Military reviews

Military reviews

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GUSTAV ‘DRIVER’

ON THE SHELF Bf 109G German Pilot seated By: CMK Scale:...

Airfix Tiger I and Firefly Review Premium

Airfix 1/72 Tiger I / Sherman Firefly Vc

Airfix’s new dual package featuring the Tiger I and Firefly should interest armour modellers who favour smaller scales. CHRIS CLIFFORD inspects the contents.

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KATYUSHA RELOADS

RS-132 Ammunition Boxes By: ICM Scale: 1/35Item no: 35795 Price:...

Escaping from the Falaise Pocket Review Premium

METICULOUS MOTORCYCLE-MAKING

ON THE SHELF BMW R75: Escaping from the Falaise Pocket By:...

Star Decals 1/35 releases Review Premium

Star Decals 1/35 Releases

CHRIS CLIFFORD highlights two recent items from prolific Swedish company Star Decals

ICM 1/35 Model T Ambulance Review Premium

ICM 1/35 Model T Ambulance

If you enjoy building military medical vehicles, ICM’s 1/35 early Model T Ambulance kit is just what the doctor ordered, says CHRIS CLIFFORD

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CLOSE-SUPPORT CROMWELL

The second iteration of Airfix’s new-tool 1/35 Cruiser Mk.VIII A27M Cromwell tank caters for the Mk.VI variant, which differs by featuring a 95mm howitzer for close-support operations.

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TANK CARRIER

A common sight behind Sd.Kfz 7 or Sd.Kfz. 9 half-tracks, the Sonderanhänger 115 trailer could carry vehicles of up to 10,000kg, yet this is the first styrene kit of the type in 1/72.

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NORMANDY DEFENDERS

It’s great to see Dragon’s 1/72 re-releases, such as its mid-production Panzer IV Ausf. H with schürzen armour plating.

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WEHRMACHT WEDGE

ICM’s newly tooled offering depicts a Schwerer geländegängiger gepanzerter Personenkraftwagen (heavy off-road armoured passenger motor vehicle) – also known as Sd.Kfz. 247 Ausf.B. 

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BRITISH ARMY WORKHORSE

Despite the Leyland Retriever being a common 6x4 truck in British service during World War Two, ICM’s kit is the first 1/35 styrene offering of the type.

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'PLAY' OR DISPLAY

Italeri has been a pioneer of wargaming/modelling crossovers and its ZIS 3 with ‘servants’ (gun crew) is typical, with a low parts count and ‘snap-together’ construction, yet providing well-moulded components, making it ideal for builders of all skill levels.

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BASTOGNE THUNDERBOLT

Released as part of Dragon’s Battle of the Bulge series, its up-gunned ‘wet-stowage’ Sherman has returned with new markings to depict vehicles operated by American units involved in countering the German Ardennes offensive of 1944/45.

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ARMED HAULAGE

This is the first time IBG’s 1/72 Diamond T 968 has appeared as a standard cargo lorry since the initial release in 2014, and adds a Browning M2 machine gun to the cab roof.

Italeri 1/72 T-55A Review Premium

Italeri New Tool 1/72 T-55A Tank

Fans of small-scale armour and military vehicles have an ever-growing selection of subjects to build, and the quality seems to improve constantly. A good example is Italeri’s all-new 1/72 T-55A tank (kit 7081).

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AIRFIELD HOT STUFF

Derived from the six-wheeled Saladin/Saracen armoured cars, the Salamander fire tender was a common sight on RAF and RCAF airfields, yet this is the first kit of the type in 1/72.

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STALIN’S ORGAN

This is another great set from ICM, combining its WOT 8-mounted BM-13-16 Katyusha rocket launcher (35591) with a four-man reloading team (also available separately as 35648).

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LAST-GASP DEFENDER

Comprising 11 styrene runners and a photo-etched brass fret, Academy’s King Tiger has been repackaged by Airfix with new markings.

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GAMING GUNNERY

Although produced and released by Italeri, this 1/56 scale Sturmgeschütz is a collaboration with UK-based wargaming company Warlord Games for use with the latter’s 28mm Bolt Action system.

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OVER A BARREL

Dragon’s 1/35 JSU-122 tank destroyer is back, with parts for a baseline assault gun, semiautomatic breech-equipped JSU-122S or up-gunned JSU-152, plus German Panzerjäger figures.

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BIG-SHOT SHERMAN

The Sherman Firefly Vc is Airfix’s first foray into 1/72 armour in many years and is aimed at all modellers, offering a choice of simplified running gear for beginners or separate suspension, road wheels and link-and-length tracks for those with a few builds under their belt.

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EAST-GERMAN MINE CLEARANCE

This version of Revell’s recent 1/72 T-55A/AM contains new runners E and F for the KMT-6 and EMT-5 mine-clearance systems used by the East German Army.

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IMPROVED HOWITZER

IBG’s 1/35 Skoda houfnice vz 14/19 gun has been reworked to depict modernised artillery used by Polish forces during World War Two, notably featuring large tyre-shod wheels.

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EASY-BUILD ARMOUR

It has been a long time since Airfix released any small-scale military kits, and its newly tooled 1/72 Tiger I Ausf. E is an absolute gem.

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GUTTRIDGE'S GUN-CARRIER

ICM has added to its range of 1/35 Model T Ford variants with this armoured car version – built to Chief Petty Officer L Gutteridge’s design for service with the Royal Naval Air Service.

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GERMANY'S 'SPORTY' TANK

Revell’s Leopard 1A5 follows from its 1A1 variant, adding two runners to the original seven for this sub-type’s characteristic bolt-on armour, fire-control optics and mantlet shield.

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ROCKETS ON HALF-TRACK

While the original Esci kit for Italeri’s Sd.Kfz. 251 half-track might be approaching 50 years old, it’s the base for a lovely model.

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'AUSSIE' TRANSPORT

Here’s another Model T Ford variation with ICM’s 1/35 offering depicting a ‘Touring’ model used by Australia’s Mounted Division during World War One.

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PANZER NEMESIS

Academy’s M18 returns in Airfix packaging and new decals, with eight styrene runners and a choice of single-length vinyl or link-and-length styrene tracks.

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INTERIOR DELIGHTS

As with its Ausf.E model Sturmgeschütz III (see here), Dragon has modernised its Ausf.G with the addition of NEO link-and-length tracks, and bonus parts for the interior.