(Originally written on Saturday, December 26, 2009 9:18 PM)
Kit Review: Dragon Models Limited (cyber-hobby.com)1/35 Scale ‘39-‘45 Series Kit No. 6474; Pz.Kpfw. III Ausf. N w/Schurzen - Smart Kit; 858 parts (599 in grey styrene, 216 "Magic Track" links, 24 etched brass, 19 clear styrene, 8 etched nickel); estimated retail price US$47.50
Advantages: changes out a number of sprues for more recent moldings; offers the schurzen with this kit
Disadvantages: kit does not come with DS tracks, which will disappoint a few modelers
Rating: Highly Recommended
Recommendation: for all WWII German fans, and anyone doing a Tiger I diorama
I was surprised when I got this kit – exactly two years after their first kit of the Pzkw. III Ausf. N was released in December 2007 – to see how much they had changed from the earlier kit. I had expected that all they would do was simply add the "Schurzen" shield option as they did with the recent StuG III Ausf. G kit; not so.
Even though this kit only has about 20 more parts than its first release (No. 6431) did, DML has replaced or changed eight sprues for parts from the Ausf. M kit or the Pzkw. IV Ausf. H kit, as well as add some other bits as well. They now include the full plastic turret "schurzen" array as well as four etched nickel panels per side for the last variants of this tank.
The hull pan is a later one minus the side hatches and other detail changes. It retains the full torsion bar suspension from the other kit and the detailed suspension components and muffler assembly. As with the StuG all hatches are separate with some interior details and can be positioned as the modeler chooses. All engine deck ventilators are spaced and mounted on separate frames to get the correct appearance and "lift" needed to give an accurate representation of the original.
The kit provides options for blackout or clear headlight lenses and the "kugel" mount for the bow machine gun. All viewports and viewers may be positioned open or closed as well.
Once again this kit includes the rudiments of an interior, which accurate as far as they go. This should please the "after market boys" as there is more than enough room for a nice resin interior here and enough ports and hatches to see it.
This kit continues to offer DML "Magic Link" single link 40 cm tracks. As I have noted many modelers hope for DS tracks to simplify assembly (e.g. two parts to 216) but the tracks provided are correct and the best single link tracks for assembly going. Also the kit only comes with a modicum of etched brass - mostly grilles, brackets and the track guides for the idler wheels.
The kit provides five finishing options: 2nd, 6th and 18th Panzer Divisions, all at Kursk 1943; Panzerbrigade Norwegen, Norway 1945 (three color splotches); and Pz.Abt. 212, Western Front 1944 (sand brown with brown patches). All markings are targeted and from Cartograf.
Overall this is a better version of the Ausf. N and sure to find popularity with Tiger modelers as well.
Thanks to Freddie Leung for the review sample.
Cookie Sewell
Sprue breakout:
A 91 Pzkw III J hull details and turret mounting
A 61x2 StuG III Wheels and torsion bars (7 mini-sprues connected)
B 46 StuG III Road wheel arms and lower hull details
C 41 Pzkw III J applique armor and details
D 31 StuG III basic upper hull details
D 34 Pzkw III turret details
E 15 Pzkw III J turret and mantelet details
F 2 Pzkw. III M/N - fenders
G 9 Pzkw III mantlet details
G 18 StuG III OVM and light components
G 54 StuG III fender and smoke grenade launcher parts
G 52 Pzkw IV F - turret and hull details
H 29 Pzkw III M/N upper hull and engine deck
H 1 Lower hull pan
J 8 Machine guns and muzzles
L 19 Pzkw. IV L/24 gun
M 23 Pzkw IV H cupola
15 Pzkw IV F Clear styrene
P 4 Clear styrene
R 44 Pzkw III M/N turret schurzen array, brackets
Y 144 Magic Track - Left
Z 144 Magic Track - Right
MA 24 Etched brass
MB 8 Etched nickel
(Originally written on Saturday, December 26, 2009 9:15 PM)
Kit Review: AFV Club 1/35 Scale Kit No. 35S57; T-34/76 Model 1942/43 Factory No. 183 - Special Edition; 475 parts (439 in grey styrene, 11 clear styrene, 10 in black styrene, 10 steel springs, 2 black vinyl tracks, 1 black nylon string, 1 turned aluminum barrel, 1 etched brass); estimated retail price US$50
Advantages: complete interior with clear styrene parts to show it off; neatly done details with very nicely broken down parts
Disadvantages: minor glitches in design and features (see text)
Rating: Highly Recommended
Recommendation: for all Soviet and ‘34 fans
AFV Club has now released the third in its T-34 series – the most widely built variant, the Factory No. 183 designed Model 1942 or "Gayka" (hexnut) turret version. As before it comes in a regular (AF 35144) and a special limited clear (AF 35S57) version, of which this review is focused on the latter.
Essentially this kit uses most of the parts from the previous two kits (the T-34 Model 1941 Factory No. 112 kit - AF 35143 – and T-34-85 Factory No. 183 – AF 35145) with three new or modified sprues for the new turret and details and for the pre-April 1943 revision to the road wheel design. The latter used cast road wheels with rubber tires at the first and fifth road wheel stations and cast internally buffered road wheels on stations 2, 3 and 4. The kit provides them, happily with the "hard" styrene black tires and not vinyl.
As with the previous two kits AFV Club has stayed conservative. It does come with actual steel springs for the Christie suspension units; these seem much weaker and should be easier to install without 20 or more fingers. If installed carefully the complete suspension works.
As it shares parts it shares details. Detailing starts with the floor and moves forward. Separate details abound in the control (drivers’) compartment and include rodding for the foot pedals. Ammo racks are provided with only half a shell; however, since this cements to the ammo rack trays for single rounds, it is a smart way to ensure you can paint the round AND the rack with a minimum of grief. Seats are neatly done with separate thigh pads and even machine gun racks look the part.
The V-2 engine is complete, but is one of the few areas in the model where AFV Club still continues to make a mistake. In the first kit somebody put the original 1940-early 1941 air cleaner (sort of like that from an older American car with a carburetor) on top of the engine (parts A31/A32) but then includes the later "cyclone" type air cleaners behind the transmission firewall. While the first kit did have a changeover from one to the other all of the later kits use the "cyclone" types. I have seen one individual expound on the Internet about such an arrangement being in use, but the factory blueprints for these tanks do not support that claim. As before the latter are not only correct but necessary as the exhaust pipes attach to them on the way to the exhaust outlets in the rear of the hull.
The transmission comes with the odd "ribbon brakes" in place on each final drive/lateral clutch assembly (A43-A46) and the fan is a four-piece marvel of the moldmaker’s craft. Note that the main clutch is in the center of the fan.
The radiators each consist of three parts and fit as required next to the engine.
While the model still comes with three different options for the idlers and drivers (1940, 1941, 1942 and beyond) only the B33/B37 for the idler and B9/B13 for the driver are the most accurate.
The tracks are a bit thin and floppy, so most modelers may want to use an after-market set for this kit. The AFV Club tracks are nicely done (Set AF 35173) and will be a good upgrade for this kit.
The upper hull, stern plate, turret halves, and roof are all molded in clear styrene. This is slightly marred by ejection pin marks on the inside of the rear fenders, the stern plate and the turret roof; removing them will take careful sanding, buffing and a touch-up with Future or Johnson’s Klear.
All radiator louvers - intake and exhaust – are positionable, but the rear deck is solid so if you wish to display it you will have to leave the covers (D53, D54, D5) loose. There is a single etched grille for D5 which is a good choice. The kit comes with spare track but seems to have lost one of the "toothed" links in the process; the links bolt to the ends of the fender with one "flat" link on the bottom and one "toothed" link tooth up above it. The kit has two "flats" on the right and a single "toothed" on the left. Possible, but an odd choice.
The turret is nicely done and comes with a very complete F-34 gun breech and coaxial DT machine gun back end. There are details everywhere you look, but the clear plastic turret will cause some problems when completed due to attaching the parts to the inside.
Five finishing options come with the kit, two in 4BO green and three in white: "Khabarvoskiy Kolkhoznik", winter of 1942 (red name on whitewash with green lower hull); White 163, Kharkov, winter of 1943 (white with green patch for bort number); "Chelyabinskiye Kolkhozniki", Kursk, February 1943 (4BO with name in white); Winter 1943 (whitewash overall); Panzergrenadier Division, Brandenburg, East Prussia 1945 (whitewash with "4519" and black outline crosses.
Design of this kit is credited to "Team Niitakayama".
Overall this is a super effort and other than the continuing air cleaner kerfluffle is a winner.
Thanks to Miin Herng Tsueng for the review sample.
Cookie Sewell Sprue Layout:
A 75 Engine, transmission, radiators
B 76x2 Suspension, drivers, idlers
C 84 Hull and control compartment interior details
D 76 Hull and turret interior details, engine deck
E 30 Turret details, rear lower hull plate
F 4 Model 1942 "Gayka" Turret (clear styrene)
G 10x2 Wheels and wheel centers
H 6 Clear Styrene
I 5x2 Tires
J - Decals, black nylon string
L 2 Black vinyl tracks
M 1 Lower hull pan
N 1 Upper hull (clear styrene)
O 1 Etched metal
S 10 Steel springs
U 1 Turned brass barrel
(Originally written on Saturday, December 26, 2009 9:13 PM)
Kit Review: AFV Club 1/35 scale Kit No. AF 35S59; Upgrade Equipment for "Stryker" Series; 184 parts (141 in olive drab styrene, 25 etched brass, 18 clear styrene); estimated price US$16-20
Advantages: nice, clean detail parts to upgrade Trumpeter kits and replace weak spots in those kits
Disadvantages: redundant parts for AFV Club kits as sprues are included in those kits
Rating: Recommended
Recommendation: for anyone wanting improved details on Trumpeter kits
There are times that a kit of upgrade parts comes out and one has to wonder what the subject needing upgrade actually was supposed to be. This is one of them, as for the most part these are standard sprues in the AFV Club line of Stryker combat vehicle family kits. The only possible function I see for them is an upgrade to some of the lesser parts in the Trumpeter kits (such as Kit No. AF 35157 which is a much better M151 RWS for the infantry Stryker variant than what comes in the Trumpeter kit).
The sprues inside the box are from previous AFV Club Stryker kits: the basic infantry Stryker (AF 35126), the MGS (AF 35128), the M1130 CV/TACP command vehicle (AF 35130) and the M1134 ATGM launcher (AF35134). As they are all present in the basic kits, unless you flubbed one of the parts from your kit and need a replacement they probably will not do you much good except as spares. There is a special sheet of etched brass included but only one part is indicated as used (M1, which is an antenna base).
Overall this kit may be of use if you need two nice machine guns and a tow bar or small details for modern US vehicles, but other than that it is only of use to upgrade Trumpeter kits.
Thanks to Miin Herng Tsueng for the review sample.
Cookie Sewell
Sprue Layout:
G 16 AF35128 - M2HB .50 cal machine gun
J 18 AF35126 - (clear styrene) viewers and headlights
N 39 AF 35130 - antenna fittings, electronic details
N 31 AF35128 - tow bar, hull fittings, suspension guards, spare wheel
M 25 AF 35S59 - etched brass
P 55 AF35134 - attached details, M240B 7.62mm machine gun, spare wheel
(Originally written on Saturday, December 26, 2009 9:11 PM)
Kit Review: AFV Club 1/350 scale Kit No. SE 73505; German U-Boat Type VII D Minenleger; 81 parts (66 in olive drab styrene, 15 etched brass); price estimated at US$30
Advantages: choice of waterline or full hull model; very petite details; optional "lift-off" feature for pressure hull
Disadvantages: very petite parts easily broken
Rating: Highly Recommended
Recommendation: to any 1/350 modeler who wants either a sub or diorama subject
AFV Club continues with their line of WWII German U-boats with the long-hulled Typ VII D U-boot, which was built as a mine layer. The sub had five mine carrying compartments added amidships and based on source could carry from 15 to 35 mines for laying. Later the Germans used this hull design to create the Typ VII F, which carried extra torpedoes for reloading other U-boats.
Like the previous B and C it is petite, but as it is the "long hull" it measures some 3 cm longer at 22 cm. The molded detail on this submarine is amazing – as before it too shares the B sprue with the VII B kit – and it offers the ability to open up the completed hull and view the pressure hull and conning tower protrusion once finished.
But this kit only comes with one conning tower and no optional "Wintergarten" fits for the antiaircraft suite.
The model provides a wealth of tiny details in the form of most of the braces, brackets and guards found on the original and even provides for rotation of the deck gun on the finished model. All parts appear to be nearly scale, which causes a normal problem with AFV Club kits of very fragile and tiny parts requiring extreme care in handling them.
Four torpedoes are provided for diorama fans wanting port details to go with the model. It also provides "kill pennants" for ships sunk in etched brass.
This kit offers finishing options for either U-213, U-216 or U-218 with conning tower decals for each ship.
Overall this is again a neat little model and one that will help anyone wishing to model either a "wolfpack" or a collection of German U-boat types. Bet on the Type VII F to follow!
Thanks to Miin Herng Tsueng for the review sample.
Cookie Sewell
Sprue Layout:
A 12 Lower hull, pressure hull,
B 45 Type VII B base, deck guns, hull details
C 9 Type VII D upper hull, details, conning tower
M 14 Etched brass
(Originally written on Saturday, December 26, 2009 9:08 PM)
Kit Review: AFV Club 1/350 scale Kit No. SE 73507; Japanese Navy Submarine I-58; 107 parts (69 in grey styrene, 29 etched brass, 7 clear styrene, 1 dull red styrene, 1 vinyl cap); estimated retail price US$30
Advantages: first plastic kit of this vessel in this scale; nicely done details and brass finishings, Glen nicely done
Disadvantages: early war configuration may disappoint some modelers
Rating: Highly Recommended
Recommendation: for all WWII and IJN fans
Of all Japanese submarines, perhaps I-58 holds a more famous (or infamous) one in US eyes due to the fact that it was this submarine which sank the cruiser USS Indianapolis in July 1945, eventually resulting in the deaths of all but about 300 of her crew and the court-martial and conviction of her captain. At that time I-58 had been modified to become a "Kaiten" midget submarine carrier and according to Japanese sources even had two Kaiten embarked when she sank the Indianapolis (misidentified as "an Idaho class battleship"). The sub was impounded at the end of the war and scuttled in 1946.
AFV Club has now released this kit of I-58, which shares some sprues with the earlier I-19 kit (No. 73506). The I-19 was a Type B1 sub and the I-58 a Type B2 (or B3, based on source) modified fleet submarine. Like the earlier I-19 the I-58 carries an E14Y1 "Glen" two-seat floatplane and comes with the fittings for that aircraft. But as noted the kit only provides for its early "as built" condition and not the late war mother sub configuration of July 1945.
As before the kit permits building the sub as either full hull (with a stand and nameplate in English and Japanese) or waterline. The full hull version also provides a pressure hull for the ship and six "Long Lance" torpedoes. Most of the small details are provided for in styrene but others are only available in etched brass. These include the aircraft handling crane, catapult rails, handrails, and other small details.
The hull is beautifully done with flood holes and the various ports and details on the bottom as well as a working rudder.
The Glen comes in clear styrene with an etched brass propeller, struts and catapult cradle. It even includes two tiny 114 kg bombs under the wings.
Early war markings and painting instructions are included with "hinomaru" markings on the sail and full markings for the Glen.
Overall this is another great sub kit from AFV Club but I think some modelers would have liked to see it in its July 1945 configuration.
Thanks to Minn Herng Tsueng for the review sample.
Cookie Sewell
Sprue Layout:
A 1 Lower hull
A 56 Pressure hull, planes, rudder, details
B 1 Upper hull
B 4 Sail, nameplate
C 8 Foredeck, sail deck, sides
D 7 Clear styrene - E14Y1 "Glen"
M 29 Etched brass
1 Vinyl keeper
(Originally written on Friday, December 18, 2009 9:46 PM)
Kit Review: Hobby Boss 1/35 scale Kit No. 82440; ZTZ 99B MBT; 431 parts (417 in grey styrene, 8 vinyl caps, 6 etched brass); retail price US$48.99
Advantages: first kit of this vehicle in styrene; nicely done details such as road wheels; etched brass included
Disadvantages: single link tracks will be tedious to fit
Rating: Highly Recommended
Recommendation: for all PLA or Modern Armor fans
There are two tanks in the world today which are based on the Soviet T-72 but are not actual copies of that tank: the North Korean Po’kpoong-Ho (Storm Tiger) which uses T-72 configuration but T-62 parts, and the Chinese ZTZ-96 series tanks which use T-72 components with a new hull and turret.
Chinese armor design history actually begins in 1956 when the PRC bought a number of Soviet T-54A tanks and then the rights to build them under license. This tank, the WZ-120 or Type 59, began production in 1957. Essentially the production tanks were no different than the originals and as many as 10,000 were built in China (at Baotou by NORINCO). In the 1960s the Chinese modified the vehicle up to the same standards as the Soviet T-55, but with few external changes other than new headlight assemblies. This tank, the WZ-121 or Type 69, was built in several models to include the domestic Type 69-I and -III and the export Type 69-II with a copy of the British L7 gun (105mm).
The tank continued to evolve through the Type 79 (WZ-120D) in 1984, Type 80 (ZTZ-80) in that same year with a new six-road-wheel suspension, the Type 88 (ZTZ-88) in 1989, the Type 85 with a new turret in the same year, the Type 85-II in 1989 and finally the Type 85-IIM with a 125mm gun and autoloader. (ZTZ is the new Chinese designator for main battle tanks, and stands for "zhu zhan tanke" or main battle tank.
This pretty much expended the "stretch" in the basic T-54A design, and the next series of tanks were based on the T-72M tank. (A copy of the T-62, the WZ-122, was not accepted for service or placed in production). The next tank, the Type 90-II, appeared in 1991. It was a new design but borrowed heavily on the T-72M with its road wheel copied from that tank along with a 125mm gun and autoloader. A derivative of this design, the Al-Khalid, was sold to Pakistan along with production rights.
The next full model was the WZ-123 or ZTZ-96, which was the transitional mechanical model between the T-54A and T-72M designs. An improved version, the ZTZ-98, was first publically shown in 1999 at the PRC 50th Anniversary Parade. This tank was longer and lower than the T-72M it was based on, and used several innovative features such as a laser blinder for use against ATGM teams. This tank evolved into the ZTZ-99. which appears to be the family which the Chinese will make their new standard tank system.
There are at least three models of the tank in service (albeit in small numbers): the ZTZ-99A, which is based on the T-72M with a copy of the German MTU MB 870 V engine (1500 HP), a ZTB-98 125mm gun (equivalent to the 2A46M) with the ability to fire a Chinese made version of the 9M119 "Refleks" antitank guided missile, and other modifications. The ZTZ-99A1 is the same tank but now fitted with modified armor and a Chinese copy of "Kontakt-5" reactive armor protection. The latest variant, the ZTZ-99B, uses a Chinese copy of "Relikt" second generation reactive armor protection on the hull and built into the turret face, and more reactive armor on the sides of the turret. This tank was publically shown in August 2009 at the PRC’s 60th Anniversary Parade.
The main difference in this case is the fact that the ZTZ-99 series are the first tanks in the world fielded with first replaceable modular armor on the front of the turret and now built-in reactive armor in those modules. This essentially means any ZTZ-99 can be upgraded to the latest level of turret protection in a matter of a few hours (there is some suspicion they bought the design from KBTM in Omsk). It has the 125mm gun (now reportedly equivalent to the Russian 2A46M5 variant), a 7.62mm coaxial machine gun, a 12.7mm AA MG and the laser blinding system.
Hobby Boss has now released kits of the ZTZ-96, ZTZ-96A, ZTZ-99 and ZTZ-99B. These are the first in a series of modern PLA equipment and join previously released kits of the ZLC-2000 and ZBD-04 infantry combat vehicles, and are due to be followed by at least nine more wheeled and tracked armored vehicles (Trumpeter and Bronco are also doing new build PLA vehicles as well).
The ZTZ-99B kit is nicely done and very conventionally laid out as a model kit; anyone familiar with DML or Trumpeter kits will have no problems with this kit. The parts are well thought through on their breakdown and permit Hobby Boss to use the same parts for four different kits with only minor sprue swaps required.
There are the usual quirks found in most model kits. The "blade" type shock absorbers (similar to the Russian ones, parts A15) do not connect to the road wheel arms so the connecting rods will have to be added from scratch. The road wheels have vinyl inserts to permit movement but the drivers and idlers are fixed.
The kit comes with single link tracks that replicate the "asphalt" or "street" tracks as were used in the parade; these all have rubber pads on their outer faces. "In action" photos of ZTZ-99 series tanks show they also have a set of combat tracks with steel faced cleats that look very similar to US T80 series tracks from WWII and Korea. Each track link comes with the end connectors in place and a hollow guide tooth; I do not have sufficiently detailed photos to see if this is correct or not but it seems to match the photos I do have.
The entire glacis reactive armor array is a single piece (H19) and installs at one shot. It appears to be designed to fit over the glacis fittings left over from the ZTZ-96 and ZTZ-98 designs with no modification required. The lights and other glacis details mount on it or through it once in place. Note that all six etched brass grilles have to be installed at this time as well.
The fenders are separate which is good, but then the sponson bins and fuel tanks each consist of one piece which mounts on the fenders (at least this means there are no Tamiya-esque open sponsons below the fenders!) As these are not slide molded, the exhaust assemblies have to be installed separately (H15 and H16).
The kit comes with all of the details needed for the 99B turret to include two single-piece reactive armor arrays at the rear; each of them has an interior liner which is correct, and for simplicity’s sake the bars of the rear turret basket sides are molded to the inner parts of the assemblies. The turret also has the laser blinder device which goes behind the gunner’s hatch on the left side of the turret and a combination wind sensor/laser illumination warning mast behind the commander’s hatch. Ten individual barrels for smoke grenade launchers form four assemblies (two fours and two singles) for the sides of the turret, and the lift rings for the frontal armor modules are provided as separate parts as well. The QJC-88 machine gun (a lightweight Chinese redesign of the famous "Dushka") comes on a separate sprue and consists of 14 parts in its own right.
The main gun comes in two halves with a muzzle cap but appears to be close to scale, even though it could use some TLC such as bolts and other fittings. The mantlet comes with a molded on canvas cover but from what the directions show elevates and depresses, so some modelers may wish to use putty to fair it into the turret face once it has been set at the desired angle. All crew hatches may be positioned as desired, and the commander’s and gunner’s hatches come with at least minimal interior details. (Finding a crew for it is another story!)
There are some areas where the kit skimps a bit, but for the most part the work in its design is yeomanlike and will pass muster with most critics. There are only eight bits of etched brass and no clear styrene for fans of those materials. Modelers looking for fast projects will have to accept the fact that this kit has single-link tracks and they will have to be installed as there are no alternatives. One could try to fit a pair of Italeri M47 tracks to it if they could put up with the incorrect center guides, but they are going to be too short; ditto using two sets of AFV Club T80E1 tracks for the M26/M26A1/M46 tanks (the tracks are about 595-600mm or right at 17mm – a scale 23 inches).
The kit comes with a large decal sheet and markings for at least three different tanks: I - tank 405, exercise "Northern Sword" 0607 (S); II - tank 202, "Peace Mission" 2009; and III - tank 01-02, PRC 60th Anniversary Commemorative Parade, August 2009. The first two are in the standard PLA three-color camouflage (sand, olive green and olive drab) but the Parade tank is in the "digitalized" camouflage which debuted during the parade. Color sheets are provided for all three and a 1/35 scale black and white sheet is provided with the digital pattern laid out on it for the brave soul who wants to attempt it! The "Peace Mission" 2009 tank is the most colorful as it comes with Chinese national flags and regimental insignia which go on the ERA packages on the sides of the turret rear as well as Chinese red stars on the front faces.
Overall this model fills the bill and is a very nice kit of one of the latest main battle tanks in the world today.
Cookie Sewell
Sprue layout:
A 75x2 Wheels, suspension, external hull fittings
B 2 Fender skirts
C 2 Fenders
D 69 Sponson bins, gun, hull details and fittings
H 23 Turret base, reactive armor, fittings
TB 12x14 Single link tracks
U1 14 QJC-88 12.7mm machine gun
1 Upper hull
1 Lower hull
1 Turret shell
18 Vinyl caps
6 Etched brass
(Originally written on Saturday, December 12, 2009 4:20 PM)
Kit Review: Dragon Models Limited 1/35 scale ‘39-‘45 Series Kit No. 6563; "Fragile Alliance" Axis Forces Balkans 1943; 127 parts (124 in grey styrene, 3 etched brass); retail price US$10.95
Advantages: four new figure poses including one Italian soldier
Disadvantages: "Comic Opera" poses of two figures odd to understand
Rating: Recommended
Recommendation: for German and Italian WWII fans
It is pretty well known that the cooperation between German and Italian forces in WWII was pretty much what could be considered a "shotgun marriage" in that neither one particularly liked or trusted the other. The Italians did not have the equipment or training to stand up before the Allies and the Italians seemed to feel that in any battle the Germans would sacrifice them first rather than German forces. This was the same in Russia, North Africa, the Balkans and Greece, and eventually in Italy itself.
This new set of figures from DML provides for this sort of tension, as it presents an Italian soldier and three obvious SS troops (with the now common CE nod of no runes or directly identifiable insignia on the box art) having a discussion.
Nominally figures tend to come in two types of poses - "action" where the figures are doing something of a combat nature and "static" where they are standing around or relaxed. But in this case, whereas two of the SS figures are standing and observing, the Italian and the SS NCO are having an argument. But the poses are pure "Comic Opera" ones which look straight out of Central Casting for WWII Warner Brothers films! The Italian is "talking with his hands" (my bet, having grown up with Italian-Americans, is that it starts off with "A ba ..." but we will not go there) and the German’s pose is reminiscent of the arrogant pilot in "Sahara" ("Ja, Ja, Tobruk kaput!") I am not sure how popular these two will be but they are pretty much stereotypes which is unfortuante.
Mechanically each of the figures is DML "Gen1" – head, torso, arms and legs, plus accessories. Weapons are provided for each nationality and a good variety is included. The SS men come with what looks to be an oil can, a magazine rack for machine gun drums, and what appears to be a German Merimite can (an insulated carrier for hot food, in German service usually for soup). Both of the casual soldiers are wearing smocks and helmets, the Italian is in a mountain-style uniform with high socks, and the petulant NCO is in standard field dress.
Artwork is by Carlos Chaga. Directions on this kit are "stick here" with a reproduction of the box art for color reference.
Overall it appears while DML still produces the best figure sets in plastic around they may be running short of German subjects – perhaps they could turn their attention to other sets such as Commonwealth tankers or artillerymen, which are still in short supply.
Thanks to Freddie Leung for the review sample.
Cookie Sewell
Sprue Layout:
6563 41 Four figures and basic kit
G 60 German kit (helmets, ammo pouches, canteens, bread bags, etc.)
MA 3 Etched brass
W 14 German weapons - 4 x Kar 98K, 3 x MP-40
WA 5 Italian Generic Weapons - Carcano carbine, Beretta submachine gun, light MG
4 German entrenching tools
(Originally written on Saturday, December 12, 2009 4:03 PM)
Kit Review: Dragon Models Limited 1/35 scale ‘39-‘45 Series Kit No. 6556; Pz.Kpfw. IV Ausf. J Mid Production (August-September 1944) - Smart Kit; 1,089 parts (717 in grey styrene, 288 "Magic Track" links, 58 etched brass, 15 clear styrene, 10 etched nickel, 1 twisted steel wire); retail price US$49.95
Advantages: wide release of a J with choice of either early or late exhaust systems; includes AA MG
Disadvantages: still comess with "Magic Track" links; no zimmerit paste
Rating: Highly Recommended
Recommendation: for all German and Pzkw. IV fans
Hot on the heels of the somewhat lukewarm cyber-hobby.com Pzkw. IV Ausf. J Early Production limited release kit (No. 43 - No. 6549) DML has now released a more widely accepted and better known variant of the Pkzw. IV Ausf. J. Essentially this kit differs from the first release by including the later "flammenvernichter" (flame suppressor) twin exhausts, adds the later style return rollers (with four per side still in the kit), the close in defense weapon, and the later antiaircraft/commander’s machine gun. It also provides the mesh floors for the rear "schurtzen" to turn it into a de facto bustle rack. This adds another 48 parts to the earlier kit but retains nearly all of the parts from it.
As I noted in the previous kit review this kit has a new upper hull core and details as well as a new turret shell with the representative modifications. The kit retains the the complete "Schuertzen" stand-off plate arrangement from the H, using the same system from the StuG III and Sturmpanzer IV kits with etched nickel plates for the track runs and a set of plastic moldings for the turret. These are credibly thin and also permit posing the side doors in the open position for access to the turret. But this kit now provides the later "blind" hatches for the turret as to the best of my knowledge they were dropped when the "Schuertzen" became factory standard.
Construction remains the same. However, as the tanks evolved so do the kits and there are a lot of parts which need to be drilled out for specific options; alas, as usual, DML rams the directions into a single multi-fold sheet and the word "busy" does not begin to describe them. You will need to look them over several times BEFORE starting the kit to check what has to be drilled out and for what options.
As with the earlier kits this kit has another new hull pan which is complete less the stern plates, separate final drives, and much of the surface detail simulates screw or bolt holes; it also has an applique lower glacis plate. Drivers now consist of only four parts; the separate bolts are gone. Bogies are now nine piece affairs without separate tires. New details are provided for the tow hook at the rear of the hull as well.
The upper hull again consists of a deck and framework with applique sides, front and rear engine intake components and fenders. Note that the sides of the upper hull (parts E21 and E28) need to have holes drilled in them in Step 8 for the "Schuertzen" brackets. As this is a transitional model you have a choice between the early model muffler with a central tube section and six add-on parts to complete it along with a "slide molded" exhaust pipe or "Slide Molded" late flame suppressors.
All ports and hatches are separate parts so they can be posed open. While no interior components for the lower hull are yet present, the hull still provides a rudimentary firewall for the engine compartment, and the various vents and louvers are also posable either open or closed. The bow also comes with a well-done machine gun and ball mount. Note that all ports have clear styrene inserts as well.
The turret is relatively conventional in its parts breakdown, but the KwK 40 is unique. The barrel is nearly complete in regard to length, being trapped between the recoil cylinders at the rear and slid through the armored recoil cover and barrel jacket before having the muzzle brake installed; this is only in styrene, but a metal part could be provided later in an upgrade set. The new commander’s cupola now consists of 22 parts and also a mount is provided for the AA MG-34 machine gun which is included. Other than the gun and cupola there is still only a minimal interior for the turret, however.
Etched brass is kept to a minimum and only covers items such as the engine air intake louvers, the inner guides of the idler wheels, some small brackets, and the flaps for the engine air intakes on the sides of the rear deck. As noted it is not the same as provided in the cyber-hobby.com kit and comes with the "floor" mesh for the turret "schurtzen".
Tracks are the "Magic Track" snap-together-then-cement type, and modelers are advised to recall that when facing the head card the left side track links are on the left and right are on the right. So far no DS plastic tracks have been provided in any Pzkw. IV kit. As I have stated before there is nothing wrong with the "Magic Track" links other than they are tedious to assemble, and the DS ones are now more popular with modelers who do not want to spend several hours making up the tracks or trying to figure out how to paint them (as DS ones can be painted off the model and installed later).
Four finishing options are provided along with a targeted set of Cartograf decals: "Lustmolch" (Lecher), Pz.Abt. 115, 15th Panzergrenadier Division, Champs, Belgium 1944 (tricolor with black crosses); Pz.Abt. 2111, 111th Panzer Brigade, Eastern France 1944 (two color stripe pattern, red 111); Unidentified Unit, Western Front 1944 ("ambush" scheme, black 721); and French 1er Groupe Mobile de Reconnaissance, FFI, St. Nazaire 1945 (tri-color, "Ile de France"). There has been a considerable amount of argument about "Lustmolch" on the Internet as to whether or not it had zimmerit (consensus appears to be yes) and the later exhaust system (consensus appears to be maybe). I do not have sufficient information on that vehicle to provide any assistance. However, as these tanks were built during the period when zimmerit was phased out some photos show them with it and some without, so I suggest getting good photo references for a specific vehicle.
Technical assistance was provided by Notger Schlegtendal, Tom Cockle and Gary Edmundson.
Overall this is a nice kit but note that DML left themselves "wiggle room" for two more variants – the Late or Final Production J with simplified design features (such as three return rollers) and the version with mesh "schurtzen".
Thanks to Freddie Leung for the review sample.
Cookie Sewell
Sprue Layout:
A 37x2 Pzkw. IV Generic drivers, idlers and return rollers
A 81x2 Pzkw. IV Generic road wheels and bogies
B 17 Brummbaer - front glacis details
B 44 Pzkw. IV Generic turret base and details, gun breech
C 35 Pzkw. IV Ausf. J detail parts
D 49 Jadgpanzer IV/70 - flammenvernichter exhausts, return rollers
E 43 Pzkw. IV Ausf. H turret details and applique
G 46 Brummbaer - side brackets and Schuertzen mounts
G 29 Turret and hull ports
H 57 Engine deck and details
J 7 German Generic Jack
J 8 MG-34 machine gun
J1 1 Pzkw. IV Ausf. J upper hull core
J2 1 Pzkw. IV Ausf. J turret shell
K 2 Pzkw. IV Ausf. H fenders
K 10 German Generic Antenna and tail light set
L 17 Pzkw. IV Ausf. H turret Schuertzen
L 8 Pzkw. IV spare road wheels
L 144 "Magic Track" left side
M 24 Pzkw. IV Ausf. H cupola
M 15 clear styrene
N 25 Pzkw. IV Ausf. H Schuertzen hangers and mounts
P 33 Pzkw. IV Ausf. H engine grilles and vents
Q 6 Spare track links
R 8 Three muzzle brake styles
R 144 "Magic Track" right side
X 1 Lower hull pan
Z 1 Twisted metal wire
MA 58 Etched brass
MB 5 Etched nickel shields
MC 5 Etched nickel shields
TG 3 Close-in defense weapon
WC 7 German Generic Weapons - MG-34
(Originally written on Thursday, December 03, 2009 8:09 PM)
Kit Review: Dragon Models Limited 1/35 Scale ‘39-‘45 Kit Number 6579; M4 DV - Smart Kit;
573 parts (507 in grey styrene, 41 etched brass, 22 clear styrene, 2 DS plastic track runs, 1 length of twisted steel wire); retail price US$47.50 via Dragon USA online
Advantages: virtually new kit with many new sprues replaced; permits building the model "as delivered" or with field modifications and upgrades
Disadvantages: some minor quirks here and there
Rating: Highly Recommended
Recommendation: for all American Sherman fans
One of the oddities of the Sherman tank was the fact that the M4, while being numerically the first of the family per US Army nomenclature, was not the first one into production. That honor went to its cast-hull near twin, the M4A1, in February 1942. The M4 did not enter production until September 1942 with the result that a number of "lessons learned" had been incorporated into the tanks and it benefitted from several changes made to the M4A1 series tanks.
It used the initial production "heavy duty" bogie assemblies with a new flat return roller mount behind the bogie body and a slightly improved skid plate on top of the bogie (the early ones were semi-circular, this one now had a lobe facing the front). They used the "solid spoke" welded wheels with "spoke" type idlers and machined ("fancy") driver rings and the T41 reversible tracks. It did not have the bow machine guns which were part of the original design (and fielded on the early M4A1 tanks) and also had two more ventilators than the M4A1.
The tanks were fielded with the M3 75mm gun so never had the short-barreled M2 with counterweight as was fitted to some of the M4A1 tanks. As built the tanks used the M34 gun mount with a small mantlet over the pivot point and opening for the gun itself ("rotor shield") and only slots for the coaxial machine gun and (later in production) a gunner’s telescopic sight. Later the shield was fitted with protective "ears" and a small mantlet was provided separately for the machine gun. Ultimately this was replaced by the full width mantlet of the M34A1 mount.
DML has now added a kit of the early production M4 with direct vision (DV) ports to its stable of kits, and they have made numerous changes in their molds with this kit. Many of the now familiar DML suspension parts now appear on new sprues and in new combinations, with some general cleanup and modification being apparent.
There are some sprues shared with the M4A1 DV and Sherman II kits which were released last year. The turret comes with several options, including a choice of M34 gun mount without "ears", M34 mount with "ears", add-on armor protection for the coaxial machine gun with the M34 mount, or the M34A1 mount. This variant, however, uses just the the straight M34 mount.
The hull is completely new top and bottom, and a "slide molded" three-piece transmission cover is also new to the family. As the hull replicates the initial production tanks, it also has a 90 degree stern plate on the upper hull (the 8-10 degree ones did not come into production until later in the run). DV viewers consist of a separate slit plate and positionable armored cover. Specific details include either an open or closed set of engine access doors at the rear of the hull. The kit comes with the early "square" air cleaners as well.
The kit comes with two completely different suspensions, the early "flat-top" return rollers and also the later "upswept" rollers. The main reason for that is to provide both complete sets of "solid welded" or "six spoke" wheels and the welded "spoke" wheels and idlers. While the directions show the model with "spoke" wheels photos show it with "solid" wheels and "spoke" idlers, so you have some choices here. The kit again provides a set of single-run DS plastic early T41 rubber pad tracks with non-reversible pads; while they appear to be a bit thin, this is apparently correct and one reason the reversible T51 links were adopted soon after the war began.
As noted the brass set for this kit is far smaller and only covers the fender tips, light guards, grouser vents and engine vent, and tool tie-downs and straps. The new design headlight guards (e.g. easier to fold and install) come complete with a folding jig as a separate part on the hull sprue. However, the styrene ones are respectably thin and could pass muster as is.
A set of brass straps and tie-downs for the OVM (tools) are provided but the modeler will have to clean off the molded ones to use them. Also, the kit provides an "as issued" M2HB .50 caliber machine gun which is nicely done.
Finishing directions and markings are included for only two tanks: "3rd Armored Division", the Gustav Line, Italy 1944; or 753rd Tank Battalion, The Gustav Line, Italy 1944. The first is an error; 3rd Armored Division did not enter combat until July 1944, and it is likely the reference was to the 3rd Infantry ("Rock of the Marne") Division which did fight in Italy.TWo small sheets of Cartograf decals (targeted and "number jungle" bumper codes) are provided.
Technical assistance is credited to Pawel Krupowicz.
Overall , this is the counterpoise to the M4A1/Sherman II kits and fills in another niche for the die-hard "Shermaholics."
Thanks to Freddie Leung for the review sample.
Cookie Sewell
Sprue Breakout:
A 94 M4A2/A3 hull details
B 63 M4 series low bustle turret with M34 and M34A1 gun mounts
C 29 M4A1 DV stern plate and air filters
C 22 Clear styrene
D 16x2 M4 suspension - "spoke" wheels, upswept roller arms
E 10 M4 three-piece transmission cover
E 11 M4 Normandy supplemental armor package
F 12 M4A1 DV engine deck details
G 25 M4 Normandy hatches and viewer guards
H 7 M4 DV inner mantlet and vision block covers
H 1 M4 DV upper hull (90 degree stern plate)
J 12 M2 .50 caliber machine gun and accessories
S 1 twisted steel wire
V 105x2 VVSS Bogie - "solid welded" wheels, straight return roller arm
X 1 Lower hull for radial engined M4 tanks
Z 2 T41 track type DS plastic track runs
MA 41 etched brass
(Originally written on Saturday, November 28, 2009 8:25 PM)
Kit Review: cyber-hobby.com 1/35 scale Kit No. 48 (Dragon Models Limited 1/35 scale ‘39-45 Series Kit No. 6610); "Wittmann’s Last Tiger" - Befehlspanzer Tiger I Late Production Normandy 1944 - Dragon Zimmerit; 765 parts (635 in grey styrene, 104 etched brass, 21 clear styrene, 2 DS track runs, 2 twisted steel wires, 1 spring); price via Dragon USA US$52.99
Advantages: another short run one-off kit but this time of an eagerly awaited Tiger I; adds 41 more parts to previous kit to match known information; DS tracks solve the tedium of single link track assembly; choice of detail parts
Disadvantages: seventh Tiger from DML (and second "Wittmman" version ) may muddy the waters and confuse modelers; bound to be expensive on eBay
Rating: Highly Recommended
Recommendation: for all German Tiger fans
This time around DML affiliate cyber-hobby.com has taken their excellent Late Production Tiger I with Zimmerit Kit (No. 6393) and added some sprues and new marking to match the last known version of the tank used by SS tank ace Michael Wittmann. Forty-one parts have been added to or modified from their earlier kit (No. 6406) of the late model (e.g. "Steel Wheel") version of the tank with zimmerit, but it retains a number of detail options, DS plastic single runs, and other details.
As previously noted, the DS plastic looks good, takes paint well, and glues with common plastic solvents; it also permits undercutting such as the pin ends of the track and even open teeth to replicate castings as is the case here.
Overall , cleanup is simple and I do believe most people will like these better. The two "sag guides" from previous kits are included so you can get a good fit over the wheels with the tracks.
There are a great number of options with the kit: two styles of idlers, two different rear plates, three different mantelets, two different turret roofs, but as this tank is designed to match a specific variant with much more known information most of them will have to go to the spares box. It comes with only one commander’s cupola and other specific parts. As before a partial interior is included for the engine compartment as well as all of the torsion bars and the 8.8 cm gun breech in the turret. While the mount for the AA MG is provided, this time an MG34 is provided to fit on it.
Many of the "brag book" features from the previous release remain with this kit. They have redone the mufflers and armored covers for the rear plate, fixed some problems with the turret escape hatch, redone the hull shell to make more use of "Slide Molding" features, and provided for the use of a engine pre-heater (read blowtorch) at the rear of the hull. However, if you wish to use that you will have to either knock one together from scratch or use the one in the VW Starter kit that DML just released.
The amount of etched brass has been reduced, and my take on that is that the molds have all been "tweaked" a bit to clean up earlier problems and thus much of the brass detailing is now superfluous.
Zimmerit molding is confined to the lower glacis (D1), upper glacis (F5, now redone), vertical plate (D5), hull sides (D6 and D7), stern plate (D3), turret shell (D8), and the mantlet (D2). Three patch panels (D9, D10, and one DML forgot to flag on the D sprue!) are used to provide smooth surfaces for markings on the vertical plate but have to be cut out and inserted from the rear. It requires close attention to see where they are installed per the directions.
The kit comes with a nice sheet of targeted Cartograf decals with two sets of numbers: one for command tank 007 (ascribed to Wittmann) and one for 009. Both are from SS s.Pz.Abt. 101, Normandy 1944. (Note that after a long and protracted argument on the Internet photos show that the staggered numbers as shown in the directions are correct.)
Technical assistance and research for this kit came from David Byrden, Tom Cockle and Gary Edmundson.
Overall this is a very popular subject and with the the addition of factory applied zimmerit and DS tracks will make it easy to get a realistic model from the kit. However, based on the results of the sales of the first cyber-hobby.com Wittmann Tiger this will rapidly become a premium subject on eBay at a minimum of double the price, so anyone wanting one is advised to make haste to locate a kit.
Thanks to Freddie Leung for the review sample.
Cookie Sewell
Sprue Breakout
A 26 (Tiger I generic) 8.8 cm gun
B 40 (Tiger I generic) drivers and idlers
C 39 (Tiger I Late) fenders and alternate drivers
D 30 (Tiger I Late) turret with zimmerit
D 11 (Tiger I Late) zimmerit parts
E 34 (Tiger I Late) turret roof and optional details
F 12 (Tiger I Late) hull sternplates with upper glacis with zimmerit
G 31 x 2 (Tiger I Late) Steel road wheels
g 4 German generic "crow’s foot" antenna and whip
H 54 x 4 (Tiger I Late) torsion bars and single track links
J 39 (Tiger I generic) interior components
K 12 (Tiger I Late) hull roof and grilles
L 12 (Tiger I generic) clear blocks
N 4 German generic command rod antennas
P 39 (Tiger I Late) hull sides and cable details
R 15 (Tiger I Late) turret stowage bin
S 9 (Tiger I Late) clear
U 1 (Tiger I Late) cupolas w/o rain gutters
W 2 DS tracks
X 1 (Tiger I generic) hull bottom
Y 10 (Tiger I) alternate turret roof and stern plate
Y 10 (Tiger I) alternate fittings
Z 2 Twisted steel wires
MA 99 Etched brass (Tiger I Late)
MB 1 Spring
MB 1 Prebent wire
MB 4 etched brass
MB 1 Preformed etched brass
TA 5 (German OVM) pioneer tools
TB 9 (German OVM) jack and hooks
TC 4 (German OVM) cable heads
TD 4 (German OVM) small cable heads
TE 4 (German OVM)
WC 4 German Generic - MG34
(Originally written on Sunday, November 22, 2009 11:15 PM)
Kit Review: Dragon Models Limited 1/35 Scale ‘39-‘45 Series Kit No. 6365; StuG III Ausf. G Early Production w/Schurtzen - Smart Kit; 659 parts (400 in grey styrene, 216 "Magic Track" links, 20 etched brass, 12 etched nickel, 10 clear styrene, 1 length of twisted steel wire); estimated price US$45
Advantages: early model StuG now with the schurtzen added to the kit
Disadvantages: no zimmerit; does not come with DS plastic track runs
Rating: Highly Recommended
Recommendation: For all German and "Stug" fans
DML has now re-released their very nice StuG III Early kit with a set of nickel "schurtzen" plates and styrene hangers. The rest of the kit (other than the markings, of course!) is a complete reissue of Kit No. 6320.
As before, this kit provides the "early production" – e.g. welded mantelet/recoil cover vice the later "Saukopf" mantelet – version of the Ausf. G. It uses individual torsion bars and road wheel arms as well as all of the external details on the lower hull such as shocks and bump stops. Each idler wheel consists of five parts with twin brass inserts between the plastic castings. All wheels are detailed to the point of having the rubber tire manufacturer’s data readable!
The brass is provided only for those bits where plastic cannot do the job, such as the aforementioned wheel rims and the air intake and exhaust grilles on the engine deck plus some non-slip gridding. All fender details are separate and go on in subassemblies. In point of fact, most of this model consists of subassemblies, which is how it gets its tremendous level of details. This also shows in the sprues, as for example the "A" wheel sprue actually consists of seven sub-sprues, so future kits can be done by gating off or ungating other sections of the master sprue to meet the need of those kits. DML seems to be getting smarter in their old age, using this technique vice tossing in 5-10 other sprues from other kits to get one part from each one.
The kit comes with a high level of interior parts, including the gun, commander’s cupola assembly, floor, and the radios and stowage racks for various bits on each side of the casemate.
Likewise the engine deck consists of several subassemblies combined to form the deck. Note that every hatch on this vehicle can be opened for display of the interior, but there is no engine or transmission provided.
Final assembly again has a number of different modules combined into one final assembly – lower hull, fenders, engine deck, interior, gun barrel, casemate, and tracks. Oddly enough, while the radios and antenna bases are supplied, no comment is made about the antennas for them!
Anyone who has done any of the other DML kits with "schurtzen" will recognize the concept of using styrene hangers and etched nickel plates, and this kit has the same options with it. There are two angled end pieces and two overlapping center sections provided for each side of the vehicle.
The kit does not come with any "zimmerit" which photos show applied to vehicles just like this one, and it will disappoint more than a few modelers. It also comes with the single link "Magic Tracks" rather than two simple DS plastic runs; while not incorrect it does make construction more tedious for the modeler.
Technical advice for the kit is credited to Thomas Anderson, Tom Cockle and Gary Edmundson.
Six different finishing options and a targeted Cartograf are provided: Pz.Jg.Abt. 2, 12th Panzer Division, Estonia 1944 (two-color, black 221); SS Pz.Gren.Div "Das Reich", Kursk 1943 (tricolor with no numbers); SS Pz.Gren.Div. "Totenkopf", Kursk 1943 (two-color, white cross outlines); Pz.Abt. 103, 3rd Pz.Gren.Div, Italy 1943 (sand with battalion insignia); Pz.Abt.(Fkl) 301, 2nd Pz.Div., Normandy 1944 (tricolor, black 421); and 3./Pz.Abt.(Fkl) 302, Warsaw 1944 (tricolor "squiggle" pattern).
Overall , this will be popular but I personally think it is time for a "zimmerit" version of the StuG III.
Thanks to Freddie Leung for the review sample.
Cookie Sewell
Sprue layout
A 61x2 Wheels and torsion bars (7 mini-sprues connected)
B 48 Road wheel arms and lower hull details
C 31 Casemate and fenders
D 31 Basic upper hull details
E 34 Interior and radio sets
F 16 Gun barrel and mantelet
F 18 StuG III schurtzen hangers
G 15 OVM and light components
G 55 Fender and upper hull details
G 24 OVM and hull details
H 1 Lower hull pan
J 10 Clear styrene
K 108 Magic Track - Left
M 108 Magic Track - Right
Z 1 Twisted steel wire
WC 4 MG34
MA 20 Etched brass
MB 12 Etched nickel
(Originally written on Sunday, November 22, 2009 11:13 PM)
Kit Review: cyber-hobby.com 1/35 scale Kit No. 45 (Dragon Models Limited 1/35 scale ‘39-‘45 Series Kit No. 6595); Sd.Kfz. 250/10 Neu w/3.7 cm Pak - Smart Kit; 543 parts (346 in grey styrene, 168 "Magic Track" two-piece links, 19 etched brass, 8 clear styrene, 2 turned brass); estimated price US$41-46
Advantages: updates an older but still decent kit; lots of spare parts
Disadvantages: could have probably benefitted from DS plastic one-piece track runs
Rating: Highly Recommended
Recommendation: for all German halftrack fans
The latest from DML affiliate cyber-hobby.com takes the"Premium Edition" Sd.Kfz. 250 Neu kit and adds parts to create the Sd.Kfz. 25/10 mit 3.7 cm Pak 36. Basically this kit combines the proven sprues from the 250 series kits with the 3.7 cm sprue from the 251/10 platoon leader’s kit (6139) and a set of generic German tool, kit and weapons sprues with a handful of new parts (5).
As before this kit retains all of the upgrades from its immediate predecessor to include the one-piece slide molded lower hull and the engine, albeit with a new engine block. The suspension arms have been redone and also the drive sprocket mounts.
Once again the kit does not use DS plastic for tracks. Again, this kit uses the "Magic Track" precut links with a separate pad for each link to "trap" the pins of the next link. This is very tedious work as the tracks are about the same size as the average 1/72 scale model; again, for a "Smart Kit" cyber-hobby.com and DML should consider DS Plastic molding techniques to make single-section track runs.
As with the "Stroke 1", the tracks do mount on better detailed three-piece drivers, and the front wheels are now "sandwich" moldings to create both proper tread pattern and tread depth (five parts per tire.)
This kit adds three new parts for the 3.7 ammo rack as well as two sets of generic German weapons for the racks inside the hull. The external stowage bins still have separate access panels, so all four can be displayed in the open position. The kit now again includes the Sd.Kfz. 251 clear styrene viewers, which can also be shown either open or closed.
Most of the etched brass provides the straps and mounts for this kit inside the lower hull of the model. The directions are pretty sketchy; while they do cover the placement and use of these items, you must pay close attention when working on the interior.
Technical assistance and work on this kit was provided by Hirohisa Takada, Minoru Igarashi, Dan Graves, Tom Cockle, and Gary Edmundson.
The model comes with but one finishing option: Unidentified Unit, Western Front, 1944 (tricolor with black 222). A "number jungle" for the license plates and a tiny sheet for the hull.
Overall this is a better choice than some cyber-hobby.com kits and should prove popular with the fans of the "little" halftrack.
Thanks to Freddie Leung for the review sample.
Cookie Sewell
Sprue layout:
A 41 250 chassis and details
C 31 250 Neu upper hull and interior components
E 37 250 Neu lower hull and details
E 3 3.7 cm ammo rack and magazines
F 168 "Magic Track" two-piece links
G 28x2 250 road wheels and front wheels
H 6 250 drivers
W 8 251 clear styrene
X 16 250 engine
Y 1 250 one piece lower hull
Y 2 Engine block
GA 64 German equipment A (helmets, canteens, mess kits, gas masks)
TG 10 German tools - pioneer tools and fire extinguishers
WB 18x2 German weapons - MP-44, 2 x MP-40, Gewehr 43
MA 19 etched brass
MB 2 turned brass width indicators
6139 43 3.7 cm PaK 36 and conversion parts
(Originally written on Sunday, November 22, 2009 11:11 PM)
Book Review: "Israeli Halftracks" by Tom Gannon (two volume set), Barbarossa Books, Tiptree, Essex, 2009; Volume 1 (including Sandwich Trucks and Armoured Cars), pp. 1-172, ISBN 978-1-84768-001-3; Volume 2, pp. 173-392, ISBN 978-1-84768-002-0; prices - Vol. 1 UK£27.50 (approximately US$44.85); Vol. 2, UK£32.50 (approximately US$53.00) (website http://www.barbarossabooks.eu)
Advantages: first thorough coverage of this subject from the early days through their retirement and sales to other nations; detailed photo coverage suited to both modelers and historians; excellent layout and presentations
Disadvantages: may be considered expensive by some
Recommendation: Highly Recommended
Recommendation: for all modelers and fans of US and Commonwealth vehicles and halftracks
Tom Gannon is well-known in armor history and modeling circles for his work on American M4 series Sherman tanks, and has written a very definitive history of their service in the Israeli Defense Forces. After about a ten year gap, he has now added the next stage in his coverage of this unique and fascinating history with not one but two volumes on the use of halftracks and light armored vehicles by the IDF, starting in 1948 and moving up through the present.
In Chapter 1 of the first volume Tom begins with a basic "whatzit" layout of the component parts of American WWII halftracks, and the basic differences in the various types.
Chapter 2 covers what the Israelis referred to as "sandwich" trucks. On first reading I wryly thought it may have been their adding armor to what we Americans refer to as "roach coaches" or mobile canteens, but I was not even in the ballpark! The Israelis used any truck they could find as well as a few busses to create light armored vehicles to both ferry troops and supplies and to protect the settlers and "kibbutzim" from Arab snipers. I was not aware of how many different vehicles were actually used, nor how inventive the Israelis were.
The term "sandwich" here covers armor protection which is made from two thin sheets of armor or steel plate with a filling of dirt, sand or concrete in between to stop small arms and grenade fragments from penetrating the vehicle. As shown here, surplus Canadian Ford and Chevrolet chassis were among the most popular and common, and the book covers just about every major conversion type made. Tom also adds some recommendations for modelers as to which kit to use if you wish to replicate the vehicles illustrated.
Chapter 3 covers armoured cars, mostly ex-Commonwealth vehicles to include the Daimler, Marmon-Herrington and US-built Staghound as well as converted White M3 scout cars. Once again since many of them were delivered without armament the Israelis had to improvise and some truly inventive if odd combinations show up.
Chapter 4 begins coverage of the halftracks. In the early days most of the halftracks obtained by the IDF were ex-Commonwealth, so they were either M5 or M9 series vehicles and not the US standard M2 and M3 types. While Tom covers them down to the smallest details and differences, it is only a bit unfortunate that there are no kits of these vehicles anywhere and only the recent kits of the American M2/M3 families to use for conversions. Photo coverage of these vehicles is both via combat and servicing operations and gives a very good overview of the use of these vehicles in the IDF.
Chapter 5 provides coverage of the initial conversions, including turreted vehicles and three self-propelled 6-pdr conversions. Tom was fortunate enough to get photos from one of the gun commanders as these are extremely are conversions and are NOT based on US 57mm SP gun variants.
In Volume 2 Tom begins Chapter 6 and coverage of the Israeli use of the White Scout Car and also the French AML90 armored car.
Chapter 7 is the "meat" of the books, for it covers the post-1960 developments of the halftracks including their use and participation in both the 1967 and 1973 wars as well as other uses of the vehicles. Tom begins by commenting on the evolution of markings and registration numbers, pointing out that the IDF finally standardized these items into what we recognize today as pretty much normal force-wide applications. By this time the IDF had also pretty much cornered the market on halftracks, and now M2/M3 vehicles show up in the illustrations. Tom uses the IDF differentiation in armament and covers each vehicle with a detailed explanation – for example an "M3 Type A" is any halftrack without a ring mount (albeit most modified ones show a ball mount for the co-driver/commander) and an "M3 Type B" is one with the normal US M49 ring mount. Type C is any halftrack fitted with an 81mm mortar, and Type D is anyone with a 120mm Soltam mortar.
While the US used the M2 with side hatches for cargo and no rear door, the Israelis changed that and added the preferred rear door for troop access.
Photos include color shots of preserved variants in various Israeli museums such as Latrun. Details of each type are covered with modelers in mind, such as the later conversions in which the original gasoline engines were replaced by diesels and the air vents for the radiators plated over.
A very short section also covers captured BTR-152 wheeled APCs, which apparently did not enjoy great favor with the IDF.
The last chapter, Chapter 8, covers the various post 1960 conversions as well as vehicles handed off to the South Lebanese Army and other anti-Syrian militias. Also covered are ATGM launcher variants fittd with SS-11 wire guided missiles, 90mm SP guns using the DEFA gun, and one of the best known of the IDF conversions, the antiaircraft version with the TCM-20 turret mounting twin 20mm Hispano cannon from MD-450 Ouragan fighters on an M45 Maxson turret. A prototype fitted with twin Soviet 23mm guns is also covered.
The section also covers armored contact team vehicles (for forward maintenance) dubbed the "Bambino" by the Israelis. Fitters’ vehicles are covered as well as conversions designed to carry US S-250 type shelters for electronic equipment such as teletypes, multichannel radios and communications jammers.
Overall this book (or rather books) are outstanding, and modelers who feel they may be a bit expensive need to look at both the quality and depth of coverage of the subject as well as the quality of presentation. Compared with other publications today they are first-rate and worth the investment if you are a fan of either US halftracks or the IDF.
Thanks to Russell Hadler for the review samples.
Cookie Sewell
(Originally written on Saturday, November 21, 2009 11:37 PM)
Kit Review: ICM 1/35 scale figure set No. 35601; Soviet Tank Crew 1979-1988; 30 parts in tan styrene; price US$11.95
Advantages: nice, casual poses suited for new Soviet tank kits; optional bareheaded or helmeted heads for one figure
Disadvantages: wearing non-shoulder-board jackets limits the period of usability
Rating: Highly Recommended
Recommendation: for all Soviet and Warsaw Pact tank fans
With the advent of new kits of the T-62 tank family, it is always nice to see a new set of styrene crew figures that compliment the kit. This nice new set from ICM is just the thing as it covers three Soviet tankers during the later period of the black canvas uniforms and with the first of the "four bar" improved tankers’ headset-helmet combinations - the "shlemofon" to the Russians.
Each figure consists of the normal six parts that compose most figures (head, torso, legs and arms) but comes with a three-piece "shlemofon" with two "bars" on the headpiece and one of each of the earpieces, which help to hide the joint seams. This by itself will make painting easier. The faces are well sculpted if a bit too much "new Soviet man" and not very animated, but will do fine for a tank just out of action in Afghanistan as an example.
One figure comes with his helmet on and one with it off, and the third figure offers a choice of "either or" with his collapsed canvas "shlemofon" in his hands. The nicest touch of the figures is that two of the heads with helmets have them worn Soviet-style, that is rocked back so that the soldier’s forelock hangs down onto his forehead.
But the figures are wearing the earlier model tanker’s jackets which do not have shoulder boards; this is a bit unfortunate as they injected a lot of color into the soldiers as many soldiers seemed to prefer the infantry’s red shoulder boards to the drab black tanker’s ones.
The box art is a black and white photo of three members of a T-55 crew which were obviously the ones used for molding the kit. Other than the fact they are smiling, ICM did a nice job of capturing casual poses of the same sort and creating the kit. The colors are a challenge, as they are either black canvas or black leather!
Overall this is a nice accessory for the Trumpeter T-62 and Tamiya T-55 kits, as well as other Soviet armored vehicles.
Cookie Sewell
(Originally written on Saturday, November 21, 2009 11:36 PM)
Kit Review: ICM 1/35 scale Kit No. 35081; IT-28 WWII Soviet Bridgelayer Tank; 619 parts (331 in olive drab styrene, 288 in grey styrene); retail price US$36.95
Advantage: ONLY kit of this vehicle produced (or likely to be produced) in styrene; unique vehicle
Disadvantages: launching method unclear and incomplete; older kits suffer from serious problems with mold release agent
Rating: Recommended
Recommendation: for all Soviet and pre-war armor fans, as well as "pick and shovel" engineers
During the 1930s the Soviets – being farther along than most other countries in developing armored theory – realized that with all of the water obstacles in Europe and particularly in Russia they would have to bridge those obstacles. As a result, they developed a complete line of engineer tanks designed to launch bridges capable of carrying those tanks.
There were two primary models: the IT-26 series, based on the T-26 escort tank and capable of supporting most of the Soviet light and amphibious tanks; and the IT-28, based on the T-28 medium tank chassis and able to carry any of the medium tanks then in use. The tank was proposed for development in 1936, but development was protracted. Even as late as January 1940 plans were for a bridge which fit over the turret and left the tank’s armament complete. It was not until later in the year that T-28Eh (s Ehkranami - with applique) serial number 1628 was sent to NATI where it was rebuilt with the launcher gear and no turrets.
The tank was completely rebuilt with an eight-sided casemate and two fixed machine gun positions at the front of the hull. A geared chain drive mechanism and two hydraulically operated lift arms were fitted and a 13.3 meter skeleton bridge with gaps in the treadways (to save weight) was designed for the launcher mechanism. The bridge could carry 60 metric tons of weight, so in theory it could even have supported the massive T-35 or the new KV series tanks in the field. Testing of the bridge launcher at the NIIBT (Kubinka) test range showed great promise, with the IT-28 able to launch its bridge in 3 minutes and recover it in 5. But it had some reliability problems and shortcomings which required development and modification before it was accepted for service. Alas, these problems were not solved before June 1941 and as a result only the one prototype was ever built.
The main reason that it did not advance was that the T-28 was now long out of production and even while conversions would have been possible all new build tanks were diesel powered, whereas the T-28 still had an M-17 gasoline engine. So it sat at Kubinka until at least 8 October 1941, when it was shipped off to Kazan’. After that there are no reliable sources of information as to its final fate.
Eleven years ago ICM released this kit as the same time that they released their T-28 medium tank kit, but as I was in London and could only carry one back with me on the plane I took the tank variant. Over the years I saw the kits at shows, but after translating one T-28 history and finding it was only a one-off prototype I did not pick up the kit. I finally broke down and picked it up today off a sale table at one of my favorite "local" (as within 75 miles!) hobby shops.
The kit is not too bad, other than the one overriding proviso that ICM – like all of the major historians and researchers – had no clue what the launching drive gear looked like, so simply left it off the kit! The few photos in existence from Kubinka show twin heavy chain drives on the insides of the launcher arms, but that is virtually all that can be discerned.
Suffice it to say that ICM did yeoman work of what they could see. This kit replaces 144 parts from the original tank kit (including eliminating the complete interior) with 155 new ones, 111 of which compromise the bridge. The bridge does appear to be a good match for the photos, but other than the launcher arms the fittings for the tank appear to be guesswork (the "winches" provided are not visible in the one head-on shot of the tank, as an example).
The best reference sources for this tank are "Frontovaya Illyustratsiya" issue No. 4-2000, "Mnogobashennye Tanki RKKA - T-28, T-29" (RKK T-28 and T-28 Multi-turreted Tanks) by Maksim Kolomiyets, and his recent hardback book "Sukhoputnye Linkory Stalina" (Stalin’s Land Battleships) from Ehksmo Publishing, 2009. He has very good drawings in these books of including one of the prototype IT-28 with turrets. Another good source is "Steel Fortress: The Russian T-28 Medium Tank" by Mikhail Baryatinskiy and Jim Kinnear from Barbarossa Books in the UK.
It is not an easy kit to assemble, as it is typical of most eastern European moldings in that the biggest molded parts are the two turret halves and the top of the hull. The lower hull for this kit constitutes six basic parts (belly, sides, firewall, and final drive housings) and also requires another seven for completion (skirts and skirt ends and the lower engine access hatch). Getting a good fit is not a simple task, but can be done with care.
As it was based on a later model chassis it should be fitted with four pairs of steel wheels per side, but these are not present in the kit. The steel wheels are the hardest thing to replace, but I have found US 1950-1960 return rollers from M48s and M60s are the right size and with some care can be altered to fit on the model. The suspension is somewhat spare in detail, but once the skirts are in place only the bogies and wheels are visible.
The tracks are not bad, but plan on sanding and carefully filing the slots to get a good (and easy) fit. I use a good viscous liquid cement such as Vollmer Superzement S30 or Tamiya "Orange" as it provides for some flexibility while drying but "bites" and holds quickly.
Oddly the kit comes with three finishing schemes (!) even though as Kolomiyets noted nobody knows what happened to it after it left Kubinka. It recommends all schemes use 4BO green with the prototype unmarked, white 123 ascribed to the 8th Mechanized Corps in the Western Ukraine, summer 1941, and a captured scheme from fall 1941. Only the former is backed up by current Russian historians.
Overall , while it would be nice to see a new-mold kit of the T-28 it is unlikely this one-off – as interesting and mysterious as it is – is likely to ever be kitted by anyone else. (Note: Alanger has been re-releasing older ICM kits such as the T-28 in grey styrene, which are cleaned up molds with no problems with mold release. So far every ICM kit I have ever purchased has needed at least two baths in dishwashing detergent before it can be assembed.)
Cookie Sewell
Sprue layout:
A 17 Actuator arms, mounts
B 26 Casemate, hatches, OVM
C 54 Bridge treadway plates
D 47 Spreader bars, spacers
E 25 Right skirt, driver’s compartment floor, muffler
G 20 Upper rear sides, left skirt, details, hatches
H 22 Left side, final drives, air intakes, rear hull details
K 16 Right side, rear fan cover
L 46x2 Road wheels, bogies, drivers, idlers, return rollers
P 72x4 Track links
S 10 Bridge longitudinal girders
1 Hull belly
1 Hull top
(Originally written on Saturday, November 14, 2009 5:34 PM)
Kit Review: DML 1/35 scale ‘39-‘45 Series Premium Edition British Figure Sets
Kit No. 6585; Red Devils w/Welbike and Drop Tube Container Arnhem 1944; 113 parts (98 in grey styrene, 15 etched brass); estimated price about US$16-19
Kit No. 6586; 2nd SAS Regiment w/Welbike and Drop Tube Container France 1944; 112 parts (97 in grey styrene, 15 etched brass); estimated price about US$16-19
Advantages: very nicely molded Welbike and drop container with etched brass details; nicely done figure sets, with Commonwealth figures always at a premium
Disadvantages: "Gen1" weapons; DML playing "dirty pool" by only providing ONE Welbike option per kit!
Rating: Highly Recommended
Recommendation: for Commonwealth and Airborne Forces fans
Every major country formed airborne forces for the Second World War – the USSR, Germany, Britain and the US. But as these were light infantry whose only great advantage was mobility, they either needed specialized weapons which could drop with them or glider-borne support vehicles and systems. While the gliders were capable of carrying standard weapons like jeeps and light antitank guns up to 57mm caliber, the same was not true of the C-47 (Dakota) transports which were the primary carrier for US and UK airborne troops. Both countries developed small courier motorcycles which could be air-dropped for forces once on the ground, with the US creating a Cushman and the UK the Welbike.
These were basically semi-rear area machines as they were only marginally capable of off-road performance, but would speed up communications where radio was either not available (or as at Arnhem inoperable for most of the operation).
Recently the humble Welbike has now come to the attention of model companies, and this is the second effort to reach the market. DML has provided a 34 piece version of the little bike and a 16 piece drop container to go with it in each of two of the older figure sets, No. 6023 "Red Devils" and No. 6199 2nd SAS Regiment. The bikes are little gems with the engine alone consisting of 10 parts and the bike offering an option of either a styrene or brass chain and rear gear set. The spokes are plastic but among the finest moldings I have seen (and three dimensional) so only the purist would want to replace them with brass.
But – DML pulled a fast on the modeler. The "F" sprue with the Welbike comes with two "ears" – a left and right – and they "gated" them on each kit. 6585 comes with the left "ear" which is the set of parts for the Welbike in operating condition with the handlebars raised and unfolded; 6586 has the right "ear" with the parts for the Welbike in folded condition. In other words, you do not get an option with either kit and will have to get both of them to get a choice!
Beyond that, the figure sets remain excellent. Both are based on Ron Volstad artwork, but the internal directions are unfortunately the "stick here" variety and not the Volstad ones with the figures showing specific painting instructions. Both sets are in jump smocks with the 1st Airborne in airborne helmets and the 2nd SAS in berets. All figures are in semi-action poses but the arms provide for the standing figure in the 1st Airborne set and the kneeling figure in the SAS set to be holding or working on the Welbike with the optional set of arms (which come with jump smock sleeves).
Overall these are nice little kits and the Welbike is a jewel, but it would have been nicer if DML gave the modeler the option of open or closed!
Thanks to Freddie Leung for the review sets.
Cookie Sewell NOTE - photos of the Welbike and container are from the Fighter Factory, Virginia Beach, Virginia.
Sprue layouts:
For Kit 6585:
E 6 Welbike drop container
F 33 Welbike in operating position, arms for operator
6023 12 British weapons - Enfield rifle, Bren Gun, Sten Gun, PIAT
6023 47 Four figures and kit
MA-Bike 15 Etched brass
For Kit 6586:
E 6 Welbike drop container
F 33 Welbike in folded position, arms for operator
6055 7 British weapons - 2 x Enfield rifles, Bren Gun, Sten Gun
6199 51 Four figures, kit, extra weapons
MA-Bike 15 Etched brass
(Originally written on Saturday, November 14, 2009 5:31 PM)
Kit Review: Dragon Models Limited 1/35 Scale ‘39-‘45 Series Kit No. 6496; T19 105mm Howitzer Motor Carriage - Smart Kit; 380 parts (353 in grey styrene, 16 etched brass, 10 clear styrene, 1 turned aluminum gun barrel); estimated price US$49.95
Advantages: first styrene kit of this specific vehicle in this scale; brilliantly designed track and bogie assembly captures look of the original
Disadvantages: Nothing major noted
Rating: Highly Recommended
Recommendation: for all American WWII halftrack and artillery fans
Back in the 18th and 19th Centuries the British and French navies espoused different concepts for gunning their ships. The French built large, solid vessels and only gunned them as much as the design would reliably support in all weather, whereas the British tended to cram as many heavy guns as possible onto a design. The result was that often the British ships could not work their lower guns or were topheavy from placing heavy guns high on the hull.
The same basic thing happened with US and German halftracks early in WWII. The Germans only placed as large a gun as their chassis would handle with ease, and as a result they mainly used either 3.7 cm or 2.8 cm antitank guns or 7.5 cm howitzers early in the war for fire support. The US, however, jumped right up to the M2 105mm howitzer in October 1941. This caused problems with an overloaded chassis, and while extra bracing was added, it was not a totally successful design. 324 were built through April 1942, and while a handful remained in service through the end of the war, it was quickly declared obsolete and the survivors were converted back M3A1 personnel carriers. The T19 served in North Africa, but while it continued into Sicily and France it was with dwindling numbers as the M7 105mm HMC and later the M4 series 105mm tanks replaced it.
Most modelers who are not afficionados of the M3 series halftracks may not recognize the vehicle, but anyone who has ever seen the movie "Kelly’s Heroes" has seen one. The characters "Cowboy" and "Willard" are the crew of a T19 which has some scenes early in the film, later being blown up by "P-47" fighter bombers.
DML has now continued its excellent series of American halftracks with the T19, which was an easy conversion for them since they had the yeoman M2/M3 chassis and their nice new M2A1 105mm howitzer to combine. The kit uses many M2/M3 sprues, the upper carriage of the M2A1, and 49 new styrene parts and a new fret of 16 etched brass ones.
The kit does show somebody thought more about this one after the lukewarm M3 kit with its needless errors, and comes with the early model M2/M3 armored cab with screws and no jerry can holders (this is from the earlier 75mm GMC kit). A totally new body is provided that also provides the non-skid "diamond" finish on the floor plates and screw-fastened body plates. It also comes with four jerry cans for water (flip-top lids vice the screw types for fuel), new seats, and a cut-down front windscreen armor plate to clear the gun when in travel lock position. Eight 105mm rounds are provided, but are molded in "clips" of four rounds each; this may turn off some but does make them easier to handle and install. A stub axle and mounts are provided for attachment to the M2A1 upper carriage as is a new gun shield (the late production one with with extended protection).
The suspension remains the same and the later model bogie mounts with the openings in them are also not present. DML continues to provides a complete drive train including a complete White engine and transmission. While the hood is molded in one piece, DML has notched the back side as well as the insides of the "cab" sides to permit easy cutting to open them up for display. The steering does not operate (no big loss of oversized parts) but is very petite and neatly detailed. This kit offers a choice between the spring compensated idlers and non-compensated idlers with a set of parts included on an "addendum" tree. However, while all sources indicate the frame received extra bracing to support the 105mm howitzer, I cannot find references to it. Suffice it to say the original M2/M3 chassis is provided in the kit.
The bogies and track runs remain impressive, as the idlers and drivers are "slide molded" with respectively thin details and openings. Each bogie assembly consists of 18 parts and is very petite; the mounting suspension provides five more with the track tension adjusters nicely portrayed. The tracks are the same with DML having them in hard styrene plastic in two halves, cut in such a way that the "chain" plate drive tooth guides in the center are represented as they are found on the actual vehicle. Since the tracks were metal with rubber "endless belt" casings vulcanized onto them, this is a neat way to portray it.
Many of the parts are provided but not used on this kit; as it is an early model chassis it only uses the "highway" headlights and not the later removable combat ones. Also, it comes with a simple pedestal mount for a machine gun so the entire M49 mount is redundant. The rear plate with door includes the correct WWII taillight configuration: an oval on the left top for the taillight, a rectangle on the right top for the stop light, and two rectangles on the bottom for the combat blackout taillights. As noted in other reviews the model has the "civilian" style dashboard, so note that the instruments are a brushed aluminum color on preserved/restored vehicles and not the more common black with white numerals. (Archer Fine Transfers has a great set for these gauges.)
Since these vehicles apparently were not winch equipped, it only comes set up for the roller and no length of nylon string for the cable and chain for the final hook arrangement are provided.
The etched brass is minimal in this kit and primarily covers the
headlight guards, radiator cover louvers, mud flaps, sliding covers for the view slits, and reinforcement brackets for the roller mounts. A radio is provided but is not shown as used in
the directions.
The model comes with two Cartograf decal sheets – a targeted set of stars and tactical markings and bumper code "jungles"; once more it oddly it does not come with blue drab serials, but instead yellow is indicated in the directions (and provided). Five suggested finishing options are provided: Four as "US Army" vehicles without bumper codes , with one named "Cathy" and another "Battering Ram", and one with the 7th Regimental Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, Rabat, Morocco, 1942 (olive drab with US flags and the name "Evelyn").
As before, I strongly suggest getting David Haugh’s "U.S. Half-Tracks", Steve Zaloga’s "US Halftracks in Action" from Concord or Jim Mesko’s "M3 Halftrack in Action" from Squadron/Signal as they all provide a lot of photos and good information for finishing.
Overall , this is a much more thoroughly thought through kit than the M3 and should prove popular with US halftrack fans.
Thanks to Freddie Leung for the review sample.
Cookie Sewell Sprue Breakout:
A 40 M2/M2A1 Chassis and suspension
A 46 M2A1 Howitzer and recoiling mechanism, detail parts (upper carriage)
B 28 Armored cab assembly
C 29 M49 mount and front bumper assemblies
C 17 M3 series halftracks detail parts - mine racks, etc.
D 48x2 Bogie assembly and wheels
E 10 Clear styrene parts
G 47 T19 body and conversion parts
H 2 Front grille (open/closed)
J 37 Machine guns and radio set
T 3 75mm GMC - M3 early model hood and side panels
W 8 Drivers and Idlers
MA 16 Etched brass
MC 1 turned aluminum gun barrel
(Originally written on Friday, November 06, 2009 8:38 PM)
Kit Review: Dragon Models Limited 1/35 Scale ‘39-‘45 Series Kit No. 6577; Flakpanzer I - Smart Kit - Premium Edition; 654 parts (366 in grey styrene, 192 "Magic Track" track links, 62 etched brass, 18 preformed etched brass, 16 clear styrene); retail price US$41.95
Advantages: "Tweaks" the original 2006 kit and adds another 70 parts; fixes some areas of earlier complaints about Ausf. A chassis
Disadvantages: a lot of work by DML to correct a kit of a relatively obscure vehicle
Rating: Highly Recommended
Recommendation: for German armor fans and "duck hunters"
When DML released their first version of this kit in June 2006 (No. 6220), I could not find any information about it and speculated (bad move) that it was a prototype. Ah, no; the "faithful" proceeded to bombard me with e-mails that it was real and 24 were built, issued and used in combat.
Mea culpa. I did some research using Russian sources, however, and found this vehicle did exist but was quickly reduced to a deathtrap and a disaster by the Soviets. Apparently they were used on the front line as both tactical air defense and fire suppression of ground troops. When the Soviets figured that out, they simply brought up PTRS and PTRD 14.5mm antitank rifles and began to snipe the gunners through the gunshields, turning them into instant death traps. The Germans got the point and moved the survivors back to rear area positions.
For reasons best known to themselves (but apparently related to negative comments about their early Pzkw. I tank releases) DML has now re-released this kit as a "Premium Edition" version. The new version has another 70 parts, mostly etched or preformed brass, but many of the original sprues show signs of "tweaking" with one or two new parts added to the earlier version, plus a cargo body for the Sonderanhanger 51 2 cm transport trailer to permit using it as an ammo trailer. A second set of early Pzkw. I Ausf. A wheels are also included as well as new suspension units.
As before the kit is beautifully engineered with "slide molding" used on many of the parts, 18 preformed etched brass provided for the wheel rim "lips" and also the "catch" baskets for expended 2 cm rounds, and more etched brass. In addition to the original Kit 6220 frets there is now an addition one of generic German tie-downs and straps for the OVM, as well as OVM without tie-downs molded to them. This latter idea may pop up in more DML kits as the parts sprues are generic as is the brass fret.
The hull appears to be the modified one from later Panzer I kits and there are also changes made to each sprue with either additional or modified parts on each of the original Pzkw. I Ausf. A sprues. Note that a number of holes must be drilled out in the fenders from the underside before attachment.
The kit now comes with "Magic Track" links but instead of an "L" and "R" pair it comes with a double set of "R" links in one bag. I have no idea if this is correct or not but somehow seems sensible from a German point of view as the track links are so small.
As before, the kit comes with the complete 2 cm Flak 38 kit and some modified parts for that model as well. Three different breech assemblies and shrouds for the 2 cm are now provided as is an etched brass gun shield and other elements. The stowage box for the trailer can be mounted as is, or a smaller one mounted on the unused 2 cm Flak 38 ground mount base can be attached as an option.
As before , technical assistance credit for this kit does to Dan Graves, Ed Kusiak, Tom Cockle and Gary Edmundson.
This time five schemes are provided for finishing: one unidentified unit, Eastern Front 1941 (grey overall); and four vehicles from Flak Abt. 614 on the Eastern Front in 1941-42, all in grey schemes (white 2; 2/Flak Abt. 614, white 213; 3/Flak Abt. 614, white 3; and one in overall whitewash with no markings). A small sheet of Cartograf decals is provided.
Overall , while this version does correct some earlier errors with the Pzkw. I chassis and is heartily recommended for air defense fans who missed the first kit, and also adds some useful new options, I personally wonder why there are now no less than three kits of a very obscure vehicle on the market (two DML, one Tristar) and others which deserve kitting are left wanting.
Thanks to Freddie Leung for the review sample.
Cookie Sewell
Sprue Layout (* denotes modified sprues)
A 34 Pzkw. I A suspension*
B 52 Pzkw. I A fenders and details *
D 26 Pzkw. I A front and rear plates, muffler, details
E 1 Pzkw. I Ausf. A lower hull
G 32 Pzkw. I A interior*
H 27 Pzkw. I A upper hull
K 15 Ammunition trailer body for S.An.51, new front section
H 12 Pzkw. I Ausf. A OVM, tools
H 16 Pzkw. I Ausf. A lights, details
J 13 Pzkw. I OVM, tools
L 12 Pzkw. I Ausf. A modified road wheels and suspension parts
R 192 "Magic Track" track links (right side only)
W 16 Pzkw. I clear
MA 28 Etched brass
MB 18 Brass wheel rings, casing catcher assembly
MC 2 Etched brass
MD 7 Etched brass
ME 25 Generic etched brass - OVM attachment straps
A 89 2 cm Flak 38 carriage
B 43 2 cm S.An. 51 trailer
C 6 2 cm elevation locks and braces
G 1 2 cm Flak 38 barrel and breech
J 7 2 cm components
(Originally written on Sunday, November 01, 2009 10:49 PM)
Kit Review: cyber-hobby.com 1/35 scale kit No. 44 (Dragon Models Limited 1/35 Scale ‘39-‘45 Series Kit No. 6587); Pz.Kpfw. III Ausf. L Tp - Smart Kit; 751 parts (490 in grey styrene, 216 "Magic Track" links, 26 etched brass, 19 clear styrene); retail price about US$49.95
Advantages: Basically late (KwK L/60) Pzkw. III Ausf. J; "Smart Kit" minimizes the amount of etched brass required
Disadvantages: kit changes out but one sprue from Kit 6394; does not come with DS tracks, which will disappoint a few modelers
Rating: Highly Recommended
Recommendation: for all WWII German fans
After experiments to mount the Pzkw. IV turret on the Pzkw. III chassis proved that it could not carry the weight, the Germans then upgraded the Pzkw. III Ausf. H to the Ausf. J. When the Js had to be upgraded with applique armor and other modifications, production continued as the Ausf. L with only minor changes to the design. Over 650 of that model were built.
This kit – if I interpret it correctly the "Tp" stands for "tropicalized" or modified for use in North Afrika - is based directly on DML Kit No. 6394 and only changes out a single sprue covering the engine deck parts. (Oddly enough this is labeled "Pz.Kpfw. III Ausf. J Initial Production"!) The former kit used the direct parts from the StuG III kit, whereas this one adds a news sprue with slightly modified vent covers and layout. As a result the kit shares four sprues and the "Magic Track" links with the StuG kit and also borrows a few sprues from the Pzkw. IV Ausf. F "Smart Kit" as well (mostly the cupola and clear ones.)
The hull pan is similar to that from the StuG but has the side hatches and other detail changes. It retains the full torsion bar suspension from the other kit and the detailed suspension components and muffler assembly. As with the StuG all hatches are separate with some interior details and can be positioned as the modeler chooses. All engine deck ventilators are spaced and mounted on separate frames to get the correct appearance and "lift" needed to give an accurate representation of the original.
The kit provides a number of options to include the complete spaced armor array but in this molding only provides the L/60 gun. The barrel is "slide molded" with hollow bore. Options also include blackout or clear headlight lenses and the "kugel" mount for the bow machine gun. All viewports and viewers may be positioned open or closed as well.
The kit includes the rudiments of an interior, but unlike many Russian or Ukrainian kits the details they provide are highly accurate as far as they go. This should please the "after market boys" as there is more than enough room for a nice resin interior here and enough ports and hatches to see it.
Once again the kit comes with "Magic Track" single links. I recently saw someone ask why I list that as a disadvantage to the kit. It is not wrong, and the DML "Magic Track" links are quite popular with many modelers. But most modelers have found out that assembly of single link track is quite repetitive and tedious and now yearn for the days of single track runs. The DS Plastic tracks are excellent as they usually provide the detail of resin with the simplicity of the old vinyl tracks. Preference is with the modeler as to which is better.
The kit provides but one finishing option: 5th Company, 8th Panzer Regiment, Libya 1942 (brown patches over sand brown, red 5). A tiny sheet of Cartograf decals is provided with the kit.
Overall this is a better selection than some of the truly bizarre cyber-hobby.com choices and should prove popular.
Thanks to Freddie Leung for the review sample.
Cookie Sewell
Sprue breakout:
A 91 Pzkw III J hull details and turret mounting
A 61x2 StuG III Wheels and torsion bars (7 mini-sprues connected)
B 14 Pzkw III J upper hull and fenders
B 46 StuG III Road wheel arms and lower hull details
C 41 Pzkw III J applique armor and details
C 3 DS Plastic cacti
D 35 Pzkw III J gun and barrels
E 15 Pzkw III J turret and mantelet details
F 15 Pzkw IV F - turret cupola
G 52 Pzkw IV F - turret and hull details
G 15 StuG III OVM and light components
H 1 Lower hull pan
J 8 Machine guns and muzzles
K 35 Pzkw. III J Initial Production - engine deck vents and details
L 108 Magic Track - Left
15 Pzkw IV F Clear styrene
P 4 Clear styrene
R 108 Magic Track - Right
MA 26 Etched brass
(Originally written on Sunday, November 01, 2009 10:46 PM)
Tool Review: The Small Shop "The Wrangler"; price US$49.95
Advantages: can be used to bend handrails, rings or springs interchangeably
Disadvantage: one of 17 options is partially unusable due to a pin location
Rating: Highly Recommended
Recommendation: for anyone who has to bend metal wire or with some care styrene rod
One chore I have always hated is bending handrails for models from either wire or plastic. It is very difficult to get them precisely identical, and if done by hand too often one leg is skewed in a fore-and-aft direction with its opposite number.
Several companies have tried over the years to come up with a machine or template cum guide to help in this endeavor. For years I use one I got in the UK from Airwave which is a square of thick brass with holes drilled at set differences around its inside and notches about its outside with lines joining them. This works reasonably well with thin wire, but does not like heavy wire and tends to snap styrene rod.
A few years back a device called the "Grab Handler" was produced, looking something like a flat Christmas tree with a clamping screw at its rear. This device was a good idea and offered a lot of possibilities to get nice tight bends as it could hold the wire in place, but $65 for a device which only did one thing seemed a bit dear to me.
Now The Small Shop – who began their reputation as a tool maker with the original "Hold ‘n’ Fold" for etched brass – offers the "Wrangler" which performs three functions: it can clamp and assist in the creation of handrails; it can be used to create wire loops or rings; and it can be used to create short springs.
The device consists of two halves of machine aircraft-grade aluminum with the now-common Small Shop screw lock with spring resistance at one end and what looks like an escapee tree from the surrealistic film "Last Year at Marienbad" at the other! Seriously, the device has seventeen rings in ascending order from the tip down.
The rings (or cylinders, as they are split in the middle) are approximately 1/8" (3.5mm) in breath and provide diameters of 0.095", 0.145", 0.195", 0.245", 0.295", 0.345", 0.395", 0.445", 0.495", 0.545", 0.595", 0.645", 0.695", 0.745", 0.795", 0.845", and 0.895". But as noted, since the device is designed to maintain precise alignment there is a steel pin underneath the 0.695" step and it may cause some problems for making a handrail or step that width (24" in 1/35 scale, 56" in HO scale for model railroaders).
The device does deliver as advertised, but as the Small Shop notes you have to use lightweight wire which is not tempered. This means either brass or phosphor bronze being preferred and not piano wire or it will "nick" the tool. Personal experimentation shows that some styrene rod or strip may be bent if care is used (suggestion: rub the styrene back and forth over the edge of a table a couple of times to put some "flex" in them before bending).
The handrails/steps are easy to make. Kink one end of a wire, install it in the Wrangler next to the size step you want to use, lock it in place, and bend it and its opposite side down. Snip and done. Rings are a bit tougher - you may wish to anneal the wire first by heating it to get a better and smoother shape. As physics dictate you will get a "split ring" out of it but this is fine if you are making "loop" antennas or similar items as it gives you the prongs for installation.
Making springs is limited to the length of the "layer" you select. If you select the right tension wire the springs will work and be 8-10 coils in length, but they are going to be light duty ones.
Overall this is a handy tool and considering how many bending jobs I run into will probably be a work surface tool and not a side cabinet one!
Thanks to Julie from The Small Shop for the review sample.
Cookie Sewell
(Originally written on Sunday, October 25, 2009 6:11 PM)
Kit Review: AFV Club 1/35 scale Single Link Track Sets:
Kit No. AF35142; T-34 550mm Stamped Links; 450 parts in brown stryene; estimated retail price US$16.95
Kit No. AF35173; T-34 500mm Width Cast Links; 170 parts in brown styrene; estimated retail price US$16.95
Advantages: nice compliment to AFV Club T-34 kits or any other T-34 kits in 1/35 scale
Disadvantages: "Model Kasten" approach to track assembly not popular with most modelers
Rating: (AF35142) - Recommended; (AF35173) Highly Recommended
After-market tracks have been popular for many years, and AFV Club generally has been wise enough to include single-piece vinyl tracks in its kits (which most modelers are happy with) but also to offer single-link styrene sets for after-market purchase. The advantage of this is that since they are designed for their kits they are a "drop-fit" with no hassles for the modeler.
These two sets cover most basic T-34 tank types with the main early and main late types of track. As such, it is a giveway that AFV Club is planning to release an early model T-34 tanks (mostly Model 1940 and some early Model 1941).
The sets are in the now standard AFV Club brown styrene, but whereas the late one will probably be popular there is one serious drawback to the Model 1940 or 550mm set.
Model Kasten pioneered a method several years ago of using tiny styrene pins to assemble working 1/35 scale tracks, and it provided to be relatively unpopular with most modelers due to the tedious work required to assemble one set of tracks. Worst of all were their US Medium Track sets with the need for five parts per link – pad, end connectors, and two tiny pins. Although the directions said to simply "insert pin" and then cement, most modelers knew that by capillary action that usually wound up with the pins freezing and the tracks quickly becoming non-working.
AFV Club has now offered this same method for their 550mm tracks. Each set comes with 75 "A" links (with a guide tooth) and 75 "B" links (smooth faced) and 300 pins. Each pin has to be assembled one at a time and to remove them it pretty much necessitates two sprue nippers – a big one to cut the pin and its sprue from the larger frame and a smaller, fine one to nip the pin from the sprue after installation. While AFV Club claims you do not need cement, this usually has not been the case with their other track sets (which usually can be kept together long enough for painting and installation before having to "freeze" them in place with liquid cement). Each pin here is roughly 2.5mm long and 0.5mm in diameter so good luck.
The other set, however, is much different. It comes with 90 "A" links and 80 "B" links which assemble by slight flexing and snapping them together using pins on the "A" links. Snip them off the sprue, clean up the sprue nubs, pop them together and done.
Overall these are a nice idea, but the overly fussy 550mm tracks may not be as useful and I expect most modelers will simply cement the links together and skip the pins.
Thanks to Miin Herng Tsueng for the review samples.
Cookie Sewell
(Originally written on Sunday, October 25, 2009 6:09 PM)
Kit Review: AFV Club 1/35 scale Kit No. AF35161; M5A1 Stuart Light Tank - Late
Production; 567 parts (458 in olive drab styrene; 72 in black styrene; 24 etched brass; 11 clear styrene, 4 black nylon; 2 black vinyl tracks; 1 turned aluminum; 1 black nylon string): estimated price around US$45
Advantages: The late M5A1 now joins the early production model as a new kit; numerous options and nice touches give the modeler a wide variety of options; all major late-model options present except for a "squeeze-bore" fitting
Disadvantages: does not provide a full set of T16 single-link track
Rating: Highly Recommended
Recommendation: for all US armor fans and also Commonwealth Stuart VI fans
After a breather of a few years, AFV Club has once again done a new version of the later production American light tank family and has now provided us with a super late-production variant of the M5A1. With this kit and the announced M8 75mm HMC kit on the way, they are only lacking the M5 light tank to "complete the record" on the later production radial engined tanks.
99 new or modified parts have been added to this version of the kit. As with the previous kit from early last year, it uses only the essential sprues from the M3A3 kit from 2002 and even those have been touched up. These specifically cover items like the new mounts and VVSS springs for the idler wheels - but being AFV Club, they provided nylon inserts so the "springing" action works! Go figure. The modeler also has a choice of either welded spoke road wheels or the welded "pressed steel" types (two versions and including separate grease caps), as well as welded open spoke or "patched" spoke idlers.
The lower hull is molded flat, but this is not a major problem as it actually permits more accurate construction of the hull. The hull also comes with a firewall and mounts for the twin fans at the rear of the compartment, but no engines or any other lower hull innards are included. The crew escape hatch is also a separate component. The engine access doors come in six parts – two folding sections and two fixed sections. Fenders and the rear section of the sponsons are separate parts, and the lower glacis is also provided with separate bolt heads molded on one of the sprues for accuracy. This kit also comes with the later air deflector package for the rear of the hull as well as the grilles for earlier production.
The upper hull comes in a total of six basic parts – upper sides, upper glacis, turret roof, fuel tank covers, and engine deck. The bow gun is mounted so that it can move and all of the hatches and periscope inserts are separate components, and if carefully assembled the directions also indicate the hull periscopes are moveable. Brass parts basically cover all of the big grilles at the rear for the upper air intake and exhaust vents from the engine compartment and this time it includes the lower grilles as well.
The kit comes with one sprue – 24 links – of AFV Club’s T16 single link track. This is only for the four spare links carried at the rear of the hull, and it comes with two acceptable vnyl track runs for the main track; I daresay most modelers will be very happy with these and will use them vice going for single links. AFV Club indicates, like most other manufacturers, these can be cemented – but in the fine print it says "Instant Glue" (e.g. ACC cements.)
The turret comes with a complete 37mm gun and a turned aluminum barrel (no plastic option.) A few other interior parts are included to include an SCR-508 radio set for the turret bustle (no No. 19 set is provide for the Stuart VI, so Commonwealth modelers are on their own here.) Two different sets of turret moldings are provided for the M5A1 turret - with or without the bulged shield on the right side. There are some small ejection pin marks inside the turret but nothing of major note most places. Note the grousers are quite accurate but come in two pieces each, and since there are 24 of them this may be the most tedious part of the kit. Apparently the "H" flag on the directions means "alternate" as the grousers require alternating installation to fit correctly (upper and lower flanges).
The kit includes the late model sand shields complete in components so they can be installed or "left off" as desired, and also provides a "Cullen Device" for the bow of the tank. It also comes with the rear basket to include a section of etched brass mesh for the bottom of the bin.
AFV Club offers five finishing options: 4th Battalion, the Armor Brigade, ROC Army, Taiwan, January 1952; "Fish ‘n’ Chips", 83rd Reconnaissance Battalion, 3rd Armored Division, Belgium 1944 (mislabled as "113th Cavalry Regiment"); "Shanty Irish", 92nd Reconnaissance Battalion, 12th Armored Division, Germany, March 1945; 24th Armored Regiment, 1st Division Blindee, Belgium 1944; and "Sloppy Joe", 92nd Reconnaissance Battalion, 12th Armored Division, Germany, January 1945.
Overall this kit is the "bookend" to a collection of American light tanks, and now AFV Club only needs to produce the M8 and M5 to finish off the later models.
Thanks to Miin Herng Tsueng of AFV Club for the review sample.
Cookie Sewell
Sprue breakout:
A 41 M5 lower hull and fittings
B 34 M3A3 kit engine details and rear panel
C 72x2 Suspension and wheels
C 16x2 Fuel caps, lift rings, fire extinguisher
D 53 M3A3 D59954 turret base and internal components
E 12 M3A3 .30 caliber machine guns
F 2 M5 upper front hull and fan mounts
G 24 etched brass
H 1 turned aluminum
I 2 M5 glacis and turret decking
J 1 black nylon string
K 37x2 M5 fine details, lights, extra bolt heads
L 5 M5A1 Late turret
M 41 M5A1 Late - fenders, sand shields, basket, deflectors
N 18 M5A1 Late AA MG mount cover, details
O 11 Clear stryene
P 4 black nylon wheel keepers
T 2 black vinyl tracks
72 T16 track for M3/M5 series tanks
(Originally written on Sunday, October 25, 2009 6:07 PM)
Kit Review: cyber-hobby.com 1/35 scale "Orange Box" Series No. 13 (DML 1/35 scale Kit No. 9113); 687 parts (469 in grey styrene, 216 "Magic Track" links, 2 etched brass) Flammpanzer III (F-1) with Bonus German Sturmpionere Figure Set; retail price US$29.95
Advantages: Inexpensive kit with nice complementary set of figures
Disadvantages: original DML/Gunze Sangyo kits show their age next to "Smart Kit" and "Gen2" products
Rating: Recommended
Recommendation: for newer modelers or fans with deep parts bins
The "Orange Box" series from DML’s affiliate cyber-hobby.com are so far a mixed bag, but at least in comparison with contemporary model kits they are inexpensive and a great way for newer modelers to get into the hobby and practice their skills.
More than 15 years ago DML took over the Gunze Sangyo line of kits which were at that time among the best kits going, but were very expensive multi-media affairs and thus out of reach or out of touch with most armor fans. They took them and converted the multi-media parts to styrene and released them under their "Imperial" series kits (90xx) block.
This kit is basically a number of older moldings from that series combined into one box and with the latest "Magic Track" single link tracks replacing the older ones. As such, it actually has fewer parts than more recent kits and therefore is a quicker – and easier – assembly task than the other ones. For that reason, it should appeal to newer modelers who want to work on a more advanced kit than the basic models (or something like an older Tamiya kit) with more details and skill sets needed for assembly.
The hull, for example, is a one-piece affair with fixed suspension arms and very basic wheel sets. The upper hull is also one piece with applique parts for the add-on armor protection. As the Gunze Sangyo derived parts were for multiple variants, a good deal of the parts here are left on the sprues as not needed.
The kit does come with the flame tube for the Flammpanzer and basic parts for the Ausf. F version of the base tank. A 3.7 cm barrel and also a 5 cm long barrel are also present in the kit, but unless you really want an older generation Ausf. J with a mixture of details it is probably not a good idea to use it.
The only photo etched parts provided are the protective screens for the engine air exhausts on the sides of the hull, which is a good idea as that is usually the most preferred etched brass that actually gets used by modelers.
The kit offers three sets of finishing options: Unidentified Unit, Eastern Front 1943 (sand with green patches, red 411); Unidentified Unit, Eastern Front 1943 (sand, yellow 1825); and Flamm-Kompanie/Pz.Rgt. 26, Italy 1943 (sand, white F 24).
The figures are from an early Ron Volstad designed set, and are very good indeed. They come with sections of Bangalore torpedoes, a flamethrower, an explosive charge, and a mine detector. A small version of the original painting instructions is included.
Overall this kit does not stand with more recent efforts, but it is a decent kit and at a good price with the bonus set of figures plus "Magic Track" links a pretty good deal.
Thanks to Freddie Leung for the review sample.
Cookie Sewell
Sprue Layout:
B 34 Pzkw. III upper hull and turret
B 44x2 StuG III wheels and suspension parts
C 1 Pzkw. III/StuG III lower hull
D 20x2 Pzkw. III road wheels
E 29 Pzkw. III early models turret cupola and details
F 27 Pzkw. III turret components and suspension details
F 27 Pzkw. III fender components and hatch details
H 40x2 Pzkw. III Ausf. J components
J 39 Pzkw. III applique armor, skirt hangers
K 15 Flammpanzer III barrel and details
K 28 Pzkw. III turret details, muffler, smoke grenade launchers
L 108 "Magic Track" left side track links
R 108 "Magic Track" right side track links
MA 2 Etched brass
6024 3 3 x Kar 98K rifles
6024 59 Four figures and kit (includes flamethrower, mine detector)
(Originally written on Sunday, October 25, 2009 6:05 PM)
Kit Review: Dragon Models Limited 1/35 scale ‘39-‘45 Series Kit No. 6420; Sd.Kfz. 138 Panzerjaeger 38 Marder III H Fgst. 38t Ausf. E - Smart Kit; 790 parts (433 in grey stryene, 240 "Magic Track" single links, 107 etched brass, 10 clear styrene); estimated retail price US$49.95
Advantages: first kit of this variant from DML; use of proven kit parts simplifies the assembly of the kit
Disadvantages: continuing arguments about the fenders and their proper angles not changed by this kit
Rating: Highly Recommended
Recommendation: for all German armor fans
When DML decided to make a kit of the Marder III, they decided to first do the late models which had been ill-served by the modeling companies. Now, nearly three years on, they have returned to the early or "Ausf. H" version of the vehicle.
Approximately 410 of these vehicles were either built new or converted from existing Pzkw. 38(t) Ausf. E and F chassis before the late model (Ausf. M) entered production. Basically a TNPH based version of the similar vehicle on the Pzkw. II chassis, it was a lightweight and handy vehicle for antitank needs.
DML has combined a number of bits into one new kit here, mostly sprues from their Pzkw. 38(t) Ausf. G kits, the 7.5 cm Pak 40, and some new Pzkw. 38(t) Ausf. E/F sprues to creat this kit.
As is not surprising to many regular readers of model reviews, many times we reviewers use "cut and paste" to create new reviews based on sprue-swapping from older kits and on occasion we forget which variant we are reviewing! In this kit, apparently DML made the same mistake as the main sprue for the kit which was newly cut – Sprue G – was left labeled for the "Pzkw. 38(t) Ausf. G". Nice to know they can make the same goofs we do!
The kit follows the pattern of past DML kits with most of the sprues coming from the Ausf. G kit – engine and interior, suspension, and details – and the gun upper carriage and ammunition details from the Pak 40 kits. All have been gone over several times in the past and on web sites, and the only major ongoing complaint by modelers has to do with the fender angles. The kit comes with straight fenders (and there are several factory photos that show they may have been built that way) but not those noticed in service with a distinctive kink upwards at about midpoint (which may have come from crew weight on the fenders). It is correctable but an ongoing source of argument and complaint.
The kit comes with a good portion of engineering from previous kits, such as the fairly complete interior and the use of the ammunition stowage tubes with four partial projectiles for insertion as loaded rounds. A radio set and racks are provided as well.
As opposed to other "Smart Kit" releases this one has a large amount of etched brass included but most of the parts except for the rear "basket" and engine grille vent cover appear optional.
Once again it comes with the "Magic Track" single link system, which is relatively popular as it is easy to assemble. But with a kit of this size (e.g. "compact") thought may be given to making one-piece DS Plastic tracks an option or inclusion.
Technical assistance was provided by Tom Cockle and Gary Edmundson.
Two different finishing options are offered - both for our old friend "Unidentified Unit": Eastern Front 1943 (grey with black and white crosses) or Eastern Front 1944 (sand brown with black and white crosses). A small Cartograf sheet is provided with details for the ammo crates as well.
Overall this is another gap-filler from DML and one which should be popular with Praga tank fans as well.
Thanks to Freddie Leung for the review sample.
Cookie Sewell Sprue Layout
A 66 Pzkw. 38(t) Ausf. G wheels and suspension
B 63 Pak 40 upper carriage and gun
B 70 Pzkw. 38(t) Ausf. G fenders and hull components
C 31 Pak 40 ammunition and crates
E 1 Pzkw. 38 lower hull pan
D 58 Pzkw. 38(t) Ausf. G interior and transmission components
G 77 "Pzkw. 38(t) Ausf. G" - Marder III interior, upper hull parts
J 4 Clear styrene
K 39 Pzkw 38t generic - OVM and extra rivet heads
N 5 Cleaning rods and OVM
P 17 Pzkw 38t generic - radiator and associated details
S 2 Pzkw 38t Ausf E/F - Upper glacis and fender braces
T 4 Pzkw. 38t Ausf E/F - mubbler and turret front plate
W 3x2 Clear styrene
Y 240 "Magic Track" single link tracks
Z 1 DS Plastic canvas casemate cover
MA 85 Etched brass
MB 2 Etched brass
MC 19 Etched brass
MD 1 Preformed etched brass
(Originally written on Saturday, October 17, 2009 5:38 PM)
Kit Review: Trumpeter 1/35 scale Kit No. 00376; Russian T-62 Mod. 1962; 511 parts (467 in grey styrene, 20 in black styrene, 12 clear styrene, 10 etched brass, 1 turned aluminum barrel, 1 length of twisted copper wire); retail price US$49.95
Advantages: new mold kit fixes most of the errors in the Tamiya kit; beautifully done details and numerous detail options
Disadvantages: some quirky detail errors and two major points of contention
Rating: Recommended
Recommendation: for all Soviet era modelers and fans of the "62-ka"
F I R S T L O O K
Many "old Soviet hands" now know the famous story about when Marshal Chuykov, then head of the Ground Forces of the Soviet Union, heard the British were installing the 105mm L7 gun in the Centurion tank and the Americans had adopted it for their new M60 tank. Chuykov found out they had a 115mm gun in design and screamed at his underlings, "I don’t care if you have to strap it on a pig, I want that gun out there!"
But at the time the gun was forecast to go into Article 432, which later (and after many teething troubles) emerged as the T-64. Marshal Dmitriy Ustinov, then head of armaments, refused to permit any other tank to go into service before the T-64, so the Red Army was stuck. Their solution: get a "tank destroyer".
The Uralvagonzavod in Nizhniy Tagil had several prototype tanks and were able to modify Article 165, which had been a competitor with Article 430 (the predecessor of the T-64 design) to mount the new gun as Article 166. Little more than a lengthened T-55 chassis designed to mount a bigger turret, the marriage was successful and under the guise of a "tank destroyer" the T-62 was accepted for service in late 1961 and entered production in 1962.
Ultimately more successful than the hapless T-64 (which was replaced by the T-64A in 1969 after an ill-starred career) more than 20,000 T-62s of all types were built. They generally were categorized as Model 1962 (early model engine deck and no AA MG), Model 1966 (late model engine deck) and Model 1972 (with an AA MG). The early models, like the T-55 Model 1958, did not have an AA MG as it was felt they were useless against jet aircraft. After Vietnam, the change back was due to the appearance of attack helicopters like the AH-1 Cobra.
The T-62 initially scared NATO forces with its powerful 115mm smoothbore gun and APFSDS ammunition. But as intelligence worked on the problem they found out it had a number of serious drawbacks. Fire control was mediocre at best, accuracy of the gun was suspect, and if the semiautomatic ejector was working the tank could only get off four shots a minute, during which it was helpless due to the cycling of the device.
In 1977 Tamiya finally answered the fervent requests of modern Soviet modelers and released a kit of a T-62 Model 1972 tank as a "T-62A" (the actual T-62A was really the Article 165 tank with a rifled 100mm D-54TS gun, none of which appear to ever have been built in series). Hundreds of them began to appear on "threat" desks in the US Army and other NATO forces. But the kit was based on fuzzy photos of captured Syrian tanks and other details, and even with a book put out by Tamiya at the time on how to model the T-62 it was off the mark. Its major flaws were: wrong profile to turret, wrong hull shape, and suspension too low (it was apparently based on a burned-out Syrian tank and thus the weak suspension had it much lower than its actual 471.5mm ground clearance should have been (about 13.5mm in scale).
Well, at least it kept the after-market boys in business!
In 1992 I took it upon myself to built an Iraqi T-62 Model 1972 and with a good supply of Chesapeake Model Designs parts chopped a Tamiya kit to bits and corrected every one of its major flaws, which "Fine Scale Modeler" published in an article along with all of the templates needed to correct the kit. I decided it was way too much work and wanted to wait for a new kit that fixed most of the major errors.
Finally, after about 18 months of anticipation, Trumpeter has answered my wish and is released not one but two brand-new T-62 kits – a Model 1962 as reviewed here and a Model 1972 with the AA MG. Both kits should carry the relatively correct details as the turret shell and engine decks are on a separate sprue and the hull is designed to permit drop-in replacement.
This kit is made to state-of-the-air standards and uses a large amount of "slide molding" for its components, especially the turret which now bears the proper undercuts along its front face. The hull is molded as a tub with torsion bar mount and belly pan details in place, and other details are present on the upper hull as well.
The suspension is completely separate and provides for the "lever arm" shock absorbers, even providing special corner wheel sets for each one. Each wheel has a separate tire in black styrene (NOT vinyl!) and creates a wheel unit with relatively accurate width. The tires bear the external mold markings found on some tires but are easily removed, but as with most round objects the tread face will need sanding or trimming as well. The "starfish" shape is pretty accurate and the wheels are index so they line up spoke in opening like the actual wheel sets.
Details include the track bumpers (four per side), fender guards and separate fenders. The fenders even have the drain holes present in each straight run and the front and rear tips are separate items.
Tracks are the early OMSh (open metallic hing) type as used on the T-54 and T-55 but are correct for this version pre-rebuild. But they are single link (happily with nearly hidden ejector pin marks in the cast face) rather than link-and-length as with the KV kits.
Details about and in many cases you have options. The fuel tanks are not bad for the early ones, and Trumpeter seems to be aware of the fact that the rear pair on the right fender are linked together by an angle iron strip; the kit has them molded together with the iron in between. But if you wish to "plumb" the tank this is a bit awkward, as the fuel line connections go in between the tanks and will be hard to drill out with the tanks connected.
The turret is nicely done and all periscopes are provided as separate parts. The modeler has a choice of a bare "pig snout" mantlet or one with a canvas cover molded in place, as well as a choice between covers or no covers on the gunner’s and commander’s search lights. The modeler also has a choice between a turned aluminum gun barrel or a five-piece styrene one with a "slide molded" bore, both of which then take an etched brass ring with the bolt heads on the bore evacuator. However, the muzzle depth is not wide enough; the opening is correctly gauged at 115mm (about 3.2 mm) but somebody did not realize the cap on the muzzle is designed to protect the muzzle crown and is much larger (about 135mm). While this is easy to fix with the styrene barrel, it will be tedious with the aluminum one.
Fittings overall are petite and nicely done, and all lenses for lights are separate components as well. For example, the tow hooks have the cable retainers included as separate parts and the tubular guard for the headlights comes in two pieces to get a proper design.
But. There is always a but, and this kit unfortunately has a few. There are two major ones which have come up on the Internet and are not without foundation.
First off, the turret loader’s hatch is skewed inward when viewed from above. Since most blueprints of T-62s show this hatch to have its hinge line parallel to the cross-section of the tank, many have yelled foul. I took a good look at all of my references, and frustratingly there actually are a few cases where it seems this is so. One set of two photos from the UVZ factory museum shows a tank with the same turret (the Article 166M or "T-62B" prototype) shot dead on with the inside of the loader’s hatch clearly visible from the right side and the outside from the left, which would be correct if the hatch was skewed as in the kit.
It is not known where Trumpeter got their information from, as the Chinese have an early model T-62 they captured at Daiman Island on the Ussuri River in 1969. (This was reverse engineered to create the prototype WZ-122 medium tank, which did not go into PLA service.) It is possible some early tanks could have this variation, but for the most part it appears that the hatch should be square on.
The other major problem is at the rear of the hull. Tamiya missed the fact that the entire engine deck of a T-62 slopes downward at 4 degrees, and that the rear of the hull joins it at a 90 degree angle (e.g. 86 degrees from horizontal). Trumpeter has the rear of the hull at 90 degrees to the ground surface line. The solution will have to be adding 0.080 x 0.040 inch strips (2mm x 1mm) to the rear of the hull and sanding them down to form a wedge that will permit meshing with the lower hull joint, plus shim or extend the engine deck to fit.
The rest of the points are mostly minor. Trumpeter has the weld bead where the lower and upper glacis joint present, but it is a bit thick and inexplicably stops before it reaches the side of the hull. Also there is no heat shroud between the oil tank
(B-10) and the exhaust outlet (C-6).
Etched brass covers most of the parts modelers need, such as the safety mesh over the engine radiator air intake and exhaust and some of the minor bits.
Decals consists of a number jungle with Guards badges and also two specific tanks, number 953 with a truncated pyramid and dot marking and number 519. A color broadside is included for number 953 along with recommended color matches for Mr. Hobby, Model Master, Tamiya and Humbrol.
Overall this kit is a vast improvement over the Tamiya kit, and anyone wishing to build one should start here and NOT with the Tamiya kit no matter how cheap it is (about $5-10 at shows is not uncommon). But it does have some flaws which make it just miss a "Highly Recommended" rating.
Thanks to Mike Bass and Laura Carney of Stevens International for the review sample.
Cookie Sewell
Sprue Layout
A 57x2 "Starfish" wheels, drivers, suspension components
B 65 Fenders, fuel tanks, details
C 17 Upper hull, front and rear plates, turret race, gun barrel
D 9 Model 1962 engine deck, turret shell
G 44 Fender tips, details, track bumpers, wheel bosses
L 12 Clear styrene
M 31x7 Single link OMSh tracks
Z 5x4 Tires (black styrene)
1 Lower hull
1 Turned aluminum gun barrel
1 Twisted copper wire
10 Etched brass
(Originally written on Saturday, October 17, 2009 5:34 PM)
Kit Review: AFV Club 1/35 Scale Kit No. 35S56 T-34/85 Model 1944. 1945 Factory No. 174 Full Interior Kit; 504 parts (447 in grey styrene, 24 clear styrene, 20 in black styrene, 10 steel springs, 2 black vinyl tracks, 1 black nylon string, 1 turned brass barrel, 1 etched brass); estimated retail price US$50
Advantages: complete interior with clear styrene parts to show it off; neatly done details with very nicely broken down parts
Disadvantages: minor glitches in design and features (see text)
Rating: Highly Recommended
Recommendation: for all Soviet and ‘34 fans
AFV Club has now followed their interesting T-34 Factory No. 112 "Krasnoye Sormovo" kit with both a regular (AF35143) and clear hull (AF35S-51) option with a new kit of a Factory No. 174 (Omsk) T-34-85 with the same options - AF35145 as the "solid" kit and AF35-56 as the "see through" version. It says it is a "Model 1944, 1945" kit but only provides the Model 1944 version with the "split hatch" cupola and not the later "big hatch" cupola as modelers term them.
This kit builds on the previous effort by replacing a number of parts with those needed to create an accurate 85mm T-34. In this kit, it amounts to 185 new parts; note that AFV Club does not make it simple to sort them out as do DML and Trumpeter by using "mix and match" sprues but replaces them item for item, so anyone reviewing one of their kits has to look close at the sprues to spot the changes!
This kit has more clear parts provided as it needs some for the commander’s cupola as well as more for the turret and upper hull components.
As with the previous ‘34 kit, AFV Club has used smart choices for some of the parts. As before it comes with 20 separate black tires for the road wheels but these are styrene so there is no problem in cleaning them up, fitting them to the model or painting them. It still comes with steel springs which are not as difficult to install as those on the Churchill kits.
Detailing starts with the floor and moves forward. Separate details abound in the control (drivers’) compartment and include rodding for the foot pedals. This time the larger 85mm rounds are complete, and include late-war "arrow" shells as well as regular HE and AP rounds. Seats are neatly done with separate thigh pads and even machine gun racks look the part.
The V-2 engine is complete, but here AFV Club fixed its earlier mistake and only shows the later war "cyclone" air cleaners. But they do not connect to the engine, and the exhausts still use them as a mount for their passthrough to the exhaust pipes. (Note in one view the older "pancake" air cleaner is still shown on top of the engine - so much for cut and paste!)
The transmission comes with the odd "ribbon brakes" in place on each final drive/lateral clutch assembly (A43-A46) and the fan is a four-piece marvel of the moldmaker’s craft. Note that the main clutch is in the center of the fan. The radiators each consist of three parts and fit as required next to the engine.
As before the kit comes with pressed disk steel wheel but now with "segmented" solid tires and not the earlier "notched" tires. The same three different options for the idlers and drivers (1940, 1941, 1942 and beyond) are present, but for this kit the recommended ones are B33/B37 for the idler and B9/B13 for the driver.
The tracks are a bit thin and floppy, so most modelers may want to use an after-market set for this kit. AFV Club has come to the rescue with their set AF35173 which is a "Snap Together" set of single link A and B tracks (one is the flat plate, one the toothed variant), but these are an after-market purchase and not included in the kit.
The upper hull, stern plate, turret halves, roof and turret ventilator are all molded in clear styrene. This is slightly marred by ejection pin marks on the inside of the rear fenders, the stern plate and the turret roof; removing them will take careful sanding, buffing and a touch-up with Future or Johnson’s Klear.
All radiator louvers - intake and exhaust – are positionable, but the rear deck is solid so if you wish to display it you will have to leave the covers (D53, D54, D5) loose. There is a single etched grille for D5 which is a good choice.
This kit also comes with three 95 liter external cylindrical tanks and two smoke pots for the rear of the hull. The cylindrical tanks are one piece with a separate end cap, one nice way to get around the seam problem.
The turret is again nicely done and comes with a very complete Zis-S-53 gun breech and coaxial DT machine gun back end. There are details everywhere you look, but the clear plastic turret will cause some problems when completed due to attaching the parts to the inside. In this case there are so many bits in there such as 16 rounds of ammunition, seats, intercoms, viewers, etc. it will be very hard to see much of anything when completed, and the photos on the box top confirm this.
Three finishing options come with the kit, all in 4BO green: 164th Tank Brigade, 16th Tank Corps, Poland 1944 (white T-36); unknown, white 215; and unknown, Germany 1945, white 121.
Design of this kit is credited to "Team Niitakayama".
Overall this is a better effort that the T-34 76mm one as it solves the air cleaner problem. As it notes a set of 550mm smooth plate track, it is likely an early T-34 will follow (e.g Model 1940 or early Model 1941).
Thanks to Miin Herng Tsueng for the review sample.
Cookie Sewell
Sprue Layout:
A 75 Engine, transmission, radiators
B 76x2 Suspension, drivers, idlers
C 84 Hull and control compartment interior details
D 45 T-34-85 turret interior, rear grille, fender tips
E 70 T-34-85 interior parts, fuel tanks, details
F 11 T-34-85 "split hatch" turret, back plate (clear styrene)
G 10x2 Late model solid wheel centers
H 12 Clear Styrene
I 5x4 Tires
J - Decals, black nylon string
L 2 Black vinyl tracks
M 1 Lower hull pan
N 1 Upper hull (clear styrene)
O 25 Etched metal
S 10 Steel springs
U 1 Turned aluminum barrel
(Originally written on Saturday, October 17, 2009 5:32 PM)
Kit Review:Dragon Models Limited 1/35 scale ‘39-‘45 series Kit No. 6564; T-34 /76 Mod. 43 w/Commander Cupola Factory No. 183 - Smart Kit; 707 parts (415 in grey stryene, 168 "Magic Track" links, 118 etched brass, 4 clear styrene, 2 twisted steel wire); retail price estimated at US$49.95
Advantages: Most accurate kit of this version of the T-34 now in production; fairly generic version of the tank
Disadvantages: may not meet some modelers’ expectations of "their" version of the tank
Rating: Highly Recommended
Recommendation: for all Soviet and "34" fans
DML continues to "complete the record" on T-34s and now is offering this kit of the Model 1943 with commander’s cupola. While the tank still only had a four man crew, the addition of the cupola provided the commander with much needed capability to observe the battlefield.
This kit combines parts from the T-34 Model 1942 "Soft Edge" turret kit (No. 6462) and their T-34-85 kits along with a few new bits such as the cupola to create a kit of the Model 1943. As a result, it uses a full set of the "six spoke" or "twelve hole" (modelers’ terms) cast wheels with perforated rubber tires.
The turret is the generic T-34 Model 1942 but with the molds modified to provide a mounting for the commander’s cupola. While the profile of the cast turret appears closest to that from Uralmashzavod, this time DML has designated a "Factory No. 183" tank., As I noted previously I’ve never really been able to find out how many of the six-sided "hex nut" or "Gayka" turreted tanks were built, but a good estimate would be about 16,000 and another 3,000 with the commander’s cupola.
The kit adds several new sprues to the latest set of the molds and provides the cast wheels, cast wheels with rubber tires, new stern plate, new radiator exhaust grilles, and the turret and detail components. The shapes and angles match the Russian plans of the tank I have on hand. A new set of 500mm "waffle" tracks are provided in the form of a new set of "Magic Link" single link tracks, but for reasons best known to themselves this time DML has added four more sets of links. Each link does come with two ejection pin marks on the inner face, but these stand proud and while tedious are easily removed.
As noted many older but well-done parts are used in this kit. The late-model double bump stops on the lower hull molding are still present, as previously noted they can’t really be seen when the model is assembled and is a"so what" correction.
The kit comes with three different stern plates but only the one on the "Gayka" turret sprue is probably best for this version.
The turret sprue (L) includes a one-piece shell (thanks to "slide molding") with even the holes for the mantlet bolts and mounting guides in place. The cast-in reinforcements under the turret are present as are some casting marks on the turret. When joining the turret top and bottom do not be too fastidious as the race section and top section were welded together after casting, and the weld bead could be pretty rough; also the cleanup of mold edging was done for speed and not finesse.
The model comes with a standard PT periscopic sight/viewer with the "acorn" shaped cover found on most T-34s. The modeler has a choice of but one barrel for the F-34 gun: a one-piece item with hollow bore from "slide" molding and muzzle cap molded in place. A gun breech and partial interior to the turret are provided as with all of the DML T-34 kits. Note that this kit also comes with the ATO-42 flamethrower head (sprue U) as an option for the bow DT machine gun.
This project is listed as supervised by Hirohisa Takada, with drawings from Minoru Igarashi and the Dragon design team; technical assistance was provided by Nick Cortese.
Four different finishing options are provided: 109th Tank Brigade, 16th Tank Corps, Ukraine 1943 (partial whitewash over 4BO green, red diamond K 4 and K-5 on rear of turret); 8th Estonian Rifle Corps, 3rd Baltic Front, Tallin Operation 1944 ("Za Sovetskuyu Estoniyu"); Unidentified Unit, Poland 1945 (faded whitewash on turret, 4BO green, white 241); 1st Czechoslovakian Armored Brigade, USSR, Prague 1945 (4BO green with Czech roundel and white 421). A targeted set of Cartograf decals are provided.
Overall, this is a great improvement over the Tamiya kit with a correct size cupola and once more should be quite popular.
Thanks to Freddie Leung for the review sample.
Cookie Sewell
Sprue breakout
A 12x2 T-34 driver mounts, road wheel arms
B 26 T-34-85 rear plate and hatch details
B 21 T-34 40/41 turret roof and hull details
C 21 T-34 40/41 upper hull and details
C 19 T-34-85 details and gun barrel
D 15x2 T-34-85 "six spoke" wheels
D 15 T-34 76mm Mod 43 cupola, fuel tank ends
E 16 T-34 tie-downs and brackets
F 20 T-34 42 hull detail components
G 1 Final drive housing
H 6 T-34 engine intake vents, driver’s hatch
H 14 T-34 41 turret front and details
J 4 Clear styrene
K 13 T-34 41 F-34 gun assembly
L 33 T-34 42 "Gayka" turret assembly
L 84 "Magic Track" - "plate" track links
L 84 "Magic Track" - "toothed" track links
M 18x2 T-34 95 liter round auxiliary fuel tanks
N 4x2 T-34 spring towers
P 27x2 Drivers, suspension components
P 46 T-34 rear grilles, front plate, stern plate, hand rails
S 2 Twisted steel wire
U 3 T-34 details
W 8x2 T-34 Post-April 1942 rubber tired cast wheels
X 1 T-34 standard hull pan
MA 118 Etched brass
(Originally written on Sunday, October 11, 2009 9:40 PM)
Book Review: Osprey Masterclass: Modeling US Armor of World War 2 by Steve Zaloga; Osprey Publishing 2009; 192 pp. with illustrations and drawings; retail price US$39.95 (ISBN 978-1-84603-398-8)
Advantages: combines years of articles and tips into one single volume; binding says "use me on your workbench!"
Disadvantages: nothing to speak of
Rating: see text
Recommendation: for all modelers, especially armor modelers and US fans
When one thinks of American figure modeling no other name than Shep Paine is usually the first one to the fore; but when it comes to armor modeling, the same is true with Steve Zaloga. Having been modeling for well over 35 years and done some of the best and most innovative work in finishing, painting and displaying armor models, Steve has long been sought after as a seminar speaker for numerous armor shows such as the IPMS/USA shows and especially the AMPS International and regional shows. Most fans of his work know that it was one of the best reasons to subscribe to the British magazine "Military Modelling" and one of the reasons it has been a top-notch publication for years.
In this book, Osprey has gone a step past their normal modeling handbooks – of which Steve has authored many – and created a new format which should be standard for this sort of work from now on. Printed on heavier stock than most, the book has a hard-bound cover but inside has a loose-fitting spiral bound backing. The result: a book which will lie flat on the workbench so the modeler can follow along, much as with a cookbook. The heavier stock also will resist minor spills and overspray as well.
Inside Steve has covered just about every aspect of armor modeling from the simple selection of tools, paints and a area to model in to how to build, detail, convert, scratchbuild, photo and even edit modeling photos.
He begins with an overview of how he got into modeling and shows some early efforts. Everyone generally starts out slow and progresses, and while his first effort seems crude by today’s standards it is still a really good model for its time.
Chapter 1 covers basic tips and tricks for modeling, including when to "roll your own" and when to simply buy parts and details. Coverage (of use to American and British armor modelers in particular) includes how to make and use scale rivets, casting numbers, and even how to replicate scale casting effects on regular plastic hobby kits. He also covers weld beads and how to fix problems with older kits in this area (too often modelers fix them with weld beads that are 3 to 5 times larger than scale). As it is for US armor, Steve also covers the bain of all US modelers, three-part single link tracks for light and medium tanks.
Chapter 2 covers painting and the various types of paint and paint modifiers available. That’s right - modifiers. The major art brands such as Grumbacher and Windsor & Newton make both retarders and accelerators for paints, and when used with washes ("filters" in today’s parlance, but I am old fashioned) and oil paint mixtures can greatly assist in getting the "right" look. He covers warnings on using adequate ventilation and proper protection. Coverage includes how to treat brushes (and the major types to use) as well as techniques ("To paint or not to paint" is not the mantra, rather "To paint assembled or to paint in sections/parts" which he describes as to when and why.)
The long tail of "official US Army WWII Olive Drab" is once again presented along with reasons why it matters – and why it does not. Following that are his views and techniques for weathering with an eight-view presentation of a "donor" M3 hull showing how the techniques build upon each other. "Scale mud" and other crud is next. The last section in this chapter covers markings and techniques – when to use waterslide or dry transfers ("decals") or stencils.
Chapter 3 is called "Battle Bits" and covers vehicle "kit" – stowage and tools. Steve covers how to use kit stowage or to how to create your own from putty and odds and ends. He also kills some myths about WWII tool colors (OD is the norm, not steel and natural colors). Another missed detail covered here is the use of air ID panels and what colors should be present. Also covered is how to deal with canvas dust jackets and tarps and machine gun colors.
Chapter 4 is "The Human Factor" but here it refers to figures and how to get the right figure in the right place with the right look. Steve covers what he terms the "Frankenstein" look of using a variety of different figures and materials (mostly resin and styrene body parts with putty or epoxy and styrene details). Most of the figures seem to prefer DML or resin bodies with resin heads, Hornet being a frequent choice. He also shows how to paint a perfectly adequate face for a figure to go in or with a tank as opposed to those for competition in figure society shows.
Chapter 5 is "Setting the Scene" and covers base ground work for either simple display bases or dioramas/vignettes. Both commercial and dedicated bases are covered along with details that make the base "pop" without overpowering or letting down its subject.
Chapter 6 is photography and shows that you do not need a large or expensive setup to do high quality photography. While Steve notes you do not need a high end digital SLR camera, you do need to plan on one which can meet basic needs as well as dedicated processing software (think Adobe Photoshop or at the least Photoshop Elements).
Chapter 7 is a list of further reading and covers more than 12 years of articles Steve has written for "Military Modelling".
The book is dedicated to the "usual suspects" from AMPS Ground Zero, our local club here in Aberdeen, Maryland, and once a month we all get together and swap techniques and our latest efforts. As a result, over the past several years we have all had the pleasure of seeing many of these models under construction or the raw photos of them before processing and Steve’s Photoshop wizardry. As one of those "suspects" I must say that I feel flattered and honored to be a participant in seeing these develop, and am sure many modelers will appreciate the sharing of so much useful information in one place and the very useful presentation from Osprey.
Thanks to Steve for the review sample – a generous gift in this case.
Cookie Sewell
(Originally written on Sunday, October 11, 2009 9:37 PM)
Kit Review: SDV Model 1/87 scale Kit No. 87 084; TOS-1 Buratino; 48 parts in green styrene; price CZ Kr 290 (approximately US$16.50) (Note: also marketed by Arsenal M in Euros with their own unique kit numbers)
Advantages: first model of this vehicle in plastic in this scale
Disadvantages: model of one of the early 30-round prototypes
Rating: Recommended
Recommendation: for all small-scale or HO Russian armor fans
The Soviet War in Afghanistan was something of a watershed for Soviet arms manufacturers, as one of the new weapons they developed for that war which proved successful beyond their wildest dreams was the thermobaric warhead. Used on rocket-propelled grenades like the RPO-A "Shmel" and the S-8 and S-24 rockets, this weapon was very nasty inside closed spaces such as buildings or caves.
Thermobarics work by retarding an explosion with a metallizer such as aluminum and adding oxidizers to create complete combustion. Damage comes as the burning explosive cloud expands and fills up a set volume of space, and once done – as it also consumes all oxygen in the area when it burns – it creates a vacuum which can cause even more horrific damage when it sucks in all around it.
The TOS-1, or "Buratino" (Pinocchio), earned its nickname in that each of its 220mm rocket projectiles has a stand-off probe on the nose to detonate it where its explosive fill can expand to an optimum degree. The first prototypes carried 30 of these rockets in an 8-8-8-6 configuration, but after testing a 24-round (three rows of eight) was adopted for production models as the TOS-1M. They also switched chassis from either a straight T-72 or T-80 chassis to the "common" artillery chassis of a T-72 hull and engine-transmission with T-80 running gear.
SDV continues to produce really interesting and useful modern Russian or Soviet weapons and vehicles, and this one fits the bill. Based on one of the early models, it is a nice depiction of a T-72 chassis with the 30-round launch pod. The hull is nicely done and as with past SDV efforts comes with separate outer wheels (idler, road wheels, driver) on each side. Oddly enough the directions show the model with skirts (which is correct) but none are provided in the kit. At least they are very easy in this scale to make from 0.010" sheet styrene.
The turret rotates and the pack may be elevated or depressed, and it also comes with the travel covers for the ends of the pack. Note that each of the rockets has a hole molded in the warhead where the probes go, so a 1-2mm probe of fine wire or stretched sprue should be added to show the probe.
In general the hull is nicely done, with separate entrenching blade and braces as well as a separate engine deck; the rear air exhaust vents are a bit undersized and the fording covers are in place, but the rest looks very good indeed.
Overall this is a nicely done model and a sure conversation starter!
Cookie Sewell Sources:
Stevens International, 706 N. White Horse Pike, P.O. Box 126, Magnolia, NY 08049;
phone (856) 435-1555 fax (856) 627- 6274; e-mail: info@stevenshobby.com;
Fidelis Models, PO Box 1021, Poway, CA 92074; e-mail fidelismodels@cox.net;
Howard Hookham, 11 Belle Vue Terrace, Blackwood Hall, Luddendenfoot, Halifax HX2 6HG, Yorkshire, Great Britain; e-mail futureplanes2000@yahoo.com.
Direct from SDV at their e-store: http://www.sdvmodel.cz
The Czech Koruna converts to US dollars at a rate of Kr 17.6 = US $1.
(Originally written on Sunday, October 11, 2009 9:35 PM)
Kit Review: SDV Model 1/87 scale Kit No. 87 071; Stredni tank T-72 M1; 82 parts in green styrene; price CZ Kr 290 (approximately US$16.50) (Note: also marketed by Arsenal M in Euros with their own unique kit numbers)
Advantages: nicely done model of this vehicle in plastic; surpasses old Petner Panzers kit
Disadvantages: still has some rough areas and underscale bits
Rating: Recommended
Recommendation: for all small-scale or HO Russian armor fans
For many years one of the most famous and dangerous tanks in the world, the T-72 or "Ural" tank, has enjoyed a singular lack of respect in the modeling community, with one poor kit after another after another done of this significant tank. Surprising no one has yet fixed it in any scale, and the best effort in 1/35 to this day is a lukewarm attempt by Tamiya to make a T-72M1 tank.
SDV has now taken a shot at the T-72M1, and for an HO scale version it is not too bad. It is a much better kit than the now elderly Petner Panzers (now Boley) T-72 – a model of no particular T-72 variant with a lot of shortcomings but pretty much designed for wargaming.
This kit has a large number of small parts to detail it, and the overall shapes and details are much better. The T-72M1 turret has the proper plan form, albeit it lacks the undercuts needed by the M1 turret. With some careful trimming and putty they can be added back, but the smoke grenade launcher mounts would then have to be sanded away. (And yes, this kit does provide 12 "Tucha" Type 902A smoke grenade launchers!)
In general the hull is nicely done, with separate entrenching blade and braces as well as a separate engine deck; the rear air exhaust vents are a bit undersized and the fording covers are in place, but the rest looks very good indeed.
The kit comes with skirts for the fenders as well as the 200 liter fuel tanks and racks. But it is missing the unditching log which goes under the racks, so the modeler will have to add one from styrene rodding.
The kit also comes with a good decal sheet in this scale with a number jungle and individual markings for the USSR, Hungary, the CSSR, Poland, DDR, Finland, and the FRG, it also comes with what appear to be markings for an Iraqi tank brigade (alas, the 6th which was a T-62 unit).
Overall this is a great base to start to make a detailed ‘72 in HO scale, and a much better choice for the serious modeler than the Boley/Penter kit.
Cookie Sewell Sources:
Stevens International, 706 N. White Horse Pike, P.O. Box 126, Magnolia, NY 08049;
phone (856) 435-1555 fax (856) 627- 6274; e-mail: info@stevenshobby.com;
Fidelis Models, PO Box 1021, Poway, CA 92074; e-mail fidelismodels@cox.net;
Howard Hookham, 11 Belle Vue Terrace, Blackwood Hall, Luddendenfoot, Halifax HX2 6HG, Yorkshire, Great Britain; e-mail futureplanes2000@yahoo.com.
Direct from SDV at their e-store: http://www.sdvmodel.cz
The Czech Koruna converts to US dollars at a rate of Kr 17.6 = US $1.
(Originally written on Sunday, October 11, 2009 9:33 PM)
Kit Review: SDV Model 1/87 scale Kit No. 87 (unknown); Vyprost’ovaci Tank VT-72B; 89 parts in green styrene; price CZ Kr 320 (approximately US$18.20) (Note: also marketed by Arsenal M in Euros with their own unique kit numbers)
Advantages: first model of this vehicle in plastic; nicely done recovery vehicle
Disadvantages: still has some rough areas; Czech vehicle with limited sales abroad may limit appeal
Rating: Highly Recommended
Recommendation: for all small-scale or HO Russian armor fans
The Russians – or rather the Soviets – took many years to realize the advantage of a combat-capable heavy armored recovery vehicle, and instead opted for only recovery vehicles that could mostly just tow damaged vehicles from the battlefield. It was not until they finally introduced the BREhM-1 where they gained a full-service vehicle with a crane and heavy winch combination.
The Czechs and Poles, being much brighter, beat them to it years before that with their VT and WZT series recovery vehicles. When the Czechs switched from producing T-55s to the T-72, they followed suit with the VT-72 series. Fitted with a 20 ton (19 metric ton) capacity crane and a heavy winch, it could fulfill many of the functions the Russian BTS vehicles could not. Right now the Tank Museum in Bovington has an ex-DDR one on hand which is now their preferred recovery machine for extracting "ex ranges" vehicles for restoration.
SDV has just recently released a kit of the Czech VT-72B recovery vehicle, which is apparently so new it does not show on their website! Based on their yeoman T-72A/T-72M1 it adds a number of completely new bits along with a 10 part boom crane and the large capacity winch.
The hull is nicely done, with separate entrenching blade and braces as well as a separate engine deck; the rear air exhaust vents are a bit undersized and the fording covers are in place, but the rest looks very good indeed. The kit comes with skirts for the fenders as well as the 200 liter fuel tanks and racks.
The kit also comes with a suitable decal sheet with a number jungle and individual markings for the CSSR and DDR. One name is included but no information as to where it goes, but a photo of one in what appears to be FRG service shows it on the sides of the crane boom. It also comes with red and white safety warning stripes.
Overall this is the best of the recent T-72 based releases by SDV and a really good effort.
Cookie Sewell Sources:
Stevens International, 706 N. White Horse Pike, P.O. Box 126, Magnolia, NY 08049;
phone (856) 435-1555 fax (856) 627- 6274; e-mail: info@stevenshobby.com;
Fidelis Models, PO Box 1021, Poway, CA 92074; e-mail fidelismodels@cox.net;
Howard Hookham, 11 Belle Vue Terrace, Blackwood Hall, Luddendenfoot, Halifax HX2 6HG, Yorkshire, Great Britain; e-mail futureplanes2000@yahoo.com.
Direct from SDV at their e-store: http://www.sdvmodel.cz
The Czech Koruna converts to US dollars at a rate of Kr 17.6 = US $1.
(Originally written on Friday, October 09, 2009 7:36 PM)
Kit Review: Dragon Models Limited 1/35 Scale ‘39-‘45 Series Kit No. 6466; Sd.Kfz. 7 8t Half-Track Initial Production - Smart Kit; 525 parts (256 "Magic Track" two-piece link sections, 251 in grey styrene, 9 etched brass, 6 clear styrene, 2 film masks, 1 length of twisted steel wire); estimated cost US$59.95
Advantages: finally the basic prime mover version of this vehicle; nicely done rear compartment with all hatches optional position and interior bulkheads; well done lower frame details and fender section; DS plastic tires to avoid seams and extra assemblies; full engine and underside details
Disadvantages: as a "Smart Kit" probably not enough brass for some; small links perhaps better as DS tracks; no "kit" nor ammunition provided
Rating: Highly Recommended
Recommendation: for all German halftrack and artillery fans
F I R S T L O O K
DML has finally answered modelers’ requests with the basic artillery prime mover version of the famous eight ton halftrack. With more than 3,200 of these workhorse prime movers built, they were the necessary companions to the 8.8 cm antiaircraft guns, 10 cm field guns, and 15 cm field howitzers. While considered somewhat at a disadvantage by Allied experts for years due to its unpowered front axle, this vehicle did all that was asked of it and more.
In 2007 both DML and Trumpeter announced new 8 ton kits. Trumpeter was the first to get theirs to market with an eager public awaiting the kit, but unfortunately it appeared to be rushed and suffered a number of errors. With box art by Ron Volstad dated 2008, DML apparently shelved theirs when the other kit was released and waited. The Trumpeter kit was later found wanting with a number of unfortunate errors, and many modelers decided to wait on the DML kit.
But first both Trumpeter and DML released Sd.Kfz. 7/1 with the 2 cm Flakviering, but and Sd.Kfz. 7/2 with the 3.7 cm Flak 37, followed by a Sd.Kfz. 7 Late Production version. While some were quite happy (especially with the AA versions) most still wanted the base model. And now DML has finally released it.
Once again, DML has provided a very thorough kit with a complete engine and undercarriage to include the winch and all associated parts, as well as passenger body with its three rows of seats and stowage compartments at the rear of the hull. Once more two-piece "Magic Track" halftrack tracks are included – this time apparently with an earlier version of the track – but as often noted are very small and DML could have made many modelers happy by molding them as one-piece runs in DS plastic. Also, as the kits are "Smart Kits" they make use of slide molding and other tricks to avoid needless small parts assemblies and minimize the use of brass.
Most of the bits missing on the Tamiya kit are present here, for as well as the complete engine there is a transfer case, fuel tank, four-part winch drum, and complete towhook installation that form part of the chassis. The drivers are two-piece with suitable rollers represented and also add etched brass centers for scale appearance. This kit also adds all of the frame brackets and mounts under the rear fender assembly which were never present in the Tamiya kit (as it was motorized it could not have accommodated motors, batteries and a detailed inter-chassis structure). The result is the "airy" feel of the original with daylight clearly visible under the fender assembly.
The front tires are again DS plastic outers and treads combined with a styrene inner section. As fit is reported as good and the joint is on the inside it should not be a problem, and the result is a nice diamond-pattern tread all the way around with no seams. Another complete tire unit is included as the spare for under the cargo bed, and here it is provided with a partial stowage bin of its own.
Once again, the grille is solid, and perhaps could have been molded differently to give it some "airiness" with the radiator behind it. The hood comes with separate side panels which can be left off as per the originals.
The passenger body is nicely done with rifle clips on the backs of the preceding seats and a very finely molded rail assembly for the cargo stowage on the top of the stowage compartments at the rear of the body.
But some things are missing. There is no top provided (many modelers do not like molded styrene tops but they usually are an option) nor any top bows and canvas for the stowed version. No rifles are provided for the rifle clips, and most of all there is no ammunition or ammo cases of any sort for the rear stowage compartments. While the compartments come with all interior dividers in place – a one piece base unit accomplishes that – the doors are molded in one piece with a thin center joint, so anyone who wants to show them open can open them up with a simple knife cut and snap. But with nothing to show for it, the modeler will have to provide his own ammo cases or kit.
This kit again provides masks for the windshield sections so that the model may assembled and then painted, and which is a nice touch.
Research and technical assistance were provided by Tom Cockle and Gary Edmundson.
Five different finishing options are offered with a large "number jungle" set of Cartograf decals that also contains some lesser unit markings. The variants which can be modeled are: Artillery Regiment, 23rd Panzer Division, USSR 1942 (grey with white trim and unit markings); 2nd SS Panzer Division "Das Reich", Russia 1942 (grey with white trim and unit markings) 24th Panzer Division, Russia 1941 (grey with "Figure 8" in sides and license plates); Unidentified Unit, Eastern Front 1943-1944 (three color pattern); Unidentified Unit, North Africa 1942 (sand with palm tree and unit markings). All are apparently 15 cm prime movers as they are shown as Wehrmacht and not Luftwaffe. Also two of the options are shown with optional positions for the license plates but no numbers! (As one is SS I can understand that...)
Overall this is finally the model most modelers have been holding out for, and while a bit Spartan in accessories and items provided it is a great place to start for a super model and prime mover.
Thanks to Freddie Leung for the review sample.
Cookie Sewell
Sprue layout:
B 55 8 ton - Underframe details - winch, drivers, front axle, subframe, muffler
C 42x2 8 ton - road wheels, front wheel backs, body details
D 72 8 ton - engine, hood, radiator, standard passenger body components less sides
E 6 8 ton - clear styrene
E 38 8 ton - crew body, seats, rear stowage compartments, frame mounts
G 1 8 ton - rear fender assembly
H 3 DS plastic tires
W 1 8 ton - chassis
Y 1 Twisted steel wire
Z1 128 "Magic Track" track pads
Z2 128 "Magic Track" track links
MA 9 Etched brass
(Originally written on Wednesday, September 30, 2009 8:44 PM)
Kit Review: Dragon Models Limited 1/35 scale ‘39-‘45 Series Kit No. 6500; Sd.Kfz. 166 Stu.Pz. IV "Brummbaer" Mid Production w/Zimmerit - Smart Kit; 665 part (583 in grey stryene, 59 etched brass, 12 clear styrene, 10 etched nickel, 2 DS Plastic track runs, 1 length of twisted steel wire); retail price US$49.95
Advantages: adds the missing Zimmerit paste from Kit 6460; complete main gun assembly and partial interior; choice of options and assembly; now with DS tracks!
Disadvantages: nothing major noted
Rating: Highly Recommended
Recommendation: for all German heavy armor and Panzer IV series fans
One major area of contention in German modeling circles is "pre-zimmerit" or "no pre-zimmerit". Old hands who "broke the code" years ago on how to successfully apply a scale layer of the paste to their models prefer to do it using their favorite method; but more and more modelers appear to appreciate the pre-applied track followed by DML. This kit now corrects the one major flaw with DML’s previous kit of this vehicle (No. 6460, upon which it is directly based) and provides the zimmerit on the major components – the hull sides, the glacis sides, hatches and small detail bits.
Other than the changed parts (a total of 33 with 9 new clear styrene ones) the kit is a repeat of the earlier one. It retains the "2-in-1" feature by again providing the optional command "crow’s foot" antenna and mount to go on the stock vehicle.
The zimmerit coated parts are the casemate, the lower hull sides, the upper and lower glacis, the rear plate, the fender tips, the driver’s enclosure and hatches, the pistol port plugs, and a few smaller bits. Paint dots locate the places where the modeler will have to drill out holes for mounting various bits to the model.
The casemate includes some interior details and a complete gun and mount. The periscopic sight also projects through the roof of the casemate, and all hatches may be shown in the open position (but again other than the gun there is not much to see!) The kit retains the standard new generation Pzkw. IV firewall and optional position engine deck hatches as well. (I smell after-market interior and engine parts coming...)
The kit uses most of the previously generated Pzkw. IV generic parts and the ones from the mid-production Sturmpanzer IV kit. It still provides the etched nickel side shields for the "full-up" vehicle. These are nicely done but will need care as the mounting brackets are all plastic; modelers may wish to "etch" the surface a bit with a chemical blackener so the adhesive of choice (either cyanoacryalte glue or epoxy) can "bite" and hold it in place.
One area which is also sure to be bounding around the fora in newsgroups and modeling sites is the first inclusion of DS Plastic track runs for German Pzkw. IV series vehicles. These appear to be the 40 cm tracks with face cleats and provide for four links of overlap/attachment. This should permit the removal of two or three to "tighten" up the tracks and prevent sag for thos who wish it, or to induce extra sag. Keep in mind that since they are DS Plastic they may be cemented to the return rollers if not covered in paint to "hold" the sag in place.
Technical assistance on this kit was provided by Notger Schlegtendal, Steven Van Beveren, Tom Cockle and Gary Edmundson.
There are four suggested finishing options, three for Stu.Pz.Abt. 216. These are: Italy 1944: 1 (commander) and 2 in a red brown over sand mottle; the other Stu.Pz.Abt. 216 option is for s.H.Pz.Jg.Regt 656, Ponryi 1943 (tri-color patches, white 20). The fourth option is for Panzer Division "Schleisen", Frankfurt 1945 (tri-color stripes above the fenders, white 46). Cartograf decals are included.
Overall this is a lovely kit and the inclusion of the zimmerit and the DS Plastic tracks should make it appeal to a wider circle of modelers.
Thanks to Freddie Leung for the review example.
Cookie Sewell
Sprue layout:
A 37x2 Drivers, idlers and return rollers
A 81x2 Road wheels and bogies
B 17 Brummbaer lower hull details
C 42 Brummbaer - casemate and details
D 38 Brummbaer - hull interior
E 54 Brummbaer - casemate details and gun barrel
F 18 Brummbaer - fenders and air cleaners
G 46 Brummbaer - hull details
H 57 Pzkw. IV Engine deck and details
J 7 German generic jack
K 10 German generic external details
L 8 Spare road wheels
N 2 Brummbaer casemate with zimmerit and engine deck
P 3 clear styrene
Q 6 Spare track links
R 2 Brummbaer - flaps
S 9 Clear styrene
S 30 Brummbaer - zimmerit parts for hatches and trim, upper glacis
X 1 Lower hull pan with zimmerit
Z 2 DS track runs
Z 1 Twisted metal wire
MA 59 Etched brass
MB 5 Etched nickel shields - right
MC 5 Etched nickel shields - left
g 5 German generic "crow’s foot" antenna
WC 4 German generic weapons - MG-34 machine gun
(Originally written on Sunday, September 27, 2009 3:13 PM)
Kit Review: Dragon Models Limited 1/35 scale ‘39-‘45 Series Kit Np. 6522; PaK 43/3 L/71 mit Behelfslafette - Smart Kit; 403 parts (386 in grey styrene, 11 etched brass, 4 clear styrene, 1 vinyl hose, 1 copper chain); retail price US$46.95
Advantages: first model of this weapon in styrene
Disadvantages: probably should have been a cyber-hobby.com kit
Rating: Highly Recommended
Recommendation: for all German "88" fans
They say that necessity is the mother of invention; alas, sometime necessity produces a red-headed stepchild and this weapon certainly qualifies. A desperation mounting of the 8.8 cm gun built for the Jagdpanther on a Behelfslafette semi-mobile cruciform mounting, this weapon looks to have been one which – while powerful – would not have a long or successful life. With Soviet artillery used en masse to crush antitank weapons on the Eastern front and "cab ranks" of fighter-bombers ("Jabos") on the Western front, clunky designs like this would have a very short operational life.
Also complicating the weapon was the fact that field artillery recoil systems and tank recoil systems rarely have anything in common. The tank gun has a recoil system that relies on dead weight – here a 45 ton or 68 ton chassis – to absorb much of the recoil; a five ton field mount needs a much better recoil system to take that kind of shock, and this arrangement does not offer such a basis.
At least it was not a widely deployed weapon, and as such one could assume many antitank gunners could appreciate the fact that the few guns of this type fielded did not offer them a short and unhappy career on the battlefield.
DML has now released this in their mainstream kit series, but it would seem better to have been an option for their affiliate cyber-hobby.com as it was a low-rate item and relatively obscure. It does appear to have been a simple kit to gen up as well – something also common to cyber-hobby.com – as it has but one new sprue. The rest are from the Jagdpanther, series produciton Flak 36/37, and FlaK 37 am Behelfslafette kits.
The gun is straight from the Jagdpanther with conversion parts provided to adapt the gun mount to the carriage. The carriage is a virtual repeat from the FlaK 37 kit, and the bogies are complete from the Flak 36/37 kit.
No ammunition is provided nor are any accessories such as ammunition crates.
Technical assistance on this unique weapon was provided by Thomas Anderson, Tom Cockle, and Gary Edmundson.
Finishing directions are only for three unidentified weapons in sand brown; one of them surprisingly has the gun mantelet installed upside down! A small sheet of Cartograf decals are provided for the tire pressure instructions on the bogies and other details.
Overall this is another nicely researched and presented kit, but an odd choice for DML. It should please "Eighty-Eight" fans as it adds another member to the family.
Thanks to Freddie Leung for the review sample.
Cookie Sewell
Sprue layout:
B 19 Behelfslafette - center cruciform mount
C 7x2 Behelfslafette - outriggers
E 22 Pak 43/3 - Behelfslafette mount, sights, details
E 32x4 FlaK 36/37 - Sd.Ahn. 202 wheels, reels, details
E 2 FlaK 36/37 - Sd.Anh. 202 fender assemblies
F 52 FlaK 36/37 - Sd.Anh. 202 bogie details
F 62 FlaK 36/37 - Sd.Anh. 202 bogie details
G 10x4 FlaK 36/37 - tires
J 4 Clear styrene
L 1 Behelfslafette - base mount
P 37 Jagdpanther - gun and mount
Q 9 Jagdpanther - muzzle brake, mantlet
Z 1 Vinyl hose
MA 11 Etched brass
MA 1 Copper chain
(Originally written on Sunday, September 27, 2009 3:10 PM)
Kit Review: cyber-hobby.com 1/35 scale Orange Box Series No. 12 (Dragon Models Limited Kit No. 9112); JSU-152 3-in-1 with Bonus Red Army Scouts & Snipers; 508 parts (324 in grey styrene, 184 "Magic Track" links); retail price US$29.95
Advantages: new lower hull pan; choice of options in this kit; inclusion of Soviet figures a bonus; "Magic Track" welcome with this kit series
Disadvantages: basic flaws from earlier kits remain (see text)
Rating: Recommended
Recommendation: For all Soviet "beast hunter" fans
The Soviet ISU-152 was one of the most feared weapons on the battlefield at the end of the Second World War. Created by modifying the new IS tank chassis to mount a 152mm ML-20 gun/howitzer, the vehicle improved on the predecessor SU-152 on its KV chassis by being more mobile and reliable with better armor. Dmitriy Loza tells a great story of taking one with his Sherman battalion into Vienna in 1945 and using it to deal with an attack by German Panthers. The ISU-152 fired at point blank range at the lead Panther with a concrete-breaker projectile; it sheared off the complete turret at the race (and the unfortunate crew inside) and thus decapitated the Panther, causing the tanks following it to beat a hasty retreat. (Its muzzle blast and report also shattered every window in the building the Soviets were using for cover, causing nearly all of the casualties Loza suffered in the battle!)
The same chassis was used for both the ISU-122 with the long-barreled 122mm A-19 corps gun and the later ISU-122S which used a new mount similar to that on the SU-100.
Overall 1,885 ISU-152 vehicles were built, as well as 1,735 ISU-122 and 675 ISU-122S vehicles which continued postwar. In the early 1950s most of these were rebuilt as ISU-152M vehicles with parts from the IS-3/T-10 heavy tanks.
The latest redo and repackaged kit from DML’s affiliate cyber-hobby.com is the ISU-152 heavy self-propelled mount, but as it is a "3-in-1" it also offers the parts for the ISU-122 and ISU-122S in the same box. This time the kit comes with a new lower hull pan (as did the IS-1/IS-2). The kits is, as with the "Orange Series" releases, also bundled into one kit with an older set of figures(No. 6068, Red Army Scouts & Snipers) and a nice new set of modified IS tracks ("split track" and not "cut tooth") included from the popular "Magic Track".
As with the IS-1/IS-2 kit, it is likely that some modelers may wish to purchase the kit just for the latter, as they are outstanding and on their own nearly rated this kit a "Highly Recommended". Note that the "split tracks" come in one piece and are not set up for use Soviet-style as extended tracks – the idea was to fit a regular link and a split link together to give an extended track link every other track for use in snow, mud or marshy ground. Note these are more accurate for the ISU-122 and ISU-152 vehicles.
The lower hull pan is lower, but once more the kit comes with the underscale (14.3mm vice the correct 15.3mm diameter) road wheels and other details which have not been brought up to current standards. The only solutions are still (a) live with it, (b) wrap the road wheels with 0.020x0.080" (0.5 x 2 mm) strip, or (c) buy a set of resin road wheels to fix it.
The kit does come with the late war option for a 12.7mm DShK AA MG and a nice 13-piece assembly is provided as well.
Finishing directions are included for seven vehicles and a large Cartograf sheet accompanies them. For ISU-152s: 384th Heavy SP Artillery Regiment, Czenstochova, Poland 1945 (4BO green with whitewash, "Moskva"); 374th Heavy SP Artillery Regiment, Lvov, Ukraine 1944 (three-color camo over 4BO green, White 45); 3rd Baltic Front, 1945, White 25, Smert’ Nemetskim Okkupantom!" [Death to the German Occupiers!]; ISU-122, Unidentified Unit, Germany 1945 (whitewash over 4BO green); Unidentified Unit, Gemany 1944 B (brown stripes over 4BO green); ISU-122S, Unidentified Unit, Poland 1945 (partial whitewash over 4BO green, White 16); and Unidentified Unit, Poland 1944 (white front with 4BO green, White 23 "Imeni Mikoyana" [Named for Mikoyan"]).
The figures are again one of the better early DML sets and look the part of Soviet snipers and scouts in the 1944-1945 period. These were a Ron Volstad set and the original full color artwork for finishing them is included. As they are "Gen1" figures the weapons are not state of the art but are scale and a good result may be achieved. (Note while the instruction booklet is in color, DML/cyber-hobby.com had the good sense NOT to use their color photo method of assembly which is often unreadable and unusable.)
Overall , this is a good combo for a reasonable price and unless one is a real stickler will built up to look the part of an ISU. While a new-mold kit is coming from Tamiya with their excellent lower hull, this kit will get you most of the way there and with its options and figures is a better deal for the budget conscious modeler.
Thanks to Freddie Leung for the review sample.
Cookie Sewell
Sprue layout:
A 18 Upper hull details
B 102x2 Suspension and hull details
C 9 ISU-122/ISU-152 barrels and mantlet
D 21 ISU upper hull and hatch assemblies
G 13 DShK and mount
H 10 ISU-122S gun barrel and mantlet
T 92 Magic Track links - with guide tooth
X 1 Lower hull pan
Y 4x2 Spare track attachment brackets
Z 92 Magic Track links - split track
6068 32 Four figures and kit
6068 8 2 x PPSh, 2 x Moisin-Nagant M91, scopes
(Originally written on Saturday, September 19, 2009 3:27 PM)
Kit Review: Dragon Models Limited 1/35 scale ‘39-‘45 Series Kit No. 6519; German Wiking Division Kovel 1944 - Gen2 Gear; 143 parts in grey styrene; estimated retail price US$13.95
Advantages: mixture of "Gen1" figures and "Gen2" kit more popular with modelers
Disadvantages: painting directions limited
Rating: Highly Recommended
Recommendation: for all German WWII fans
There is a scene in the movie "The Lion in Winter" in which the second Plantagenet son, Geoffrey, discusses things with his mother Eleanor of Aquitaine. He notes that he knows that she knows that he knows that Henry II knows ad nauseum and then notes "We’re a very knowledgeable family". Such is the same thing with a kit like this one.
Due to worldwide condemnation – most readily apparent in the Council of Europe countries – WWII Nazi regalia is banned and as such no mention or highlight can be made of it. Even when the insignia are used in a historical context such as on a scale model they are verboten in any sense of the word. (Ask me, I know; I had a 1/32 Bf-109E-3 with swastikas on its tail "arrested" in West Berlin in 1978 for that very reason!) And this kit is no different.
DML follows the rules, but as most of the rest of the world and all of the modeling community knows these figures are not from the "German Wiking Division" but the 5th SS Panzer Division "Das Wiking". The figures on the box art – a machine gun team in camouflaged uniforms – dutifully have blank collar tabs where the SS runes would go. While I am no fan of Nazis or fascism at all, it seems silly in many cases to have to hide the facts that most people know when it relates to a model kit. (At least pre-"censored" artwork does mean that European shop owners do not have to go through the kits with a magic marker to blot out the markings or cut them out of decal sheets with a scalpel!)
This new set from DML is an "in action" set with the team taking up positions and the machine gunner (here with an MG-42 on a sling) firing from the hip at a target his team leader has located. The other two "numbers" are looking for targets and the kneeling ammunition number has a spare belt open and around his neck.
The figures are mostly wearing the SS camouflage uniforms of the late war period that are popular with figure modelers and diorama builders due to the challenges they pose in 1/35 scale. Each figure is a "Gen1" type of six basic parts – head, torso, legs and arms – with a large number of detail parts to add to them. DML is now continuing its "Gen2" gear series in which generic sprues of improved detail parts are included in the kit, but not the full "Gen2" figures which comprise up to 20 parts each and have caused some frustration among figure modelers (they can be difficult to assemble and get a good fit of the uniform bits.) This seems to be a good compromise and one which gives the most detail to the modeler with the least amount of hassle.
The weapons are now modified as well - no more separate bolts or hollow muzzles on the rifles, but hollow flash suppressors for the machine guns and more options: this set offers one MG-34, one MG-42, three MP-40, one MP-44, one Gewehr 43, and four Kar 98K plus clips and magazines. The generic kit sprue also provides grenades and a Luger and P38.
The kit does come with the full ammo belt assembly for the ammo number, as well as a carrier for drum magazines as well. But there are no slings for any weapon, so the modeler is on his own to come up with the carrying/firing sling for the box art pose.
The painting instructions are the "B" kit (e.g. non-Volstead) ones with the "stick here" assembly photos and a small reproduction of the box art.
Overall this is a good set to go with late war German armor and should be popular with German modelers.
Thanks to Freddie Leung for the review sample.
Cookie Sewell
Sprue layout:
6519 51 Four figures and machine gun accessories
G 4 German generic - entrenching tools
G 58 German generic kit - helmets, bread bags, small arms, etc.
W 30 German weapons - MG-34, MG-42 MP-44, Kar 98K, MP-40, Gewehr 43
(Originally written on Thursday, September 10, 2009 3:51 PM)
Kit Review: cyber-hobby.com 1/35 scale Kit No. 34 (Dragon Models Limited 1/35 Scale ‘39-‘45 Series Kit No. 6270); Sd.Kfz. 138/1 Geschuetzwagen 38 H fuer s.IG. 33/1 Initial Production - Smart Kit; 959 parts (570 in grey styrene, 240 "Magic Track" links, 147 etched brass, 1 turned aluminum gun barrel, 1 prebent steel wire); estimated price US$49.95
Advantages: early version of the so-called "Bison" a popular choice, nice alternative to the M variant
Disadvantage: some complaints about fenders still linger
Rating: Highly Recommended
Recommendation: to all German, Praga and "Redleg" fans
Eight months after DML released its kit No. 6470, which was of the production model of the Sd.Kfz. 138/1 Geschuetzwagen 38 H fuer s.IG. 33/2, their boutique affiliate cyber-hobby.com is releasing a kit of the initial production vehicle. This model actually only changes or adds two sprues and a new set of drive wheels.
As with the earlier kit, this is a complete "Smart Kit" but one which uses parts from the Ausf. M kit (the sIG 33 and the ammunition) and parts from the Pzkw. 38(t) Ausf. G kit with 87 new styrene parts. These include the entire upper hull, new mounting braces for the sIG 33 mount with two footing options inside the hull, and a new set of canvas supports for the casemate (no canvas parts are included, however). It uses some different howitzer components (which were already on the sprues) to replicate the earlier "Stroke 1" version of the s.IG. 33 15 cm howitzer.
The rest of the kit is nearly identical with the first version, and so I quote from my original review in January. As with the Ausf. M it uses "Smart Kit" technology where the emphasis is on detail but they have also added more brass to including the entire engine grille assembly. There are still a few optional parts such as a one-piece shifter control for the transmission or one made from a total of 12 etched brass parts and two handles from the single styrene parts. Only a few of the frames and grilles will require a good amount of bending. Note that this model comes with a new (P sprue) radiator housing and shell for the engine bay.
As with the Ausf. M the howitzer comes with a turned aluminum barrel and rifling in its first section. For some reason (either other variants or a towed version being forthcoming) there are TWO sprues of cradle and breech parts for the s.IG. 33 15 cm howitzer, so be careful on choosing the right parts as this builds to the earlier "Stroke 1" and not the "Stroke 2" used in the previous kit. Most of the ones used here are on the "B" sprue.
The new casemate consists of six main parts (front, sides, and three piece rear door section) with details provided and DML’s new "Razor Edge" thinned parts to simulate steel plate vice styrene plastic. The rear doors may be posed open or closed, and with some work the engine bay hatches may also be posed open or closed. Fenders are the original straight ones to which some modelers have vehemently objected.
This kit also includes the engine and other interior parts from the DML TNHP series kits. The driveline and interior are mostly styrene parts, such as the transmission/clutch assembly, steering controls, driveshaft and shield. The ammo racks are all single molded items, but the projectiles are molded with the rack to get a "scale" thickness to the rack and as such cannot be separated. Twenty full and six empty racks are provided along with two single projectiles as well as the propellant lockers for the sides of the casemate.
The kit also includes the generic German kit sprue with helmets, canteens, mess kits, gas mask canisters, etc. A two section radio (transmitter/receiver) mount on the right side of the casemate. Each periscope in the fighting compartment is all stryene (clear prism component, grey mounts) and may be positioned as folded or erected.
Assistance on this kit is credited to Thomas Anderson, Tom Cockle and Gary Edmundson.
Finishing directions are for a prototype vehicle undergoing testing at the BMM factory. While this is unfinished sand, a small set of Cartograf decals with black crosses are provided.
Overall , this is pretty much another "one off" kit but will fill in the gaps for the diehard 15 cm SP fans.
Thanks to Freddie Leung for the review sample.
Cookie Sewell
Sprue Layout:
A 74 Pzkw. 38(t) Ausf. G wheels and suspension
B 24 s.IG. 33 cradle and breech
B 70 Pzkw. 38(t) Ausf. G fenders and hull components
C 24 s.IG. 33 cradle and breech
D 58 Pzkw. 38(t) Ausf. G interior and transmission components
E 1 Pzkw. 38(t) Hull
F 77 Gw 38 H upper hull and upper hull interior parts
F 12 Gw 38 H front hull and details
J 10 clear styrene vision blocks
K 3 Clear styrene sights
K 43 Pzkw. 38(t) OVM and spare rivet heads
L 2 German whip antenna
N 2 German whip antenna
N 5 cleaning rods and accessories
P 17 Radiator and accessories
R 32x2 15 cm projectiles and stowage brackets
U 6 15 cm stowage brackets
V 10 German radio and racks
Y 240 Magic Track
MA 147 etched brass
MC 1 Turned aluminum barrel
MC 1 prebent steel wire
GA 64 German generic kit
RA 9 German generic radios
RB 8 German generic radios
(Originally written on Sunday, August 30, 2009 11:14 AM)
Book Review: The Danish Leopard 2A5 by Thomas Antonsen; Barbarossa Books, Tiptree, Essex, UK 2008; 172 pp. with color photos and drawings; retail price UK £27.95 (ISBN 978-1-84768-027-3)
Advantages: beautifully done coverage of one of the more popular modern tanks; ideal for modelers both of Danish and other nations’ Leopard 2 series tanks
Disadvantages: may be too narrowly focused for general appeal
Rating: Highly Recommended
Recommendation: for all Leo fans and Danish armor modelers in specific
Nobody thinks very much about Denmark. No, I am not disparaging that country in the slightest; but as it is one of the smaller of the NATO nations and located on the Jutland Peninsula to the north of what used to be the main arena of a prospective war with the USSR, its armed forces were not generally seen as first line defenders of NATO. This is something of a shame, as for many years Denmark has shown a very solid and rationally thought out view of its armed forces and their weapons with brave and solid troops to man them.
Like many other NATO countries, most of whom do not produce their own major weapons systems, the Royal Danish Army had only a few choices for arming their forces. The usual choices have been to purchase either British, American or after 1960 German equipment, both as they were NATO countries and backers and they came designed to meeting NATO compatibility standards with common weapons and calibers, common fittings, compatible radio communications and fuel requirements, and other standardized features. For example, the Danes purchased British Centurions and American M41 Walker Bulldogs in the 1950s and later moved to German Leopard 1 series tanks in 1976; they also had American M113 series APCs and M109 SP 155mm and M110 SP 203mm howitzers. While not lavishly funded, the Danes were able to make thrifty use of these forces and keep them both well-prepared and serviceable for all Cold War needs.
In the early 1990s Denmark began looking at replacing the 230 Leopard 1A3 and 1A4 tanks then in service, even though by then all of these tanks had been upgraded to Leopard 1A5 standards. Due to changes in technology, even with the upgrades they were not seen as world standard and a replacement had to be found. The main competition came down to whether or not to select the turbine-powered American M1A1 or the German Leopard 2 tank. When the German Army offered to sell them Leopard 2A4 tanks in 1997, the Danes accepted. The purchase of 51 of these tanks was soon followed by negotiations to upgrade them to Leopard 2A5 standards.
The tanks, serial numbered by the Danes in the 68.6xx series, have many detain differences from their German cousins and other export versions. This book covers the tanks in their original delivery condition as seen in 2000 and 2001 and then follows and details their upgrade to Leopard 2A5 standards. Seven pages detail the early years, followed by a description of what changes were made and then 42 pages of detailed photos of the upgrade components and detail changes made to the Leopard 2A4 to turn it into the 2A5.
For general fans of the Leopard 2, the next chapter covers maintenance of the tank and provides 24 pages of detailed color photos of the tank with its engine removed and other components under maintenance, which is a detailer’s dream when it comes to the internals of the engine bay and other parts of the tank. Eight more pages show how to ship your Leos using road, rail, sea, and even contract air (with the An-124 being rented from Volga-Dnepr Air.)
The next 24 pages cover the Leo 2A5 on exercise and in training. Chapter 9 provides 28 pages on the evolution of the tank as it moves from being a "Cold Warrior" into a mobile fire support system for use in today’s modern conflicts against what the Russians called "illegal armed formations" or extremists. Ten more pages cover the deployment of part of the Leo 2A5 tanks to provide fire support in Helmand Provice, Afghanistan, starting in 2007.
The next chapter looks at modeling the Danish Leo 2A5 with its primary focus being on the extant Tamiya Leopard 2A5/2A6 kit or for those not interested in extreme detailing, the Hobby Boss 2A5 kit. The author provides his reasoning as well as covers the best detail set options to create an accurate Danish 2A5 from the Tamiya kit. The book also provides a set of 1/35 scale plans for the Danish Leo 2A5 (which barely fit inside the A4 sized pages!) and a small camouflage scheme for the European camo version. The last few pages cover the history of the Leo unit and also some of its operations when deployed with its Leo 1A5 tanks to Bosnia-Herzogovina in 1994.
Overall this is a very thoroughly researched and laid out book, and while somewhat narrowly focused on just the Danish versions of the tank, there are a number of general use items and information for anyone modeling the Leo 2A4/2A5 series tanks to make it worth serious consideration.
Thanks to Russell Hadler of Barbarossa Books for the review copy.
Cookie Sewell
(Originally written on Saturday, August 29, 2009 11:08 PM)
Kit Review: Dragon Models Limited 1/35 scale ‘39-‘45 Series Kit No. 6517; Gebirgsjaeger Defenders - Gustav Line 1944 - Gen2 Gear; 120 parts in grey styrene; estimated retail price about US$13.95
Advantages: combination of "Gen1" figures and "Gen2" kit a good idea
Disadvantages: no major items noted
Rating: Highly Recommended
Recommendation: For all German and Italian theater fans
The "Gustav Line" was one of several fortified German defensive lines up the "boot" of Italy and ran from the Tyrrhenian Sea in the West to the Adriatic in the east about 75 miles south of Rome. By this time many different units were defending it, including mountain troops (Gebirgsjaeger) who had been trained for this sort of operations.
DML is now offering a set of these troops in the heavier kit used in colder climates (normally they wore shorter paints, tall stocking and "birgsteiflen" or mountain boots). The four figures in the box provide one man preparing to fire a rifle, a lieutenant on a field phone reporting, one loading a flare pistol, and one moving laterally with a submachine gun at the ready.
The figures are the so-called "Gen1" type consisting of seven basic parts (head, collar/hood, torso, arms, and legs) with separate hands for one figure. This has been one of the points of debate between fans of the simple figure and the more detailed "Gen2" figures which normally run 16-18 parts each, providing much more detail but being harder to get a "clean" assembly for painting.
One compromise here is the use of "Gen2" style kit which uses more slide molding techniques and are more natural in appearance once attached to the figures.
The weapons are new mold, but surprisingly are not the true "Gen2" weapons with slide molded hollow muzzles. Still, they provide a good selection for troops stationed in Italy post-1943 when the Italians nominally went back over to the Allies.
The artwork is by Ron Volstad and as usual is top-flight, as well as providing a much easier set of painting and assembly directions.
Overall this is another take on German troops and one which fills another niche.
Thanks to Freddie Leung for the review sample.
Cookie Sewell
Sprue Layout:
6517 43 Four figures with basic kit
G 60 Basic German kit (helmets, pouches, canteens, grenades, gas masks, etc.)
W 10 3 x MP-40, ammo clips for Kar 98K
WA 2 2 x Gewehr 43
WA 5 Carcano carbine, Beretta submachine gun, light machine gun
(Originally written on Saturday, August 29, 2009 11:06 PM)
Kit Review: Dragon Models Limited 1/35 scale ‘39-‘45 Series Kit No. 6397; Jagdpanzer IV L/70 (V) - Smart Kit; 783 parts (555 in grey styrene, 200 "Magic Track" links, 18 clear styrene, 10 etched brass); retail price US$49.95
Advantages: near totally new kit of this popular subject; very nicely executed
Disadvantages: still comes with "Magic Track" links
Rating: Highly Recommended
Recommendation: for all German and Pzkw. IV fans
When the 7.5 cm PaK 40 L/48 began to have problems defeating Allied armor – especially the heavy and troublesome Soviet IS tanks and ISU self-propelled guns, the Germans decided to upgun their Jagdpanzer IV to carry the more efficient 7.5 cm PaK 42 L/70 which was the same gun mounted in the Panther. While the marriage was basically a good one, the extra weight and shock of the heavy gun on the suspension caused failures of the front bogie wheels. As a result, later models were fitted with steel-rimmed wheels and heavier springs on the front bogie pair on both sides. Over 900 of these useful vehicles were produced by Vomag (hence the (V)) and another 278 of a different design from Alkett (A), but their high water mark was the Battle of the Bulge with some 137 noted as available.
DML last revisited this popular tank destroyer in 1998 with some interim re-releases of modified versions over the years in their "Imperial" series. But this is a new-build kit and other than wheels, tracks and a few generic bits, it is a wholly new model from the ground up. In point of fact, 315 of its major parts are all new.
Since the vehicle did not enter production until August 1944, I have no idea how many would have had zimmerit paste but I would think it very few if any. Ergo the "zimmerit or not" question here is a relatively moot point.
The model provides a large number of options. Foremost among them is the use of either an early (single cylindrical) or late (twin pipes) Ausf. J rear hull and exhaust. A choice of early or late (post-December 1944) tow hitches are also offered. Three different options for return rollers and eight three-piece steel-rim wheels are also provided for the suspension, as well as modified bogie mounts and a totally new lower hull pan.
No engine detail is provided, but a firewall is included as the radio sets mount against it (and they are provided). Engine deck details are similar to those used on previous Panzer IV "Smart Kit" offerings.
The complete L/70 gun is provided with a slide-molded gun barrel in one piece, which at least on the review sample did not have sink mark one on it. However, other than the big gun and the radios there is no interior to speak of within the casemate.
The skirts are DML’s "Razor Edge" styrene vice etched nickel, but they do provide an easier assembly task so it may not be a bad tradeoff. The fixed skirt sections (Parts B43 and B44) cement in place, but the main skirting simply drops into place on the sides when the brackets are in place.
Technical assistance is credited to Notger Schlegendal, Tom Cockle and Gary Edmundson.
Eight different finishing options are covered and a small sheet of Cartograf decals is provided for them: 15th Panzergrenadier Division, Western Front 1945 (tricolor, black 313); Pz.Jg.Abt., SS "Feldherrnhalle" Panzer Division, Budapest 1945 (white over tricolor, black crosses); 13th Panzer Division, Hungary 1945 (tricolor, black 333); same vehicle, but white over sand; 9th SS Panzer Division "Hohenstaufen", Hungary 1945 (tricolor with black crosses); Pz.Jg.Abt. 1, 1st SS Panzer Division "LAH", Poteau, Belgium 1944 (tricolor top over sand hull); Stu.Art.Brig. 210, Germany 1945 (white over sand, red L01); 7th Panzer Division, Eastern Front 1945 (tricolor, white outline 403).
Overall this another nice upgrade and redo from DML, but I wish they had included my favorite markings for the Jagdpanzer IV L/70: white paint over tricolor which reads "THIS DONT WORK SPEARHEAD FOUND IT TOO BAD". But then again I did serve in the 3rd (US) Armored Division...
Thanks to Freddie Leung for the review sample.
Cookie Sewell
Sprue Layout:
A 37x2 Pzkw. IV Generic drivers, idlers and return rollers
A 81x2 Pzkw. IV Generic road wheels and bogies
B 56 Jagdpanzer IV L/70 - engine deck details, rear plates, casemate front
C 96 Jagdpanzer IV L/70 - brackets, schuertzen, details
D 49 Jagdpanzer IV L/70 - return rollers, details
D 6 Jadgpanzer IV L/70 - roof and slider plates
E 20 Jagdpanzer IV L/70 - front road wheel replacement parts
F 2 Jagdpanzer IV L/70 - fenders
F 2 Jagdpanzer IV L/70 - mantlet
G 53 Jagdpanzer IV L/70 - 7.5 cm gun and mount details
J 7 German Generic Jack
K 10 German Generic Antenna and tail light set
L 100 "Magic Track" left side
M 15 clear styrene
P 3 Clear styrene
R 100 "Magic Track" right side
T 2 Jagdpanzer IV L/70 - casemate and engine deck body
W 12 Jagdpanzer IV L/70 - forward wheel rims
X 1 Jagdpanzer IV L/70 lower hull pan
TG 3 German Generic - close-in defense weapon
MA 10 Etched brass
(Originally written on Wednesday, August 26, 2009 4:12 PM)
Kit Review: Vulcan Scale Models 1/35 scale Kit No. 56001; Ordnance 2 Pounder Mark IX Carriage Mark II British Anti-Tank Gun; 126 parts in grey stryene; retail price US$23.95
Advantages: first kit of this weapon as a styrene kit; nicely done set of accessories offers numerous options for posing the model
Disadvantages: no crew figures; no "portees" available (not Vulcan’s fault!)
Rating: Highly Recommended
Recommendation: for all artillery and Commonwealth modelers
The 1930s gave all of the tank-building countries very false hopes for their antitank guns, as in exercises the antitank guns were frequently rated able to knock out any tank they faced regardless of battlefield conditions or armor protection. The British 2-pounder, a 40mm weapon very similar in concept to the US M3 37mm, the German PaK 36 3.7 cm, and the Soviet M1932 45mm, seemed like a good idea in 1939 but soon found itself outclassed in combat. Added to that was the over-engineered mounting for the 2-pounder which made it heavier and more difficult to use in action than the others (lower, simple split-trail carriages). Gunners soon used to not raise the upper shield and fire the gun from its wheels with the front spades raised in order to provide a modicum of mobility.
Later on in the war the guns were fitted to 6-pounder type split-trail carriages (Mark 10 gun on Mark 4 carriage) and a semi-squeeze bore projectile was offered with a squeeze-bore adaptor as the "Little John", which got a bit more mileage out of the gun against German light armor. Also fitted as the standard tank gun on the A13, Crusader, Valentine and early Churchill tanks as well as most armoured cars, the 2-pounder was also quickly replaced by the 6-pounder on the latter three tanks and the later armoured cars.
For many years the only kits available of 2-pounders were either white metal or resin, expensive and mostly not very good. It wasn’t so much that the manufacturers were poor as the gun was very complex and difficult to mold or cast.
Vulcan, a new manufacturer from Hong Kong, has now entered the 1/35 scale market with this kit, which is a very impressive first product. Portraying the awkward Mark II carriage, the kit comes with state-of-the-air molding and modeling techniques and is very nicely done on but two sprues (a 2-pounder is a very small gun at the end of the day!)
The kit provides the Mark IX gun complete on the Mark II carriage with nicely done wheels, using the now-common method of "sandwich" construction to both avoid seams and provide tread depth. Each tire consists of two sidewalls and three "tread" sections. Wheels are in two parts with a dished "hub" side and a ribbed rear side.
The gun proper comes with a "slide molded" barrel and even offers a poseable breech block. The shield comes as a single piece but with some care may be separated to simulate the folded section for travel or the "lessons learned" combat deployment to reduce gun height.
The very petite lower carriage comes with tie rods, a handling spike, and separate mounting arms for the front spades which may be fitted as folded for travel or late combat or down for early combat positions.
The kit comes with two ammo boxes with separate lids and separate round casing bases so the modeler may portray either a full or empty ammo box, or anything in between. Accessories also include a sight case and ready ammo box for the gun as well as six "live" rounds and six empty casings, also with "slide molded" open throats.
No decals are included, but as these guns had few markings it is not a major problem.
Overall this is a great first effort and one which has already been a big hit with Commonwealth modelers. Kudos to Vulcan for a lovely kit! (I suggest anyone interested in the 2-pounder pick up a copy of "The 2-Pounder Anti-Tank Gun in Canadian Service" by Doug Knight, Service Publications, Ottawa, ISBN 978-1-894581-36-3.)
Thanks to the guys from Wings ‘n’ Treads for the review sample. (www.wingsntreads.com)
Cookie Sewell
Sprue Layout
A 68 Gun, cradle, base, shield, ammo boxes
B 58 Tires, spades, ammunition
(Originally written on Wednesday, August 26, 2009 4:09 PM)
Book Review: Wings and Wheels Publication Present Vehicle Line No. 20; PT-76 Family in Detail by Frantisek Koran, David Perry, and Jan-Willem de Boer; RAK, Prague, August 2008; 144 pp.; price US$50 (ISBN 978-80-86416-72-4)
Advantages: great compliment to the two lines of kits available; detailed coverage of some of the rarer variants
Disadvantages: skimpy coverage of the early production PT-76 tanks
Rating: Highly Recommended
Recommendation: for all PT-76 and Czech variant fans
When it comes to Soviet or Eastern European armored vehicles, WWP has become one of the leaders and this book is no exception. With the advent over the last several years of a base model PT-76 kit from Eastern Express and PT-76, PT-76 Model 1951 and PT-76B/PT-76B Polish kits from Trumpeter, it is nice to have a good photo reference manual for these vehicles.
The book follows the same format as most of the other WWP "Photo Manual for Modelers" books. Conveniently color-coded, the first 57 pages cover the PT-76 and PT-76B in close detail using full-color photos of existing vehicles. The next eleven pages cover the BTR-50PK command vehicle, followed by one pages on PT-76 wheels and tracks and six more pages on BTR-50 details. Next comes 12 pages on the TOPAS variant of the BTR-50 and its details.
The next series of photos presents 12 pages on the 3R8 missile and launcher, better known during the 1960s as the "FROG-3".
The next 32 pages cover captured PT-76 and BTR-50 vehicles in the Latrun Museum of the IDF, where the captured PT-76 tanks were best known for their "Trojan Horse" use when capturing the Egyptian crossing points on the Suez Canal in 1973.
The last section of the book is a South Lebanon Army (SLA) BTR-50 ambulance conversion also at Latrun. It has been modified by a special hatch in the bow for handling litter patients.
Two pages of color paintings and three pages of ads for other books complete the book.
Overall these are great for modelers who want to add interior details or get accurate exterior detailing on their models.
Cookie Sewell
(Originally written on Wednesday, August 26, 2009 4:06 PM)
Product Review: Unique Master Models tools; SCR-01 Scribing Tool; Price US$12
Advantages: high-hardness steel tool has multiple uses for scribing or seam cleanup
Disadvantages: sharp blades on each end require careful handling
Rating: Highly Recommended
Recommendation: for all modeling applications and venues
I really enjoy shows like the IPMS National Convention as many smaller manufacturers get a chance to come out and display their wares, and one of my favorites at that show has been Unique Master Modelers (UMM for short). Last year I picked up a riveting tool and some excellent razor-blade sized razor saws, and this year they had this nice new tool for sale.
The tool itself looks something like an old-fashioned beer can opener about four inches long. It has a sharp hooked barb on one end and a blade about an inch and a half long with a recurved tip on it at the other. According to the UMM reps at the show it is made from high hardness steel with a Brinell rating of 55 so will hold its sharpness for a good long time.
The directions show that it has three different scribing modes which can be used – barbed end, blade end or blade edge, and also can be used to carve, deburr (e.g. remove sprue teats), scrape or pierce. Several "victim" kits were available there for practice and from a quick look at the aircraft kits raised seams could easily be stripped off and scribed ones replace them.
Overall this little puppy looks to provide a nice tool which is handier than a knife in tight situations and more durable than the dental-tool type scribers due to its high hardness and lack of delicate points that tend to bend or dull.
UMM may be reached at www.umm-usa.com.
Cookie Sewell
(Originally written on Wednesday, August 26, 2009 4:00 PM)
Book Review: The Staghound: A Visual History of the T17E Series Armored Cars in Allied Service 1940-1945 by David Doyle; Ampersand Publishing 2009; 128 pp.; retail price US$19.95 (ISBN 978-0-9773781-6-6)
Advantages: a good reference book for the two series of kits available for the Staghound
Disadvantages: plan scale not provided
Rating: Highly Recommended
Recommendation: for all armored (armoured) car fans and Staghound modelers
For reasons best known to themselves the US Army only adopted one armored car during WWII – the 6 x 6 M8 Greyhound and its M20 armored utility vehicle derivative. But the US did develop both 4 x 4 and 8 x 8 variants, with the 4 x 4 version being produced as the T17 series. The British named them Staghound and they saw combat as part of the Commonwealth forces.
The prolific Mr. Doyle has provided a short two-page thumbnail history of the Staghound in US development and a very lovely selection of photos of the Staghound family under construction, in service and in preservation over the course of this book. 102 pages cover the most widely used variant, the T17E1 Staghound 4 x 4 armored car; 7 pages cover the T17E2 twin .50 caliber antiaircraft variant; two pages cover the stillborn T17E3 75mm HMC variant; two pages the Staghound II 75mm tank howitzer variant and nine pages the Staghound III with the upgunned Crusader turret with a 75mm gun.
Most useful to modelers is the first section, which has a lot of photos covering the construction of the T17E1 (e.g. Staghound I) variant and its details. Canadian armour fans will enjoy the book as it has a lot of coverage of the 12th Manitoba Dragoons in action with the Staghound I. (For those interested in a more in-depth history of the vehicle I suggest "The Staghound in Canadian Service" by Roger V. Lucy, Service Publications, Ottawa, ISBN 978-1-894581-37-).
The book includes the Ordnance plans for a Staghound I which appear to be 1/35 scale but are not identified as such, so you may wish to measure them first before using.
Overall this is a handsome book which is going to make anyone with a Bronco or Italeri kit happy as it answers most of their modeling questions.
Thanks to Pat Stansell for the review copy.
Cookie Sewell
(Originally written on Wednesday, August 26, 2009 3:49 PM)
Kit Review: Special Hobby 1/48 scale Kit No. SH 48047; Avia B-33 (Czechoslovakian Built Il-10 "Beast"); 214 parts (120 in grey styrene, 63 etched brass, 22 resin, 9 clear styrene); retail price US$64.95
Advantages: first kit of an Il-10 in styrene; nice selection of multimedia parts to provide detailing
Disadvantages: fixed canopy and control surfaces may not be popular with serious aircraft modelers
Rating: Highly Recommended
Recommendation: for all "Shturmovik" fans as well as Korean War fans
The Il-10 emerged from the Il’yushin design bureau in 1944 as a successor to the very successful and popular Il-2 series ground attack aircraft – "shturmovik" in Russian. While the Il-2 had been effective and eventually the most produced aircraft in world history with over 36,000 built, it was becoming long in the tooth and a faster and more powerful machine was required. Attempts by the fledgling Sukhoy bureau to produce the Su-6 did not go far. A new engine, the AM-42, was developed in 1943 and Il’yushin began to work on fitting it to an improved Il-2 airframe, beginning with the Il-8 heavy shturmovik. Two other offshoots, the Il-2I (interceptor) and Il-1 fighter, failed to get into production, but after development the latter was modified to become the Il-10. This new aircraft was accepted for service on 23 August 1944.
While the Il-10 could not carry the same bomb load as the Il-2, it was more maneuverable and faster as well as better armored. It beat out the modified Sukhoy Su-6 in being simpler and more rugged which were then prime considerations. The aircraft was armed with two 23mm VYa cannon and two 7.62mm ShKAS machine guns in the wings and a 12.7mm UBK heavy machine gun in a VU-8 turret at the rear of the cockpit. Top speed was now 551 kph (342 mph) at 2800 meters (9185 feet). A total of 3,834 Il-10s and 283 modified Il-10M aircraft were built by the USSR.
This model is of the Avia B-33 license-built production variant. Reviving the Czech aviation industry at Sokovice in 1951, they received the jigs and tooling to build the Il-10 as the Avia B-33. This aircraft primarily differed from the Il-10 in that it mounted four 23mm NS-23RM cannon in place of the VYa and ShKAS weapons and a B-20EhT 20mm cannon instead of the UBK machine gun. 1,200 of these aircraft (including SB-33 trainers) were built through 1956.
I am a sucker for Korean War aircraft and as there are still only three major types missing from my collection – the La-11 and Yak-9P fighters and the Il-10 – I picked one of these kits up at the IPMS Nationals to convert it to a KPAFAC machine.
The kit is very throughout and includes both resin details and etched brass components. Some features will not be appreciated by serious aircraft modelers, such as the fact that the forward cockpit section comes as a single piece and as such you cannot display the cockpit details (which are plentiful and petite) as well as many would like. Also, all control surfaces are molded solid in neutral positions.
Given those shortcomings, the kit is quite lovely with very fine scribed panel details and a good selection of options. The landing gear is nicely done (albeit with two-piece wheels rather than resin ones) with detailed wheel wells and also the small bomb bays are provided with interior details. Bombs consist of styrene bodies with etched brass fins.
While these are semi-limited run kits, they do not follow most eastern European convention with only butt-joint surfaces for the tail fins but have actual locating slots and more upscale fittings. Surprising the oil cooler intake (F17) is solid and does not provide for an open intake.
The cockpit is where a lot of the details go and the panels are a combination of film, styrene and etched brass. Details are complete down to propeller trim controls and also throttle and canopy controls, with extra handholds inside the styrene cockpit. The rear turret assembly consists of 14 parts plus the windscreen.
As noted the kit is of the four-gun B-33 and some modifications will have to be made to convert the model to a Soviet-built Il-10. I used the two-volume "Aviakollektsiya" set (5-2004 and 1-2005) for reference on the aircraft and they show detailed drawings and photos of the changes which need to be made.
Three different aircraft are provided for in the finishing instructions: a Czech B-33 (white DD-35), a Polish B-33 (white 7), and a Hungarian B-33 (white 20), all in standard Soviet dark green over light blue camouflage.
Overall this is an expensive but nicely done kit, and will fill a hole in at least my collection of Korean War aircraft.
Cookie Sewell
Sprue layout:
A 26 Fuselage, propeller, wheels
B 7 Wings, tail assembly
C 31 Bombs, interior, wheel wells
D 56 Guns, flexible gun, panels, mounts
E 9 Clear styrene
F 22 Resin details
PP 63 Etched brass
(Originally written on Monday, August 10, 2009 9:26 PM)
Kit Review: Dragon Models Limited 1/35 scale ‘39-‘45 Series Kit No. 6520; Sd.Kfz. 167 StuG. IV Early Production - Smart Kit; 903 parts (595 in grey styrene, 216 "Magic Track" links, 63 etched brass, 16 etched nickel, 12 clear styrene, 1 twisted steel wire); retail price US$49.95
Advantages: first new kit of this vehicle in 11 years; uses "Smart Kit" Pzkw. IV and StuG III components
Disadvantages: no zimmerit; tracks still single link and not DS plastic
Rating: Highly Recommended
Recommendation: for all German and "Stug" fans
At first glance it would seem a retroactive move by the Germans to create a self-propelled 7.5 cm gun using the Pzkw. IV chassis; after all, this same gun was already available in an all-around traverse turret on the same chassis and would seemingly be a better idea. But the Germans had a great number of doctrinal uses for self-propelled guns, and as the Alkett factory had been basically put out of business by Allied bombing (hence the end of StuG III production due to a lack of chassis) tests were made in late 1943 to fit the StuG III casemate to the Pzkw. IV chassis. The result was a success, and between December 1943 and March 1945 more than 800 of these vehicles were built. The chassis mirrored the Pzkw. IV chassis so they began using Ausf. H chassis and ended up with late model Ausf. J chassis.
This vehicle has never been as popular as it more widespread Pzkw. III based forebearer, but it has been another version of the Pzkw. IV chassis for fans of that vehicle. The first kit of one in more or less standard scale was the Monogram one from 1970 in 1/32 scale, and later ones was released by Tamiya and Italeri. DML released two kits of this variant, the last one being a late-production variant which came out in 1998 (No. 6107).
They have now revisited the kit and by combining parts of their excellent Pzkw. IV Ausf. H kit and the StuG III Ausf. G kit they have a new mold StuG IV. As such, the kit comes with a partial interior and all of the predetermined optional position hatches and viewers to permit an interior to be fitted to the rest of the hull. As with other recent DML kits with "schuertzen" armor shields, it provides the hangers and fittings in styrene and the plates themselves in etched nickel. Note that this version has a double-thickness fitting on the upper sections of its center three panels (MD1 parts) as well as extra bolt heads on the M sprue for each set of shields.
The rest of the kit follows the earlier "donor" kits. As with the earlier kits this kit has another new hull pan which is complete less the stern plates, separate final drives, and much of the surface detail simulates screw or bolt holes; it also has an applique lower glacis plate. Drivers now consist of only four parts; the separate bolts are gone. Bogies are now nine piece affairs without separate tires. New details are provided for the tow hook at the rear of the hull as well.
The upper hull again consists of a rear deck and framework with applique sides, front and rear engine intake components and fenders. Note that the fenders need trimming in Step 8 to permit the necessary modifications for this version. The muffler has a central tube section and six add-on parts to complete it along with a "slide molded" exhaust pipe.
All ports and hatches are separate parts so they can be posed open. While no interior components for the lower rear hull are yet present, the hull still provides a rudimentary firewall for the engine compartment, and the various vents and louvers are also posable either open or closed. Note that all ports have clear styrene inserts as well.
Using the StuG III parts the kit comes with a high level of interior parts, including the gun, commander’s cupola assembly, floor, and the radios and stowage racks for various bits on each side of the casemate. A loader’s machine gun is provided for the kit along with the folding shield and mount.
The only downsides (one minor and one medium) are the retention of the "Magic Track" single link tracks and the lack of zimmerit paste on the exposed parts. The former is not bad as "Magic Track" is among the best of the single link types but the other is one piece, cement and done. Zimmerit is up to the taste (and skill) of the modeler, but most intermediate level modelers appreciate having this step done for them.
Technical assistance on this kit was provided by Steven Van Beveren, Notger Schlegtendal, Thomas Anderson, Tom Cockle and Gary Edmundson.
A total of seven different finishing options are provided with this kit: 34th Infantry Division, Italy 1944 (tri-color stripes with black crosses); Unidentified Unit, Kurland 1945 (tri-color upper hull, sand lower with black crosses); StuG Brig 277, East Prussia 1945 (whitewash patches over sand with black crosses); StuG Brig 311, Ukraine 1944 (sand, black 111); Unidentified Unit, Lake Balaton area, Hungary 1945 (sand with white spots, black crosses); Unidentified Unit, Poland 1944 (fine dot camouflage, black crosses); 17th Panzergrenadier Division, "Goetz von Berlichingen" Kamp, Normandy 1944 (redbrown stripes over sand, "Bruno"). A very small sheet of Cartograf decals accompanies the kit.
Overall this is a nicely done kit which will probably drive unbuilt 1998 kits off shelves and into flea markets. But all of the recent kit are worth the cost in the amount of hassle they reduce and savings on after-market "upgrade" bits.
Thanks to Freddie Leung for the review sample.
Cookie Sewell
Sprue layout:
A 37x2 Pzkw. IV Generic drivers, idlers and return rollers
A 81x2 Pzkw. IV Generic road wheels and bogies
B 17 Brummbaer - front glacis details
C 21 Pzkw. IV Generic Tools and OVM
C 28 StuG III - roof and outer casemate details
D 3 StuG IV casemate and engine deck
E 33 StuG II - floor and interior details
F 16 StuG III - Gun mantlet and details
G 54 StuG III - smoke grenade launchers and fender details
H 57 Engine deck and details
J 12 StuG III clear styrene
J 7 German Generic Jack
K 47 StuG IV fenders and details
K 10 German Generic Antenna and tail light set
L 8 Pzkw. IV spare road wheels
L 108 "Magic Track" left side
M 32 Schuertzen hangers and brackets
N 5 StuG III Generic cleaning rods and OVM
Q 6 Spare track links
R 8 Three muzzle brake styles
R 108 "Magic Track" right side
X 1 Lower hull pan
Z 1 Twisted metal wire
WC 6 German Generic Weapons - MG-34
MA 63 Etched brass
MB 5 Etched nickel shields
MC 5 Etched nickel shields
MD 6 Etched nickel shields
(Originally written on Friday, August 07, 2009 8:50 PM)
Kit Review: Dragon Models Limited 1/35 scale ‘39-‘45 series Kit No. 6487; T-34 /76 Mod. 1942 "Formochka" - Smart Kit; (385 in grey styrene, 160 "Magic Track" links, 85 etched brass, 3 clear styrene, 2 twisted steel wire); retail price US$49.95
Advantages: Another popular T-34 variant appears as a kit; kit provides a good version of a mid-production Factory No. 183 hull for this turret
Disadvantages: name not found in any history of the T-34; no cupola for late-production variant offered
Rating: Highly Recommended
Recommendation: for all Soviet and "34" fans
Even though the Soviets quickly decided on producing two versions of the Model 1941 T-34 turrets – cast and welded – even with new casting techniques using steel molds they were hard pressed to keep up with production requirements. Another source of turrets was required. As a result, in October 1942 the State Committee on Defense (GKO) ordered the UZTM factory to produce pressed steel turrets as they could double the speed of production by this method.
The new turret design – called "Shtampovannaya Bashnya" or the pressed turret – was based on the cast turrets from Factory No. 183, but here the UZTM used its 10,000 ton "Shleman" steel press (which had been used to make components for destroyers and other warships) to produce the new turrets from 45mm homogenous rolled armor plate. Under the direction of chief designer L. Ye. Gorlitskiy it was hoped the design would use 60mm plate, but the press could not handle this and thus 45mm plate was used. Surprisingly during testing it was found to be superior in protection to the then standard 52mm cast turret armor.
UZTM produced both the cast turrets as well as the pressed steel turrets in parallel and sent out to other T-34 factories for production, but most commonly they were seen on Factory No. 112 (Krasnoye Sormovo) chassis. When production ceased on 1 March 1944 UZTM had produced between 2,050 and 2,062 of these turrets. They were used for both regular T-34 Model 1942 tanks as well as the Model 1943 with the commander’s cupola.
This tank has always been a popular variant of the T-34 due to its unique turret shape, and now DML has released a modified version of their Model 1942 "Gayka" kit with this turret. The name "Formochka" puzzles me, for it is not used by any contemporary Russian source nor any modern Russian historian, but only as a slang term (also used for "vacuform" as well) on Russian modelers’ websites. This is not the first time DML has done this, and while not as dim as the use of German names or designators for Soviet tanks it is still unfortunate.
Be that as it may, the kit provides all of the recent Model 1942 "Gayka" parts with six new moldings for the pressed steel turret. The rest of the turret bits are retained, but no aluminum barrel is provided. The roof parts are integral and unlike some recent DML M4 Shermans a new and proper base is provided.
The kit adds several new sprues to the latest set of the molds and provides the cast wheels, cast wheels with rubber tires, new stern plate, new radiator exhaust grilles, and the turret and detail components. The shapes and angles match the Russian plans of the tank I have on hand. A new set of 500mm "waffle" tracks are provided in the form of a new set of "Magic Link" single link tracks. Each link does come with two ejection pin marks on the inner face, but these stand proud and while tedious are easily removed.
As noted many older but well-done parts are used in this kit. The late-model double bump stops on the lower hull molding are still present, as previously noted they can’t really be seen when the model is assembled and is a"so what" correction.
The model comes with two standard PT periscopic sight/viewer with the "acorn" shaped cover found on most T-34s as well as the "cylinder" one seen on some tanks for the loader. A gun breech and partial interior to the turret are provided as with all of the DML T-34 kits. As noted the kit does not provide the late-model commander’s cupola, but one could be adapted from a Tamiya T-34 Model 1943 kit. Note that these tanks could and did carry external fuel tanks, with one each going on the rear sides of the tank and two smaller ones on the stern plate; it is recommended you try to get copies of "T-34 Snizhu Doverkhu" by Sergey Kirsanov (Frontline Illustrated, a Russian magazine) if possible to see how these attach.
This project is listed as supervised by Hirohisa Takada, with drawings from Minoru Igarashi and the Dragon design team; technical assistance was provided by Nick Cortese.
Three different finishing directions are provided: Unidentified Unit, Eastern Front 1944 (4BO green with earth brown patches, white 248); Unidentified Unit, Eastern Front, 1943 (whitewash over 4BO green, no markings); and the inevitable captured vehicle, Pz. Regt. 2nd SS Panzer Division "Das Reich", Kursk 1943 (sand and green, white outline crosses and white 1011). A targeted set of Cartograf decals are provided.
Overall , this is a nice execution of this variant of the T-34 and other than the unfortunate STZ kits continues DML’s streak of excellent T-34 kits.
Thanks to Freddie Leung for the review sample.
Cookie Sewell
Sprue breakout
A 12x2 T-34 driver mounts, road wheel arms
B 21 T-34 40/41 turret roof and hull details
C 21 T-34 40/41 upper hull and details
C 19 T-34-85 details and gun barrel
D 6 T-34 Model 1942 Turret (pressed steel)
E 16 T-34 tie-downs and brackets
F 20 T-34 42 hull detail components
H 6 T-34 engine intake vents, driver’s hatch
H 14 T-34 41 turret front and details
J 3 Clear styrene
K 13 T-34 41 F-34 gun assembly
L 33 T-34 42 "Gayka" turret assembly
M 18x2 T-34 95 liter round auxiliary fuel tanks
N 4x2 T-34 spring towers
P 39x2 T-34 center-buffered ast steel wheels and suspension components
P 45 T-34 Krasnoye Sormovo hull details
P 4 T-34 rear grilles and stern plate
S 2 Twisted steel wire
W 10x2 T-34 Post-April 1942 rubber tired cast wheels
X 1 T-34 standard hull pan
Y 80 "Magic Track" waffle pattern track - flat link
Z 80 "Magic Track" waffle pattern track - toothed link
MA 83 Etched brass
MB 2 Etched brass
(Originally written on Friday, August 07, 2009 8:45 PM)
Kit Review: cyber-hobby.com 1/35 scale Kit No. 42 (Dragon Models Limited 1/35 scale ‘39-‘45 series Kit No. 6569; Flakpanzer T-34 - Smart Kit; 746 parts (520 parts in grey styrene, 168 "Magic Track" links, 55 etched brass, 3 clear styrene); retail price US$41.95
Advantages: another one-off variant of the ‘34 with the excellent 2 cm Flakvierling mount; late version T-34 kit parts for detail
Disadvantages: another one-off with few references
Rating: Highly Recommended
Recommendation: for all German and "34" fans
DML’s affiliate cyber-hobby.com has found another one-off conversion to offer for German fans. This one is what appears to be a Factory No. 112 "Krasnoye Sormovo" Model 1941 or 1942 tank that was captured and hastily retrofitted with a 2 cm Flakvierling 38 mount in a fixed casemate to the roof of the hull. Personally it doesn’t seem to have been a great idea (the mount is fixed and therefore you have to turn the tank to face in the direction of fire) but I guess you use what you have.
The kit combines baseline T-34 sprues with the 2 cm Flakvierling sprues from the Sd.Kfz. 7/1 kit and but 19 new styrene parts and a new set of etched brass.
This kit provides the nicer "Magic Track" 50 cm "waffle" pattern tracks as well as the modified engine air exhaust grilles with your choice of either solid or etched brass grillework.
The lower hull is basically a straight-up early model T-34 with rounded nose hull, "horizontal" slat air intake grilles, rectangular hatch rear plate, and pressed steel wheels with rubber tires with lightening holes around the rim. It uses the same standard DML T-34 hull pan with late-model double stops on the front road wheel mount.
As previously noted the gun assembly is gorgeous. It does however only provide for fixed elevation angles of 0 or 60 degrees wheh complete.
Credit for research goes to Thomas Anderson, Dan Graves, Tom Cockle and Gary Edmundson.
The model comes but one finishing option: s/Pz.Jg.Abt. 653, Eastern Front, 1943 (tri-color over 4B0 green below the fenders). A tiny sheet of Cartograf decals completes the kit.
Overall this is another model seen as an occasional conversion and one now available as a kit.
Thanks to Freddie Leung for the review sample.
Cookie Sewell
Sprue breakout
A 12x2 T-34 driver mounts, road wheel arms
A 52 Sd.Kfz. 7/1 2 cm mount and details
B 21 T-34 40/41 turret roof and hull details
C 18 T-34 40/41 upper hull and details
C 19 T-34-85 gun barrel, details
D 18 Flakpanzer T-34 casemate and details
E 18 T-34 tie-downs and brackets
F 20 T-34 Model 1942 hull details
G 26x2 Sd.Kfz. 7/1 2 x 2 cm guns and details
H 6 T-34 engine intake vents, driver’s hatch
H 42x2 Pzkw. 38(t) Ausf. G ammo cans and details
J 3 Clear styrene
L 10 T-34 Model 1942 hull and fender details
L1 84 "Magic Track" track links - plate
L2 84 "Magic Track" track links - toothed
M 18x2 T-34 95 liter round auxiliary fuel tanks
N 4x2 T-34 spring towers
P 45 T-34 Krasnoye Sormovo hull details
P 29x2 T-34 Krasnoye Sormovo drivers,, idlers, road wheel arms
Q 15x2 T-34/SU-85 road wheels
X 1 T-34 lower hull pan
MA 55 Etched brass
(Originally written on Friday, August 07, 2009 8:41 PM)
Kit Review: cyber-hobby.com 1/35 scale Kit No. 43 (Dragon Models Limited 1/35 scale ‘39-‘45 Series Kit No. 6549); Pz.Kpfw. IV Ausf. J Early/Initial Production - 2-in-1 - Smart Kit; 1,041 parts (681 in grey styrene, 288 "Magic Track" links, 56 etched brass, 15 clear styrene, 10 etched nickel, 1 twisted steel wire); retail price US$46.95
Advantages: first new kit of this popular subject from DML in 11 years; large number of new/modified parts from previous Pzkw. IV kits
Disadvantages: still comes with "Magic Track" links; no zimmerit paste
Rating: Highly Recommended
Recommendation: for all German and Pzkw. IV fans
As most German "Panzer IV" fans are awaiting DML producing the last two major members of the family - the Ausf. A with its early model suspension and details and the Ausf. J with all of the very late war changes – their affiliate cyber-hobby.com has released an early model Ausf. J kit based on the recent DML Pzkw. IV Ausf. H Late Production kit (No. 6300). The last version of a J from DML was Kit No. 6080 which debuted in 1998 (for about $23!)
As the early model Js were mostly slightly evolved Hs this kit replicates that with only a small number of changes. The kit has a new upper hull core and details as well as a new turret shell with the representative modifications. The kit retains the the complete "Schuertzen" stand-off plate arrangement from the H, using the same system from the StuG III and Sturmpanzer IV kits with etched nickel plates for the track runs and a set of plastic moldings for the turret. These are credibly thin and also permit posing the side doors in the open position for access to the turret. But this kit now provides the "blind" hatches for the turret as to the best of my knowledge they were dropped when the "Schuertzen" became factory standard.
Construction remains the same. However, as the tanks evolved so do the kits and there are a lot of parts which need to be drilled out for specific options; alas, as usual, DML rams the directions into a single multi-fold sheet and the word "busy" does not begin to describe them. You will need to look them over several times BEFORE starting the kit to check what has to be drilled out and for what options.
As with the earlier kits this kit has another new hull pan which is complete less the stern plates, separate final drives, and much of the surface detail simulates screw or bolt holes; it also has an applique lower glacis plate. Drivers now consist of only four parts; the separate bolts are gone. Bogies are now nine piece affairs without separate tires. New details are provided for the tow hook at the rear of the hull as well.
The upper hull again consists of a deck and framework with applique sides, front and rear engine intake components and fenders. Note that the sides of the upper hull (parts E21 and E28) need to have holes drilled in them in Step 8 for the "Schuertzen" brackets but the directions note that these are optional. As this is the early model the muffler has a central tube section and six add-on parts to complete it along with a "slide molded" exhaust pipe.
All ports and hatches are separate parts so they can be posed open. While no interior components for the lower hull are yet present, the hull still provides a rudimentary firewall for the engine compartment, and the various vents and louvers are also posable either open or closed. The bow also comes with a well-done machine gun and ball mount. Note that all ports have clear styrene inserts as well.
The turret is relatively conventional in its parts breakdown, but the KwK 40 is unique. The barrel is nearly complete in regard to length, being trapped between the recoil cylinders at the rear and slid through the armored recoil cover and barrel jacket before having the muzzle brake installed; this is only in styrene, but a metal part could be provided later in an upgrade set. The new commander’s cupola now consists of 22 parts and also a mount is provided for the AA MG-34 machine gun (not provided in this kit, albeit it came in the late model H). Other than the gun and cupola there is still only a minimal interior for the turret, however.
Etched brass is kept to a minimum and only covers items such as the engine air intake louvers, the inner guides of the idler wheels, some small brackets, and the flaps for the engine air intakes on the sides of the rear deck.
Tracks are the "Magic Track" snap-together-then-cement type, and modelers are advised to recall that when facing the head card the left side track links are on the left and right are on the right. So far no DS plastic tracks have been provided in any Pzkw. IV kit.
Note that based on the timing of production all of these tanks should be wearing zimmerit paste; the kit does not come with any parts pre-molded with zimmerit.
Three finishing options are provided along with a targeted set of Cartograf decals: 3rd SS Panzer Division "Totenkopf", Eastern Front 1944 (tri-color above the fenders, red 733); Unidentified Unit, Western Front 1945 (tricolor, black 524); and 6./2nd SS Panzer Regiment, 2nd SS Panzer Division "Das Reich", France 1944 (tri-color above the tracks, white 621).
Technical assistance was provided by Notger Schlegtendal, Tom Cockle and Gary Edmundson.
Overall this is a nice interim kit before the anticipated general release of a new late J.
Thanks to Freddie Leung for the review sample.
Cookie Sewell Sprue Layout:
A 37x2 Pzkw. IV Generic drivers, idlers and return rollers
A 81x2 Pzkw. IV Generic road wheels and bogies
B 17 Brummbaer - front glacis details
B 44 Pzkw. IV Generic turret base and details, gun breech
C 35 Pzkw. IV Ausf. J detail parts
E 43 Pzkw. IV Ausf. H turret details and applique
G 46 Brummbaer - side brackets and Schuertzen mounts-
G 52 Turret and hull ports, smoke grenade launchers
H 57 Engine deck and details
J 7 German Generic Jack
J 8 MG-34 machine gun
J1 1 Pzkw. IV Ausf. J upper hull core
J2 1 Pzkw. IV Ausf. J turret shell
K 2 Pzkw. IV Ausf. H fenders
K 10 German Generic Antenna and tail light set
L 17 Pzkw. IV Ausf. H turret Schuertzen
L 8 Pzkw. IV spare road wheels
L 144 "Magic Track" left side
M 24 Pzkw. IV Ausf. H cupola
M 15 clear styrene
N 25 Pzkw. IV Ausf. H Schuertzen hangers and mounts
P 33 Pzkw. IV Ausf. H engine grilles and vents
Q 6 Spare track links
R 8 Three muzzle brake styles
R 144 "Magic Track" right side
X 1 Lower hull pan
Z 1 Twisted metal wire
MA 56 Etched brass
MB 5 Etched nickel shields
MC 5 Etched nickel shields
MD 2 Etched brass
April 27, 2009
(Originally written on Saturday, August 01, 2009 8:42 PM)
Kit Review: AFV Club 1/35 scale Kit No. AF35134; Stryker M1134 Stryker Anti-Tank Guided Missile (ATGM); 599 parts (502 in olive drab styrene, 57 etched brass, 17 clear styrene, 22in black vinyl, 1 length of black nylon string); estimated price US$48-56
Advantages: first complete kit of this variant on the market; nicely done with great attention to detail; optional position hatches less engine compartment; missile launcher assembly may be positioned as desired
Disadvantages: no interior components
Rating: Highly Recommended
Recommendation: for all modern US armor and wheeled armor fans
As with the previous LAV series for the USMC the US Army Stryker family includes a dedicated antitank variant with a twin TOW missile launcher. These have been become indispensable in Iraq and will probably prove to be so again in Afghanistan. (There is a marvelous video on the Internet of a sniper who cannot be suppressed by an Abrams as it cannot get a shot at him; a Bradley behind him can and uses its TOW launcher to eliminate the sniper and a good chunk of the heavy adobe wall he was hiding behind on a roof as well.)
Eventual numbers are for 36 of these variants to be deployed in every Stryker Brigade Combat Team. I heartily recommend anyone doing this kit to get a copy of the "Wings and Wheels Publications" Volume 19, "Stryker in Detail Part 2" by Ralph Zwilling, as it has color photo coverage of this variant inside and out to include one of the finishing options in this kit.
AFV Club has continued their series of Strykers with the fourth kit and fifth variant of the family with the TOW launcher variant. This uses the basic Stryker components (as was the basic idea of the design when created – eight common variants with roof and interior changes and two others with more extensive modifications) with a new hull top and the very exquisite TOW launcher assembly.
The AFV Club kit retails the amazing detail of its three forebearers with the suspension being very well covered and even the vinyl tires exhibiting the "puffy" look of the original Michelin tires. All of the applique cover plates over the vehicle’s ceramic armor tiles are separate, and even the covers over the suspension shock mounts show a nice see-through screening effect. But AFV Club has gotten smarter over the years; the main suspension units now consist of two central backbone units with add-on differential covers vice the dozens of parts they would have used some years back.
Once again the kit comes with TWO spare wheels but no tires for either one! It also comes with the now-standard in Iraq tow bar, and the directions show how to use it in stowed or deployed position.
The TOW section of the launcher consists of 90 new mold parts and can be left free for posing. The elevator tower (parts G13/14/15) is left loose so the elevator will function and rotate. The launcher consists of 18 parts with an option for the covers on the front of the missile tubes. The missile tubes are designed to either be loaded in the launcher or left inside the vehicle, but there is no interior to speak of so you are on your own there. The guidance mechanism takes another 8 parts, but you will need to take care in Step 28 as it is very busy and will take care as the seeker and launcher move together when assembled. Step 29 covers the plethora of smoke grenade launchers that are now common on Strykers. If you want the launcher permanently elevated you can install the shroud, Part T, before attaching the launcher mount to the elevator.
Also note that the kit comes with two TOW missiles outside of their transport/launch tubes, one appearing to be a TOW 2 and the other a TOW 2A with the pop-out standoff probe for reactive armor.
Once again the directions are fairly clear but are augmented with B&W photos of actual vehicles, which is very handy and a smart use of such items. (Other companies should pay attention...)
Again four different finishing options are provided: AT-21, 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment; D-17 and D-27, D Company, 112th Infantry, 56th Brigade, 28th Infantry Division; AT-22, 52nd Infantry Brigade, 25th Infantry Division. All are in the forest green as delivered scheme with FS30277 patches to set off the bumper codes.
Overall again this is an excellent kit and should make AFV Club four for four on their Strykers. It should also take the standard M1126 Stryker ICV "slat armor" package if anyone wishes to do an Operation Iraqi Freedom version.
Thanks to Miin Herng Tsueng and Hobby Fan Trading Company for the review sample.
Cookie Sewell
Sprue layout:
A 33 Stryker suspension and drive line
B 55 Stryker details
C 29 Stryker driver’s hatch and fittings
D 42 Stryker applique and steel mounting components
E 28 Stryker applique armor and rear hatch
F 67x2 Stryker wheels and mounting components
G 89 Twin TOW missile launcher assembly
H 1 Stryker lower hull
I 6x2 Stryker black vinyl keepers
J 17 Stryker generic clear styrene components
K 1 Black vinyl flap
L L Stryker upper hull
M 26 Etched brass (thin section)
M 31 Etched brass (thick section)
N 31 MGS hull details and spare wheel
P 58 Stryker rear hull plate, sand treads, hull details
R 8 Michelin pattern tires
S 1 Hull top plate
T 1 Black vinyl shroud
(Originally written on Saturday, August 01, 2009 8:37 PM)
Kit Review: Dragon Models Limited 1/35 Scale ‘39-‘45 Series Kit No. 6561; Ersatz M10 - Smart Kit; 751 parts (533 in grey styrene, 170 "Magic Track" links, 14 clear styrene, 47 etched brass); retail price US $49.95
Advantages: pre-converted version of an popular if oddball subject;
Disadvantages: no major ones noted except still uses "Magic Track" links and not DS single piece runs
Rating: Highly Recommended
Recommendation: for all Battle of the Bulge German armor fans
F I R S T L O O K
One of the odder German deception plans was when during the Battle of the Bulge they modified a number of Panthers to look sort of like US M10 3" GMC vehicles to lead their columns. The idea was that the Americans would not recognize them as Panthers in the winter weather until it was too late and by then the Panther (and the rest of the German armor and troops would be amongst them. There are still discussions today as to how well this worked, but overall the German deception efforts did not appear to go well at all and they were more successful against green American replacements.
While if anyone was paying attention I doubt the markings would have passed muster – they were marked as "B Company 10th Tank Battalion 5th Armored Division" and any American soldier would know immediately it should have had Army markings and a XXXAT code on the left – it was a respectable effort with new sheet steel shrouds attached to the turret and the hull. But this vehicle would have been much larger than the M10 and its Maybach engine would not sound like the twin diesels of the M10 either.
The fake (or ersatz in German) M10 has always been one of the more popular modifications by modelers to Panthers, as it gives them a chance to copy American markings and paint schemes on German armor. This kit adds a number of new parts to the basic Ausf. G kit (No. 6268) that provide for all of the modifications needed, including a choice of two different fake gun mantlets which weld over that of the base Panther.
It wisely uses one of the better base kits as it has more use of "slide molding" than any previous DML kit, and the goal seems to be to permit modelers to get "multimedia" kit finish and part definition with a minimum of actual multimedia parts. But here as there are more "bits" on the American vehicle the number of etched brass parts has grown from 13 to 47.
The lower hull is a one-piece "slide mold" part with all of the torsion bars complete and separate parts. Fine details such as "bump stops", "pin knockers" and braces are all separate. The kit provides the rubber tired road wheels, but for a change of pace it also has two sets of "steel" road wheels for the last road wheel station on each side as an option. The model may be built with or without the small return roller wheel on the final drives, and both types are provided in the kit.
The hull rear plate is covered over in this version and the exhaust pipes feed up through the fake hull rear (part F9). On the hull top braces, locks and handles are provided for the "flip up" style of crew hatches. The engine deck is very complete, with radiators, radiator fans, screens, louvers and a large number of separate access ports and lids provided. All grilles replicate full castings and are separate parts as well. Again, no engine or interior are provided with the kit, but the interior is set up for relatively easy installation.
The hull side trim attaches over the base kit sides and the new track hangers are an attempt to simulate the ones used on the M10. Ditto on the glacis but note that based on which variant you select there are different sets of holes to drill out. OVM is cut down as most of the American OVM and its positions did not resemble German OVM.
The turret comes with two different fake M10 mantlets, and each one has its own detail parts. The gun does have a minimal breech assembly but no other interior parts are provided except for the self-defense weapon (mine thrower) in the turret roof. The commander’s cupola has been correctly replaced with two flat covers.
Technical assistance was provided by Steven Van Beveren, Tom Cockle and Gary Edmundson.
Two finishing options are provided – vehicle B4 or B7 in OD with white surround stars. The directions (for once!) call out the build differences as you go through, and a nice set of Cartograf decals completes it.
Overall, this should to prove to be a popular choice even though the prototype was a pretty desperate gamble and a failure. But it has always struck a cord with modelers and now they can have one in a kit.
Thanks to Freddie Leung for the review sample.
Cookie Sewell
Sprue Layout:
A 1 Ersatz M10 - upper hull
A 52x2 Engine deck details and fine details
A 3 Hull and engine hatches
B 54 Turret
C 55 Hull details and sponsons
D 27 Radiators and hull rear details
E 47x4 Road wheels, torsion bars, individual "wrap" track links, wingnuts
F 45 Ersatz M10 turret, side extensions, glacis, mantlets
G 37 Drivers, final drives, steel wheel sets
J 8 MG-34 bow gun
K 9 Tools and OVM
L 14 clear styrene
P 1 Turret shroud
X 1 Lower hull
Y 170 "Magic Track" links
M 43 Etched brass
(Originally written on Saturday, August 01, 2009 8:33 PM)
Kit Review: AFV Club 1/350 scale Kit No. 73503; German U-Boat Type VII C; 78 parts (63 in olive drab, 15 etched brass); price not known
Advantages: choice of waterline or full hull model; very petite details; optional "lift-off" feature for pressure hull
Disadvantages: very petite parts easily broken
Rating: Highly Recommended
Recommendation: to any 1/350 modeler who wants either a sub or a "victim/victor" in a diorama
F I R S T L O O K
Following on the heels of their very nice Typ VII B U-boot, AFV Club has now joined it with an equally nice Typ VII C. The most common of all of the U-boots built during WWII, this kit has some small differences from the B and twice the etched brass (from 7 to 15 parts).
Like the B this kit is tiny at less than 19 centimeters long when complete. The molded detail on this submarine is amazing – it shares the B sprue with the VII B kit – and it offers the ability to open up the completed hull and view the pressure hull and conning tower protrusion once finished.
But this kit only comes with one conning tower and no optional "Wintergarten" fits for the antiaircraft suite.
The model provides a wealth of tiny details in the form of most of the braces, brackets and guards found on the original and even provides for rotation of the deck gun on the finished model. All parts appear to be nearly scale, which causes a normal problem with AFV Club kits of very fragile and tiny parts requiring extreme care in handling them. Four torpedoes are provided for diorama fans wanting port details to go with the model.
This kit offers finishing options for either U-96 with the happy swordfish insignia in grey (I have only seen it in red, but that may be due to the artwork and not accuracy – U-boot markings are not my forte), U-201 and U-558. The etched brass provides many of the details seen on the VII C type and in this case includes radio antenna cables, handrails on the conning tower, and sinking pennants. AA fit on this kit is one 8.8 cm deck gun and two 2 cm guns on the conning tower.
Overall this is again a neat little model and one that will help anyone wishing to model his own "wolfpack" or "Enemy Below" diorama with the Buckley class DE ramming the sub.
Thanks to Miin Herng Tsueng for the review sample.
Cookie Sewell
Sprue Layout:
A 12 Lower hull, pressure hull,
B 45 Base, deck guns, hull details
C 6 Type VII C upper hull, details, conning towers
MA 15 Etched brass
(Originally written on Saturday, July 25, 2009 12:48 PM)
Kit Review: Dragon Models Limited 1/72 scale Armor Pro Series Kit No. 7278; Pz.Kpfw. IV Ausf. G Early Production; 168 parts (162 in grey styrene, 4 etched brass, 2 DS plastic track runs); price estimated at US$14.95
Advantages: first new mold Pzkw. IV in this scale by DML; details closing on their 1/35 scale kits
Disadvantages: DS tracks tend to run long
Rating: Highly Recommended
Recommendation: for all mid-war German fans
F I R S T L O O K
After a rather lengthy pause of nearly three years DML has now returned to the Pzkw. IV series and has released this kit as the first in a new series of small-scale gun tanks. (In the past DML did a number of Pzkw. IV chassis variants such as the Hummel and Nashorn, and derivatives like the Pkzw. IV/70 tank destroyer.)
This kit is virtually new from the ground up and the only parts it appears to share with previous kits are the tracks, which are single run DS plastic ones. The kit calls them "Sprue X" but they are stamped "E " so I am assuming they are from one of the earlier kits; those were noted as having the tracks run long for sagging.
The rest of the kit mirrors the construction of the larger 1/35 scale "Smart Kits" but with some assemblies either simplified or combined, as that makes better sense in this scale (in 1/35 some of the Pzkw. IV variants have upwards of 800-900 parts). Each bogie assembly here consist of five parts: carrier, road wheel pairs, and road wheel centers. Oddly the centers also appear to carry part of the tires, so other than molding fidelity it does not seem to offer any assistance for painting. Detail, however, is outstanding in this (or even some larger) scale.
The lower hull is in one piece (part Z) but requires a separate bow plate applique and two-part stern plate. The modeler has an option for spare tracks or empty carrier at the bow. The upper hull has all hatches as separate parts and each viewer has both a cover and a mechanism as separate parts. The upper hull details are provided by applique sides attached to the central body (part Y) so welds and other details are apparent. The fenders are separate assemblies and attach along with the glacis plate in Step 5 but require some holes to be drilled out first.
The turret is pretty detailed in this scale, with the gun assembly consisting of 10 parts; the barrel is slide molded with a hollow muzzle brake in one piece and inserts into a sleeve which then fits to the recoil housing; note that even the machine gun barrels are slide molded (as is the exhaust pipe on the muffler) so the modeler does not have to open them up.
The commander’s cupola consists of four parts and has a partial interior (but no clear vision blocks). The side hatches also have separate viewer mechanisms; however, while they have plenty of interior detail splitting and opening them will require a good deal of care. No other interior parts are provided so anyone opening up the tank will need to find his own bits for the interior (e.g. gun breech, engine, seats, radios, kit, etc.)
Five different finishing options are provided along with a targeted sheet of Cartograf decals: 1st Panzer Division, Greece 1943 (sand, white 714); "Grossdeutschland", Russia 1943-44 (whitewash over sand, white 702); 1st SS Panzergrenadier Division "LAH", 1943 (whitewash, red 205); 1st SS Panzergrenadier Division "LAH", 1943 (whitewash, red 215): 3rd SS Panzergrenadier Division "Totenkopf", Kharkov 1943 (grey, white 332).
Overall this is a nice piece of work and one sure to be popular with German small-scale fans.
Thanks to Freddie Leung for the review sample.
Cookie Sewell
Sprue layout:
A 22 Pzkw. IV - fenders, turret bin, commander’s cupola
D 49 Pzkw. IV - turret, upper hull hatches and details
E 16 Pzkw. IV - gun barrel and hull details
E 4x2 Bogie carriers
F 13 Pzkw. IV - details and turret parts
G 20 Road wheel centers
I 4 Drivers
J 4 Idlers
K 8x2 Road wheel pairs
M 8 Return rollers
X 2 DS track runs
Y 1 Pzkw. IV Ausf. G upper hull
Z 1 Pzkw. IV Ausf. G lower hull
MA 4 Etched brass
(Originally written on Friday, July 24, 2009 8:17 PM)
Kit Review: Dragon Models Limited 1/35 scale ‘39-‘45 Series Kit No. 6518; German Infantry in Wachtmantel - Leningrad 1943; 86 parts in grey styrene; estimated retail price US$10.95
Advantages: first plastic modeling of the heavy winter coat
Disadvantages: still using early production weapons
Rating: Highly Recommended
Recommendation: for German modelers doing a winter subject
The Germans were not prepared for the infamous "General Winter" when they failed to take Moscow and Leningrad before the winter of 1941; as a result, they found out the hard way why Napoleon and others had suffered at the hands of the Russian climate. But by 1943 they had compensated for that, and for soldiers pulling guard duty they had created this heavy sheepskin coat (too bulky for combat, but suitable for long stretches outside in the weather) along with insulated boots to protect soldiers from frostbite and trenchfoot.
DML now offers this new set of four figures in relatively static poses (but as noted these coats were not suitable for combat) with the full "wachtmantel" (literally watch overcoat) and boots. They include two soldiers on guard and two with binoculars scanning the horizon.
Each figure consists of a base element of torso, arms, and legs, to which are added a four-piece overcoat with separate collar, and then the head and hands. Three pairs of hands are all wearing what the US Army called trigger-finger mittens with only a separate thumb and index finger on each one, and the last one a pair of regular mittens. Accessories include grenades, goggles and a "squeeze" type flashlight. The coats are nicely done but experienced figure builders will want to "rough up" the edges to give them some texture with either putty or a pyrogravure.
The weapons sets are some of the earliest of DML’s efforts and I do wish they would replace them with their better quality "Gen2" generic sets.
The directions are unfortunately the "photo of assembled figure" type with a reproduction of the box art rather than the better quality Ron Volstad type with more detailed assembly instructions; based on some past kits the overcoats will take some work to fit together cleanly so I wish they would have taken more care with the directions than "stick here".
Overall this is a different idea and one which will help a number of modelers get the feeling of COLD in a diorama.
Thanks to Freddie Leung for the review sample.
Cookie Sewell
Sprue layout:
6002 14 MG42, Panzerfaust 60, Gewehr 98, MP 40, MP44
6005 7 2 x Kar 98K, 1 x FG42
6518 49 Four figures and basic kit
6518A/B 8 One overcoat and four hands
6518C/D 8 One overcoat and four hands
(Originally written on Friday, July 03, 2009 2:35 PM)
Kit Review: Dragon Models Limited 1/35 scale ‘39-‘45 Series Kit No. 6540; Sd.Kfz. 161/4 2cm Flakpanzer IV "Wirbelwind" - Smart Kit; 942 partss (594 in grey styrene, 288 "Magic Track" links, 59 etched brass, 15 clear styrene, 1 twisted steel wire); retail price US$49.95
Advantages: first new kit of this popular subject in over 25 years; uses the nice new Flakvierling mount and "slide molded" turret parts
Disadvantages: no zimmerit on hull; still comes with "Magic Track" links
Rating: Highly Recommended
Recommendation: for all German, Pzkw. IV and "Duck Hunter" fans
The Germans were as keen as the US and British in mobile troop air defense and came up with a large number of vehicles to provide this necessary support to ground forces units. But of all of their efforts, probably the most striking one of the lot was the mating of a 2cm Flakvierling quad mount and an octagonal turret with rebuilt Pzkw. IV chassis as a very potent tactical weapons system. The vehicle, formally designated as the Flakpanzer IV/2cm Vierling, was better known as the "Wirbelwind" (whirlwind). Alas, only 122 of these vehicles were converted between July and November 1944 before they were replaced by the Flakpanzer IV/3.7 cm Flak or "Ostwind".
Monogram first offered a kit of this vehicle in the early 1970s in 1/32 scale, and Tamiya followed with a 1/35 scale kit in the late 1970s. But now DML has released a state-of-the-air variant on their nice Pzkw. IV Ausf. H chassis and it is a very nice package indeed.
Combing that kit with the 2cm Flakvierling mount from their recent Sd.Kfz. 7/1 and 42 new parts, the kit does a very good job of capturing the vehicle’s look and appeal. Having examined the surviving one at Camp Borden, Ontario, this kit does the vehicle justice and provides a pretty good replica of the one there with its highly modified turret race and turret mounting arrangement. (The actual vehicle added a sub-race for the turret inside the hull which was its actual pivot point, with the former race acting as a supporting mount to assist in turret traverse. This lowered the height of the vehicle about 50 cm to reduce top-heaviness and hamper its ability to track targets.)
But the kit does not have any zimmerit, and other than the bare areas on the hull of the Borden one (picked clean by modelers for examples as near as I can figure!) this kit has no zimmerit on it, period. Note that if you do add zimmerit the turret does NOT have any attached as it would add weight and would have slowed it down when traversing, a problem most armored turrets had when tracking enemy air targets.
Most of the kit is identical to the recent Pzkw. IV Ausf. H (No. 6300). It uses that kit’s
hull pan which is complete less the stern plates, separate final drives, and much of the surface detail simulates screw or bolt holes; it also has an applique lower glacis plate from the
"Brummbaer" kit. Drivers now consist of only four parts; the separate bolts are gone. Bogies are now nine piece affairs without separate tires. New details are provided for the tow hook at the rear of the hull as well.
The upper hull again consists of a deck and framework with applique sides, front and rear engine intake components and fenders. The standard muffler has a central tube section and six add-on parts to complete it along with a "slide molded" exhaust pipe.
All ports and hatches are separate parts so they can be posed open. Other than the interior of the turret the hull only provides a rudimentary firewall for the engine compartment and the cross-braces and new turret race parts. The bow also comes with a well-done machine gun and ball mount. Note that all ports have clear styrene inserts as well.
The turret is unique in that DML split it vertically at the joint between the front five panels and the elongated rear three panels. The upper sections are respectively thin - DML’s "Razor Edge" moldings – and the joint here is easier to hide than the old horizontal splits used by Monogram and Tamiya. The turret race fitting for the upper race is molded as part of the front section, a truly unique design. The 2 cm Flakvierling 38 has new guns with slide molded barrels and flash hiders. As with previous DML antiaircraft gun offerings, there are different sight articulation bars provided for setting the guns at either 0 or 60 degrees elevation, but the guns will not move if the bars are used. A number of magazines and ammo racks for the installation.
As with all "Smart Kits" etched brass is kept to a minimum and only covers items such as the engine air intake louvers, the inner guides of the idler wheels, some small brackets, and the flaps for the engine air intakes on the sides of the rear deck. There is also what appears to be a "catch bin" for ammo casings at the bottom of the turret.
Tracks are the "Magic Track" snap-together-then-cement type, and modelers are advised to recall that when facing the head card the left side track links are on the left and right are on the right. So far no DS plastic tracks have been provided in any Pzkw. IV kit, but this one provides some extras as well as T-34 track for applique armor protection.
Five finishing options are provided along with a targeted set of Cartograf decals: Unidentified Unit, 1944 (tricolor with crosses); Unidentified Unit, Hettenschlag, Alsace-Lorraine 1945, (green and sand under whitewash, black 032); 1st SS Panzer Regiment, 1st SS Panzer Division "LAH", Stoumount, Belgium 1944 (tricolor with crosses and divisional markings) ; Unidentified Unit, 1945 (tricolor with whitewash patches); Unidentified Unit, Eastern Front 1945 (tricolor with whitewash panels, black 044).
Technical assistance was provided by Notger Schlegtendal, Thomas Anderson, Dan Graves, Tom Cockle and Gary Edmundson.
Overall, other than the missing zimmerit this kit should be very popular for the great representation of its subject and the most correct depiction of the turret mounting yet.
Thanks to Freddie Leung for the review sample.
Cookie Sewell
Sprue Layout:
A 52 Sd.Kfz. 7/1 Flakvierling carriage and details
A 37x2 Pzkw. IV Generic drivers, idlers and return rollers
A 81x2 Pzkw. IV Generic road wheels and bogies
B 17 Brummbaer - front glacis details
C 4 Wirbelwind turret
D 38 Wirbelwind turret race and details
E 43 Pzkw. IV Ausf. H turret details and applique
G 26x2 Sd.Kfz. 7/1 Flakvierling - 2 x 2 cm Flak 38 and ammo clips
G 29 Turret and hull ports, smoke grenade launchers
H 57 Engine deck and details
J 1 Pzkw. IV Ausf. H hull top
J 7 German Generic Jack
J 8 MG-34 machine gun
K 2 Pzkw. IV Ausf. H fenders
K 10 German Generic Antenna and tail light set
L 8 Pzkw. IV spare road wheels
L 144 "Magic Track" left side
M 15 clear styrene
P 33 Pzkw. IV Ausf. H engine grilles and vents
Q 6 Spare track links
R 144 "Magic Track" right side
X 1 Lower hull pan
Z 1 Twisted metal wire
MA 59 Etched brass
(Originally written on Friday, July 03, 2009 2:30 PM)
Kit Review: Dragon Models Limited 1/35 Scale ‘39-‘45 Series Kit No. 6472; Befehlsjaeger 38 Ausf. M- Smart Kit; 1,069 parts (668 in grey styrene, 240 "Magic Track" links, 144 etched brass, 16 clear styrene, 1 length twisted steel wire); retail price US$45.95
Advantages: command variant of Ausf. M kit
Disadvantages: some complaints linger about "straight" fenders
Rating: Highly Recommended
Recommendation: for all German and Praga tank fans
Continuing with their expansion of existing kit families, DML has now released a commander’s model of the Marder III Ausf. M SP antitank gun. This variant comes with an enhanced radio suite but basically is the same as kit No. 6464 with the new parts added.
This kit comes with even more brass than the standard M variant and it must be used to construct the model. Some of the frames and grilles will require a good amount of "origami" to shape so it is recommended that the modeler have a good bending jig like a Hold’n’Fold or Etch-Mate on hand.
This kit still includes the engine and other interior parts from the DML TNHP series kits While the directions are typical DML and as obtuse as usual, they are better about indicating what is optional and what it should look like in either position, such as the engine access hatches. The suspension is similar to that of the Tristar kits with each bogie assembly consisting of nine parts. A "doormat" type matting is provided for the floor of the fighting compartment.
The driveline and interior are mostly styrene parts, such as the transmission/clutch assembly, steering controls, driveshaft and shield. The ammo racks are all molded as groups of tubes and dummy half rounds are provided to simulate a loaded tube.
This kit now fits four radio sets into the right side of the casemate and as with all current command variants by all manufacturers provides no cabling instructions. Each periscope in the fighting compartment is all stryene (clear prism component, grey mounts) and may be positioned as folded or erected.
This kit offers only two different finishing options: 1./Pz.Jg.Abt. 346, 34th Infantry Division, Holland 1944 (red-brown outlined green patches on sand, red 101) and Pz.Jg.Abt. 243, Normandy 1944 (tricolor, red 100). A small sheet of "targeted" Cartograf decals is provided.
Assistance on this kit is credited to Tom Cockle and Gary Edmundson.
Overall, this is another Marder III option and one which can be made very "busy" without much extra work.
Thanks to Freddie Leung for the review sample.
Cookie Sewell
Sprue Layout:
A 66 Pzkw. 38(t) Ausf. G wheels and suspension
B 70 Pzkw. 38(t) Ausf. G fenders and hull components
B 63 Pak 40 upper carriage and barrel
C 31 Pak 40 7.5 cm rounds and shipping containers
C 20 Marder III Ausf. M upper hull components
D 58 Pzkw. 38(t) interior and transmission components
E 93 Marder III Ausf. M interior and hull detail components
G 43 Flakpanzer 38(t) front hull and interior details
g 4 German generic "crow’s foot" antenna
J 10 clear styrene vision blocks
K 38 Pzkw. 38(t) OVM
L 2 German whip antenna
N 2 German whip antenna
N 5 German cleaning rod components
P 16 Pzkw. 38(t) engine components
Q 48 Bison details and front panels
W 3x2 clear styrene vision blocks
X 1 Flakpanzer 38(t) hull pan
Y 240 Magic Track
Z 1 Twisted steel cable
MA 141 etched brass
MB 2 etched brass
GA 64 German generic kit
RA 9 German generic radios
RB 8x2 German generic radios
RC 14 German generic radios
WC 4 German generic weapons - MG42
(Originally written on Sunday, June 28, 2009 3:35 PM)
Kit Review: ArsenalM 1/87 scale kit No. 1221; German Army Tiger; 80 parts (77 in olive styrene, 1 clear styrene); retail price around US$20 (contact information available from HO-MD.Fichtl@t-online.de)
Advantages: nicely done kit of modern Eurpoean attack helicopter; choice of weapons options; suitable for both modelers and wargamers
Disadvantages: no crew figures; some "soft" details; very spartan directions and information
Rating: Recommended
Recommendation: for all small-scale helicopter fans and wargamers
At the latest Great Scale Train Show in Baltimore this weekend one of the vendors had two new kits from a new HO scale military manufacturer from Germany, ArsenalM. They offer a collection of HO scale kits in resin and styrene as well as styrene kits from other companies with their own modifications; the kits also appear to be Czech, Austrian, German or Russian in origin.
This kit is of the Italian Agusta A.109 Tiger attack helicopter, which has been gestating for a number of years. While not as well known as the American AH-64 Apache or Soviet Mi-24/35 series, it is a "third way" for anyone wanting a modern attack helicopter with high capability. Most Americans would probably recall it as the "secret" helicopter from the James Bond movie "Goldeneye" where the villains steal it to take out the security around a Soviet "doomsday" laser weapons system. This particular version is a Bundeswehr version.
The kit is nicely done and shows how big the machine really is – ROCO made a nice kit of the AH-64D a few years before they went bankrupt and changed ownership, and this is nearly as large when you compare the two. It comes with a choice of armament options - Milan, HOT or FFAR pods.
The crew compartment is well detailed with armored seats, sticks and panels as separate parts, but from a wargamer’s standpoint there are no crew figures.
The kit has some very nice detailing to its sides with very petite scribed panel lines and a respectably clear canopy. But some details show its Eastern European thinking in that the rotors have separate blades without fully positive locking mounts and neither one is capable of rotation once installed; while some consider that to be a "toylike" feature, it does prevent snapped or broken blades which is very handy for wargamers. Also wheels are split in half as is the mast sensor package.
Only one part is apparently not supplied with the kit, an antenna which must be made from either wire (recommended in the kit) or stretched sprue and fits to the right side of the tailboom.
Finishing directions are shown for a generic Bundeswehr machine but the decal sheet provides a "number jungle" to allow multiple aircraft to be covered; the one shown is coded 74+08.
Overall this is a neat little kit and one which both HO model railroaders and wargamers will also enjoy.
Cookie Sewell
Sprue layout:
18 Right fuselage half, HOT missiles, crew compartment
20 Left fuselage half, HOT missiles, details
39 Rotors, exhausts, small details
3 Cockpit canopy, lights (clear styrene)
(Originally written on Sunday, June 28, 2009 3:35 PM)
Kit Review: ArsenalM 1/87 scale kit No. 1227; Ju-52/3m Deutsche Fluggesellschaft 1938; 49 parts (45 in olive styrene, 4 clear styrene); retail price around US$20 (contact information available from HO-MD.Fichtl@t-online.de)
Advantages: sturdy kit suitable for wargamers
Disadvantages: possibly based on 50 year old Faller kit; no cockpit; some "soft" details; very spartan directions and information
Rating: Recommended
Recommendation: for all small-scale aircraft fans and wargamers
At the latest Great Scale Train Show in Baltimore this weekend one of the vendors had two new kits from a new HO scale military manufacturer from Germany, ArsenalM. They offer a collection of HO scale kits in resin and styrene as well as styrene kits from other companies with their own modifications; the kits also appear to be Czech, Austrian, German or Russian in origin.
This kit is of the Junkers Ju-52m3 – the famous "Tante Ju" – and this version is the Lufthansa civilian model with spatted wheels. While neither the box or the directions have any indication of that other than the drawings, it is pretty obvious for anyone who knows this aircraft. While living in Frankfurt during the 1980s the three restored Ju-52s belonging to Lufthansa "buzzed" my apartment (I was living on the 23rd floor of a high rise) and it was both impressive and scary, as well as loud!
There have been several other HO or related scale kits of this famous aircraft released over the years, one being nearly 50 years old and from Faller, better known today for its HO scale German pattern buildings and HO electric highway system. But that kit was somewhat crude and as such has been of interest only to collectors. ROCO also had one – not sure if it was only a cleaned-up version of the Faller kit – but it has not been seen for several years.
This kit appears to be either an updated version of the old Faller kit or the ROCO one (which also appeared to have been based on the Faller one) based on some of the sprues in the kit. To me this kit – albeit it was 45 years ago when I built it – is much like the old Airfix kit as it uses the same basic parts breakdown of the fuselage, with the sides, belly plate and top as separate parts. It is a good way to ensure good crisp rendering of the corrugated metal skin, and the landing gear legs are one single piece which "trap" within the belly plate. No separate parts are provided for the doors or cargo hatches, but the former is scored on the outside of the fuselage and the latter on the inside.
While this is the civil variant a separate cargo hatch cover is provided on the sprues for the hatch if the modeler decides to add it. Also the kit comes with two stretchers for the inside as well as a small section of floor and the rear bulkhead. It also adds a machine gun and upper mount with windscreen for the military variant; oddly no cover is provided to seal the ring opening in the kit, so any civil modeler is on his own to cover the resulting gap.
But the kit is a "basic" one and has a lot of compromises. The exhaust systems are molded onto the respective sections where the one-piece engine assemblies attach, and look to be pretty faint at that. The spatted wheels are two-piece assemblies which attach to the struts after assembly. There is no cockpit at all, and the canopy attaches "Aurora style" to a flat surface in the fuselage. The windscreen also is a bit too vertical.
Making a true model from this kit will take work, but the basics are of close to the right
dimensions. The wingspan is correct (332mm) with length a bit short. It is more than suitable for either an HO scale airliner or wargame transport and with some work should be a good representative of the breed.
One set of is provided for a single machine, D-2468, in Lufthansa black and silver finish. The box "art" is the only finishing direction provided, but as it is a "PC" version no red bands with swastikas are provided for the tail.
Overall this isn’t a perfect kit – but then again most modelers in HO scale are not looking for the same level of resolution or detail as those in 1/72 or 1/48. But it is accurate enough in outline to serve well as a background model or for a wargame transport.
Cookie Sewell
Sprue layout:
19 Left lower wing, engines, fin, propellers
9 Left upper wing, elevators, landing gear, civilian spatted wheels
3 Right lower wing, flaps, aileron
1 Right upper wing
9 Interior details, open wheels
4 Clear styrene
4 Fuselage halves, belly, top
(Originally written on Friday, June 26, 2009 8:44 PM)
Kit Review: Dragon Models Limited 1/35 Scale ‘39-‘45 Series Kit No. 6562; Sd.Kfz. 7 Late Production - Smart Kit; 639 parts (379 in grey styrene, 216 "Magic Track" two-piece links, 25 etched brass, 13 DS plastic, 6 clear styrene); retail price US$41.95 via Dragon USA
Advantages: first model ever of this specific vehicle; nicely done use of "slide molding" and DS plastic tires to avoid seams and extra assemblies; full engine and underside details; lots of options for finishing - two cabs, two bodies
Disadvantages: as a "Smart Kit" probably not enough brass for some; small links perhaps better as DS tracks
Rating: Highly Recommended
Recommendation: for all German halftrack and artillery fans
The Germans, as well as the Soviets, began to feel the squeeze on their industries in the middle of the war and as such had to try and come up with ways to economize on items like steel. Both countries found a way to do this via conversion of some of the less essential parts in their transport vehicles to wood - bodies, cabs and fenders in some cases. The Soviets called theirs "simplified production" - even cutting back to a single headlight - whereas the Germans called theirs "Einheits" (unified) with similar or identical components used for most vehicles of a given class or size.
While the halftracks retained most of their steel body parts, they did lose the purpose-built steel passenger and ammunition bodies with the most common ones being the Sd.Kfz. 7 8 ton and Sd.Kfz. 11 3 ton versions. Instead, a generic wooden body with simple racks was installed along with slat-type bench seating. I have no information on how many of them were built but it would seem anything from 1943 onward would have had this body.
DML has taken another "bob and weave" move in the battle of the halftrack kits – instead of releasing the long hoped-for Sd.Kfz. 7 initial production variant with "theater" seating for gun crews and enclosed ammo lockers at the rear they have now released the post-1943 variant with the wooden body. This kit comes with the complete wooden body as a new mold item (sharing nothing with the recent Sd.Kfz. 7/1 or Sd.Kfz. 7/2 bodies) and three sprues – one styrene and two DS ones - from the excellent sFH 18 15 cm howitzer kit. This is a good call because by this time of the war the emphasis was on field artillery and not medium antiaircraft guns, so it is more fitting as the howitzer prime mover.
The new mold body consists of 76 parts and provides the body with troop seats, the ammo rack in the front of the body, and the tilt framework but no simulated canvas tilt. Note that in Step 13 there are a large number of holes in the bed of the body (part E4) which have to be drilled out from the bottom. Two complete rifle racks for 12 rifles for the gun crew are provided but once again only two Kar 98K rifles are provided, so anyone wanting full racks better head for the spares box. The sides may be shown either open or closed, as when closed you cannot see much of the detail on the ammo rack. The kit also provides a new simplified cab for the driver and tool stowage which mounts on the hood and fenders; this also requires holes to be drilled out in Step 11.
The kit retains the same nicely done details from its two predecessors - a complete engine and undercarriage to include a complete transfer case, fuel tank, four-part winch drum, and complete tow hook installation that form part of the chassis. The drivers are two-piece with suitable rollers represented and also add etched brass centers for scale appearance.
Once again two-piece "Magic Track" halftrack tracks are included, but as often noted are very small and DML could have made many modelers happy by molding them as one-piece runs in DS plastic. Also, as the kits are "Smart Kits" they make use of slide molding and other tricks to avoid needless small parts assemblies and minimize the use of brass.
The kit retains the nicely done front tires with DS plastic outers and treads combined with a styrene inner section.
As this kit is like the Sd.Kfz. 7/1 it has an open windshield and thus the painting masks are included.
Research and technical assistance were provided by H3 Design Office. Dan Graves, Tom Cockle and Gary Edmundson.
Three finishing options are offered but only include the Cartograf license plate "number jungle". The variants which can be modeled are: Unidentified Unit, Eastern Front 1944 (grey overall); Unidentified Unit, Western Front 1945 (sand overall); and Unidentified Unit, Western Front 1944 (sand with dark green mesh pattern).
Overall while not the "prime" prime mover hoped for this is a distinctly different variant and at least an artillery tractor.
Thanks to Freddie Leung and Toby for the review sample.
Cookie Sewell
Sprue layout:
A 28x2 Sd.Kfz. 7 Late Production - body components and ammunition stowage rack
B 55 Sd.Kfz. 7 - Underframe details - winch, drivers, front axle, subframe, muffler
C 44x2 Sd.Kfz. 7 - road wheels, front wheel backs, body details
D 71 Sd.Kfz. 7 - engine, hood, radiator, standard passenger body components less sides
E 20 Sd.Kfz. 7 Late Production - body floor and detail panels
G 31 Sd.Kfz. 7/2 - Armored Cab and Fender components
G 27 sFH 18 - ammo and gun tools
H 6 Sd.Kfz. 7 - clear styrene
J 12 Tools and OVM
L 10 sFH 18 - DS plastic parts
K 3 DS plastic tires
W 1 Sd.Kfz. 7 - chassis
Y 108 "Magic Track" track pads
Z 108 "Magic Track" track links
MA 25 Etched brass
WA 18 2 x Kar 98K
(Originally written on Friday, June 26, 2009 8:39 PM)
Kit Review: cyber-hobby.com 1/35 scale Kit No. 40 (Dragon Models Limited 1/35 Scale ‘39-‘45 Series Kit No. 6551); Befehls Panther Ausf. G - Smart Kit; 729 parts (530 in grey styrene, 170 "Magic Tracks", 14 clear styrene, 13 etched brass, 2 twisted steel wires); retail price US$41.99 via DragonUSA
Advantages: popular kit with new parts and option
Disadvantages: no zimmerit provided – see text
Rating: Highly Recommended
Recommendation: for all German armor fans
Once again DML’s affiliate has provided a kit of a limited production kit – but in this case approximately 329 Ausf. A and G Panthers being converted to command models. These vehicles served as both battalion and regimental command vehicles as well as ground-to-air liaison. (Apparently they were referred to as Panzerbefehlswagen mit 7.5 cm KwK 42.)
I have no breakout on how many G models were converted, but considering many things one surprise is that the kit is based on the original production Ausf. G "Smart kit" (No. 6268) and does not have zimmerit. The few photos I have of command variants appear to be prototype A models without it, but I would have expected the early Gs like the one in this kit to have it.
The new parts are either borrowed from older DML kits (the "L" and "N" whips and the "g" "Crow’s Foot" radiator section) but it comes with a new mold mantlet with modified facing and the other bits needed for the antennas. The "g" antenna may be built to full height thanks to a converter section. Two new rear stowage bins are provided as the right-hand one (F4) has the attachment point for the "g" antenna mast.
The rest of the kit is the original G kit verbatim. Its only multimedia parts are the 13 etched brass parts, mostly grilles for the engine deck, and two steel tow cables (large and small).
The lower hull is a one-piece "slide mold" part with all of the torsion bars complete and separate parts. Fine details such as "bump stops", "pin knockers" and braces are all separate. The kit provides the rubber tired road wheels, but for a change of pace it also has two sets of "steel" road wheels for the last road wheel station on each side as an option. The model may be built with or without the small return roller wheel on the final drives, and both types are provided in the kit.
This kit uses the original twin exhaust pipes without the late production "flame damper" exhaust pipes. On the hull top braces, locks and handles are provided for the "flip up" style of crew hatches. The engine deck is very complete, with radiators, radiator fans, screens, louvers and a large number of separate access ports and lids provided. All grilles replicate full castings and are separate parts as well.
The hull side trim is all plastic, but comes with "slide molded" mounts and access holes for pins or attachment in order to permit track links to be hung in a prototypical fashion on their racks. The same goes for the tools and OVM.
As noted the turret comes with a new mold early (rounded) mantelet with a one-piece plastic barrel and a three piece muzzle brake. The gun does have a minimal breech assembly but no other interior parts are provided except for the self-defense weapon (mine thrower) in the turret roof. The commander’s cupola comes with clear vision blocks and two interior sections that fit inside the "slide molded" cupola to give it the right thickness.
Research credit goes to Steven Van Bevere, Tom Cockle and Gary Edmundson.
But one finishing options is provided – Unidentified Unit, Germany 1945 (tricolor with small crosses).
Overall, this is a nice way to reuse older kits and still provide a new option -- but I wish I knew more about the zimmerit option for these vehicles.
Thanks to Freddie Leung for the review sample.
Cookie Sewell
Sprue Layout:
A 52x2 Engine deck details and fine details
A 3 Hull and engine hatches
B 55 Turret
C 55 Hull details and sponsons
D 27 Radiators and hull rear details
E 47x4 Road wheels, torsion bars, individual "wrap" track links, wingnuts
F 2 Rear stowage bins
G 37 Drivers, final drives, steel wheel sets
g 3 "Crow’s Foot" antenna radiator section
H 1 Commander’s cupola
J 8 MG-34 bow gun
K 30 Tools and OVM
L 14 clear styrene
L 2 Whip antenna
N 2 Whip antenna
N 2 Idler bases
P 10 Mantlet, antenna rods, bases, connectors
R 1 twisted steel wire
S 1 twisted steel wire
X 1 Lower hull
Y 170 "Magic Track" links
M 7 Etched brass
MB 6 Etched brass
(Originally written on Saturday, June 20, 2009 5:08 PM)
Kit Review: Dragon Models Limited 1/35 scale ‘39-‘45 Series Kit No. 6438; Sd.Kfz. 164 Bergepanzerwagen IV - Smart Kit; 950 parts (584 in grey styrene, 288 "Magic Track" links, 59 etched brass, 16 clear styrene, 2 copper chain, 1 twisted steel wire); estimated price US$50.50
Advantages: first kit of this variant from DML; nicely done jib crane and associated kit
Disadvantages: still comes with "Magic Track" links
Rating: Highly Recommended
Recommendation: for all German and Pzkw. IV fans
It did not take long before – even in WW I – before the countries building and using tanks realized they needed specialized vehicles to recover and repair them. While the Germans initially attempted to use heavy halftracks to carry this task out in WW II, eventually they realized a fully tracked vehicle of the same type was best qualified to do the job. Therefore it was only in October 1944 they began to build dedicated conversion of the Pzkw. IV chassis as tank towing and retriever vehicles – Bergepanzer – to deal with their then standardized medium tank. Only 36 of these vehicles, useful as they were, wound up being converted.
Each came with the basics of the time, mostly focused on being able to tow stuck vehicles or turn over vehicles which had flipped over for one reason or another. For this a winch was mounted in the center of the hull where the turret had previously been fitted. They were also able to pull engines and transmission components for repair or replacement using a manual jib crane which could be dismounted for travel. (For some reason there does not seem to have been any thought – as with American recovery vehicles – to sheave the cable from the winch to the crane boom to power these operations.)
DML has now added a version of this popular conversion subject to their line of Pzkw. IV "Smart Kits" using most of the components from their recent Pzkw. IV Ausf. H Late kit (No. 6300). The turret parts are now mostly removed from the kit and two new sprues with 82 new parts for the Bergepanzer details and the jib crane have been added.
The jib crane is a very neatly detailed assembly and consists of some 29 styrene parts and two lengths of copper chain cut to fit per the directions. There are two different versions of the crane offered so be very attentive when assembling htme as they are difficult to tell apart other than by parts numbers. Note that this is what the Russians call a "trinoga" or three-legged jib and that parts have to be left loose until mounted on the hull.
The kit also provides two different style towing pintles (which they dub "small" and "large" for obvious reasons) and each one takes different fittings.
The majority of the rest of the kit will be familiar to anyone who has built one of the "Smart Kit" Pzkw. IV variants. Drivers now consist of only four parts; the separate bolts are gone. Bogies are now nine piece affairs without separate tires. New details are provided for the tow hook at the rear of the hull as well.
The upper hull again consists of a deck and framework with applique sides, front and rear engine intake components and fenders. The muffler has a central tube section and six add-on parts to complete it along with a "slide molded" exhaust pipe, but note that a new stern plate has to be used for the Bergepanzer variant.
All ports and hatches are separate parts so they can be posed open. While no interior components for the lower hull are yet present, the hull still provides a rudimentary firewall for the engine compartment, and the various vents and louvers are also posable either open or closed. The bow also comes with a well-done machine gun and ball mount. Note that all ports have clear styrene inserts as well.
The kit comes with a large wooden beam and this will take work to make look more like wood. While split lengthwise diagonally to hide the long seams on the edges, the ends will take some sanding and scraping with a razor saw to look like sawn timber and not plastic.
Etched brass is kept to a minimum and only covers items such as the engine air intake louvers, the inner guides of the idler wheels, some small brackets, and the flaps for the engine air intakes on the sides of the rear deck.
Tracks are the "Magic Track" snap-together-then-cement type, and modelers are advised to recall that when facing the head card the left side track links (light grey) are on the left and right (dark grey) are on the right.
Two finishing options are provided along with a small set of Cartograf decals: Unidentified Unit; Germany 1945 (panzer brown overall); Unidentified Unit, Germany 1945 (tricolor upper hull). Alas, the directions do not indicate which is a "small pintle" or "large pintle".
Technical assistance was provided by Notger Schlegtendal, Tom Cockle and Gary Edmundson.
Overall this is an excellent choice but one which will not go over well with the "after market boys" who have made the conversion kits for this variant.
Thanks to Freddie Leung for the review sample.
Cookie Sewell
Sprue Layout:
A 37x2 Pzkw. IV Generic drivers, idlers and return rollers
A 81x2 Pzkw. IV Generic road wheels and bogies
B 17 Brummbaer - front glacis details
B 44 Pzkw. IV Generic turret base and details, gun breech
E 43 Pzkw. IV Ausf. H turret details and applique
G 29 Turret and hull ports, smoke grenade launchers
H 57 Engine deck and details
J 1 Pzkw. IV Ausf. H hull top
J 7 German Generic Jack
J 8 MG-34 machine gun
K 2 Pzkw. IV Ausf. H fenders
K 10 German Generic Antenna and tail light set
L 8 Pzkw. IV spare road wheels
L 144 "Magic Track" left side
M 16 Clear styrene
N 31 Bergepanzer IV derrick crane and fittings
P 33 Pzkw. IV Ausf. H engine grilles and vents
Q 6 Spare track links
R 144 "Magic Track" right side
S 51 Bergepanzer IV upper hull details and kit
X 1 Lower hull pan
Z 1 Twisted metal wire
MA 59 Etched brass
A 1 220mm large link copper chain
B 1 285mm small link copper chain
(Originally written on Saturday, June 20, 2009 5:04 PM)
Kit Review: cyber-hobby.com 1/35 scale Orange Box Series No. 08 (Dragon Models Limited Kit No. 9108); JS-1/JS-2 2-in-1 with Bonus Soviet Motor Rifle Troops (Berlin 1945); 504 parts (320 in grey styrene, 184 "Magic Track" links); retail price US$29.95
Advantages: choice of options in this kit; inclusion of Soviet figures a bonus; "Magic Track" welcome with this kit series
Disadvantages: basic flaws from earlier kits remain (see text)
Rating: Recommended
Recommendation: For all Soviet "breakthrough" tank fans
DML’s affiliate cyber-hobby.com continues repackaging and re-releasing older kits in useful sets with new parts to entice the modeler. In this case, the old JS-1 and JS-2 (DML kits No. 6052 and No. 6012, which were actually IS-85 and IS-122 according to Soviet lore) have had their unique parts bundled into one kit with an older set of figures(No. 6019, Soviet Motorized Rifle Troops in Berlin 1945) and a nice new set of modified IS tracks ("split track" and not "cut tooth") included from the popular "Magic Track".
It is likely that some modelers may wish to purchase the kit just for the latter, as they are outstanding and on their own nearly rated this kit a "Highly Recommended". Note that the "split tracks" come in one piece and are not set up for use Soviet-style as extended tracks – the idea was to fit a regular link and a split link together to give an extended track link every other track for use in snow, mud or marshy ground. While more common on the ISU-122 and ISU-152 vehicles, they have been seen on IS-2 series tanks.
The kit also includes both the 122mm D-25T gun for the IS-2 and the 85mm D-5T fitted to the original IS-85 (later IS-1) series tanks.
The hull appears to be the so-called "soft nose" early hull which was actually cast for the stillborn KV-13 medium tank project. The hull also comes with standard 90 liter auxiliary fuel tanks and not the 160 liter ones also seen on early IS tanks; this isn’t wrong, it’s just that DML should have given the modeler the option.
However, the kits are as offered initially nearly 15 years ago and have not been corrected or updated. The road wheels are still only 14.3mm (15.3mm is correct for 535mm diameter wheels) and the lower hull is the original one which has been the subject of debate on the internet. I have seen figures of it being 1.3 to 2.3 mm too low, even thought from the Russian plans I have and the one I measured at Duxford it seems to be correct. There are also some fine shape problems to the turret and the overly coarse simulated casting finish to the parts, but for the most part it still has to be said that the kit LOOKS like an early IS series tank.
Finishing directions are included for two IS-2 and one IS-1 heavy tanks: Unidentified unit, Vitebsk, 1944 (IS-2 - whitewash with red "14"); 4th Guards Tank Army, Eastern Front 1944 (IS-2 three-color camo upper hull, white 222); 1st Guards Tank Heavy Breakthrough Regiment, 11th Guards Tank Corps, Ukraine 1944 (IS-1 - whitewash with no markings).
The figures were one of the better early DML sets and look the part of Soviet infantry from the 1945 period. (DML should be aware that at that time most of the infantry were either straight infantry or mechanized infantry as the term "motorized rifle did not come into full force until long after WWII.) These were one of the first of the Ron Volstad sets and the original full color artwork for finishing them is included. As they are "Gen1" figures the weapons are not state of the art but are scale and a good result may be achieved.
Overall, this is a nice combo for a reasonable price and unless one is a real stickler will built up to look the part of an IS tank on the offensive with supporting infantry.
Thanks to Freddie Leung for the review sample.
Cookie Sewell
Sprue layout:
A 19 Upper hull and details
B 102x2 Suspension and hull details
C 6 Turret and IS-1 and IS-2 mantlets
D 18 IS-2 122mm gun and commander’s cupola
E 1 Lower hull pan
H 10 IS-85 85mm gun and turret details
T 92 Magic Track links - with guide tooth
Y 4x2 Spare track attachment brackets
Z 92 Magic Track links - split track
6006 11 Weapons - 3 x PPSh, 1 x Moisin carbine, 1 x MP40, 1 x MP44
6019 43 Four figures and basic kit
(Originally written on Saturday, June 13, 2009 6:11 PM)
Kit Review: Alanger 1/35 scale Kit No. 35002; T-28 Soviet Medium Tank (Mod. 38); 608 parts in grey styrene; price US$34.95
Advantages: slightly cleaned up version of old ICM kit; better quality plastic
Disadvantages: not sure of what production model of the T-28 it wants to be
Rating: Recommended
Recommendation: for all Soviet and pre-war armor fans
In the 1930s the Soviets figured out the classes of tanks they would need to carry out their version of "blitzkrieg" warfare: amphibious scout tanks, light tanks, cavalry tanks, escort tanks, medium tanks, and heavy tanks. As a result, these were the goals they built to: the first two were eventually combined and included the T-37, T-38, T-40, and T-30; the cavalry tanks were the BT series; escort tanks, the T-26 series; medium tanks, the T-24 and T-28; and the heavy tanks, the T-35.
Each family of tanks had a specific mission. Light tanks scouted; cavalry tanks raided and fought enemy tanks; escort tanks accompanied the infantry; medium tanks carried out the exploitation of a breakthrough; and heavy tanks made the breakthrough. Or at least the idea was on paper.
The T-12 was the first medium tank design, which did not work; it evolved into the T-24 which was also seen as not promising. Undaunted, the designers at Factory No. 174 in Leningrad (the old Putilov factory) designed a new medium tank in 1933 which became the T-28. Originally designed to carry a very-short barreled 76.2mm howitzer and three 7.62mm DT machine guns, it evolved to later carry the longer L-10 gun and another machine gun with optional mounting either in the rear of the turret or on an AA mount over the commander’s hatch. The armament, as with all pre-war medium designs, was "multilayered" with two separate machine gun turrets on the front quadrants and a main turret elevated above them. The machine gun in this turret was not coaxial but fired from a separate ball mount to the right of the main gun.
Power came from a derated M-17 aircraft engine and with 500 HP the 25.2 metric ton tank could roll along at 40 kph. 517 of these tanks were built between 1933 and 1939, with each production year slightly different in design from the previous one. Unfortunately, the armor was no more than 30mm thick and as a result once engaged in combat in the "Winter War" with Finland its weaknesses became obvious. An upgrade program did see most tanks (more than 300 of the 517) fitted with the better L-10 gun, but few of the tanks received the applique armor upgrade (s Ehkranami or T-28Eh) before the war broke out. A handful did survive the war and were scrapped in 1947.
Approximately 15 years ago Alan of Russia came out with the first plastic kit of a T-28, which was (like many Alan kits) crude and not very accurate. Roughly two years later ICM from Ukraine released their version along with an IT-28 bridge launcher variant; while the IT-28 was lacking (as nobody had the plans for the vehicle and ICM only built what they could see in photos) the T-28 kit was not bad. It was accurate within limits in scale, had some nice petite details, and a partial interior. But it have some features from different years of the tank’s production.
The best source for sorting this out is "Frontovaya Illyustratsiya" issue No. 4-2000, "Mnogobashennye Tanki RKKA - T-28, T-29" (RKK T-28 and T-28 Multi-turreted Tanks) by Maksim Kolomiyets. He has very good drawings in this book of the different versions (and even though the text is all Cyrillic the illustrations are tagged in English). Another good source is "Steel Fortress: The Russian T-28 Medium Tank" by Mikhail Baryatinskiy and Jim Kinnear from Barbarossa Books in the UK.
The reason I mention this is that the Alanger kit, a relatively recent release, is a cleaned-up version of the ICM kit and not the Alan one as has been mentioned in several blogs. This is good, as of the two kits this one was by far the better. Also, I have never found an ICM kit which did not require at least two trips to the sink and a heavy cleaning in dishwashing detergent to clean the moldings from mold release; the Alanger pressings are clean and crisp.
There does seem to be some minor tweaking of the molds, but as with the earlier kit there are some mixed features. The model is missing the steel wheels on its fourth and fifth bogies, which was only common to early models of the tank. While it has the late-model engine air exhaust grille covers over the fan, it has 1934-1935 boxes for the smoke generator systems. It does have the late-model drivers as well as the cast blunt star on the turret roof. As it is based on the original ICM kit, it comes with both the KT-28 and L-10 guns and mounts, but given the majority of features present and the actual history of the vehicle should only be built with the long-barreled L-10. Also note that the tank was only authorized an issue of four machine guns (some did later carry a spare) so you may wish to either mount the rear one or the AA gun, but not both.
Overall, it is very close to what it claims to be, but is still missing some key parts such as the tarpaulin bin on the left side of the hull. You can either purchase a set of etched parts or make one from thin strip, which is pretty much what the Soviets did. It is also missing the radiators in the engine compartment (on either side of the engine, with a massive fan at the rear for air flow). But getting good info on the engine bay will be very difficult.
It is not an easy kit to assemble, as it is typical of most eastern European moldings in that the biggest molded parts are the two turret halves and the top of the hull. The lower hull for this kit constitutes six basic parts (belly, sides, firewall, and final drive housings) and also requires another seven for completion (skirts and skirt ends and the lower engine access hatch). Getting a good fit is not a simple task, but can be done with care.
The steel wheels are the hardest thing to replace, but I have found US 1950-1960 return rollers from M48s and M60s are the right size and with some care can be altered to fit on the model. The suspension is somewhat spare in detail, but once the skirts are in place only the bogies and wheels are visible.
Most of the rest of the kit is pretty straightforward. Note that painting directions for the interior are completely lacking so if you do want to do it up you are on your own. But the floors are grey, the rest of the surfaces are white, and the guns and fittings are either black or olive drab, so you can at least get close.
The tracks are not bad, but plan on sanding and carefully filing the slots to get a good (and easy) fit. I use a good viscous liquid cement such as Vollmer Superzement S30 or Tamiya "Orange" as it provides for some flexibility while drying but "bites" and holds quickly.
Oddly the kit comes with two finishing schemes and a set of decals for "none of the above!" They are for the box art version, finished in 4BO green. The others are a whitewashed tank, Karelian Isthmus, winter 1939-1940 and a three-color camouflaged tank from the 1st Tank Division, Northwest Front, August 1940.
Overall, while it would be nice to see a new-mold kit of the T-28 this one is not bad with a bit of work, and at least it provides a good basis to start with when doing up a pre-war Soviet tank.
Cookie Sewell
Sprue layout:
A 41 Turret, machine guns, ammunition, hatches
B 36 Turret roof, antenna, KT-28 and L-10 guns
C 39 Machine gun turrets, OVM, driver’s seat
D 27 M-17T engine and mounts
E 25 Right skirt, driver’s compartment floor, muffler
G 20 Upper rear sides, left skirt, details, hatches
H 22 Left side, final drives, air intakes, rear hull details
K 16 Right side, rear fan cover
L 46x2 Road wheels, bogies, drivers, idlers, return rollers
P 72x4 Track links
1 Hull belly
1 Hull top
(Originally written on Friday, June 12, 2009 8:58 PM)
Kit Review: cyber-hobby.com 1/35 scale "Orange Box" Series Kit No. 09 (Dragon Models Limited Kit No. 9109); 3 cm M.K. 103 Zwilling Flakpanzer IV "Kugelblitz"; 538 parts (305 in grey styrene, 216 "Magic Track" links, 10 etched brass, 7 etched nickel); retail price US$29.95
Advantages: nice upgrade of re-released older kit; figures very good; nice touches
Disadvantages: all vices of original kit (e.g. fit and accuracy) still present
Rating: Recommended
Recommendation: for all German AA fans who missed this kit the first time around
Kit re-releases are one of those topics which are guaranteed to start a healthy discussion at model club meetings or just among modelers. For every one glad to see a reasonably good older kit back in circulation, there is at least one "Boo Bird" to complain that they didn’t fix any of the original kit’s problems and only jacked up the price. In the case of at least two major model manufacturers, the "Boo Birds" are more than correct in their analysis.
DML has tried different strategies over the last 18 years. First, their prices were competitive when they started at about $15 per kit in the US. Prices did rise over the years, but their first major shift in re-released kits – dubbed "Shanghai Dragon" for their molding point, either kept the original price or even lowered it. Now a new series of kits are being re-released by DML affiliate cyber-hobby.com as the "Orange Box" series at prices of about the original kit release prices but with some nice additions.
This kit of the quirky but popular "Kugelblitz" (Ball Lighting) twin 30mm antiaircraft vehicle (original DML Kit No. 6040) uses that same philosophy. The original kit has now been re-released but the original kit tracks are now replaced by "Magic Link" 40 cm Pzkw. III/IV track, the gun barrels with their complex muzzle brakes are now "slide molded" with hollow bores, and the "Achtung, Jabo!" figure set (DML No. 6191) is included complete along with a generic German whip antenna set.
The vehicle appears to be built on a late-model Pzkw. IV Ausf. H or standard Ausf. J chassis (the kit comes as a J with the twin exhausts) and a set of Ausf. H idlers are included. As noted, the original tracks have been replaced by current production "Magic Link". However, they are packed free (in bags) in this kit and not attached to the main header card (the kit has none). As a result, the directs note that the light grey tracks are the L (left) side and dark gray the R (right) side!
The new gun barrels have a hollow bore, but will need some delicate drill work on the side ports of the MK 103 muzzle brakes to open them up.
Most of the rest of the kit is pretty straightforward. Details in some areas have been bypassed by current levels of molding and production, so it is up to the modeler if he thinks the kit is worth building out of the box. A real diehard may wish to use this kit as an "upgrade" set and modify a late model DML Pzkw. IV Ausf. H kit to a Kugelblitz by replacing or modifying the key parts. Even so, this kit complete is cheaper than many resin conversions, and comes with a decent set of tracks and the great figure set.
The original Ron Volstad artwork is provided for finishing the figures, but there is only one generic option provided for the vehicle: a tricolor finish with small black crosses.
Overall, this is not a bad idea: re-release an older kit with some new parts and a bonus item such as complimentary figures thrown in and retaining nearly the same older price. Others should be so observant.
Thanks to Freddie Leung for the review sample.
Cookie Sewell
Sprue layout:
A 26 Kugelblitz turret and upper hull section
B 33 Pzkw. IV - upper hull and fenders (late models)
C 52 Jagdpanzer IV - tools, detail parts (plus 80 numbers for casting details)
D 7x2 New mold barrels and details for Kugelblitz
E 19x4 Pkzw. IV suspension and road wheels
F 7x2 Pzkw. IV idlers and drivers
G 4x2 Pzkw. IV late model idlers
H 8x4 Pzkw. IV hubs and brackets
I 21 Jagdpanzer IV - gun, glacis, exhaust details
J 25x2 Kugelblitz - guns, small details
L 2 German generic whip antenna
L 108 Magic Track - left side links
M 1 Pzkw. IV lower hull
P 4x4 Pzkw. IV return rollers
R 108 Magic Track - right side links
6191 38 "Achtung, Jabo!" Figure set - four figures and details
MA 10 Etched brass (original kit 6040)
MA 7 Etched nickel (original kit 6191)
(Originally written on Friday, June 12, 2009 8:54 PM)
Kit Review: Dragon Models Limited 1/35 scale ‘39-‘45 series Kit No. 6514; Monte Cassino Defenders 1944 (Fallschirmjaeger); 142 parts in grey styrene; retail price US$11.95
Advantages: now with "Gen2" weapons sets
Disadvantages: few noted
Rating: Highly Recommended
Recommendation: for all German airborne and Italian campaign fans
DML has vacillated back and forth in its figure sets between "Gen1" – its original traditional architecture kits with six to seven parts per figure and "Gen2" in which there are about 16-17 parts per figure. Each has it fans, but generally the ease of assembly of the "Gen1" types has been offset by mediocre or tepid accessories, whereas the far more complex "Gen2" types have come with superb accessories and weapons.
This kit would have to be marked down as what one could call a "Gen 1.5" kit. The figures themselves are "Gen1" type but with nicer kit and they do come with four sprues of "Gen2" weapons.
Each figure is beautifully molded and has a great deal of personality and detail created for it. Basically they are in combat poses: one man standing and firing, one kneeling with a grenade, one in prone position and one crouching. All wear smocks over their uniforms, and the box art suggests two in plain smocks and two in "splinter" pattern. There are four different styles of helmet: plain, camo net, camo cover with band, and plain with field wire wrapping. The latter two are molded sideways with slide molding in order to reproduce the details.
Accessories include bayonets, grenades ("potato masher" style), bread bags and ammo pouches. The generic weapons sets are well-known to most figure fans by now and all come with separate bolts and clips as well as extra ammo.
Box art and painting instructions are by Ron Volstad.
Overall this is a nice set, and a compliment to DML’s recent release of Commonwealth troops at Monte Cassino.
Thanks to Freddie Leung for the review sample.
Cookie Sewell
Sprue layout:
6514 70 Four figures and basic kit
WA 18x2 German Generic Weapons - 2 x Kar 98K and accessories
WB 18x2 German Generic Weapons - 1 x MP44, 1 x Gewehr 43, 2 x MP40
(Originally written on Saturday, June 06, 2009 8:42 PM)
Kit Review: cyber-hobby.com 1/35 scale Kit No. 39 (Dragon Models Limited 1/35 Scale ‘39-‘45 Kit No. 6527; Sherman Mk. III DV Initial Production - Smart Kit; 398 parts (274 in grey styrene, 100 etched brass, 23 clear styrene, 1 length of twisted steel wire); estimated price US$50.50
Advantages: newly molded hull for this variant; nicely done suspension with T41 tracks
Disadvantages: brass sand shields and "sunshield" racks require a lot of "origami" for assembly
Rating: Highly Recommended
Recommendation: for all Commonwealth armour fans
DML has now released a third early model Commonwealth Sherman in the form of a Initial Production Sherman III with a direct vision hull, M3 style suspension, three-piece transmission cover, and T41 reversible tracks. This follows on their Early Sherman III (6313) and Mid Production Sherman III (6231) kits, but as it has the direct vision hull should not engender some of the snarls about the driver’s and co-driver’s "pulpits" that the other kits did.
The new hull provides the same beautifully done weld beads and welding marks on the hull proper as other recent Sherman kits. This kit now also sports a more accurate set of engine access doors (the grilled ones on the engine deck) with 24 grille bars.
Once again there are minor or major tweaks to several of the kit sprues for this model as well as "gated" work to reduce the number of unusable (e.g. spare) parts. Most of the bits here are familiar to Sherman fans over the last three or four years, such as the low bustle turret with a choice of M34 mount without "ears", M34 mount with "ears", add-on armor protection for the coaxial machine gun with the M34 mount, or the M34A1 mount. From the box art the correct choice for this particular variant is the M34 with "ears"and supplemental armor. This kit does come with their new mold M2HB machine gun for the commander’s cupola, so they are listening.
But this kit uses the new M3/M4 type suspension, so many of the "missing" parts are the standard VVSS suspension bits. It also comes with two transmission covers but the correct one here is the "three-piece" and not the "soft-nose" cast one. Note that in Step 5 there are a number of mounting holes inside the hull which need to be drilled out for mounting the tools and OVM on the rear of the tank. The bolt pattern, as with previous M4A2 hulls, is pre-painted on the stern plate for easy location and attachment of the chosen parts. These are etched brass but two different patterns are provided for in the directions.
This kit comes with full sand shields and fenders from etched brass, as well as the "sun shield" deception mounts cum equipment attachment racks. These are somewhat tricky and will probably take a combination of soldering and ACC cement to look right when installed. New design headlight guards (e.g. easier to fold and install) and fender components as well as the commander’s "blade" sight are provided but not tie-downs or tool straps.
Unlike past Commonwealth kits, as noted this one does not provide the WE210 type "Double I" pattern tracks but the early production T41 "reversible" tracks which were quickly replaced. They are packed flat and not protected, but the ones in the review sample suffered no ill effects to the guide teeth.
Again, finishing directions and markings are included for but ONE tanks: COCKY from first the 41st RTR, 24th Armoured Brgiade at El Alamein and then a month later when it was part of C Squadron, the Royal Scots Greys, Honey Hill, December 1942. Either one is quite colorful and are backed by a nice set of Cartograf decals.
Overall, if you are a fanatic Shermanoholic this is a must kit. It also is a nice "one off" for the Commonwealth fans for a change.
Thanks to Freddie Leung for the review sample.
Cookie Sewell
Sprue Breakout:
A 95 M4A2/A3 hull details (A2/A3) (minus hull top)
B 63 Low bustle turret with M34 and M34A1 gun mounts
C 23 Clear styrene
D 22 56 degree direct vision welded hull
D 31x2 M3/M4 early suspension
E 2 British turret bustle bin
E 9 Early model three-piece transmission cover
J 12 M2HB with turret mounting
S 1 twisted steel wire
V 4x2 M3/M4 early style drive wheels
X 1 Lower hull pan - M4A2
Z 2 T41 style DS track runs
MA 100 etched brass
(Originally written on Saturday, June 06, 2009 8:39 PM)
Kit Review: Dragon Models Limited 1/35 Scale ‘39-‘45 Series Kit No. 6463; Pzkw. III Ausf. J Initial Production - Smart Kit; 750 parts (488 in grey stryene, 218 "Magic Track" links, 27 etched brass, 19 clear styrene); price estimated at US$50.50
Advantages: many options to match specific tanks at set points in the production run; "Smart Kit" minimizes the amount of etched brass required
Disadvantages: kit does not come with DS tracks, which will disappoint a few modelers
Rating: Highly Recommended
Recommendation: for all WWII German fans
DML has now released a dedicated version of the initial production model of the Pzkw. III Ausf. J version, which adds a single new sprue, new brass and "chops" out unnecessary oarts from the previous Ausf. J kit (No. 6394). It retains the parts from the StuG III "Smart Kit" molds as well most of the original kit. 31 new parts are added to this kit.
The hull pan is similar to that from the StuG but has the side hatches and other detail changes. It retains the full torsion bar suspension from the other kit and the detailed suspension components and muffler assembly. As with the StuG all hatches are separate with some interior details and can be positioned as the modeler chooses. All engine deck ventilators are spaced and mounted on separate frames to get the correct appearance and "lift" needed to give an accurate representation of the original.
The kit provides only the early model’s L/42 gun barrel with its "slide molded" hollow bore with a complete breech assembly. Options also include blackout or clear headlight lenses and all viewports and viewers may be positioned open or closed as well.
The kit includes the rudiments of an interior, but unlike many Russian or Ukrainian kits the details they provide are highly accurate as far as they go. This should please the "after market boys" as there is more than enough room for a nice resin interior here and enough ports and hatches to see it.
Some modelers are now learning to love the new DML DS plastic tracks, but this kit was not a beneficiary of that technology so the modeler will have to use the excellent if tedious "Magic Track" links. As the old curse goes, be careful of what you wish for as you may get it! Also the kit only comes with a modicum of etched brass - mostly grilles, brackets and the track guides for the idler wheels. I am sure that "boutique" upgrade kits are on the way for those who believe one can never add enough brass!
As this kit is designed to replicate only the initial models of the J sent to Russia, there are no options for using any of the later parts in the kit so a goodly number go to the spares bin.
Research and drawing was by Hirohisa Takada, Shin Okada, Minoru Igarashi, and the Dragon engineering team. Technical consultants were Tom Cockle and Gary Edmundson.
The kit provides three different finishing options: 2nd Panzer Division, Russia 1941 (grey - white 631); 2nd Panzer Division Russia 1941 (grey - white 624); and 11th Panzer Division (grey - white 32). A small "targeted" sheet of colorful markings is provided by Cartograf.
Overall this continues the family, but those hoping for a "2-in-1" with an Afrika Korps version will have to await another kit.
Thanks to Freddie Leung for the review sample.
Cookie Sewell
Sprue breakout:
A 91 Pzkw III J hull details and turret mounting
A 61x2 StuG III Wheels and torsion bars (7 mini-sprues connected)
B 14 Pzkw III J upper hull and fenders
B 46 StuG III Road wheel arms and lower hull details
C 41 Pzkw III J applique armor and details
D 34 Pzkw III J gun and barrels (less L/60)
D 13 StuG III basic upper hull details (reduced)
E 15 Pzkw III J turret and mantelet details
F 15 Pzkw IV F - turret cupola
G 52 Pzkw IV F - turret and hull details
G 15 StuG III OVM and light components
H 1 Lower hull pan
J 8 Machine guns and muzzles
K 31 Pzkw. III J Initial Production engine hatches, details
L 144 Magic Track - Left
15 Pzkw IV F Clear styrene
P 4 Clear styrene
R 144 Magic Track - Right
MA 27 Etched brass
(Originally written on Saturday, June 06, 2009 8:34 PM)
Kit Review: AFV Club 1/35 Scale Kit No. A35S50; German Sd.Kfz. 251/3 Ausf. C with Special Parts (First Edition Only); 458 parts (418 in olive drab styrene, 18 etched brass, 2 black vinyl); price unknown but estimated at US$45-50
Advantages: recombination of kit parts provides new kit; beautiful radio sets
Disadvantages: petite parts required detailed care; many parts similar in shape and function
Rating: Highly Recommended
Recommendation: for all halftrack and WWII German fans
AFV Club have recombined parts from several older kits with some nice new bits to create a model of the other primary German command vehicle, the Sd.Kfz. 251/3 model. Previously both they and DML had done an Sd.Kfz. 251/17 air defense command variant, which was the donor for the radio sets in this kit, and DML had done an Sd.Kfz. 251/6 command variant.
This kit is based on the excellent AFV Club C model, which used parts from their earlier Sd.Kfz. 11 kit as well. While listed in their "S" series as a special kit, it uses mostly standard kit parts from various kits combined with a total of 27 new parts and a lovely set of 12 "jerry" cans of two different styles.
As with past AFV Club armored halftracks, the hull comes in three basic parts (sides with road wheel mounts and top) and a stock set of base parts for the center of the hull (belly and floor). The hinges for the dismount compartment doors are somewhat thicker than the DML ones, but as these work and the others do not it was more a case of "overengineering" for durability.
There are a few optional body parts. The armored radiator air exhaust louvers are provided in two styles and the builder has the option of which one to use. No engine is provided for the engine compartment, nor do the side bins provide for opened or closed options.
As with past kits this one comes with one-piece black vinyl tracks, which make assembly much easier and faster. These do need care, as they are "handed" with one side one link longer than the other to cover the torsion bar layout difference in length of the track sets. However, they are unfortunately old-fashioned ones and require assembly with ACC cement, not standard tube cement; the pins are too small to use a "hot screwdriver" on for sealing either. AFV Club makes four different styles of single-link track for the 3 ton halftrack family, and these can be selected after-market for the model: early model (AF 35044), late model (AF 35069), late model steel (AF 35070) or final model rubber type (AF 35081).
As noted this kit uses the radio sets from the "stroke 17" command vehicle and as such provides a total of five radio sets. As with the DML kits, unfortunately no wiring or cabling diagrams are provided . The frame antenna and mountings for this vehicle come from the earlier kit as well.
Markings are provided for five different vehicles: 9th Panzer Division, Russia September 1941 (grey with white outline crosses); 11th Panzer Division, Russia winter 1942-43 (grey with whitewash); 14th Panzer Division, Ukraine 1942 (grey with white outline crosses); 4th Panzer Division, Russia (grey with whitewash splotches); and 5th Light Panzer Division, Libya, March 1941 (grey with sand stripes). A small sheet of decals is provided along with "targeted" license plates.
Overall, this is a decent kit which fills another gap in the "251" family.
Thanks to Miin Herng Tsueng of AFV Club for the review sample.
Cookie Sewell
A 33x2 251 road wheels and tires (35040)
A 27 "Rail" type antenna and mountings (35S50)
B 28 251 drivers and front axles (35040)
B 49 12 jerry cans and fuel filler nozzle (35S50)
C 3 251 C model hull top and fenders (35078)
C 47 251 C model lower hull and detail parts (35078)
F 34 German command vehicle radio sets and racks (35117)
G 18 Etched brass (35S50)
H 2 Black vinyl tracks
U 46 251 series basic inner hull detail (35063)
T 7 Antenna and stowage bin (35S47)
TA 15x2 251 series seats and interior stowage details (35063)
TB 13x2 251 series seats and interior stowage details (35063)
TC 13x2 251 series headlights and small details (35063)
X 11x2 German weapons - MG34, MG42, 4 x Kar 98K (35054)
UB 7 251 series floor and roof details
(Originally written on Saturday, June 06, 2009 8:32 PM)
Kit Review: AFV Club 1/48 scale Kit No. AF48006; Sturmtiger - First Edition with Special Parts; 217 parts (187 in olive drab styrene, 20 screws, 4 etched brass, 4 etched stainless steel, 2 black vinyl); price unknown but estimated at US$30
Advantages: nicely done kit in this scale, simple assembly, well-designed parts
Disadvantages: modeler must add zimmerit to all but the stern plate
Rating: Highly Recommended
Recommendation: for all Tiger fans
With Tamiya’s reentry into the "quarter inch" scale armor market, so far only Hobby Boss (Trumpeter) and AFV Club have given them a run for their money. Here is a new kit from AFV Club of the popular Sturmtiger assault mortar to send up a challenge.
AFV Club’s kit is based on their previous 1/48 Tiger 1 and has some interesting methods used to assemble the kit. The inner wheels attach with screws to the lower hull, and then the outer wheels or hubcabs cement over them to hide the screws. This is a sensible option, and anyone who ever put together one of the early Trumpeter kits that didn’t provide that method can appreciate it. With the very flexible black vinyl tracks, if the modeler did not mind the "rubber band" look the tracks will then easily work. If not they will need to be fastened down either by ACC cement or thread.
As with most AFV Club kits there are a wealth of details for the upper hull and all are very petite. But while the stern plate came from a Tiger I with zimmerit molded in place, the Sturmtiger does not, and the modeler will have to add his own. One of the features of this kit appears to be the inclusion of a set of four etched stainless steel zimmerit rakes to apply it; while pre-molded would be better, AFV Club deserves a compliment for providing 1/48 scale rakes with the kit. The directions provide some information on what to zimmerit.
There is no interior provided and only the crew hatches offer optional positions. Etched brass grilles are provided for the engine deck, which is a good idea and not "overkill" in this scale. A choice of muzzle rings is also included.
The model comes with two finishing schemes, one for Pz.Stu.Mr.Kp 1001, 1945 in tricolor and one in an "ambush" scheme.
Overall this is a nice little kit and should provide popular with "Quarter-Inchers."
Thanks to Miin Herng Tsueng for the review sample.
Cookie Sewell
Sprue Layout:
A 22 Tiger I details and parts - stern plate, exhaust shrouds, cables
B 30 Tiger I details and parts - exhausts, fenders, machine guns
C 33x2 Road wheels, drivers, idlers, spare track
D 1 Sturmtiger upper hull
E 1 Tiger I lower hull
F 67 Engine deck, upper glacis, mortar assembly
M 4 Etched brass
T 2 Black vinyl tracks
S 20 Steel screws
4 Etched stainless steel
(Originally written on Saturday, June 06, 2009 8:28 PM)
Kit Review: AFV Club 1/35 scale Kit No. AF35139; 38 cm RW6-1 L/5.4 Assault Rocket for Sturmtiger; 104 parts in olive drab styrene; price not known but estimated at under US$20
Advantages: permits "bulking up" a Sturmtiger at a reasonable price; choice of fuses and options
Disadvantages: no major ones noted
Rating: Highly Recommended
Recommendation: for al Sturmtiger "owners"
One of the most bizarre and single-purpose vehicles of the entire Second World War was the German Sturmtiger assault gun/mortar system which fired a masssive 38 cm (15 inch) high-explosive (4581) or cumulative charge (4592) rocket projectile. Capable of a maximum range of over 5,500 meters, its real purpose was point-blank destruction of fortifications, buildings and other strong points during street fighting. The Sturmtiger mounted the massive 38 cm Raketenwehrfer 61 short-range mortar, and the combination was able to put a massive amount of high-explosive where it could do the most damage. 18 were converted but from most reports they were too heavy and bulky for effective use in the street combat they were designed for.
These vehicles have been popular for many years, and Tamiya, Italeri and AFV Club have all produced kits of this oddity. But a fully stored one takes 14 rounds, and none of the kits provided that much ammunition. A pair of turned aluminum rounds were offered, but these were too expensive to make "bombing up" a Sturmtiger a realistic proposition.
AFV Club now offers a kit which provides sufficient parts for a full load. The kit comes with two identical sprues that build into ten complete 4581 HE rounds and four complete 4592 HEAT rounds, as well as a two converter sections with no driving bands so one rocket may be loaded into the gun on the model chosen. Each rocket consists of a nose, fuse, warhead section, rocket motor, rocket venturi element, and igniter well plug. A set of decals is provided for marking the finished ammunition.
Overall this is a nice idea and an inexpensive way to fill up the racks of a Sturmtiger.
Thanks to Miin Herng Tsueng for the review sample.
Cookie Sewell
(Originally written on Saturday, June 06, 2009 8:24 PM)
Kit Review: AFV Club 1/350 scale Kit No. 73502; German U-Boat Type VII B; 71parts (64 in olive drab, 7 etched brass); price not known
Advantages: choice of waterline or full hull model; very petite details; optional "lift-off" feature for pressure hull
Disadvantages: very petite parts easily broken
Rating: Highly Recommended
Recommendation: to any 1/350 modeler who wants either a sub or a "victim/victor" in a diorama
F I R S T L O O K
Normally ships are not on my plate, but this one arrived slipped into a number of armor kits from AFV Club and caught me off guard. But on opening it up, it appears to be the first of many new kits along these lines from AFV Club (the first one was apparently going to be a Japanese I-19 class boat).
The kit is tiny – no other way to describe it at less than 19 centimeters long when complete – but at least is much larger than the 1/700 scale ones which went before it (ah, the joys of being an ageing "boomer" and having model companies take pity on us by making models larger!)
AFV Club has used their skills at making incredibly detailed armor kits and applied them to ships. The molded detail on this submarine is amazing, and it offers the ability to open up the completed hull and view the pressure hull and conning tower protrusion once finished. The kit comes with a choice of two different conning towers, one with original ventilation ducting and one with the modified ventilation added during refits.
The model provides a wealth of tiny details in the form of most of the braces, brackets and guards found on the original and even provides for rotation of the deck gun on the finished model. All parts appear to be nearly scale, which causes a normal problem with AFV Club kits of very fragile and tiny parts requiring extreme care in handling them. Four torpedoes are provided for diorama fans wanting port details to go with the model.
The reason this kit was chosen was to make the Type VII B of Gunther Prien, captain of U-47 and the "Bull of Scapa Flow" who sank HMS Royal Oak at anchor there in October 1939. It may also be built as Herbert Schultze’s U-48; no markings for the other truly famous VII B, Otto Kretschmer’s U-99, are provided.
Overall this is a neat little model and one which should fit right in with the rest of the 1/350 kits out today and coming out in the future. It should be followed by the more common Type VII C model.
Thanks to Miin Herng Tsueng for the review sample.
Cookie Sewell
Sprue Layout:
A 10 Lower hull, pressure hull,
B 45 Base, deck guns, hull details
C 9 Type VII B upper hull, details, conning towers
MA 7 Etched brass
(Originally written on Friday, June 05, 2009 10:11 PM)
Kit Review: AFV Club 1/35 Scale Kit No. 35S51; T-34/76 Model 1942 Factory No. 112 - Special Edition; 474 parts (431 in grey styrene, 20 in black styrene, 12 clear styrene, 10 steel springs, 2 black vinyl tracks, 1 black nylon string, 1 turned brass barrel, 1 etched brass); estimated retail price US$50
Advantages: complete interior with clear styrene parts to show it off; neatly done details with very nicely broken down parts
Disadvantages: minor glitches in design and features (see text)
Rating: Highly Recommended
Recommendation: for all Soviet and ‘34 fans
Most diehard T-34 tans now know the story of how Factory No. 112 – "Krasnoye Sormovo" – got started in the T-34 business in 1941. The second factory after the Stalingrad Tractor Factory to take up production, they began with knocked-down T-34 kits from Kharkov and began working on their own slightly modified design from that. Later, as they got into production, they modified the design of the Model 1941 tank to make it easier to produce, "notching" the front of the hull and glacis plate to fit together and adding handrails for "tankovyy desant" infantry everywhere that they could. 161 were built there in 1941 and by the time that "Krasnoye Sormovo" changed over to the product-improved Model 1942 – in 1943 – they had built more than 3,000 of this type.
DML released a kit of the early Factory No. 112 tank under the aegis of its cyber-hobby.come affiliate, and it was a nice kit in its own right. Now AFV Club has released their long-awaited kit, and it is a very lovely piece of work with a couple of twists: first, it has a complete interior from bow to stern with most of the major pieces provided; secondly, in this version of the kit (the base kit is AF35143) it comes with six clear parts to show off all of that interior detail. While aircraft modelers have had that since the "Phantom Mustang" of the early 1960s, this year marks the first time such features are offered to armor modelers (Trumpter also has a 1/16 scale Tiger II with the same option.)
AFV Club has played it smart with some of their favorite features (which have not always been modelers’ favorites!) by using smart choices for a change. For example, the kit comes with 20 separate black tires for the road wheels; but unlike Academy, they have made theirs in styrene so there is no problem in cleaning them up, fitting them to the model or painting them. But like the Churchill kit before it, it comes with actual steel springs for the Christie suspension units; these seem much weaker and should be easier to install without 20 or more fingers. If installed carefully the complete suspension works.
Detailing starts with the floor and moves forward. Separate details abound in the control (drivers’) compartment and include rodding for the foot pedals. Ammo racks are provided with only half a shell; however, since this cements to the ammo rack trays for single rounds, it is a smart way to ensure you can paint the round AND the rack with a minimum of grief. Seats are neatly done with separate thigh pads and even machine gun racks look the part.
The V-2 engine is complete, but is one of the few areas in the model where AFV Club made a mistake. Somebody put the original 1940-early 1941 air cleaner (sort of like that from an older American car with a carburetor) on top of the engine (parts A31/A32) but then includes the later "cyclone" type air cleaners behind the transmission firewall. The latter are unfortunately necessary as the exhaust pipes attach to them on the way to the exhaust outlets in the rear of the hull. They also connect to nothing, so this will be tedious to fix.
The transmission comes with the odd "ribbon brakes" in place on each final drive/lateral clutch assembly (A43-A46) and the fan is a four-piece marvel of the moldmaker’s craft. Note that the main clutch is in the center of the fan.
The radiators each consist of three parts and fit as required next to the engine.
While the model comes with only the original pressed disk steel wheel with "notched" tires, there are three different options for the idlers and drivers (1940, 1941, 1942 and beyond). The kit suggests using B33/B37 for the idler and B9/B13 for the driver, but if you have good references you could probably use the B31/B35 and B15/B16 ones as well.
The tracks are a bit thin and floppy, so most modelers may want to use an after-market set for this kit. I am not sure if AFV Club will offer single-link tracks although based on their past kits it seems a logical assumption.
The upper hull, stern plate, turret halves, roof and turret ventilator are all molded in clear styrene. This is slightly marred by ejection pin marks on the inside of the rear fenders, the stern plate and the turret roof; removing them will take careful sanding, buffing and a touch-up with Future or Johnson’s Klear.
All radiator louvers - intake and exhaust – are positionable, but the rear deck is solid so if you wish to display it you will have to leave the covers (D53, D54, D5) loose. There is a single etched grille for D5 which is a good choice. The kit comes with spare track but seems to have lost one of the "toothed" links in the process; the links bolt to the ends of the fender with one "flat" link on the bottom and one "toothed" link tooth up above it. The kit has two "flats" on the right and a single "toothed" on the left. Possible, but an odd choice.
The turret is nicely done and comes with a very complete F-34 gun breech and coaxial DT machine gun back end. There are details everywhere you look, but the clear plastic turret will cause some problems when completed due to attaching the parts to the inside. (Note that AFV Club has a promotional DVD which provides a number of shots of their finished version of the kit with nicely weathered green paint on all non-clear parts, showing what the inside looks like when assembled. It is an interesting effect!)
Four finishing options come with the kit, three in 4BO green and one white: two from the 1st Tank Brigade, Polish 1st Army, Pomoroze 1941 (white 122 and white 238); 45th Tank Regiment "For Soviet Estonia", Eastern Front 1943'; Unknown Unit, whitewash camouflage (Triangle red 6), spring 1943.
Design of this kit is credited to "Team Niitakayama".
Overall this is a super effort and other than the silly twin air cleaner option problem is a winner. From the parts breakdown AFV Club appears to have more T-34s planned for the future as well.
Thanks to Miin Herng Tsueng for the review sample.
Cookie Sewell
Sprue Layout:
A 75 Engine, transmission, radiators
B 76x2 Suspension, drivers, idlers
C 84 Hull and control compartment interior details
D 76 Hull and turret interior details, engine deck
E 43 Turret details, rear lower hull plate
F 5 Model 1941 Turret (clear styrene)
G 10x2 Wheel centers
H 6 Clear Styrene
I 5x4 Tires
J - Decals, black nylon string
L 2 Black vinyl tracks
M 1 Lower hull pan
N 1 Upper hull (clear styrene)
O 1 Etched metal
S 10 Steel springs
U 1 Turned brass barrel
(Originally written on Friday, June 05, 2009 10:07 PM)
Kit Review: Dragon Models Limited 1/35 Scale ‘39-‘45 Series Kit No. 6542; Sd.Kfz. 7/2 3.7 cm Flak 37 w/Armor Cab - 2-in-1 - Smart Kit; 690 parts (431 in grey styrene, 216 "Magic Track" two-piece links, 34 etched brass, 6 clear styrene, 3 DS plastic tires); retail price US$59.95 via Dragon USA
Advantages: first new model of this specific vehicle in 30 years; nicely done use of "slide molding" and DS plastic tires to avoid seams and extra assemblies; full engine and underside details; lots of options for finishing - two cabs, two bodies
Disadvantages: as a "Smart Kit" probably not enough brass for some; small links perhaps better as DS tracks
Rating: Highly Recommended
Recommendation: for all German halftrack fans and "Duck Hunters"
F I R S T L O O K
DML continues with its "kit wars" by countering the imminent release of three variants of the Sd.Kfz.7/2 self-propelled 3.7 cm Flak 37 AA Gun by releasing their own version of this vehicle. While the Trumpeter kits all come with a supplemental ammunition trailer, the DML ones offer a choice of cabs and bodies in one box and at a lower price (in the US at least).
As with their earlier Sd.Kfz. 7.1 2 cm Flakvierling DML has provided a very thorough kit with a complete engine and undercarriage to include the winch and all associated parts, as well as the flatbed body with etched brass mesh panels for the fold-out sides. Some things remain the same – for example, the two-piece "Magic Track" halftrack tracks are included, but as often noted are very small and DML could have made many modelers happy by molding them as one-piece runs in DS plastic. Also, as the kits are "Smart Kits" they make use of slide molding and other tricks to avoid needless small parts assemblies and minimize the use of brass.
Most of the bits missing on the Tamiya kit are present here, for as well as the complete engine there is a transfer case, fuel tank, four-part winch drum, and complete towhook installation that form part of the chassis. The drivers are two-piece with suitable rollers represented and also add etched brass centers for scale appearance.
The front tires are DS plastic outers and treads combined with a styrene inner section. While presumably the fit will be good since it is on the inside it should not be a problem, and the result is a nice diamond-pattern tread all the way around with no seams. Another complete tire unit is included as the spare for under the cargo bed.
The only thing some may complain about for the basic chassis is that the grille is solid, and perhaps could have been molded differently to give it some "airiness" with the radiator behind it. The hood comes with separate side panels which can be left of as per the originals.
The kit offers a choice of cargo bodies this time: either all wood or with mesh grating sides from etched brass.
The 3.7 cm Flak 37, like the 2 cm Flakvierling 38 before it, is all new as well and has a new gun with slide molded barrel and flash hider. In a similar fashion to previous DML antiaircraft gun offerings, the gun may be displayed in "combat" or "movement order" depending on some of the parts options and fittings as selected by the modeler. Ammo racks and clips of rounds are provided.
Unlike the first kit, since this kit has an armored cab the windshield is not used and thus no painting masks are included. The cabs are quite different and both require their own hood, fenders, and fittings. One is "lap" type construction with overlapping sides and the other is "bent" in which one piece of armor was bent to shape. The directions indicate the "lap" type goes with the open mesh body and the "bent" type goes with the wooden body. There is also an option for a preserved vehicle, which like many of those in the world today, unfortunately mixes components for a coherent display item.
Research and technical assistance were provided by Dan Graves, Tom Cockle and Gary Edmundson.
Six different finishing options are offered with a small sheet of Cartograf decals, but it also provides a license plate "number jungle". The variants which can be modeled are: Unidentified Luftwaffe Flak Unit, Germany 1945 (tricolor); Unidentified Unit, Russia 1944 (white with color bleedthrough); Unidentified Unit, Greece 1943 (mesh sides - sand); Herman Goering Division, Rome 1944 (wood sides - sand); Unidentified Unit, Italy 1943 (wood sides - tricolor patches); Unidentified Unit, Eastern Front 1943 (sand - WH-1752866). This is one of the first DML kits to show which vehicles have which options, which is a good idea.
Overall this looks to be another trump card over Trumpeter, as it is both a better chassis and offers two distinct options in one box.
Thanks to Freddie Leung for the review sample.
Cookie Sewell
Sprue layout:
A 87 Flak 37 gun and carriage components
B 55 8 ton - Underframe details - winch, drivers, front axle, subframe, muffler
C 44x2 8 ton - road wheels, front wheel backs, body details
D 72 8 ton - engine, hood, radiator, standard passenger body components less sides
E 20 Flak 37 shield parts and flash hider
G 31 7/2 Armored Cab and Fender components
H 6 8 ton - clear styrene
J 27 7/2 Armored Cab and hood components
K 3 DS plastic tires
L 32 7/2 Floor and Bed Option parts
W 1 8 ton - chassis
Y 108 "Magic Track" track pads
Z 108 "Magic Track" track links
MA 34 Etched brass
WA 18 2 x Kar 98K
(Originally written on Saturday, May 30, 2009 8:18 PM)
Kit Review: Dragon Models Limited 1/35 scale ‘39-‘45 Series Kit No. 6513; Winter Panzer Riders 1943-1944; 91 parts in grey styrene; retail price US$10.95
Advantages: tailor-made for new DML Pkzw. IV Ausf. J kits
Disadvantages: "Gen1" weapons
Rating: Highly Recommended
Recommendation: for all German late war panzer fans
This latest kit from DML provides four new mold figures optimized for riding on the back deck of a panzer, and the nice box art by Ron Volstad shows them on the back of what appears to be a Pkzw. IV Ausf. J with schuertzen. Considering this is one of the latest DML vehicle kits, it is nice they did synchronize the product releases!
The figures appear to form an MG-42 machine gun team of four men. Two figures are wearing greatcoats and two are wearing parkas; all are fitted with basic lit and steel helmets. The uniforms here are depicted as Wehrmacht, which is a bit of a change of pace from the recent sets which were all undeclared (thanks to CE requirements) Waffen SS troops.
Each figure consists of seven basic parts (head, collar/hood, torso, arms and legs) and the greatcoat figures have four-piece separate skirts to their coats. Each one is outfitted with a canteen, gas mask, bread bag, entrenching tool, bayonet, and mess kit.
The weapons are from two early DML sets which are starting to get long in the tooth, so perhaps DML needs to consider better weapons from their WA/WB/WC generic German weapons sets from the "Gen2" figures.
As with all Volstad work, the back of the box provides clear assembly and painting directions.
Overall, the kit provides a good counterpoise to the new Panzer IV and should be popular with anyone wanting a winter 1944-1945 or Battle of the Bulge diorama or setting.
Thanks to Freddie Leung for the review sample.
Cookie Sewell
Sprue layout
6002 14 1 x MG-42, 1 x MP-44, 1 x MP-40, 1 x Gewehr 43, 1 x Panzerfaust 60
6070 4 2 x Kar 98K, 1 x MP-40
6513 53 Four figures and basic kit
8 Helmets and collars
12 Gas mask cases, entrenching tools, bayonets
(Originally written on Saturday, May 30, 2009 8:12 PM)
Kit Review: Fruilmodel 1/35 scale Kit No. ATL-97; Track set for PT-76, GSZP-55, BTR-50, or BTR-50PU; 200 track links in white metal, plus four sprocket wheels and a loop of brass wire; retail price US$39.00
Advantages: clean, neatly done set of tracks for Trumpter or Eastern Express kits, or resin conversion kits; proper "sag" when installed
Disadvantages: wire roll causes problems in assembly; hingepin holes often required drilling or reaming to get proper fit
Rating: Recommended
Recommendation: for anyone who wants to give a bit of "heft" to their model
The PT-76 amphibious light tank has enjoyed a career of nearly 60 years, and even today the Chinese have a goodly number of new build variants in service and even in production. Designed as a reconnaissance vehicle, the PT-76 was never supposed to be a tank, and when used as one suffered inordinate combat losses. The vehicles based on it such as the BTR-50 series of armored personnel carriers (again, command variants are still in service) were more successful in some respects and the vehicles were even used as the first Soviet tactical nuclear delivery systems in the person of the "Mars" and "Luna" series heavy rockets (FROG-2/3/4/5).
In 1958 ITC came out with kits of these vehicles in 1/32 scale but they were basically toylike approximations. About 10 years ago a new company from Russia, Eastern Express, released a pretty good kit of a basic PT-76B which had single-link tracks in plastic. Now Trumpeter has released at least three kits – a PT-76 Model 1951, a PT-76, and a Polish PT-76B with more releases likely in the future. The basic result is that it was a good time for after-market companies to step up, and now Fruilmodel has done so with this nice new set.
The current generation of Fruilmodel tracks are basically "love ‘em or hate ‘em" items. Made from nicely cast white metal (e.g. lead based, so care must be taken with them) they are now assembled by inserting a length of brass wire, cutting it flush, placing a dab of superglue on the end, and moving on to the next link. As most of the links do need a bit of TLC with a knife and a small drill (the directions saw 0.4mm or about 0.016", so an 0.020" bit works fine) this can be incredibly tedious and painful if the wire goes through the link and into your finger. But with care they can be assembled and are far more rugged than plastic links, able to take more punishment and also easier to paint. It’s up to the builder as to what he likes and what he prefers, but the result with patience is worth the effort for vehicles with no return rollers and "dead" track such as the PT-76 series chassis.
Many modelers who use them frequently generally just get sections of either 0.020" straight brass wire or plastic rod as it is faster and easier than the wire roll which comes in the kit. One enterprising chap even had steel pins produced to exact size to fit most of the Fruilmodel tracks so that there is a "head" to ensure easier assembly, but he had to order 10,000 to do it!
Overall this is a nice and useful set, and should prove popular with a selection of items that use them.
Thanks to Bill Miley of Chesapeake Model Designs for the review sample.
(Originally written on Saturday, May 23, 2009 9:08 PM)
Kit Review: Dragon Models Limited 1/35 Scale ‘39-‘45 Series Kit Number 6523; 88mm Flak 37 mit Behelfslafetter; 6 w/Flak Artillery Crew; 436 parts (407 in grey styrene, 21 etched brass, 3 turned aluminum, 4 aluminum tube, 1 length steel chain); retail price US$41.50
Advantages: alternate 88 version for semi-fixed locations; great for those who want a diorama without need for wheels or transporters
Disadvantages: deceptive number of parts due to the number not used
Rating: Highly Recommended
Recommendation: for all WWII German fans as well as all "duck hunters" (Air Defense Artillery)
Somewhere along the line the German military came to the conclusion that they did not need a lot of high mobility medium antiaircraft artillery pieces. The Flak 18/36/37 series was designed for just that purpose, but each gun then required a heavy 8 ton halftrack and complex transport bogies. Also while they were brought into service as emergency antitank guns, the Flak 18 was not designed to fire from its carriage when in transport mode, and the height and complexity of the guns made it tactically unsuitable. The other problem was since they were optimized for antiaircraft work, either alone or as part of an analogue predictor guidance system, losing one to artillery fire was an expensive proposition.
As a result, somebody designed what was dubbed a "Behelfslafette" – literally a makeshift carriage – which could be transported to a location and set up for semi-permanent duty. This made it easier to move than fixed guns but not requiring the permanent allocation of expensive vehicles which could better be used elsewhere.
According to the "Waffen Arsenal" book (Number 101, 8.8 cm Flak Volume 2) the following 88mm guns were built: 8.8 cm Flak 18/36/37 (mobile) - 3,590; 8.8 cm Flak 36/37 railway mounting - 41; 8.8 cm Flak 18/36/37 on Behelfslafette - 1,493; and 8.8 cm Flak 18/36/37 fixed mounting weapons - 4,178. (Since this only comes up to about 9,300 and other sources give numbers of over 10,300 built, something may be missing.)
DML has now created a new Behelfslafette mounting for their excellent Flak 36/37 kit. But the kit now comes with but one weapon on its carriage; no transport bogies and no crew. They do provide 12 rounds (six full and six casings) and six ammo boxes (four wicker and two wooden) but nothing else.
Basically the kit constitutes the upper carriage of the early kit, complete with alternate Flak 18 or Flak 36/37 barrels in styrene and an extra Flak 36/37 barrel from turned aluminum. The barrel muzzle sections are slide molded with rifling but the barrel from the collar on back is in two parts so a seam must be dealt with.
The modeler must choose early on if he wants the optional splinter shield or not, as the kit provides a different cradle for each one. There are also alternate parts, either an option for styrene or brass or different styrene parts, throughout the kit. Note that a goodly number of parts in the kit – since they are for the Sd.Anh. 202 bogies – are not used and thus the overall parts number is deceptive.
As with the Flak 36/37 kits the new one comes with pre-painted dial faces on the fire control matching units or a set of decals is provided for those who prefer to paint first (or mess these up!)
Most parts are for later weapons with the dual fuse setters, but as with the actual guns you do have the choice of either the Flak 18 or Flak 36/37 barrels.
Technical consultation was provided by Tom Cockle and Gary Edmundson.
Finishing directions are provided for three pieces: Unidentified unit, Cologne 1945 (grey gun, sand base); Unidentified unit, Germany 1945 (tri-color gun, sand base); Unidentified Unit, near Dulmen, Germany, 1945 (sand with "squiggle" pattern in what may be brown; the directions do not call out the camouflage colors by name, only numbers).
Overall this is a good idea and a great one for somebody who wants to model a flak pit rather than a gun on the move, but a new crew with the kit would have been a nice idea.
Thanks to Freddie Leung of DML for the review sample.
Cookie Sewell
Sprue layout:
A 2 Behelfslafette pedestal mount
B 52 Flak 36/37 - Flak 18 and Flak 36/37 barrels and cradles
B 20 Behelfslafette base and details
C 57 Flak 36/37 gun upper carriage details
C 7x2 Behelfslafette outrigger legs
D 29x2 Flak 36/37 carriage details
D 7 Behelfslafette barrel lock
E 32x4 Flak 36/37 Sd.Anh. 202 details and cable reels, stakes
G 30 Flak 37 detail set and shield sides
H 12 8.8 cm wicker ammo boxes (4)
H 1 Flak 37 gun shield \
J 4 Clear styrene
K 3 Painted dials on clear styrene
L 1 Behelfslafetter top base
M 13 8.8 cm wooden boxes (2)
Q 12 8.8 cm ammo (6 full, 6 casings)
MA 2 etched brass
MB 15 etched brass
MC 2 etched brass
MD 2 etched brass
ME 3 turned aluminum
ME 4 aluminum tube
MF 1 steel chain
(Originally written on Saturday, May 23, 2009 9:04 PM)
Kit Review: Profiline 1/72 scale Accurate Static Model Series Kits:
No. 7003, Steyr Type 1500 Cargo Truck - "Einheitsfuerherhaus"; 55 parts; retail price US$22
No. 7004, Steyr Type 1500 Funkkraftwagen - "Einheitsfuerherhaus"; 52 parts; retail price US$22
No. 7003, Steyr Type 1500 Krankenwagen - "Einheitsfuerherhaus"; 56 parts; retail price US$22
Advantages: first time this vehicle has been kitted in styrene or in this scale; choice of vehicles provides for creation of a "train" for combat vehicles
Disadvantages: somewhat simplified by contemporary standards
Rating: Recommended
Recommendation: for all small scale German fans and dioramists
Other than the occasional foray into the Opel Blitz or light vehicles like the VW Kuebelwagen, German softskin vehicles as 1/72 scale kits are pretty much impossible to find in injected molded styrene. As a result, modelers either have to make do with the kits they can scrounge up, scratchbuild, or use resin.
This is a shame, as the Germans – like the Americans and British – had an entire family of classes of vehicles which shared components to speed production. These came mostly in 1.5 metric ton, 3 metric ton and 5 metric ton class trucks, either 4 x 2 or 4 x 4, with a variety of bodies and functions. As the war progressed, they first went from steel cabs to wooden cabs and finally to "einheits" or standardized parts for easy assembly by cottage industries. These included simple cabs which in design were throwbacks to the 1920s, but they did provide a modicum of protection from the elements on the Russian front.
Now we have a new line of vehicles coming from Profiline, a new Czech manufacturer. These are their first three military vehicle efforts – their first two kits in 1/72 (7001 and 7002) were Czech gliders. Their first efforts all use the Steyr 1500 4 x 4 chassis with the "Einheits" cab; they are a low side side-loader (what a British railway fan would call a "three plank body"); a box body for radio work (Funkenwagen) and an ambulance (Krankenwagen).
All three kits share three common sprues: the cab, the chassis and running gear, and the hood/front fenders and wheels. Steyrs were a bit different from other vehicles in that the front wheels are normal in appearance but the rear ones are "reversed" with the domed side facing the brake drum.
The kits all share a simplified drive line, but each axle comes with separate brake drums. The front axle, engine oil pan, and tie rods come as a single component. The drive shafts are linked together, and there is a two-piece exhaust system (the Steyr used an 85 HP V-8 for power). But the "Notek" light is simplified and hard to locate on the sprues. The interior comes with only a steering wheel, dashboard and seats.
The bodies are all unique, and the two box bodies come with the proper number of acetate windows. Profiline has printed the cut lines on the acetate to make it easier to cut and mount them in the right spots. Neither the radio body nor the ambulance comes with an interior nor do any of the kits offer separate doors.
Markings and finishing are extremely generic: paint "Wehrmacht" sand and add licence plates, but the ones provided are generic with a "number jungle" and no indication of what a correct number for a Steyr would be! The most complete one is that of the ambulance with all of the red crosses needed. All of them have a small weight placard for the left front door.
Overall these are nicely done, however, and for a diorama or wargamer are a great addition to a very sparse field. The next kits coming from Profiline are an ambulance with the earlier wooden cab and a cargo truck with wooden cab and what the British would call a "seven plank" high body.
Thanks to Ed Sexton of MRC for the review samples.
Cookie Sewell
Sprue layout:
A 8 Low dropside body
B 9 Einheitsfuehrerhaus wooden cab
C 16 Chassis
D 19 Fenders, hood and wheels
D 8 Body floor and fenders (7004, 7005)
E 4 Body sides, rear and roof (7004)
F 7 Body sides, rear and roof (7005)
3 acetate windows (7003)
7 acetate windows (7004)
8 acetate windows (7005)
(Originally written on Wednesday, May 13, 2009 9:21 PM)
Kit Review: Dragon Models Limited 1/35 scale ‘39-‘45 Series Kit No. 6385; Totenkopf Division Kharkov 1943 - Gen2; 312 parts (289 in grey styrene, 23 etched brass); estimated price US$14.95
Advantages: four new figures in winter parka; heavy machine gun option
Disadvantages: kit name somewhat disingenuous
Rating: Highly Recommended
Recommendation: for all German winter warfare fans
Upon seeing the title of this kit and then its box art the casual observer may be confused, for "the" battle of Kharkov took place in the summer of 1943 and not any sort of cold weather. But this unit – the 3rd SS Panzer Division "Totenkopf" – took part in the recapture of the city in March 1943, and that period is apparently what this kit is supposed to represent.
The kit provides four figures of which three are in full winter regalia and one NCO only wears a British-style leather jerkin. They come as a complete MG-42 heavy machine gun team; the main difference for the Germans was bipod (light) versus tripod (heavy), unlike the western armies where most "heavy" machine guns were water-cooled. While the tripod is a welcome accessory for DML, alas, it is only provided as a folded and back-packed item and not one which can be set up as an option.
As these are Gen2 figures each one is comprised of many more parts than the simpler "Gen1" types: head (two parts), torso (two parts), legs, arms, boots, hands, collar/hood, and coat skirt (four parts) or about 17 parts for each basic figure less the chap with the jerkin. The fur on the hoods is very nicely done considering it is injection molded plastic. Each additionally has addenda such as flap pockets (separate flaps) . Brass trim is provided as brass belt buckles, shoulder straps, helmet straps, and weapon slings, but the directions do not show any of them being used.
As is the case with non-Volstad artwork a small sheet of B&W photos of the assembled figures and a smaller version of the box art are provided for painting and finishing.
Overall this is once more a nice kit but again DML needs to offer some instructions for newer modelers when they include optional parts like etched brass.
Thanks to Freddie Leung for the review sample.
Cookie Sewell
Sprue layout
A 41 Two figures and accessories
B 36 Two figures and accessories
GA 64 German Generic Kit - helmets, canteens, mess kits
GB 52 German Generic Kit - ammo pouches, bread bags, entrenching tools
GC 14 German Generic Kit - grenades
WA 18 German Generic Weapons - 2 x Kar 98K
WB 18 German Generic Weapons - 2 x MP-40, 1 x MP-44, 1 x Gewehr 43
WC 29 German Generic Weapons - 1 MG-42 and accessories
WF 17 German Generic Weapons - Heavy MG tripod and fittings
MA 23 Etched brass
(Originally written on Wednesday, May 13, 2009 9:17 PM)
Kit Review: Dragon Models Limited 1/35 scale ‘39-‘45 Series Kit No. 6300; Pz.Kpfw. IV Ausf. H Late Production - Smart Kit; 1,048 parts (682 in grey styrene, 288 "Magic Track" links, 52 etched brass, 15 clear styrene, 10 etched nickel, 1 twisted steel wire); retail price US$49.95
Advantages: first new kit of this popular subject; large number of new/modified parts from previous Pzkw. IV kits (130 added from other kits and 154 new molded)
Disadvantages: still comes with "Magic Track" links
Rating: Highly Recommended
Recommendation: for all German and Pzkw. IV fans
The Germans continued to evolve their Panzer IV series of tanks, and in an effort to defeat shaped charge weapons such as the Bazooka and PIAT they added thin sheets of steel as standoff protection to the hull sides/tracks and turrets of the tank during the Ausf. J run. When viewed head-on and compared with training materials given US soldiers it explains much. Most US soldiers and tankers described combating and knocking out "Tigers" but in reality most were actually the Pzkw. IV Ausf. H and J models with the turret plates fitted.
DML has now followed up its popular Pzkw. IV Ausf. F1/F2 and G models with an H. This kit is evolved (like the original) from its predecessors and as noted above DML has added or replaced more than 280 parts in the kit. The new version provides the complete "Schuertzen" stand-off plate arrangement, using the same system from the StuG III and Sturmpanzer IV kits with etched nickel plates for the track runs and a set of plastic moldings for the turret. These are credibly thin and also permit posing the side doors in the open position for access to the turret. As this is an H the viewers are still on the side doors of the turret, as to the best of my knowledge they only dropped them with the J when the "Schuertzen" became factory standard.
The model also adds a new cupola, turret shell, upper hull and applique panels, engine deck items, and fenders. A separate sprue provides three different styles of muzzle brakes, so the modeler has a choice.
Construction mirrors the previous kits. As with the earlier kits this kit has another new hull pan which is complete less the stern plates, separate final drives, and much of the surface detail simulates screw or bolt holes; it also has an applique lower glacis plate. Drivers now consist of only four parts; the separate bolts are gone. Bogies are now nine piece affairs without separate tires. New details are provided for the tow hook at the rear of the hull as well.
The upper hull again consists of a deck and framework with applique sides, front and rear engine intake components and fenders. Note that the sides of the upper hull (parts E21 and E28) need to have holes drilled in them in Step 8 for the "Schuertzen" brackets but the directions note that these are optional. The muffler has a central tube section and six add-on parts to complete it along with a "slide molded" exhaust pipe.
All ports and hatches are separate parts so they can be posed open. While no interior components for the lower hull are yet present, the hull still provides a rudimentary firewall for the engine compartment, and the various vents and louvers are also posable either open or closed. The bow also comes with a well-done machine gun and ball mount. Note that all ports have clear styrene inserts as well.
The turret is relatively conventional in its parts breakdown, but the KwK 40 is unique. The barrel is nearly complete in regard to length, being trapped between the recoil cylinders at the rear and slid through the armored recoil cover and barrel jacket before having the muzzle brake installed; this is only in styrene, but a metal part could be provided later in an upgrade set. The new commander’s cupola now consists of 22 parts and also a mount is provided for the AA MG-34 machine gun. Other than the gun and cupola there is still only a minimal interior for the turret, however.
Etched brass is kept to a minimum and only covers items such as the engine air intake louvers, the inner guides of the idler wheels, some small brackets, and the flaps for the engine air intakes on the sides of the rear deck.
Tracks are the "Magic Track" snap-together-then-cement type, and modelers are advised to recall that when facing the head card the left side track links are on the left and right are on the right. So far no DS plastic tracks have been provided in any Pzkw. IV kit, but this one provides some extras as well as T-34 track for applique armor protection.
Five finishing options are provided along with a targeted set of Cartograf decals: Unidentified Unit, Eastern Front 1943 (tricolor with T-34 tracks); Unidentified Unit, Vistula River, Poland 1943 (tricolor, black 923); 3rd Panzer Division, Ukraine 1943 (two-color, red 624); 2nd Panzer Division, Normandy 1944 (two tanks - white outline 802 and white outline 823 with "trident" markings).
Technical assistance was provided by Notger Schlegtendal, Tom Cockle and Gary Edmundson.
Overall this is another nice kit and other than some stray errors should be popular and well received; now for an A and a J!
Thanks to Freddie Leung for the review sample.
Cookie Sewell
Sprue Layout:
A 37x2 Pzkw. IV Generic drivers, idlers and return rollers
A 81x2 Pzkw. IV Generic road wheels and bogies
B 17 Brummbaer - front glacis details
B 44 Pzkw. IV Generic turret base and details, gun breech
E 43 Pzkw. IV Ausf. H turret details and applique
G 46 Brummbaer - side brackets and Schuertzen mounts
G 52 Turret and hull ports, smoke grenade launchers
H 57 Engine deck and details
J 2 Pzkw. IV Ausf. H hull top and turret top
J 7 German Generic Jack
J 8 MG-34 machine gun
K 2 Pzkw. IV Ausf. H fenders
K 10 German Generic Antenna and tail light set
L 17 Pzkw. IV Ausf. H turret Schuertzen
L 8 Pzkw. IV spare road wheels
L 144 "Magic Track" left side
M 24 Pzkw. IV Ausf. H cupola
M 15 clear styrene
N 25 Pzkw. IV Ausf. H Schuertzen hangers and mounts
P 33 Pzkw. IV Ausf. H engine grilles and vents
Q 6 Spare track links
R 8 Three muzzle brake styles
R 144 "Magic Track" right side
U 15 T-34 plate track links
T 15 T-34 guide tooth track links
X 1 Lower hull pan
Z 1 Twisted metal wire
WC 6 German Generic Weapons - MG-34
MA 51 Etched brass
MB 5 Etched nickel shields
MC 5 Etched nickel shields
MD 2 Etched brass
(Originally written on Saturday, May 02, 2009 4:04 PM)
Kit Review: Dragon Models Limited 1/35 scale ‘39-‘45 Series Kit No. 6515; Allied Assault Monte Cassino 1944; 80 parts in grey styrene; retail price US$10.95
Advantages: options for three different nationalities, extra weapons
Disadvantages: may not have all specific differences among nationalities covered
Rating: Highly Recommended
Recommendation: for all Commonwealth and Italian campaign fans
More than 30 years ago Peerless Max released a kit of a CMP Chevrolet 15 cwt with a set of Commonwealth figures - one British, one Indian with Sikh turban, and one Australian with ANZAC campaign hat. It was a nice idea, but unfortunately very crudely done. As such, the idea went back into the dormant stage and remained there until the release of this kit (I am not counting resin figures or the use of after-market heads.)
The latest set of figures from DML is quite interesting, for it is the first new one which gives the modeler a clear cut option for three different basic nationalities: Commonwealth soldiers - e.g. British, Canadian or other "Anglo" ethnicities; Indian, essentially Sikhs with turbans; and Gurkhas, complete with their legendary knives. As a result there are no less than 12 heads in this set, which is a boon for those who want to "mix and match" their figures.
Each figure consists of the usual six basic parts: head, torso, arms and legs. There are two arms with separate hands to mate with the weapons chosen, basically so they can either carry a rifle or the aforementioned Gurkha knife. A choice of two helmet styles for each figure are included – clean (shown with British heads) or with a mesh netting attached (with the Gurkha heads).
Two sets of weapons are provided, one with the Mark IV series rifles with the short barrel projection and one with the flat fronted Mark III rifle. Bayonets are included for the Mark IIIs which I assume are to be used with the Indians.
The box art by Ron Volstad shows two British soldiers in action with one Indian and one Gurka alongside them. The poses are all combat, with running and crouching/firing being the main options.
As is the norm with Volstad work, the directions are on the back of the box and show the various recommended options with the different heads and weapons.
Overall this is a nice idea and one which will be appreciated by many Commonwealth modelers.
Thanks to Freddie Leung for the review sample.
Cookie Sewell
Sprue layout:
6055 7 2 x Enfield rifles, 1 x Sten gun, 1 x Bren gun with choice of bipods
6515 68 Four complete figures with kit
W 5 3 x Enfield rifles with two bayonets
(Originally written on Saturday, May 02, 2009 4:01 PM)
Kit Review: Dragon Models Limited 1/35 scale ‘39-‘45 Series Kit No. 6499; 105mm Howitzer M2A1 and Carriage M2A1 - Smart Kit; 196 parts (195 in grey styrene, 1 turned aluminum barrel section); retail price (via Dragon USA) US$25.95
Advantages: first new kit of this weapon in styrene in 30 years; one-piece central barrel section via slide molding; several options included
Disadvantages: crew only suitable for NW Europe in the winter of 1944-1945
Rating: Highly Recommended
Recommendation: for all US Army and "Redlegs" fans
After WWI the US Army formed the Westerveldt Board to develop American weapons systems for the US Army, as since it had not developed sufficient weapons on its own it had to borrow or buy foreign systems for use in WW I. One of the first designs which was proposed was what was then a medium field howitzer in 105mm caliber. But due to a lack of money and other factors the weapon was not placed into production until 1940; the good news was that in the interim it had been developed and received several useful changes, such as the ability to handle unitary ammunition and employ a split-trail pneumatic tire carriage for high-speed movement and high angle fire.
The new weapon came into service as the M2A1 howitzer on the M2A2 carriage. Able to throw a 33 pound projectile up to 12,500 yards, more than 8500 were built during WWII and production continued on into the 1950s. More than 10,200 were then completed, and many were upgraded to the postwar M101A1 standard and served through Vietnam, finally being retired by the Reserves in 1980 when – oddly enough – the Army bought the British L119 lightweight 105mm howitzer to replace it as the M119. The "105" still serves with several foreign armies and has received new barrels and other modifications in their service, so it is one of the longest serving weapons in modern history.
The first kit to come out of this weapon was one from Revell in the late 1950s, but oddly enough it had a sharply tapered barrel and did not look the part (it was also in 1/40 scale, which did not help). A slightly better one was also available from Adams, but it too was in 1/40 scale so it took until the late 1970s before a proper 105 came out in 1/35 scale. Italeri released one at that time which looked the part, but it was based on the Military Assistance Program M101A1 weapons and missed some of the details of the WWII model. The same upper carriage was also used in the Italeri M7 Priest kit.
Last year Academy released a new kit of the M7 Priest with the upper carriage of the 105, but did not follow up with a towed variant. Now DML has released a kit of the WWII M2A1 howitzer with a crew of four and in general it is a very nicely done effort.
The 105 itself is a "Smart Kit" and has features such as the entire center section of the howitzer molded in one piece (recoil and recuperator sections and barrel tube) by the use of slide molding. The gun is completed with a turned aluminum muzzle section with rifling and a four-piece breech block.
The cradle comes in four main parts with the outside sections and slots for the howitzer to travel in as separate parts. A goodly amount of attention has been paid to the elevating and traversing section gears and also the sights. The gunshield is in styrene and has both of the supplemental flaps installed in the erect position; however, many WWII photos show the left section folded down. As this is the WWII version, the gun shield is swept back and not vertical as with many of the M101A1 versions used postwar.
The lower carriage includes a choice of brake drums (but no indications as to which ones or why other than there are two sets. Note that part C27 – the lunette – is shown in the combat or firing position, and if the gun is displayed in towed position it needs to be rotated 180 degrees to fit on the towing vehicle (such as a GMC CCKW 353 truck). The trails are NOT moveable as the kit comes and you are only given the option of towing (closed) or firing. "Boo birds" will be happy to know that after all of the snarls over their halftracks DML did not mold the tires with a bulge but perfectly round for this model.
The crew is the old "101st Airborne at Bastogne" set and now comes with a set of three new arms and three prepared 105mm rounds for loading. No small arms are provided for the crew, but as it is based on the 101st during the Battle of the Bulge it locks the model and crew into Europe, winter 1944-1945 and gives no other option. While this is a normal DML convention – "rearm" an older figure set to get a new one – a new crew in lighter weight uniforms would have allowed for more flexibility and options; however as Steve Zaloga noted these are infantry wearing infantry web gear which is not normally seen on artillerymen in action.
A small set of decals is included for marking the projectiles, but nothing for the gun. This isn’t too bad as most artillery pieces in US service at the time normally only had small data plates for servicing and not any major markings.
Two finishing options are offered: US Army ETO 1944-1945 in olive drab or US Army ETO 1944-1945 in olive drab with whitehwash streak camouflage.
thing of note: based on the parts breakdown and the fact that the "B" sprue was gated one can easily surmise that a T19 105mm halftrack and perhaps an M101A1 could follow; the latter seems true as while a large area for a flat gun shield was "gated" off the front splash shield was included (part B22) along with other optional parts and the second set of brake drums (A17). Also, as DML has the bits in place now (new 105mm howitzer, early M4/normal M3 suspension, choice of early M4 hulls and details ) a new mold M7 Priest could also be on the horizon. We can hope...
Overall this is a nicely done kit and other than the crew "lockdown" is useful for just about everyplace the US Army fought in WWII.
Thanks to Freddie Leung for the review sample.
Cookie Sewell
Sprue layout:
6163 85 Four figures and kit - US 101st Airborne at Bastogne
6499 6 Three new arms, 3 x 105mm rounds
A 46 Howitzer and recoiling mechanism, detail parts (upper carriage)
B 25 Howitzer lower carriage, gun shields
C 33 Trails, wheels, spades
MA 1 Turned aluminum barrel section
April 27, 2009
(Originally written on April 27, 2009)
Kit Review: Academy 1/72 Scale Kit No. 13412; Ground Vehicles Series No. 10 - U. S. M977 8x8 Cargo Truck; 130 parts (123 in tan styrene, 7 clear styrene); retail price US$19.00
Advantages: first injection molded kit of this vehicle in this scale; clean job with nice details
Disadvantages: two-piece styrene wheels, fixed HIAB crane
Rating: Highly Recommended
Recommendation: for all modern US Army modelers in 1/72 scale
Back in the 1960s the US Army decided it needed a heavy cross-country capable cargo carrier to keep up with armored units. After some competition, the winner was the M520 4 x 4 8 ton cargo truck designed by LeTourneau and called the GOER. At first it seemed to be a good idea, but later it was found to be one of the most dangerous vehicles the Army ever bought. The GOER was prone to rollovers and jackknifing due to its design being based on the LeTourneau road scraper.
In the late 1970s – when the design of the M1 tank was being finalized – the Army realized that having a tank which could do more than 40 mph and a cargo carrier that could barely do 15 mph safely would not work, and as a result they held a competition for a new cargo truck. From two choices – an articulated Lockheed 8 x 8 design and a fixed frame 8 x 8 by Oshkosh – the Army chose the fixed frame one (the Marines chose the other as the Mark 48). The new truck was called the Heavy Expanded Mobility Tactical Truck or HEMTT (pronounced Hem-ett). The mobility of the truck was nearly as good as that of the GOER but this truck could safely cruise at 55 mph on highways. The Army initially bought five versions: the M977 cargo truck (and similar M985 rocket resupply truck for MLRS units), the M978 tanker, the M983 semi-trailer tractor, and the M984 wrecker; later a five axle model was purchased for the Palletized Load System (PLS) truck.
The vehicles have been very successful in service and are now also offered with an applique armor package for use in Iraq and elsewhere.
About 20 years ago Italeri released a pair of kits of the M977 and M978 in 1/35 scale, and while large were not among their best kits. ROCO later released a better one in 1/87 (!) or HO scale. Now Academy, apparently studying the niches where Revell, DML and Trumpeter are not competing (marketing!) has selected another nice kit to drop into an open spot with its new M977 HEMTT kit.
Academy has provided the basic truck kit (still the most common and widespread version in service) with an open cargo bed and no top hamper (there is a tarpaulin and bow set for the original but it is rarely used.) Even in this scale the size of the truck is apparent as a completed model is a bit over 5" long (127mm) when complete. Academy has caught most of the pertinent details such as the driver’s downward vision window (D7) and other small details. Note that most of the HEMTTs have tinted windows in a blue-green color, so you may wish to mix up some food dye with Future Floor Wax (or Johnson’s Kleer, same difference) to get the right effect.
The chassis consists of a central backbone with all of the crossribs in place and two heavy sides with the springs in place. Each pair of axles and driveshafts is one piece with separate differential halves and brake disks, so it will speed up assembly. Detail is complete down to the shock absorbers.
The cab has only minimal components in the way of controls – a steering wheel is it – but unless the modeler is very fussy most of this is hard to see once the cab is assembled. However as the doors are not separate and come as part of the side frames that is not an option.
Some details appear to have been borrowed from the Italeri kit such as hollow-molded air tanks, but these may not be a problem once the kit is complete; with the size of the Italeri kit they were painfully obvious.
The wheels and tires are two-piece styrene, which means a seam to remove and problems with the tread pattern in the center of the tire. The wheels have interlocking interior hubs to align the tread pattern and nine are provided with the kit (eight on the ground and a spare).
The kit includes most of the pertinent details for the engine shroud to include the spare tire crane and the exhaust system. The cargo bed is relatively straightforward and does not offer any folding sections (most vehicles simply load and unload with the HIAB crane anyway).
The HIAB crane is a bit of a disappointment as while it is well done it comes folded up and fixed in position at the rear of the chassis. It would have been nice to pose the crane with a cargo being loaded or unloaded, but the kit does not offer that possibility. The rear jackstands also come retracted with the base pads stowed on the rear bumper. Even so, the crane consists of 11 parts and looks nice when assembled.
The kit comes with decals and painting instructions for two vehicles: HHC 501st Aviation Battalion, 1st AD, Kosovo (NATO tricolor with SFOR markings); and 615th ASB, 1st Cavalry Division, Iraq (sand overall). Oddly enough two sets of door tac markings are provided for 1st Cav – either /60 or /64, and I am not sure which one would be correct as it only comes with one set of bumper codes.
Overall, this is another nice modern addition to Academy’s line and a nice complement to most modern US equipment even with the fixed crane.
Thanks to Ed Sexton from MRC for the review sample.
Cookie Sewell
Sprue Layout:
A 29 Chassis top, cargo bed, cab details
B 30 Chassis, cab front, engine deck, jacks
C 64 Wheels and suspension components, bed sides
D 7 Clear styrene
(Originally written on April 21, 2009)
Book Review: Heavy Wrecker: A Visual History of the U.S. Army’s Wheeled and Tracked Wreckers 1940-1945 by David Doyle; Ampersand Publishing, Del Ray Beach, Florida 2006; 112 pp.; price US$19.95 (ISBN 978-0-9773781-5-9)
Advantages: first book dedicated specifically to US WWII wreckers and recovery vehicles; great “in action” photos and detail shots
Disadvantages: none of major note
Rating: Highly Recommended
Recommendation: for US WWII armor and recovery vehicle fans
There is a tired old saw in the US Army – “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it!” But when things do break, you need to have the proper tools and equipment to do the job. It is arguable that in WWII the US Army turned out to be the preeminent force in providing purpose-built vehicles, either from the ground up or from conversions, to do the job; no other country came close.
This nice new book from Ampersand, which was available only in draft form at the IPMS USA National Show in August 2008, is now in print and is worth the wait. It covers the major recovery and repair vehicles used in WWII, and is a fitting companion to the Ampersand books on the Dragon Wagon heavy transporter and the High Speed Tractors.
After a short overview of the history of the basic vehicle types, Mr. Doyle provides 16 pages of coverage of the T2 series tank recovery vehicle, later type classified as the M31. This vehicle was based on the obsolete M3 Medium Tank chassis, and added a heavy winch and rotating boom fitted to the turret to provide assistance. If the boom was braced either fore or aft it could generate up to 30,000 pounds of lift; on its own, it dropped to 10,000. The photos also provide coverage of some of the modifications and stowage that the crews carried out, so anyone with a conversion kit and an M3 Lee kit may want to check out the details provided here.
The next section covers the T5 or M32 series of tank recovery vehicles. Based on early production M4 Medium Tanks, these vehicles were the natural successors to the M31 series and there are 28 pages of internal and external coverage of the subvariants that were produced. Coverage includes basic versions that were also used into Korea, but the A1versions with HVSS were postwar and are not covered. Mr. Doyle notes that there was no pretense of being a tank (as they had tried with the M31, adding dummy guns to the rear of the turret and crew entry hatch in the former 75mm sponson) as it was impossible to conceal the recovery functions. Ergo the M32 design was prioritized as a recovery vehicle with a heavy A-frame boom and equipment that was better laid out than in the cramped M31.
The next vehicle si the Ward LaFrance M1 wrecker, which was the first purpose-built heavy wrecker used (there is no coverage of the A-frame fitted GMC CCKW family, but those were depot level conversions and not factory vehicles). 28 pages cover the M1 and M1A1 versions as well as those built by both Ward LaFrance and Kenworth.
The next is a vehicle not that familiar to Army historians – the C2 Aircraft Wrecker, which was primarily used for airfield support and recovery operations. These were standardized vehicles but were built by Federal, Corbitt, Sterling and Biederman and were able to both use an onboard crane and tow a gooseneck trailer. There are 10 pages of coverage of these vehicles in action.
Last is the Diamond T Model 969 4 Ton Heavy Wrecker, which is unique in that it had a split boom which could be either used as two light boom cranes or one heavy-duty one. Basically a wrecker version of the same heavy truck used early in the war as a tank transporter, this handy vehicle could carry out a multitude of jobs beside just vehicle recovery. The last 24 pages of the book cover in-service and restored vehicles, with a good number of detail shots of the different bits that made this vehicle unique.
Overall this a good book and another great “gap-filler” from Ampersand. I just wish somebody would put out the kits to go with it!
Cookie Sewell
(Originally written on April 21, 2009)
Product Review: GREX Airbrush Model Tritium TS3; retail price US$209.00; also G-MAC.B air controller/quick disconnect, retail price US$25.00 (website http://www.grexairbrush.com)
Advantages: single-pull double action trigger with the ability to fix the settings outstanding; optional accessories enhance use
Disadvantages: none noted
Rating: Highly Recommended
Recommendation: for all modelers wanting ease of use and fine control
I am not a sucker for trendy items, and in the 40 years I have used airbrushes I rarely if ever jump onto the next bandwagon of “must have” items. Like many, I started with the Badger 250 “airbrush” ( basically an inexpensive external mix spray gun) and went up the ladder to Binks, Badger and Paasche brushes over the years. But they were a combination of conventional single action internal mix (set the needle size by dialing and press the control for air) or conventional double action internal mix (press down for air, pull back for paint flow).
There were two competing companies showing their products at the 2009 AMPS International Show and both had very different products. One was a German manufacturer whose brushes were conventional in design but of extreme high quality and precision (I DID say they were German!) The other was GREX, who is a company from China – but ROC China (Taiwan) and not PRC China.
Their salespeople showed a complete gamut of brushes and I was taken by their top-of-the-line brush, the Tritium series. They come in two models – TG with a build-in gravity feed cup (which is replaceable and can handle different size cups) and TS with an optional choice side-feed gravity or side-mounted suction feed cup. The paint flow can be preset at the rear of the brush with a dial (like most of the Badgers) but the trick to me was the operating method.
The GREX uses a dual-action trigger; pull halfway back to get the air flow and all the way back for paint flow. It has an electric (Kermit the Frog) green pistol grip to go with the trigger, and is much more natural to hold as compared to the normal pen-grip brushes I have been used to in the past. This is the first brush I have literally been able to “sign checks” with due to the controls, and I was quite impressed with the demo model I was permitted to try out.
Upon checking with the salespeople I found that while they would like you to buy a complete set (airbrush, accessories, hose and compressor) the company realizes that not everybody has one airbrush nor wants to buy all new items. They therefore sell a number of converter pieces to fit their brushes to either Badger or Paasche air hoses and other brands of compressors.
I also bought an air controller, Model G-MAC.B, which permits quick attachment to Badger air hoses. It is also a precision air flow controller for the brush. 1080 degrees (three full turns) goes from 100% to 0% of air flow. While it doesn’t have a gauge attached, most modelers with some experience know when the air flow is “right” for the medium they are using so not a problem.
Maintenance is not a major problem as the entire brush can be disassembled (but the company does not recommend going beyond what the Army calls “field stripping”) for thorough cleaning. It is recommended for use with inks, dyes, acryllic and enamel paints, but the directions warn against cleaning with ammonia as it destroys the seals. The brush has a six-year limited warranty.
Other accessories provided include 7 ml and 15 ml gravity feed cups with covers (which may be mounted on the left or right side of the brush, based on the modeler’s choice) and a 30 ml (one ounce) siphon jar with right-angle feed. It also has a solid or cutaway (“crown”) needle cap tip protector, both held on by magnets and interchangeable (one stores at the back of the brush while the other is in use). A fitted plastic case and a nozzle wrench are included; factory options include a 0.2mm or 0.5mm needle and nozzle assembly to change the flow rate (the “3" in this model denotes a 0.3mm nozzle).
The company also offers a number of other models starting at $109 for a basic dual-action brush and continuing up to the TS. There is a cheaper version with a center-mounted gravity cup, the Tritium TG, which is $159 but has the rest of the features of this brush. .
I am looking forward to long-term use of this brush, as I really like its feel and handling.
Cookie Sewell
(Originally written on April 21, 2009)
Book Review: Reaktivnaya Artilleriya Krasnoy Armii 1941-1945 (Rocket Artillery of the Red Army 1941-1945) by Mikhail Makarov with the participation of Maksim Kolomiyets; “Frontovaya Illyustratsiya” series No. 3-2005, December 2005; 72 pp. with illustrations and color sideviews; price round US$30 (ISBN 5-90126-01-3)
Advantages: great coverage of nearly all of the major Soviet rocket launcher systems in the Second World War; essential for modeling these vehicles
Disadvantages: in Russian with no English captions; low distribution (less than 3000 copies noted in the press release)
Rating: Recommended (Highly Recommended if you read Russian!)
Recommendation: for all Soviet artillery and MRL fans
The Germans were a bit shocked when they found out the cover term “Guards Mortar Units” really translated as Multiple Rocket Launcher units. The Soviets had created two new rocket designs, based on conversions of aviation rockets, to create the lightweight 82mm RS-82 and the medium 132mm RS-132 rockets. Fired in great volume (the 132mm ones normally were fitted to 16 rail launchers with eight “over and under” rails, but the 82mm could come in launcher modules of 8 to 72 rocket capacity).
Initially fitted to Soviet-produced trucks like the ZIS-6 6 x 4 2-ton truck, the 16-shot 132mm version was later built on nearly all of the Lend-Lease trucks the Soviets received to include the Austin K3, the Ford WOT8, the Chevrolet G7117 and GMC CCKW352, but their favorite choice was the Studebaker US6. This book covers all of the truck-mounted versions in photos and also presents color front and side views of launchers in service, which are nice for modelers.
The text covers the evolution of the size of the units. Initially they were fielded in battalions of 21 launchers (three batteries of seven each, with a 3 - 2 - 2 firing platoon breakdown) and 44 cargo trucks to carry at least 600 rockets for reloading. Later, the battalions were expanded to 24 launchers in three batteries, and regiments and divisions were formed.
“Frontovaya Illyustratsiya” – literally “Front Illustrated” – is nominally a magazine published six times a year in Russia, but its publication like all Russian low-rate publications varies. Also, periodicals carry an international ISSN number; as these have ISBN numbers they are considered to be books. Hard to find, they are usually full of photos from either the collections of Russian authors or the state archives which few in the West will ever have access to or hope to see. They are therefore very handy for anyone researching or modeling Russian subjects.
Overall this a great book if you read Russian, but even if not the photos are very useful for modeling.
Cookie Sewell
(Originally written on April 19, 2009)
Kit Review: Military Wheels 1/35 scale Kit No. 3505; UAZ-469 with KPV 14.5mm Machine Gun, Northern Alliance, Afghanistan; 180 parts (155 in light grey styrene, 19 clear styrene, 5 black vinyl tires, 1 black styrene chassis); price and availability vary
Advantages: only plastic kit of this vehicle in this scale; KPV relatively well done
Disadvantages: “garage kit” feel of very “bitty” kit with a lot of small parts needed to make larger assemblies; crude details on some parts; very poor clear styrene quality
Rating: Recommended with Reservations
Recommendation: for all Soviet or “Technical” fans
The Soviet UAZ-469 jeep-type cognate replaced its postwar predecessor, the GAZ-69, in 1972 as a more modern design with what the Soviets also advertized as more “loshchadi” – e.g. more horsepower. It is still in production today in a modified form, so it has been a successful vehicle design. It has also been widely exported, and the version shown here mounts the powerful KPV 14.5mm heavy machine gun (a photo of the prototype is included, although I for one would not like to be in or near the vehicle when the gunner opened fire!)
This kit has been around in various versions and forms for about 10 years now, and this version is now offered out of Military Wheels in Poland. It is relatively honest in the fine print, noting that it is a short-run kit for experienced modelers, which is a good way of saying it will NOT fall together.
This kit shows it has sufficient parts and accuracy to make a respectable model of a UAZ but plan on a lot of work and replacement of details. For example, the headlights are flat and simply stick on the grille. To get them to look right you will have to carefully grind them out and replace the lights with after-market lens (e.g. MV or other brand).
The body proper consists of 9 parts and a separate chassis, which will be alien to anyone who has built a Tamiya jeep or GMC truck. This type of construction usually speaks to alignment and fit problems, so be prepared. At least the Poles have apparently redone the directions, which for a kit of this type are reasonably clear and give the modeler a fighting chance.
Overall this is not bad if you have some good Muj figures or want to create a good Soviet dio with tanks and a commander’s or Komandatura vehicle, but plan on some work.
Cookie Sewell
Sprue layout:
- 19 Clear styrene
- 20 Wheels and backing plates
- 5 Black vinyl tires
- 20 Doors, door liners, seat frames, lower seat pads
- 33 Suspension, bumper, windshield wipers
- 24 Engine, exhaust, engine compartment details
– 22 KPV mounting base and pedestal
– 4 Belly pan, hood, cowl panel, windshield
– 18 Seat backs, grille, interior details
– 6 Fenders, body side moldings
– 8 KPV heavy machine gun
– 1 Chassis
(Originally written on April 19, 2009)
Kit Review: Alan 1/35 scale Kit No. 008; BM-13"Katyusha”; 298 parts (280 in grey styrene, 11 black vinyl tires, 7 clear styrene); price varies as does availability
Advantages: only kit available in this scale of an early production “Katyusha” on a Soviet ZIS-6 truck chassis; various options and details for establishing a diorama
Disadvantages: older kit suffers from somewhat crude moldings
Rating: Recommended
Recommendation: for all Soviet rocket launcher and artillery fans
Designed just prior to WWII, the Soviet multiple rocket launchers and their battalion-sized units (dubbed “Guards Mortar” units for security purposes) were fielded in numbers in time to provide a nasty shock to the Germans when they first encountered them. Two rockets were the main ones fielded – the lightweight 82mm RS-82 and the much heavier 132mm RS-132. These were based on designs for aircraft rockets (the Il-2 “Shturmovik” being particularly dangerous with RS-82 rockets) and made for a sharp increase in tactical firepower.
Over the course of WWII the Soviets created a variety of launchers, but the BM-13-16 launcher configuration for the RS-132 was the most popular. Comprised of eight “over and under” rails mounted on a common frame, these were originally organized into battalions with three batteries totalling 21 launchers (three sections per battery of 3-2-2) but later increased to 24. They also required a tremendous number of support vehicles with 44-50 trucks per battalion being needed to carry the rocket resupply. The BM-13-16 (for “Combat Vehicle - 13 cm rocket - 16 guide rails”) was mounted on a number of platforms, but the most common were the ZIS-6, the Chevrolet G-7117 (“Ton and a Half”), STZ-5 tractor, GMC CCKW-352, Austin K6, Ford WOT-8, Ford Marmon HH6, International K7, Dodge T-203B, but finally and most popularly the Studebaker US6.
Alan has combined some new parts with its older ZIS-5 kit to create a relatively decent kit of a BM-13-16 on a ZIS-6 chassis. Alan was fortunate in that most of the upgraded Soviet 6 x 4 trucks, specifically the GAZ-AAA and ZIS-6, were little more than the GAZ-AA and ZIS-5 4 x 2 models with a new axle bogie with twin axles, so little needed to be changed from their earlier ZIS-5 kit.
The launcher assembly is taken verbartim – hopefully under license or agreement! – from the Zvezda kit No. 3521 of the BM-13-16 on the ZIS-151 chassis, which is actually the Italeri kit from about 30 years ago. This is a good and serviceable assembly (Italeri got it pretty close to right back then) and the only major grouse most modelers have with it is the thick fins on the RS-132 rockets.
Alan did cut a new mold set of fenders and base for their ZIS-6 conversion, but from available photos it shows that the fenders on the ZIS-6 variants were smooth, but the kit comes with a reinforcing section and ribbing. If you want a more accurate early model BM-13-16 you will have to strip that of or replace it with sheet styrene.
Nine years ago I did a comparison of three ZIS-5 kits for the AMPS BORESIGHT magazine, and the Alan kit rated “Ugly” as it was a tough build. Surprisingly most of the comments I had about that kit which were negative – “short shot” moldings and parts trees with mold shift – are not present here. While the kit is not as nice as the Zvezda ZIS-5V, it is yeoman-like and can be built into a decent model. It comes with an engine and relatively complete chassis detail, as well as a cab interior which matches the prewar/early war ZIS-5 and ZIS-6 types.
A small sheet of decals is included for four different vehicles, which basically covers license/registration numbers. These include 3rd Baltic Front, winter 1944; 3rd Battery, 11th Mortar Regiment, Belorussia 1944; 1st Ukranian Front, 2nd Guards Mortar Division, 1943-1945; and 3rd Shock Army, Belorussia. Markings for these vehicles were minimal at best from photos, so this is accurate. Finish is either 4BO green sheet metal and black frames, engines and wheel centers, or all 4BO green (depending on the period of the war). The motto painted on the rockets “NAKOS’ VYKUSI”, roughly translated means “mow ‘em down!”
Overall this is not a bad kit, and while a bit crude here and there can build up into a decent replica of a “Katyusha” launcher from early WWII. (Prices vary, but I purchased this one at a sale table for US$25.)
Cookie Sewell
Sprue layout:
C 104 Launcher rails and erection system
D 44 ZIS-5/6 cab, engine and details
F 54 ZIS-6 conversion parts and launcher base/fenders
G 35 ZIS-5/6 brakes, front wheel assemblies, suspension parts
G 7 ZIS-5/6 clear styrene
- 20 ZIS-5/6 wheel rims and disks
- 23 ZIS-5 chassis and suspension
- 11 Black vinyl tires
(Originally written on April 19, 2009)
Kit Review: Revell Kit No. H-177; Sikorsky H-19 Rescue Helicopter; 72 parts (69 in silver styrene, 3 in clear stryene; OOP
Advantages: only current version of this kit in a (near) popular scale; options for either wheels or float landing gear; nice basic engine parts and options
Disadvantages: 53-year-old kit shows its age
Rating: Recommended with Reservations
Recommendation: to all helicopter and Korean War fans
When I was seven I went down to Florida in 1956 to spend two weeks with my other set of grandparents in Miami Beach. While there – and since my 8th birthday was only three weeks off – my grandfather took me into a model shop and turned me loose. One of the kits I picked was that of a brand-new Revell kit of an H-19 rescue helicopter, which was given the super box art of the day and really attractive to me. I built it but then my father had to break it apart to take it home so I never did get it fully repaired. But I always remembered it fondly for all of the neat things it had.
This kit – a 1974 verbatim re-release of the original kit H-227 in the “S” series from 1956 – is one of the more long-lived ones from Revell but one currently out of the inventory. Made in both silver and olive drab versions - with at least one in sea blue as an H3SO-1 and one in orange for Antarctic service – went in and out of their catalogue for more than 20 years.
The kit is one of two near 1/48 scale kits of the S-55 airframe released in the 1950s, the other being from Aurora (also as both an H-19 and an H3SO-1). Since then it has been ill-served with a 1/100 scale kit from Starfix (a pantograph of this kit) and few others. This is a shame, for it was the first “heavy” (relatively speaking) helicopter to enter US service in the early 1950s and served with the 3rd Aerial Rescue Squadron detachments in Korea; in point of fact the kit seems to be based on the famous photo of the rescue of Joe McConnell on 12 April 1953 by a 3rd ARS H-19. Two were lost in Korea and one other was damaged by enemy AAA.
The kit’s good points include the fact it offers both the original wheeled landing gear and the later float gear for water operations. It comes with a cockpit interior (rare for its completeness in the 1950s!) and an engine with optional position access hatches. Markings are provided for one aircraft, 51-3893, which may have been one of the 3rd ARS aircraft (51-3853 and 51-3858 are confirmed serial numbers). The kit also includes figures of both pilots, a ground mechanic, and a pilot who is apparently based on McConnell.
The scale is apparently supposed to be 1/48, and the length is correct (42 feet 2 inches) but the rotor span is 2.5% underscale (52 feet even vice 53 feet). Still it is close enough to put with a 1/48 collection without noticeable error.
But this is a “child” of the 1950s, and as such is not what one could term a first-rank kit today. The moldings are thick with rivets (at least smaller than many others of the day) and very thick clear parts for the cockpit; also, there are no windows for the cargo bay. The interior is complete down to pilots’ sticks but the floor is riddled with ejector pin marks, the control panel has about a dozen very oversized gauges, and the noise abatement and insulation quilting comes out as diamond pattern raised hatching.
All of the hatches and sliding windows are fixed in place, so it would take a lot of work both vacuforming new parts and cutting out the old ones from the thick parts. The optional position nose hatches are quite thick and need a lot of TLC to look the part, but the engine appears to be sound enough to look right with a bit of added plumbing and wiring. Many of the parts are thick, however, and a more industrious builder may want to replace them with more to scale parts. (Remember this was 1956; rotors turn, wheels roll, etc.) Happily it does not have the “stick here” decal locations molded into the sides of the fuselage, which was all to common at the time.
This kit is better than its competing Aurora version as, while that one had sliding pilot’s windows and cargo hatch, it was blessed with oversize tracks for them to run in.
Overall, while this kit is basically a nostalgia trip or shelf–sitter, it has the basics for making a really good model if the modeler is willing to take the time and effort. Three years ago I tried that with a 1/48 scale Hawk Banshee and was able to turn it into a relatively accurate model, so it is basically up to the modeler. While out of production these kits can be found at flea markets or shows, and I got this one at a regional IPMS show for $15. (Yes, I know, it’s still more than the 98 cents my grandfather paid in 1956!)
Cookie Sewell
One error: the box and the decals label this kit as H-173; the directions call it H-177.
Cookie Sewell
(Originally written on April 19, 2009)
Kit Review: Zvezda 1/35 scale Kit No. 3579; Soviet Cossacks WWII; 102 parts in grey styrene; price and availability vary
Advantages: four mounted figures in one kit good value; nice animation of the horses and good detailing of the Cossacks
Disadvantages: no materials for reins or straps; two sets of two identical horses and figures limits poses and adaptability
Rating: Recommended
Recommendation: for any Soviet or Russian cavalry fan
Mention Russia and the Steppes and the first thing that comes to mind is the Cossack. These legendary cavalrymen have lived their lives there for over a thousand years, and their independence and ferocity in combat are well known. One of the most famous series of paintings in Russia is that of the Zaporozhe Cossacks writing a letter to the Sultan of Turkey after he demanded they submit to him, in which the Cossacks are seen trying to outdo each other in getting the most references to “pig” into the letter to the Muslim Sultan.
Recently the Russian Army raised two brigades of Cossacks and they – in their traditional costumes – are part of the Army. While they are nominally modern troops with modern equipment, they retain their horses for show and ceremony.
Zvezda has now released a kit of their WWII grandfathers and it builds into a set of four Cossacks with sabres and Moisin carbines in a charge. The kit consists of two sets of two figures and two horses, but for modeling’s sake the parts are swapped around in order to arrive at four unique figures at the end of the day.
The horses each consist of six parts – left and right sides, tail, head and main, and ears. These parts are swapped around and the small plastic bases are premarked for installing the pegs on the horses’ feet to ensure that all four horses will have a solid base to stand upon. Anyone who has ever worked with the 1/30 scale Historex horses will find this system familiar. Note that some “hot knife” or pyrogravure work will be needed to “fluff” up the manes and tails to get a more realistic appearance.
The same goes for the figures. Each figure consists of six basic parts – legs, arms, torso and head with Cossack cap. Each figure also has kit which is attached, such as a dagger, binoculars, a bread bag, pistol holster and map case, plus an empty scabbard. Two figures also have Moisin carbines slung behind them, each with a separate bolt assembly. They are topped off by capes which are in various states of flying behind the figures.
The only major thing missing in the kit is material to make reins, stirrup straps and attachment straps for the scabbards to the figures. Based on modelers’ tastes this can best be provided from either 0.005" styrene sheet or the thin lead foil from the tops of wine bottles. But it is a problem in a kit like this when they do not provide the material.
The figures are also easy to upgrade to current day standards by simply swapping out the Moisins for AKM or AK-74 automatic rifles. It’s nice when traditions are reinstated and upheld!
Overall this is a nice set and shows once again that Zvezda has caught up to Western companies with its figure sets.
Cookie Sewell
Sprue layout:
A/B 24x2 Horses A and B with bases
C 14x2 Cossack figure with sabre and details
D 13x2 Cossack figure with sabre and details
(Originally written on April 13, 2009)
Book Review: Sheperd Paine: The Life and Work of a Master Modeler and Military Historian by Jim DeRogatis; Schiffer Publishing Limited, Atglen, PA 19310; 272 pp. with profuse color illustrations; retail price US$79.95; ISBN 978-0-7643-2929-6
Advantages: long-awaited biography/autobiography of the best-known modeler in the US and one of the all-around best military historians extant today, especially in regard to uniforms and details
Disadvantages: no major ones except this is a BIG book!
Rating: See Text
Recommendation: to all modelers and military historians - as much for inspiration as well as education
Back in 1985 I joined the fledging Lone Star Military Miniatures Society in Austin, Texas, as I was assigned to nearby (by Texas standards) Fort Hood. We had some great guys in the society – Bob Bethea, Chris Mrosko, Steve Hardin, and Dieter Mattingly, just to mention a few. Dieter wanted to have a show in Austin similar to the MFCA and Chicago shows, using their judging system and a much more distinguished approach to modeling and figure painting in particular than most of us were used to. Dieter called an old friend of his – Shep Paine – who came down to be our guest of honor and guest speaker. I had a great time at the show and wound up spending a good portion of the late hours of the evening having a couple of beers with Shep. He and I had a lot of views in common, and he also gave me the best criteria I have ever had to judge a model in a competition: what’s right with the model, what’s wrong with it, and what did the modeler have to do to get to the end result. We later used that same philosophy when we created the AMPS judging system in 1994 for judging our shows.
I have had the privilege to judge with Shep at the 1993 World Expo Show in Tysons Corner, Virginia (an international show of the first rank and another of Shep’s creations) and we had an easy time of a very difficult task for just those reasons. But many people wonder, who exactly is Shep Paine, and why do so many very good modelers and figure painters hold him in such high regard?
Author Jim DeRogatis, whose “day job” is the pop music critic for the Chicago Sun-Times, has now answered the question in spades in this magnificent volume which presents a full panorama of Shep’s work and covers his life from its beginnings. He worked with Shep for several years on this book, using interviews with Shep and later with a number of prominent modelers and figures in the modeling community, to create a very thorough picture of the man and his art. Shep himself had authored a couple of books for Kalmbach Publications, but this would be a different type of work entirely.
One of the few people truly qualified to introduce such a work, legendary miniaturist Bill Horan, has written the foreword to set the stage. He too cites the fact that Shep changed judging model competitions as we know them by focusing on achievement and not triage. One-two-three judging systems have to work that way; the “open” system can therefore award each for his own achievement and not being in the right place at the right time with a good work.
Jim opens with a biography of Shep, the son of a military doctor who brought his son toy soldiers from every country he visited. Shep was actually born in West Berlin and spent his first three years there, coming back to the US in 1949. He grew up in Boston but did get to spend a year in England in 1957-1958, getting a thorough dose of history from the museums as well as other countries in Europe. A British model soldier shop called the Sentry Box was what got him permanently hooked on figure modeling. Once back in the US, like many of us he also got into model railroading, first O and then HO Gauge, which then brought in ROCO Mini-Tanks and Airfix “HO/OO” figures.
After he failed to get into an Ivy League school, Shep joined the Army and served with the 3rd Armored Division from 1965-1967. It was during his life in Chicago that Shep finally got into serious modeling and miniatures, joining the Military Miniature Society of Illinois. By 1969 he was a sculptor for Valiant Miniatures doing figures. Here he found his favorite medium, A+B Epoxy Putty, which he has used since for sculpting.
From that point on it was eclectic. Shep met Phillip Stearns at the 1977 MFCA Show, and between him and Stan Malinowski he learned the art of model photography. Roy Andersen became one of his major influences. Shep also did such things as sculpt the medals used at the prestigious Chicago show in 1975, and they are still in use to this day.
There are a lot of tips and hints on successful modeling in the book, accompanied by illustrations and photos of finished works to show what the final effect of the techniques will be. The book covers subjects by generic type, such as stock or “kit” figures. These even include the old Aurora (later Monogram and Polar Lights) Movie Monster figures – don’t look much like the ones I did as a teenager! Flats - to me the ultimate figure challenge, getting three dimensions out of two – are covered as well.
Historex figures are next, and in point of fact Shep’s 1971 figure of General Colbert in the 2nd “Red Lancers” uniform is the cover figure for the book. The amount of animation, and how it was obtained, in these popular if generally stiff figures is really worth a second look just to see the amount of detail and expression in each one.
Next up are armor dioramas, which are the reason many of us got into large-scale (e.g. 1/35) armor modeling if just to see what we could do. It is recommended that readers pay attention to the dates the works were completed before deciding to “sharpshoot” them, as most are before any of us had more than early Tamiya “Military Miniatures” series kits to work with and not a whiff of resin, etched brass, or turned aluminum after-market items. In 1972 Shep carried out a number of contract works for Monogram which began with their recent 1/32 scale German armor releases, and then moved into their 1/48 aircraft kits. These small four-page fliers told many of us there was something more to slapping a bunch of plastic together, spraying it from a can, applying silvery decals and calling it a “work of art.” Even dogs like the Nitto Sd.Kfz. 251/1 Ausf. B halftrack somehow look great, even by today’s standards!
Next as a point of fact are the aircraft dioramas, starting with the Monogram B-17G kit. As many of us learned years ago, the science of detailing which Shep dubbed “creative gizmology” has its roots in a lot of model railroad detailing parts (widgets tend to look like widgets, and as long as they are not installed in a recognizable assembly they fill the bill).
The book then moves into one of Shep’s fortes, namely scratchbuilt or sculpted figures. This one covers a wide variety of subjects, including a lot of the Valiant subjects Shep either worked on or did up for illustrations. He did up several of their 1/2000 scale line of sailing ships, and Shep even did up the fight between HMS Lydia and Natividad from “Captain Horatio Hornblower”. He was also responsible for a 1980 MMSI staging of the Battle of Trafalgar in 1/2000 scale, which still requires modeling more than 70 sailing ships and getting them in the right places on a seascape. This chapter also highlights how much of Shep’s work now resides in museums around the US, and where to see some of the more well known works.
The next section covers one of Shep’s real advances, Boxed Dioramas. My personal favorite is “Son of the Morning Star” in which three figures of the 7th Cavalry appear ghostly over plains Indians on a dark night (alas, it wasn’t in the book, but is listed as work number 374 as a 1985 achievement.)
The book is saturated with tone boxes from a veritable “Who’s Who” of modelers, model makers, and model publications editors with their personal views of Shep and how he has affected their lives and modeling; I was fortunate enough to be one of the contributors so as I “have a dog in the fight” will leave the reader to make his own judgements of this book.
There are a few minor kibbles over some typos or mistakes – Steve Zaloga and I both live in Maryland, not Massachusetts! – but nothing major to spoil the great job that has been rendered. I believe everyone who builds models or paints figures should have a copy on their bookshelves – if nothing more than just for the inspiration.
Thanks to Schiffer Military History books for the review sample.
Cookie Sewell
(Originally written on April 3, 2009)
Kit Review: Dragon Models Limited 1/35 Scale ‘39-‘45 Series Kit No. 6525; Sd.Kfz. 7/1 2 cm Flakvierling 38 auf Selbsfahrlafette - Smart Kit; 536 parts (299 in grey styrene, 216 “Magic Track” two-piece links, 13 etched brass, 6 clear styrene; 2 film masks); retail price US$59.95 via Dragon USA
Advantages: first new model of this specific vehicle in 30 years; nicely done use of “slide molding” and DS plastic tires to avoid seams and extra assemblies; full engine and underside details
Disadvantages: as a “Smart Kit” probably not enough brass for some; small links perhaps better as DS tracks
Rating: Highly Recommended
Recommendation: for all German halftrack fans and “Duck Hunters”
F I R S T L O O K
The Germans were certainly big fans of halftracked vehicles for increased mobility. They had unarmored vehicles in the 1, 3, 5, 8, 12 and 18 metric ton classes, armored personnel carriers in the 1 and 3 ton classes, and many more derivative vehicles and conversions. Among modelers they have always been popular, and of the six major classes probably the most popular is the Sd.Kfz. 7 8 ton halftrack. With more than 3,200 built, it was used as the prime mover for the 8.8 cm antiaircraft guns and 10.5 and 15 cm howitzers. Later two variants were created by modifying the 8 ton to a flatbed and adding either four 2 cm guns (Sd.Kfz. 7/1 - 319 converted) or a single 3.7 cm gun (Sd.Kfz. 7/2 - 123 converted) for self-propelled air defense.
This vehicle has been popular in just about every scale used by modelers so far except the giant scales (e.g. 1/25 and 1/16) and 1/35 is no exception. When Tamiya released their then world class leader 8.8 cm Flak 36 kit back in 1973, modelers could not wait until they released the 8 ton to pull it. Later they did release both an Sd.Kfz. 7/1 and much later an Sd.Kfz. 7/2. But in the meantime tastes change, and since the original kit was motorized it suffered from a lot of compromises which hurt its accuracy. Many aftermarket kits were released to upgrade or correct it, but it still left much to be desired.
In 2007 both DML and Trumpeter announced new 8 ton kits. Trumpeter was the first to get theirs to market with an eager public awaiting the kit, but unfortunately it appeared to be rushed and suffered a number of errors. DML apparently shelved theirs for the moment when the other kit was released.
In late 2008 Trumpeter announced a kit of the Sd.Kfz. 7/1 with the 2 cm Flakviering, but this time DML has released theirs first and beaten them to the punch. From the breakdown of molds this kit shows that we probably can expect a separate 2 cm Flakvierling 38 kit (or more likely Wirbelwind and Moebelwagen kits on their Pzkw. IV chassis) as well as the long awaited Sd.Kfz. 7 to tow their 10 cm and 15 cm artillery pieces and 8.8 cm AA guns.
DML has provided a very thorough kit with a complete engine and undercarriage to include the winch and all associated parts, as well as the flatbed body with etched brass mesh panels for the fold-out sides. Some things remain the same – for example, the two-piece “Magic Track” halftrack tracks are included, but as often noted are very small and DML could have made many modelers happy by molding them as one-piece runs in DS plastic. Also, as the kits are “Smart Kits” they make use of slide molding and other tricks to avoid needless small parts assemblies and minimize the use of brass.
Most of the bits missing on the Tamiya kit are present here, for as well as the complete engine there is a transfer case, fuel tank, four-part winch drum, and complete towhook installation that form part of the chassis. The drivers are two-piece with suitable rollers represented and also add etched brass centers for scale appearance.
The front tires are DS plastic outers and treads combined with a styrene inner section. While presumably the fit will be good since it is on the inside it should not be a problem, and the result is a nice diamond-pattern tread all the way around with no seams. Another complete tire unit is included as the spare for under the cargo bed.
The only thing some may complain about for the basic chassis is that the grille is solid, and perhaps could have been molded differently to give it some “airiness” with the radiator behind it. The hood comes with separate side panels which can be left of as per the originals.
The bed is nicely done and the rear fold-down panel (note these are either/or and not operating parts) has twin folding steps with two different sets offered (folded or extended). The crew seat may be shown either folded up or down as well. A rack is provided on the front left fender for two Kar 98K rifles as well.
The 2 cm Flakvierling 38 is all new as well and has new guns with slide molded barrels and flash hiders. As with previous DML antiaircraft gun offerings, there are different sight articulation bars provided for setting the guns at either 0 or 60 degrees elevation, but the guns will not move if the bars are used. Two different types of gun shields are provided, as are a number of magazines and ammo racks for the installation.
This is the first DML kit which also provides masks for the windshield sections so that the model may assembled and then painted, and which is a nice touch.
Research and technical assistance were provided by Dan Graves, Tom Cockle and Gary Edmundson.
Four different finishing options are offered with a small sheet of Cartograf decals, but it also provides a license plate “number jungle”. The variants which can be modeled are: 24th Panzer Division, Stalingrad 1942 (grew with unit markings in white); Unidentified unit, Eastern Front 1942 (grey with whitewash spots); Unidentified Luftwaffe Flak Abt. Russia 1943 (grey with whitewash stripes); Unidentified Luftwaffe Flak Abt. Russia 1942 (grey with whitewash stripes and small markings on cab panels).
Overall this looks to be another winner, and hopefully DML releases the “straight” 8 ton faster than it did with the M2 and M3 US halftracks.
Thanks to Freddie Leung for the review sample.
Cookie Sewell
Sprue layout:
A 52 7/1 Flakvierling carriage and details
B 55 8 ton - Underframe details - winch, drivers, front axle, subframe, muffler
C 4x2 8 ton - road wheels, front wheel backs, body details
D 72 8 ton - engine, hood, radiator, standard passenger body components less sides
G 26x2 7/1 Flakvierling - 2 x 2 cm Flak 38 and ammo clips
H 6 8 ton - clear styrene
H 4x2 7/1 Flakvierling shields (two different)
J 32 8 ton - platform body with folding sides, cab sides, front seat
K 3 DS plastic tires
W 1 8 ton - chassis
X 1 8 ton - rear fender assembly
Y 108 “Magic Track” track pads
Z 108 “Magic Track” track links
MA 13 Etched brass
WA 18 German generic weapons - 2 x Kar 98K
(Originally written on April 27, 2009)
Kit Review: Dragon Models Limited 1/35 scale ‘39-‘45 Kit No. 6441; M4 Sherman “Composite Hull” PTO - Smart Kit; 568 parts (486 in grey styrene, 57 etched brass, 22 clear styrene, 2 DS plastic track runs, 1 twisted steel wire); retail price US$49.95 via Dragon USA
Advantages: new and fully redone version of this kit replaces the old Imperial kit; new parts provide lots of options, as well as more “mix and match” bits for the true “Shermaholic”
Disadvantages: nothing major noted
Rating: Highly Recommended
Recommendation: for all Sherman and ETO fans
The final basic production model of the M4 series medium tanks to come from the Detroit Tank Arsenal used a new composite hull with a cast glacis with the complete “big hatch” section for the driver and the bow gunner and initially the low bustle turret without and later with a loader’s hatch. Nearly all of these tanks were sent to serve with the US Army in the Pacific, hence the PTO moniker (e.g. Pacific Theater of Operations) for this kit.
A number of years ago DML released an Imperial series kit of the “Composite” hull M4 which could be built as either a US Army M4 in the Pacific or a Sherman IC Firefly; the kit included two turrets but suffered from the original Italeri suspension clone and also the much-disliked three-piece DML VVSS tracks. This kit is a total do-over and shares nothing but its subject with the original kit, but does use most of the “common” sprues from recent DML M4 Smart Kit releases.
The kit has a ton of options, but many are not usable with the “Composite” tank. Photographic evidence tends to support the fact that these tanks nearly universally used the low-bustle turret with loader’s hatch and twin radio antennas (transmit/receive and receive only), M34A1 full width mantlet, “sharpnose” transmission housing, either five-spoke welded wheels or the “six spoke” welded solid wheels, flat or “upswept” return roller mounts, plate or machined drivers, T48, T49 or T51 tracks, no fenders or skirts, and no antiaircraft machine gun. While the kit comes with a high bustle shell and details, none of the photos I found show a Composite hull with that turret in the Pacific through early 1945.
The kit provides brand-new moldings of the low-bustle turret and also a new “Composite” hull with the sharpnosed transmission. It comes with its own unique driver mounts; while recent complaints on the internet indicate some DML kits have these undersized, I cannot tell if these are or not as I have no blueprints for comparison. In any account, once the kit is built they are virtually invisible so this is more a matter of taste than wrong or in the wrong place.
This kit provides a choice of fender tips (plastic or brass) as well as the M4A1 DV kit details for the rear and etched brass grillework under the air intake cover and also under the rear lip of the hull above the exhaust outlets.
Some things are constants now such as the familiar M4A2/A3 basic detail sprue of tools and fittings as well.
Technical assistance was provided by Pawel Krupowicz.
Four different finishing options are provided in the kit and Cartograf decals for each one: “Southern Cross”, 44th Tank Battalion, Limon, the Philippines, 1944; “Bushmaster”, 763rd Tank Battalion, 96th Infantry Division, Leyte 1944; “Battlin Basic”, 44th Tank Battalion, Manila 1945; “Ole Miss”, 44th Tank Battalion, Manila 1945.
All four of these tanks are found in Steve Zaloga’s book “Tank Battles of the Pacific War 1941-1945" (Concord #7004, 1995) and provide the specific details for each one: “Southern Cross” uses five-spoke road wheels and machined driver toothed rings and a single antenna; “Bushmaster” uses two antennas but the tracks are not visible (mud!) in the photo; “Battlin Basic” and “Ole Miss” show single antennas, “six spoke” wheels and machined drivers. All use the T48 tracks which come in the kit. (This is a great book for reference for anyone doing PTO tanks!)
Overall this fills another gap and leaves us with essentially only the M4A6 and the Sherman “cousins” Ram and Grizzly not kitted. It will be popular with Sherman fans as well as provide “mix and match” with other kits.
Thanks to Freddie Leung for the review sample.
Cookie Sewell
Sprue Layout:
A 95 M4A2/A3 hull details
B 62 M4 high-bustle turret with choice of cupolas
B 39 M4 early model low bustle turret with loader’s hatch and M34A1 mount
C 29 M4A1 DV stern plate and air filters
C 22 Clear styrene
D 16x2 VVSS - five-spoke welded wheels with “upswept” return rollers
E 9 M4A1 Direct Vision applique armor parts
F 13 M4A1 Direct Vision parts - engine deck and rear details
R 27 M4 Composite hull and “Sharpnose” transmission cover
S 1 twisted steel wire
V 89x2 VVSS - flat top/pillow block return rollers with pressed/welded wheels
Y 1 M4 type lower hull pan
Z 2 DS plastic T48 rubber chevron track runs
MA 57 etched brass
(Originally written on March 27, 2009)
Kit Review: Dragon Models Limited 1/35 Scale ‘39-‘45 Series Kit No. 6332; M3A1 Half-Track 3 in 1 - Smart Kit; 496 parts (420 in grey styrene, 64 etched brass, 10 clear styrene, 1 brass chain, 1 nylon string); estimated price US$49.95
Advantages: first new kit of this specific vehicle in 30 years; provides details for early or late model vehicles, as well as for choice of M3, M3A1, or M3A2 variants; different armament options; brilliantly designed track and bogie assembly captures look of the original
Disadvantages: Apparently repeats some of the errors or odd choices of the M2 kit; no non-slip diamonds in crew compartment floor
Rating: Highly Recommended
Recommendation: for all American WWII armored infantry fans
In 2005 the US was caught off guard by the lack of reaction by local and national authorities to Hurricane Katrina, which caused a lot of problems. During the cleanup the general in charge of the military and National Guard effort, LTG Russel L. Honore, gave a presentation to the press but warned them not to jump to conclusions or report incomplete information which admonished them with the great line, “Don’t get stuck on stupid.” Right away the reporters did and were thus told they were “stuck on stupid”. They got the message.
This can happen in the modeling world as well, as Academy found out when they produced a long-awaited M3 Lee kit with badly researched and incorrect bogie assemblies. They then followed this kit with another much anticipated model, the M7 Priest, with correctly sized bogies. But then they followed that kit with an M3 Grant with the original poor bogies – “stuck on stupid” – and modelers were not happy. (To their credit, Academy offered corrected bogie sprues to those who purchased those kits.)
17 months after releasing a brand-new kit of the M2 series halftracks (the short-bodied model) DML has now released its kit of the M3 series halftrack proper with the full long hull bodies. The kit adds more than 100 parts to the first kit and borrows on the interim releases of the M16 MGMC, M4 Mortar Carrier, and M3 75mm GMC versions for some of the new parts.
The kit offers a number of versions and while it is labeled as a “3-in-1" would be more like a “5-in-1" when modifications, upgrades and rebuilds are considered. It offers sufficient parts for the M3 version, the M3A1 with M49 machine gun mount, and the stillborn M3A2 final variant. I say stillborn as 12,391 M3 versions were produced (and upgraded to M3A1 later on), 4,222 M3A1 new build versions, but only 1 production M3A2 “universal” halftrack was completed. Many of the features tested on the M3A2 appear to have been retrofitted to M2 and M3 series halftracks, such as the folding luggage racks at the rear of the hull and the equipment attachment racks – often misidentified as “ladders” including here by DML – on the sides of the rear hull.
But letting the molds for this kit sit on the sidelines for 17 months and not checking them for upgrades and changes has caused a few problems. While there are two kinds of complaints modelers file – those from the “boo birds” and those from the average modeling community – both have some validity and apply to this kit. First off, it uses the original DML M2 armored cab moldings with rivets vice screws and fixed “jerry” can holders. While the rivet complaint is one pretty much from the “boo birds” (e.g. nitpickers) as it is hard to tell without a good magnifying glass, the other makes it more difficult to make the early model 3 halftracks without a lot of shaving and patching. It still uses the controversial slightly flattened tires but the versions with the “bulges” from the first issue have been minimized, so this is again a matter of taste, and if placed on a base with ground work is easily concealed.
The suspension remains the same and the later model bogie mounts with the openings in them are also not present. But the biggest goof in the kit is that for some reason the floor of the rear compartment is smooth – the original used a standard steel treadplate design with zig-zag or diamond pattern “non-slip” raised cleats. (Anyone who has ever tried to walk or stand on smooth steel when coated with mud knows why they do this!) Since the floor is at the bottom of the rear body base (F6) it is virtually impossible to correct without a lot of problems, even if one has such things as the Old On The Mark non-slip plate metal sheets. Plan on a good layer of mud or sandbags to hide if you are concerned about this goof.
As for the rest of the kit, again DML provides a complete drive train including a complete White engine and transmission. While the hood is molded in one piece, DML has notched the back side as well as the insides of the “cab” sides to permit easy cutting to open them up for display. The steering does not operate (no big loss of oversized parts) but is very petite and neatly detailed. This kit offers a choice between the spring compensated idlers and non-compensated idlers with a set of parts included on an “addendum” tree.
Even without the casting holes, the bogies and track runs remain impressive, as the idlers and drivers are “slide molded” with respectively thin details and openings. Each bogie assembly consists of 18 parts and is very petite; the mounting suspension provides five more with the track tension adjusters nicely portrayed. The tracks are the same with DML having them in hard styrene plastic in two halves, cut in such a way that the “chain” plate drive tooth guides in the center are represented as they are found on the actual vehicle. Since the tracks were metal with rubber “endless belt” casings vulcanized onto them, this is a neat way to portray it.
The model comes with three sets of body panels for the rear body – one set for an M3 or modified M3A1, one for an M3A1, and one for the M3A2. Ditto rear panels, but if you wish to do an upgraded vehicle with the rear luggage racks you will need the M3A2 rear panel with mounts for them. The kit also comes with a pylon mount for the M2HB .50 caliber or the original (M3A1) or modified (M3A2) M49 ring mount. DML provides two beautifully done .50 caliber M2HB machine guns and four equally well done .30 caliber Brownings, all with the correct mounts (the .30s come with one “rocker” mount and one similar to that used by the .50 for each one, so a maximum of three .30s can be fitted to the model.)
The model comes with two sets of mine racks: one single-piece type with the mines in place and one open one with 12 individual mines per side, enhanced by etched brass.
All plates include the correct WWII taillight configuration: an oval on the left top for the taillight, a rectangle on the right top for the stop light, and two rectangles on the bottom for the combat blackout taillights.
Minus the previously noted nips on the rivets versus screws and “jerry” can mounts, the “cab” is neatly done, and two sets of grille mounts are included. One is for use with the “Combat” light and the other with the “Automotive” headlights. One of each is provided closed and one with the folding louvers removed (these have to be made from etched brass, as no plastic parts are provided for the louvers.) As noted in other reviews the model has the “civilian” style dashboard, so note that the instruments are a brushed aluminum color on preserved/restored vehicles and not the more common black with white numerals. (Archer Fine Transfers has a great set for these gauges.)
The winch and roller each come with their own bumper and accouterments. The winch has a length of nylon string for the cable and a chain for the final hook arrangement, which matches photos of wartime models in service. Note that the driveshaft for the winch needs to be installed in Step 4 at the bottom.
The etched brass, as with other “Smart Kits,” is more extensive and provides the pressure plates and handles for the individual mines as well as headlight guards for the “automotive” version, mud flaps, the aforementioned engine air louvers, windshield wipers, and the sliding covers for the view slits.
Other bits include the fact it comes with the so-called “potable” water carrier versions of the “jerry cans” with flip-up lids (the gas cans normally had screw-type caps with better seals). It also comes with two different types of radio sets and antenna mounts: either the SCR-508/608 type of armored troops radio set (one on each machine gun sprue) or the more common SCR-510/610 type, racked up side-by-side rather than tuner on top of power supply. A nice cabinet abd antenna base masts are provided for the SCR-508/608 set.
The model comes with two Cartograf decal sheets – a targeted set of stars and tactical markings and bumper code “jungles,” oddly it does not come with blue drab serials. Five suggested finishing options are provided: one for an M3 – 2nd Armored Division, Morocco 1942 (ABABA, stars and 48-star flags); three for M3A1 vehicles – 4th Armored Division, Germany 1945 (24th Engineers); 1st Armored Division, France 1944 (actually 1st Division Blindee, Free French Army, with French markings); 3rd Armored Division, France 1944 (M-11, probably with a maintenance company from one of the armor regiments); and one for the sole production model of the M3A2 (white stars only).
I strongly suggest getting David Haugh’s “U.S. Half-Tracks”, Steve Zaloga’s “US Halftracks in Action” from Concord or Jim Mesko’s “M3 Halftrack in Action” from Squadron/Signal as they both provide a lot of photos and good information for finishing, but there are a lot of other good books on the market covering these popular vehicles.
Overall, while there are some spots where DML appears to have been “stuck on stupid” and ignored comments from modelers, overall this kit is really decent and the average modeler can built one of the many options and be pleased with the result.
Thanks to Freddie Leung for the review sample.
Cookie Sewell
Sprue Breakout:
A 40 Chassis and suspension
B 28 Armored cab assembly
C 29 M49 mount and front bumper assemblies
C 17 M3 series halftracks detail parts - mine racks, etc.
D 48x2 Bogie assembly and wheels
E 10 Clear styrene parts
F 33 M3/M3A1 hull parts and details
G 8 Drivers and idlers
H 4 Front grille (open/closed)
J 37x2 Machine guns and radio set
J 14 Mine racks and mines
J 12 Mines
L 8 Driver figure
M 21 M3A2 parts - hull sides, equipment racks
WA 18x2 US Generic Weapons - 2 x M1 rifles and accessories
MA 64 Etched brass
MB 1 nylon string
MC 1 brass chain
(Originally written on March 22, 2009)
Book Review: “Weapons of War” Series; Great War Tanks in Canadian Service by Michael R. Morgan; Service Publications, PO Box 333071, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, K2C 3Y9, 2009; 24 pp. with B&W photos and 1/35 scale plans; price CDN $9.95; ISBN 1-894581-51-6 (http://www.servicepub.com)
Advantages: compliments books on American and British use of tanks in WW I
Disadvantages: nothing of note
Rating: Highly Recommended
Recommendation: For all Canadian “Lozenge” tank fans
Most fans and historians interested in WW I tank use by the Allies have read “Landships” by David Fletcher or “Treat ‘Em Rough!” by Dale Wilson, but until this new book by Service Publications arrived there was very little on what the Canadian forces did with tanks.
Michael Morgan has now filled the gap with this nice little history of the unfortunately abortive Canadian effort to get a Canadian tank unit into the war. After having the first actual armoured vehicle unit in Allied service – a machine gun artillery unit using armored vehicles – the Canadians did not design any indigenous tanks or produce the British designers in Canada. However, the Canadians did receive an allocation of seven French tanks during the debut of the weapons at Courcelette, France on 15 September 1916.
The genius behind Canadian armour, Raymond Brutinel, then was asked to head up the Canadian tank effort and their first efforts saw the attachment of British tanks to Canadian forces. But it was not until January 1918 that a full-court-press was made for a Canadian-operated and manned tank unit was put forth. The responsible officer, Lt-Col J. E. Mills DSO, was a bit of a maverick and ahead of his time, so the Canadian command was happy to “exile” him to the nascent Canadian tank corps.
The first step was to form a single battalion, with plans to have it trained and functional for the planned 1919 Offensive. The officer selected to train them, Lt-Col R. E. Denison OBE, had been wounded and sent back to Canada to recuperate. As a result Denison and Mills played roughly the same roles as two American lieutenant colonels of note – Dwight Eisenhower and George S. Patton, where the former men were “Mr. Inside” responsible for training at home and the latter were “Mr. Outside” working on their deployment and use in France.
Tankers were considered a prestige arm, and the 1st Canadian Tank Battalion drew its personnel from the University of Toronto (A Coy), McGill (B Coy) and other universities (C Coy) and totaled 668 officers and men of all ranks. The battalion grew to 790 by 1 June 1918 when its “tail” of support personnel (e.g. clerks, medical, etc.) were attached. Arriving in England three weeks later, they moved to Frensham Pond for training. Training lasted until early November 1918 but as is well known the war ended at 11:11 on 11 November so the sole trained Canadian tank battalion never saw combat. A 2nd battalion had been formed in Canada but as it was shipped to England many of the men came down with influenza and were quite ill, 27 eventually dying of the disease.
The Canadians did see fit to form a Canadian Tank Corps on 29 November 1918 but once all of the Canadian tankers were home (in 1919) the units were basically mothballed until 1936.
A 1/35 scale tone plan by George Bradford is provided and covers a late-model Mark IV Male with the unditching beam rails fitted.
Overall, this nice little book covers the history and when read with the other two works cited will give the reader a good picture of life in the tanks of WW I.
Thanks to Service Publications for the review copy.
Cookie Sewell
(Originally written on March 22, 2009)
Book Review: “Weapons of War” Series; Mechanized Flamethrowers in Canadian Service by Roger V. Lucy; Service Publications, PO Box 333071, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, K2C 3Y9, 2009; 24 pp. with B&W photos and 1/35 scale plans; price CDN $9.95; ISBN 1-894581-49-3 (http://www.servicepub.com)
Advantages: covers development of light armoured flamethrowers in UK and Commonwealth service; provides plans of a modified Universal Carriers as Wasp IIc
Disadvantages: none of note
Rating: Highly Recommended
Recommendation: for all “flamers” and Canadian armour fans
While first appearing during WW I, flame weapons did not truly capture the interest of the major nations until the 1930s, and most of them eventually fielded self-propelled armored versions. The Italians had the CV3/35 flamethrower tankette, the Soviets the T-26 based variants, but the rest of the nations found use for them only after World War II started. The Soviets, Americans, Germans and British all developed tank-mounted heavy flamethrowers (many still mounting their cannon and machine guns) and the Canadians and Germans also went for lightweight armored vehicles mounting them (the Canadians with the Universal Carrier, the Germans with the Sd.Kfz. 251 halftrack).
This book covers the development of the Commonwealth light flame weapons beginning with the UK forming the Petroleum Warfare Directorate (PWD) in July 1940. Working with the
Lagonda company – best known for their prewar luxury cars – PWD came up with two variants mounted on Bren Carrier light tracked vehicles. Neither one was successful, and it was only with Canadian participation a Mark III that showed more promised came forth. Dubbed F.U.L. (no one knows the reason why or its expansion) it proved a success and the Canadians then dubbed the weapon the “Ronson” (the cigarette lighter that “lights every time”) in the same manner the US Army called some of its similar concepts in Vietnam “Zippos” (after that lighter).
1,000 Ronsons were built in Canada, but 182 were lost to the U-Boats during shipping. But the Ronson was replaced before it saw widespread service by the Wasp II. (Some also went to the USMC and they used them with success in the Pacific mounted on LVTs.)
The design evolved first to the Canadian “Hornet” and “Barracuda” but finally the “Wasp” was developed in a joint effort with Lagonda and the Canadian Army Overseas (CAOS for short). While the Canadians continued work on flame weapons, it was the Wasp Mk. IIc which saw the most service.
Several fuel mixtures were developed for varying conditions, but the main problem with all flame weapons is how to get the mixture to the target. A Soviet computation showed that a 40 liter “squirt” of flame material could only put 15% of that amount on target at 250 meters, as the rest would drop off or burn up on the way. But here the goal was a consistent 100 yards and as a result it was difficult to achieve.
Training with the Ronsons the Canadians were able to achieve good results, and after reequipping with the Wasps they took it into the ETO for combat. While the flame units had to both train and battle the usual bureaucratic indifference, once ashore with the 1st Canadian Army they showed their worth and were able to achieve a high level of success. But all of this came in the form of small unit tactics and not the massive use of track-to-track flame projectors foreseen by some in their chain of command.
Later the famous Ram “Kangaroo” APC was fitted with a Wasp, armored cover and commander’s cupola for close range use of the weapon under fire, the resulting system being dubbed the “Badger”.
The book also covers some of the postwar variants developed, such as the Iroquois and Cree, but by this time the advent of better close combat equipment such as the RPG-2 and even early ATGMs meant that the flamethrowers could not get within range before being knocked out.
Overall this is a nice little book and handy for anyone wanted to convert a Universal Carrier model into a Wasp or other flamethrower carrier.
Thanks to Service Publications for the review copy.
Cookie Sewell
(Originally written on March 21, 2009)
Accessory Review: cyber-hobby.com 1/35 scale Upgrade Package No. 3878; 1/35 scale OVM Tool Set for Tiger I; 50 parts (31 etched brass, 19 in grey styrene); retail price US$8.95
Advantages: upgrades any manufacturer’s older Tiger I kit
Disadvantages: none noted
Rating: Highly Recommended
Recommendation: for Tiger fans with older kits or those from another manufacturer
Just the other day I was talking with some friends and the consensus option was that with the plethora of DML kits out there, why don’t they offer upgrades for kits that they already sold?
This is pretty much what cyber-hobby.com, DML’s “boutique” affiliate, is doing. For example, here is another of their sets which upgrades the OVM for a Tiger I. What they provide is a set of relatively generic tools with all of their attachments in etched brass. Ergo, if you have a Tamiya or Academy Tiger I with stick-on tools you can easily upgrade them with this set to separate fastenings.
Ditto offerings of DS Plastic tracks also on offer from cyber-hobby.com and previously reviewed.
Overall this is a smart idea – if you long for a nicer model but don’t want to shell out another $50 or even $100, the upgrades are the way to go.
Thanks to Freddie Leung for the review sample.
Cookie Sewell
Sprue layout:
TA 8 German OVM tool set: shovels, sledge, wire cutters, fire extinguisher
TB 11 German OVM tool set: jack, tow hooks
MA 31 Etched brass
(Originally written on March 21, 2009)
Advantages: new positions and another new Italian figure
Disadvantages: machine gun team cannot be placed on level surface
Rating: Highly Recommended
Recommendation: for all German and Axis fans
DML has released another of their very nice “Gen1" figure sets with four figures: three in SS smocks and one Italian Bersaglieri, as they would be dealing with Tito’s partisans in the Balkans in 1943.
The Germans are all in combat poses. One man is prone throwing a grenade, and two others are operating an MG34 in the German position where the lead man (ammo bearer) holds the bipod next to his shoulder and the gunner fires from that position. (I always wondered if the loader went deaf from this as the muzzle is right next to his ear, but far be it from me to let common sense intervene!) The Italian is running forward in a semi-crouch with his rifle at waist level.
The figures are all new but the weapons come from older sets – #6087 (German Naval Troops - Dieppe 1942), #6105 (German Wehrmacht Infantry - Operation Barbarossa 1941) and the generic MG34 offered with some of the armored vehicle kits.
The set artwork now lists the artist as Carlos Chagas so at least DML is now giving other artists credit. But they still skimp on the painting work, showing unpainted but assembled figures and only a miniature of the box art for reference and call-outs.
Overall, however, it will be appreciated by German and Italian fans for getting some more variety in “action” poses.
Thanks to Freddie Leung for the review sample.
Cookie Sewell
Sprue Layout:
6087 6 Weapons - 1 x Kar 98K with bayonet, 1 x Kar 98K, 1 x MP18
6105 8 German machine gun ammo boxes
6491 54 Four figures and basic kit
MG34 8 MG34 and accessories
WA 5 Italian weapons: light machine gun, Carcano carbine, Beretta submachine gun
(Originally written on March 21, 2009)
Accessory Review: cyber-hobby.com 1/35 scale Accessory Kit No. 3865; 1/35 scale DS Track for Sherman (T54E1 w/EEC); two one-piece track runs; retail price US$8.95
Advantages: permits upgrade or replacement of Sherman single-link tracks with one-piece DS tracks; EEC in place
Disadvantages: may be a little bit long for easy fit
Rating: Highly Related
Recommendation: for all “Shermaholics”
For a number of years modelers first complained that they wanted single link tracks, and when they got them they complained they wanted one-piece tracks back again. DML has gone both ways, and this is another of their nice sets of VVSS Sherman track now available separately.
This set is the T54E1 track – US style steel cleat with gaps in the ends of the links - as fitted with extended end connectors. These are suitable for many applications with M4 series tanks and related vehicles, and with some work will also work on other manufacturers’ M4 series kits as well. (That usually pertains to the drive wheels and perhaps the length of the tracks). As with all of the DS tracks, detail rivals resin but the tracks are flexible and assemble with any good plastic cement.
Overall these are a worthwhile investment for any M4 modeler or “Shermaholic” as we call ourselves!
Thanks to Freddie Leung for the review sample.
Cookie Sewell
(Originally written on March 21, 2009)
Kit Review: cyber-hobby.com 1/35 scale Kit No. 38 (Dragon Models Limited 1/35 scale ‘39-‘45 Series Kit No. 6473); 15 cm s.IG. 33 Infantry Gun w/Simplified Shield - Smart Kit; 261 parts (243 in grey plastic, 11 DS plastic; 3 clear styrene, 3 etched brass, 1 turned aluminum); retail price US$27.99 via DragonUSA
Advantages: s.IG. 33 now released on its own; crew a nice idea
Disadvantages: no good explanation on extra parts included or painting diagrams
Rating: Highly Recommended
Recommendation: for all German “redlegs”
DML has now released its excellent 15 cm Infantry Howitzer as a separate kit via its cyber-hobby.com affiliate. What they have done is provide the complete kit with a new set of wheels (rubber tired) and the complete gun crew from kit No. 6201 (the Karl mortar crew of six figures) with some extra arms that are more suitable to the smaller howitzer.
The howitzer comes complete on five sprues with the new rubber tired wheels included separately. As before it is a nicely molded kit with a number of options and a turned aluminum barrel. The wheels are “slide molded” with the nice touch DML uses of attaching the wheels to the sprues at the outer edges, making cleanup a snap.
The model aslo includes eight rounds of ammunition and four woven carrier packs, as well as the woven mats for the wheels in position. DS propellant bags are also included, but the directions provide absolutely zero information for using them or how to pose all of the extra bits.
The crew consists of six “Gen1" figures of six parts each (head, torso, arms and legs) and a plethora of arms to permit positioning them as the modeler sees fit. One new sprue of seven arms includes items such as the short ramrod used to seat the round in the breech and arms more suitable for use with a howitzer where the crew can pick up the ammunition!
The project was supervised by Hirohisa Takada and technical assistance was provided by Tom Cockle and Gary Edmundson. Artwork is by Ron Volstad.
Finishing is somewhat simple: your choice of grey or sand. A small sheet of Cartograf decals with battery piece callouts (e.g. guns A-G) is provided. Alas, the original figure painting directions were by Ron Volstad but here are transposed into blue, white and grey.
Overall this is a nice idea and should go over well with artillery fans.
Thanks to Freddie Leung for the review sample.
Cookie Sewell
Sprue layout
A 64 s.IG. 33 lower carriage
B 24 s.IG. 33 cradle and upper carriage
C 26 s.IG. 33 cradle and breech
C 29 s.IG. 33 ammunition and details (and shield)
D 10x2 s.IG. 33 wheels and fasteners
K 3 s.IG. 33 auf Pzkw. I clear sights
L 4 DS plastic 15 cm shell carriers
6 DS plastic woven mats
MA 3 etched brass
6201A 73 Karl-Geraet Crew (six figures)
6201B 7 Seven arms
MD 1 turned aluminum barrel
(Originally written on March 21, 2009)
Kit Review: Dragon Models Limited 1/35 scale ‘39-‘45 Series Kit No. 6316; Sd.Kfz. 250/9 Neu 2 cm Reconnaissance - Premium Edition; 548 parts (331 in grey styrene, 168 “Magic Track” two-piece links, 39 etched brass, 8 clear styrene, 2 turned brass); retail price US$49.95
Advantages: updates an older but still decent kit; lots of spare parts
Disadvantages: could have probably benefitted from DS plastic one-piece track runs
Rating: Highly Recommended
Recommendation: for all German halftrack fans
The next release in DML’s “Premium Edition” upgrades to older kits is the Sd.Kfz. 250/9 Neu 2 cm reconnaissance halftrack, following on the Sd.Kfz. 250/1 Neu “Premium Edition” kit (No. 6427) and the recent Sd.Kfz. 250/8 with the L/24 infantry support gun (No. 6425).
As with the first two this kit retains all of the upgrades from its immediate predecessor but drops the small arms weapons sets for selected sprues from their Sd.Kfz. 234/1 heavy armored car and from the Pzkw. 38(t) Ausf. G kits. As before, the biggest single item is the presence of a one-piece “slide molded” lower hull replacing three parts in the original 1999 series kits. The suspension arms have been redone and also the drive sprocket mounts. The engine from the original add-on kit is now included, which is a nice touch; this kit also includes the transmission. Both these items were actually left out of the directions, so a supplemental errata sheet is included to show where they go in the model.
DML still has not switched to their DS plastic for tracks for these kits. Again, this kit uses the “Magic Track” precut links with a separate pad for each link to “trap” the pins of the next link. This is very tedious work as the tracks are about the same size as the average 1/72 scale model; again, for a “Premium Edition” kit DML really ehould consider DS Plastic molding techniques to make single-section track runs.
As with the “Stroke 1", the tracks do mount on better detailed three-piece drivers, and the front wheels are now “sandwich” moldings to create both proper tread pattern and tread depth (five parts per tire.)
The interior in this kit is greatly changed as it mounts the complete 234/1 turret and as such DML has provided a great deal of parts; it nearly forces the modeler to leave the viewers and rear door open to show them off.
The external stowage bins still have separate access panels, so all four can be displayed in the open position. The kit now again includes the Sd.Kfz. 251 clear styrene viewers, which can also be shown either open or closed.
Two sets of etched brass are included, one for the Sd.Kfz. 234/1 turret and one for the Sd.Kfz. 250 host vehicle. Most of the etched brass provides the straps and mounts for this kit inside the lower hull of the model.
Technical assistance and work on this kit was provided by Hirohisa Takada, Minoru Igarashi, Dan Graves, Tom Cockle, Thomas Anderson, and Gary Edmundson.
The model comes with five finishing options: 116th Panzer Division. France 1944 (tircolor, black 146); Pz.Aufkl.Abt.2, 2nd Panzer Division, France 1944 (tricolor, black 283); Pz.Aufkl.Abt.2, 2nd Panzer Division, France 1944 (tricolor, “Vonbenke”); Pz.Aufkl.Abt.6, 6th Panzer Division, 1944 (tricolor, white 133); and Pz.Aufkl.Abt.26, 26th Panzer Division, Italy 1944 (tricolor, black 25). The kit provides a generic sheet of markings for license plates and stenciling and a targeted sheet from Cartograf.
Overall this is another nicely upgraded kit.
Thanks to Freddie Leung for the review sample.
Cookie Sewell
Sprue layout:
A 41 250 chassis and details
C 31 250 Neu upper hull and interior components
E 37 250 Neu lower hull and details
F 168 “Magic Track” two-piece links
G 28x2 250 road wheels and front wheels
H 6 250 drivers
H 45 Sd.Kfz. 234/1 turret
H 39 Pzkw. 38(t) Ausf. G components
J 1 Flak 38
J 8 Kwk 38 components
K 19 Sd.Kfz. 234/1 - ammunition racks and magazines
L 1 Stroke 9 roof with turret race
W 8 251 clear styrene
X 16 250 engine
Y 2 250 transmission
Y 1 250 one piece lower hull
MA 11 Sd.Kfz.234/1 turret etched brass
MB 2 turned brass
MC 28 etched brass
GA 64 German generic kit (helmets, canteens, mess kits, gas masks)
GC 14 German generic kit (offensive and defensive grenades)
WC 8 German generic weapons - 1 x MG34, 1 x MG42
(Originally written on March 21, 2009)
Kit Review: Dragon Models Limited 1/35 Scale ‘39-‘45 Series Kit No. 6465; Sd.Kfz. 184 Elefant w/Zimmerit: 471 parts (310 in grey styrene, 120 etched brass, 16 clear styrene, 12 “Magic Track” snap-together links, 4 white metal shackles, 4 turned aluminum pins, 2 DS plastic track runs, 1 length of twisted steel wire, 1 turned aluminum barrel, 1 length of brass chain); retail price US$49.95
Advantages: another upgrade to a popular older DML kit, finally provides zimmerit finish
Disadvantages: few, unless you prefer to “roll your own” zimmerit finish
Rating: Highly Recommended
Recommendation: for all German and “Tiger” fans
Dragon continues on its path of providing pre-installed “zimmerit” finishes to its older German kits, and now the Elefant has received this treatment.
This kit is based on the “Premium Edition” version from 2006 but now adds the DS tracks and also roughly 30 parts with zimmerit finish added to the molds.
The hull still 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, but all those requiring zimmerit have received it, and the modified lower hull and casemate have theirs applied via the use of “slide molding”. Note that there are NO indicators on the side where parts go, so this may be difficult to locate when needed.
The suspension is DML’s trusty Porsche model but with the provision of the DS tracks installing them with the tight fit with the sponsons may be easier. 12 links of “Magic Track” are provided for hanging the spares.
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. (A new turned aluminum barrel and the sprue from the “Tiger I” kit with the muzzle brake section are now included so this can replace the kit’s two-piece styrene barrel. Also a new cupola is included on the “Y” sprue with clear plastic vision blocks.)
A choice of metal or styrene shackles is provided, as well as this time the kit comes with the two tow cables and metal cable for them. The kit also now comes with standard DML German tool sets TB (jacks and fire extinguishers) and TC (tow cable heads).
A choice of five different vehicles is offered: 3./s.Pz.Abt. 653, Poland 1944 (tricolor spray, black 323); 3./s.Pz.Abt. 653, Poland 1944 (green over sand, black 334); 1./s.Pz.Abt. 653, Italy 1944 (green patches over sand, no number); s.Pz.Abt. 614, Poland 1945 (whitewash over sand); s.Pz.Abt. 614, Poland 1945 (white stripes over sand). A small set of targeted Cartograf decals are provided.
Overall DML has continued answering the requests of many modelers to provide kits that do not need zimmerit applied; while old-timers grumble about it, most of the responses have been good and DML should be commended for continuning to answer the mail.
Many thanks to Freddie Leung for the review sample.
Cookie Sewell
Sprue Layout:
A 39 Ferdinand upper deck and hatch details
a 3 8.8 cm L/71 muzzle brake
B 30 Elefant fenders
C 29 Elefant 8.8 cm gun
F 54x2 Wheels and suspension parts
F 18 (Partial wheel sprue)
G 1 Lower hull pan with zimmerit
J 8 MG34 and accessories
K 1 Elefant casemate with zimmerit
L 6 Magic Track left side links
M 20 Elefant with zimmerit upper parts
R 6 Magic Track right side links
S 12 clear styrene
Y 38 Elefant topside details
Z 1 length twisted steel wire
MA 120 etched brass
MC 1 length copper chain
MD 1 turned aluminum barrel
2 prebent steel wire
4 pins
4 towing shackles
TB 11 German OVM
TC 4 German OVM
(Originally written on March 21, 2009)
Kit Review: Dragon Models Limited ‘39-‘45 Series Kit No. 6421; Quad Gun Trailer M55; 130 parts (119 in grey styrene, 10 clear styrene, 1 etched brass); retail price US$19.95
Advantages: nice way to pick up the excellent Maxson quad turret for other projects
Disadvantages: choice of the airborne M55 trailer vice the M45 four-wheel trailer limits options
Rating: Highly Recommended
Recommendation: for all “Duck Hunters” and conversion fans
DML saw fit last year to provide us with a nicely done new mold M16 MGMC antiaircraft halftrack with a very beautiful Maxson powered turret with four .50 caliber M2HB machine guns, and for those who wanted that turret for conversion purposes now offers it as a separate kit with the lightweight M55 airborne trailer.
The Maxson turret is a real gem, consisting of 75 parts with a clear sight and an extra seven-piece gunner figure tailor-made for the mount. Each machine gun is “slide molded” and offers an open ammo feed door option and spare canister magazines. The mount also comes with the batteries and “donkey” engine for electric power.
The trailer is petite and nicely done, with the small rubber tires portrayed by two-piece moldings with a tire and center on one side and a separate center on the other so seams are minimized. It even includes separate reflectors and a nice taillight.
Unfortunately the M55 was not a high use item, as it was too fragile for long-distance movement and was originally designed for airborne use with short-range movement provided by a jeep. As such, those used tended to be semi-fixed emplacements where the trailer was used to tow it into position and park it. DML should have made the kit of the larger M45 four-wheel general purpose trailer which was also used for items like generators and searchlights, as they could have both gotten more kits out of that trailer as well as a universal mount which appears to have been used into Korea.
Finishing directions show basically little more than a choice between OD or OD with white squiggles for use during the Battle of the Bulge. Two choices of ammo can decals (white or yellow) are provided on a sheet from Cartograf.
Overall, this is a nice kit and for those who want to make Vietnam era conversions a cheaper way to get this nice turret for those projects, but the bigger trailer would have been a better choice.
Thanks to Freddie Leung for the review sample.
Cookie Sewell
Sprue layout:
E 10 M16 clear styrene
P 34 M16 Maxson turret components
Q 20x2 M16 - two machine guns and ammo cans
R 38 M55 airborne trailer
R 7 Gunner figure
MA 1 Etched brass
(Originally written on March 15, 2009)
Kit Review: Dragon Models Limited 1/72 scale Armor Pro Series Kit No. 7370; Sd.Kfz. 181 Tiger I Initial Production s.Pz.Abt. 502 Leningrad 1942; 146 parts(129 in grey plastic, 14 etched brass, 2 DS plastic tracks, 1 twisted steel wire); price US$19.95
Advantages: apparently mostly new molds; specific details provided for early production Tiger I such as twin stowage bins
Disadvantages: 33% price increase over previous releases is hard to understand
Rating: Highly Recommended
Recommendation: for all German and Tiger fans
When the Tiger I made its combat debut in the winter of 1942 near Leningrad, it was – to be polite – not ready for prime time. The first Soviet capture of a Tiger was of one of these vehicles which had broken down, and after a vicious fight for the vehicle the Soviets finally captured it from tenacious German defenders. According to the Soviets the tank cost the Germans the Tiger, five Pzkw. III tanks, and about 200 infantry and engineers (who were trying to blow up the crippled Tiger in place as the Soviets noted it was packed with engineer explosives). The Soviets also had to yoke five T-60 light tanks together like draft animals to tow this beast off the battlefield. (14 years ago I asked Tom Jentz – who was always eager to report the fact of how few Tigers were “lost” in combat – how many other tanks and troops were lost ensuring that the Tigers were not captured. He couldn’t answer the question.)
Having run through the basic panoply of Tigers in 1/72 scale – Porsche, Initial, Mid, and Late production, with and without zimmerit, and Gruppe Fehrman – DML has now started over with remolded kits. This new version has more details, such as partial turret interior with commander and gunner seats and a breech for the big 88mm gun, as well as radiator bays inside the engine compartment.
They have also borrowed the interconnected wheel sets from their popular Sd.Kfz. 251 series of halftracks and the new model has the back roads of road wheel connected by arcs that do not show once the entire four-layer set of road wheels is assembled (inner, center inside, center outside, and outer). Thus the entire 32 wheel set of road wheels per side now only requires seven parts – three linked sets and four single road wheels. The wheels are detailed on both sides even though the insides will be impossible to see.
The turret is properly asymmetric and consists of a one-piece shell with separate roof and front. As it is the early model it comes with two stowage bins, two pistol ports, and a “dustbin” cupola with an interior set of periscopes. It also has a fording air cleaner and etched brass parts for the intake grilles and radiator guides. The model also offers a choice between tall and short exhaust tubes for the rear of the hull.
The tracks are now DS plastic which will be welcome over the original black vinyl tracks.
The model comes with but one finishing option - bort number white 100 and panzer grey overall paint. A tiny sheet of Cartograf decals is provided.
Overall this is a nice upgrade but as it now costs one-third more than the earlier versions I am not sure how many modelers really want a more detailed small scale Tiger.
Thanks to Freddie Leung for the review sample.
Cookie Sewell
Sprue layout:
A 35 Tiger I upper hull and details, early turret bins
B 31 Tiger I turret and hatches
D 42 Tiger I turret and hull interior parts, idlers
E 20 Tiger I Early (rubber tire) road wheels and drivers
X 1 Lower hull
Y 1 twisted steel wire
Z 2 DS plastic track runs
MA 14 Etched brass
(Originally written on March 15, 2009)
Kit Review: Dragon Models Limited 1/35 scale ‘39-‘45 Series Kit No. 6532; German Pontoon Set; 643 parts (642 in grey styrene, 1 length of white nylon string); price US$27.95
Advantages: instant diorama; good way to “bulk up” a parts box for figures with accessories
Disadvantages: Set 6109 figures were static when released 11 years ago and even with new arms still appear static; may not have sufficient parts for approach sections; not useable with most vehicles (other than motorcycles or light cars such as Kuebelwagens)
Rating: Recommended
Recommendation: for figure-oriented German dioramists
DML continues its process of combining or recombining older kits to create new models with a different slant on things. Now they have dug back over 10 years to find a new way to offer components from four older kits with one sprue of 10 new arms to create a new kit with definitive diorama potential.
This kit takes three sets of figures from set 6109 (the single Grosser Flossack 34 inflatable rubber boat/pontoon), four pontoons, five decking sets from kit 6135 (German Pontoon Set, which originally only came with two pontoons and two decking sets) and a new sprue of arms and two sets of their complete “Gen2" German Generic Kit parts to create a new kit with a total of 13 figures.
The box art shows all 13 of them trudging across the small bridge the kit creates as a platoon, but they do not indicate if all are supposed to be infantry or engineers as the original kits did. This is not wrong, as for the most part other than specific kit the only difference in uniforms would have been piping, but there should be more than just infantry here.
The bridge the kit constructs appears to be some 240mm long (about 8.4 meters or a 25 foot wide stream) with a short ramp on one end. But the kit offers no advice or parts for anchors (floating bridges are rarely plunked down in water, especially if a current is involved, without some sort of anchoring system). Also there is only sufficient ramp material for only one end of the bridge, so the modeler will have to come up with his own opposite end.
There are no decals or basic finishing options provided, so the modeler will have to use the box art for recommended colors.
Overall, this is a good idea but the result seems to be more “box of parts” than cohesive kit.
Thanks to Freddie Leung for the review sample.
Cookie Sewell
Sprue layout:
A 10 Extra arms
6070 4 (Fallschirmjaeger - Crete 1941) 2 x Kar 98K, 1 x MP40
6105 10 (German Wehrmacht Infantry - Operation Barbarossa
