Model Military International - Issue 135 (July 2017)

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RPM’s 1:35 Minenräumer

Issue 135 July 2017 www.modelmilitary.com

BATTLEFIELD PIONEneEwR1:35 IBG Models’ Scammell SV2S Pioneer

QUEEN OF THE JUNGLE Tamiya’s 1:35 Red Army Matilda converted to

INSIDE: p 01 CoverMMI 135B.indd 1

an Australian version

1:35 King Tiger Henschel Turret ■ 1:35 King Tiger with Crane ■ 1:35 M1A1 With Interior ■ Model Paint Solution Accessories ■ and more...

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Contents - Issue 135 July 2017 REGULARS p 4 NEWS

What’s new in the world of military modelling

52

p 56 BOOKS

The latest titles in military history and modelling

p 57 LARGE SCALE

New vehicle and figure releases in 1:25 scale and larger

p 60 1:48 SCALE

Luke Pitt takes a look at the latest in 1:48

p 66 LAST POST

The Editor examines a new range of painting accessories from Model Paint Solutions

FEATURES p 6 THINK TANK

Australian Matildas In Service and Close Up

p 14 QUEEN OF THE JUNGLE

Tamiya 1:35 Red Army Matilda Conversion by Brett Green

p 30 BATTLEFIELD PIONEER Part One IBG Models’ new 1:35 Scammell SV2S Pioneer by Kamil Feliks Sztarbala

p 42 PREVIEW

RFM 1:35 M1A1 Abrams With Interior

p 40 STRANGER THINGS

RPM’s 1:35 Minenraumer by John Bonanni

p 52 GALLERY

Tamiya 1:35 M1025 HUMVEE Armament Carrier by Andrew Judson

p 58 PREVIEW

Revell 1:35 Henschel King Tiger

p 59 PREVIEW

Dragon 1:35 King Tiger With Crane

14

©Doolittle Media Ltd 2017 Tel: (UK) 01525 222573 Fax: (UK) 01525 222574 Email: [email protected] Address: Doolittle Media Ltd., Doolittle Mill, Doolittle Lane, Totternhoe, Bedfordshire, LU6 1QX, UK Model Military International is published monthly by Doolittle Media Ltd.. Reproduction in part or whole of any text, photograph or illustration without written permission from the publisher is strictly prohibited. While due care is taken to ensure the contents of Model Military International is accurate, the publishers and printers cannot accept liability for errors or omissions.

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Newsline - July 2017 GECKO MODELS – NEW BRAND

MMI Newsdesk, Doolittle Mill, Doolittle Lane, Totternhoe, Bedfordshire, LU6 1QX, UK Tel:01525 222573 Fax:01525 222574 Email:[email protected]

We have news of a new brand – Gecko Models. They are apparently associated with the large-scale company Classy Hobby and their debut 1:35 scale releases will be: • Kit No. 35GM0001 – Cruiser Tank Mk.IICS, A10CS Mk.IA • Kit No. 35GM0005 – Kreuzer Panzerkampfwagen Mk.II, 742(e), (A-10) • Kit No. 35GM0013 – WWII British MG Team In Combat (N.W. Europe) • Kit No. 35GM0014 – WWII British MG Team in Marching (N.W. Europe) We will have more news and reviews of these interesting new releases in a future issue of MMI. Thanks to Gecko Models / Classy Hobby for the news and images www.classy-hobby.com

BRONCO 1:35 STAGHOUND WITH ASSAULT BRIDGE

MINIART NEW RELEASES

Bronco is expanding its Staghound armoured car family with a new release that will include two sections of a 12 foot Assault Bridge. The sections will hang from either side of the upper hull. In addition to the bridge, this release include the features of the previous releases such as clear parts for the periscopes and headlights, plastic wheels / tyres, photo-etched detail parts and extensive detail options. Thanks to Bronco for the information and images www.cn-bronco.com/en/index.php

NEW SMALL-SCALE MODEL COMPANY – T-MODEL T-MODEL is a new brand with Bronco as its general agent. T-MODEL’s first release will be Kit No. TM7201, U.S. Modern M1114 Up-Armoured HMMWV. The model will be presented in high quality injection moulded plastic with photo-etched detail parts. We’ll have more details upon release. Thanks to Bronco for the information and images www.cn-bronco.com/en/index.php

MiniArt has announced its latest batch of new releases, which should be available by the time you are reading this issue: • 35204 SU-85 Soviet SelfPropelled Gun Model 1944 with Interior • 35222 Finnish Tank Crew • 35226 Soviet Assault Infantry (Winter Camouflage Cloaks) • 37008 USMC Tank Crew In Stock Again: • 36044 River Embankment Section • 16014 Athenian Hoplites 5th Century B.C. Thanks to MiniArt for the information and images www.miniart-models.com

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Think Tank - Australian Matilda Tanks in Service and Close-Up

AUSTRALIAN MATILDA TANKS IN SERVICE AND CLOSE-UP

MMI examines the use of Australian Matilda tanks in the Pacific theatre, and takes a close look at some preserved museum examples. MATILDA DEVELOPMENT AND PRODUCTION The Infantry Tank Mark II, more widely known as the Matilda, was a British infantry tank of the Second World War. The design began with the A12 specification in 1936, as a gun-armed counterpart to the first British infantry tank, the machine gun armed, two-man A11 Infantry Tank Mark I. The Mark I was also known as Matilda, and the larger A12 was initially known as the Matilda II, Matilda senior or Waltzing Matilda. The Mark I was abandoned in 1940, and from then on the A12 was almost always known simply as "the Matilda". With its heavy armour, the Matilda II was an excellent infantry support tank but with somewhat

limited speed and armament. It was the only British tank to serve from the start of the war to its end, although it is particularly associated with the North Africa Campaign. It was replaced in frontline service by the lighter and less costly Infantry Tank Mk III Valentine beginning in late 1941. The first Matilda was produced in 1937, but only two were in service when war broke out in September 1939. Following the initial order from Vulcan Foundry, a second order was placed shortly after with Ruston & Hornsby. Some 2,987 tanks were produced by the Vulcan Foundry, John Fowler & Co. of Leeds, Ruston & Hornsby, and later by the London, Midland and Scottish Railway at Horwich

Australian soldiers welding spare track links to the hull of a Matilda tank. This style of field-applied armour was common to Australian Matildas in the Pacific.

Works; Harland and Wolff, and the North British Locomotive Company Glasgow. The last were delivered in August 1943. Peak production was 1,330 in 1942, with the most common model being the Mark IV. The Matilda was difficult to manufacture. For example, the pointed nose was a single casting that, upon initial release from the mould, was thicker than required in some areas. To avoid a needless addition to the tank's weight, the thick areas were ground away. This process required highly skilled workers and additional time. The complex suspension and multipiece hull side coverings also added time to manufacturing.

AUSTRALIA UNPREPARED The outbreak of war in 1939 led to a significant expansion of Australia's armoured force. At the start of the war, due to the limitations of the Defence Act (1903) that prevented the government from sending the Militia to fight outside Australian territory, it was decided to raise an all-volunteer force to serve overseas. This force was known as the Second Australian Imperial Force (2nd AIF, and many of the 1st Light Horse Machine Gun) Regiment's members volunteered and were assigned to the 2/2nd Machine Gun Battalion, they took part in the fighting in the Mediterranean theatre. With the Australian Army only

Metal Marston Mat, standardised perforated steel matting, being fitted over the engine deck of a Matilda.

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possessing a total of fourteen tanks – 10 Mark VIs and four Mark IIs – orders for modern types were quickly placed in Britain and the United States. Thirteen M3 light tanks arrived in September 1941, while another 400 more were soon delivered. However, 140 British Matilda tanks would not begin to arrive until July 1942

AUSTRALIAN MATILDAS IN ACTION In 1943 the Australian 1st Tank Battalion, equipped with Matilda tanks, became part of the 4th Armoured Brigade and was designated as an AIF unit, thus allowing it to be deployed to any theatre of the conflict, and it deployed to New Guinea in August 1943 to fight against the Japanese in the Battles of Sattelberg and Lakona. The unit was then withdrawn to Australia in mid-1944. On 1 June 1944, the unit was renamed the 1st Armoured Regiment and in May 1945 it took part in the amphibious landings at Balikpapan in support of the 7th Division, being involved in one of the final Australian campaigns of the war in Borneo. In a series of amphibious assaults on Borneo between 1 May and 21 July, the Australian I Corps, under Lieutenant General Leslie Morshead, attacked Japanese forces occupying the island. Matilda tanks of C Squadron, 2/9th Armoured Regiment were attached to the 26th Brigade Group during the campaign which opened with Oboe 1, with a landing on the small island of Tarakan, off the north east coast on 1 May 1945, with the fighting continuing into June with the tanks taking part in the advance along the Anzac and Bourke Highways, helping to secure the airfield and the oilfields. This was followed by Oboe 6, in which the remainder of the 2/9th Armoured Regiment was attached to the 9th Division, on 10 June 1945 with simultaneous assaults on the island of Labuan and the coast of Brunei, in the north west of Borneo. B Squadron took part in the landing at Labuan supporting the 24th Brigade's advance, assisting in the capture of the airfield, and various positions along the MacArthur Road. At the same time, A Squadron landed on the Borneo peninsula, securing the town before being used in a defensive role due to the impenetrable terrain further inland, which was only passable on foot. A week later, the Australians followed up with attacks on A

Simple square mesh was also commonly seen fitted to the engine decks of Australian Matilda tanks.

The engine deck mesh was used to tie down stowage, and also prevented leaf litter and debris from entering the engine vents.

Matilda tanks ford a shallow stream. Note the improvised wooden pole fitted on the forward hull between the track guards. This allowed the carriage of stowage on the front of the hull.

A nice study of a Matilda driver. Note the cover tied on to the muzzle of the co-axial 7.92mm Besa machine gun.

Two photos illustrating soldiers removing the mesh engine deck cover from a Matilda of the 2/4th Australian Armoured Regiment…

…to provide access to the engine compartment. The two-wheeled limber is of interest too.

This Matilda is fitted with the cast armoured mudguards and various lengths of welded spare track links as supplemental armour.

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Think Tank - Australian Matilda Tanks in Service and Close-Up

‘Gay Cavalier’ from the Australian 1st Tank Battalion being transported through Brisbane in 1943 before being deployed to New Guinea. The officer standing in the turret is LT Jim Hartridge who was temporarily, RHQ Troop Leader. Leaning over is the Wireless Operator, TPR Mick Ireland.

An Australian Matilda tank rolls off a landing craft. Note the residue from the pale-coloured waterproofing on the mantlet.

Balikpapan was an oil refinery town in Borneo.

Australian Matilda tank of the 2/4th Australian Armoured Regiment landing at Toko Beach, 1945.

B

7th Australian Division Matilda tank in action at Balikpapan, 1945

Australian Matilda tanks on Tarakan Island.

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Matilda tanks of 2/9th Australian Armoured Regiment coming ashore at Green Beach (Muara Beach), June 10, 1945.

Matilda Mk.IV ‘Castlemaine’ of the 2/4th Australian Armoured Regiment.

‘Black Swan’, a Mk.IV CS of 6 Tp, B Sqn, 2/4th Australian Armoured Regiment. Note the log used on the forward hull as an improvised stowage rack.

‘Brassiere’, another Mk.IV CS, this time of 9 Tp, B Sqn, 2/4th Australian Armoured Regiment. These Close Support variants were fitted with a 3” howitzer.

B Japanese positions around Weston on the north-eastern part of Brunei Bay. The 1st Armoured Regiment and Armoured Squadron (Special Equipment) operating Matilda II tanks were attached to the Australian 7th Division and took part in the Battle of Balikpapan which was the concluding stage of the Operation Oboe. The landings took place on 1 July 1945 and had been preceded by heavy bombing and shelling by Australian and US air and naval forces. Landing with the infantry, the tanks - including Matilda tank dozers, newly modified Matilda Frog flamethrower tanks, and a Coventanter bridge-layer - mainly operated in small detachments in close support of the troops, even though the terrain offered the opportunity for more mobile tactics to be employed. Although the Australians were ultimately successful, casualties among the infantry were heavy and during this time the regiment was involved in some hard fighting,

with the Japanese able to make effective use of strong natural defences in conjunction with minefields and anti-tank ditches to compensate for their lack of antitank guns. With the fighting coming to a conclusion however, tank operations ceased on 24 July

the limited number of effective antitank weapons deployed by the Japanese in the areas where the Matilda was used, while the terrain was conducive to it being operated alongside infantry in the role for which it had originally been designed. * ■

* Historical text adapted from Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matilda_II https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tanks_in_the_ Australian_Army

CONCLUSION Despite using tanks that were obsolete by the standards of the war in Europe the contribution of the Australian Armoured Corps to the success of later campaigns was significant, lessening casualties among the infantry and demonstrating the role of tanks in jungle operations. The Matilda proved the most successful tank used in jungle fighting by the Australian Army, achieving immediate success following its deployment to New Guinea in 1943 due to its heavy armour, manoeuvrability in close terrain, and the effectiveness of its 2-pounder against Japanese bunkers. This was possible due to

Loading 3” Howitzer rounds into the turret of ‘Beauguest IV’ from 7 Tp, B Sqn, 2/4th Australian Armoured Regiment.

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Think Tank - Australian Matilda Tanks in Service and Close-Up

This is possibly the same vehicle, with Besa machine gun ammunition being loaded.

The same vehicle, possibly ‘Brassiere’ of 9 Tp, B Sqn, on a dirt road.

Matilda crossing a deep river. The exhaust pipes could be swivelled up to increase the fording depth. The empty mesh engine deck cover is of interest too.

Matilda Mk.IV CS tank of 2/4th Australian Armoured Regiment crossing a temporary bridge.

A view from the other side. Note the spare track links being used as additional armour on the front of the hull.

Although the censor has done his work, this is vehicle no. 7, ‘Beauvite II’, of 7 Tp, B Sqn, 2/4th Australian Armoured Regiment. It looks like this vehicle has broken a track.

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An unidentified Matilda Mk.IV CS. Note the relocated spare tracks in a rack on the side of the upper hull.

Replacing a track.

A Digger celebrating the tradition!

Australian Matilda Close-Up Let’s take a look at some of the characteristics of Australian Matilda tanks in detail. This Matilda Frog flamethrower tank was photographed at Puckapunyal Army Museum in 2009.

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Think Tank - Australian Matilda Tanks in Service and Close-Up

One of the front towing shackles and the open solid hull locker.

Close-up view of the armoured front mudguard. Note the rough cast texture and the casting number, L-150.

The mudguards are hinged to allow access to the tracks. The guards are held in place with split pins.

A locking latch holds the mudguard in place. Note the prominent welding beads.

Australian Matildas featured collar armour to protect the shot trap at the base of the turret.

Note the horizontal weld bead near the bottom of the armour strips.

The collar armour is applied in three separate sections per side.

The vertical and horizontal sections of the armour are welded together, and the compete armour sections are bolted to the hull.

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A view up and inside the mud chutes to show the upper track run sitting on a pair of track skids. The hollow guide horns may be seen clearly here. One of the side lockers showing the chunky hinges seen on this version of the Matilda.

The field telephone box welded to the rear port trackguard.

The distinctive flame head of the Matilda Frog.

The flame head as viewed from the rear.

A standard 2 Pdr turret and barrel of the gun tank.

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FEATURE ARTICLE

Tamiya 1:35 Infantry Tank Matilda Mk.III/IV “Red Army” • Kit No. 35355

QUEEN OF THE JUNGLE Brett Green transforms Tamiya’s new 1:35 scale Red Army Matilda into something more tropical!

A

s the Matilda tank was being withdrawn from front line service in the Western Desert and on the Eastern Front, it was yet to make its combat debut with the Australian Army in the Pacific. Japanese forces were lacking in heavy anti-tank guns, allowing the Matilda to remain in service with several Australian regiments in the Australian 4th Armoured Brigade, in the South West Pacific Area. They first saw active service in the Huon Peninsula campaign in October 1943. Matilda tanks remained in action until the last day of the war in the Wewak, Bougainville and Borneo campaigns, which made the Matilda the only British tank to remain in service throughout the war.* A

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Box art for Tamiya’s Red Army Matilda.

The new side skirts with their prominently raised hinges.

One of the new mud chutes with locating slots for the track skids.

The new individual link spud tracks are supplied in two parts each – the main section…

…and the guide horn section.

Track skids replace return rollers in this version.

Spare track links and their mounts.

The new solid locker covers. Two Soviet crew figures are also included.

Markings for two Soviet vehicles plus a selection of generic slogans are included.

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FEATURE ARTICLE

Tamiya 1:35 Infantry Tank Matilda Mk.III/IV “Red Army” • Kit No. 35355

B IN THE BOX Tamiya’s Red Army Matilda is based on the new-tool kit from 2009 (Kit No. 35300) and shares absolutely nothing in common with Tamiya’s original Matilda, kit no. 35024, that was released in 1973. Tamiya’s new Red Army Matilda comprises 580 parts in dark green plastic (320 of these are the track links and skids), ten polythene caps and markings for two vehicles. So what is different in this version? Quite a lot, as it turns out. There are new side skirts with characteristically prominent hinges for the mud chute hatches. Track skids replace the return rollers of the previous kit. New solid front locker hatches are also included. Tracks are the chunky Spud version, quite different to the style provided in the earlier release. These are presented as individual links made up from two parts per link. The links are then simply clicked together without the need for glue. The guide teeth are hollow on the real tank. For the kit, the plastic guide teeth are moulded with a dent at the front and rear. This offers a pretty good representation considering the guide teeth are almost completely hidden behind the complex running gear and large armoured side covers. Surface texture is everything we have come to expect from a new Tamiya release. Cast metal is beautifully depicted on the turret, the nose and the armoured engine deck covers. Recessed screw heads on the lower hull side covers even includes slot detail. Raised strips, rivets and bolts are present wherever appropriate. The asbestos insulation wrapped around the exhaust pipes looks fantastic too. The sprues contain two styles of 2 Pdr gun barrels plus a 3” howitzer barrel, allowing a Close Support version to be built. Each barrel is supplied in one piece and is hollow at the muzzle end. Several rows of flashed over holes may be found on the inside of the hull surrounding the turret ring. This hints that the Australian version featuring the armoured ring protecting the base of the turret might be seen as an official Tamiya release some time in the future. The low-profile Commander’s cupola is included on the sprues too – another feature typically seen on Australian Matildas. The mantlet is secured with poly caps allowing the gun to elevate, and the driver’s hatch may be left to slide on its rails. A full complement of new on-vehicle tools plus crew stowage

is supplied. Two Soviet crew figures are included. Poses are relaxed and sculpting is very good. Moulding quality is marvellous. There are just a few very feint circles to clean up on the inside of the loader’s hatch. Although there are an alarming number of ejector pin marks on the lower hull, these will all be completely hidden behind suspension components and the big mud chutes. Sponsons are not boxed in but you won’t see the light of day once the armoured hull sides are secured. The searchlight lens is a solid plastic piece. Helpfully, however, it is a separate part so it may be replaced with a clear lens if desired. Kit engineering is sensible, and this Matilda is as straightforward to build as the 2009 kit. I particularly like the way Tamiya has broken down the nose of the vehicle to avoid a horizontal join across the front of the hull. Decals are included for two specific Soviet Matildas in 1942, while decals 3 to 12 are various generic slogans and markings.

The lower hull is made up from separate bottom, sides and nose parts.

DIFF’RENT STROKES When this kit was first announced, all I could see was a short cut to an Australian Army Matilda. Tamiya’s new Red Army Matilda gets most of the way there with the new side skirts, track skids, spud tracks and solid hull lockers. The only additional parts needed for an Australian version are the turret ring collar armour and the field telephone box on the rear track guard. Optional Australian parts include the armoured cast front mudguards and oil can racks on the front track guards. Some Aussie Matildas also had their engine decks covered with mesh or PSP plating. An oft repeated story is that the mesh was intended as additional armour, but I think it is more likely that it was simply used to tie down stowage and to prevent leaves and debris from entering the engine vents. I had a Firestorm resin Australian Matilda conversion in my collection. This was designed for Tamiya’s 2009 release so it included many parts that are not required for the Red Army kit including the spud tracks and side skirts. I wound up using only the collar armour sections, the field telephone, the oil can racks, turret stowage and the cast mudguards. I understand that Firestorm will be releasing this truncated conversion for the new Tamiya kit in due course.

The main tub and nose sub-assemblies.

The bottom of the hull features raised rivets, bolts and panels. Final drive housings are glued in place here.

The nose has been fitted to the lower hull but the locker covers are not installed yet.

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All the running gear elements were cut off the sprues, cleaned up and carefully arranged in number part order awaiting assembly.

These are the components for the two-wheeled suspension units.

The kit also includes four-wheeled suspension units and a single-wheel unit at the front.

And here they are assembled.

CONSTRUCTION

Here are the single and four wheel units.

All the suspension units ready to attach to the lower hull.

Construction starts with the suspension. Whereas the road wheels and suspension units were a sloppy fit on the 1973-vintage kit, the new kit is very precise in this area. All the running gear parts were carefully laid out in number order after they were cut from the sprues, as there are three different styles of suspension units using a different combination of parts. Poly caps are used to secure the idler wheels and drive sprockets, but the small road wheels are fitted between solid plastic locators. The instructions suggest that the road wheels should be left to rotate, but I glued mine in place. On this model, the return rollers are replaced with track skids for the upper run. These are accompanied by a new pair of mud chutes. Assembly of the new parts is straightforward. The idler wheels and drive sprockets are a bit ambiguous as they may be fitted on their axles from either side. Take note that the big hole on the idler wheel should face inward, while the raised mount on the drive sprocket mates with the final drive. If in doubt, check the accompanying photo. A July 2017 - Model Military International 19

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FEATURE ARTICLE

Tamiya 1:35 Infantry Tank Matilda Mk.III/IV “Red Army” • Kit No. 35355

The mud chutes with the track skids attached.

The suspension units have been glued in place and the remaining running gear elements await assembly.

Mud chutes are ready to be installed. The drive sprockets and idler wheels are fitted with polythene caps, allowing the running gear to be workable.

B TRACKS Tamiya’s 2009 Matilda offered the choice of either full-length flexible tracks or link and length. This time around, Tamiya has supplied fully workable, clicklink individual track links. It is a bit of a shame that these fully workable and nicely detailed tracks are largely hidden by the

big armoured side skirts. The top run is supported by the long track skids too, so there’s no sag on these either. Each link is made up from two parts. The main part is attached to the sprue by two connectors, while the guide horn part is connected by three, so clean-up is the longest aspect of track assembly. Tamiya

has designed the links so that any ejection pin marks are hidden between the two parts once they are assembled. Once the parts are cleaned up, assembly is very fast indeed. I glued all the guide horn parts to the main track parts, then gathered the links into two groups of 69 and simply clicked the links

together. The links go together with a discernible “click”. None of my links broke during assembly, although there are a few spares provided if you do have any mishaps during assembly. I test fitted the tracks to the running gear, but I did not add them permanently at this stage.

The lower hull complete with running gear.

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The track components. Note that the ejector pin marks will be completely hidden when the two link halves are glued together.

Note the correct orientation of the track skids.

The links simply click together for a full workable track run.

Detail is excellent. The guide horns are not hollow but this is almost impossible to see on the assembled model.

The tracks were test fitted to the running gear. So far, so good.

UPPER HULL AND TURRET The balance of construction was trouble-free. A number of the locating holes in the upper hull would not be required for my Australian Matilda, so these were filled or not drilled, as appropriate. I planned to leave the upper and lower hull sub-assemblies unglued for the time being to make painting easier. The upper and lower hulls were joined temporarily with the tab at the front of the hull and the poly caps at the rear. I was careful not to apply glue to any join that would interfere with me removing the upper hull later on. For this reason I did not glue Parts D77 and D78 to the muffler, nor did I fit the new solid locker covers (G10 and G11) just yet.

A number of locating holes and slots were not required. These were plugged and filled.

Some of the openings were quite large and required backing.

CONVERSION PARTS AND STOWAGE Fitting Firestorm’s resin conversion parts is very straightforward. Test fitting showed that I only had to carve off a few raised tie-downs and rivets from the kit hull to fit the collar armour and the oil can racks. The resin parts are then simply glued in place. I left the resin armoured mudguards off at this stage though, as I wanted to paint them separately. A

The muffler and exhaust pipe components.

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FEATURE ARTICLE

Tamiya 1:35 Infantry Tank Matilda Mk.III/IV “Red Army” • Kit No. 35355

B I did have to check references

to confirm the positions of the armoured mudguard hinges and locking latches, but this was straightforward in the end. I decided to depict the mesh over the engine deck. I bought a brass mesh set with a square 1.0 mm grid and simply cut it to the size of the engine deck. I snipped and bent the forward sides to wrap around the air inlets. Reference photos also show Australian Matildas with piles of stowage on the rear deck. I rolled two-part epoxy Kneadatite BlueGreen Putty into thin flat sheets then folded them into various sized packs and tarps. These formed the base of my rear deck stowage. I also added a few resin packs from a Value Gear stowage set. These were pressed into the still-flexible tarps to convey the impression

of weight. Another thin sheet of Kneadatite was rolled thin and cut to size as a tarpaulin cover over one side of the stowage. The stowage was pressed down on the mesh to avoid that annoying “floating” effect, and two thin pieces of string were attached to the mesh and pulled across the top of the stowage to be secured on the diagonally opposite side. A

This is the inside front of the side skirt. Note the correct position for the track tensioning mechanism (Part A10).

The low-profile cupola is included on the sprues but not mentioned in the instructions. This was commonly used on Australian Matildas.

Detail on the cupola hatches is great.

The side skirts were attached with the upper and lower hulls dry-fitted.

Two styles of 2 Pdr gun barrel are included. A 3” howitzer barrel is also included, so you could build a Close Support version if you wish.

Crew seats are included for the turret. The driver has a seat too. These are handy mounts for the figures.

The assembled turret.

The sub-assemblies are being test-fitted here, including the tracks.

The model has been carefully disassembled in preparation for the Australian conversion parts.

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A relatively small number of parts were used from Firestorm’s resin Australian Matilda conversion. This was designed for Tamiya’s 2009 kit, so many of the resin parts are not required for the Red Army version.

These are the only parts that were used for the conversion – armoured mudguards, collar armour, oil can racks, field telephone and turret stowage.

Firestorm supplies some nice turret stowage parts.

The conversion parts on the kit. Only minor surgery was required to fit the resin parts.

Unwanted locating holes were plugged with plastic rod then cut flush, filled and sanded.

When this kit was first announced, all I could see “was a short cut to an Australian Army Matilda... ” I bought a brass mesh set with a square 1.0 mm grid for the engine deck.

The mesh was simply cut to size using nail scissors and folded to fit the engine deck.

A number of packs were sourced from Value Gear’s Universal Set #8.

I also made tarps and packs from Kneadatite putty to form a flexible base for the engine deck stowage.

The mesh being test-fitted to the engine deck.

The whole mesh and stowage could be removed from the engine deck and painted separately.

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FEATURE ARTICLE

Tamiya 1:35 Infantry Tank Matilda Mk.III/IV “Red Army” • Kit No. 35355

B PAINTING The upper and lower hull sections were now disassembled for painting. First, all the components were prepared with two coats of Tamiya Grey Primer straight from the spray can. The upper and lower hull sections, the turret and the resin armoured mudguards were now sprayed in the base colour mix suggested by Tamiya’s instructions – one part XF-59 Desert Yellow and two parts XF-62 Olive Drab. I mixed up a batch of this appropriately drab shade and kept it in a bottle to ensure I could match the colour later on. Next, the tracks and the mesh were painted “scale black” – a 50-50 mix of Tamiya XF-1 Flat Black and XF-64 Red Brown. Now the painted tracks were wrapped around the running gear and glued in place with a few spots of super glue on the top track skids and on the bottom of the road wheels. The tracks may be left workable but as they are pretty much hidden by the side skirts and there is no sag, I figured it was safer to fix them in position. The upper hull was now clicked into place. The exhaust pipes were glued to the muffler and the front locker covers fixed in place. The diagonal joins in front of the driver’s hatch were also glued and filled. Local damage to the paint was resprayed. A

All the components were prepared with a coat of Tamiya’s Grey Primer.

The tracks and the mesh were painted “scale black” – a 50-50 mix of Tamiya XF-1 and XF-64 Red Brown.

Stowage and mesh primed.

Tamiya’s instructions suggest a base colour of one part XF-59 Desert Yellow and two parts XF-62 Olive Drab.

The painted tracks were glued to the running gear…

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…and the upper hull was also glued in place at this stage. Note that the locker hatches have been glued to the upper hull too.

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Untidy seams were glued and filled before some touch-up painting.

Weathering commenced with dry-brushing of the hull and turret in a paler shade of Tamiya’s green mix.

Details and stowage were painted by brush with Vallejo acrylics. This was followed by an overall coat of Future Floor Polish, then a pin wash of Future Floor Polish, water and a spot of Vallejo 333 Germ. Tkcr. (Black) was applied to raised and recessed structural features.

Decals were sourced from Echelon Fine Details.

The decals performed perfectly under a setting coat of Solvaset.

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FEATURE ARTICLE

Tamiya 1:35 Infantry Tank Matilda Mk.III/IV “Red Army” • Kit No. 35355

The completed mesh and stowage sub-assembly.

The lustreless finish was restored with a coat of Alclad II Klear Kote Flat.

B WEATHERING Weathering commenced with drybrushing of the hull and turret in a paler shade of Tamiya’s green mix. Details and stowage were painted by brush with Vallejo acrylics. This was followed by an overall coat of Future Floor Polish, then a pin wash of Future Floor Polish, water and a spot of Vallejo 333 Germ. Tkcr. (Black) was applied to raised and recessed structural features. Echelon’s decals were applied over the glossy finish. They performed perfectly under a

coat of Solvaset decal setting solution. There were a few white spots that appeared once the Solvaset had dried, but these were quickly eliminated with a brushed application of Future Floor Polish neat from the bottle. The lustreless finish was restored with a coat of Alclad II Klear Kote Flat. I didn’t want to go crazy with weathering, so the only additional measure was some light chipping with a sponge dipped in Vallejo 333 Germ. Tkcr. (Black)

Together at last!

The stowage was super glued to the engine deck.

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FIGURES The driver and loader were sourced from Firestorm’s Australian Tank Crew set, while the Commander is from Ultracast’s Item No. 35012 – Commonwealth Tank Crew North Africa 1941-43. The heads, bodies and the slouch hat were drilled and mounted on toothpicks to ease handling during painting. The parts were primed with Tamiya’s Fine White Primer straight from the spray can. I wanted to make sure there was a bit of variety in the crew’s Jungle Green uniforms. Vallejo made my life a little easier by packaging most of the uniform colours I needed in one box – Panzer Aces Set No.5. This set also includes paler shades of the base colours to paint highlights. The specific colours I used were 333 Germ. Tkcr. (Black), 334 Germ. Tkcr. I (Feldgrau), 335 Germ. Tkcr. II (Feldgrau), 337 Highlight Ger. (Black), 338 Highlight Ge. I (Feldgrau) and 339 Highlight Ge. II (Feldgrau). Although these are labelled as German colours, they’re just colours after all. By mixing and matching I had all I needed. The colours were applied by brush. Two coats were plenty to ensure solid even coverage. A highlight shade for each colour was applied using the drybrush technique. I added a very dark green wash made up from Future Floor Polish and water in equal parts, and a drop each of Vallejo 337 Highlight Ger. (Black) and 334 Germ. Tkcr. I (Feldgrau). This thin wash was applied by brush to the painted uniforms and it settled nicely into recesses and natural shadow areas. Any excess was soaked up with a clean brush while the wash was still wet. Painting of the heads got underway with a sprayed base coat of Tamiya’s acrylic XF-15 Flat Flesh. Headgear was then painted, followed by a wash of heavily thinned Burnt Sienna and Raw Sienna oil paint to the faces and arms. The ruddy mixture flows into the lowlying areas and crevices, making a nice start to shading and detailing. Fine facial details such as mouths and eyes were carefully brush painted with a watered-down mix Vallejo 337 Highlight Ger. (Black), which is actually a dark brown shade. High areas of the face such as the chin, brow, nose, cheeks and ears were painted with paler shades of flesh, while shadow areas under the eyebrows, under the nose and chin received darker shades. I made no serious attempt to paint the whites of the eyes. A coat of AK Interactive Ultra Varnish Matte flattened the finish. Finally, with the figure painting complete, the handles were extracted and the figures fitted to the model. A

The driver and loader were sourced I thought the Firestorm Commander looked more appropriate for a from Firestorm’s Australian Tank European climate. Crew set. Casting and detail of the Firestorm and Ultracast figures are excellent.

The assembled figures were mounted on toothpicks to assist handling while painting.

The uniform colours are a mix of various Vallejo acrylics.

Instead I chose a Commander from Ultracast’s Set No. 35012 – Commonwealth Tank Crew North Africa 1941-43.

Tamiya Flesh was sprayed over the base coat of White Primer.

The figures after their dark green wash of Future, water and a few drops of Vallejo acrylic paint.

Details have been picked out with a fine brush.

A coat of AK Interactive Ultra Varnish Matte flattened the finish.

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FEATURE ARTICLE

Tamiya 1:35 Infantry Tank Matilda Mk.III/IV “Red Army” • Kit No. 35355

The Matilda in profile.

Stowage was added to the forward hull including a bucket and a U.S. pattern jerry can.

B

Tracks were lightly weathered with Tamiya Pastels. This was another enjoyable project based on a Tamiya new release.

Tamiya includes the tow links and shackles although they are not mentioned in the instructions. I added the tow cable from braided picture wire.

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Modelspec Tamiya 1:35 Infantry Tank Matilda Mk.III/IV “Red Army” Kit No. 35355 Accessories Used:

B CONCLUSION The Matilda was one of the most important British tanks with its best known contribution in North Africa. Despite its pedestrian speed, a narrow turret ring that limited further development, and an inadequate main gun, it served stoically in the extremes of the Western Desert, the frozen plains of the Eastern Front and the steaming jungles of the South Pacific. Indeed, the Matilda was the only British tank to see service from the first day of the Second World War to the last. Tamiya’s new Matilda is a state-of-the-art offering with excellent detail, beautifully authentic cast texture where appropriate, useful options and superb fit. The new release of this Red Army version injects even more possibilities for fans of Allied armour and, of course, it is a sheer pleasure to build! ■

- Firestorm Item No. FS35182 – Australian Matilda Conversion - Firestorm Models Item No. FST029 – Australian Tank Crew - Ultracast Item No. 35012 – Commonwealth Tank Crew North Africa 1941-43 - Echelon Fine Details Item No. ALT35021 – Matilda Markings of 1/4th Australian Armoured Regiment Part 3 - Value Gear Set Universal Set #8 - Tamiya Item No. 35026 - Jerry Cans Set - Tetra Model Works Item No. TA-00004 – Mesh – D (Square 1.0 mm) - Wave Option System H-Eyes1 (Spotlight Lens) Modelling Products Used: Tamiya Extra Thin Liquid Cement Revell Contacta Cement Kneadatite Two-Part Epoxy Putty Evergreen Plastic Strip Paints Used: Vehicle - Tamiya Acrylics: XF-1 Flat Black, XF-2 Flat White, XF-55 Deck Tan, XF-59 Desert Yellow, XF-60 Dark Yellow, XF-62 Olive Drab, XF-64 Red Brown. - Alclad II Klear Kote Flat Figures Uniforms (all Vallejo Panzer Aces acrylics) - 310 Old Wood; 314 Canvas; 333 Germ. Tkcr. (Black); 334 Germ. Tkcr. I (Feldgrau); 335 Germ. Tkcr. II (Feldgrau); 336 Afrika Korps Tankcrew; 337 Highlight Ger. (Black); 338 Highlight Ge. I (Feldgrau); 339 Highlight Ge. II (Feldgrau); 340 Highlight Afrika Korps Flesh - Base Coat: Tamiya acrylic XF-15 Flat Flesh. - Wash: Rowney Georgian Oil Paint 221 Burnt Sienna. - Variations and Highlights: Vallejo Model Colour acrylics 70815 Basic Skin Tone; 845 Sunny Skin Tone; 919 Foundation White (mixed). General Detailing (all Vallejo Model Colour acrylics) - Oily Steel; 919 Foundation White; 70801 Brass; 70950 Black; 70957 Flat Red. - AK Interactive Ultra Varnish Matte References: - Osprey New Vanguard No. 8 – Matilda Infantry Tank by David Fletcher and Peter Sarson - Osprey Modelling No. 5 – Modelling the Matilda Infantry Tank by Mark Bannerman - Military Ordnance Special No. 13 – The Matilda Infantry Tank in Australian Service by Paul Handel - Australian Armour – A History of the Royal Australian Armoured Corps 1927-1972 by MajorGeneral R.N.L. Hopkins, C.B.E. ✓ Excellent detail and surface texture; easy to build; useful options; link and length tracks. ✗ Solid plastic spotlight lens. Available from Tamiy kits are available from all good model shops Worldwide and distributed in the UK by The Hobby Company Limited www.hobbyco.net

Rating

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FEATURE ARTICLE

IBG Models 1:35 Scammell Pioneer SV2S • Kit No. TBA

BATTLEFIELD

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D PIONEER

PART ONE ASSEMBLY

Kamil Feliks Sztarbala builds IBG Models’ new 1:35 scale Scammell Pioneer recovery vehicle.

T

he Nuremberg Toy Fair 2017 did not bring too many exciting premieres and announcements. One of the few really interesting kits presented at the show was without doubt the 1:35 scale Scammell Pioneer SV2S recovery vehicle, for 1:35 which test-shot sprues and a pre-assembled example had been exhibited at the IBG Models stand. This hot news quickly spread through the modelling forums and social media, forcing another company, Thunder Model, to quickly reveal that they’re also going to release an entire family of 1:35 Scammell kits this year. On one hand, after a dozen King Tigers, Abrams, T-55s etc., once again we see the manufacturers choosing the same subject at the same time, despite there still being many interesting vehicles that had only been available in resin thus far (in fact, like the Scammell…). On the other hand, this also gives the modeller an opportunity to choose between a fairly easy to build kit, brought to us by IBG Models who try to follow the proven paths of Tamiya, or a more detailed and more complicated Thunder Model release, at least, according to the information provided by the latter firm. Finally, a fun fact: both brands usually employ the same artist from Poland, Mr. Arkadiusz Wróbel, to paint the box artwork, and it was no different in the case of the Scammells. Whether it is easy to assemble or not, the Scammell SV2S from IBG Models is an impressive kit. It comprises no less than sixteen sprues made of sandy styrene (note: for the purpose of preparing this article, greycoloured test-shot sprues had been used), one clear sprue, a quite large photo-etched sheet, plus the separate wheel outer tread parts. ■

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FEATURE ARTICLE

IBG Models 1:35 Scammell Pioneer SV2S • Kit No. TBA

In The Box

As in all recent IBG kits, each wheel is built from three pieces: the hub, tire side wall and outer tread part.

Another simplification that may disappoint some potential buyers, are the fixed front wheels. However, division of the steering mechanism into more parts than would be necessary to enable the front wheels to be steerable, would certainly result in a complicated design and therefore, increase the risk of incorrect assembly.

Both the inner and external cab details are nicely reproduced. The doors are moulded together with the cab sides, which undoubtedly makes it easier to correctly assemble the entire section. Unfortunately, it won’t be easy to pose them open, as their inner and external contours are slightly different.

Otherwise, one can’t really complain about the quality and finesse of details.

The engine replica is quite nice too.

Construction The engine was the first subassembly to deal with. In fact, what we get with the kit is just too good to be hidden under the covers.

As I’d chosen to expose it, I added some further details in accordance with my photo references. The wiring was made from lead wire, whilst I used my faithful ‘Punch and Die Tool Set’ from RP Toolz to create some tiny screws and other round bits.

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Next, I focused on the rear suspension. During the process of sanding the junctions between the walking beam halves, I removed screws from these areas. This was restored using plastic parts from Meng’s nut & bolts set.

To reproduce the braking system, I first had to create four small levers. To this end, I temporarily glued four pieces of 0.4mm styrene strip together, and subsequently sanded them to the desired shape.

Once the parts had been separated, I ended up with four identical details.

Now I could put together the entire drive axle…

Lengths of styrene rod and some small bits that had been made with RP Toolz tool, were used to recreate further elements of the braking mechanism.

The final touch was to add some very thin springs. To replicate the latter, I imprinted the texture of a metal file onto the lengths of 0.5mm lead wire.

…and start working on the front suspension.

An important note for those who want to build this kit out of the box: in such a case, the tie rod must be inserted into its apertures within the chassis frame before gluing together the halves of the latter.

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FEATURE ARTICLE

IBG Models 1:35 Scammell Pioneer SV2S • Kit No. TBA

B

However, I chose to pose the wheels in a turning configuration. For this purpose, I first scratch built a new tie rod and wheel hubs.

To make the wheels fully steerable, I made the kingpins from lengths of Albion Alloys’ bronze tubing.

Whether it is easy to assemble or “not, the Scammell SV2S from IBG Models is an impressive kit. ”

At this stage, the movable parts were assembled together without glue. I intended to fix them later, after the final position of the wheels is determined.

The tie rod was attached using short lengths of broken 0.15mm drill bit.

The chassis frame comprises quite a few parts, so we must pay attention during its construction in order to avoid twisting or bending it.

As the differential housing protrudes way below the drive axle, it couldn’t be mounted before adding the wheels.

This area was also detailed with lengths of lead wire and some plastic bits.

To prepare the tires for assembly, I first sanded the treaded surface and removed the minor but visible moulding flaws caused by the use of slide moulding technology.

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The latter had also to be removed from the recesses within the tread. I sanded the affected areas with a 1mm-thick flat metal file…

…and ‘painted’ them with ‘Plastic Magic’ super thin cement from Deluxe Materials, so as to smoothen the edges of the tread pattern and dissolve the remaining plastic dust.

Next, I glued the tire side walls and outer tread parts together. During this process, one needs to pay attention to the direction of the tire tread pattern, which must be the same for each side of the vehicle.

The wheels were then temporarily attached to the hubs using masking fluid.

This allowed me to enter the final stage of the chassis assembly. I first mounted the drive axle using only a tiny quantity of glue. Once I’d ensured its correct alignment, I fixed the joint areas with a solid amount of ‘Plastic Magic’ adhesive from Deluxe Materials.

The entire chassis was subsequently left to dry for a while. I placed it on a flat surface to make sure that all the wheels will be on the same level.

Now I could deal with the winch. I began by creating the cable from a few lengths of copper wire that had been spliced using a rotary tool. Afterwards, I drilled an aperture in the winch drum, inserted the cable and sealed it with super glue. The drum was then installed within its framing. Next, I attached the rollers, pulling the cable between them.

If one intends to pose the cable in such a way that its end is located at the rear of the vehicle, the case is rather simple. However, I thought that it would be more interesting to stretch it along the rollers that allow to drag the cable to the front of the truck. The only glitch was that the instructions did not show the cable arrangement. Fortunately, I found the required drawing in the assembly guide of an old Accurate Armour kit. I first stretched the cable and glued it to the rollers at the rear of the chassis frame.

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FEATURE ARTICLE

IBG Models 1:35 Scammell Pioneer SV2S • Kit No. TBA

B The photo-etched parts of the counterweight rack were initially attached with dense plastic cement. Once I’d ensured their correct alignment, I sealed the junction with a small amount of ‘Roket HOT’ extra thin cyano from Deluxe Materials.

The next step was to pull the cable through the side rollers. The end of the cable was fixed to a loop end that had been mounted between the rollers located at the front of the vehicle.

Finally, I improved the winch by adding a few scratch built details. This included making a spring from lengths of 0.2mm lead wire and 0.5mm styrene rod.

Afterwards, I focused on the cab. I started by assembling the floor and front wall including nearly all provided details, minus the seat cushions. I also added the wiper motor casings, sourced from an old Tamiya kit.

In the case of the rear cab wall, I chose not to use the somewhat simplified guns supplied with the kit. Instead of this, I glued the photo-etched barrel holders. The back cushions required specific treatment. I first thinned down the relevant plastic parts, and subsequently applied a layer of ‘Green Stuff’ epoxy putty over them. Once the cushions had been fixed within the cab, I could start shaping the folds, using a plastic DYI sculpting tool.

The tiniest folds and creases were formed with a rubber brush.

I then cut the window masks from pieces of Tamiya tape. The windows themselves were glued with ‘Plastic Magic’ adhesive from Deluxe Materials.

The seat cushions were improved in a similar manner.

“

Many sub-assemblies and details were left separate for the forthcoming stage.

”

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With the windows masked both from the outside and inside, I could join the cab floor and front wall with the chassis frame.

The air filter required some attention due to the simplification caused by the limitations of the moulding technology.

This allowed me to add some details which had to be attached to both the subassemblies.

I made the distinctive ‘square’ using tiny pieces of 0.25mm styrene strip…

The filter was then fixed in place. I’m not sure whether this was caused by bad part fit or my clumsiness, but a small gap had emerged at the joint. I filled it with a piece of 0.75mm styrene sheet.

… and sanded it to the correct thickness only after gluing it to the air filter.

The instructions do not show clearly how to mount the steering wheel. I therefore had to check my photo references again.

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FEATURE ARTICLE

IBG Models 1:35 Scammell Pioneer SV2S • Kit No. TBA

Far left: The steering column was eventually glued to the steering box… Left: …allowing me to add the steering wheel base.

I also built the storage rack and reproduced the fittings of the engine side covers.

Next, I attached the rear cab wall. To ensure the correct alignment of all cab parts, I temporarily installed the side walls using pieces of Tamiya tape.

The headlights were equipped with bulbs.

At this stage, I thought that the cab curtains would be a nice addition. I took a small amount of ‘Green Stuff’ two-part epoxy putty, poured some talcum powder over it, and rolled this out into a thin sheet…

…which was subsequently cut into rectangles of the required size.

I rolled up the latter using a wet paint brush…

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…and fitted the resulting curtains to the cab roof.

Next, I installed the metal width indicators from RB Model and their supports that had been made from lengths of 0.5mm styrene rod. The width indicators had to be slightly adjusted, as they are originally intended for German vehicles.

An Olfa scribing tool was used to emphasize the recesses between the particular planks and scratch the surface in order to improve the woodgrain texture.

The last step of this process was to add the thin straps that had been created in the same way as the curtains themselves.

I also scratch built the plate for the Military Load Classification / Bridge Weight Classification markings.

The latter was added to the edges of the locker covers with a coarse nail file.

The front wheel fenders required a little improvement. I first glued the tiny styrene bits that would work as the mounting brackets for the width indicators, and drilled the apertures for their supports.

With the cabin fully assembled and detailed, I could get on with the cargo bed construction. Using a fine saw edge razor blade, I marked the boundaries between the floor and metal framing.

I also cut the gaps between specific planks at the edges of the locker walls. Far left: The assembly of the lockers did not cause any problems, even though it turned out that one of the walls required modification. It came with metal fittings that were replicated across the entire piece, whilst it was only the lower half of the wall was movable in the real thing.

Left: I therefore removed the redundant fittings and added the missing clasp.

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FEATURE ARTICLE

IBG Models 1:35 Scammell Pioneer SV2S • Kit No. TBA

The cargo bed doors were also enhanced with scratch built fittings and clasps.

…and installed the photo-etched mudguards…

Afterwards, I began the crane construction by creating the recess for the cable within the cable roller. For this purpose, I used a metal file and a rotary tool.

Whilst mounting the towing bar, I chose to replace the photo-etched butterfly screws with their plastic counterparts sourced from a DML kit, as the latter had a more 3D look. At this stage, I also equipped the locker hatches with holders…

…which supports had been soldered to enhance the rigidity of the entire sub-assemblies.

The jib was assembled in accordance with the instructions. I only had to restore the accidentally damaged bracket at its end.

In the real crane, the jib is moved by a chain, but I didn’t find any that would be thin enough. The only choice was to make it on my own from 0.4mm lead wire. In this case, however, I spliced the wire using my fingers instead of a rotary tool, as otherwise I could damage it easily.

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Next, I added the cable support which is unfortunately not included in the kit. This was scratch built from some spare photoetched parts.

The winch also had to be modified a little. I first sanded off the simple representation of the stored cable from the winch drum, and prepared another length of self-made cable, that had been created from lengths copper wire.

I then partially wrapped the cable around the winch drum, and sealed this with a droplet of ‘Roket Hot’ extra thin cyano.

This allowed me to put together the winch…

…and fit the entire crane subassembly to the cargo bed.

The kit was ready to have some paint applied. Many sub-assemblies and details were left separate for the forthcoming stage.

NEXT TIME Next time Kamil paints and weathers IBG’s Scammell Pioneer.

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KIT PREVIEW

Rye Field Model Kit No. RM-5007 - US Main Battle Tank M1A1 / A2 w/Full Interior

ABRAMS WITH INTERIOR

Al Bowie is impressed with Rye Field Model’s latest member of its Abrams family, which includes a full interior.

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hen I first started into large scale armour kits in the early 1970s, Tamiya had two amazing kits in 1:24 scale of the Tiger and Centurion with internal detail. I was simply amazed by these kits and the detail they contained. Over succeeding decades, a number of manufacturers have offered kits with interior detail such as AFV Club, Academy, MiniArt, Bronco, Nitto, Bandai Meng, Takom and others. To that long list can now be added this masterpiece from relative newcomer Rye Field Model of the M1A1/A2 which has a very full and detailed interior including the engine and bay. This joins a large field of new tool M1A1/2 that have appeared over the last decade from the likes of Dragon, Meng, Academy and Tamiya. When compared to those early Tamiya kits with interiors, this kit just goes to show how far the industry has come where multimedia is now

almost a standard as are workable individual tracks. The M1A1 and M1A2 are the current mainstay of the US armour forces as well as those of Australia, Egypt, Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Morocco.

WHAT’S IN THE BOX The kit represents a plain M1A1 or M1A2 without the frequently seen TUSK (Tank Urban Survival Kit) fittings of reactive armour, shields and remote weapon systems and could be a base for an Abrams from the first Gulf War up until the present day. Detail is sharp and accuracy is high although the lower hull wheel station spacing is a little out. Unlike other new release kits of the Abrams, this one has a full interior for the turret, driver’s station and the engine compartment as well as workable individual tracks made up of 6 parts per link. RFM thoughtfully give you two jigs to speed up assembly of these tracks. The kit box is packed when

you open it and you realise this is not going to be a speed build! The instructions are printed on glossy A4 paper in a booklet of 28 pages. excellent, clearly labelled in coloured line exploded format. Paint colours are called out in the AMMO by MIG range and indicated throughout the assembly stage. Construction starts with the 120mm gun tube and assembly which has a full detailed mantlet and breech. The gun tube is multi part but cylindrical and not divided longitudinally. This will result in easy clean up compared to traditional kit barrels. The loader’s M240 7.62 is nicely detailed with photo-etch and has a closed ammo can only but has an optical sight unit. The Commander’s .50 cal is multipart with separate cocking handle, barrel and feed cover. Again, this has a closed ammo can but a small section of the feed tray is depicted with rounds. Here we see the first option in the form of the M1A2 Commander’s cupola with a TUSK style shield arrangement

for the .50 cal as seen on later vehicles. A bustle extension is provided for the later models and upgraded vehicles and I really like the assembly of this, which will not require three sets of opposable thumbs and a helping hands to assemble. The engineering and moulding of this make it quite a simple construction with minimal (strong) parts. We continue with the turret, which has the various options for different blow out panels and other features for the specific model. The instructions are very good at pointing out the different marks in different colours. I am pleased to see the RFM toolmakers have not gone for maximum parts count in assemblies such as the racking etc. and accuracy and detail has not suffered. The turret interior basket follows and this is very busy and detailed with mesh panels surrounding it. Again, parts count is kept to a minimum

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The main kit decal sheet. Detail is moulded around the lower turret ring. Three marking options are included.

The kit features a full interior. Interior parts are moulded in grey.

Stencil markings are included too.

A cross section view of the kit’s interior detail.

The lower hull is presented as a tub.

Plenty of clear parts including water and soda bottles.

Tracks are link and length with separate guide horns.

The upper turret section.

Non-slip texture is moulded to the hull and turret parts. Detail is moulded around the lower turret ring.

with high detail. A full ammo load is included and the blast door is shown open. The various differences between the A1 and A2 are again accounted for. The APU and various stowage items such as cooler bins (Esky), Ammo boxes and jerry cans are included although the instructions do not tell you what most of these are. The lower hull comes next, which is a one-piece tub with individual road wheel arms connecting to internal torsion bars although these will not work unless you remove the keyed nub on each arm that sets the position and alignment for a flat surface. Road wheels are correctly detailed and have separate clear hubs. The highly-detailed driver’s position is next followed by the engine compartment and engine MUA, which could be displayed outside the vehicle with a little scratch building of connectors and cabling. The upper hull has all the correct differences between A1 and A2 versions and again these are well called out in the instructions. The idlers have the

Driver’s compartment and turret interior parts.

correct mud shuts and bolt detail with separate hubs. The mud scraper is also included. Now comes the part I really hate and that is the tracks. In other RFM Abrams kits they give the choice of link and length or individual but this gives workable individual links which are superbly detailed with optional guide horns for T158 or T 158LL tracks. Two jigs are included and construction is quite straightforward. The side skirts are multi-part and highly detailed with photoetched strips. These finish the construction and you now have a very detailed and accurate M1A1 or M1A2 with an interior although you will struggle to see it through the smaller hatches. Decals and marking guides are included for four vehicles although there are a number of markings that appear to be missing from the guide. Decals are included for all the interior stencilling and placards: • A tricolour NATO scheme M1A1 no markings • M1A1 4th Tank, 2nd Pl, B Coy

Three photo-etched frets are supplied.

3-7 Cavalry with artwork on the Turret faces. • M1A2 – “Beastmaster” – Hull number 222 ( unit markings) • M1A2 - “CANT GET RIGHT” Number 322 (No unit markings)

CONCLUSION This is a fantastic kit and offers remarkable value for money at the price which is the same as competitors M1s with no interior. The only real issue is with the spacing and positioning of the road wheel stations but this is hard to notice unless you really know M1s. I highly recommend this kit. It has a lot of parts but the assembly is straightforward and it does not suffer from a myriad of fiddly little parts making up complex assemblies. The instructions are clear, large and easy to follow showing clearly the options as required for the different variants. ■

Crisp, fine detail for the turret stowage baskets.

More turret detail.

Thanks to Rye Field Model for the sample www.ryefield-model.com Jerry cans, cooler boxes and other stowage.

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FEATURE ARTICLE

RPM 1:35 Alkett Minenräumer • Kit No. 35100

STRANGER

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ER THINGS John Bonanni tackles the daunting RPM 1:35 scale Minenräumer kit to create a monster.

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orld War Two is no stranger to armoured vehicles of every shape and size. However, there are a few that raise the question, “What were they thinking?” I definitely thought this when I first saw photographs of the unsightly Schwerepanzer Minenräumer. It is so ugly that it is almost beautiful. The large tricycle suspension, if you can call it that, is one of kind and the small Panzer I turret only adds to its uniqueness.

HISTORY The history of this vehicle is largely a mystery. Multiple stories tales exist for vehicles post war history, but one story is certain for concerning its development and evaluation. According to Model Detail Photo Monograph No. 13 the vehicle was a joint project in late 1941 between Alkett, DaimlerBenz, and Krupp. Referred to as the ‘mine clearing tank’ by the Germans, its test and operational history during the war is unknown. Furthermore, the vehicle was not listed as one of the vehicles found at the Kummersdorf proving grounds. Following the war it was mentioned on a single Russian document in 1946 and was put through field tests at Kubinka in 1947. Results clearly showed the vehicle was ill-suited for any type of operation. The Russians concluded that the vehicle was overweight, underpowered, and lacked sufficient armour. Fortunately, the vehicle still exists today and is on display at the Kubinka Tank Museum.

LIMITED OPTIONS For the longest time, resin kit manufacturers were the only option for this behemoth. Fortunately, about ten years ago RPM released an injection moulded option and most recently Meng has followed suit. I started the RPM option around the time it was released. After cleaning and gluing some parts I returned it to the shelf of doom. Fast forward to this past summer and I found myself eyeing off the beast again. I decided to dust it off and finish it for the IPMS Nationals.

REPLACE AND REPEAT Construction began on the large tub that was the lower hull. The side walls were badly warped and in desperate need of reinforcing. After attaching the side walls to the lower hull plate a generous bead of super glue was applied to the joint. Despite being attached, Evergreen styrene I-beams were A

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FEATURE ARTICLE

RPM 1:35 Alkett Minenräumer • Kit No. 35100

history of this vehicle is “Thelargely a mystery. ”

A solid primer coat unified the model’s appearance and revealed any blemishes that required attention before painting. I prefer to use an aerosol can when priming. It’s cheap, easy, and keeps me from cleaning my airbrush.

The modulation process begins with a base coat of JGSDF Brown. Notice the vertical streaks which add tonal variation.

A added to brace the hull sides from warping. Before adding the upper hull top plate significant work was needed to update the soft details and correct the access hatch. A Waldron Punch and Die set was used to add over 80 bolts to hinges, hatches and armour plates. Additionally, new armoured plates, vent hoods and hatches were made from sheet styrene. The rear section was detached and three small lifting loops were added to the rear section with copper wire and strip styrene. Another glaring error in the kit was the lack of weld joints, which were added with stretched sprue softened with liquid cement and textured with a

#11 Xacto blade. Larger weld seems were added with two part Aves Epoxy Sculpt, which is easier to work with for larger welds. After tackling the hull I turned my attention to the turret. The Pz I turret contained in the kit was completely useless and thrown away. The turret moulding was horrendous and was not worth salvaging. Fortunately, I had a donor turret from a Tristar Panzer I kit that only needed minor updating, which included nearly 56 bolts and brass replacement MG-34 barrels. The most time-consuming part of this build was by far the track pads, every other kit

A thin layer of Dark Yellow is added to start the Dunkelgelb finish.

assembly pales in comparison (that includes Modelkasten Tiger I tracks). Each track pad consists of two pieces, 60 total, and each pad had two connection links which were two pieces as well, 120 total. Additionally, two-piece alignment blocks were part of the subassembly and totalled 60 parts. In total, there were 240 parts to make up the major components of the tricycle suspension. To make matters worse no alignment plugs or marks are present. Each assembly component was assembled, puttied and sanded. Once completed, all of the components were attached to make the large wheels.

ARTISTIC FREEDOM The painting process began with a layer of black lacquer from a generic brand aerosol can. I prefer using an aerosol can because it eliminates the need to use an airbrush. After inspecting the surface quality, it was now time to choose the camouflage scheme. The actual appearance of this vehicle is almost as cloudy as its history. The limited number of photographs available do not have any clues for the vehicles colour. The nondescript semiuniform scheme could range from red oxide primer to Dunkelgelb. I choose to paint the vehicle in a hypothetical scheme, A

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The Dunkelgelb finish is further uniformly lightened with a 1:1 mix of Dark Yellow and Buff.

Highlighting is made easy with masking tape allowing selective surfaces to be exposed to lighter tones.

White was added to the second highlight at a ratio of 1:1, it was also diluted more with Tamiya thinner.

AMMO acrylics were thinned 1:1 with water before application to smaller details.

The finished state of the modulated finish is extreme. However, after applying the camouflage scheme and multiple layer of weathering the harsh tones will be blended together.

The freehand scheme was applied with my trusty Iwata HP-C. It’s very important not to carefully apply the camouflage scheme, errors are hard to fix without changing the modulated finish.

After adding the simple camouflage scheme the modulated finish is Archer dry transfers were easy to apply and sealed with a coat of toned down considerably. After adding the simple camouflage scheme X-22 Clear. the modulated finish is toned down considerably.

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FEATURE ARTICLE

RPM 1:35 Alkett Minenräumer • Kit No. 35100

Once covered in hairspray, Medium Blue was airbrushed over the black to replicate steel.

I worked pad by pad during the paint removal process. If the whole wheel is covered in water the hairspray will react too quickly and leave the finish ruined.

The design of the vehicle made the subassembly break down easy.

The contrast between the medium blue and off black color is barely visible and creates an excellent foundation for rust tones to be applied.

I prefer to use oils for my filters. I have found some bottled options to be ‘hot’ and attack the acrylic finish.

Far left: Every bolt is individually picked out and cleaned up during the pin wash process.

Left: The finished pin wash brings the model to life by enhancing the shadows and defining the models details.

A influenced by Tony Greenland’s

Minenräumer, typical for a vehicle serving on the Eastern Front with a Dunkelgelb base coat and green camouflage overlay.

ENHANCED LIGHTING The large surfaces of the vehicle called for an alternative approach to painting to draw attention to the otherwise flat surfaces. I choose to use the modulation technique to achieve forced light results. The first step in the process was to give apply Tamiya XF- 72 JGSDF Brown as a foundation base coat that would be progressively lightened. Next, a layer of XF-60 Dark Yellow with a touch of XF-57

Buff was added in a non-uniform layer. At this point, the shadow base coat has been achieved and the highlighting will begin. For highlighting I typically have three different tones that are progressively lighter with the use of XF-2 White. The first layer of highlight is added to all surfaces, emphasis must be given to the gradual transition on vertical surfaces. At the bottom, the first highlight is nearly non-existent and is gradually added until reaching the top of the panel. Horizontal surfaces are treated differently with the paint application similar to mottling. The highlighting process is repeated for every lighter tone.

To ensure crisp demarcation, simple masks were used to block of panels and larger details. Hatches and external plates were painted in a solid lighter tones at this point. The final step in the modulation process is to pick out the small details which include: bolts, hinges, vision ports, and lifting hooks. I used a fine tipped round sable brush to apply diluted, 50/50, Dunkelgelb tones, MIG 016 and 010, to the details. Next, it was time to decide on a camouflage scheme. I had some ideas of what I wanted, but choose a scheme inspired by Tony Greenland. In his first book, Panzer Modelling Masterclass,

he displays a Minenräumer in a simple green squiggle scheme that I always liked. The pattern I airbrushed on the vehicle was made up as I went along. It was enjoyable to freely paint my own unique scheme. After the camouflage was complete, I added generic Balkenkreuze from Archer’s dry transfer line. Before weathering the entire model was given a coat of thinned Tamiya X-22 Clear.

WICKED WHEELS The most unique feature of this vehicle is the massive three wheels, which unlike any other vehicle from that period. I will

A

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Vandyke Brown and Sap Green are applied to the camouflage colors and Naples Yellow is added to the dunkelgelb areas. This distribution of colors will enhance the finish’s tonality.

The oils were blended using a stumping motion on the wheel hubs and horizontal surfaces.

Modelspec RPM 1:35 Alkett Minenräumer

Kit No. No. 35100

Accessories Used 1:35 Tristar PzI (turret) - No. 008 RB Model MG34 barrels Replacement chain Archer Dry Transfer Decals Tools and Materials Used

Above left and above: The first layer of chipping was achieved using a small piece of sponge, which is must faster than using a brush.

Another easy technique to use for layering is speckling. There is no need to dilute the solution prior to application with an old brush.

A touch of black pigment was all that was needed to finish off the exhausts.

Tamiya Extra Thin Liquid Cement Tamiya Tape Evergreen Plastic Sheet and Strip Photoecth Mesh Waldron Subminiature Punch and Die Set Iwata HP-C Airbrush Paints and Finishing Products AMMO Acrylic Colors – Rubber & Tires, Sandgrau, Dunkelgelb (Mid War), Matt Varnish AK Acrylic Colors – Chipping AK Enamels – Wash for Dark Yellow Vehicles AK Pigments – European Earth, Gun Metal MiG Productions Pigments – Black Smoke Windsor Newton Oil Paints – Vandyke Brown, Naples Yellow, Sap Green, Mars Black Tamiya Acrylics – Buff, Dark Yellow, White, Medium Blue, JSDF Brown, Olive Green Tamiya X-20A Thinner LifeColor Acrylics – Burned Rust, Corroded Rust, Streaking Rust Humbrol Enamel Thinner Wilder – Brown Rust Speckling Effect ✓ Unique subject ✗ Part fit and soft details

Rating

Once assembled the “ vehicle is massive and stands taller than a King Tiger tank.

”

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FEATURE ARTICLE

RPM 1:35 Alkett Minenräumer • Kit No. 35100

A admit at first I had no idea how I would paint them. I contemplated how they would actually look. Would they be polished steel or rusty? How would the paint wear away on the large hub assembly? After studying pictures of farm equipment, I had a plan of attack. I choose to reflect an operation vehicle with polished wheel pads. The first step was to airbrush the wheels in AMMO’s 033 Rubber & Tires followed by a coat of hairspray. Once the hairspray was dry I added a thin airbrushed layer of XF-18 Medium Blue to serve as the steel base. Immediately after applying the blue I began the wear process by adding water to the models surface to gently remove the top layer of paint. This entire hairspray wear process was repeated with a top coat of Life Color 702 Rust. The centre of the wheel was painted in the same way as the hull and the assemblies were given a coat of X-22 Clear.

LAYER UPON LAYER I began weathering with a dot filter, which consisted of three Winsor & Newton oil paint colours: Sap Green, Vandyke Brown, and Naples Yellow. Each colour was placed on a cardboard pallet in order to remove most of the linseed oil. Next, the dots were applied to the vehicle using the lighter colours towards the top of the vehicle and the dark colours toward the lower sections. This colour distribution will enhance the modulation tones. Dots on the vertical surfaces were blended using a streaking motion, while the horizontal surface colours were blended using a soft stumping motion. At this point the model was set aside for 24 hours to let the oil paints to completely dry. In addition to the dot filter a traditional filter was added using Vandyke Brown heavily diluted with Humbrol Thinner. It is important to have this layer to be very translucent. Its objective is to change the models appearance to a warm hue. Today countless brands have their own bottled weathering solutions for washes. After trying several

colours I settled on AK Interactives AK 300 Wash German Vehicles in Dark Yellow. When I apply a wash I am very focused on the shadow areas. A fine tipped round sable brush is used to precisely apply the pin wash. Capillary reaction is enhanced by having a damp surface to allow the paint to flow around all the details and into crevices. There will always be excess wash and I prefer to allow the model to sit for at least 30 minutes before removing anything. This rest period gives the wash the opportunity to dry just enough to hold up during the excess removal process.

RESTRAINT The tendency to over chip a model is always on my mind and I tried to keep the chipping process very restrained on this model. I had the mind-set that the vehicle would have been only in service a few months. Minor scratches and chips around frequently travelled areas would be my focus. The first layer of chipping was added using a small piece of sponge and AK 711 Chipping Colour. Elongated scratches and smaller chips were added with a brush. Rust speckling from Wilder was also added using a flicking motion to illustrate surface staining. Lastly, faint rust streaks were added to areas prone to wear and moisture collection.

FINISH LINE CRAWL Now it was time to assemble the beast and add the final touches. After attaching the wheel assemblies, the machine gun barrels were painted in 033 Rubber & Tyres and the entire model received a coat of 089 Matt

AK Gun Metal pigment

Replacement chains are a must. The kit provided individual links for the chain that was too thick and incredibly tedious to assemble.

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Varnish. The final step was to add Gun Metal pigment to the machine gun barrels and wheel pads. I used cotton balls to gently add pigment to the pads. I was careful not to overdue the metallic appearance.

CONCLUSION In conclusion, this was a fun and interesting build. My building skills were certainly challenged and I’m pleased with the results. Once assembled the vehicle is massive and stands taller than a King Tiger tank. However, I have to wonder what were they thinking when they designed it. The vehicle’s incredibly slow speed would make it an ideal target for any form of attack as it crawled across the battlefield. ■

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GALLERY

Tamiya 1:35 M1025 HUMVEE Armament Carrier. • Kit No. 35263

D E R U O ARM

E E V M HU

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The side body is finished in desert sand.

The second crew figure manning the .50 cal machine gun.

A good view of the overall scene, including the simple base.

The two Legends crew figures.

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ith all the current conflicts around the world, it seems that we modellers have become spoilt with modern subjects in kit form. For me personally, this is brilliant, as modern subjects are my thing. A good friend of mine had given me a partially built Tamiya Humvee with a Legends resin set. He had decided he wasn’t going to complete it, so when I got it, instead of putting it aside until later, I thought, right, this is now my new project, so into the stash of goodies I dived and emerged with the extras that I needed to finish it off. I already had a good idea of what I was going to do and the colour scheme I was going to apply, so the project began.

SOURCING THE CREW I wanted this to have a full crew, so the first thing I did was to assemble the figures to go inside. These were Legend’s excellent Humvee Crew in full equipment. Once together, I then got the resin seats to check for fit to find that it wasn’t great. No dramas though. I just shaved the figures in to shape until they fitted in correctly. Approximately a half hour later and all was done. Next I continued on the interior, painted it and weathered it to the point where the seats and figures could be installed. With everything ready to be installed, I then proceeded to paint the figures in the US Marine Desert Digi pattern, all their equipment, with Citadels excellent paint range, and then installed all into the

I decided to paint this one in a “ mix ‘n’ match scheme, going with NATO tri-tonal plus Desert Tan. ”

interior. I added a few extra bits and pieces, and then it was time to seal it all up and begin on the interior.

EXTERIOR The exterior had quite a lot of resin already in place so it was only a matter of completing the rest, which at first I believed wouldn’t take long until I got to the doors. The issue was that they wouldn’t fit, so it was time to carefully sand them down on interior side, test fitting regularly until they had a nice snug fit. Luckily it was only three, as one would be left in the open position. The only items not glued in place were the wheels and the rear antenna. Now it was time to paint.

PAINTING AND WEATHERING I decided to paint this one in a

mix ‘n’ match scheme, going with NATO tri-tonal plus Desert Tan. The reason? It gives a little more interest. I have photos of Humvees finished like this and, ya gotta admit, it looks pretty cool! I used all Tamiya acrylics for this being XF-59 Desert Yellow, XF-67 NATO Green, XF-68 NATO Brown, XF-69 NATO Black, and XF-84 Dark Iron There was also a tad of XF-57 Buff added to the mix to tone things down a little and give a slight faded look. I also at this stage painted up the wheels and tyres, plus rear antenna, so that they would be ready to put in place once all was done. Weathering was a fairly quick process with this one as I didn’t want to go to extremes, so I started by doing some chipping using a dark brown from Citadel

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GALLERY

Tamiya 1:35 M1025 HUMVEE Armament Carrier. • Kit No. 35263

B paints, and applied the last of my

beloved True Earth Paint fading over the Tri-Tonal areas. This gave the model a nice finish, with the appearance of dust build up in areas. The vehicle completed.

BASE Next was the base, which again I wanted to be simple, so I decided on half road and half desert terrain. For the road surface, I used Tamiya Fine Sand Surfacer, and then added some extra surface detail as it was to perfect a finish, then for the desert, I used Tamiya Dark Earth Surfacer, which is a little rougher, and added some rubble. First I painted the road surface and finished that off, then sprayed the desert surface, over spraying onto the road, for a little dust effect. then I used some earth tone MIG Pigments and blended it all in. Like I said, a simple base. I then glued the wheels and the rear antenna onto the vehicle, and then glued the vehicle to the base with a small drop of epoxy on the bottom of each wheel. Lastly, I glued the figure standing outside of the vehicle to the base and put the crewman for the turret mounted MG into place. The small vignette was now complete, with a scenario of a Marine Humvee pulled over and a crewman looking to the distance, possibly alerted to something. The gunner on the lookout as well.

My only gripe is that all “that work on the interior

can’t really be seen on the finished model. Oh well, at least I know it’s all in there!

” A view of the vehicle from rear three-quarter.

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Mini Modelspec Tamiya 1:35 M1025 HUMVEE Armament Carrier. Kit No. 35263 Accessories Used arious Legends Update Sets Legends Humvee Crew Paints and Finishing Products Used: Tamiya Acrylics - XF-59 Desert Yellow, XF-67 NATO Green, XF-68 NATO Brown, XF-69 NATO Black, XF-84 Dark Iron Tamiya Fine Sand Surfacer; Tamiya Dark Earth Surfacer. Turret detail.

✓ Great fit and detail. ✗ Can’t see much of the interior detail when the model is complete. Available from Tamiya kits are distributed in the UK by The Hobby Company Limited www.hobbyco.net

Rating CONCLUSION

The standing figure next to the vehicle.

The gunner in his turret.

This was a great project to work on, and I was very happy with the finished item. My only gripe is that all the work on the interior can’t really be seen on the finished model. Oh well, at least I know it’s all in there! ■

The base is half road, half desert terrain.

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Book Reviews MILITARIA GUIDE

GUILLAUME ROUSSEAUX HISTOIRE & COLLECTIONS US FORCES IN VIETNAM 1968-1975 ISBN 978-2-35250-287-6

When you are into painting figures as I am myself, it is always great news to hear of publications like this book being presented now. The war in Vietnam is widely known across the globe, but even today it has that secret feel to it, making it an interesting subject to cover, especially the men on the ground. There were so many units deployed from Infantryman, Rear Detail, Officers, and those so popular Special Forces troops, from Green Berets, Navy Seals and the more secretive units such as Mike Force. Inside this 25cm x 20cm soft cover book printed on high quality matt paper with 82 page you will find all these and many more covered, with excellent colour plate photos of re-enactors wearing all the gear, unit patches, and a well written explanation of the uniforms and tasks given to these. The photos are very detailed and clear, giving both the enthusiast and figure painter great reference. Also, as mentioned, it doesn’t just cover the fighting element, but support elements and command too. This really is a very handy little publication to own, and coming from Histoire & Collections, you just know it will deliver the goods. If this is your subject, go out and grab a copy. It is well worth it. Recommended Thanks to Casemate Publishing for the sample www.casematepublishing.co.uk Andrew Judson

PANZER ACES NO. 47

CONVERTED MILITARY VEHICLE EUROMODELISMO

Panzer Aces Magazine has been around for some time now, covering many areas of armour modelling, making it one of the great reads on the subject out there. This issue, as with all the others, comes in the form of a soft back A4, high quality paper product, with 64 pages. There are five subjects within, being as follows: • Russian B-4 Mod. 1931 202mm Howitzer, by Cristobal Vergara Duran • PPRU-1M/9S80M SBORKA M, Dog Ear, by Laurent Stankowiak • AFKWX 352 Dumper, by Pedro Andrada and Michal Perez • GTU-1 by Pascal Renault • T-55 in Serbian Service , by Martin Siska All articles are well written, with excellent progress and finished photos of the subjects, shown and described in an easy to understand context. This is a interesting issue of the Magazine with some very interesting and well built models inside. I always enjoy reading these Panzer Aces publications. Recommended Thanks to Euro Modelismo for the sample www.euromodelismo.com Andrew Judson

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ITALERI

1:9 SCALE GERMAN MILITARY MOTORCYCLE WITH SIDECAR KIT NO. 7403

Here we have another blast of 1970’s nostalgia with the re-release by Italeri of the ex-Esci BMW R-75 motorcycle & sidecar combination. These days there is no reference to the maker on the box art but the original proudly referred to it with a big ‘BMW’ logo on the box. This one has stood the test of time well and still looks good. The parts come on eight sprues, six in light grey plastic, one in flexible vinyl containing the seats & some plumbing, and a clear sprue for the headlight & tail light lenses. There are some options and features within this kit and the main ones are: • Articulated front fork suspension • Spring-supported front & rear seat • Choice of early or late model fuel tank • Detailed MG 34 machine gun and mount on sidecar • Full set of tools for the toolbox Moulding quality is good with very little flash present although some knock-out pin marks will be visible and will need removing. I have test fitted some parts (sidecar halves, fuel tank halves, front forks and main engine parts) and the fit is remarkably good. Whilst I can’t vouch for the rest of the kit these early signs are good. Some mould join lines are heavy and will require tidying up but you expect that with a kit of this vintage. Detail is generally good but in this scale it is easy to detail it up if you so wish. Markings are provided for four vehicles, three plain schemes and one three-tone camouflage option. Also included on the decal sheet are the various data plates, speedometer and BMW logos. With a kit of this size good instructions are a necessity and those here are clearly drawn and uncluttered. The only area that could be problematic is when you get to the plumbing as it is not clear where one set of tubing starts and where it subsequently connects to. It soon becomes apparent that this is one model where deviation from the instructions is not recommended and whilst there are 77 steps in total, it actually follows through in a very logical manner. Construction starts with the sidecar and whilst it looks basic inside it soon fills up with the seats and floorboards. The machine gun and mount appear optional according to the markings but if you don’t use it you will need to fill the mounting holes. It is then finished off with the side panniers and mounts before concluding with the lower chassis and fender. Step 17 sees us start with the engine and bike frame. Rather than me tell you how it looks on the sprue I have done an internet search to look at both original and restored machines. There are plenty of articles out there (look for the restored one that sold at Bonhams) that will provide you with some great reference. Overall, Italeri/ESCI has captured almost all of the main details and whilst some are a little thick and others a little bland all of the basics are there. One thing that I have noticed is that some versions of this bike have open front forks where the springs are visible and some have bellows that cover them but on the model they are enclosed. As always, check your reference for the version that you want to model. On my kit one of the spokes in the wheels had broken but it will easy to repair. If you have the time and the inclination then the spokes would be best replaced with wire as the plastic parts have mould seams on each spoke that will be a bear to clean up. On the real thing these spokes are substantial so the kit representation is correct. The wheels are moulded in a soft vinyl and have a detailed tread pattern on them, as well as manufacturer’s markings on the sidewalls, that look really good.

One beautiful 1:9 scale MG 42.

Tyre tread detail.

Spoke detail on the main wheel.

Texture on the vinyl seat is quite good.

Marking options.

Vinyl plumbing & springs.

CONCLUSION This kit has lost none of its charm with age and will build into a detailed replica of the original. You can get excellent results out of the box but, in this scale, there is room to super-detail it to your hearts content. It is not a kit for beginners but the relatively clear instructions will allow for most to give it a good go. I am impressed with the test fit of some parts and this just goes to show what was achieved in our hobby 40 years ago. If you missed it the first time around then now is your chance to grab one. Highly Recommended Thanks to The Hobby Company Limited for the sample www.hobbyco.net Graham Tetley

Close-up of the pannier hinge detail. Sidecar sprue.

The perforated exhaust shield.

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KIT PREVIEW

Revell 1:35 Tiger II Ausf. B Henschel Turret • Kit No.03249

No details missed here.

In the crowded 1:35 scale King Tiger market, Graham Tetley examines the latest boxing from Revell.

BUDGET TIGER II

W

ith so many King Tigers on the market, Revell now enters the fray with their boxing of the recent ICM kit. You have probably read about the history of the King Tiger many times before so I won’t bore you. Instead, let’s look at what is in the box. This is a simple kit presented on six sprues, with separate upper and lower hull parts. The tracks come as four pieces of vinyl with two of each making up one track run. Markings are provided for three vehicles (more on that later) and the A4-sized instruction booklet has nice, clear, construction steps. All parts are cleanly cast with no noticeable flash at all on my kit. There are some slight sink marks on the rear hull near to where the tow shackles attach but these can be easily filled if you want. An inspection of the parts reveals this to be an early production hull and turret. You can tell this by items such as the extended screen mounts for the engine grills, chamfered ventilator cover, turret track hangers and position of the Pilzen mounts on the turret roof. There is a mish-mash of early and late features included though (location of the jack block on the rear plate and the jack itself, engine deck armoured ventilator cover etc.) that are called out in the instructions so check your references if you are building a specific vehicle. Looking at the parts I must say that the detail is really rather good. There are some lovely weld seams throughout and the upper hull itself is very well done. The side skirts have been moulded

integrally with the upper hull and they do still look very convincing. Although the lower hull has been moulded with the rear plate attached and separate sides a test fit reveals some exceptional engineering with no loss of detail. Construction commences with the turret and a basic gun breach is attached with detail also on the inside of the loaders hatch. The cupola is a little basic but will suffice. There is a modicum of detail included in the lower hull comprising of the torsion bars, part of the floor and bulkheads but nothing else. The suspension isn’t designed to be moveable despite the torsion bar detail but the road wheels are very well done and on a par with Dragon’s efforts. When we get to the upper hull we have all sorts of small parts and nothing has been missed. The tools are a little bland and would benefit from etched clasps as would the tow ropes. Markings are included for ‘332’ which was captured by the Americans during the Battle of the Bulge. It was subsequently shipped back to the USA and extra markings are provided for the shipping stencils. They are well-printed and in register. There are, however, a few detail discrepancies and things that could be better. These are: a) The gun barrel and mantlet are moulded together but split into two halves. This is unusual and will leave a difficult seam to remove from all of the lumps and bumps present. b) The sprocket teeth are too square and do not match to anything in my references. c) Comparing to the plans in my Achtung Panzer and

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Speilberger references the upper hull, roadwheels and sprocket dimensions match exactly. The turret however seems a fraction too short and is compressed in the area between the commander’s cupola and the rear hatch. d) The rear idler wheels have been molded devoid of detail on the inner faces. e) There should be a track replacement cable and associated mounts on (from the front) the left hand side of the hull. All of this is missing. f) Vinyl tracks. Revell/ICM gives us some lovely plastic links for the track hangers and it is a shame that this has not extended to a full set for the kit. g) Etched engine screens are conspicuous by their absence. I have yet to see an ICM kit with etched parts included so, if it bothers you, seek out a suitable set.

Marking options.

Close-up of the turret roof.

Idler wheel with strange drive teeth.

Some sink marks on the rear hull.

CONCLUSION Most King Tigers on the market come with a high parts count, separate link tracks and etched parts but Revell’s release is not aimed at that section of the market. It is certainly much simpler to build but comes with a high enough level of detail to please most modellers. Where it also wins is in its price point as, in the UK, it can be had for anywhere between £21 and £25. So despite the niggles noted above, it does represent excellent value for money and comes unreservedly recommended. ■

Track face details.

Rear plate details.

Revell model kits are available from all good toy and model retailers. For details visit www.revell.de/en

Separate piece lower hull sides.

11/05/2017 10:10

KIT PREVIEW

Dragon 1:35 ‘2 in 1’ 39-45 series King Tiger (Porsche turret) w/Zimmerit • Kit No. 6848

The kit includes two photo-etched frets.

The photo-etched chain is an interesting inclusion.

Individual track links – hooray!

KING CRANE

Small parts are crisply moulded.

Dragon’s latest variation on the King Tiger theme is this kit with a roof-mounted crane. Andy King takes a peek.

T

he King Tiger is considered to be one of the classic ‘big cats’ of German armour and has been kitted (and continues to be kitted) by various manufacturers. This particular example appeared around the early ‘noughties’ and along with the Henschel turreted version released at the same time was Dragon’s first attempt at moulded-on zimmerit. Inside the box we find eleven sprues in grey plastic, one clear sprue for the vision blocks, periscopes etc., a decent sized fret of photo-etch for the engine grills, wire tow cables, a decal sheet and the original individual track links. Considering the age of the kit, all parts are commendably free from flash although some mould seams are present. This time around Dragon has thrown in the turret mounted crane that featured in their Bergepanzer Tiger (P) and it is an unusual addition. It’s worth noting that the three anchor points on the turret roof (known as Pilz) for the crane were added to vehicles after June 1944, which by the way are missing from the kit and need to be added. As stated above, this was Dragon’s first attempt at

replicating zimmerit and it is not without it’s problems. First off, the texture is far too deep and will need a couple of coats of primer, Mr Surfacer or similar to lessen the depth, where the armoured engine exhaust guards join the rear hull the zimmerit needs removing as these were bolted directly to the hull with the zimmerit being applied around the guards, finally there are no indents on the turret sides to show where the spare track hangers are located so you need plans to work out where they go. I built the Henschel turreted version a few years ago and it quite a job to remove areas of zimmerit. No metal barrel is included and the kit one is better off being replaced by an aftermarket item. No interior detail apart from a very basic main gun breech is included either although at least all the etched engine intake covers are in the box. Four colour schemes are shown in the paint and markings section: ● schwere Panzer Abteilung 503, Normandy 1944; ● ‘Anneliese’ from s.Pz.Abt.503 ‘Feldherrnhalle’ Hungary January 1945; ● s.Pz.Abt.503, Eastern France,

The kit includes an optional crane, although you’ll have to add the mounts to the turret yourself.

The kit gun barrel.

Four options are offered on the decal sheet.

August 1944 and finally ● a King Tiger from s.Pz. Kp.(Fkl)316, Normandy June 1944. From experience, I would point out that Dragon has a habit of including many optional parts but no guide in the instructions as to which parts relate to what particular King Tiger and especially to which production dates as there were many subtle changes so I would strongly advise picking a specific vehicle if you want to be historically accurate. Not a bad kit really, and the inclusion of the crane will make the model stand out a bit more on the shelf but the Zimmerit and the amount of work to remove it from places lets it down somewhat. ■

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

The kit is moulded with zimmerit in place.

The zimmerit looks great on the turret but some will need to be removed for the installation of detail parts.

The upper hull.

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11/05/2017 10:11

1:48 Scale – A round-up of the latest news and releases

AFTER SALES SERVICE

W

hen I was a kid I received an Airfix 1:24 scale Spitfire as a Christmas present. At that time I had a few kits under my belt and thought this was going to be a great build. The kit was complex and I seem to recall that it stretched my abilities somewhat. When I had the model assembled, I brush painted it in bright gloss green and a brown enamel finish. The paint was taking an age to dry and I thought to speed things up a little. I put it in front of a one bar electric heater. As I recall, I was called away to perform some chore around the house by my mother. On my return, and to my horror, the model had taken on a droopy appearance and on close examination the right side of the aircraft had almost melted. Back in the day, Airfix used to include a little slip of paper noting if parts were missing so you could request replacements . Well ,this is where my nine year old logic quickly kicked in . I composed a letter in my best handwriting outlining what I had done and yes, I was entirely honest. I requested a right hand wing and fuselage together with a new canopy. I then waited until I had enough money to post it to the UK. Weeks passed and I basically forgot about it. I seem to recall around 2 months later a package was delivered to our door with an entirely new kit and a brief note stating that a Mr Smith from Airfix had authorised a new kit to be sent on to one Luke Pitt. I was amazed and so too were my Mum and Dad at the time. This, my father said, was after sales service. Over the years, when parts have been missing, I have simply returned them to the place of purchase and in most cases the parts have been replaced or a new it or credit issued. The problem is that most of the local hobby shops in my area have closed and unfortunately I now generally purchase online. Fast forward some 40 odd years later and I bought a 1:48 scale M29 from Hannants. I discovered that one of the track assemblies was miscast. I went online and filled out the Customer Service Form. I was prompltly contacted via e-mail by one Michal Hradecky from Special Hobby.

Let me share a little story.

From my experience, the smaller firms tend to offer the best aftersales service while the larger model manufacturers seem to have little or no after sales service. I’d like to thank Michal from Special Hobby for his outstanding service with this problem. I have always tried to make this little column a sort of community notice board and to that end, I like to invite our readers to write in and tell us if you have any positive experiences with customer services and with whom. In my opinion after sales service is important and if it is good then, your perception of any given firm will increase. What do you think?

Until Next Time Luke Pitt

HAULER

HAULER

The Tamiya kit of the Japanese Type 10 Tank is undoubtedly the finest modern plastic tank kit available in 1:48 scale today. This new set from Hauler also has the “wow” factor and covers a whopping three photoetch frets, which is unusual for this manufacturer as they generally only provide one fret per set. The first thing that you’ll notice is how fine everything is, from the hull headlight guards, which are very simple and yet very clever to apply, to the mesh used for the stowage bins. This is some of the finest photo-etch I have ever seen from this manufacturer. This set covers everything that is slightly over scale on the exterior of the model. Take for instance the rear engine vent array. A complete replacement is provided for and covers some 12 photoetch parts. A fair bit of thought has gone into this assembly as well and it should be fairly easy to put together. This addition alone would add that certain something we all like to add to our builds. The rest of the set covers updates for the thermal sights, machine gun, hatch grab handles and wait for it over 300 oblong tie down that cover the real vehicle . I must say that I’m totally blown away with this update. You could not, and basically should not, want anything more. Highly Recommended Thanks to Hauler for the sample www.hauler.cz Luke Pitt

But wait, there’s more! Not satisfied with providing everything you could possibly require for the exterior of Tamiya’s 1:48 scale Type 10 Hauler has also seen fit to produce a complete set of photo-etched replacements of the rubber dust suppression shields mounted to the side skirts. Comprising just one fret, the brass is thin enough to bend into a different pattern than provided for in the Tamiya kit. The small mounting strips are provided as separate. The Tamiya renditions are pretty good in the kit itself and these if bent correctly could provide a noticeable improvement. Highly Recommended Thanks to Hauler for the sample www.hauler.cz Luke Pitt

1:48 SCALE JGSDF TYPE 10 TANK UPDATE ITEM NO. HLX48379

1:48 SCALE JGSDF TYPE 10 TANK SIDE SKIRT UPGRADE ITEM NO. HLX48378

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Luke Pitt hosts MMI’s examination of the growing world of 1:48 scale military models, figures and accessories.

ATTV

1:48 SCALE FERRET ARMOURED CAR WITH MK 1/2 & 2/3 TURRETS ITEM NO. BV12 Brett reviewed the ATTV 1:48 scale Viking last month and now it my turn with their Ferret Armoured Car. The Ferret Scout Car was developed by the British Army in the late 1940s and came into production in the 1950s. The Ferret first saw service in the British Army in 1952, and a little later in Australia. The Australian Army used the Ferrets as scout cars until the 1960s. The Ferret is a light armoured car, intended for reconnaissance work. They were very mobile and well suited to their role. The vehicle was designed by Daimler, as a further development on the successful Daimler Dingo of WWII. The vehicle was fully armoured and

the standard Mk.2 was further strengthened shortly after its design to become the Mk.2/3. This is the usual model referred as the Mk.2). The motor was Roll Royce B60, giving the vehicle a power to weight ratio of 29.35 break horse power per tonne, the vehicle weighed 3.6 tonnes and had four wheel drive and a top speed of 93 k.p.h. (approx. 50 m.p.h.). The Ferret was 3.8 metres long by 1.9 metres wide and is 1.9 metres high, not including radio aerials. The ground clearance was .33 metres and the track width 1.5 metres. The steering wheel was inverted and runs at a 45 degree angle away from the driver. The gear box is a fluid drive preselect gear box, which meant the gear selector was placed into the desired driving gear and then the clutch engaged. There were five gears to select from, although the first gear was intended for very low range

work. On the left side of the driver was a selector lever which allowed the driver to change the gearbox to reverse, this changed all gears, so you could get out of trouble as fast as you got into it! The gearbox allowed the Ferret to be driven off from a standing position in any gear. ATTV’s 1:48 scale Ferret kit presented for review is quite simple comprising just 16 very well cast parts. The wheels are very well done with the correct tread and hub patterns in evidence. These even feature an ever so slight bulge and flat spot at the bottom of the tyres. All the visors are cast in the shut position. Two types of turrets are included and are suitable for basically any version from one to four. The main body is one casting and scales out quite well to the plans I had on hand. The model is primarily aimed at the wargaming community and

as such has an extremely low parts count, but don’t let that put you off. The kit is quite frankly as good as many other aftermarket resin kits that I have seen and really deserves to be embraced by the wider 1:48 scale military modelling community. This kit and the whole range of ATTV range of vehicles are available direct from their website http://www.hlbs.co.uk/. Highly Recommended. Thanks go out to Richard from ATTV for he review samplewww.hlbs.co.uk Luke Pitt

INDUSTRY NEWS – JAY MOVES ON

I have received word that Tank Workshop has now been sold to a new owner. I’d like to publicly thank Jay Galbierz for his unwavering support of 1:48 scale military models. Thank you Jay and best regards to you and your family for the future!

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BUYERS GUIDE>>>>>>>>> AVID READER

Tel: 01299 823 330 Fax:01299 829 970

Unit 10, Hodfar Road, Sandy lane Ind Estate, Stourport On Severn, Worcestershire, DY13 9QB

PARABELLUM

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email: sales@ parabellum.co.uk

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email: [email protected]

1/2 MILE FROM RAF MUSEUM

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MASTERCARD/VISA/SWITCH

ADVERTISE ON THIS PAGE! IF YOU ARE READING THIS THEN SO ARE THOUSANDS OF OTHERS. FOR INFORMATION, CALL SEAN ON 01525 306201 [email protected]

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09/05/2017 16:02

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

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09/05/2017 16:02

Contact Details - for companies featured in MMI... ACCURATE ARMOUR/ ARMOUR DISTRIBUTION

Units 15-16 Kingston Industrial Estate, Port Glasgow, Inverclyde, PA14 5DG Scotland. Tel; 01475 743 955 Fax; 01475 743746 www.accurate-armour.com

ADALBERTUS

Iberyjska 7/49, 02-764 , Warsaw,Poland [email protected] www.adalbertus.com.pl

THE AIRBRUSH COMPANY Ltd

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

ALCLAD II LACQUER

5 St Georges Close, Bacton, Norfolk. NR12 0LL Tel; 01962 65216 Fax; 01692 652334

ALPINE, ROYAL MODEL, ARTISAN MORI, YOSCI; SMARTMODELLING No.7 Gordons Way, Oxted, Surrey RH8 0LN. UK Tel; 01883 734746 [email protected]

AMPERSAND PUBLISHING (via Historex Agents in UK)

235 NE 6th Avenue #4 Delray Beach, Florida 33483-5543, USA Tel; 561-266 9686 Fax; 561-266-9786

ARCHER

(Historex in UK)

PO Box 1277 Youngsville, NC 27596-1277, USA www.archertransfers.co

BADGER AIR-BRUSH COMPANY 9128W Belmont Ave, Franklin Park, IL 60131 Tel; 847/678-3104 www.badgerairbrush.com email [email protected] (In the UK from www.shesto.co.uk)

BISON DECALS

Available from www.hannants.co.uk and www.pdi-model-supplies.com

DELUXE MATERIALS www.deluxematerials.co.uk [email protected] Tel; 01529 455 0340

DRAGON MODELS

(The Hobby Company in UK)

Dragon Models Ltd, Kong Nam Ind. Building B1-10F, 603-609 Castle Peak Road, Tsuen Wan NT, Hong Kong Fax; (HK) 4110587 www.dragonmodelsltd.com (For 1:6 Action Figures, please contact Amerang in UK)

ECHELON FINE DETAILS

Available from; wwwaccurate-armour.com & http://pachome1.pacific.net.sg/~kriegsketten/

FRIENDSHIP MODELS

12 Delta Drive, Musselburgh, East Lothian, EH21 8HR Tel; 0131 665 0866 Mobile; 07877166225 www.friendshipmodels.com

GREAT NORTH ROADS

CAMMETT

(Lifecolour, Scale Caliber)

Unit 5 Greenfield Industrial Estate, Forest Road, Hay on Wye, Powys, HR3 5FA Tel; 01497 822757 Email; [email protected] www.cammett.co.uk

CLASSIC PUBLICATIONS

Midland Counties Publications, 4 Watling Drive, Sketchley Lane Industrial Estate, Hinckley, Leics UK. LE10 1YF Tel; 01455 233 747, Fax; 01455 233 737 [email protected] www.classic-publications.com

CREATIVE MODELS LTD

(Mig Productions, Vallejo, Accurate Miniatures)

Unit 6-10, Honeysome Industrial Estate, Honeysome Road, Chatteris, Cambridgeshire. PE16 6TG Tel; 01354 760022 www.creativemodels.co.uk [email protected]

DARTMOOR MILITARY MODELS Haylis cottage, Budlake, Broadclyst Exeter, EX5 3LJ, England Tel; 01392 881271 www.dartmoormilitarymodels.com

www.etchmate.com www.missionmodels.com Tel; 818 842 1885 Fax; 818 842 1886 [email protected], [email protected], [email protected]

THE ARMORY; M&MODELS

9329 S. Cicero Ave, Oak Lawn, IL 60453, USA http://home.earthlink.net/~mmodels/

MODEL WHOLESALE UK LTD Tel; 01892 533036 www.modelwholesaleuk.com

ORDNANCE MODELS

Harbour Road, Oulton Broad, Lowestoft, Suffolk, NR32 2LZ, Tel; 01502 517444 Fax; 01502 500521 www.hannants.co.uk [email protected]

HISTOREX AGENTS

Wellington House, 157 Snargate Street, Dover, Kent, CT17 9BZ, UK Tel; 01304 206720 Fax; 01304 204528. www.historex-agents.co.uk [email protected]

HOBBYLINK JAPAN

Sano-shi, Kurohakama-cho 162-1, Tochigi 327-0813, Japan www.hlj.com

HUSSAR PRODUCTIONS, CANADA www.airconnection.on.ca

ICM

Via Hannants in UK

(ETCHMATE, GRABHANDLER, MICRO CHISEL)

HANNANTS

BOOKWORLD WHOLESALE

CALIBRE 35

MISSION MODELS

MONROE PERDU

BLAST MODELS

Unit 10 Hodfar Road, Sandy Lane Ind Est Stourport, Worcs, DY13 9QB Tel; 01299 823330 Fax; 01299 829970 [email protected]

9 Rannoch St., Battlefield, Glasgow G44 4DF, Scotland Tel/Fax; 0141 633 1400 [email protected] www.milicast.com

9a Marcombe Road, Torquay, South Devon, TQ2 6LL Tel; 01803 400436 www.greatnorthroads.co.uk email [email protected]

IAN ALLAN

Via AFV Modeller or www.blast-models.com

MILICAST MODEL CO.,

www.ianallanpublishing.com Mail Order Dept 01455 254450 Kiev 02099, Ukraine, Borispolskaya 9 building 64. Tel/fax; (+38044) 369-54-12 [email protected] www.icm.com.ua

ITALERI

(The Hobby Company in UK)

Via Pradazzo, 6, I-40012 Calderara Di Reno, Bologna, Italy, Tel; 051 726037 www.italeri.com

JUST BASES

21 Graham Road, Paignton TQ3 1BB Tel; 01803 558520 www.just-bases.co.uk

JUST KITS

4 High Street, Botley, Southampton, SO30 2EA Tel; 01489 781177 www.justkitsandmodels.co.uk

MDC

Model Design Construction, Victoria Place, Victoria Road, Ripley, Derbyshire DE5 3FW Fax; 01773 513344 [email protected] www.modeldesignconstruction.com

MODELING ARTISAN MORI

http://www3.ocn.ne.jp/~m.a.mori/index_eng.html

MIG PRODUCTIONS (Creative Models in UK)

C/ Santiago Rusinol 7, Pral 2a, 08750 Molins de Rei, Barcelona, Spain www.migproductions.com

Monroe Perdu Designs, 3168 Renee Court, Simi Valley, CA 93065, USA. www.monroeperdu.com Via; www.steelmodels.com

PACIFIC COAST MODELS Tel; 001 707 538 4850 [email protected] www.pacmodels.com

PANZERWRECKS

PO Box 164, Heathfield, Sussex TN21 8WA, UK www.panzerwrecks.com

PARAGRAFIX

104 County Street, Suite 101 Attleboro MA 02703 USA Tel: +1 508.431.9800 M-F 9am to 4pm EST http://www.paragrafix.biz [email protected]

PLUS MODEL

(Creative Models in UK)

SCHIFFER BOOKS

Schiffer Publishing, 4880 Lower Valley Rd, Atglen, PA, 19310 USA www.schifferbooks.com

SCHIFFER BOOKS in UK

Bushwood Books, No.6 Marksbury Avenue, Kew Gardens, Surrey TW9 4JF, UK. Tel; 020 8392 8585, 020 8392 9876, email; [email protected]

SCHUMO KITS

www.schumo-kits.com

SDV MODEL www.sdvmodel.cz

SIMPLE 2 TRADE

No 2 Hollywood Lane, Hollywood, Birmingham, B47 5PP Tel; 0121 474 3030 www.simple2trade.com

SMARTMODELLING

(Swash, Tasca, Gap, Yosci, Royal Model)

No.7 Gordons Way, Oxted, Surrey RH8 0LN UK Tel; 01883 734746 [email protected]

SQUADRON

1115 Crowley Drive, Carrollton, TX 75006-1312 U.S.A

SWANN-MORTON

Owlerton Green, Sheffield, S6 2BJ Tel; +44 (0)114 234 4231 Fax; +44 (0)114 231 4966 General: [email protected] www.craftknives.com

TAMIYA JAPAN

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

TAMIYA UK;

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

Jizni 56, 370 10 C. Budejovice, Czech Republic. [email protected] www.plusmodel.cz

TRUMPETER

POCKETBOND

VERLINDEN PRODUCTIONS

(Trumpeter & AFV Club in UK)

Bachmann Europe PLC Moat Way, Barwell, Leics, LE9 8EY Tel; 01455 841756 [email protected]

PSP MODELS LTD (Mission Models in USA)

Unit 19B, Applin’s Farm, Farrington, Dorset DT11 8RA, UK Tel/Fax; 01747 811 817 www.psp-models.com

QUICKBOOST

www.quickboost.net

REVELL GmbH & Co. KG Orchard Mews, 18C High Street, Tring, Herts, HP23 5AH Tel; +44 (0) 1442 890285 www.revell.eu

SB MODELS

UK distributor for Model Victoria and Royal Model

P.O. Box 114, Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria, LA13 0WY. Tel/Fax; 01229 430 749 [email protected] www.sbmodels.net

SBLC

PO Box 794, Cheltenham GL52 3ZW, UK [email protected]

SBX MODEL SHOP

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

www.trumpeter-china.com Pocketbond in the UK (Historex in UK)

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

VALLEJO

(Creative Models in UK)

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

VLS CORPORATION (LSA in UK)

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

WHITE ENSIGN MODELS (Toms Model Works)

8532 Lamar Drive, Huntington Beach, CA 92647, USA [email protected] www.whiteensignmodels.com

WWII PRODUCTIONS, AUSTRALIA 12 Prince Street, Waratah, 2298, NSW, Australia Tel; +61 (0)2 4967 3205 Fax; +61 (0)2 4967 3207 [email protected]

ZVEZDA

(The Hobby Company in UK)

Promishlennaia Str.,2, Lobnya, Moscow Region, 141730 Russia [email protected] www.zvezda.org.ru

SCHATTON BARRELS

Industriestrasse 6, 94347 Ascha, Germany Fax; 09961 910 7826

■ Please mention ‘Model Military International’ if you make contact with any of the companies listed above - thanks! 64 Model Military International - July 2017

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Next Issue On sale 6 July, 2017

ISSUE No.135 July 2017, Published June 1st 2017 Editor;

Brett Green

Group Editor;

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

BE MY VALENTINE

The Editor gets his hands on Tamiya’s new 1:35 scale Valentine tank.

MMI Website;

Doolittle Media Web Team

Printed by; Henry Stone Ltd, Oxfordshire 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]

T-34/76

Model Military International is published on the first Thursday of each month by; Doolittle Media, Doolittle Mill, Doolittle Lane, Totternhoe, Bedfordshire, LU6 1QX UK www.modelmilitary.com Tel; +44 (0)1525 222573 Fax; +44 (0)1525 222574

Joaquin Garcia Gazquez builds Tamiya’s 1:48 scale kit.

Editorial enquiries; Email; [email protected] Advertising enquiries; Tel; +44 (0)1525 222573 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 Model Military International is accurate, the publishers and printers can not accept responsibility for errors and omissions.

KOREAN CENTURION

Jim Turner builds and corrects AFV Club’s 1:35 scale Centurion.

FOR YOUR SAFETY Don’t forget, when using solvents such as glues, paints, thinners and cleaning agents, always ventilate your work area thoroughly and wear a face mask. When using power tools, side cutters or any tool that can suddenly break or create highspeed airborne particles, wear approved eye protectors with hard, clear lenses. Please always model in safety!

THE FRENCH CONNECTION Tomasz Janiszewski builds Meng Model’s 1:35 scale AMX 30B 35.

Advertisements are accepted for publication in Model Military International 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; 1 year (12 issues); £44 UK £56 Europe £69 Worldwide (Airmail) Binders; £8.50 plus postage (UK £2.45, Euro £4.45, World £6.45) For all orders, please call; (UK) +44(0)1525 222573 or visit www.modelmilitary.com Back Issues; Back Issues are available at the current cover price. See the latest back issues advert or visit www.modelmilitary.com The paper used in this magazine is manufactured at the Leipa Georg Mill and is 100% recycled using de-inked pulp. The mill conforms fully with the requirements of both FSC and PEFC and carries the full accreditations for their environmental policies.

...and much more! Due to many influencing factors, we cannot guarantee the appearance of the above projects, but we’ll try our best!

© Doolittle Media 2017

The paper used on this title is from sustainable forestry

Order online now at; www.modelmilitary.com

Subscription enquiries; Tel; +44 (0)1525 222573 Fax; +44 (0)1525 222574 Email; [email protected]

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The Last Post... MODEL PAINT SOLUTIONS PAINTING ACCESSORIES The Editor examines a new range of painting accessories from Model Paint Solutions.

A

s modellers, we tend to focus on kit releases, accessories and decals; with paints, brushes and airbrushes following these. Painting accessories seem to be a bit of an afterthought, but they are undoubtedly important for a high quality painting result and consistent colours. Model Paint Solutions is a new company that moves the focus onto paints, painting tools and accessories. They have sent a selection of their new paint tools and accessories for review: MPS-TP-201 - 0.5 ml Transfer Pipettes (25) - USD$6.00 MPS-TP-202 - 3 ml Transfer Pipettes (25) - USD$6.50 MPS-GB-300 - 15 ml Mixing Beakers (3) - USD$4.50 MPS-GB-301 - 30 ml Mixing Beakers (3) - USD$5.00 MPS-GB-302 - 50 ml Mixing Beakers (3) - USD$5.50 MPS-GB-303 - Beaker Combo (two of each) - USD$8.50 MPS-PB-101 - 6 ml Storage Bottles (5) - USD$6.00 MPS-PB-102 - 10 ml Storage Bottles (5) - USD$6.50 MPS-PB-103 - 20 ml Storage Bottles (5) - USD$7.00 MPS-PB-104 - 40 ml Storage Bottles (5) - USD$7.50 MPS-PB-105 - Storage Bottle Sample (one of each) - USD$5.50

TRANSFER PIPETTES Pipettes are a clean and accurate way to transfer paint from their original bottle to a mixing bottle. Simply squeeze the air from the bulb at the top of the pipette, then dip the tip into the paint bottle. Slowly releasing the pressure on the bulb will draw paint up into the narrow body of the pipette. The pipette may then be positioned over a mixing cup or a storage bottle. With another squeeze of the bulb, the paint may be released in a controlled manner. Pipettes may also be used to transfer water or thinners from one place to another. If flushed thoroughly between transfers, you’ll be able to reuse these many times. MPS’s pipettes are available in 0.5 ml and 3 ml capacities. 25 are included in each pack.

MIXING BEAKERS Modellers are often required to mix colours from multiple paints. MPS has made this task easier with their range of mixing beakers. These are available in 15 ml, 30 ml and 50 ml sizes, plus a Combo pack offering two of each. Measurements are marked on the beakers in both metric and Fluid Ounces. The beakers are reinforced with a rim at the top, and a pouring beak is moulded in place to ensure clean transfer. These are very handy accessories for accurate and neat mixing of paints. They can be used for mixing paints with thinners too.

STORAGE BOTTLES Now these are nifty. MPS has released a range of plastic storage bottles. Capacities are 6 ml, 10 ml, 20 ml and 40 ml. Five bottles are included in each package, and a Combo is available with one of each size. Each bottle comprises a plastic bottle, a press-fit nozzle, a screw-top lid and a steel mixing ball. When you shake your paint, the steel mixing ball will help to break up any chunks of paint. A funnel is supplied with each set for clean pouring of paint into the narrow neck of the bottle. The nozzle may be removed for this purpose.

CONCLUSION Model Paint Solutions has produced a high quality selection of painting tools and accessories that will make it easier and neater to transfer, mix and store your model paint. These will be suitable for all types of modelling paints - acrylic, lacquer and enamel - as well as thinners. All Recommended. ■

Thanks to Model Paint Solutions for the samples https://modelpaintsol.com

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D3584 Sign Up to our Newsletter on www.hobbyco.net Find us on facebook search Plastic Kit UK

p 67 Dragon 135.indd 1

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

09/05/2017 16:03