Military Illustrated Modeler - Issue 070 (2017-02)

modeller military illustrated

£6.50 - February’17 (issue 070)

SMALL BUT PERFECTLY FORMED

AFV edition

Flyhawk Models’ amazing little FT-17 tank in 1:72

Telford show report • Berlin 1945 diorama • 1:9 Zündapp Part.2 • plus references and more...

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NEW How to Build The Steel Wheeled Tiger I A New and revised edition of the ultimate guide to building the Tiger I Steel Wheeled version by Angus Creighton. The new revised edition includes: ■ Early-batch Sturmtiger, using Tamiya’s 1:35 kit with factory zimmerit, ModelKasten battle-tracks ■ Late-batch Sturmtiger, using Tamiya’s 1:35 kit, Dragon late pattern road wheels, extra frontal armour, no zimmerit, ModelKasten battle-tracks ■ Dragon’s 1:35 Tiger I (SPzAbt 510 1944-45), ModelKasten transport tracks ■ and more...

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Contents

modeller military illustrated

ISSUE No.070 February 2017

4

NEWS

8

‘TEN HUT!

Military model product news

Sixteen new military kits on parade

10 SCALE MODELWORLD 2016 MiM reports from the IPMS Nationals at Scale Modelworld 2016, Telford

18 ORDNANCE DEPOT

New and recent accessory sets and modelling materials

20 END GAME, 1945

A slightly different approach to a JS-2 in Berlin, 1945

26 NEW ARMOUR FROM TAMIYA Three new kits on the way from the big T

28 ZAPPING THE ZÜNDAPP PT.2

Robert Döpp describes how he painted and weathered Revell’s 1:9 Zündapp KS 750

38 IT’S TINY TANK TIME!

Stan Spooner sets to work on Flyhawk’s magical 1:72 FT-17

44 BMP-2 MICV

A photo report on the Soviet-designed BMP-2 MICV mechanised infantry combat vehicle

50 FOUR WHEELS GOOD: EIGHT WHEELS BETTER! Getting to grips with Takom’s 1:35 Luchs A1/A2 armoured car

56 LET THE TRAIN TAKE THE STRAIN An eye-catching way of presenting Dragon’s 1:35 Panther Ausf.G

62 BOOK REVIEWS

Military model-related book reviews

66 SIGN OFF

GMC trucks crossing on a treadway steel bridge

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News NEWS JUST IN...

NEW FROM TAMIYA 1:35 VALENTINE MK.II/IV

Tamiya's next all-new armour kit will take the form of the WW2 British Valentine Mk.II/IV, which will come with link-length tracks, two figures and markings for one British and two Soviet Lend-Lease machines. More info on page 26/27 this issue. www.pocketbond.co.uk

AMUSING HOBBY

• 1:35 Panther II Schmalturm hannants.co.uk

BRONCO

• 1:35 Sd.Kfz.247 ausf.A • 1:35 Skoda LT Vz35 &R-2 tank hannants.co.uk

DRAGON

• 1:35 Pz.Kpfw.VI (7.5cm) Ausf.B hobbyco.net

NEW FROM TAKOM 1:35 FV432

On the way from Takom is a new series of 1:35 kits depicting the British FV432 battlefield taxi, an oddly handsome machine that has masses of modelling potential. Also on the way in 1:35 is the monster Minenräumer S, the vast and futuristic WW2 German mine clearance vehicle. www.pocketbond.co.uk

NEW FROM DRAGON

HAULER

The Sd.Kfz.252 is an interesting variant on the '250 chassis, with extensive modifications made to the superstructure to form an ammunition supply vehicle. Dragon's new kit comes with the Sd.Ah.32/1 trailer and will make the perfect accompaniment to the Sturmgeschütz III ausf.C/D, also shown here. www.hobbyco.net

REVELL

1:35 SD.KFZ.252 AND AMMO TRAILER

NEW FROM REVELL 1:72 SOVIET T-55A

1:48 ELEFANT TANK DESTROYER

Tamiya's next 1:48 AFV is the mighty Elefant tank destroyer. The kit pretty much mimics its 1:35 brother in detail and will still need zimmerit application. More news on page 26/27 this issue. www.pocketbond.co.uk

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• 1:72 Tiger II ausf.B Henschel turret revell.de/en

ZVEZDA

This lovely new kit features fantastic detail and lots of individual parts; there's little compromise for the smaller scale. It's essential to check the specific details for the vehicle you are building, as there were lots of differences between variants. www.revell.de/en

NEW FROM TAMIYA

• 1:48 PE for Mk.IV Humber • 1:35 PE Soviet tank anti-radiation cladding fasteners • 1:35 PE anti-tank barriers hauler.cz

• 1:100 US Light Tank M3A1 • 1:100 KV-1 • 1:100 M3 Lee • 1:100 M4A2 Sherman • 1:100 JS-2, ISU-152 • 1:100 Panther ausf.A www.hobbyco.net

NEW FROM TAKOM US HEAVY TANKS

The US T29E3 and T30/34 heavy tanks are on the way from Takom in 1:35 and they will have a serious presence in the display cabinet once complete. Expect link-length tracks. www.pocketbond.co.uk

THIS MONTH IN TAMIYA MODEL MAGAZINE… TAMIYA 1:35 M48 OVERHAUL This month’s edition of Tamiya Model Magazine (March, No.256) features Tamiya’s 1:48 StuG.III ausf.B. Order your copy now at; www.tamiyamodelmagazine.com

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Limited Time Subscripti o

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We have teamed up with our friends at Model Craft so we can offer you a special gift for subscribing with us for 24 issues. There are one of two gift options to choose from and these Model Craft tool sets are perfect for modellers at all skill levels, whether you have just started modelling or you just need to replenish the stocks! This offer is available to both NEW and EXISTING subscribers. If you are an existing subscriber, we will simply extend your current subscription for a further 24 issues, so do not wait until your subscription runs out, RENEW TODAY while stocks last! MODEL CRAFT OPTION 1 15 Piece Craft & Model Tool Set A 15-piece tool set that has everything you need for craft, model making, repairing and small general tasks. The A5 size self-healing mat is a perfect addition as it ensures no cracking or warping when using the blades, preventing any cutting errors and preserves the life of blades! Includes: • 1 x Side cutter • 1 x Snipe nose Plier • 1 x Modellers knife with no.11 Blade • 5 x no. 11 spare blades • 1x Flat hobby file • 1x Flat end tweezers • 1x Bent nose tweezer • 2 x Grip clamps: 2 x 2" (50mm) • 1x Grip clamps: 1 x 3" (75mm) • 1 x A5 size self-healing cutting mat

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MODEL CRAFT OPTION 2 9 Piece Plastic Modelling Tool Set & 16 Piece Precision Craft Knife Set The 9 Piece Plastic Modelling Tool Set is ideal for plastic modelling and other craft & hobby applications, and includes: • Plastic Sprue Cutter - for cutting & snipping sprues and parts on plastic kits, eg. planes, cars, boats, military models and figures, etc. • Mini Flat File - for filing and smoothing off burrs or excess material. • Craft Knife - for cutting out shapes, decals and general craft/hobby tasks. • Self Healing Cutting Mat - protects work surface and extends blade life. The excellent Precision Craft Knife Set comes complete with a choice of 3 knife handles & 13 various blades, ideal for hobby, craft and professional tasks. The knives can perform fine angle cuts & precise trimming, cutting, carving, sawing, gouging & shaping. All packed in a handy storage case. Includes: Classic craft knife #1, Medium duty hobby knife #2 & Plastic handled craft knife #5 Blades to fit the #1 handle • 1x General purpose curved blade #10 • 2x Classic Fine point blades #11 • 1x Scoring blade #16 • 1 x Chiselling blade #17

Blades to fit the #2 & #5 handle • 2x Large fine point blades #2 • 1x Chiselling blade #18 • 1x Angled chiselling blade #19 • 1x Large curved carving blade #22 • 2x Deburring blades #24 • 1x Stencil edge blade #68

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TEN HUT! REVELL, EUROPE

Some of the latest military kits to drop onto the Military Illustrated Modeller reviews desk TAKOM, CHINA

1:35 T-55 A/AM

ITEM NO; 03304 www.revell.de/en

HANOMAG SS100

This is a new-tool kit for 2016 and it looks it; the detail is fantastic throughout and the link-andlength tracks are little marvels of injection-moulding design. The kit is broken down into a remarkable number of parts for this scale, building up pretty much the same as a 1:35 equivalent. Optional engine decks, turret roofs, driver’s hatches and more are provided for T-55s from different operators. MN

TAKOM, HONG KONG

1:35 G6 RHINO

The HANOMAG (Hannoversche Maschinenbau Aktiengesellschaft) SS100 was a rather interestinglooking tractor that was used as the tug for the Meillerwagen trailer that transported and launched V2 missiles. Takom have issued this vehicle as a prelude to the release of the full V2 set and it’s a nice idea. The kit comes with an engine, part-by-part chassis and well executed cabin interior. MN

ZVEZDA, RUSSIA ITEM NO; 2052 www.pocketbond.co.uk

1:35 T-14 ARMATA RUSSIAN MAIN BATTLE TANK

ITEM NO; 3670 www.hobbyco.net

This might be the first injection-moulded plastic kit of a South African National Defence Force AFV ever made. The G6 Rhino is an ugly brute but that usually makes for a great model subject, which indeed it does. The kit is an impressive production with a ton of detail and a large parts-count. MN

ICM, UKRAINE

The T-14 Armata is Russia’s new main battle tank and it’s a mighty beast. There are a couple of kits of it out at the moment; now Zvezda have joined the fray. The kit comes in a large box and is moulded in fine grey polystyrene; detail is remarkably fine across all surfaces and the tracks come in the form of link-and-lengths. MN

ICM, UKRAINE

1:35 MAGIRUS S330 GERMAN TRUCK (1949 PRODUCTION)

ITEM NO; 35452 www.hannants.co.uk

1:35 MODEL T 1917 AMBULANCE

This is a beautifully executed kit of the late 1940s Magirus S330 truck, a post-war machine that has, nonetheless, the look of a wartime vehicle. It comes with a detailed engine and chassis, rear wheel drive axle/prop shaft plus optional radiator grilles and engine covers. Excellent detail all round. MN

ITEM NO; 35452 www.hannants.co.uk

The Model T Ford in ambulance form makes an extremely attractive model subject and ICM have done a very nice job of it here. The kit comes with a detailed ambulance body that includes a stretcher and wood-slat internal seating. Full of character and detail. MN

ICM, UKRAINE

REVELL, EUROPE

1:35 PANHARD 178 AMD-35 COMMAND WWII FRENCH ARMOURED VEHICLE

1:35 SD.KFZ.251/1 AUSF.B ‘STUKA ZU FUß’

ITEM NO; 35375 www.hannants.co.uk

ICM’s Panhard 178 is a very nice kit and has already been released in a couple of forms. Now we have the Command version, with a pair of very prominent radio masts on concertina-shaped mounts. The comprehensive interior detail is a real selling point, featuring the twin driving positions plus engine detail. MN

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ITEM NO; 2068 www.pocketbond.co.uk

ITEM NO; 03248 www.revell.de/en

In the box here we have Zvezda’s Sd.Kfz.251/1 ausf.B with Wurfrahmen 40 rocket launchers mounted along its flanks. The kit is basically excellent, with thinly-moulded crew compartment walls, very nicely detailed individual, multipart tracks and well-formed launcher frames. With some careful assembly, this will build into a very interesting-looking model. MN

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TAMIYA, JAPAN

DRAGON, HONG KONG

1:35 JGSDF LIGHT ARMOURED VEHICLE

ITEM NO; 32590 www.hobbyco.net

1:35 SD.KFZ.162 JAGDPANZER IV A-O

To accompany their 1:48 Type 10 MBT, Tamiya have scaled down the 1:35 Komatsu LAV to 1:48, and it looks great. The kit features interior seating and centre console, detailed suspension system, driver figure, open or closed roof hatch on the gunner’s station and multipart tyres for maximum tread detail. MN

DRAGON, HONG KONG

ITEM NO; 6843 www.hobbyco.net

The Jagdpanzer IV A-0 features rather interestinglooking, round-fronted main armour giving the familiar tank hunter a notably different appearance. Only a few were made and Dragon’s kit represents the type well. A packed box contains masses of finely detailed parts in grey styrene, along with a smattering of PE. MN

DRAGON, HONG KONG

1:35 KINGTIGER HENSCHEL TURRET W/ZIMMERIT 2 IN 1

1:35 15CM s.IG.33/2 (Sf) AUF JAGDPANZER 38(t) SMART KIT

Dragon have re-issued their superb Henschel-turreted Tiger II, perhaps in response to Takom’s new kits hitting the model shop shelves. The kit comes with moulded-in zimmerit and it’s very well done. The bare patches on the turret sides for the ‘charging knight’ emblem haven’t been forgotten, and PE screens are included for the engine deck. MN

As one of Dragon’s recent tranche of Hetzer variants, the 15cm s.IG.33-armed machine makes a very appealing model subject. The kit features a revised upper hull with extensions for the gun and its mount. Wonderful interior detail, with ammunition racks, gearbox, two types of gun mount and a highly detailed 15cm gun feature. MN

ITEM NO; 6840 www.hobbyco.net

DRAGON, HONG KONG

ITEM NO; 6489 www.hobbyco.net

BRONCO MODELS, CHINA

1:35 KINGTIGER PORSCHE TURRET W/ZIMMERIT 2 IN 1

ITEM NO; 6848 www.hobbyco.net

1:35 STURMGESCHÜTZ III AUSF.C/D (SD.KFZ.142)

ITEM NO; CB35116 www.hannants.co.uk

Dragon have also issued their Porsche-turreted version of the Tiger II and it comes with moulded-in zimmerit like the Henschel variant. The kit is a ‘2 in 1’ release and comes with the turret-mounted lifting frame which will lend it an unusual and eye-catching look. This is a very highly detailed model that comes with ‘Magic Track’. MN

From this kit, you can build the StuG.III ausf C with the long-barrelled 75mm StuK 40/L48 with saukopf mantlet or the ausf.D with the more familiar short-barrelled weapon. The model comes with individual-link, glue-together tracks, internal details for the gun and its mount plus pertinent PE brass parts. MN

BRONCO MODELS, CHINA

RYE FIELD MODEL, CHINA

1:35 GERMAN RHEINMETALL RHEINTOCHTER ANTI-AIRCRAFT MISSILES (R-2) AND LAUNCHER

1:35 TIGER I PZ.KPFW.VI AUSF.E MIDDLE PRODUCTION FULL INTERIOR

ITEM NO; CB35048 www.hannants.co.uk

Bronco’s second release of a WW2 German battlefield missile depicts the ferociouslooking ‘Rheintochter’ missile, which was designed as an anti-aircraft weapon. The unusual shape of the missile is well replicated and the modeller can go to town replicating the wood grain of its wooden fins. MN

ITEM NO; RM-5010 www.hannants.co.uk

Rye Field Model’s new Tiger I kits are magnificent productions and with a full interior, they represent many weeks/ months of potential modelling enjoyment. The latest to arrive is the Mid Production version which features rubber-tyred road wheels. The model will need the application of zimmerit but this can be quite a satisfying challenge. MN

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MIM SPECIAL SHOW REPORT

SCALE MODELWORLD 2016 AT THE TELFORD INTERNATIONAL CENTRE MiM reports from the IPMS Nationals at Scale Modelworld 2016

O

ver the weekend of November 12th/13th last year, the UK’s biggest scale modelling event took place in the Shropshire town of Telford, not far from the England/Wales border. It’s a huge event that brings visitors from every part of the world, coming to display their own models in the competition, to buy new kits and accessories, browse the endless stands and to meet up with old friends. Military Illustrated Modeller was there of course, along with the other scale modelling magazines from Doolittle Media; Tamiya Model Magazine, Model Military International and Model Airplane International. In these few pages you can see a handful of the military models that caught our eye in the competition – we only had enough space for a selection; there were many, many more fantastic creations on the tables. We'll be back again next year! •

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MIM SPECIAL SHOW REPORT

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MIM SPECIAL SHOW REPORT

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ORDNANCE DEPOT New and recently issued kits and accessory sets for armour modelling projects

HARDER & STEENBECK TOOL SET If you use a Harder & Steenbeck airbrush (and they are very good) then this tool set is a very worthwhile purchase to maintain it with. The set comes in a handy leatherette pouch and includes a soft, microfibre cloth on which to perform the service work. The tools themselves include four, different-sized cleaning brushes, nozzle cleaning needle (used from the rear of the nozzle), replacement packing and bearings plus a special screwdriver. Very handy! MN

DEF MODEL, KOREA

EDUARD, CZECH REPUBLIC Dragon’s impressive Patriot missile launcher gets some useful photoetched brass parts from Eduard, which will help to add a touch of extra finesse to this area. Tamiya’s recently issued M10 tank destroyer is the recipient of some very useful miniature sheet-metal parts such as mudguards, brushguards, tie-downs. All good stuff. MN 1:35 • MIM-104F PAC-3 Patriot launcher (36347) for Dragon • Tied-downs and straps US steel (36348) • M10 Mid-Production (36349) for Tamiya • M4A3E8 (36350) for Italeri

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New from this marvellous Korean producer is a set of wheels/tyres for the Hobbyboss and Tiger Model Panhard VBL armoured car and they will give the model a massive boost of realism once fitted. Roden’s recently issued M37 truck also receives a full set of wheels/tyres and they are superior in every way to the standard kit parts. In DEF’s new injection-moulded line, we have a set of articulated T158 tracks for the US M1A1/M1A2 Abrams SEP and Korean K1A1/K1A2/K2, the differentiating factor being the design of the guide-horns. The tracks are moulded in grey polystyrene and the detail is superb. MN 1:35 • US T-158 workable track links (S35001) • US LAV-25 XL wheel-set sagged (DW35093) for Trumpeter • US M37 cargo truck wheel-set sagged (DW35097) for Roden • T-34/85 alternative turret 8-part mould conversion set (DM35075) • M48A1/A2 early-type mantlet canvas cover set (DM35072) for Dragon Magach 1 • M68 main gun w/canvas cover set (DM35073) for AFV Club • T-34-76 mod.1943 basic PE detail-up set (DE35014)

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ABER, POLAND The latest batch of new releases from Aber include a barrel set for Takom’s Mk.I Female WWI tank and two photo-etched sets for AFV Club’s 1:48 Sturmtiger. As always, the machined metal parts are perfectly milled and lathed and the PE is some of the very best around. MN 1:48 • Sturmtiger 38cm RW61 assault mortar Vol. 1 basic (48 043) for AFV Club • Sturmtiger 38cm RW61 assault mortar Vol. 2 fender and exhaust covers (48 049) for AFV Club 1:35; • Soviet 122m A-19 barrel for ISU-122 (5 L-208) • Flak 36 and Flak 37 German 88mm L/56 two-piece barrel (35 L-189) • 9M14 Malyutka (AT-3 Sagger) Soviet anti-tank guided rocket (35 P-27) • Armament for British Vickers Medium Tank Mk.I (35 L-198) for Hobbyboss • Barrels for British WW1 Mk.I Female (35 L-196) for Takom 1:25 • Russian 85mm ZiS-S-53 L/54.6 tank barrel for T-34-85 (25 L-10) 1:16 • US Army MP-48 antenna base (16 054) • US Army MS antennae for MP-48 base (10 055)

WHERE TO BUY?

MR COLOR, JAPAN Many modellers have become very used to using waterbased acrylic paints these days, but there is an alternative to them if you want a medium that has a little more ‘bite’, in other words, has a more powerful solvent that will bond more keenly to the kit plastic or primer to which it is being applied. Mr Hobby’s lacquer-based paint range is called ‘Mr Color’ and is quite different to the company’s Mr Hobby Aqueous line, which are acrylic colours not dissimilar to Tamiya’s X and XF materials. The paints are incredibly fine-grained and dry with a slight satin sheen, which is perfect for most model subjects; if you require a dead flat finish, they can be over-painted with any matt varnish once cured. MiM has received a generously large quantity of Mr Color paints from the UK importer and distributor, Albion Hobbies, and we’ll be using them for various projects over the coming issues. But for now, here’s an initial overview of some of the paints; WW2 German RLMs, American Federal Standard, RAF, WW2 German armour, fluorescents, metallics and more. MN

ICM; www.hannants.co.uk • DEF Model; www.defmodel.com • Eduard; www.eduard.com www.creativemodels.co.uk www.hannants.co.uk Harder and Steenbeck; www.modellingtools.co.uk • Aber; www.aber.net.pl • Mr Color; www.albionhobbies.com

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FULL-BUILD: TAMIYA 1:35 JS-2 SOVIET HEAVY TANK KIT NO.35289

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END GAME, 1945 David Pickford takes a slightly different approach to creating a JS-2 in Berlin, 1945

T

he Josef Stalin tank was a Soviet superheavy designed to neutralise the threat of the German Tiger. I have always enjoyed looking at models and photos of this AFV with its crude but efficient construction, its extraordinarily long gun barrel, slack tracks and hand painted turret numerals. Often photographed in Berlin, it seemed to be able to take a huge amount of punishment and continue to operate effectively. Berlin dioramas are very popular among modellers. I wanted to depict my JS2 lumbering past a typical Berlin City Building with hatches down, looking battered and menacing, in a scene of devastation

capturing some of the hellish quality of what the battle must have had. Figures normally feature heavily in my models, but on this occasion I decided to include none. I thought this might add to the atmosphere and menace of the piece. The human element could be implied by the detritus around the scene.

BUILDING THE JS-2

I had the Tamiya kit as a base. I built this up from the box, but substituted some Dragon Magic link tracks to the Tamiya links that are required to be formed around track guides included with the kit.

That limited the degree of slack you could achieve, to my mind, whereas the dragon links allowed a more extreme look to be modelled (1). A feature of the JS-2 is its rough, cast armour. This was modelled in the Tamiya kit, but in a conservative sort of way. I decided to redo the armour texture with Humbrol Putty thinned with polystyrene cement and then stippled with a stiff brush. Similar observations applied to the welding beads, I did some like those stretching across the hull with stretched sprue softened with polystyrene cement before application and then textured with a hobby knife (2). I made shell impact damage

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FULL-BUILD: TAMIYA 1:35 JS-2 SOVIET HEAVY TANK KIT NO.35289

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with a pyrogravure to the turret, and bent grab handles with 20 amp fuse wire. The fuel drums in the kit look best bent and battered. The plastic kit parts are perfectly intact, so I discarded those and made new ones from thin copper sheet which is easy to bend subsequently (3). I also used photo etch grilles and side skirts from Aber, again allowing me to inflict violent damage for the ‘Berlin look.’ (4) A few simple techniques had added quite an individual look to the vehicle and had me off to a good start.

THE DIORAMA

Its easy to identify common faults in Berlin dioramas. In Berlin, buildings were tall; often six storeys, but often modellers avoid this producing a broken ruin just above the line of their tanks so as not to dwarf the focal point of their composition. A collapsed six-storey building produces a lot of rubble, but often scenes showed just a sprinkling. I decided to make my building the centrepiece of the scene; three storey with a tiled roof and dormer window. I also decided to have it mostly intact, subject only to bullet and shrapnel damage, to avoid the rubble issue. I drew a sketch first to get an idea of what I wanted to do. I had recently obtained a supply of blue Styrofoam in various gauges between 1 and 15mm. Although there are many approaches to producing scenic buildings including

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11 scratchbuilding from plaster, wood, card and cork, each has its advantages and disadvantages. Styrofoam is a very versatile material which is light, easy to cut, carve, sand and scribe and allows complicated structures to be assembled quickly and easily. I looked at lots of images on the internet of European City Buildings and also made mental notes of buildings in Leeds, UK, where I work. Neo Classical architecture of the period is common around European cities. I built it up in modules gluing the pieces together, not copying a single building but adopting features from various examples (5). There are various glues that you can use to glue the foam, including PVA, wood glue, but I used UHU Por which is specifically designed for foam modelling. Simple tools suffice to work the surface of the foam. I used an X-Acto blade, a Swann Morton scalpel, a steel ruler to cut straight edges and sandpaper to smooth any ragged edges. I built up the groundwork and pavement section with foam too, scribing the bricks with an X-Acto

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blade. Individual cobbles could be depressed with the end of a pencil. Once complete, I painted over the cobbles with thinned plaster to give a dirt infill appearance. On the apex of the bend depressed the foam and added cracked flags and broken kerb stones. The apex of the bend is where vehicle override damage is often seen (6). I also added a shell crater at the edge of the base for variety (7). The building itself looked pretty imposing when

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assembled (8) but at three stories was probably small for a Berlin building. I felt any higher would disrupt the composition however. The roof and dormer was built with plastic card with each tile individually cut from 1mm Styrofoam sheet and glued into place on top and plastic card rod used as ridge tiles. (9) The windows in the building were Verlinden Productions items which had thin resin in the frames from the casting process. I used this as

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FULL-BUILD: TAMIYA 1:35 JS-2 SOVIET HEAVY TANK KIT NO.35289

14 broken glass cutting out all but the broken shards. I had built the diorama around the vehicle and it fitted the scene quite tightly at the end.

PAINTING THE SCENE

I decided on a red, green and grey colour scheme. Generally I think a simple colour scheme can look more effective as too many colours can be visually confusing. I airbrushed the main areas initially, but then overpainted with brushes. I added more details as I worked around the scene, bricks dirt and rubble and a water fountain from Reality in Scale, a laser cut manhole cover from the same company (10). I painted bullet strikes all over the building and added plenty of variety to the roof in reds yellows and browns (11) and I also added a hand painted propaganda slogan on the side wall. I painted the JS-2 in Tamiya acrylics. I mixed the green initially from JA Green and Dark Yellow and airbrushed this over a black base. I progressively lightened

this as I sprayed the vertical surfaces to produce something of a modulation effect. I hand painted all the turret numerals including the Soviet bear with off-white paint applied with a paint brush. Pictures often show this aspect painted crudely by the crew so this seemed a better approach than using transfers. The weathering was done with oil washes, raw umber and black and airbrushed with mud and dust tones. I did not use any pigments. (12, 13, 14, 15). I added Frau Müller’s civilian bicycle from Master Box carefully bending the front wheel and placed it next to a child’s teddy bear that I had sculpted from Greenstuff putty (16). I made a discarded newspaper from a thin sheet of MagicSculpt that I hand painted (17). The building was only a section of the structure I was modelling so I blocked off the sides at the edge of the base with plastic card. I sprayed the whole of the interior black to avoid the viewer being able to see into the building past the broken windows. •

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Final thoughts The finished scene I feel has a certain atmosphere distinct from many Berlin dioramas due to the extreme height of the building relative to the smallish base and its lack of human figures. It was a learning experience making it due to the use of Styrofoam in its construction. Despite the size, the diorama weighs very little.

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NEW KIT PREVIEW: TAMIYA 1:35 BRITISH INFANTRY TANK MK.III VALENTINE MK.II/IV • KIT NO.35352

1:35 VALENTINE MK

NEW KIT PREVIEW: TAMIYA 1:48 GERMAN HEAVY TANK DESTROYER ELEFANT SD.KFZ.184 • KIT NO.32589

1:48 HEAVY TANK DESTROYER ELEFANT

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amiya released their 1:35 Elefant a few years back to much acclaim, and now we have this superb new version in the popular scale of 1:48. The model has the feel of its larger brother and brings many of the sophisticated design elements with it, from the scale-down. The hull builds up from base plate plus side, front and rear panels. The suspension comes in prebuilt units making assembly very quick and easy. Now the modeller just needs to tackle zimmerit in 1:48! Although there is a sticker-sheet on the way. •

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MK.II/IV T

amiya's next all-new 1:35 armour kit will take the form of the WW2 British Valentine Mk.II/IV tank, a distinctive-looking machine that served with the British in the north African desert and also with the Soviets through the Lend-Lease scheme. It's important to note that the kit is all-new and not licensed release from MiniArt of AFV Club. Tamiya have utilised link-and-length tracks for this release and the hull is broken down into individual panels to allow them to be moulded with maximum detail. With this release, decals for one British (desert yellow) and two Soviet (olive drab) tanks are provided. More news soon! •

NEW KIT PREVIEW: TAMIYA 1:35 BRITISH CRUSADER MK.III

1:35 CRUSADER MK.III

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amiya have made use of Italeri's still accurate moulds for the WW2 British Crusader tank, given them a once-over to tighten up the parts fit and released it in a smart new kit box. Good to see this kit again in spruced-up form! More news on all these kits soon in MiM. • TAMIYA AVAILABILITY; Tamiya models, paints and accessories are widely available from good model shops and online. UK import and distribution by The Hobby Company Limited; www.hobbyco.net

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ZAPPING THE Z FULL-BUILD REVELL 1:9 ZÜNDAPP KS750 • KIT NO.03071

In the second and final part of this special feature, Robert Döpp describes the painting and weathering Revell’s 1:9 Zündapp KS 750

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ZÜNDAPP PT.2 W

henever I read about painting and weathering models, the authors usually seem to be very sure about what they are doing and things appear to turn out just like expected. I guess in many case this is an effect of writing rather than of modelling. Anyway I am sure that this was not true for me with my large scale Zündapp! The whole process turned out to be quite challenging instead and I had to learn and struggle more than I had planned.

PAINTING

The main challenge while working on a motorcycle is the fact that virtually every single detail will be visible in the end and so must be carefully painted and weathered individually. In this large scale, a greater number of sub-assemblies than I had ever used before were necessary, all fixed to simple handles in order to avoid touching the painted parts. (1-3) First the inside of the sidecar body had to be finished, because I decided to add the separately painted footrest and heating system to the inside before the underside of the sidecar body was treated, so the screws and bolts fixing the inner details could not cause damage to the outside surface. (4-9) I learned from HP Hommes that the screws and bolts on German vehicles were usually 'atramentiert' (atramented) which resulted in an off-black phosphate layer that sealed the material fast and easily but not really perfectly. Initially on the Zündapp, the pre-painted parts were assembled and received a second paint-layer afterwards, most likely including most of the connection parts. But the standards were lowered later on in order to save time and materials so that many connecting parts stayed untreated like they had always been on the unpainted technical parts as well. Thus once the base colour was sprayed I brush painted all connective parts with Revell Matt Black. Motorcycles were officially classified as 'Kleingeräte' (small sized equipment) to which no camouflage pattern was to be applied. Nevertheless the troops sometimes did and in particular, soldiers of a tank unit could likely access the necessary supplies. Thus I decided to mimic a rather hastily troop-applied variety of stripes on top of the markings in which my Zündapp would originally had been delivered. (10-11) I chose to try a new material (to me at least) a try for the painting named Mr. Paint. This acrylic material is extremely finely pigmented and is provided pre-diluted resulting in rather poor covering characteristics. That is why I decided to use a mixture of several Tamiya acrylics for the 'Dunkelgelb' (Dark Yellow) base colour instead, but employed Mr. Paint for priming and for the camouflage pattern where it worked really well. (12) Once all necessary markings had been applied and the details had been brush-painted with enamels (like rubber, aluminium parts or sub-units that were original painted with heat resistant black) everything was sealed with semi-satin acrylic varnish (Tamiya X-21/X-22) to prepare the weathering treatment.

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FULL-BUILD REVELL 1:9 ZÜNDAPP KS750 • KIT NO.03071

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4 The already finished foot room needed careful masking to avoid any overspray

6 Once removed again, the wood grain on the foot rest was mimicked with varying shades of oil paint. On every single bar, a dark and a light shade were applied wet-on-wet

5 The necessary interior details are provisionally fixed in order to apply a colour-washing effect to the surrounding areas

9 When the interior had received a full painting/weathering treatment the footrest and heating system were finally fitted so that the outside spray job could be finished

7 To give the wood a weathered look a coat of highly diluted Revell Matt Black was sprayed over a brush applied layer of AK-Interactive Worn Effects and carefully chipped with a water moistened small brush.

8 The finished result. On the right there are the still untreated bolts and screws which will fix the parts from the outside of the sidecar body

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The kits decals were replaced by custom-made dry transfers from the German company Tailormadedecals. Highly recommended!

The basic sub-units to which camouflage paint is to be applied. These are only provisionally assembled. I had to do so several times during the painting and weathering process

12 Though I had already painted the aluminium parts in their grey base tone I tried to avoid overspray, which the troops did not necessarily do

13 Though I had already painted the aluminium parts in their grey base tone I tried to avoid overspray, which the troops did not necessarily do

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FULL-BUILD REVELL 1:9 ZÜNDAPP KS750 • KIT NO.03071

WEATHERING

I had chosen a light version of 'Dunkelgelb' to compensate for the fact that the weathering process usually tones everything down significantly. Therefore the unchanged 'Dunkelgrün' (Dark Green) and the 'Rotbraun' (Red Brown) turned out rather contrasty. In addition, the camouflage stripes were fairly thin for the large scale. There were examples for a fine pattern and so I would not declare it to be wrong. But both seemed to hide the motorcycle's shape and details more than I had planned. So when I started the weathering process with a basic dark, outlining colour-wash I chose a dark tone and heavy effect to bring out all structures again. I was satisfied with the result at first but later on it appeared too much on the heavy side to me and a fair amount of the ongoing weathering process can be described as a struggle against the first dissatisfying 'wash' effect. A first step was a (non-planned) careful drybrushing run with the 'Dunkelgelb' base tone adapted from Revell enamels (15). Afterwards I turned to the engine and exhaust parts, originally treated with heat-resistant black paint. Despite this sealing, frequent heating/cooling would still have caused limited rusting, which I mimicked with oil paints. (17) Both frequent heating and the deformation of pliable material may cause an accumulation of dust layers, thus I sprayed all parts where these effects took place with a thin layer of heavily diluted dust coloured Revell enamels, over varying layers of AK-Interactive 'Worn Effects' and 'chipped' the layer with several water moistened brushes. (18) The effect was varied with additional layers of dust mixed from oils (19) and some more rust from oils was added on top as well. In doing so I turned over to the blackened connection parts. A light, dusty colour-wash brought out the tiny details again and a fair amount of rusty chips mimicked the tool impacts from assembly. At the same time I used the light dusty mix to carefully lighten the dark colour-washing effects I was no longer satisfied with. (20) Already in a slightly more tempered mood I went over to the chipping with which I felt more comfortable. I started with diluted (with white spirit) raw umber and Vandyke brown oils to mimic light, dirty scratches which did not damage the paint layers fundamentally and worked down to the red oxide primer and finally bare metal with linseed oil diluted oils. (21-22) When applying rain streaks to the chipped areas using a dirty looking pre-rusting shade (Warm Sepia Extra), I used the same brownish colour to rework the dark recesses again with an irregular speckled pattern. This procedure nicely added depth to the model without darkening it too much. (23) Military vehicles in field conditions will collect heavy dusting; multi-layered, partly washed off and of differing shades. But with the 16

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14 All troop-added markings were applied on top of the camouflage pattern, again custom made dry transfers coming from Tailormadedecals

The originally aluminium cast parts were also sprayed with Tamiya acrylics and 'washed' similarly to the originally painted ones but I did the drybrushing with lighter shades and with more intensity

15 The wash/outlining was based on a mixture of raw umber and Vandyke brown oils 17 I varied the rust tone with differing mixes of burnt umber and chrome orange and partly dabbed it on undiluted to allow tiny build-ups

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19 After a first try on the other black parts I applied the same dust effect to the tyres and added additional dust layers from oils to all other parts, too

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21 The dark yellow base tone was mixed from Naples yellow, Italian earth and titanium white, the primer red from burnt umber, Vandyke brown and cadmium red middle and the bare metal from Mars black, titanium white and burnt umber

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FULL-BUILD REVELL 1:9 ZÜNDAPP KS750 • KIT NO.03071

23 Warm sepia extra matches convincingly a weary pre-rusting tone that I used rather extensively. The areas of straight rust (burnt umber) on painted parts were kept very limited instead. Both colours were diluted with white spirit

24 Varying dust tones were mixed from 502 Abteilung Light Mud and Italian Earth, plus Vandyke brown and burnt umber

25 Caked mud was mimicked with a mixture of oils (502 Abteilung Light Mud, Italian Earth) and Pigments (Mig Productions Dry Mud, Europe Dust). A little white spirit for dilution made it dry completely matt

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28 It proved rather tricky to paint the camouflaged tarpaulin with the wrapped tools

27 All weathering effects were apparent in this area. Note how the ‘washing’, pre-rusting accumulation of wear, and dust were used in a speckled pattern to create smooth transitions of a subtle deepening effect

29 Shadowing the tarpaulin started with a detail wash from Vandyke brown and raw umber. Afterwards it was highlighted by drybrushing 502 Abteilung Light Mud and carefully deepened by adding a non-covering layer of the ‘washing’ mixture into the recesses

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30 The wooden shaft of the sledge hammer was treated in a similar way to the wooden footrest

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33 Most of the disassembled parts were kept separate until painting and weathering were completely done

34 Remains of oil, fuel and grease were mimicked with various mixtures of Mars black, raw umber and Italian Earth diluted with turpentine and linseed oil. These dilutions allowed to vary the consistency while keeping the shine of the oils

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FULL-BUILD REVELL 1:9 ZÜNDAPP KS750 • KIT NO.03071

model extra care was necessary in order not to ruin all previous effects underneath a dull dust coat which may be realistic, but can disrupt the model's appearance. Therefore I chose a pretty dark, dusty shade which would not ruin the depth effect but could help to vary it instead, hopefully resulting in smooth transitions and a subtle light/shadow effect (24). As late in the process as this was done, I was finally pretty happy with the overall look of my model. The last weathering step before the reassembly could start was to add some caked-on mud, concentrating on the fenders and the surrounding areas (25-26). Though I did not completely matt down the model, some matt varnish (Model Master) was still necessary to regulate shine in certain areas. I was not sure if I would need some more matting after assembly. That is why additional shiny remains of oil, fuel and grease were applied afterwards (34).

CONCLUSION

Working on a complete model in a large scale was a rather new to my experience. Though the Zündapp was a comparatively small vehicle, the level of detail I wanted to achieve from this rather basic kit made it a very lengthy project. The same was true for the painting and weathering. The sheer size of every panel made it hard to create convincing effects. Nevertheless, in the end it turned out rewarding, because the large scale allows one to combine an appealing look even at a first, superficial sight with endless small details to be discovered from a more detailed inspection; the more you look, the more you'll see! •

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I am very grateful for the support of John Osselaer and Waclaw Peszko. I dedicate my work to my beloved daughter, Johanna.

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FULL-BUILD FLYHAWK 1:72 FT-17 TANK • KIT NO.FH 3001

SMALL BUT PERFECTLY FORMED Stan Spooner dons his most powerful close-up magnifiers and sets to work on Flyhawk's magical little 1:72 FT-17

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’ve been building models for a long time. What started as a hobby that was just about creating a reasonable facsimile of a particular subject has increasingly become focused on accuracy and fidelity of detail. I remember when it was a big deal that an aeroplane kit came with recessed panel lines! Yes, as the demand for more and more 'scale' detail has increased, technology has come along to meet that demand. It shows up in all scales but in my opinion, none so dramatically as the Flyhawk line of small scale kits. Although they have made small scale ship kits, I first heard of them when I started seeing images of their amazing 1:72 kits of the WWI FT-17. The FT-17 was a small but very significant tank used by both sides during both WWI and WWII. It is this tank that became the fore-runner of modern tank thinking, with a tracked lower hull and a main gun in a 360 degree rotating turret located on top. Flyhawk took a subject that was already considered small and reproduced it as an ultra-high detailed kit in the very small scale of 1:72. When I first opened the box, I was truly impressed with the fidelity of detail offered in both plastic and photo-etch. The kit comes with two main gun options as well as enough parts to build two whole models. For a modeller like me – whose fingers have been compared to sausages and eyes that not only need bifocal glasses to see but a headset of magnifying glasses – the idea of building this model is a bit counter intuitive. With that, I had no intention of building two models, I looked at the second set of parts as a comprehensive 'spares box' addition because I knew that I would need them along the way!

WORKING SMALL…

I cracked open the box one evening at a SprueCutters meeting. It’s held at our local hobby shop, Brookhurst Hobbies in California and is a group build night held twice a month. We get a group of guys together of varying skill levels and glue plastic, share tips and swap jokes. Working on something this small is a bit intimidating in any location but trying to build this in an open environment like this was going to be quite a test. Needless to say, I have left a few 'missing parts' somewhere on the floor of that hobby shop with this build. The fit of the parts, both plastic and photo-etch is fantastic. I was amazed with the hull detail, thoughtfully moulded in one piece except the bottom featuring fantastic rivet detail, and when they couldn't have the rivet detail by virtue of the moulding limitations, they provide you with a small PE panel to glue in place that then has all of the missing detail in place! The suspension is an intricate and detailed build and then the track links that are moulded in one beautiful piece, just slips over the suspension into place! Just beautiful. Other parts of the build such as brackets to hold the storage bin on the left side come in both plastic and PE. One other fun option is that you can pose the turret hatches in an open or closed position. The tools that come with the kit are well detailed and perfectly in scale. When the kit was finished, I felt it just needed a few other details to make it look like a typical FT-17. I added a beautiful rolled tarp from the Value Gear line to the top of the rear skid and used very fine wire as the rope that tied it down and then I added some extremely small chain from a railroad line and draped it from the rear hull hooks and up and over the rear of the skid. Lastly, I used a small piece of braided copper wire to simulate a loop of rope that was often stowed on

The turret is nicely detailed. The rear hatches can be posed in the open or closed position; the author decided to 'split the difference'

The lower hull has been assembled with a few added details such as a resin tarp and tow chain on the rear skid and wire handles added to the front entrance hatches

Here, all of the details have been added and the four main assemblies are placed together one last time before painting

The original idea for displaying the model was a tiny trench scene much like the one in the MENG 1:35 scale FT-17 kit. Here is the basic dio base made of foam, finishing plaster, and strips of plastic and small resin details

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FULL-BUILD FLYHAWK 1:72 FT-17 TANK • KIT NO.FH 3001

the rear left side of the tank. The only other addition I made to the kit was to use some fine stainless steel wire to create the two handles on the front access doors, instead of the PE pieces that are provided in the kit. Now that the build was finished I played with the idea of creating a small dioramic base much like the one provided in the Meng 1:35 kit but in the end, I must admit, I don't have the skill sets yet to convincingly pull that off the way I would want to. That said, a cleaner, more graphic option was used in the end (more on that later)!

ADDING A LITTLE COLOUR

I approached the painting of the model much like I do on my 1:35 models. The pre-shading was applied as it is usually done, with a dark, grey-flat black mix over all the areas that would naturally have shadows. Once that was done, the good old Silly Putty came out and the three camo colours were mixed by eye. The reason I don't follow any prescribed colour guides is because I tend to mix my colours lighter and brighter than you normally would because once I start adding washes and filters, the overall model turns a bit darker. I painted each colour then mixed a litre shade for that colour and used it to highlight the upper most areas. I then carefully placed the Silly Putty around the tarp and then sprayed it a light grey blue. The last colour that was sprayed was a steel colour mixed to paint the tracks. The masking putty then came off and I had a painted model, all two-inches of it! An overall layer of Testors Dull and Gloss Coat (mixed 50/50, and then with Tamiya Lacquer thinner) was sprayed and once dry, I applied the very small decals to the model. If I have one complaint about this kit, it’s the fact that the decals are offset printed. If you look very closely, you can see the dot pattern. It would be great if they had someone like Cartograf silkscreen their decals. Just a thought! One more overall clear coat and I was ready for the weathering.

Here, the four major components were pre-shaded separately so that the area behind the suspension on the hull could be addressed

Silly Putty was placed on the model to mask everything other than the areas that will be the light tan/yellow colour

OF DUST AND LIGHT

I knew that the way I would typically weather a large scale model wouldn't work but I didn't know just how different it needed to be. From a step-by-step point of view, the process wasn't any different, washes and filters first, then pin washes, lastly adding pigments and dust. But, it was the control of the quantity that I wasn't ready for. Even with the smallest amounts of these elements, I found myself feeling that the model was looking over done. I kept taking the washes and pigments off and trying it again and again. Eventually, it just wouldn't cut back any more and I was committed to the way it was looking at that moment. As I looked at the model with the naked eye, everything looked fairly good and not over-done. But, once I took a photo or two and you now looked at it outside of any scale reference, I found myself trying to pull everything back even more. In some places, I was successful others, not so much. I’ll know to have a lighter hand on my next 1:72 kit!

Here, the first of four key colours has been sprayed. As each colour was applied, the previously sprayed colours were masked with Silly Putty

SOMETHING TO STAND ON

As I mentioned earlier, I chickened out of creating a little dio base and instead, I opted to have a small custom base made by a buddy and fellow modeller Brian Casteel. Besides being an amazing modeller, Brian is also a master wood worker. I sketched something out, snapped an iPhone photo and sent it to him. A week later… Boom! I had a beautiful little base. The plaque was designed in Adobe Illustrator, printed out and mounted on some black display board. That was trimmed out and applied to the base with some spray mount and, the build was done.

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In this shot, the three major came colours have been applied and the suspension has been masked so that the tracks can be painted

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The author takes one last look at the painted and un-weathered model on the dio base that has had its base colours applied

All the paint and decals have been applied but the weathering has yet to begin. A lot of the paint speckles were cleaned up before the model was weathered

The decals are generally well printed except when it came to the unit insignia on the rear hull. An undersized white square was applied first and then the colours were over printed with a very large ‘bleed’ on the green square. This results in a dark outline once the decal is applied to the model. This was fixed with some very careful hand painting with a custom mix of green paint AFV Edition

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FULL-BUILD FLYHAWK 1:72 FT-17 TANK • KIT NO.FH 3001

CONCLUSION

I can’t say enough about the beauty and detail of this little kit. I highly recommend not only this kit but also Flyhawk as a brand. It was nothing but a delight to build and I can’t wait to get another one of their kits on the work bench. Thanks to my buddy, Fred Medel, for taking the final hero shots. It’s amazing what you can get a guy to do for a good cup of coffee! • Flyhawk Models; www.flyhawkmodel.com

‘I can’t say enough about the beauty and detail of this little kit...’

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MODELLING REFERENCES: THE SOVIET BMP-2 MICV

BMP-2 MICV MECHANISED IN Zack Sex brings us a photo report on the Soviet-designed BMP-2 MICV mechanised infantry combat vehicle

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logical development of the BMP-1 the BMP-2 came into service during the high tide of the Soviet power. This infantry combat vehicle mated the older hull with a large two man turret, 30mm gun and advanced anti tank missile. It has seen

wide-scale combat through out the globe and shall continue to do so for many years to come. The performance of Syrian and Egyptian BMP1s during the Yom Kippur War of 1973 left much to be desired. This expensive racing car of an MICV had been designed as a battle

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Side rear view of an up-armoured BMP2 as deployed to Afghanistan, showing extra stand-off amour on hull sides and turret rear

D INFANTRY COMBAT VEHICLE taxi to keep pace with armour units. The BMP-1 was armed with a 73mm gun or launcher that fired a fin–stabilised version of the RPG while being capable of launching Sagger missile. This combination of weapons was ineffective in battle as the BMP turret is very cramped and reloading

the Sagger mount is through a small rectangular door above the 73mm gun. The BMP-2 saw the replacement of this turret with a larger one at the expense of two of the rear hull hatches. The BMP-2 first appeared in 1982 during a parade in Moscow and even in appearance it

was a considerably modern-looking update on the original design, and it would not have to wait long to be battle tested. The situation in neighbouring Afghanistan since the Soviets had intervened in Christmas 1979 had gone from bad to worse, with Mujahideen ambushing inappropriately armed

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MODELLING REFERENCES: THE SOVIET BMP-2 MICV

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1: Top shot of the attachment unit for the 9M113 Konkurs ATGM positioned on top of the turret

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2: Looking towards the rear of the vehicle past the commander and gunner’s position 3: The commanders position on the BMP2 turret has two standard periscopes and of course a TKN-3B sights

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4: Top shot of the UTD20/3 engine intakes and cooling grills

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5: Detail shot of the rear turret radio mast mounting, fitted in between the turret schurzen

Soviet and Afghan forces in the mountain passes, where, among other things, most of older tanks and MICVs could not elevate their main armaments high enough to engage their tormentors. Not so the BMP-2 with its 74 degree maximum elevation, rapid-fire automatic cannon and advanced ‘Spandral’ guided missiles. Other issues included light side armour, restrictive side

Side profile of the BMP-2 turret showing, to good effect, the layout of the smoke grenade launchers mounted on the turret sides

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firing-ports and diesel fuel tanks based in the rear access doors which, not only in Afghanistan, but in war zones such as Angola, were targeted by UNITA RPG gunners, causing the vehicle to burst into flames and ensuring a ghastly end for the infantry inside. The lightly-armed flanks of the APCs were targeted by the Mujahideen anti-tank gunners leading the Soviets to up-armour not only the sides of the vehicle, but

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6: Overhead shot of the commander’s clam shell hatch and side periscopes and OU-3GA2 infra red lamp mounting 7: The BMP2 mounts a 30mm automatic cannon 2A42 and coaxial 7.62mm PKTM the turret mountings are seen here 8: A side shot of turret missile launcher unit, while mainly used to fire Konkurs can also launch the Spigot and Spandrel 9: Detail shot of the OU-3GA2 infra red lamp mounting, perhaps best made in etch 10: Detail shot of the righthand side light guard fitting, stand-off armour fitting and swim-vane that flip forward when fording rivers

also the rear quadrant of the turret as seen in these photos taken in Moscow and Ukraine. Throughout the Middle East, the BMP-2 became something of a status symbol. In Elite units such as

Saddam’s Republican Guard divisions and later Assad’s republican units, such groups were in fact hand chosen protectors of their respective regimes and received the advanced BMP-2, T72M-1. Other

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customers included Kuwait, who used her BMP2s in the liberation of their homeland in 1991. Besides the usual Warsaw Pact suspects such as Czechoslovakia and East Germany, the BMP-2

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MODELLING REFERENCES: THE SOVIET BMP-2 MICV

11: Front section of the stand-off armour protecting the lower and upper hull positioned engine bay 12: Bolthead fittings on the side armour section for the engine and drivers area, along side tow cable holder fitting 13: The rear-hull machine gun ports on the BMP series allow the seven man crew fires their AKs from both sides of the vehicle

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A front side view of the BMP-2 showing the angular front of the vehicle, an aid no doubt when it's crossing rivers.

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was exported to Indonesia, Vietnam, Finland and Algeria. The BMP-2 had the distinction of being the mount of choice of ‘Executive Outcomes’, a South African mercenary company who normally mounted twin MGs or AGS-17 grenade launchers above the turret for extra firepower. Russian BMP-2s have seen much combat in Afghanistan as already mentioned, but also in Chechnya and Georgia. While Syrian BMP-2s are heavily engaged in that country’s ferocious civil war, it is in the east

of Ukraine that the BMP-2 has seen its most testing time. Along with so many vehicles bearing the yellow and blue stripes and colourful unit markings of the hard-pressed Ukrainian forces, the BMP-2s has been the victim of Russian ghost forces aiding Donbas rebels. In actions where Ukrainian army units were decimated at night by BM-30 ‘Smerch’ attacks launched from Russian territory, or ambushed as they retreated from the East, vehicles such as

Front side-on view of the BMP-2 two-man turret. Of note is the position of some spare tracks links beside the engine intakes

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14: The driver’s station in the BMP series is cramped with vision through his four periscopes

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15: The proud owner of this BMP shows us the large engine bay door that’s hinged upwards for ease of access 16: The rear swim vanes where water is propelled through by the tracks when swimming

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17: The righthand side of the engine bay showing a sea of detail for the modeller to replicate

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18: Viewed from front to back, one can see V8 diesel engine, the air cleaner and then the fuel filter (the large cylinder). The engine itself appears to be half dismantled. The copper pipes are running from the thermostat to the radiator. The engine wiring loom is also in view, running from the diesel heater plugs, according to Paul Kunkels

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19: Righthand side of the engine bay showing where it meets the drivers compartment wall 20: The extremely cramped interior of the BMP series makes for a very uncomfortable ride for all but the smallest of troops 21: The driver and crew commander’s position in the BMP series is also a tight and physically restricted area, a hard spot to get of quickly in battle 22: A view of the ubiquitous TKN3b commander’s periscope, a unit found in many Soviet era tanks and APCs

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BMP-2s, T64s and MTLBs were shattered, strewn in blackened heaps around the battlefield, a terrible reminder perhaps of the vulnerability on the modern battlefield of traditional armour. 20

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After suffering terrible loses, Ukrainian forces have taken these painful lessons on board and now mount extra stand-off armour and even traditional log and sand bag armour to their vehicles when mounting

mobile operations in the ATO. No doubt the BMP-2 will soldier on for many years to come in many exotic battlefields as yet not heard of. •

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23: The lefthand side rear exit door in which a large amount of diesel fuel is stored 24: The righthand side access door showing the many details and fittings added. These doors are also tight spaces to fit in and out of in a hurry

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FULL-BUILD TAKOM SPPZ 2 A1/A2 LUCHS • KIT NO.2017

FOUR WHEELS G

EIGHT WHEELS B Sean M Lynch gets to grips with Takom's 1:35 Luchs A1/A2 Cold War armoured car

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S GOOD:

S BETTER! T

he West German Luchs SPpz 2 was an eight wheeled reconnaissance vehicle that saw service with the West German Bundeswehr from the late 1970s through the end of the Cold War and into the 2000s until its replacement with the Fennek. The Luchs was well armoured for a reconnaissance vehicle and could withstand up to 20mm projectiles. The vehicle was capable of amphibious operations with speeds up to 10km/h in the water. All eight wheels were steerable and had a unique feature in that there were driver positions in front and in back and could achieve speeds of 90km/h going forward or in reverse. It was armed with the Rhienmetall Mk20 Rh202 20mm gun that is similar to that found on the Marder IFV. The Luchs is an interesting-looking vehicle with its large profile, eight wheels, angled armour and the idea of two driving positions adds to the interest. It would also be seen in Bundeswehr armour formations, so the desire to model the vehicle for Bundeswehr fans was there. Revell released a kit of the Luchs a while back, but that was it. Takom took on the challenge of releasing a new tooled version of the Luchs in 2015 to the delight of modern German armour fans.

The basic lower tub. This will have much added to it over time

I decided to attach the upper and lower hull at this point since there are a lot of subassemblies for the suspension that could be a bit fragile. I assumed that joining the hull halves now would help avoid future frustration. One important note is that if you do this, there is a linkage system that connects all the wheel sets together so that as one wheel turns all the others will line up with each other. Here you can see that the rocker arms have been attached as well

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FULL-BUILD TAKOM SPPZ 2 A1/A2 LUCHS • KIT NO.2017

TAKOM'S LUCHS

Takom offers the option to build it as either an A1 or A2. The differences externally mainly involve accessories for the turret and types of tyres fitted, with these provided in the kit. The main focus of Takom’s effort appears to have been with the suspension. The majority of the parts and instructions are geared toward the suspension. The primary feature of the suspension is that all eight wheels are linked together and can turn. While coil springs are provided, the suspension itself cannot be articulated without some surgery. As the photos will show, there is a lot happening with the suspension. The goal of the engineers should be applauded, but unfortunately the execution falls a bit flat. With all that is going on it is quite a challenge to ensure everything lines up correctly. On top of that, the manufacturing process is a bit of a letdown and there are parts that don’t quite fit correctly or have issues from the moulding process that interfere with aligning everything properly. Add that to errors in interpreting directions, which aren’t always clear, and just general modelling mistakes this portion of the vehicle can be a challenge. The upper hull has a slight edge over the lower hull on the real vehicle. I found that there were several gaps on the model from the overhang. I used plastic strip to cover these. This did reduce the overhang a bit, however this was re-emphasised once welds were added. The completion of the suspension allows the rest of the Luchs to be built. Takom provides a limited amount of PE to add detail the kit, but some of the details of the plastic parts are a bit soft or need to be added. Areas that I felt could be improved a lot were replacement of the main gun (and arguably the MG3) and smoke grenade dischargers. More minor details could be improved as well, including items like the solid grab handles being replaced with more realistic ones.

A NEW BARREL

I decided to order a replacement barrel from RB Models and a PE update set from Voyager Models. The photo-etch seen on the model is a mix of Voyager and kit-provided PE. I found that for certain items, such as the search light cover doors, the Voyager Models PE items were a bit undersized while the kit provided PE fit perfectly. The Voyager set also includes items for clasps for tools, but I felt the kit provided ones were good enough and didn’t use the Voyager Models replacements. Takom provides clear parts for the headlight and tail-light lenses as well as periscopes and optics. The headlights were painted silver and the lenses installed. The tail-lights were painted with Tamiya Clear Red and Orange and installed after painting the vehicle. The optics were painted Tamiya Clear Green and once dry, were covered with liquid mask prior to beginning the painting of the vehicle. I had decided at the beginning of the project that I wanted to build an earlier Luchs as would have been seen in the late '70s or early '80s. This meant the colour would be the West German Bundeswehr geld-oliv which appears to have more of a brownish tone. I had developed a mix that I like for Bundeswehr vehicles of that period for models of the Leopard I have built previously. This

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The axles were put together. Here you can see some of the imprecise fit of the parts. As the vehicle would be modelled upright, most of the axles are hidden from sight and those gaps weren’t filled in

Here the axles are built up and the steering linkages added. The white styrene was used in lieu of the PE rings provided by the kit to keep the linkages from coming off of the guide posts during installation and turning the wheels

The front axles were attached to the suspension. The moving parts take some patience to get everything attached. However, the wheels are fully turnable which will provide a nice touch to the finished model. The axles sit on the coil springs, which allow some flexibility in movement, which helps when installing the drive shafts. The rocker arms could be made to allow up and down movement of the axles, but the shocks and drive shafts are solid and will hold the axles in place. I found it easier to install the shocks once everything else was in place instead of installing them first as the instructions suggest

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The kit provides two sets of wheels for the Luchs, some early and some later based on the variant you build and the detail is good. However, they don’t have any appearance of the weight sag built into them. DEF Model produces sets of wheels with sag in them and the quality and fit is first rate, adding a nice touch to the model.

That wheel is slightly off the ground. This where the challenge of keeping everything lined up with the complex suspension comes into play; slight mistakes here or there add up and this wasn’t the only wheel off kilter

A calliper ruler was used to measure the length of exposed barrel that needed to be exposed from the gun housing. The kit barrel was removed, the housing drilled out and the metal barrel from RB Model inserted to the proper depth

The kit provides a glue-able rubber type of dust cover for the gun mantlet but unfortunately, it was a bit misshapen. The Voyager Models PE set provides a replacement and also includes replacements for the smoke grenade launchers which are a big improvement over the kit-provided ones. In the photos, any PE that shows some green showing is from the Takom PE, otherwise it is from Voyager Models and RB Model

Various views of the photo-etched parts added to enhance the kit

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FULL-BUILD TAKOM SPPZ 2 A1/A2 LUCHS • KIT NO.2017

consists of a mix of AMMO Khaki Green and Black in a ratio of 10:4. Using various painting effects I enriched the monotone feel of the vehicle to increase visual interest. At this stage I was very happy with how the model looked. I had been contemplating painting the vehicle in the “mud camo” seen during exercises such as REFORGER. I decided against that as I didn’t want to hide the paint work done to this point. Instead I wanted to do something that would complement the work done without overwhelming it.

Clear parts are provided for optics and lights. These were painted and masked prior to the painting of the vehicle

FOLIAGE COVER

Searching through reference photos I found pictures of Luchs with tree branches stuffed into various handles to provide some natural camouflage to the vehicle in varying amounts during what appears to be summer time. I felt this extra touch would be that little extra 'oomph' I was looking for to complete the Luchs. With the tree branches added the project was done. I am happy with the final result. The build was more challenging than I had anticipated or desired for this project. I appreciate Takom’s effort. I found some of the quality of the moulding of the parts to be the biggest problem for the ambition put in by the designer of the suspension. While the kit does require some extra effort, once built it does look very nice. •

The Luchs was primed in black and then the Bundeswehr geld oliv was made from a mix of AMMO of Mig Khaki Green and Black in a 10:4 ratio

I like to use oil paints to force shadows and highlights to the base paint colour I do this by lightly painting in the oil paint, and then removing the excess with a brush and cotton swabs. The oils and underlying gloss coat allow the colours to be blended together during the process of removing the excess oils. This creates and nice contrast to the basic paint colour

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The Luchs was given a coat of satin varnish after the oil paint had dried for a few days. This removed the gloss finish and helped blend the contrasting tones even more as well as helping return the tone to a lighter finish. Final details such as tools were painted, using acrylics from Vallejo. The gun barrels and tools are a mix of black, black grey and silver and polished with graphite. The tow cable uses the metal mix with mahogany added and again polished with graphite. The rubber is a mix of rubber and black. A dark brown pin wash was applied to recessed details of the vehicle. The finished model can be compared to a photo found on several sites on the internet

The next step was to apply a slight touch of dust. I wanted to convey a feel of a dry summer day that hadn’t seen rain in a while. I started with a mix of Tamiya Mud Brown and Buff thinned and airbrushed onto the lowest portions of the hull and wheels and some of the crevices of the upper hull. This was then enhanced by painting on random patches of Wilder Light Mud Brown Speckling effects and then removing most of it after it had dried with a brush moistened with thinner. The speckling effect paint was speckled very lightly behind the road wheels onto the lower hull. Finally a light brown coloured pigment was brushed onto the dust accumulation areas to add an extra layer to the dust, removing any excess with a cotton swab. The antennae were added as well

I knew I wanted to add some kind of natural plant life to the vehicle for camouflage after abandoning the idea of the 'mud camo'. I toyed with some ideas but finally settled on tree branches after finding photos on the internet of a Luchs in the summer time carrying tree branches. While cleaning out the garden this spring I found some shrubbery branches that worked for 1:35. I just needed leaves. After researching common nonconiferous types of trees commonly found in Germany I settled on lime leaves and purchased some from Plus Model. Each leaf was glued onto the branches and the branches were then arranged on the model

The finished vehicle with the tree branches added. The reference photos show various amounts of tree branches on the Luchs in the field. I could add some more but I didn’t for two reasons: a) I didn’t want overwhelm the underlying work and b) I ran out of leaves

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FULL-BUILD DRAGON PANTHER AUSF.G • KIT NO.6384 DRAGON SD.KFZ.171 PANTHER G EARLY PRODUCTION PZ.RGT.26 ITALIAN FRONT • KIT NO.6267

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LET THE TRAIN TAKE THE STRAIN Matt Edwards finds an eye-catching way of presenting Dragon's 1:35 Panther Ausf.G

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hilst looking through some of my books and on various military websites wondering what next to build, I came across several photos of Panther tanks in Italy. On checking my stash, I found two Dragon Panthers, one of which was the ausf. G Italian front kit which comes with the protective turret roof armour that units fitted to their tanks in that area of operations plus an early ausf. G with zimmerit. I decided, for a different look, I’d build the 'G with the zimmerit and add the roof armour from the Italian front. Then, not being content with that, I I thought it would make the vehicle stand out more if I put it on a railcar, as if on its way to the area. So I purchased a cargo bed/rail car from Sabre Models.

THE BUILD

Dragon's Panther G with zimmerit comes moulded in their usual grey coloured polystyrene. I must say the level of detail on these Panthers is first class and I do love them. The zimmerit is moulded very well on all the parts, and I could see no glaring (to me anyway) omissions or mistakes. Stages 1-3 concern the axles, wheels and running gear as well as the radiators and fan assembly. The axles come with torsion bars

attached and I confess that I tend to cut these off, as it make assembly quicker; the tank was going to be on a flat surface and therefore didn’t need to be movable. I didn’t build the fans either, as they can’t be seen once the engine grill mesh is added. My only advice with regard to Dragon instructions is to pay attention, as they are very detailed and stuff can be missed. Stages 4-11 deal with the rear and main hull assembly and items that need to be fitted to them. I tend to fit the rear plate first then install any items that need to be added to the hull roof such as periscopes. I then fix the hull, rear plate, and lower hull together. This way, everything is stable. I’ll then fit the tracks (yes I add them early on) and this is exactly what I did with the Panther. Before I cemented on any of the other vehicle's items I filled the joints with Squadron Green Putty and once dry, sanded it smooth and re-scribed any zimmerit detail where needed. All the hull's equipment was then fixed in place. The only issue I have with these kits is assembling the barrel cleaning rod tubes; it’s probably me not paying attention, but be aware. Stages 12-17 concern the turret and its fixtures. Because I was using the roof armour from the other kit, I had to make sure that everything matched

up. To be honest there were no real problems to overcome, but a word of guidance. When fitting the spare track hooks, I assemble the tracks first and use them as a jig to attain the hooks' correct spacing. Once all the tracks and other items were in place, the kit was put aside so I could get on with the construction of the railcar.

SABRE'S SCHWERER PLATTFORMWAGEN TYPE SSYS RAIL CAR

I’ve never built a model by this company before and I was pleasantly surprised at the level of detail. Within the box is an embankment, tracks and sleepers. This is not the larger version that would ideally be used to transport the heavies, but never say never! However, reading what I could on it, it was more than capable of carrying a Panther. The kit comes in grey plastic and as I said above, the level of detail was very good with no flash or soft mouldings. Assembly was very straightforward and I put the tracks and embankment together, constantly aligning the railcar's running gear with them. Finally, when all complete it looked pretty good and the Panther testfitted quite well on it. I left off the side bars as these would be painted separately. AFV Edition

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FULL-BUILD DRAGON PANTHER AUSF.G • KIT NO.6384 DRAGON SD.KFZ.171 PANTHER G EARLY PRODUCTION PZ.RGT.26 ITALIAN FRONT • KIT NO.6267

Here we see the finished model; note the DS tracks and PE turret-roof armour

The initial coats of paint are on, applied in a mild, colour modulation style

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n painted her track links have bee The turret-side spare shades wn bro k dar ious var using

paint effects have The weathering and chipped zimmerit begun; we can see the the bow plate on

weathering stages we Further through the aks, colour-washes stre rain e can see som ps’ ‘chi t and pain

r net were draped ove Scraps of camouflage green the turret, and painted

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MY FAVOURITE BIT

I enjoy building models but my passion is the painting process. So, once the Panther had been washed in detergent to remove any grease and dust and had dried, I gave it a coat of aerosol grey car primer. It then received a pre-shading layer, mixed from Tamiya dark brown and matt black. This was sprayed along panel lines and into areas of natural shade. Over this, I misted a coat of Tamiya XF-60. This colour was then used again, but in lighter tones that were mixed with Flat White and Flat Flesh from the same range. This was layered onto areas that would attract the light and areas were masked off where the colour was not needed. Once happy with the shading, I used buff-coloured oil paint to highlight the driver and co-driver's bolted roof area, just to add some contrast. After twenty-four hours, the whole kit was given a coat of Humbrol acrylic gloss varnish, which helps the flow of the colour-wash (mixed from sepia and raw umber oils) that I then applied with the aid of a fine-tipped paint brush. Once applied in and around areas such as panel lines and bolt detail, it was left for about ten minutes before cleaning up. Once happy with the result, a very light colourwash was applied with a flat brush to the zimmerit, but I didn’t overdo this technique. After about a day of drying, I used several shades of oil colour to bring out the raised detail on the zimmerit, drybrushing each colour then letting it dry before applying the next shade. I’d chipped off some of the zimmerit with a scalpel and I now painted these in a red oxide colour. Small chips and scrapes were painted on using a fine-pointed brush and small pieces of sponge dipped in lighter shades, then darker brown colours mixed with acrylic paints from the Vallejo range. The spare tracks plus the main ones were given a coat of Humbrol 173, which was painted on in several coats. I then paid attention to the rubber on the wheels, which was painted in a dark grey mixed from matt black enamel and white oil paint. Any excess was removed with white spirit. When satisfied with the overall look of the wheels and tracks, a light 'dust wash' (made from dust-coloured enamel paints) was applied with a large soft brush. Whilst this was drying, I paid attention to other items on the vehicle, which were picked out in their appropriate colours using Vallejo paints. Stains were added around the engine deck and under the turret with heavily thinned oils. Enamels in earth shades were thinned and applied in places were dust would probably settle.

The Sabre Models low-loader is well detailed and straightforward to build

The undersides of the railcar haven’t been forgotten; plenty to see here

The railcar’s deck was primed at first, in readiness for the wood-effects to follow Multiple layers of wood-toned acrylic paints were built up to form the very realistic wooden deck we see below

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FULL-BUILD DRAGON PANTHER AUSF.G • KIT NO.6384 DRAGON SD.KFZ.171 PANTHER G EARLY PRODUCTION PZ.RGT.26 ITALIAN FRONT • KIT NO.6267

The exhausts were painted in various oranges and browns (also applied to the spare track) and black pigments then brushed on to give the appearance of soot. Matt varnish was brushed on to the underside of the hull and various pigments dusted on with an old brush. To finish off I mixed several oil colours and picked out raised detail such as bolts, latches etc., then with graphite dust from a pencil, any areas that would be bare metal like tools and tracks were given attention and polished up with a cotton bud and finger tip. I then checked over the whole model and put it aside.

MAKING TRACKS

As previously stated no real issues were encountered with the rail car. The same could be said for the tracks and embankment. Once assembled, I placed the embankment and tracks into a picture frame and built up some household filler around it. Static grass was sprinkled on and fixed in place with PVA glue. When dry, the stones on the embankment, the sleepers and tracks were all painted using acrylics, enamels and washes added. Pigments were used and fixed using white spirit .The graphite pencil then got used again on the tracks to give a steel sheen to them. The railcar was sprayed a very dark grey in the recesses and then lighter on the outer sides. It then got a coat of gloss varnish and decals were added, paying attention to the instructions as there are quite a lot to add. A wash, chipping and scratches were achieved using the same techniques as for the Panther. The wood on the deck was first sprayed light sand-yellow then other wood shades added before being given a dark wash and stains applied. Any worn metal surfaces were tackled with graphite. The railcar was then superglued to the track and the Panther then glued to the bed. Small pieces of balsa wood were then placed under each track to add as chocks as was done when securing real AFVs to rail cars (well that's how we did it in the army).

TO ROUND OFF

I thought a figure may add a little something to the scene, so I came upon one from the Verlinden range and changed his jerry can for a tool box from Italeri, plus a cat from the spares box. These were painted using oils for the skin areas and acrylics for the uniform, which was then drybrushed in base colours mixed from oils to lighten the folds of material. They were then attached to the base and all blended in with a light dusting of pigment, and that was it.

FINAL THOUGHTS

I really enjoyed this build and I love the Panther G by Dragon. I think the whole thing took me about a month but I usually have three to four kits on the go at the same time. The railcar kit was a nice and easy build too and I’m now on the lookout for a larger version to take a King Tiger! • Cats, as always, have been casual observers of human activity. This 1940s kitty is no exception

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BOOK REVIEWS JAGDPANZER IV PART 1 L/48 (SD.KFZ.162) NUTS & BOLTS VOLUME 37 JOACHIM BASCHIN, MARTIN BLOCK, NUTS & BOLTS www.historexagents.co.uk German/English text Nuts and Bolts’ latest volume details the Jagdpanzer IV L/48. The book, as always, provides a huge quantity of information of the vehicle, from a detailed historical and technical background (incorporating some wartime imagery such as sketches, data plates and photos). This makes for a fascinating read and gives one some insight into how, where and when the Jagdpanzers were deployed. After this we have a forty-seven page section of wartime photographs of the machine, at their barracks, in action, wrecked and more. For many modellers, this would be enough, but there’s more; five-view plans in 1:35 of several variants of the L/48 follow, backed-up with excellent colour side-view illustrations, museum walk-arounds of surviving examples and finally a modelling section. Another essential addition to an armour modeller’s reference collection. MN

M60A2 MAIN BATTLE TANK IN DETAIL VOLUME 1 CHRIS MROSKO, BRETT W AVANTS, SABOT PUBLICATIONS Order direct from; [email protected] or through good hobby shops and booksellers worldwide. Bookworld in the UK (www.bookworldws.co.uk) and Sprue Brothers in the USA (spruebrothers.com) plus other outlets ISBN; 978-0-9973774-2-2 The M60A2, sometimes known as the ‘Starship’ due to its futuristic turret design, makes a very interesting modelling subject. Tamiya released a kit many moons ago and much more recently. Dragon released their take on the vehicle. Popular opinion seems to suggest that AFV Club’s model, released most recently, is the best of all but even that will need those all important refinements of detail. Volume 1 of Sabot’s recently published series on the M60A2 provides an 128+ pages of high quality black and white photographs of the machine in close-up and on deployment. Particularly fascinating is the sequence showing the turret being removed, which offers some superb views of the interior and the turret itself. MN

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HMMWV HUMMER IN IDF SERVICE, DESERT EAGLE PUBLISHING NO.16 MICHAEL MASS, ADAM O’BRIEN, DESERT EAGLE PUBLISHING www.aviationbookcentre.com ISBN; 978-965-770-02-0 The humble HUMVEE comes in many guises and is used around the world by many armed forces. Israel’s IDF is a key user and this latest volume from Desert Eagle takes a look at the versions in service, from the basic ‘Scout’ machine with lowered structure right up to the sophisticated ‘Raccoon’ electronic surveillance version with its nine-metre extending mast. As always with this book series, we have fine quality colour photographs printed with great clarity and well-balanced colour reproduction, which is perfect for modellers. Paint shades, markings and mechanical details are shown in with sharpness and this makes a excellent guide for anyone building a model of an IDF Hummer. MN

M60A2 MAIN BATTLE TANK IN DETAIL VOLUME 2 CHRIS MROSKO, BRETT W AVANTS, SABOT PUBLICATIONS Order direct from; [email protected] or through good hobby shops and booksellers worldwide. Bookworld in the UK (www.bookworldws.co.uk) and Sprue Brothers in the USA (spruebrothers.com) plus other outlets ISBN; 978-0-9973774-3-9 In Volume 2 on the ‘Starship’, Sabot present us with a further 128+ pages of photographs – in colour this time – of the tank in action (manoeuvres) in West Germany, crossing rivers and generally getting muddy beyond belief. The images give real insight into the operations of US tank units during the Cold War period in continental Europe, with some fantastic diorama ideas. In many shots we can see the pattern of the tracks’ inner pads imprinted in mud on the rubber of the wheels, something well worth replicating on a model. In the second half of the book, we have a very extensive walk-around of the preserved M60A2 that was once part of the Littlefield collection, fitted with T-97E2 chevron track. These photographs are perfect for adding all those finishing touches. Purchased together (which we recommend) the two volumes provide an invaluable reference source on the M60A2. Highly recommended. MN

AFV Edition

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DOOLITTLEMEDIA.COM

The Modeller’s Guide

Superdetailing, Painting and Weathering

Aircraft of WWII, with airfield accessories, ordnance and diorama

Aleksandar Počuč

‘

SCALE MODELLING: A LOVE STORY READY TO ASSEMBLE TOOLS AND MATERIALS TECHNIQUES BUILDING THE AIRCRAFT ■ SPITFIRE MK. IXC ■ P-47D THUNDERBOLT ■ JU-87D ‘STUKA’ MAKING A DIORAMA

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Modeller’s guide to superdetailing, painting and weathering aircraft of WWII’ book is intended for both beginners and advanced modellers as it covers wide variety of modelling tasks ranging from basic detailing, scratch-building, painting, weathering, machining custom parts using resin as well as scratch-building part from brass and aluminium and of course, diorama making. Basics about tools, paints and modelling materials have been covered as well. The book revolves around three subjects, P-47D Razorback, Spitfire Mk.IXc and Junkers Ju-87D Stuka, all in 32nd scale. Step by step concept will provide a good reference and ideas to all WWII aircraft modellers regardless of their experience.

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Doolittle Media Ltd., Doolittle Mill, Doolittle Lane, Totternhoe, Bedfordshire, LU6 1QX. United Kingdon. TEL: +44(0)1525 222573. FAX: +44(0)1525 222574. ONLINE: www.doolittlemedia.com

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modeller Next Issues military illustrated

ISSUE No.070 February 2017

Military Illustrated Modeller Issue 71 - Aircraft Edition

Aircraft Edition - Brett Green AFV Edition - Marcus Nicholls Publisher; Alan Harman Graphic Design; Alex Hall Advertising Manager; Sean Leslie Office Manager; Paula Gray Administration Manager; Hannah McLaurie Administration Assistant; Julie Lane MIM Website; Doolittle Media Web Team Editors;

on sale 16 February 2017

Printed by; Henry Stone Ltd, Oxfordshire

RODEN TROJAN

Roden 1:48 T-28D Trojan by David W. Aungst

Distributed by; Seymour Distribution 2 East Poultry Avenue, London, EC1A 9PT Tel; 020 7429 4000 Newstrade; Select Publisher Services 3 East Avenue, Bournemouth, BH3 7BW Tel; 01202 586848 Email; [email protected] Military Illustrated Modeller is published on the third Thursday of each month by; Doolittle Media, Doolittle Mill, Doolittle Lane, Totternhoe, Bedfordshire, LU6 1QX UK www.militaryillustratedmodeller.com Tel; +44 (0)1525 222573 Fax; +44 (0)1525 222574

FRIEDRICH FOUR

The Editor builds the Eduard’s new 1:48 Bf109F-4

SUCH STUFF AS DREAMS ARE MADE ON

ME 262 B-1A NIGHT FIGHTER – PT. 2

Special Hobby’s 1:32 Hawker Tempest Mk.V Hi-Tech kit

The Editor paints and weathers Revell’s new 1:32 Me262B-1a

Editorial enquiries; Aircraft Edition email; [email protected] AFV Edition email; [email protected] Advertising enquiries; Tel; +44 (0)1525 222573 Email; [email protected] Subscription enquiries; Tel; +44 (0)1525 222573 Fax; +44 (0)1525 222574 Email; [email protected] Reproduction in part of any text, photograph, or illustration without written consent from the publisher is strictly prohibited. While due care is taken to ensure the contents of Military Illustrated Modeller is accurate, the publishers and printers can not accept responsibility for errors and omissions.

Military Illustrated Modeller Issue 72 - AFV Edition on sale 16 March 2017

Advertisements are accepted for publication in Military Illustrated Modeller only on Doolittle Media’s standard terms of acceptance of advertising, copies of which are available from the advertising department. Please write to the address above. All advertising, circulation and subscription enquiries should also be directed to the UK address above.

Subscription rates are; Option 1 - 12 Issues (AFV & Aircraft) 1 year UK - £60.00 / Europe - £75.00 / World - £85.00 (prices include shipping) Option 2 - 12 Aircraft Editions 2 years UK - £60.00 / Europe - £75.00 / World - £85.00 (prices include shipping) Option 3 - 12 AFV Editions 2 years UK - £60.00 / Europe - £75.00 / World - £85.00 (prices include shipping) For all orders, please call; (UK) +44(0)1525 222573 or visit www.miltaryillustratedmodeller.com

I TOLDI SO!

Hobbyboss’s 1:35 Hungarian Light Tank 43M Toldi III (C40)

8.8CM, IMPROVISED

Dragon’s 1:35 8.8cm FlaK36 auf Pz.Kpfw.IV Ausf.H © Doolittle Media 2017

A NEW ERA

Tiger Model’s explosive reactive armour equipped 1:35 AMX-30B2 ‘BRENUS’

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...AND MORE! AFV Edition

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MODELLING INSPIRATION...

DIORAMAS YOU

KEEP ‘EM ROLLING! MUST BUILD

US GMC trucks cross a Normandy river on a treadway steel bridge, 1944

I

n this nicely framed 1944 shot, we see an M1 (or M2) steel treadway floating bridge on a river in Normandy. Two GIs standing at the entrance to the bridge are making sure the truck drivers stay within guides on the bridge’s deck. The first GMC is a ‘hard cab’ CCKW 352 SWB with an M37 gun mounted behind the cabin, fitted with a covered .50cal M2 Browning. It is part of one of the Ordnance Co Aviation units of the IX Air Force; in the back of the truck we can see an armed US soldier. Behind, a GMC CCKW 353 LWB with an M36 gun mount, which differed to the M37 in having steel poles to support the gun mount, instead of the pressed, sheet-steel design of the M37. We believe this photo was taken on 17th June 1944 at Isigny-sur-Mer, just eleven days after the D-Day landings.

BEFORE YOU DIE...

IN MODEL FORM

For a model scene, you could use Tamiya or Italeri’s Deuce and Half truck kits, suitably modified with gun mounts. Now sadly closed, Verlinden Productions offered a resin kit of the treadway bridge in resin; you might still be able to find the kit online. • [email protected] See you again next time!

66

Military Illustrated Modeller - February 2017

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THE RESEARCH SQUAD Tiger A Modern study of Fgst.NR. 250031 The Research Squad are pleased to announce the release of Tiger: Modern Study of Fgst. NR. 250031, a complete photo study of the Aberdeen 712 Tiger tank. The Research Squad were given given special permission by the collection and Aberdeen Proving Ground Museum to fully document this important vehicle in order to create a photographic record for any future restoration work. This includes a full exterior walk-around, a complete documentation of the interior and also a detailed study of the engine compartment and engine. To this end the knowledge and expertise of many contributors were brought together, not least of which were our two technical editors, Liejon Schoot and Rob Veenendaal, without whose massive contribution this book would not have been completed. 208 pages +/- 690 images. 69 technical diagrams (including 27 selected re-mastered diagrams at A4 size) This includes:

Only

■ a full exterior walk-around, ■ a complete documentation of the interior ■ a detailed study of the engine compartment. ■ a history of the vehicle from capture to present date ■ a veteran interview with the driver of Maj. Leuder ■ a history of the vehicle from capture to present date ■ a technical article by Liejon Schoot and Rob Veenendaal on the Vorpanzer design

.99 £29 s p&p plu

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