Military reviews
GALLIC TOWING
ICM’s 1/35 Lastkraftwagen 3.5t AHN (35416) has been paired with the firm’s German Drivers (35642) to form another value-for-money package.
PANZER NEMESIS
Comprising ten styrene runners plus separate upper and lower turret halves and hull, with single-piece vinyl tracks, a small photo-etched (PE) brass fret and a length of thread, Airfix’s M36B1 is a direct re-boxing of the Academy kit (based on that firm’s 2001 tooling of the M10), albeit with new decals.
DRY STOWAGE
There’s a seemingly never-ending flow of new Sherman tank releases, such as this tooling from Zvezda.
FOUR-IN-ONE PACKAGE
Although 1/56 is more commonly used for wargaming with 28mm figures, many modern offerings in this scale are just as suitable for modelling projects, such as Rubicon’s superb Sd.kfz.2 Kettenkrad, Infanterieanhänger 8 trailer, Goliath tracked mine and crew package.
FRANCO TANKS
A classic Matchbox gem returns with Revell's Char B1 Bis and Renault FT set, complete with a backing scene and figures for an instant vignette.
DUNE SCOUTS
The tenth 1/35 diorama-series combo from ICM is yet another great value for money offering, with three ANZAC Model Ts for the price of just two if purchased separately.
TINY TRACKS
Comprising just four styrene runners, Airfix’s returning 1/72 Universal Carrier and 6-pounder gun illustrates the diminutive size of the Vickers-Armstrong design, often referred to as a ‘Bren Gun Carrier’ due to the armament carried.
CLASSIC CAT
Here’s a real blast from the past from Airfix’s Vintage Classics range, with its 1/76 Panzerkampfwagen V Panther tank, which is a staggering 59 years old.
INTELLIGENCE DOUBLE
Airfix’s 1/76 German reconnaissance set includes parts for a Sd.Kfz. 222 armoured car as configured for intelligence-gathering operations plus a Type 82 Kübelwagen – a design produced by Dr Ferdinand Porsche from the Volkswagen Beetle.
WHEELED WEAPONRY
Developed from the 8-rad (eight-wheeled) Schwerer Panzerspähwagen (heavy armoured reconnaissance vehicle), the Sd.Kfz.234 armoured car is the subject of Airfix’s 1/76 Vintage Classics offering, appearing as a late-war 234/4 variant with PaK 40 gun.
NON-FLYING DUCK
Fitting the GMC 2½ ton 6x6 truck with an amphibious body resulted in the DUKW during 1942, and a 1/76 depiction of this versatile vehicle was added to Airfix's range in 1966, now returning under the Vintage Classics banner.
MACHINE-GUNNING 'CONSORT'
Here's a return for Airfix's 1/76 'Female' tank with sponson-mounted machine guns - a reworked version of its 1967-vintage mixed-armament 'Male' vehicle that first appeared during 2009 - the latter is available as another Vintage Classics product: A02325V.
FLAIL-FITTED 'FUNNY'
One of the most distinctive of the specialised tanks produced for the D-Day landings (nicknamed Hobart's Funnies after the general tasked with developing them and their bizarre appearances) was the Sherman Crab: an M4 fitted with a rotating flail for mine-clearing operations.
LONG OR SHORT?
The Panzer IV was the most produced German tank during World War Two, and Airfix's 1/76 replica has now been re-released under the Vintage Classics banner.
MINISTERIAL ARMOUR
With the 'Crocodile' flame-throwing (A02321V) and bridge-laying (A04301V) variants added to the Vintage Classics range, it's no surprise that Airfix's basic 1/76 Churchill Mk.VII tank has been re-released as a standalone offering.
INFANTRY SUPPORT
Here's a real modelling nostalgia trip with the return of Airfix's Vintage Classics 1962-tooled 1/76 Sturmgeschütz (StuG) III Ausf.G assault gun.
HEAVYWEIGHT TRUCKING
Until the arrival of IBG Model's new-tool 1/72 offering (see AMW November 2020), Airfix's 1/76 Scammell Pioneer and fixed tank transportation trailer was the sole small-scale depiction of the type, and now returns as a Vintage Classics offering.
STANDALONE ARMOUR
Having been released as part of Airfix's Vintage Classics LCM3 and Sherman set (A03301V) along with Crab anti-mine (A02320V) and Calliope rocket-artillery (A02334V) versions, the firm's 1/76 M4A2 has now been released as a standalone kit.
HEAVY-HITTING ARTILLERY
Known as the Acht-Acht (eight-eight), the German 88mm FlaK 36/37 gun is the subject of Airfix's 1/76 set - complete with Sd.Kfz.7 half-track prime mover.
ALL-IN-ONE PACKAGE
Here’s a return for Airfix’s diminutive but detailed 1/72 Willys Jeep, this time appearing as a Starter Set with four Humbrol acrylic paints (26 Khaki, 33 Matt Black, 60 Scarlet and 86 Light Olive) plus a small tube of glue and paintbrush.
SELF-RETURNER?
Fans of modern military vehicles will find Zvezda’s 1/35 VPK-7829 K-17 Bumerang (boomerang) a delight, as this new-tool kit is a superbly detailed replica of the Russian amphibious wheeled armoured vehicle fitted with the modular DUBM-30 Epoch upper turret.
TANK TRACTOR
Not content with just releasing T-34 tank variants, ICM has indulged modellers by including the armoured recovery variant, known as ‘tyagach’ (tractor) by its crews and designated either T-34-T or TT-34.
ALL-WHEEL-DRIVE CARRIER
ICM has depicted another World War One truck with this 1/35 replica of the Four-Wheel Drive Auto Company’s Model B design, known as the ‘Truck, Three-Five Ton, Model 1917’ in US Army service.
UPDATED 'CATHEDRAL'
MiniArt’s ode to the M3 tank series (nicknamed the ‘iron cathedral’) continues with the Grant Mk.II.
RUSSIAN COLOSSUS
When it comes to anticipating market requirements, Tamiya inevitably hits the nail on the head by combining ease of assembly and low parts count with the maximum of detail, as evidenced by its newly tooled KV-1.
MOVEABLE MISSILES
Dragon’s recent 1/35 set combining three Mobile Interceptor Missile-23 (MIM-23) Hawks and the associated M192 anti-aircraft missile launcher comprises eight styrene runners – although this includes two sets of three duplicated frames.
MULTI-TURRETED TERROR
It’s great to see less well-known subjects, such as the Soviet T-28 multi-turret tank, covered by manufacturers in 1/72.
POTENT PAIRING
Mounting an anti-tank gun on an established chassis was commonplace during World War Two, and Airfix’s 1/35 Jagdpanzer 38(t) depicts such a combination of the Czech LT vz. 38 tank – Panzer 38(t) in German service – with a PaK 39 L/48 weapon.
IT'S A JEEP!
Dragon has repackaged its 1/4-ton 4x4 truck (the Jeep name is omitted from the title for licensing reasons) with extra parts to depict an Israeli-modified machine.