This kit would appear to be one of their nicer
efforts, and is neatly packaged and ready to assemble in very short order. Most
of the parts only have a very thin web fixing them to their molding stubs, and
with care are easy to clean and separate. The complete styrene turret with its
aluminum barrel is included from the AFV Club Scorpion
kit.
The
two-piece hull is fairly light and thin for this type of design, and displayed
no warpage whatsoever. Separating the casting blocks is made somewhat easy in
that all that is required is to cut dead even with the top of the hull surfaces
and sand flush. A separate stern plate and wave breaker complete the basic hull.
The model replicates the suspension, and most of the parts have to do with the
driveline of the vehicle. Six nicely done new Michelin heavy tires are included
and appear to have the correct profile and pattern.
Some
options are included, but the main one is an option to use either the Scorpion
stowage bin or a Canadian designed open basket that has a pre-loaded camouflage
net in it and is cast in one piece. Tools, alas, are cast on the upper hull;
however, they are well done and attach with straps and not "magic". The driver's
hatch is molded separately so a complete set of crew figures can be used with
the kit. However, it does not the winterization windshield for the
driver.
Directions
are sketchy but there are not too many parts that will be confusing, and an ID
sheet for most of the resin bits is included. Decals are supplied but only
include a set of Canadian military pattern license plates (which is one of the
unique features of Canadian markings, as they are the same size and shape as
commercial automobile plates) and a 12-ton bridging classification
plate.
Overall
this is a clean and appealing vehicle and will please a number of modelers of
modern wheeled armor. Many thanks to Mr. Miin Horng Tserng, president of Hobby
Fan Trading Co., Ltd., for the review sample (this was a pre-release
kit).
Cookie Sewell
AMPS
August
13, 2001
Kit
Review: Maquette 1/35 Scale Kit No. MQ-3565; BT-2 Light Tank; 195 parts (107 in
olive styrene, 62 in emerald green styrene, 26 in black styrene); price
$22-28.
Advantages: Fills the gaps in the BT line of
tanks.
Disadvantages: "Add-a-sprue" design somewhat clunky, rough
details.
Rating:
Recommended.
Recommendation: To all Christie tank fans and Soviet armor
buffs.
F I R S
T L O O K
The BT
series tanks and the T-26 share much of their common development history. Both
were based on foreign designs purchased by a Soviet purchasing commission that
went on a "world tour" in 1930. From England, they purchased the Vickers Six Ton
Tank design as an escort tank for infantry support. But from the eccentric
American genius, J. Walter Christie, they purchased his "Model 1940" high-speed
wheel-and-track tank. (The designation changed with Mr. Christie's whims: one
day it was the Model 1931, in 1929 and then the Model 1932, and eventually the
Model 1940, as he felt he was at least 10 years ahead of his
competitors.)
Two of the
tanks were shipped to the USSR in December 1930, being sent over as "farm
machinery" but without any turrets or armament. Once they arrived in the USSR,
they were sent to the Khar'kov Komintern" Steam Locomotive Factory. Here they
were to be fitted with Russian designed turrets and tested as combat tanks for
the RKKA - The Workers and Peasants Red Army. In the end, the Christies, even
though dubbed "BT-1" (for Bystriy Tank or Fast Tank) by some documents, were
never fitted with armament. The first prototypes of the production model, the
BT-2, were the first armed tanks.
Armament
varied, being either twin 7.62mm DT machine guns in a single mantelet, or a 37mm
long-barreled cannon with a DT machine gun in a ball mount to the right of the
main gun. The tanks had a massive number of teething troubles, including
overheating and poor quality control of the rubber parts of the suspension, but
the idea was proven to be reasonably sound, and a total of 633 were built in
1932-33. The first 13 were mild steel demonstrators, and 620 were combat tanks.
Of these, 587 were still in service on 22 June 1941.
Maquette
and Zvezda have used a symbiotic arrangement in the past where Zvezda provides
sprues of some kits to Maquette, who then adds new sprues of `their own to
create a new kit very quickly and cheaply. This is the case with this model,
which uses the trusty and familiar Zvezda BT-5 hull with a new set of twin
sprues that supply the parts needed for the BT-2 model. This provides the
modeler with 20 new road wheels (of which only 16 are needed) and two complete
turrets. This technically means the modeler can build a common hull and exchange
turrets at a whim, one machine gun, one cannon armed.
While the
Zvezda BT-5 kit is not too bad, being the first "real" scale model kit from
Zvezda and somewhat heavy on its details, this is not a really good idea for
making a BT-2. There are a number of problems that the modeler must correct.
First off, the hull of the BT-2 is not quite identical to the BT-5. For
instance, it uses the twin louvers of the Christie for cooling the radiator at
the rear of the hull, and does not have the mesh grille over the top of them as
used on the 5. This means some surgery is necessary on the rear deck. The rear
deck also needs a smaller air cleaner intake (part 11B).
The front
hull also needs new, smaller headlights. For whatever reason, four lead
(steering) road wheel pairs are provided, even though the vehicle only uses two
pair. The other six pair, none of which have any details molded on their backs,
is correct. Happily, if the tracks are used the lack of detail is not
obvious.
The turret
has some serious problems in that it is symmetrical. This is fine regarding the
shape of the turret, but the gun mount is offset to the left by about three
scale inches and this is not replicated on the model.
While
seemingly minor, this is quite noticeable on the real vehicle and will be
obvious on the model as well. The turret has very rough detailing on its hatch,
which is fixed to the roof. The DT machine gun barrels, three are provided on
each sprue, and are also very heavy and crude.
The kit
WILL build up into a BT-2, but be prepared to do some minor surgery and supply
extra bits from the parts box to get it done. No decals are included.
Modelbau
Tom of Germany put out a similar conversion kit sometime ago, but I cannot
confirm if this is the same (I suspect that it is).
I recommend
getting a copy of the Armada Book "BT Tanks Part 1" (Armada No. 9) that has good
plans of both the BT-2 machine gun tank and the BT-2 cannon tank. There are also
a lot of photos and five other paint schemes. (They also, like Zvezda, used the
artwork from that book for their box art!)
Cookie Sewell
AMPS
August
13, 2001
Kit
Review: Zvezda 1/35 Scale Kit No. 3542; Soviet Light Tank T-26 Model of 1932;
181 parts (177 in light green styrene, 4 silver vinyl track sections); price
$15-20.
Advantages: Very nice kit of this subject; accurate in
profile and shape.
Disadvantages: Legendary too tight tracks make after-market
track sets not an option.
Rating:
Recommended.
Recommendation: For all Soviet and many third-world armor
modelers.
F I R S
T L O O K
When
Vickers created the Six Ton Tank in 1930, little did they realize it would
eventually go on to be the most produced Soviet tank of the pre-war era? The
same Soviet buying commission which purchased the Christie Model 1931 tank from
the US also visited and purchased a Vickers Six Tonner in the same year. While
the Soviets contracted for 15 of the tanks, what they got were two complete
tanks and two without turrets and armament, along with the working drawings of
the vehicle.
The Soviets
worked on getting the tank into production in 1931, and in early 1932 began
series production of an identical copy with only a few exceptions for Soviet
conditions. The Vickers .303 machine guns with armored jackets were replaced by
DT machine guns in simple ball mounts. For increased firepower, a corresponding
model was created which replaced the DT in the right turret with a 37mm B-3 tank
cannon (similar to the Hotchkiss in the Renault FT). Both tanks were produced as
what was variably called the Model 1931 or Model 1932, subdivided as "Machine
Gun" or "Cannon-and-Machine-Gun" versions. 1,617 of these tanks were produced
before production switched to the more common T-26 Model 1933 with a 45mm gun in
a single, larger two-man turret. They were also used to create the KhT-26 smoke
laying and OT-130 flamethrower tanks. Radio equipped models were suffixed as
"RT".
Zvezda has
redone the molds used to produce their very nice T-26 Model 1933 to produce the
Model 1932. There is a new upper hull sprue and two smaller sprues, each with a
small turret of 12 pieces on the sprue. The small turrets can be built as either
machine gun (with parts 5, 6, and 7) or as the cannon armed one (with parts 9,
10, 11 and 12). Separate hatches are included.
The model
is not bad as is and the hull and suspension go together very well. What does
NOT go together well are the tracks, which if installed per the kit's
instructions will snap. The only trick to getting them to install at all is to
rotate the tension adjustment on the idler mount (parts B9 and B10) so the axle
is as far forward as possible, placing them in the "as new" position. Leave the
drivers off and only install them with the tracks in place. With luck and a good
seal between the track sections, it MAY work. If not, you will have to pick up a
set of after-market tracks.
The kit was
designed to go with the Armada book on the tank (Armada #20) and even went so
far as to swipe the artwork for the kit box from the cover of the book! This
book is very handy to have to go with the model, as it provides seven different
color and marking schemes (the model comes with but one, the one on the book
cover) including an attractive multi-color scheme in dark green, brown, ochre,
and sand.
Overall the
kit is pretty good value, as it can be found for as little as $15 in the
US.
Cookie Sewell
AMPS
July 29,
2001
Kit
Review: Comparison.
ICM
Famous Military Vehicles 1/72 Scale kit No. 72541; Soviet Army Truck ZiL-157; 82
parts (61 in black styrene, 13 in dark olive styrene, 5 clear +3 steel axles);
price $9.98.
Trumpeter 1/72 Scale kit N0. 01101; Soviet Army Truck
ZIL-157; 78 parts (69 in light olive styrene, 3 steel axles, 4 clear styrene, 2
acetate); price $6.98.
Advantages: Two takes on same theme; great for ground
support for Soviet or Russian aircraft dioramas.
Disadvantages: Simplified design and construction; One kit
is clone of the other.
Rating:
Recommended.
Recommendation: For all Soviet, Warsaw Pact, or client
states modelers, both ground and air.
Small-scale
"softskins" trucks do not fare well in modeling circles, as few manufacturers
attempt them. Other than the very interesting Hasegawa ground servicing trucks
that came out in the early 1970s or their 1980s USAF ground servicing and
weapons sets, few attempts are made to provide this sort of equipment. They also
force most small-scale modelers to either scratchbuild or simply build
tanks.
One of the
most common vehicles in the USSR during the 1950s to the 1990s was the 3 ton 6 x
6 family of truck known by the general name of ZiL-157. These trucks were
evolutionary descendants of the WWII Studebaker US6 2 1/2 Ton 6 x 6 trucks that
were exported to the USSR in large numbers. They first built an improved copy
designated ZiL-151 that used ten wheels in the same manner as the Studebaker,
and this remained in production from 1947 to 1957. They were followed by the
improved ZiL-157 that entered production in 1958 and remained in continuous
production until 1982. This was also used as the chassis for
the BTR-152 series (as in ZiL-152) and shared the use of big single tires,
eventually equipped with from-the-cab tire pressure
regulation.
Up until
the release of these two kits (the ICM kit originally coming from Omega-K) the
only model of this important but overlooked truck was the Zil-157 tractor
provided with the Airfix 1/76 scale SAM-2 missile set. This has now been
remedied in the form of these two kits, and both are reasonably good models of
their prototype. But considering that the Trumpeter kit is a copy of the
ICM/Omega-K kit, it should be.
Unlike past
Trumpeter kits, however, which have been bad copies of good kits, this one is
surprisingly a good copy of a mediocre kit. The ICM kit comes as what one would
have to call, in the manner of Dan Akroyd, "Bag O'Parts" in which most parts are
not on sprues and only stuck in a cellophane bag. The parts are all there to
produce a good model, but crudely molded and hard to locate on the few small
sprues in the bag. If I saw this kit outside of its box, I would have to say it
was a "garage" kit as that is about the quality of its production
effort.
The
Trumpeter version, on the other hand, is clean, neatly molded and comes on three
large sprues with easily identified parts and nicely protected details. It only
differs in small details from the ICM kit (e.g. it does not have headlight
guards, but does come with optional acetate sections so the windshield can be
posed in the open position) but its parentage is obvious.
Decals are
included with both kits. Trumpeter provides markings for one truck with Soviet
Guards markings. ICM provides eight sets of national markings (Soviet, Soviet
Guards, DDR, CSSR, Hungary, Poland, Polish Eagles, and Rumania) but only one set
of number plates and the Hungarian and Rumanian markings in my kit were off register.
Neither kit
is what many modelers today would consider sophisticated, as they are about on a
par with the somewhat crude Hasegawa US truck kits produced in the early 1970s.
They still use steel axles and rolling wheels, which compromises much of their
detail for "toy" features. But on the other hand, they are not as sophisticated
as the ROCO HO (1/87 scale) kits that manage to use steel axles but conceal them
better, and provide accurate detailing to boot.
The best
use of either of these models, and I can recommend both of them as Trumpeter has
demonstrated to ICM what their kit SHOULD have looked like, is for use with 1/72
scale aircraft dioramas. They are the most common truck found on many airfields,
even today. Both ICM and Trumpeter offer fuel tanker ("petrol bowser") variants,
and the cargo models are used as hacks for everything from weapons loading to
crew transport.
Cookie Sewell
AMPS
July 29,
2001
Kit
Review: DML 1/35 39-45 Series No. 6149; U.S. Army Anti-Tank Team; 122 parts in
light grey styrene; price $6.50-$8 Advantages: Standard great DML figure
sculpting; plethora of weapons included.
Disadvantages: Some oddities in weapons
selection.
Rating:
Highly Recommended.
Recommendation: for all US WWII
fans.
I tend to
get a bit depressed when I see all of the great efforts DML can do with their
figures spent on one German set after another, so when they do produce a
non-German set I wake up and take notice at once. DML has now released two new
US sets, one with four paratroopers from Operation Varsity and one with two
bazooka teams.
The figures
in these sets are typical top-notch DML moldings, with each figure coming in six
parts (legs, arms, torso and head less the top) and a huge amount of details out
of 91 parts on the figure sprue 67 are details such as ammo pouches, bayonets
and canteens. Weapons provided are not new, but the weapons sprues from kits
#6010 (US Army Airborne - Normandy 1944), #6020 (German Volksturm - Berlin
1945), #6021 (US Rangers - Normandy 1944), and #6038 (USMC - Iwo Jima 1945).
This provides the modeler with a choice of basic weapons to assemble for the kit
figures as well as a bunch for the spares box. These consist of 4 M1 rifles, 2
M1A1 folding-stock airborne carbines, 2 M1A1 Thompson submachine guns, 1 M1
rifle with grenade launcher, 1 BAR, 1 Model 1897 pump trench gun, 1 Panzerfaust
30, 1 Gw 43 rifle, 1 MP18 submachine gun, 1 MP40 submachine gun, 1 Kwk 98 rifle,
1 flamethrower, 1 M1 bazooka and 1 M9 bazooka.
One team is
provided in the early version of the field jacket and wool trousers with
leggings and brogans, and the other is in the later version with cotton twill
trousers and "jump" boots. The former consists of the M1 bazooka and a loader,
and the latter has the M9 bazooka and the loader is equipped with the M1 with
grenade launcher. Poses look good, and all of the figures have distinct
character.
Overall
another good set from DML. I just wish they did more of
these!
Cookie Sewell
AMPS
July 29,
2001
Kit Review:
Trumpeter 1/35 Armoured Vehicle Series No. 00337; M1A2 Abrams; 333 parts (300 in
tan styrene, 18 vinyl caps, 12 acetate windows, 2 vinyl tracks, 1 section nylon
screening); price $15-20.
Advantages:
Nicely done kit of the late model Abrams; offers choice of either "link and
length" styrene tracks or one-piece vinyl; panels removed for display of either
magazine section or engine bay.
Disadvantages: Much of kit based on DML M-1A2 kit.
Rating:
Recommended.
Recommendation: To fans of modern US and Middle Eastern
armor.
F I R S
T L O O K
Okay, most people know by now that I
have been more than a bit suspicious of Trumpeter and any other products from
Wasan Plastic Company out of China. Their unabashed copy of the Tamiya T-72M1
kit was inexcusable for its cloning as it was for the poor job they did of it.
Now along comes only the second M-1A2 kit and it invites immediate comparison
with the DML version.
Surprise. While this kit is obviously
based on the DML one, it has many major differences which shows someone is doing
their homework and also reading kit reviews of past products. It comes with a
hull that is just off motorization duty with keyhole notches at the rear and an
adjustment screw mount and knockout for the on-off switch at the front. However,
solid styrene drive plugs are included as well as one for the screw mount. The
Trumpeter kit also has separate road wheel arms and other differences in the
hull from either the Tamiya M-1 hull (as used with their A1 as well) or DML.
There are some dimensional differences but without super-accurate plans it will
be hard to tell which is correct.
Trumpeter seems to have tried to go
DML one better at each step of the way. Whereas the DML A2 has a separate rear
engine deck, Trumpeter provides that as well as separate rear access panels and
hinges. They also have a separate lid for the OVM stowage bin on the right side
of the hull. DML provides sections of the armored skirts that can be posed in
the open position; Trumpeter provides separate panels for the entire skirt, plus
separate fender tips. DML provides separate blow-off panels for the turret, as
does Trumpeter; but Trumpeter provide the side rails and rack assembles as three
unitary parts vice the separate rails from the DML kit that are difficult to
clean up without breaking. (They also appear overscale, but this is a good thing
for younger modelers or those who don't want to fool with fragile or obnoxious
bits.)
There are a few glaring errors on the
Trumpeter kit. One of them is the physical enshrinement of ejection pin marks as
part of the track. Whereas the ones on the styrene track are similar to those on
the DML one, Trumpeter also enhanced them on each shoe of the vinyl track,
making them just about useless to any scale modeler! As they are on the inside
face, most people who want to use them probably won't care anyway and use them
as is.
Trumpeter do some things better on the
suspension such as include the old safety rings for the drivers (probably for an
as yet unreleased M-1 version) but then use the old-fashioned external push caps
to mount the wheels on the axles. The hull is also supposed to fasten together
with the old motorized kit solution of vinyl tubes and rear lip fittings.
No current equipment for a service
issue M-1A2 is included, such as the IR reflective panels or IFF equipment that
goes on the rear of the turret. However, there are a lot of little differences
between the DML kit and this one. It appears to use an updated or more accurate
set of information, and sections such as the commander's station and CITV "top
hat" show that they have been brought in line with current vehicle as opposed to
criticism the DML one received for shape errors in those areas. But then again,
Trumpeter use acetate windows for all of the viewers and ports in the vehicle,
which are difficult to install and make finishing difficult as they are supposed
to be installed during assembly from the inside, not the outside.
The Trumpeter kit also includes two
figures, a full figure of the tank commander and a half-figure of the driver
wearing a scarf and both of these would appear to be direct clones of Tamiya
figures, albeit presentable ones rather than the awful one from the T-72M1.
One set of markings is included for
the demonstration team with the 194th Armored Brigade, which used to be the
"schoolhouse" brigade at Fort Knox before reflagging of units began some years
ago. The only US units currently using the A2 in large numbers are at Fort Hood,
and the 4th Infantry Division is the Force XXI digital test bed unit for "Army
After Next" as well, so it is surprising these markings are not included.
Overall, this model shows that
Trumpeter doesn't have to faithfully clone other manufacturers' kits to get the
job done, and that they can turn out a reasonably nice product when they want
to. They obviously do read kit reviews and also pick up resin kits that correct
other kits' errors and then incorporate them into their own kits. That's not the
best way to do research, but it does show that there is hope for them to bring
their armor up in line with their aircraft kits.
Cookie Sewell
AMPS
July 28,
2001
Kit Review:
Eastern Express 1/35 Scale Kit No. 35108; Tank BT-7 Mod. 1935 Early Version; 196
parts in grey styrene; price $22 to $29.
Advantages:
Nice, new from the ground up kit of this vehicle; very petite detailing on the
major parts; includes standard production "short pitch" tracks.
Disadvantages: Some shortcuts, errors, sink marks, etc.
Rating:
Highly Recommended.
Recommendation: For all "Between the Wars" and early WWII
Soviet modelers.
F I R S T L
O O K
Of all of the nations who were struck
by the forward thinking of J. Walter Christie in 1930 when he burst on the scene
with his fast tank chassis, none were quicker to embrace his efforts than the
Soviet Union.
Striving to create an "instant" tank
industry, their representatives went abroad and bought two tank chassis and the
rights to build them in Russia. The two chassis (unofficially dubbed "BT-1" for
Bystrokhodniy Tank or "fast tank") were used to create the BT-2 fast
wheel-and-track tank in 1931.
Even before that tank came off the
production line, a replacement, later to become the BT-5 in 1933, was on the
drawing board, and by 1932 a follow-on to that tank, the future BT-7, entered
the design phase. Based on the experience with the fast tanks, the BT-7's design
evolved and was more sophisticated than the first two.
The BT-7 had a slightly wider hull and
some ballistic improvements to the bow and driver-mechanic's hatch area. It was
also extensively welded and used new production techniques. The main external
difference was a new hull rear, which was designed to increase the amount of
onboard fuel carried, and the rear-mounted muffler was then moved into the rear
of the radiator exhaust grille area, with twin pipes exiting the raised grille
cover. It switched to a new short-pitch track that was better for moving at high
speed across country, and also to the more powerful M-17 aircraft engine. The
latter caused problems early on, as it had far more torque than the predecessor
M-5 (copy of the US Liberty engine) and tore up rivelines with great
regularity.
The first model to see service was the
BT-7 Model 1935, which came in line, commander's and artillery (BT-7A) variants,
the latter with a short 76mm howitzer. The tanks remained in production from 1935
until 1941 with the last few rolling off the lines as the first production T-34
tanks began to come off as well. BT-7 tanks fought in a number of conflicts,
such as Khasan Lake in 1938 and the Kalkhin-Gol River in1939 against the
Japanese, against the Finns in 1939-40, and against the Poles in 1939. One of
the most widely produced prewar tanks, when the Germans struck in June 1941 over
4,500 of them were still in service with the RKKA. Many were awaiting repairs or
servicing, and were easily captured or destroyed by the advancing Germans. Those
that did work put up a stiff resistance, and their 45mm cannon proved capable of
knocking out any German tank in service in the summer of 1941. Some tanks
remained in service throughout the war, and took place in the final offensives
against the Japanese in August 1945. This was a major combat vehicle, and one
that contributed heavily to the defense of the USSR in the first six months of
the war. Some remained in action in Leningrad for the course of the entire 900
days, and it was a fast and relatively capable vehicle.
Two new kits of the early model (Model
1935) have appeared in the last few weeks, one from Italeri using parts from
their BT-5 kit, and this one from Eastern Express using the standard turret
sprue found in their BA-3 and BA-6 armored car kits. The EE kit has a completely
new hull and suspension created from scratch, and it is an amazingly accurate
model. When dropped on the plans in the Armada BT-7 book (BT Tanks Part 3,
Armada No. 17) all of the components matched the plans perfectly (with the
exception of the 45mm gun barrel, part L8, which is uncorrected as of this
writing; the second "step" back from the muzzle is 2.5mm too short at its rear
end, towards the mantelet).
Detail is very petite for an Eastern
European kit, and the rivet details are very well done indeed. Since this is a
"flat kit", all parts are essentially flat other than the turret sides and the
bow, unlike the one-piece bodied armor cars, all rivets are in place and you
don't have to add any to the basic kit. The fenders have raised ejection pin
marks on the bottom sides, but are reasonably thin and the marks are easily
removed.
EE wisely included "link and length"
tracks, something other manufacturers should think about more often. Tracks are
thin and petite with strengthening ribs molded in place, and look to be dead on
the money. (Note to "heavy track" fans: these were very thin and light, as they
were designed for high speed over open country and the vehicle was expected to
run on wheels on the highway.)
The only major complaint most modelers
will have is that the rear grille cover (part D24) is molded solid, and that no
vanes for the radiator efflux are included in the kit. The exhaust pipes (parts
B10) have the curved section coming up from the muffler (parts B9) but fit flush
with the hull roof (through the grille one could see where they curved down to
the header pipes, as the tank had no muffler). The tank has the later large air
cleaner (part D33) which would indicate this tank might have been built in early
1937.
Decals are included for what appears
to be two separate vehicles: a command vehicle with twin turret stripes and a
square "3" with white exercise cross marking on the roof, and a WWII early model
with turret number "452" and a white triangular friend-or-foe marking. No
directions or examples are included, and the only marking scheme suggested is
overall green. It's kind of bizarre that EE would make a kit this nice and then
slough it off without any marking instructions!
I have not seen the Zvezda kit, but
early reports are that it uses their BT-5 kit's heavier turret and suspension
with the older long-pitch tracks from that model. While this is possible (the
tracks were theoretically interchangeable) few photos or comments exist on BT-7s
with that track, most sport the new six-roller drive wheel was developed for the
-7 to get the most out of the shorter pitch track.
To me (but hey, I'm biased towards BT
tanks) this is a really exciting kit, and we can hope that someone does up a
decent set of markings for it. At least three more versions are forecast: the
BT-7RT Model 1935 with rail antenna, the BT-7 Model 1937 with conical turret,
and the BT-7A with 76.2mm howitzer turret. Hope they come out soon!
Cookie Sewell
AMPS
July 25,
2001
Kit Review:
Chesapeake Model Designs 1/35 Scale Resin Accessory Kits.
Kit No. CMD
32, Late Pattern T23 Sherman Turret with Oval Loader's Hatch; 33 parts (32 in
tan resin, 1 turned aluminum barrel); price $20 Kit No. CMD 35, Early Pattern
T23 Sherman Turret with Split Loader's Hatch; 33 parts (32 in tan resin, 1
turned aluminum barrel); price $20 Kit No. (Not Known), 76mm M1A1 Gun Barrel; 1
piece in turned aluminum; price $7.
Advantages:
Best resin kits going; injection-quality and assembly order make finishing a
breeze.
Disadvantages: "Not German".
Rating:
Highly Recommended.
Recommendation: for all late model 76mm Sherman models and
conversions.
Once you have been modeling for a
while, it's easier to stop trashing manufacturers and become more sympathetic
with their problems. Parts that we see as "simple" to manufacture rarely are,
and in some cases, either due to bad information or problems with molding, parts
just do not turn out the way we want. Manufacturers of armor models have a real
problem with the turrets of most tanks, and they suffer from both of these
maladies.
Some turrets are easier to produce
than others, such as most of the German tanks, but still manufacturers have
messed those up. For example, it took Tamiya a long time to get the offset
turret in the Tiger I right, even though there were examples to measure and
reference. The same is true with the late model M4 series tanks and the 76mm
turrets they were equipped with, but unlike the poor information from which the
Tigers suffered, most of the problems here were the latter molding
limitations.
The so-called "T23" turret, the basic
design of which was created for the prototype T23 76mm medium tank is a real
problem to mold accurately. Since it is a cast turret, it has all sorts of
subtleties that are nearly impossible to get into a two-part mold for injected
styrene plastic. The mold still has to separate once the part is injected and
begins to cool, and must also be able to fit on a parts sprue. This means it
cannot have any undercuts or odd shapes that would cause the turret to hang up
in the mold. The only solution to this is a multi-section mold, which has only
recently become de rigeur in Japanese kits such as the Tamiya Willys MB Jeep
body, but which is also very expensive (and one reason why that kit is 4 times
what their first Jeep kit cost back in 1973).
When Italeri did their M4A1 76mm VVSS
Sherman kit back in 1975, it attempted to reproduce this turret in its early
form with the split ring loader's hatch. Italeri gave it a good go for the time,
but it missed out on much of the turret's subtle shapes and also came with a
mirror-smooth finish. Reworking this turret was an early "sport" among Sherman
fans, and it was never fixed over the 26 years that the kit has been in
production. (The kit also suffers from an incorrect gun and lots of funky detail
co-opts, but that's another story; the shape is the point here).
When DML came out with M4A3 76mm kits,
both the early "Easy 8" version from WWII with T66 single-pin track and the M4A3
HVSS version with T80 track as used in Korea, it was hoped that they would fix
these problems. Unfortunately, the DML turrets are almost the same as the
Italeri ones other than the inclusion of the oval loader's hatch and some better
detailing.
Many manufacturers of resin kits have
tried over the years to capture the shape of this turret and its various bits,
but most have only been an Italeri turret with some putty added and no real fix
to the shape and angle problems. The real "T23" style turrets were quite
different than the ones used on the T23 itself, as they were beefed up with
thicker walls and had some changes made in the shape to better accommodate a
crew of three, up to three radio elements, and the controls for the gun and
radio sets.
The split hatch design was used for
the first 1,500 76mm turrets made (as portrayed in the Italeri kit). 1,225 were
used on M4A1 hulls and 275 on M4A2 hulls. All of the rest made (some 9,383
tanks) switched to the oval loader's hatch, the rest of the M4A1 and M4A2 76mm
tanks, and all of the M4A3 76mm tanks. Early production M4A1 76mm tanks also
used the M1A1 76mm gun that had no muzzle brake or fitting for one. Later, the
tanks used either the M1A1C that was threaded for a muzzle brake, and the M1A2
that came with one fitted. (Italeri's kit comes with a poor representation of
the M1A1C gun, as it has a 12" "hump" in the barrel right in front of the
mantelet that does not exist on the actual gun..) The major differences between
M1A1C guns and M1A2 guns was the rifling, as the "2" had a tighter twist for
more accuracy with higher velocity ammunition.
I have been working on doing up
Lafayette Pool's top-scoring US Army Sherman, "In the Mood", which was one of
the first 300 M4A1 76mm tanks built and one of the first 150 sent to France in
July 1944. Over the last few months I have been amassing the "bits" needed to
make the Italeri kit into a correct version of the tank for this time. The last
"bit" I was missing was the turret, and now CMD has answered the mail in a big
way.
CMD makes both the early (split hatch)
and late (oval hatch) versions of the "T23" style turret. Each kit includes the
correct turret molding, suitable mantelet (early - smooth, late - with fittings
for a canvas cover), a new travel lock and fork for the glacis of the tank
(essential with the Tamiya M4A3 hull), lift rings, periscopes and covers, and
all of the minute turret fittings for a .50 caliber M2HB machine gun. Each kit
comes with a very nice turned aluminum gun barrel with pin for mounting either
the thread protector (M1A1C guns) or a nicely cast two-piece resin muzzle brake
(M1A1C or M1A2 guns). For those who wish to do one of the first 300 or so M1A1
equipped M4A1 tanks (like "In the Mood") CMD sells the correct barrel (drilled
out and with no peg for a cap or muzzle brake) separately.
Most of the parts are supplied "clean"
in two bags inside the kit, and only the very small parts are mounted on casting
slugs. All parts nearly "click" together, and the turret ring and base mate up
with no trimming, right out of the box. The oval hatch turret has a "reversible"
base to fit either the Italeri, Tamiya or DML hulls; the split ring hatch is
optimized for the Italeri one only. The turret is pre-textured and casting and
serial numbers are molded into the surface of the turrets.
No markings are included. The
directions are very clear and helpful, as well as explain what the bits are to
the modeler. This is a nice touch, and one that I personally have missed since
Revell stopped making kits like they did in the 1950s. A two-sided color photo
sheet covers the turrets on a Tamiya M4A3 hull for reference, and all of the
parts of the turret can be seen in their proper places.
Overall this is a really great kit,
and comparison with other turrets in my "Shermaholic's Wish Box" of resin bits
in the basement shows this to clearly be the best effort and best turret to use.
Thanks to Bill Miley of CMD for the review samples.
For those who want to do "In the Mood"
(for which I WILL write the article soon!) it will take the following bits to
make up the model: the Italeri M4A1 Sherman kit; the CMD T23 split-hatch turret;
the CMD 76mm M1A1 gun barrel; new T48 rubber chevron tracks, either from RHPS or
AFV Club being the recommended ones; On the Mark etched brass Sherman details;
Armoured Brigade Models mid-production M4 series VVSS suspension with
flat-topped return rollers and that kit's return roller riser blocks; and new
OVM (tools) of your choice, as well as other bits. "Other bits" include the
Yoshi Designs Lafayette Pool figure, the DML US Tank Crew 1944, a good .50
caliber M2HB of your choice, and Archer Fine Transfer markings. More as this
project proceeds...
Cookie Sewell
AMPS
July 12,
2001
Product
Review: Fourmost Products No. FOR 151; Miter Cut Precision Cutting Tool; price
$24.95 ($22.50 plus shipping direct from the manufacturer).
Advantages:
Permits cutting styrene or other soft materials at any angle chosen by the
user.
Disadvantages: Wood base may become cut up very
rapidly.
Rating:
Highly Recommended.
Recommendation: To all modelers who detail or
scratchbuild.
One thing I like about BIG conventions
like the IPMS Nationals or MFCA is that people who sell accessories and
component that we need in our hobby take the plunge and come to the vendors'
tables. A case in point was a vendor at this year's Nationals dubbed The Tool
Man who had a large number of very interesting items. This product was one of
them.
I have used a Northwest Short Line
"Chopper" for a number of years, and currently have both a "Chopper I" and
"Chopper III" in the basement for modeling. Both of them, however, are only
based on making a straight 90-degree cut on an object, or with extra fences, 30,
45, or 60-degree angles. That makes it much harder to estimate correctly to get
a 68-degree cut for a glacis fit on a Soviet main battle tank, for example.
Along comes Fourmost with this little
gizmo, which is essentially the same product as the Chopper but with one very
useful difference: a moveable work fence which permits cutting at all angles
from 1 to 90 degrees. It consists of a block of hard wood roughly 4" x 6" x 1"
with vinyl feet for non-slip advantage and a molded nylon cutting arm and
moveable work fence.
The fence is aligned with a previously
attached elevation arc that is used to set the fence at the required angle. The
arm is installed and a single-edge razor blade placed in the cutter receptacle,
and the device is ready for use once it is aligned. Instructions are provided
for getting a good, solid 90-degree fit for the blade in the device. Three
single-edged blades are provided with the device.
The Miter Cut is going to be one of
those handy tools for a lot of us, as it takes the guesswork out of scoring and
setting angles. Even if the angle is only indicated by a nick for cutting off
board, it is one simple and effective way to mark plastic or light metal and
wood that we didn't have before.
Fourmost also makes a Miter Saw and
Miter Sander series of similar products. (It appears their forte is R/C
aircraft, but these three overlap into other modeling venues and are quite
useful.)
Fourmost is found on the web at
http://www.fourmost.com or can be reached at rcooney@ntr.net or Fourmost
Products, 4040 24th Avenue, Forest Grove, OR 97116.
Cookie Sewell
AMPS
July 11,
2001
Kit Review:
DML 1/35 39- 45 Series No. 6140; Sd.Kfz. 253 le Beob.Pz.Wg.; 476 parts (475 in
grey styrene and 1 section of plastic mesh); price estimated at $27.98.
Advantages:
Continues this nice series; radios appear first rate; new directions a WELCOME
change!
Disadvantages: Many modelers consider two-piece track links
on this size vehicle as "craftsman" kit and too hard to assemble.
Rating:
Highly Recommended.
Recommendation: For all German WWII fans.
F I R S T L
O O K
DML continues its development of the
Sd.Kfz. 250 light halftrack series with this artillery observation version. It
continues on the heels of the other nicely done versions of this series and in
this case, based on the early model hull, it adds a roof and various bits of
artillery kit, and includes a retractable set of "rabbit ears" binoculars and
survey gear. All of this is very well done and in line with past kits of this
vehicle. One figure and the engine block are also included.
The biggest change in this kit that
should make many modelers happy is that DML has completely redone their
directions. The set that comes with this model are all full color, with
photographs of the kit under construction and callouts keyed to the photos.
Marking and painting instructions are also in color, which will aid in finishing
the model.
The kit still comes with the two-part
single link-working track, which several modelers were complaining about at the
IPMS Nationals as "too detailed" or "over-engineered". DML has tried to
meet most modelers halfway by providing single link tracks, and it is
unfortunate that this has not gone over as well as had been expected. Perhaps
Academy has found the best compromise of offering both single-link and vinyl
tracks in some of their kits, which gives the modeler the option to either
happily build the kit as is and get it done, or take the time to create an
accurate replica. Still, like them or not, DML's tracks are very accurate and
enhance the look of the model when done.
Thanks to Freddie Leung of DML for the
review sample.
Cookie Sewell
AMPS
July 11,
2001
Kit Review:
SKIF 1/35 Scale Accessory; Separate Track Links for T-64A, T-64B, T-64BV; 160
parts in black styrene; price $8-10.
Advantages:
Corrects the awful vinyl track that comes in those three SKIF kits.
Disadvantages: Why wasn't this in the original kits?
Rating:
Recommended.
Recommendation: A MUST with all of the SKIF T-64 series
kits.
Modelers still argue about whether or
not the manufacturers should include single-link tracks, "Link and Length"
tracks, or vinyl tracks with their armor kits. Each concept has its own backers,
but one thing all agree on: whatever it is better be accurate.
SKIF took the vinyl track route with
its T-64 series tanks, and produced what have to be the worst modern model track
set going. They are wrong (T-64 tracks have lightening holes in each link; the
kit tracks have them in every other link, which is virtually impossible to
correct) and the vinyl is so soft and flexible it is nearly impossible to get
the tracks to sit right on the model.
As a result, and based on some Western
ideas (e.g. the Tamiya Panther and Tiger II kits) SKIF released a set of hard
plastic tracks sometime after the first kits came out. They have been dodgey to
find and as a result it is only now that I have finally picked up two sets to
use on the models in the basement.
Each of the 160 links in this kit is
sharply molded and pretty accurate. They only need careful trimming and assembly
for installation. Color should be a base coat of a rusty brown with lots of
silver dry-brushed over the top, as this matches the ones in museums and in
service.
Unless someone else comes out with
T-64 track, these are a MUST to get a decent looking T-64 model. Even if you
hate single links, the kit tracks are so bad that they have to go and this is
the only game in town.
The main question is, considering that
SKIF did a reasonably good job on the tanks as their first kits, why didn't they
include this set of tracks rather than the tacky vinyl ones?
Cookie Sewell
AMPS
July 11,
2001
Kit Review:
Shanghai Dragon 1/35 Korean War Series No. 6809; Chinese Volunteer DShK AA Team;
45 parts in grey styrene; priced around $5.75-7.50.
Advantages:
Typical DML figure set with a great "Dushka" and figure detail.
Disadvantages: Not a popular choice; may be found on sale
tables.
Rating:
Highly Recommended.
Recommendation: For Chinese PLA fans or Korean era
modelers.
Part of the problem when DML split its
base of operations between Hong Kong and Shanghai is that some kits tended to
fall through the cracks. This figure set is one of them, and I found this one at
the IPMS Nationals on sale as a clearance item for two bucks.
That's sort of a shame (only in that
it is a truly nice set, but one that did not get the sales response which most
of the German sets appear to enjoy) as it a good deal. The Model 1938 12.7mm
DShK heavy machine gun, "Dushka" to the Soviets, is a gorgeous weapon consisting
of 13 parts on its own plus an extra 11 parts to the AA tripod and ring sight
for ground use. Each CPV soldier consists of seven parts (legs, arms, torso,
head and fur hat) and is in the quilted cold weather uniform of the PLA. While
animation is a bit static for a DML kit, the rendering is amazing and the faces
can clearly be seen to reflect Chinese features.
Even if you don't want the figures,
the gun alone (to upgrade a Tamiya T-62) is worth the price I paid for this kit,
and even if full price is about half of what a resin one goes for.
Cookie Sewell
AMPS
July 11,
2001
Kit Review:
Model Valley Set MV0003; M12 Engine Set; 62 parts (32 in cream colored resin, 30
in etched brass); price $32.95.
Advantages:
Solves the problem of what to put in the Academy M12 engine bay.
Disadvantages: Engine is modified to fit so cannot be
displayed outside the vehicle.
Rating:
Recommended.
Recommendation: for all M12 "owners" wanting to go a step
beyond the kit.
Some of us cannot leave well enough
alone. When Academy released its outstanding M12 155mm GMC kit last year, and
before it became the AMPS Best New Plastic Kit for 2000, I wanted to do a
top-notch job on it and fix it to match one of the guns from the 991st FA
Battalion that was assigned to 3d Armored Division for direct support. The new
set of RHPS T48 tracks solved that part of the equation, but I did not get an
engine (I cast up several Sherman engines some years ago and had a spare) that
would fit in the bay. As other things were going on, I shelved the kit and moved
on.
Model Valley is a new company out of
South Korea, and they have provided a complete engine bay assembly for the M12
that appears to be first rate. All of the "bits" needed for the bay are
included, but no diamond pattern mesh is provided for the grille work. (S&S
or CMD have suitable mesh that can be used, but I am surprised the kit did not
come with a chunk.)
The directions provide reasonably
clear photos of the engine under assembly and the final installation, but there
is no written instruction for order of assembly or what parts are what. (You are
left to either a manual or your own intuition as to what are the magnetos, the
carburetor, etc. for painting and installation.) Also the engine is cut flat
across the bottom to allow for the thickness of the resin tub it sits in (part
1) and the thickness of the bottom of the Academy hull. Translation: you can't
have a crew changing the engine unless you get a complete engine from another
company, such as Verlinden or The Tank Workshop.
Overall the parts are here to do a
nice job, but alas, you are on your own for getting them in place. The kit also
includes some etched brass step plates and replacement tie-downs for the hull
sides. Again, no directions are included.
Cookie Sewell
AMPS
July 11,
2001
Kit Review:
Fort Duquesne Military Miniatures 1/35 Set FDA101; VVSS Update Set; 20 parts in
light tan resin; price $12.
Advantages:
Neatly replaces the kit parts in the Tamiya M4A3 Sherman kit, as well as many
other specific subjects.
Disadvantages: None to speak of.
Rating:
Highly Recommended.
Recommendation: For all US WWII medium tank chassis
fans.
Jim Johnston is well known among the
figure community for his outstanding line of Fort Duquesne Military Miniatures
figures, and now he is offering sets for armor modelers as well. This is the
first of what will hopefully be a new line, and is a very nicely done set. The
masters were prepared by AMPS Master Bob Collignon, who has a very high
reputation for accuracy and has done a super job on these.
What you get in this kit is a complete
set of 12 corrected M4 VVSS, vertical volute spring suspension wheels with
covers over the center. These are probably the second most common set of wheels
found on Shermans after the five spoke "cast" wheel (which wasn't; it was
actually welded up from parts) and have six prominent ribs on the covers. The
front side has a grease plug ("zert" to its friends) and a similar relief valve,
and the backside has two round plugs. (NOTE: for installation, the grease plug
and relief valve are smaller than the knockout plugs.)
Also included are a matching set of
idlers and a pair of "solid" disk drivers. These are beautifully done, and Bob
has provided all of the interior bolt fittings found on the original; too often
the kits only provide a simple cylinder or drum to join the disks ("teeth")
together. A new fitting for the transmission is provided, along with a collar to
mount the drivers.
Warning: these wheels were rarely
found together on the same vehicle during WWII. Quite often the "solid" drivers
and idlers found in this kit were matched with five-spoke road wheels, as on the
M4A1 76mm tanks or wartime M36 90mm GMC. The M10 3" GMC used the "open" or
"lace" drivers and six-spoke idlers with the road wheels found in this set.
Translation: Watch out for what you are using them for and you can get two
upgraded kits out of this set.
The parts should fit fine on nearly
all Sherman kits using VVSS. (The directions claim M40 as well, but as that was
an HVSS vehicle think Jim was just on a roll when typing the directions!)
Cookie Sewell
AMPS
July 11,
2001
Kit Review:
Academy 1/35 Scale Static Model Kit No. 1389; M113A1 A.P.C. Vietnam; 586 parts
(338 in olive drab styrene, 156 in silver-grey styrene, 86 in light grey
styrene, 14 in black vinyl, 10 in clear styrene, and 2 in silver vinyl); price
$25-32.
Advantages:
A one-kit war zone which can be built as any basic M113 variant; price beats the
Tamiya competitor hollow; best choice for building an M113 in Viet Nam.
Disadvantages: Some molding quirks; copying Tamiya's
molding convention not the best marketing approach.
Rating:
Highly Recommended.
Recommendation: for any "Papa Chuck" fan and Viet Nam
aficionado.
I had heard a lot of good things about
this kit but could never manage to get my hands on one, so was very happy to run
into one of the vendors at the IPMS Nationals who both had one and was a former
11 ACR alumni from Viet Nam. Once I opened the kit up and checked with the
others I had on hand, it is by far and away worth the wait and the clear winner
over the other two competitors.
Tamiya's M113 came out in 1974 and was
a "Kit of the Year" at that time, with a complete interior including the engine
bay. It came with five figures, which looked great at the time. But as years
passed and more and more references became available, the Tamiya kit got passed
by for many reasons. First off, it had awful tracks, designed as with all Tamiya
kits of the period to stand up to motorization. Secondly, it had fixed road
wheel arms molded to the hull. Third, it had a Chrysler 361 gasoline V-8 engine;
while this was correct for the early model M113, it could not be used with any
of the M113A1, A2 or A3 models. The kit also suffered from period heaviness of
parts and a number of really goofy errors, such as molding the cable strap used
to open and close the personnel deck hatch on the wrong end of the hatch!
Italeri came out with a 113 kit much
later, which had the A1 deck features, but was unfortunately one of those kits
from the "Cheaper is Better" period of Italeri molding and a very simplified
kit. It fixed some errors from the Tamiya kit but had a lot of mechanical
problems such as sink marks in the track pads and too many bolts on the road
wheel faces.
The Academy kit is not perfect, but it
fixes most of the Tamiya kit's problems and is a far more complete model than
the Italeri one. It does have the bad thinking to copy the Tamiya kit's OD
plastic for the outside and light grey for the inside, which can make the
average passerby think all they did was clone the Tamiya kit. While this kit
does have the problem of being fitted for motorization it does not have much in
common with the Tamiya kit once you get past that point.
The road wheel arms are separate, and
both scale and motorization options are provided for the idler wheels. The
interior is far more complete, including the radio and safety straps for the
dismount team inside the vehicle. It also solved the problem of the hatch cable
by providing it as a separate part!
The same components operate on this
kit as they did on the Tamiya one engine access hatch, cargo hatch, crew hatch,
and driver and commander's hatches. But this kit includes a separate personnel
door in the cargo hatch. The engine provided is the early model Detroit Diesel
6V-53 engine that is correct for the M113A1 and A2.
The real surprise is all of the extras
included in this kit. It can be used to build a standard M113A1, an ROK Army
M113A1 with extra weaponry, an M113A1 ACAV as used by US forces in Viet Nam, a
version with a twin .30 caliber Cadillac-Gage turret as used by the Australians
and the RVN, an M132A1 "Zippo" flamethrower variant (alas, without the internal
fuel tanks for the flamethrower system), and an M113A1 mounting an M40A1 106mm
recoilless rifle. It also comes with a plethora of small arms, including M16A1,
XM177, M79 "Elephant Gun" grenade launchers, and ammunition, tarps, and jerry
cans. A crew of four is provided, along with a Vietnamese "Co" (girl) with
basket of goodies. The figures look better than Tamiya's as they are at least
wearing "Jungles" and jungle boots with what look like the flak jackets I
recall, and the helmets appear complete (Tamiya's wore what looked like just the
pressboard liners, not the M1 steel pot!)
The tracks suffer from the unfortunate
ailment so many have a sink mark in the face of every pad. These have to be
filled unless you use the vinyl tracks (both are provided) but the vinyl track
will not "sag" right so that is the usual dilemma.
Decals are provided for an 11ACR ACAV,
a US Army "Zippo", an Australian Cadillac-Gage model, and a ROK "Tiger" Division
one from Viet Nam.
Overall, however, this is the best 113
currently on the market and the one that gets the best marks. If you only want
to build one, this is the kit to choose, and it has the added benefit of tons of
spare parts as well.
Cookie Sewell
AMPS
July 8,
2001
Kit Review:
Fingerprint Designs Waterslide Decal Sheets No. FPD 35/010; U.S. Internal
Stenciling 1940s/50s; over 200 items on sheet; price L4.95 (approximately $7.15)
in 1/35 scale No. FPD 35/011; German Miscellaneous Markings 1939-1945;
approximately 150 subjects on sheet; price L4.95 (approximately $7.15) in 1/35
No. FPD 35/012; German Vehicle Crosses 1939-1945; approximately 100 subjects on
sheet; price L4.95 ($7.15) in 1/35 scale.
Advantages:
Clear, clean, crisp renderings of their subjects; first two cover unique
subjects not found elsewhere.
Disadvantages: No known US supplier; manufacturer does not
take credit cards at this writing.
Rating:
Highly Recommended.
Recommendation: For all US vehicles in the late-war and
early postwar period; for all German vehicles.
As models get more and more
sophisticated, so do modelers. This means that things have to be precise and
that all of the things we expect to see on a vehicle in 1/1 scale are there in
1/35 or even 1/76. As such, in recent years there has been an explosion in the
area of detail sets, but decal sheets for armored vehicles are still someone on
the scarce side. As a result, many small manufacturers have popped up to cover
the gap.
Fingerprint Designs is one of those,
and it has a growing line of products oriented on the two most popular scales of
armor modeling in England, 1/35 and 1/76. I received three of their 1/35 sheets
and two of their 1/76 sheets for review; while I am doing their 1/35 sheets,
noted modeler and IPMS National Contest head armor judge Art Gerber is going to
review the 1/76 sheets.
All three sheets are well done in the
familiar and more popular multi-color pre-printed format; most armor modelers
have never liked the "decal on decal" assembly favored by many aircraft
modelers. The US one and the German miscellaneous come in three color offset
printed style; on all these sheets, registration was excellent.
The US sheet covers a number of
generic decals used on WWII era tanks to mark internal stowage of equipment and
items inside the vehicle; based on the subject text, most of them appear to be
aimed at either the M8 armored car or the M20 armored utility car, but they are
generic enough to fit most vehicle up through the mid 1950s. The stowage labels
include normal items such as weapons, canteens, ammunition, spare vision blocks,
and the like. They also include first aid kit lid labels, fire extinguisher
labels, and medic decals.
Also provided are some external
stencils for "sling here" and tire pressure. A variety of data plates and
dashboard panels are included, including shift patterns, electrical system
warnings, and also a nearly complete set of gauges for US vehicles.
Lastly, and for M8 modelers who have
held off, FPD provides the internal azimuth clock markings for the Tamiya or
Italeri M8 armored car kits. These go on the top of the turret ring inside the
turret and are used to point the gun when the commander is providing directions
to the gunner.
The German sheets are similar, but not
as varied. It provides shipping data markings for either a generic vehicle (i.e.
without data) or for specific vehicles such as Sd.Kfz. 251 halftrack variants.
Also supplied are German convoy warning markings, such as speed and standoff
labels. Specific markings for Panther cleaning tube cases are provided, along
with hydraulic fluid identification labels, drivers' school markings, flammable
warnings, air identification swastikas, and field post stamps for documents and
mail.
The last sheet provides 10 generic
cross types for German armored vehicles. Since in this case they are printed
separately (e.g. black and white colors) a total of 20 different marking styles
can be created from this sheet.
Overall, the quality is very high, and
if you get close enough you can read most of the US decal markings with the
naked eye. The instruments are hard to define, and I do wish in the future FPD
would give a key to which is which and where they go on a dashboard; the same
goes with the dashboard panels and warnings. Once you really bear down on them
with a loupe, they are not quite as sharp as the printing used by Archer Fine
Transfers, which is the leader right now in armor marking sheets, but many
modelers will be happy to have a waterslide product to use.
However, the main problem with these
markings (until a US supplier is found) will be getting them. Fingerprint
Designs does not take credit cards. To order from them, one has to tally up the
total of the order, add L5 for conversion factors, and multiply by 5% to
estimate the postage. For American customers, this will entail a money order.
Fingerprint Designs, Belmont House, 22 Kent Road, Birkdale, Southport, PR8 4BJ,
England. E-mail address is fingerprintdesigns@supanet.com, and their web site is
http://www.fingerprintdesigns.supanet.com.
Thanks to Paddy from FPD for the
review samples.
Cookie Sewell
AMPS
June 27,
2001
Kit Review:
RHPS 1/35 Scale Accessory Series M4 No., WE210; British WE210 tracks; 540 parts
in grey styrene; Price $19.95.
Advantages:
Uses the same system of past RHPS and AFV Club sets, two end connectors and a
center link.
Disadvantages: Sink marks in the back face of each link;
teeth hard to remove and trim due to size (see text).
Rating:
Recommended.
Recommendation: For all British Sherman and Grant fans.
Hot on the heels of their T48 and
T54E2 track sets from last year come the long-awaited British WE210 pattern
tracks from RHPS. They follow the same pattern as the others, 30 sprues with 6
links each and 30 sprues with 12 connectors each per set.
The links are well cast on their
faces, with the very distinctive "Double I" pattern easily recognized, but have
a minor sink mark on the back of each one. While some modelers will ignore this,
others will fill in each mark that can get very tedious. The end connectors are
very nicely done, but due to the sprues used by RHPS are somewhat more difficult
to cut out and trim up. I lost several with my T48 set that I used on an M12
155mm GMC.
However, while fit with the other sets
is generally good and only minor trimming is usually needed to get the pins and
connectors together, the pins in this set appear to have a slight offset
(similar to "mold shift", the bane of resin kit makers) and will need more work
to prepare for assembly. This is a shame, as it is something that I am sure RHPS
did not catch before releasing the track sets. Hopefully they will clean up the
molds and this will not be a long-term problem.
UPDATE
When Robert Swartz, the man behind
RHPS, saw the original review he was concerned that there was a problem with
this new track set. Likewise, considering all of the modifications that RHPS
made to get their first sets right, so was I, as this set was something of an
anomaly in comparison.
So, I passed a set along to Peter
Brown for a second opinion, and Robert did a thorough scrub and examination of
his molds. Both of them found a small amount of flashing on the pints, but
nothing that would prevent the links from going together. Robert now says all of
the sets are pulling cleanly and there is no problem with assembly, something
which Peter has echoed in his set.
I stand corrected, and much happier to
find out this was just "one of those things" and am thus happy to publish a
corrected review. I am upgrading my rating to "Highly Recommended". I am always
pleased to find a manufacturer who will stand behind his product, and rather
than simply throw rocks at the reviewers for criticism, does take the time and
effort to see if there is a problem, and if so, fix it. Robert has also
indicated that they have found a new way of molding which can also eliminate the
sink marks, which up to now have been one of the most pesky problems facing all
manufacturers of thick single-link track sets. That one I am certainly looking
forward to!
Thanks to Robert for taking the time
to provide insight into his manufacturing process.
Cookie Sewell
AMPS
May 5
2001
Kit Review:
Trumpeter 1/35 Scale Kit No. MM-00306; Russia Tank T-27M1; 237 parts (212 in
olive styrene, 17 in clear vinyl, 4 in black vinyl, 2 metallic stickers, 1 nylon
string, 1 nylon screen); price (US) $15-22.
Advantages:
None, other than price and a pre-wired motor assembly.
Disadvantages: Cheap knock-off of the Tamiya T-72M1
kit.
Rating: Not
Acceptable.
Recommendation: Leave this kit for the Chinese home market;
at best, may be suitable for younger children as a beginner kit.
I have had some running commentary
with other modelers over my lack of enthusiasm for Trumpeter kits. There have
been a number of reasons, including the use of ABS or other unknown plastic
material in some kits, poor research and proportions in others, or filching from
other companies' work for nothing. I will state that I categorically do not
like, and as a rule do not purchase, "knock-offs" of other companies' models as
the copy is cheaper than the original. In most cases, you rarely get an
improvement, and more often simple waste money on junk.
This kit is a perfect example of a
not-so-hot kit from Tamiya, rapidly copied by the Wasan Plastic Company
(Trumpeter's producer), and rigged up with just enough changes to survive all
but a determined fight in a world patent court. The result is essentially
worthless.
What you get is a poor copy of the
Tamiya T-72M1 with a pre-assembled motor and gear box, and only one neat
feature: a built-in battery box accessed from the bottom of the hull for battery
changes, so that the kit only need be assembled once and then run until the
motor fries somewhere down the road.
The rest of the kit is a poor
imitation of the Tamiya kit. Trumpeter even had the audacity to COPY the Tamiya
instructions and part of the box art nearly verbatim, including the helpful
cartoon Soviet tanker figure, and head up the directions with a shot of a Tamiya
T-72M1 kit fully assembled! Parts (such as the fuel line assemblies) provided in
the Tamiya kit are called out, but are not present in the kit. To see what a bad
copy this is, you need to place the two side by side. Suffice it to say that the
original, turret problems and all, still makes this thing pale in
comparison.
Even small parts are poorly done. The
vinyl keepers for the road wheels are about 2mm too long, and the wheels cannot
be assembled unless this much material is removed with a knife or razor blade
from each keeper. The etched metal grilles on the Tamiya engine deck are reduced
to chrome stickers! For a case of really awful copying, the sharp features of
the Tamiya figure have devolved to what looks like a chocolate Easter rabbit
that spent too much time in the sun.
Oh, one good thing. This kit is made
of injected molded styrene, and does take all cements I tried well.
Purchasing such kits as this does not
lower the price of the Tamiya kit; all it does is show how much better it is,
and send money to greedy pirates who do not deserve it. Years ago Academy did
this and was hounded for it by many modelers in the US and elsewhere; but they
have learned and moved on, and the choice of their M12 155mm GMC as Best New
Plastic Kit for 2000 at the AMPS 2001 International Convention speaks reams of
the changes at Academy. I can hope that someday we will see this level of
quality from Trumpeter, but it's sure not found in this kit.
Cookie Sewell
AMPS
May 5
2001
Kit Review:
SKIF 1/35 Scale Kit No. 216; ZRK "Strela-10SV"; 299 parts (268 in green styrene,
25 etched brass, 6 black vinyl); Price $27-40, depending on supplier.
Advantages:
First kit of this vehicle in plastic; very nicely done with four spare missile
boxes included; Options to make several version of the vehicle (not noted on
directions).
Disadvantages: Poor tracks hurt the overall quality of the
kit; soft or skimpy details, "guess the version" not a helpful trait.
Rating:
Recommended.
Recommendation: For all modern armor fans and "Duck
Hunters".
F I R S T L
O O K
The SA-13 GOPHER, better known as the
"Strela-10" surface-to-air missile complex or ZRK to the Russians, is a
constantly evolving system that been in service for over 20 years. Based on the
reliable MT-LB chassis, the missile system has evolved over the years to keep up
with the changing threat.
The system comes in two variations:
the 9K34 series, which are equipped with the SNAP SHOT range-only radar, and the
9K35 series, which adds the FLAT BOX IFF system to the launcher above the right
pair of missiles. Each system consists of sub-components: the 9K34 (K meaning
"Komplekt" or system) has the 9A34 launcher vehicle, the 9S86 SNAP SHOT radar
system, and four loaded 9M37 "Strela-10" missiles and four reloads. The 9K35 has
all of the same, but the 9A35 vehicle also carries the 9S16 FLAT BOX B passive
IFF system.
SA-13 missiles (there are two basic
ones: the 9M37 series and the newer 9M333, which is more powerful and more
capable) are all capable of hitting targets at ranges of up to 5,000 meters and
speeds of 310-415 mps (1100-1500 kph). Altitude band is 10-25 meters up to 3,500
meters. Whereas the early 9M37 missiles have a 3 kg warhead, the newer 9M333 has
a 5 kg warhead with both proximity and laser fusing, and heavy IR decoy
rejection capability.
SKIF calls the vehicle the
"Strela-10SV", which is a bit odd, as most sales literature call it by other
names, such as 9K35M "Strela-10M", 9K35M2 "Strela-10M2", or 9K35M3
"Strela-10M3", based on improvements and modifications. The M3 also adds a
passive radar detection system to the electronic suite. Based on all of the
variants in service, it would seem that this kit is a 9K35M2 "Strela-10M2"
version with 9M37M missiles, passive radar system, and the FLAT BOX B IFF
system.
The model is essentially the MT-LB kit with
two styrene sprues and a fret of brass parts providing all of the necessary bits
for the SA-13 vehicle. Sprues are numbered according to what kits they
originated with: one is from the 2S1 "Gvozdika" kit, three from the MT-LB, and
two for this version. Most of the parts are nicely done, with the interior being a bit skimpy
and yet fairly decent, as it is hard to see the interior through the small crew
hatches. Since missiles store in the rear, it also blocks much of the view if
the rear doors are opened.
While SKIF includes the missiles,
unless you want one looking very toy-like or an "IDEX" sales display they
probably will simply be cemented inside their boxes. The kit has you stick the
nose of the missile through the cover; this is wrong, for the actual missile
transport and launch canisters have a domed cover on them, and are hermetically
sealed prior to action. If you want closed covers, the nose of the missile and
some putty and scrap plastic will suffice; if you want it open, you will need
some sort of vacuformed cap with which to seal the hole. Also, if you make them
up with the covers off the canister, they could use an MV Lens for the seeker
tip of the warhead to improve their appearance.
However, once you get past the basics
of the kit, which are not bad, you have to deal with the Devil in the details.
Here SKIF has somewhat fudged things a bit. Admittedly, like many former Soviet
weapons systems, SA-13s are like cars in that you can check off the "options"
list and select the things you need (such as the 9K35 with IFF or the HAT BOX
passive radar receiving system, for example). Checking my photo references,
there are a LOT of small details missing from the missile carrier racks and the
canisters themselves. All of the "bars" on the sides of the canisters are
actually straps, and the depressions are of differing sizes on the four faces of
the boxes. Part 121H is supposed to be a window for the gunner, who likes the
one in the SA-9 "Strela-1" launcher, sits in the center of the launcher
mounting.
On the base vehicle, the tracks are
very annoying as they are hard to get to sit flat. For $15 to $20 you can
purchase a Shanghai Dragon ZSU-23-4 kit, and it is worth it for the track set
alone, as well as some of the finer details on this vehicle (the ZSU and the
MT-LB share common roots).
Markings are provided for one
Ukrainian vehicle in their new (and seldom seen) camouflage schemes, with a
choice of black or white numbers and the trident of Volodomyr, the national
insignia of Ukraine. National markings are also provided for the Soviet Army,
Czechoslovakia, and Poland.
Suffice it to say that the
"Strela-10SV" kit provides the basis for what can become a great model; but it
puts the modeler back in modeling, and a reasonable amount of work will be
required to get there.
Cookie Sewell
AMPS
May 5
2001
Kit Review:
Eastern Express 1/35 Scale Kit No. 35103; Self-Propelled Gun V-14 (SU-152); 254
parts (250 in grey styrene, 4 black vinyl); Price $23-40, based on supplier.
Advantages:
First kit of this vehicle in this scale in injection-molded plastic, continues
with best qualities of other Eastern Express armor kits.
Disadvantages: Same as for KV-1s kit, tracks a tight but
manageable fit; no sponsons under casemate.
Rating:
Highly Recommended.
Recommendation: For all Soviet WWII fans and modelers who
like "Big Guns".
Eastern Express continues to roll on
with its update and completion of the KV family of tanks. When the Soviets came
up against more powerful German tanks, such as the long-barreled 5 cm and 7.5 cm
guns in uprated Panzer III and IV, plus the new Tiger and early Panther, the
Soviets soon found that their workhorse 76mm guns were of little use as they had
to get close to the target to destroy it. The Kotin design bureau at Chelyabinsk
(having moved from Leningrad early in the war) took the task in hand, and soon
adapted their KV-1s chassis to take a new hexagonal casemate armed with the
mightily 152mm ML-20 howitzer. Frontal armor was now around 120mm, and the use
of the heavy 152mm projectiles (each weighing around 100 pounds) meant that the
vehicle could crack German armor up to 100mm thick at ranges of up to 2000
meters. Originally accepted for service in early 1943 as the KV-14, the vehicle
was simply redesignated as the self-propelled mount, 152mm armed or SU-152.
As the KV-1s was at the end of its run
and effectiveness, Chelyabinsk soon switched over to production of the new SP
gun and by the end of 1943 had built 704 of the weapons. (Production then
switched to the IS-85 and IS-122 tanks, better known as the IS-2 Iosef Stalin
series.) The first regiment of 12 of these guns went operational in May 1943,
and at Kursk claimed 12 Tiger Is and 7 "Ferdinand" SP guns. Later regiments were
organized like heavy tanks with 21, and later they were upgraded to ISU-122 and
ISU-152 SP guns. Due to its ability to kill the "beast" tanks, the SU-152 earned
the nickname "Zverboy" "Beast Fighter".
Eastern Express has taken five sprues
from the KV-1s and KV-85 kits and added a new sprue with a new upper hull,
mantelet and gun. The gun has a very fine-filigreed muzzle brake, which had some
flash in my review sample, but nothing most modelers cannot easily clean up in a
few minutes. The kit retains all of the details and most of the minor annoyances
found in the KV-1s kit, such as the very tight vinyl tracks and sinkholes in the
suspension components. Still, these are easily remedied and the model captures
the "squatty" look of the prototype very nicely. A good set of etched brass from
On the Mark or other manufacturers as well as single-link tracks would turn this
model into a real gem.
Markings are included for five guns,
which alas are all in Soviet dark green. The Armada book "Camouflage of the
Tanks of the Red Army 1930-1945" has some in two, three and even four-color
schemes.
All in all, a nice kit with a lot of
possibilities.
Cookie Sewell
AMPS
May 3,
2001
Kit Review:
RHPS 1/35 Scale Accessory Series M4 No., WE210; British WE210 tracks; 540 parts
in grey styrene; Price $19.95.
Advantages:
Uses the same system of past RHPS and AFV Club sets, two end connectors and a
center link.
Disadvantages: Sink marks in the back face of each link;
teeth hard to remove and trim due to size (see text).
Rating:
Recommended.
Recommendation: For all British Sherman and Grant fans.
Hot on the heels of their T48 and
T54E2 track sets from last year come the long-awaited British WE210 pattern
tracks from RHPS. They follow the same pattern as the others, 30 sprues with 6
links each and 30 sprues with 12 connectors each per set.
The links are well cast on their
faces, with the very distinctive "Double I" pattern easily recognized, but have
a minor sink mark on the back of each one. While some modelers will ignore this,
others will fill in each mark, which can get very tedious. The end connectors
are very nicely done, but due to the sprues used by RHPS are somewhat more
difficult to cut out and trim up. I lost several with my T48 set that I used on
an M12 155mm GMC.
However, while fit with the other sets
is generally good and only minor trimming is usually needed to get the pins and
connectors together, the pins in this set appear to have a slight offset
(similar to "mold shift", the bane of resin kit makers) and will need more work
to prepare for assembly. This is a shame, as it is something that I am sure RHPS
did not catch before releasing the track sets. Hopefully they will clean up the
molds and this will not be a long-term problem.
Cookie Sewell
AMPS
May 3,
2001
Kit Review:
SDS 1/35 Scale Kit No. 35001; Soviet Truck ZIS-5V Cargo Carrier; 109 parts (96
in light grey styrene, 7 black styrene, 6 clear styrene); Price $17-22.
Advantages:
Armor modeler's equivalent of a car modeler's "slammer".
Disadvantages: many detail errors, not the best version of
this truck on the market.
Rating:
Recommended with reservations.
Recommendation: For Soviet fans wanting a "quickie" or
diorama modelers looking for debris.
Having done a combined review of three
ZIS-5 kits in the BORESIGHT some time ago, I finally got to see the cargo
version of the ZIS-44 box bodied ambulance that I did up for that comparison.
Thanks to my daughter, "Katie the Lucky" who never fails to win at raffles or
gambling, I now have an example of the cargo version to review as well.
Suffice it to say that while it uses
the wartime wooden cab (which the V for "Voyna" signified) it is no better than
the ZIS-44, and carries on with the same errors of that model. The muffler, for
example, is inexplicably mounted on the left side of the frame, not the correct
right side as found in the Zvezda and Alan kits. The tow hook is missing the top
section, and things go down hill fast from here. It does at least look like a
ZIS-5V and has most of the key parts in the right sizes and right places.
The models come with different
"options". Some come without any options, others with cargo to place in the bed
(some crates and a 200 liter drum), or a canvas top. The box is marked as to
what is inside. Decals are provided for at least six different vehicles that I
can see, but descriptions and painting directions are only provided for five.
The most outlandish has a giant "thumb" painted on the roof (the German and
eastern European version of the "Finger"). Note that my experience with SDS
decals is that they are very thin with a high degree of "grab" so be careful, as
they will not slide into place.
However, it is virtually a goof-proof
model to assemble. Most of the parts (less the body latches) are well molded and
easy to trim from sprues and assemble. Model car buffs call a simple curbside
model with a limited amount of parts and simplified details a "slammer" (as it
slamming it together) and model railroad fans call them "shake the box" models.
It can virtually bet assembled at one sitting, and if you just want a
nice-looking out of the box kit it really does look nice when done. (It just
isn't very accurate when compared with the other two!)
Best bets are either using this as a
"frustration model" to build when you just want to complete a model minus AMS
(Advanced Modeler's Syndrome) or are doing a diorama and want an abandoned
Soviet truck as a background piece. If you really want a ZIS-5V, get the
Italeri/Zvezda one.
Cookie Sewell
AMPS
May 3,
2001
Kit Review:
AFV Club 1/35 Scale Sherman HVSS Track Sets:
Kit No. AF
35032, T80 Track (for M4 HVSS tanks, M40 self-propelled howitzer, M50 Super
Sherman, and T26 heavy tank); 768 parts in light brown styrene; price
$13-17.
Kit No. AF
35033, T84 Track (for M4 HVSS tanks, M40/M43 self-propelled howitzer); 768 parts
in light brown styrene; price $13-17.
Advantages:
Absolutely gorgeous and dead accurate track sets.
Disadvantages: Ejection pin marks, four parts per link may
be a bit much for some modelers.
Rating:
Highly Recommended.
Recommendation: For all late-model Sherman and
Sherman-related vehicles ONLY.
AFV Club has gone out of its way to
corner the market in injection-molded styrene, and these two sets would appear
to be "in your face" efforts aimed at Model-Kasten. They are absolutely superb
reproductions of the very unique versions of the T80 steel tracks and T84 rubber
chevron tracks that were used by M4 series vehicles with HVSS suspensions at the
end of WWII and in the post-war era.
Each link consists of four parts: a
link with two bars and four pins connecting it together; two end connectors; and
a hollow (yes, hollow) center guide with the right shape and openings. Note that
AFV Club is NOT heartless; if you leave the end connectors on the sprue and take
care, as shown on the back of the box in the directions, you can make strips of
24 links at a crack with only minor difficulties. You will have to pop the
center guide into place, and even though they are accurate they are quite small.
This is not recommended for anyone with the onset of arthritis, as it is
extremely tiny and requires a good grip with the fingertips or tweezers.
While the links each have two ejector
pin marks on the inside face of the link, both are of the "proud" type and can
quickly be sanded off. I realize this is an annoyance to many modelers, but it
does result in a clean "pull" and minimum disruption. Considering the way AFV
Club designed the sprue layout, they could not use the side-by-side ejector
system DML used on its "Elefant" tracks to get the same results.
Contrary to AFV Club's assertions,
however, these are NOT the correct tracks for anything other than an M4 HVSS
related chassis. The T26 (M26), M46 and M47, and their related vehicles, all
used a modified version of the T80 and T84 tracks with a "claw" shaped center
guide and not the "light bulb" shaped one found on the M4 HVSS series
tracks.
Still, they are outstanding, and each
kit will provide two track runs of up to 96 links each, which is more than
enough for all but a T28 super-heavy tank.
Cookie Sewell
AMPS
May 3,
2001
Kit Review:
SKIF 1/35 Scale Plastic Model No. 215; 122mm Howitzer D-30; 99 parts (78 in
light olive styrene, 19 etched brass, 2 black vinyl); price $13-17.
Advantages:
First kit of this widely deployed artillery piece in styrene; nice tires, etched
brass a nice extra.
Disadvantages: No breechblock!
Rating:
Highly Recommended.
Recommendation: To any modern artillery fan.
The D-30 is the last of the major
Soviet era 122mm weapons to be designed and fielded. Originally designated 2A18
by GRAU, the D-30 was designed by OKB-9 (F.F. Petrov) in 1954, and was accepted
for service as the standard light howitzer in 1960. It was specifically designed
to be emplaced in less than two minutes and packed up to go in the same period
of time, in order to provide mobile firepower to motorized rifle divisions. It
was later supplanted by the 122mm 2S1 howitzer, which used a ballistically
identical howitzer as its main armament. With minor changes, it became the D-30M
in the late 1970s. This weapon was made by the thousands and sold to all of the
countries of the Warsaw Pact and most of the Soviet client states, and was
produced by Poland and Yugoslavia among others. The Iraqis call their kit-built
Yugoslavian models the "Model 1978 Saddam Howitzer".
The kit provided by SKIF is not really
a D-30, but actually a D-30M. The original 2A18 tube had a five-baffle muzzle
brake that appeared to be an evolution of the one on the 152mm ML-20 of WWII
fame. The new one used a simple, cast two-baffle muzzle brake and had some other
minor changes.
The kit faithfully provides for most
of the features of the D-30M, such as the tripod trail arrangement and the
option of wheels up or wheels down. The gun tube is not on a slide, and ergo
recoil cannot be positioned out of battery without a great deal of work.
Most curious was a comment in other
reviews that it suffered from an apparent lack of a breechblock, a failing often
found on Tamiya and Italeri artillery pieces and open topped combat vehicles.
Actually, it is there as part No. 28A in step 18, and is provided as an "option"
as the breech with the vertical block down appears as it does in the kit minus
the block.
Overall, a good effort, and if you
don't mind "buttoning it up" it provides something to tow behind the ICM
Ural-4320.
Cookie Sewell
AMPS
May 3,
2001
Accessory
Review: Archer Fine Transfers 1/35 Scale US Army Uniform Patches Set FG35024,
9th and 38th Infantry Divisions and 82nd Airborne Division (96 subjects); price
$13.95 Ste FG35030, 3rd and 17th Infantry Divisions, 13th, 17th, 101st Airborne
Divisions (120 subjects), price $13.95.
Advantages:
Two of the most popular US divisions now in 1/35 scale patches.
Disadvantages: Need a magnifying glass to appreciate the
artwork! (Not necessarily a bad thing).
Rating:
Highly Recommended.
Recommendation: For all 1/35 and 54mm figure modelers and
dioramists.
Woody Vondracek has continued to
produce the most excellent and useful dry transfers going today. He now has an
entire line of US and British shoulder patches and rank insignia, and which
seems to grow monthly. These two review sets are typical of his new line, which
Woody noted at AMPS 2001 now use a new "high tack" adhesive so only light
pressure is needed to fix them in place, rather than firm rubbing with a #2
pencil, which was the method he recommended last year.
The reason for the breakout is that
Woody tries to group subjects by color; the more colors that he has to use on a
sheet, the more expensive it becomes. The first sheet uses red, white, blue and
olive drab; the second sheet uses black, white, yellow, blue and olive drab.
Each sheet is on register and all details can be seen with the aid of a
magnifying class. Note that "Ralph the Puking Buzzard" (the 101's Eagle head) is
the WWII version, and while he doesn't have a red tongue there IS a limit to how
fine you can get (plus adding a sixth color would probably have made the sheet
cost $16.95).
These dry transfers have made modeling
US and British figures so much easier that many modelers now seem far more
willing to include figures with their models, which is a really nice touch. Now
all I have to do is finish a model so I can put these nice markings to use!
Thanks to Woody for the review
samples.
Cookie Sewell
AMPS
April 12,
2001
Kit Review:
DML 1/35 39-45 Series No. 6114; Sd.Kfz. 2 kleines Kettenkrad w/Puppchen; 325
parts in grey styrene; price estimated at $16-18.
Advantages:
amazing details in a small kit; complete engine and running gear; weapon has
amazing detail.
Disadvantages: two-piece single link tracks will frustrate
some modelers.
Rating:
Highly Recommended.
Recommendation: for all German fans and motorcycle fans as
well.
F I R S T L O O K
Back in 1973, Nitto and Tamiya both
came out with kits of the smallest manned German tracked vehicle from WW II, the
Kettenkraftrad (tracked motorcycle) Sd.Kfz. 2. Both had different versions;
Nitto provided a trailer and accessories, and Tamiya provided a white metal
engine. Neither one was very good, as Nitto's suffered from their lack of detail
in that time frame, and Tamiya skimped on theirs with one-piece running gear
sets with stick-on outer wheels. But for years, the Tamiya kit, in its various
re-releases, has been about all one could find in 1/35 scale.
DML originally announced the Puppchen
kit back in 1998, and the Sd.Kfz. 2 kit in 1999. Both wound up being delayed due
to the unforeseen popularity of the 1/6 scale collector ("G.I. Joe") figures,
which have taken up a good deal of DML's production facilities. While I have
heard that the Puppchen kit was released (never saw it) this is the first
release of the Sd.Kfz. 2 and it is something else entirely.
It would seem that DML is going to
yield the "in your face" end of plastic armor kits to Tamiya (their M25 Dragon
Wagon and FAMO with Sd.Ahn.116 are hard to compete with, even at the prices they
cost) but is not going to give an inch in the quality or detail end of the
market. For those of you curious about the number of parts listed above, yes,
that is correct; and all of this builds into a tiny gun and a prime mover less
than four inches (10 cm) in length.
For those modelers who do not like
tiny parts, even when essential to the accuracy of the final model, this is not
your kit. DML has provided a complete driveline for this model, including
separate torsion bars, individual road wheels, and working two-piece single link
tracks. There is a complete 8-piece engine assembly, much nicer than the fishing
sinker that came in the Tamiya kit, as well as a very nice figure of a driver
that comes with the vehicle as well. The steering works and the "hood" can be
opened and closed, and all of this is very close to pure scale. (The grilles in
the hood are solid, which is one of the few things most advanced modelers will
want to fix with aluminum or brass mesh.)
The 8.8 cm Puppchen is a jewel, and
after talking to Steve Andreano about the old Modelbau Tom kit of it, this is a
light years different kit. It consists of 31 parts (8 of which cover the ammo
boxes and four rounds) with very delicate moldings. There are scale (yes, scale)
thickness hand grabs on the gun trail, as an example of the molding detail on
this kit. There is a seam running right next to them, unfortunately, so one will
have to exercise great care in cleaning up the trail. Diehards may want to
replace the gun shield, but it is around .010-.015" thick so it really can just
be built out of the box.
Overall this is a beautiful little
kit, and most modelers will be amazed at what can be packed onto a model which
is not much more than the same size as a 1/72 scale main battle tank. Markings
are provided for the 7th Fallschirmjaeger Regiment in North Africa and the 1st
Gebirgsjaeger Division.
Thanks to Freddie Leung of DML for the
review sample.
Cookie Sewell
AMPS
March 18,
2001
Kit Review:
Eastern Express 1/35 Scale Kit No. 35127; Armor Car BA-6; 172 parts (161 in grey
styrene and 11 in black vinyl); price between $21 and $26.
Advantages:
First kit of this vehicle in styrene, very accurate shapes and nice touches to
kit.
Disadvantages: No rivets on sides or rear of hull, one
wheel missing!
Rating:
Recommended.
Recommendation: For all armored car fans, "between the
wars" buffs, and WWII Soviet fans.
One area of armored warfare where
there is no agreement is on combat with wheeled vehicles. The US Army never
really got heavily into armored cars, with the sole exception of the M8/M20
family that only arrived after WWII had started (we'll ignore the LAV/Pirhana
III selection going on now). The British had one for every occasion. The Germans
designed over-engineered which were very mobile but too few and far between for
effective scouting. The Soviets, on the other hand, liked them but had the odd
habit of simply picking a suitable chassis and strapping an armored body on it.
As a result, their armored cars were either 4 x 2 or 6 x 4 types that trusted
more on the driver's not getting into off-road trouble rather than provide him a
vehicle to get out of it!
The basis of most of the Soviet WWII
armored cars was essentially the Ford Motor Company. The light armored cars were
originally based on the GAZ-A chassis and drive train, which stemmed from the
1929 Ford Model a passenger car. Likewise, the heavy armored cars were based on
either the GAZ-AA 4 x 2 or GAZ-AAA 6 x 4 Ford Model AA trucks. The first
prototype of what became the BA-3/6/10 series, the D-13, was built in 1931. It
was heavily armed for its day with a 37mm gun and two 7.62mm machine guns, but
was only thinly armored. This vehicle evolved into the BA-I prototype and then
the BA-3. The BA-3 solved one problem, effective armament and fire control, by
simply replacing the earlier turrets with a T-26 Model 1933 turret with 45mm gun
and coaxial 7.62mm DT machine gun; a second DT mounted in the glacis next to the
driver. But the -3 was overweight and balky off road, so they redesigned it with
a lighter body, more ammunition, and better allocation of the armor protection.
It was built in Koplino near Leningrad at the Izhorsk Factory using ZIS (Moscow)
chassis components from 1935 to 1939. 386 BA-6 and later BA-6M vehicles were
built. It was phased out on the production line to be replaced by the BA-10, an
evolved version of the design.
Eastern Express has combined new parts
with an existing kit, the ex-Toko GAZ-AAA 2 ton truck, to provide the modeler
with just what the Soviet Army got a medium armored car body on a commercial
truck chassis. As a point of fact, you have to do what the Soviets did cut 350mm
(10mm in scale) from the rear of the chassis to get the new body to fit.
The rest of the kit is totally new,
including the T-26 turret. Rather than copy or borrow the Zvezda BT-5/T-26
turret, as other manufacturers have done, Eastern Express provides a totally new
turret. The nicest feature is that this turret also provides the modeler with
two types of mantelet (cast or welded) and two types of cradle protective plates
for the gun recoil mechanism. However, the gun barrel is not quite right, as the
middle "step" in the barrel is about 3mm too long on the muzzle end. It is
probably easier here to buy an after-market barrel than try and correct it.
If you were fortunate enough to pick
up a copy of Jim Kinnear's great new "Russian Armored Cars, 1930 to 2000" you
would have the lovely new set of plans of the BA-6 in 1/35 scale on pages
124-125 to cite as references. Finding them, you will note that there are three
things that must be done to make a totally accurate model of the BA-6: Reset the
rear axle pivot upward about 2mm to give the vehicle a "bad attitude" rake to
the front. Toko just slapped a four-wheel bogie on their GAZ-AA without
resetting its geometry, so you have to fix that error.
Add all of the hull rivets. This will
be problematic, as the rivets on the original are not large and this means very
petite (translation - forget using Grandt Line or Microrod) rivets. I don't
fault Eastern Express on this.
The body is one of the nicer, more
accurate eastern moldings and without Tamiya's level of technology you just
can't get a multipart mold to do this sort of thing. And it does beat having to
put 8-10 pieces together to get a complete hull.
Lastly, and most curiously, you need
to come up with another GAZ-AA or AAA spare wheel and tire. While the Soviets
didn't use powered front axles, they did provide twin spares amidships for the
vehicle to receive some help in crossing ditches and berms to prevent "bellying
in" and getting hung up. Someone at Eastern Express was asleep at the switch on
this one, as it prevents the model from being completed without it! (Were it not
for this major goof, I would have rated the kit "Highly Recommended"!)
Colors on these vehicles were not
really very imaginative. While a few were given nice camouflage schemes (as on
the back cover of the book) most were either an ochre OD color or a dark green
color similar to FS34102. All came from the factory with black chassis and
wheels, which was the standard Soviet Army wheeled vehicle paint scheme. Two
decal options are provided, one for the well-known Kiev Military District War
games of 1939 and one from a vehicle in Spain during 1938.
Overall, this is a very nice kit and
probably will be followed with BA-3 and BA-10 variants. I just hope someone
remembers how to count to 12 next time.
Cookie Sewell
AMPS
March 10,
2001
Kit Review:
SKIF 1/35 Scale Kit No. 214; MT-LB; 229 parts (193 in medium green styrene, 30
in etched brass, 6 in black vinyl); price $22-30.
Advantages:
First kit of this vehicle in styrene; breakdown of parts shows other versions
coming; improvement on past SKIF kits.
Disadvantages: Tracks are so-so and should be replaced at
once; some detail parts skimpy.
Rating:
Recommended.
Recommendation: for modern armor fans, "Third Worlders" and
former Warsaw Pact Fans.
The Soviets were believers in
gold-plated weapons systems, and they had weapons systems for every climate and
every situation. The MT-LB was designed as an auxiliary armored personnel
carrier for troops not needing either the combat firepower of an infantry
fighting vehicle (BMP) or the high speed of a BTR-60PB. Item 8, better known as
the MT-LB (multipurpose tractor - lightly armored), was a product of Factory No.
75, better known as the Khar'kov Tractor Factory, in the Ukraine. Based on the
unarmored MT-L chassis, it was adopted for service in 1964 and entered combat
service in 1965-66.
For most of its service life the MT-LB
was used in either other than combat arms formations (to the Soviets, only
motorized rifle and tank are considered combat arms; all others are combat
support, to include engineer-sappers, NBC defense, reconnaissance, electronic
warfare, antitank artillery, air defense artillery, and artillery in general).
It was also used in its MT-LBV version (V standing for broad tracks, where the
stock 350mm tracks were replaced with 565mm ones) as the standard APC in
motorized rifle units above the Arctic circle.
Other versions of the MT-LB included:
the MTP-LB, a repair and recovery model; MT-LB ambulance; MB-LB engineer-sapper
version; 9A34/9A35 "Strela-10" (SA-13 GOPHER) surface-to-air missile launcher;
9P149 "Shturm-S" (AT-6 SPIRAL) antitank guided missile launcher; MT-LB/2B9
"Vasilyek" self-propelled 82mm mortar carrier; and the TT-LB SNAR-10 (BIG FRED)
battlefield radar system. A rebuild version of the chassis was used for the
ZSU-23-4 and 2P25 (SA-6 GAINFUL) series vehicles; an extended version of the
chassis with seven road wheels was used for the 122mm 2S1 "Gvozdika" SP
howitzer, RKhM, a version rebuilt for chemical and radiological reconnaissance;
and the MT-LBU command and control vehicle chassis, used for over 20 other
vehicles and systems.
The number of MT-LB and MT-LBU related
vehicles built is unknown, but over 8,000 examples of just the MT-LB were
reported to be in the Soviet Army at its breakup. It was also produced by
Bulgaria and Poland. While the Russians no longer produce the vehicle (it was
only built in Khar'kov) they are rebuilding and using the MT-LB in many of their
current units today.
This kit has been out for some time
now, but I only recently managed to pick it up. Having built several of the SKIF
kits, they are at least evolving, and that's a good sign for everyone. SKIF has
initially released the basic troop carrier/gun tractor version of the vehicle,
which is a good place to start. There is a "choice" panel in the roof of the
main hull, and that would seem to indicate that a "Strela-10" or SNAR-10 variant
of the kit will follow in the next year or so.
This kit is the best of the lot so
far, as it is an improvement over the 2S1 and not a backward step like the
unfortunate BTR-152 kit. Its worst problem is that its tracks are still its weak
point, and have been the weak point in all of the SKIF kits thus far
(surprisingly, the tires, made of the same vinyl, were the best part of the BTR
kit). I suggest that modelers replace them at once, either the cheap way, by
picking up a Shanghai Dragon ZSU-23-4 that uses the identical tracks to a MT-LB,
or a set of Model Kasten or Fruili ZSU/MT-LB/2S1 tracks. I note that these
tracks are stiffer than the 2S1 tracks, but to avoid the misery of how to
connect and mount them, it's simpler to replace them.
All that being said, the kit itself is
rather pleasant, with pretty good fit and a complete basic interior less the
YaMZ-238 engine that powered the original. Ejection pin marks are plentiful, but
most stand proud and are pretty easy to eliminate without much fuss. A 30-part
two-fret set of etched brass comes in the kit, and covers most of the fine
details which more advanced modelers would replace anyway, so it comes
pre-upgraded, so to speak. All of the access hatches less the engine are
optional choice, which will give diorama builders and detailers a wide range of
options for adding figures or "bits" to the model.
Markings are provided for what appears
to be one Soviet vehicle, one Czechoslovakian vehicle, one Polish vehicle, and
perhaps two Ukrainian ones (white or black Trident of Volodomyr). The paint job
is exotic, but many of the Russian and other republics are now painting their
vehicles in experimental schemes, so they are becoming more colorful. However,
as with past SKIF kits, they do not say where or by whom the scheme is used!
Overall this is a nice kit, and were
it not for the tracks, I would have rated it a notch higher.
Cookie Sewell
AMPS
March 10,
2001
Kit Review:
SKIF 1/35 Scale Kit No. 214; MT-LB; 229 parts (193 in medium green styrene, 30
in etched brass, 6 in black vinyl); price $22-30.
Advantages:
First kit of this vehicle in styrene; breakdown of parts shows other versions
coming; improvement on past SKIF kits.
Disadvantages: Tracks are so-so and should be replaced at
once; some detail parts skimpy.
Rating:
Recommended.
Recommendation: for modern armor fans, "Third Worlders" and
former Warsaw Pact Fans.
The Soviets were believers in
gold-plated weapons systems, and they had weapons systems for every climate and
every situation. The MT-LB was designed as an auxiliary armored personnel
carrier for troops not needing either the combat firepower of an infantry
fighting vehicle (BMP) or the high speed of a BTR-60PB. Item 8, better known as
the MT-LB (multipurpose tractor - lightly armored), was a product of Factory No.
75, better known as the Khar'kov Tractor Factory, in the Ukraine. Based on the
unarmored MT-L chassis, it was adopted for service in 1964 and entered combat
service in 1965-66.
For most of its service life the MT-LB
was used in either other than combat arms formations (to the Soviets, only
motorized rifle and tank are considered combat arms; all others are combat
support, to include engineer-sappers, NBC defense, reconnaissance, electronic
warfare, antitank artillery, air defense artillery, and artillery in general).
It was also used in its MT-LBV version (V standing for broad tracks, where the
stock 350mm tracks were replaced with 565mm ones) as the standard APC in
motorized rifle units above the Arctic Circle.
Other versions of the MT-LB included:
the MTP-LB, a repair and recovery model;; MT-LB ambulance; MB-LB engineer-sapper
version; 9A34/9A35 "Strela-10" (SA-13 GOPHER) surface-to-air missile launcher;
9P149 "Shturm-S" (AT-6 SPIRAL) antitank guided missile launcher; MT-LB/2B9
"Vasilyek" self-propelled 82mm mortar carrier; and the TT-LB SNAR-10 (BIG FRED)
battlefield radar system. A rebuild version of the chassis was used for the
ZSU-23-4 and 2P25 (SA-6 GAINFUL) series vehicles; an extended version of the
chassis with seven road wheels was used for the 122mm 2S1 "Gvozdika" SP
howitzer, RKhM, a version rebuilt for chemical and radiological reconnaissance;
and the MT-LBU command and control vehicle chassis, used for over 20 other
vehicles and systems.
The number of MT-LB and MT-LBU related
vehicles built is unknown, but over 8,000 examples of just the MT-LB were
reported to be in the Soviet Army at its breakup. It was also produced by
Bulgaria and Poland. While the Russians no longer produce the vehicle (it was
only built in Khar'kov) they are rebuilding and using the MT-LB in many of their
current units today.
This kit has been out for some time
now, but I only recently managed to pick it up. Having built several of the SKIF
kits, they are at least evolving, and that's a good sign for everyone. SKIF has
initially released the basic troop carrier/gun tractor version of the vehicle,
which is a good place to start. There is a "choice" panel in the roof of the
main hull, and that would seem to indicate that a "Strela-10" or SNAR-10 variant
of the kit will follow in the next year or so.
This kit is the best of the lot so
far, as it is an improvement over the 2S1 and not a backward step like the
unfortunate BTR-152 kit. Its worst problem is that its tracks are still its weak
point, and have been the weak point in all of the SKIF kits thus far
(surprisingly, the tires are made of the same vinyl that were the best part of
the BTR kit). I suggest that modelers replace them at once with either the cheap
way, by picking up a Shanghai Dragon ZSU-23-4 that uses the identical tracks to
a MT-LB, or a set of Model Kasten or Fruili ZSU/MT-LB/2S1 tracks. I note that
these tracks are stiffer than the 2S1 tracks, but to avoid the misery of how to
connect and mount them, it's simpler to replace them.
All that being said, the kit itself is
rather pleasant, with pretty good fit and a complete basic interior less the
YaMZ-238 engine that powered the original. Ejection pin marks are plentiful, but
most stand proud and are pretty easy to eliminate without much fuss. A 30-part
two-fret set of etched brass comes in the kit, and covers most of the fine
details which more advanced modelers would replace anyway, so it comes
pre-upgraded, so to speak. All of the access hatches less the engine are
optional choice, which will give diorama builders and detailers a wide range of
options for adding figures or "bits" to the model.
Markings are provided for what appears
to be one Soviet vehicle, one Czechoslovakian vehicle, one Polish vehicle, and
perhaps two Ukrainian ones (white or black Trident of Volodomyr). The paint job
is exotic, but many of the Russian and other republics are now painting their
vehicles in experimental schemes, so they are becoming more colorful. However,
as with past SKIF kits, they do not say where or by whom the scheme is used!
Overall this is a nice kit, and were
it not for the tracks, I would have rated it a notch higher.
Cookie Sewell
AMPS
March 4,
2001
Kit Review:
Italeri 1/35 Scale Kit No. 379; LVT-4 Water Buffalo; 135 parts (129 in olive
drab styrene, 4 in metallic grey vinyl, 2 sections of silver nylon string);
price between $23-30.
Advantages:
first kit of this vehicle in this scale; very nicely done tracks; well-done
details on sponsons.
Disadvantages: as it comes, will only build into a post-war
Italian version; only option is late-war fully armored cab; some shortcuts in
production.
Rating:
Highly Recommended.
Recommendation: for all "alligators" and US WWII fans, as
well as post-war users.
This kit has been out for some time,
and is just coming into widespread availability in the US. I've seen several
reviews ranging from the "second coming" to "dog of the year" ratings, but
thought I would wait to see the kit in person before making any comments. On a
pretty thorough examination and comparison with the vehicle's operating manual,
the answer is pretty much what you'd expect: "C - None of the above."
The model is a long-awaited one in
many areas, as the only kit available in this scale up to this time has been the
ancient and awful Nitto/Blue Tank LVT-(A)4 version of the FMC designed amphibian
family. (Note: based on some misconceptions seen on the Internet, the LVT-(A)1,
LVT-2, LVT-(A)2, LVT-4, LVT-(A)4 and LVT-(A)5 are all built by the Food
Machinery Corporation and are of one family; the LVT-3 and LVT-3C are from
Borg-Warner, and share nothing but the basic concept with the FMC vehicles.) The
vehicle went into production in 1943 and by the end of the war over 8,300 of the
4 models had been built. They were used by the US Army and the Commonwealth in
Europe and the US Army and USMC in the Pacific. Postwar the vehicles were
provided to a number of countries under MAP including Italy and France; the
latter used them in Indochina during its war with the Viet Minh.
The model is nicely done as far as it
goes, but a few corners were nicked here and there. It is a late model armored
cab version with staggered hatches and a bow .30-caliber machine gun, and direct
vision blocks in place of armored flaps. The hatches are molded in place. (Note:
the photos on page 270 of the Hunnicutt "Stuart" book are of the armored cab for
an LVT-(A)2, not an (A)4; they are provided to show the gun mount and rearward
mounted hatch.)Also, modelers who want to add details need to be aware that the
front "bumper" is a section of pipe welded in place; the model shows it as solid
which it is not (i.e. drill out the ends for some depth.)
The interior of the kit has come into
some criticism and caused some confusion. It comes with a non-skid main floor
and two fold-down troop seats/platforms on either side of the rear of the hull.
After checking as many references as possible, it appears both of these are
postwar Italian modifications provided during rebuilding. US WWII models had a
"non-skid" paint applied over smooth steel plates from photographic evidence.
There is no evidence that I have found for the two platforms. There are two
flip-up platforms for the forward machine gunners, and these come with the kit,
albeit molded in the "down" position. I am curious as to how the rear gunners
were expected to operate the .30 caliber "beam" guns as they are over the heads
of most people. One photo I found did show what appears to be a bracket for a
clip-on platform about 18 inches wide and in line with the gun mounts.
This would appear to be a field
modification, as it is not listed in the overall parts for the basic
vehicle.
One could reasonably expect some sort
of platforms to be provided if the vehicle was based on the LVT-2. The LVT-2 had
a duckboard/grille arrangement for the troops to stand on, but that was more
from the aspect of getting them high enough in the cargo compartment to be able
to jump over the side for egress. With the drop ramp, that was no longer
necessary, and keeping below the level of the sides at least gives some
protection from shell fragments.
With other nations, such as the UK,
vehicles from 79th Armoured Division show that a ramp of some sort appears to
have been provided for personnel to stand on at the front of the cargo
compartment, and also the odd angles of jeeps and other vehicles being carried
being "tail high" when the floor of the cargo compartment slants the other
direction (they should be "nose high").
Another area of complaint appears to
be the tracks. Based on all of the photos of the vehicle, the tracks appear to
be very nicely done, and much more flexible than some of the previous Italeri
offerings. (Italeri, like Tamiya, gets caught in the "damned if you, damned if
you don't" conflict. Either they provide accurate tracks that cannot be bent to
fit a model, or ones so flimsy they don't look right when installed. Modelers
carp both ways, so it's hard to pick the middle ground.) However, they don't
engage the teeth on the drive sprockets very well, and this will cause some
problems. One suggestion would be to simply measure where the tracks touch the
drivers and idlers (they're basically identical in design) and then shave off
the teeth to get a smooth fit. The teeth can't be seen due to the design of the
tracks anyway, so this should fix the problem. Outside on the sponsons, the one
drain hole found on most WWII US vehicles has been covered with what appears to
be a hinged flap; this is presumably another postwar Italian addition. Later
versions appear to share twin drain slots with the LVT-(A)4 series of
vehicles.
Four machine guns with mounts are
included, but most modelers will probably want to either replace or detail them
as they are somewhat sparely done. The .30 caliber guns are molded to their
mounts.
The ramp appears fine as is. Modelers
get two choices as to what to do with the open option for the ramp: use the
nylon string to represent steel cable, or cement two plastic braces (parts 72B)
in place to fix it in the "down" position. While these are very thin, they still
are not cable, and the string option will look better.
Decals are included for a very
sparsely marked USMC version in 1944; a French "Alligator" from 1956; and an
Italian one from 1957.
Therefore, if you wish to build this
as a WWII US AMTRAC it needs at least the following modifications: (a) remove
the seats and mounts and fill in the holes where they were to mount; (b) sand
the floor smooth (leaving all the panels and drain grates in place; and (c) add
one or two drain slots to the sides of the hull pontoons.
Oh -- and for those that figure they
can simply swap some parts from this kit with the Nitto/Blue Tank LVT-(A)4,
dream on. If you want an (A)4 or (A)5, better to get a Tamiya M8 HMC for its
turret and details and scratchbuild the upper works for the (A) than waste the
time trying to save a lost cause.
Cookie Sewell
AMPS
February
20, 2001
Kit Review:
Airfix 1/32 Armour Series kits.
Kit No.
8364-5, American M3 Lee Tank; 184 parts (180 in medium green styrene, 4 in black
vinyl); price not known (out of production since the late 1970s).
Kit No.
8365-8, Grant Tank; 177 parts, (173 in sand colored styrene, 4 in black vinyl)
price not known (out of production since the late 1970s).
Advantages:
Most accurate large-scale kits of these tanks made.
Disadvantages: Out of production; some quirks and different
errors than other kits.
Rating:
Recommended.
Recommendation: for 1/32 fans and anyone who wants a nice
centerpiece for an Airfix "Multipose" figure vignette or diorama.
One thing we all tend to suffer from
when we get into nostalgia is we tend to remember things as better than they are
or were. Too often when we manage to find a model or other item from our youth,
it seems pretty tacky or really awful in comparison to our modern tastes.
I recall the Monogram M3 Lee and Grant
kits as better than their Tamiya counterparts, but then again, I have enough
chunks of survivors (I did have the pleasure of seeing what a Government .45-70
will do to a Lee at medium range back in 1976) to see that they weren't much
either. The seven foot tall commander that came with the Lee is an example of
how far off they really were.
But I never even saw the much-liked
Airfix Lee and Grant kits in 1/32, as few of them ever seemed to come to US
shores. I think the main reason was that there already were the 1/35 scale
Tamiya kits and the 1/32 scale ones from Monogram, and suppliers and shops did
not want to get stuck with a redundant third set of kits of the same subject.
(Unlike model aircraft kits, where it seems one can never get enough P-51s or
Spitfires, the armor modeling fraternity is fussier and prefers better kits
spaced farther apart.) As a point of fact, I had never even seen one of the
Airfix kits until George Woodward showed up with an Airfix Grant as part of a
diorama at the 1996 AMPS Convention in Aberdeen. Since George is an excellent
modeler, it was hard to tell what was Airfix and what was George on the diorama,
which took a silver medal in the advanced category.
Today I found a pair of Airfix kits,
one each of the Grant and Lee in the mail, courtesy of Peter Brown's attic (loft
to our English friends). Finally, after nearly 25 years, I have a chance to
check these two semi-legendary kits out and see how good they really are.
Both kits follow the same pattern of a
common hull and set of tracks with a separately bagged sprue for the turret and
any additional parts. Airfix, being smarter than Tamiya or Monogram, provides
the lids to the stowage bins on the basic kit sprues and the boxes themselves on
the specific kit sprue, so that they get more mileage from their molds. Each kit
comes with a typical Airfix kit figure of the period consisting of four parts:
body, torso rear, and two arms with accessories molded in place. The Lee has a
commander of about 1942-43 vintage with the "football" helmet, and the Grant has
a commander in shorts with a peaked cap under his headset. Both are very nicely
proportioned and animated, which was an Airfix specialty of the time.
Since they use a common hull, they are
both correct as given: the Lee IS an M3 for a change, with the radial engine.
Both tanks have the early "pepperpot" mufflers, however, which is probably a bit
too early for most Grants. One major problem for the M3 is the shared track,
which comes in two sections of very floppy black vinyl. Airfix decided to
replicate a worn version of the WE210 "Double I" track links, which is fine for
the Grant, but apparently only used on some of the Lee tanks used in Southeast
Asia by the Commonwealth. They are not correct for a Lee in US service. One good
point, however, is that the tracks DID note that connectors connect the track
links, unlike the Tamiya ones where the connectors are attached to the
links!
Airfix also "got it right" with the
driver's viewer for the Grant (part 161); while the same part does not come with
the Lee, the base is molded onto the roof of the hull. Airfix gets around this
by having the modeler cement a section of spare track to the roof of the hull to
hide it. The turret of the Grant is very accurate (by its contemporary
standards, the competition with Tamiya and Monogram goes to this kit in a
walkaway) as is that of the Lee, which has the "bump" for the commander's cupola
molded separately.
The hull to these kits is one of the
screwiest assembly jobs I have ever seen. The model comes with a separate upper
and lower hull, to be sure: but the lower hull consists of the sides, fenders,
and two bulkheads at the front and rear; the top is a section of the front, top,
and rear with three massive tubes to mount it to the lower hull. The belly,
five-piece nose, rear plate, and upper hull sides are all separate pieces. As
with all Airfix kits, it goes together pretty well, but that's a lot of seams to
deal with, even in a "bucket of rivets" like one of these tanks.
The suspension is correct, and the
wheels even appear to be of the correct width for the tanks. The suspension
consists of a two-piece roller, four-part bogie front, bogie rear, and two
wheels. Drivers and idlers are much more conventional.
The tanks both come with the early M2
short-barreled 75mm gun, and the counterweight for the stabilizer is an option
for each kit. However, the turrets both come with the counterweight for the 37mm
gun in place. The cupola for the Lee is separate, but that for the Grant is
fixed in place at a 45-degree angle to the left, which somewhat limits what can
be done with the model as regards "posing" it for a diorama.
All viewers and hatches on the model
are optional position, but there is not a hint of any interior (which was par
for the course back then, with only the Tamiya 1/25 scale Tiger so blessed at
that time.) The stowage for the Grant which goes over the side skirts is
two-dimensional, all molded on one long section of plastic.
Decals are included with each kit for
three different vehicles. The Grant can be built as one of three North African
machines: 1st RTR, 22nd Bde, 7th Armoured Division; Staffordshire Yeomanry, 8th
Bde, 10th Armoured Division; and The Greys, 4th Lte Arm Bde, 7th Armoured
Division, El Alamein. The Lee can be built as: a training unit in the UK, 1942,
and two different tanks from 2nd Battalion, 13th Armored Regiment, 1st Armored
Division, Tunisia 1942.
Overall, they really are not bad kits,
especially considering the age of the molds. Airfix put a first class effort
into the models, and it still shows at this late date. If you are one of the
dying breed who builds 1/32-scale, or want a model for a specific diorama with
54mm miniatures or Airfix "Multipose" figures, they are an excellent place to
start.
Cookie Sewell
AMPS
February
10, 2001
Kit Review:
Skybow 1/35 Military Series No. TP3501, U.S. 3/4 Ton Weapons Carrier Beep; 209
parts (198 in light olive drab styrene, 4 clear styrene, 6 vinyl, 1 nylon
string); price $28-32.
Testors
(Italeri) 1/35 Kit No. 775, Dodge 3/4 Ton Truck; 130 parts (129 in medium green
styrene, 1 clear styrene windshield); price $5.98 when new, now $5-15 at
shows.
Advantages:
(Skybow) What a difference 25 years makes; nice, nice little kit; great fit of
parts. (Testors) - not all that bad, and it is cheap.
Disadvantages: (Skybow) Intricate model to assemble, with
lots of very tiny parts, plus drilling of holes required due to shared chassis
parts. (Testors) Somewhat loose fit of some parts; "modeler-proof" parts now
look somewhat clunky.
Rating:
(Skybow) Highly Recommended. (Testors) Recommended.
Recommendation: For all soft skin and U.S. military fans,
plus the other countries which got them as MDP or Lend Lease.
One of the great advantages of not
building kits when you first buy them is that on occasion you can compare an old
standard with a fresh, new kit of the same subject. Most of the time the
comparison isn't all that much fun, as the new kit almost invariably skunks the
older one. This is quite true with Tamiya kits, as their new models set the
standard that all others must follow, while their early ones established many a
"cottage industry" pioneer in fixing Tamiya's mistakes.
Skybow has been one of the very best,
even though they only really have four kits on the market right now (two M38A1
Jeeps and two T214 Dodge trucks). This kit, which numerically was the first one
in Skybow's stable, actually came out nearly a year after the WC 56/57 "Patton's
Command Car" 3/4 ton command car version.
The other kit has a more convoluted
history. Originally released in 1975 by Asian manufacturer Peerless Max, it was
one of five kits of the Dodge T214 family of light WWII trucks: the WC-51/52
weapons carrier, the WC-54 ambulance, the WC-56/57 command car, the M6 37mm
self-propelled antitank gun, and the WC-61/62 6 x 6 weapons carrier variant. All
five kits shared the same common sprues, and only the body and options were
changed. Originally the kits also had metal axles. However, in the mid 1980s
Peerless Max went under and most of their molds were purchased by Italeri.
Italeri did some cleanup and redesign work on the kit, which resulted in its
using all plastic components. Due to their marketing arrangements with the
Testors Corporation, Testors reboxed the kits under their label and sold them in
the US as Testors/Italeri kits. Later, the kits were simply sold under the
Italeri label, and in the late 1990s the molds were loaned to Bilek of the Czech
Republic.
Both kits are of the same subject; the
T214 engine powered 3/4-ton weapons carrier, nicknamed the "Beep" for "Big Jeep"
due to its appearance. They can be built as either the WC-51 version without
winch, or with one as the WC-52. Skybow includes an M24A2 pedestal mount for a
.50 caliber M2HB machine gun, and the Testors kit includes two figures and a top
in the "up" position.
The Testors kit includes the same
incomprehensible decal sheet that was used by Peerless Max. It provides two sets
of serial numbers, one Army and one Marine Corps, but none of the rest of the
markings makes much sense. Better to find another sheet; while Testors/Italeri
always provided very good decals, they're not worth much when they're this far
off. On the other hand, the Skybow kit comes with a very complete sheet with
markings for three different vehicles: the only problem is their explanations
are totally off the mark! The three include a vehicle from C Battery, 391st
Armored Field Artillery Battalion, 3AD; A Company, 15th Tank Battalion, 6th
Army; and one from what should have been B Company, 1st Battalion 507th
Parachute Infantry, 82nd Airborne, but the markings now read "82AB 107 1B-4". A
variety of stars and labels are also included.
The Testors kit comes in a single
vinyl bag; the Skybow kit comes with each sprue wrapped separately in a
resealable cellophane bag.
Getting into the kits themselves, the
single biggest difference is that the Skybow kit provides a complete engine and
engine bay interior; the older kit only provides the oil pan, radiator, and
transmission. But based on experience with the WC-56/57 kit, the hood is very
difficult to remove on the Skybow kit once the mirrors and other bits are in
place (and virtually impossible when the "Patton" command flags are installed).
The bodies of the two trucks are also totally different; the Skybow kit has a
wooden floor, seats and panels; the one on the Testors kit is all metal. I have
no reference data on whether or not the production line changed the body on this
vehicle, but as production of both WC-51 and WC-52 types of vehicles ran near
40,000 units, it is not unlikely.
Both kits provide the troop seat
backs, but Testors provides the kit with a complete one-piece top in the erected
position, and the Skybow kit instead provides a set of three top bows and
longitudinal brace. Neither one provides opening storage bin lids, but both kits
come with working tailgates.
The cab interiors are actually fairly
similar, but the Skybow one has crisper and more petite details. Both use a
two-piece seat with shell and pads as separate parts. Skybow provides
underfender details, and other small bits that are not found in the older kit.
Surprisingly, both kits suffer from injection pin marks; those on the Skybow kit
are often in the midst of their "wood grain" detail, which is annoying as it is
harder to remove and replace.
Based on photos of the finished
models, the biggest difference between the two is that the Skybow one sits about
3-4" in scale lower on its chassis. I'm not sure why, but the only thing I can
think would cause that is Peerless Max basing their model on one in a museum
that may have been up on jack stands. The Skybow kit looks much closer to the
photos of the actual vehicles in service during WWII.
Again, having built both kits, the
biggest difference most newer modelers will find is that the Skybow kit just
about clicks together, with all parts fitting nearly spot on. As noted, due to
some parts being shared with at lest the WC-56/57 kit, you will have to drill
out the mounting holes in the kit part. The Testors kit is not as modeler
friendly, and the front fenders are really nebulous in their overall fit and
alignment. Likewise, the grilles on the Testors kit really look like they were
designed to be used as cellblock bars rather than simple guards for a radiator;
the Skybow ones, being state of the art, are more petite.
Overall, the difference between these
two isn't as much as I would have thought. My basic recommendation would be that
if you want a "showpiece" or centerpiece to a diorama, use the Skybow kit, as it
is ready to go right out of the box. If you want a background piece, the Testors
kit is still fine and can make a good model. By picking up the Eduard set of
etched brass, most of this kit's most egregious sins can be expunged and it can
still make a nice model.
Cookie Sewell
AMPS
February 6,
2001
Kit Review:
ROCO 1/87 Minitanks Kit No. 740; FlaK 8.8 cm; 52 parts (42 in dark grey styrene,
8 black vinyl and 2 steel axles); price between $8 and $12 depending upon
source.
Advantages:
LONG overdue kit in this scale (about 35 years!), nicely done.
Disadvantages: some serious injection pin marks to remove,
some compromises due to scale
Rating:
Highly Recommended.
Recommendation: For model railroads and small-scale German
armor fans.
On occasion you wonder why some kits
never see the light of day for a long, long period of time. The new 88 from ROCO
is such a kit, which has had me personally wondering why it took so long to
release it. The prime mover for this gun, the Sdkfz. 7 8 ton halftrack, came out
in the mid 1960s as kit No. 227. Only now, some 35 years later, does the actual
gun appear. Considering that the 15 cm came out at that time, it's surprising
the more popular (at least with modelers) 88 was ignored. Oh well, at last there
is one in this scale, and ROCO has done a nice job of it.
This is not what one could call a
miniaturized Tamiya kit, but it is easily recognizable as the FlaK 37 with
ground mount gun shield and Sd.Anh. 202 carriage. Both units are
interchangeable. It also has working outriggers, and separate sprues provide gunners
spikes, ground stakes, hand wheels, fold-down seats, and a tow bar and gun
cradle. The gun itself is accurate, but a bit disappointing as the gun,
recoiling mass, and cradle are molded as a single piece, much in the manner of
the old Airfix 1/76 scale one. There are also at least five big ejector pin
marks on the barrel and cradle; while "standing proud" and thus easy to remove,
it's surprising that ROCO's mold makers would make a retrograde move like this,
compared with some of their other nice recent kits like the Pzkw. IV. The muzzle
is also solid and will have to be drilled out, as will the breech that is also a
solid chunk of plastic.
The gun can be displayed either in
march order "Variante A" with all parts tucked up for travel, or two pins can be
removed and the gun displayed in combat order "Variante B" with stakes in the
ground and prepared for firing. Neither ammunition nor crew are included with
the gun, but Preiser figures for similar artillery weapons (the new Preiser 10.5
cm with limber and six horse team) and should be easily adapted to this gun. The
only drawback is the fact that the Sd.Kfz. 7 has never been updated other than
to mold it in sand plastic rather than olive drab, and as a result will need a
lot of work to make it into an acceptable tractor for this gun.
Still, the most recognizable weapon of
WWII is now available as a reasonably price HO scale model, and that is good
news for small-scale German fans.
Thanks to Art Wollam for the loan of
the review sample.
Cookie Sewell
AMPS
January 9,
2001
Kit Review:
DML 1/35 39-45 Series No. 6126; Sd.kfz. 184 "Elefant"; 489 parts in grey
styrene; price estimated at $39.98.
Advantages:
Fresh, new moldings of a popular subject; includes single link track; separate
engine grilles make detailing much easier.
Disadvantages: Separate link tracks; no zimmerit molded in
place (see text).
Rating:
Highly Recommended.
Recommendation: for all German tank fans.
F I R S T L
O O K
Well, after much heavy speculation on
the Internet, the good news is that the first of DML's "Mystery" kits is now on
the way to hobby shops, and the joy of German armor fans, it is a totally new
model of the "other" Tiger. While some modelers will be a bit disappointed that
the first effort from DML is the late model version of the "Elefant", and not
the early model "Ferdinand" from Kursk, rest assured, the other "mystery kit",
Number 6133, is the early model and will follow this one.
For those who remembered the first DML
Sherman variants that borrowed heavily from the Italeri M4A1 kit, this model
consists of totally new molds. While there will be those who grouse about the
now standard DML single link tracks, these are actually quite spectacular. DML
found a new method of molding the links so that they are formed without
injection pin markings on the links themselves. They will necessitate careful
removal from the sprues, however, as they are rather firmly connected (the
injection pins are on the sprue next to the links, which is how they neatly got
around that problem.)
The kit is quite different from the
old Italeri mold, and the engine deck is very involved and detailed, providing
the covered gratings via separate external grilles and an inner former with
grillwork cut into it. This compares well with the photos of the APG Elefant
during its assessment for restoration, which appeared in Museum Ordnance Special
Number 4: Elefant Panzerjaeger Tiger (P) by Tom Jentz and Jeff McKaughan. The
screening on the cooling vent over the rear electric motors (parts B9, B10, B19
and B20) is solid, however, but as it is joined to the hull at a reverse angle
below the rear of the fighting compartment, it shouldn't be a major
complaint.
The hull comes in a number of pieces,
nine, to be exact: hull with sponsons, rear sides, rear plate and bottom rear of
hull, bow plate and glacis, rear backing plate to glacis, glacis with ball
mount, engine and forward compartment deck, and casemate. All are nicely
detailed but smooth (i.e. no zimmerit paste is applied, or simulated by being
molded into the plastic.) Parts placement is by small raised lines, which some
modelers find annoying.
The suspension is totally new, and
each one of the six bogies consists of nine parts, which do not move as the
Italeri ones did. Installing the tracks once the wheels are in place is cagey
though, as the hull comes with the sponsons molded in place that makes access to
the top run difficult. DML recommends installing the tracks before the fenders
(parts B1 and B2) but most modelers will probably want to try and avoid this for
painting and finishing reasons. If you have problems with this sort of thing,
perhaps a set of Fruilmodel tracks would be advisable, as they can be "snaked"
through in this situation.
The kit also includes parts for the
8.8 cm L/71 gun to include a basic mount, recoil cylinders, and guards at the
rear of the breech. The gun mount (parts C14 and C15) appears to cement in
place, which limits traverse of the weapon once installed, but it would seem
from the entirety of the gun mount and its components that it could be left
loose to also provide the minimal traverse this big gun had in real life. The
mantelet alone comprises five parts, so that the massive bolt heads on the
joining plates can be accurately reproduced.
As noted, the model does not come with
zimmerit detail embellished on its parts. Some modelers have complained about
this, saying that "if it's on the box it should be on the kit", but most German
modelers have preferred to do it themselves and "get it right" rather than some
of the methods which kit manufacturers have to use. (The Italeri Panthers and
Tigers are a case in point; while they do replicate zimmerit paste in plastic,
it is hard to get all of the bits lined up right, and then still looks
manufactured rather than installed by hand, as on the actual vehicle.) But with
products like the Cavalier ultra-thin resin applique zimmerit or R&J's
excellent Zimmerit-it-Right product (which includes the paste and applicators)
it is not as much of a problem as they would think.
No tow cables are provided for this
kit, albeit one is shown on the box art.
Decals are provided for two machines
from Panzerjaeger Abteilung 653 in Galacia, 1944.
I suspect it will not be long before
the after-market boys have a resin interior and etched brass for this kit, and
with those additions this one can sure become a showstopper. It is as least as
nice a kit as the Jagdtiger kits were and are a great improvement over the
25-year-old Italeri kit.
Thanks to Freddie Leung of DML for the
review sample.
Cookie Sewell
AMPS
