ON THE SHELF
FEARSOME TOWED GUN
1/35
88mm Flak 36/38
By: Dragon Item no: 6923
Price: £69.99 Web: www.hobbyco.net
The ’88 was a notoriously powerful weapon, as adept at destroying tanks as it was aircraft. Here, Dragon has amalgamated parts from both its separate Flak 36 and 37 kits, to provide a versatile package. Besides the sublime moulding all round, there are components for normal, extended and pressed gun shields, alternative gun barrels and the full wheel units for towing; the gun can be posed in transport or firing (off the wheels) modes. It’s a veritable feast of detail, with four cable reels, styrene tyres, photo-etched brass accoutrements, metal chain, and material to emulate cabling. The only negative aspect is Dragon’s instructions which, for a complex kit, only hinder the modeller due to their lack of clarity. The colour schemes, all varied, are for guns employed at the following locations:
• Ossenbeng, Germany, 1945
• Eaastern front, 1942-43
• North Caucasus, 1942-43
• 18th Flak Regt (Luftwaffe), Libya, 1941
SIX BARRELS OF FURY
1/35
M163 VADS
By: Italeri
Item no: 6560 Price: £29.99
Web: www.hobbyco.net
This appears to be a straight re-release of Italeri’s previous M163 ‘Vulcan Air Defence System’, first seen in the early 1990s, but with new decals. The parts belie their age, as they are better than expected…but aren’t as crisp as more modern offerings from, say, Dragon or MiniArt. The link-andlength tracks are disappointing and are best replaced. Positives include a fine styrene tow cable, separate gun barrels and sighting unit. There are four schemes:
• 67th Air Defense Artillery Regt, 2nd Bn, US Army, Todendorf, Germany, 1974
• 2nd Air Defense Artillery Regt, 5th Bn, US Army, Vietnam, 1968
• 1st Cavalry Division Museum, Ft Hood, Texas, 2005
• Fuerza Aerea de Chile, Punta Arenas
IT CAME FROM THE SEA
1/56
LVT-2/LVT(A)-2 Water Buffalo
By: Rubicon Models
Item no: 280067 Price: £23
FMC’s Landing Vehicle Tracked vehicle series was designed for amphibious landings, and Rubicon’s LVT-2 is one of a series of releases for this type. It can be built in either full-hull or waterline configuration and comprises four styrene runners; the crisply moulded parts offer the choice of a baseline LVT-2 or up-armoured LVT(A)-2 variants and includes a full complement of .30 cal and .50 cal machine guns for the cabin roof and vehicle sides. Tracks are supplied as four-piece ensembles, although the upper section must be trimmed for a waterline model. No specific schemes are stated, but there are markings on the generic LVT-2/4 decal sheet for USMC vehicles as seen at the landings on Tarawa (1943) and Iwo Jima (1944). Modellers will need to check references for individual vehicles and camouflage.
ON THE TRACKS
1/35
1.5 Ton Railroad Truck AA Type
By: MiniArt
Item no: 35265 Price: £37.99
Here’s another great value offering from MiniArt, packaging its GAZ AA truck with lengths of Standard/ European-gauge railroad track for far less than the separate items. The vehicle has 19 styrene runners and a small photo-etched brass fret, with the primary difference being the provision of flanged rail wheels. It provides a fully detailed engine, suspension and cab, with a choice of open/closed engine covers and European/Russian-gauge configuration. Four identical runners are provided for the track, sufficient for two 19½ft (6m) sections. There are four schemes, but one requires parts from MiniArt’s Russian Gauge track set (35565):
• Black 4, winter 1941-45
• Deutsche Reichbahn, Reichskommisariat Ostland, 1943
• Wehrmacht, Eastern Front, 1941-43
• Deutsche Reichsbahn, Eastern Front, winter 1942-43
BASTOGNE BRUISER
1/48
M4A3E8 Sherman ‘Easy Eight’
By: Tamiya
Item no: 32595 Price: £21.50
Web: www.hobbyco.net
Tamiya’s quarter-scale M4A3E8 is the first newly tooled 1/48 kit of this sub-type in several decades, and first impressions are very favourable, as it’s a quantum leap in terms of quality and detail. There are six styrene runners, plus lengths of thread for tow cables, while the tools and .50 cal machine gun come from its recent M10 Tank Destroyer. Parts are moulded to the high standards expected of this manufacturer, with a five-piece turret that captures the real machine’s appearance convincingly, and there’s a single-part main barrel with separate muzzle brake section. Tracks are supplied as link-and-length items, and feature crisp tread detail. Just a single figure (the commander) is included, to be fitted in the turret cupola. There are markings for two machines:
• 5th Armd Div, Germany, April 1945
• 4th Armd Div, Bastogne, Belgium, January 1945
RAF - ON THE PULL
1/48
English Airfield Tractor
By: L’Arsenal
Item no: 48 13 Price: €39.95
Web: www.larsenal.com
Massey Ferguson MF40/50 aircraft tractors were a common sight at RAF airfields during the 1960s. L’Arsenal’s delightful resin offering comprises 37 crisply cast components, plus a photo-etched brass engine grille, rear-view mirror holders and angle-light supports, the latter being provided on a small metal fret. There’s a busy cab, including a detailed dashboard (which would benefit from decals for the dials), while the type’s angular exterior has been captured faithfully. Helpfully, both front and rear towing attachments are supplied, although towing bars must be sourced separately. Note there is no glazing, so this must be fashioned from sheet styrene, using the doors and frames as a guide. No decals are supplied, but the single scheme is for an overall green machine, to which suitably sized RAF roundels and British military registration plates could be added if desired.
BRITISH BATTLE TAXI
1/72
FV432 Mk 2/1 Carrier Personnel
Full Tracked
By: S&M Models
Item no: SMK72-70 Price: £16
Modellers have wanted styrene kits of the FV 432 for years, and thanks to Takom, and more recently, S&M Models, they are now available in 1/35 and 1/72 respectively. The latter’s offering comprises three grey styrene runners, plus a small clear frame for four headlights and photoetched brass light guards. There’s no interior, but the exterior detail more than compensates, with delicate hatch hinges and GPMG and convincing link-and-length style tracks. Three markings options are supplied, including two Opposing Force machines as used on training exercises; one is clad in desert-style stone/dark green camouflage, while the second wears standard NATO Green/Black livery. The final choice depicts an overall sand-coloured vehicle from the 7th Armoured Brigade Royal Scots during Operation Granby in 1991. Decals are supplied for registration plates, plus tactical and formation markings.
UP-GUNNED EXPERIMENT
1/72
WWII German E-100
By: Modelcollect
Item no: UA72081 Price: US$21.99
Web: www.modelcollect.com
Modelcollect has transformed the way modellers regard the Entwicklung (development) series of vehicles, with kits of the original designs and then many ‘paper’ concepts. This offering mixes the heavyweight E-100 chassis with a Krupp turret configured for a 15cm KwK 44/38 main armament, with its characteristic pepper-pot muzzle brake. There’s much to savour, from the well-detailed HL 230 engine and cooling fans, which are visible through the PE grilles to the single-piece suspension for each side and use of PE to replicate the muzzle brake. All parts are moulded superbly, and while the weld beads are arguably over-sized, its nothing that can’t be addressed with basic modelling skills. The tracks are in ‘rubber-band’ format, rather than the firm’s usual link-and-length style, but the tread detail is crisp. Three notional markings options are provided, each offering a different camouflage style.
