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A little something I threw together watching the Cricket World Cup the last two weeks. This is Bronco's 1/35 40mm Bofors gun. It's a good kit, well detailed and fitting but with some frustrating points. Some sections are over complicated with detail included that cannot be seen once completed or photo etch that could have been included as molded on detail with a loss of detail. Also make sure you read ahead in the instructions as parts often need to fit into others in steps down the road, if you mess up the alignment you will have trouble down the road. It would also be nice if Bronco included some extra smaller parts as they are easy to lose. It's finished with Gunze Olive drab and weathered with MiG pigments dry mud and European dust.

USN 40mm Bofors Twin mounts 1:350 Master Models We’ve had quite a few new sets in from Master Models, mostly turned brass or aluminium, yet with these sets they have added another dimension with the inclusion of resin and photo etched parts. The resin and etch seem to have been produced by North Star and incorporated into the sets. The new boxes are great too, with the resin parts in their own compartments in the foam for added protection. [SM-350-091] This set contains six version 1 mounts, each mount is made up from no less than seventeen parts, so get your optivisors and finest tweezers out, as you’re going to need them. Once finished though they will look amazing when complete. The resin gun mount is fitted with a resin front piece and two PE seats complete with footrests. The gun slide is then rolled to shape and fitted to the mount, along with two hand wheels. The twin guns are built using a resin breech, two brass barrels, PE sights and sight covers and a PE elevation arc. The gun assembly is then attached to the mounting, which is then finished off with the rear mounted railings. The set also include a director sighting pedestal, made from a resin pedestal, shoulder guides and deck mounting ring. [SM-350-092] – This set is for version 2 of the twin 40mm Bofors mounts and is the same build as the version above, with a different rear mounted railing, which is complete with ammunition storage racks. Conclusion I have to say, I really like these sets, the level of detail is amazing, if rather fiddly and eye watering. They will certainly add that extra something to a model. Review sample courtesy of Piotr at

I'm currently unable to do more than the most perfunctory plastic fondling following a cataract operation so I shall have to content myself with planning projects that I may realise, ooh, sometime well into my next incarnation. For a while I've fancied building one of the improvised Crusader AA Mk.I tanks for the Royal Artillery in which, basically, a complete Bofors gun complete with shield was plonked onto the turret ring of a redundant Crusader tank. They were certainly used during Operation FABIUS, a rehearsal for D-Day in May 44, but evidence as to whether any made it ashore in France on D-Day itself is not conclusive. NB this is NOT the version with the huge boxy turret as modelled by Italeri. A. Reference photos So far I am aware of 3 photos of this vehicle. i. p.51 of the May 2011 Military Modelcraft International as part of a 1/35 build by Steve Noble on the basis of the Italeri Crusader. Photographed during FABIUS, May 1944. Front left quarter view, gun traversed aft, RA flash with thick white bar at bottom and number 206 on right front mudguard, solid vertical diamond on left front mudguard, colour maybe red? blue? green? A copy follows: https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=Crusader+AA+Mk+I&biw=1280&bih=699&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiej4XP9p_MAhVFJcAKHe2XD4AQsAQIJw&dpr=1#imgrc=xsc013kKbs_k1M%3A BTW Steve's conversion article also formed part of a lengthy and masterly Internet article on the Crusader in all its forms and how to model it: afraid I can't find it right now but it's worth looking for. ii. p.41 of New Vanguard (NVG) 14 Crusader, showing one coming ashore during FABIUS towing an ordinary Bofors on field carriage. Not the vehicle above, as the arm of service flash appears to have a diagonal line through it. iii. a 3rd picture showing a side view of one possibly on the Normandy beaches. Has rudimentary gun side shields carrying a white star. https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=Crusader+AA+Mk+I&biw=1280&bih=699&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiej4XP9p_MAhVFJcAKHe2XD4AQsAQIJw&dpr=1#imgrc=_ There was also a similar mount carrying a triple Oerlikon mount in the same way. The same photo of this turns up in all the references (eg NVG 14 p.42, Milsom/Green/Scarborough: Crusader p.19, McDonald Fact file on Self-propelled Anti-Tank and Anti-Aircraft Guns p.40, Chamberlain/Ellis British and American Tanks of World War II p.39, Wikipedia) and is perhaps of some use for extrapolating the rear deck layout. https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=Crusader+AA+Mk+I&biw=1280&bih=699&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiej4XP9p_MAhVFJcAKHe2XD4AQsAQIJw&dpr=1#imgrc=o8d68k6jRxbRgM%3A Q.1: is anyone aware of any more photographs of this vehicle? I am particularly interested in the layout of the stowage boxes along the hull side, esp alongside the engine deck. Q.2: Can anyone identify the unit and subordination of the vehicle described at A.i above and/or suggest a colour for the diamond? B. Modelling I am thinking of building a 1/76 model based on the Airfix Crusader. For the gun the two options are the old 1/76 Airfix gun and the newer and much better detailed 1/72 Zvezda offering. I have no idea of how in-scale either is and am wondering if I could get away with using the Zvezda gun. Q.3: Could anyone provide me with a couple of sample dimensions for the Bofors gun? I am thinking of a the length of the gun itself from muzzle to rear of the breech proper (ie exclusive of the projection at the rear) and b. the width of the gunners' platform. Think that will do for starters. Looking forward to what response I get - if any! Thanks in advance. PS I know I might be much better off posting this on missing-lynx.com but, despite being a longstanding member, I don't appear to have posting rights.

Twin 40mm Bofors gun on a Hazemeyer mount. The guns on the Naval mounting were also water cooled. Pics thanks to Mike Costello.

Bofors 40mm L/60 Medium Anti-aircraft gun. This gun was bought by Portugal in the late 1930s and brought to the UK by a collector in the 1980's. It is fitted with the original reflector sights and no crew armour. Pics mine.

HobbyBoss 82459 GMC Truck with Bofors 40mm AA Gun Free French Forces, France 1944 Not over inspiring with options on the colours and unit schemes but, how many do you really need anyway? The GMC CCKW 353 truck was modified for many uses being the common standard 2.5 ton truck of the US Forces in WWII. This particular variant was unusual as it was almost exclusively used by the Free French Army (equipped by the USA). Unfortunately, this kit does not come with a Gun Crew. It is Build Club today so I shall start a bit later and see how far I get.

Morris Commercial C9/B Self Propelled Bofors Gun. Morris commercial chassis mounted with a 40mm Bofors gun. Pics thanks to Dave (SHAR2) taken at the Douglas Aviation Museum, Isle of Man.