Military reviews

Military reviews

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DUSTY GENERAL

This re-boxing of Academy’s M3 Grant by Airfix provides the same styrene parts as previous iterations, which are presented on eight runners plus a separate one-piece lower hull and single-length vinyl tracks.

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POST 'TOTEM POLE'

Takom’s newly tooled 1/72 Chieftain tank has been awaited eagerly by fans of British Cold War armour, and the firm’s Mk.10/11 dual-boxing has now arrived.

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OPEN-TOPPED DEMAG

Arguably, Demag’s Sd.Kfz.10 was the most common half-track used by German forces during World War Two, and its popularity continues in kit form – Special Armour is the latest firm to offer this vehicle in 1/72 scale, with a re-box of the MK 72 product.

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PROTECTION CONUNDRUM

Dragon’s latest Pz.Kpfw. IV Ausf. H offering is slightly misleading in that it depicts a late-production vehicle with Schürzen plates, so the titular Zimmerit is just for the glacis and front/rear-facing panels – the turret and rest of hull are plain.

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ROMAN ARTILLERY

Italeri has paired newly tooled components with 1973-vintage parts to produce a 1/35 Semovente da 75/18 self-propelled gun, depicting a post-1943 Carro Armarto M15/42 version.

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MOBILE DEFENDER

The latest version of IBG’s Lancia 3Ro is effectively a two-for-one offering as it combines the basic chassis of the firm’s splendid truck kit with all-new parts for a flatbed-mounted 90/53 90mm anti-aircraft gun.

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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.

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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.

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SAY WOT?

This is ICM’s baseline Fordson War Office Truck (WOT) 8 – the smaller predecessor to the WOT 6 (35507).

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DRY STOWAGE

There’s a seemingly never-ending flow of new Sherman tank releases, such as this tooling from Zvezda.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.