Review Content

Hi, oops yes its in the combo kit version. Merlin

Not recomended. The length of the ship in the drawing corresponds to the Kongo BEFORE the modernization, that is, 213m. And the version of the ship for 1944, that is, it should be 222m. As a result, the drawing is suitable only for lighting the stove But the model from Aoshima corresponds to the prototype and in terms of just 222m. The difference is clearly visible in the photo

Sorry Mike, but i'm going to disagree. I was disappointed with this product, for the cover price there are better Tornado books and magazines out there. To me it seemed as if Kagero put in some effort to cover the development of the aircraft and then ran out of space as everything past the early years seemed to be quite brief. Indeed there was next to nothing about Tornado operations during the Cold War and hardly a mention of the Saudi's what so ever. Even the single picture of a RSAF jet is in fact a crashed RAF Tornado from Desert Shield. The GR4 plate on the rear cover also is from Op Telic 2003 and not Unified Protector 2011 as stated and the center spread picture is of an early 80's 27 Sqn machine not a GR4 from 'Allied Force' in 1999 (In fact i think the RAF only used GR1's during that conflict) There are some nice photographs and the A4 size poster (Landscape of the cover picture ) is something different. The author also sheds a little more light on Italian operations with hours/sorties flown data for a number of conflicts.

One thing to point out, with my E-type anorak on, you only need the "JAGUAR" script for the boot lid. The interior detail for this car isn't correct for the 4.2 Series 1 E-type that was introduced in 1964. I suspect the gearbox might look different as would other under-bonnet details. You'd even need a new decal for the gear lever markings as 3.8-etypes with the Moss gearbox had reverse to the left of first gear (and easy to select by mistake). The 4.2-litre (and 5.3, V12) cars had Jaguar's own gearbox with reverse to the left of second gear (and very difficult to engage with the handbrake on, because both levers want to occupy the same space). I am nevertheless impressed that the decals extend to the gear lever markings. None of this has stopped me buying this kit to go with the Revell E-type coupé.

Eastern Front Vol.1 Camouflage & Decals ISBN: 9788366673205 Kagero via Casemate UK This is the first of a new armour series from Kagero Publishing that consists profiles of various armour and softskins from the Eastern Front during WWII, drawing from both German and Russian forces. It is 40 pages and is in a card bound portrait format, and it is rammed with profiles, as you’d expect. In addition you get a set of decals in the three major armour scales of 1:72, 1:48 and 1:35, with tons of numbers in black and white, a bunch of crosses in various styles, some bird of prey motifs, and the name Rudy, which is from a popular fictional story. The quality of the profiles is up to Kagero’s usual standards, and includes various scrap diagrams where additional detail is necessary on the rear of the vehicle or on the front etc. Each profile has a caption in English and Polish, giving some information about the subject, inasmuch as there is available to the researchers and artists. At the front of the book is a single page that is split between an introduction to the series, and in the bottom half of the page is a large table that suggests a colour palette for the German vehicles in FS codes, Humbrol, Gunze, Pactra, Testors, Extracolor and Tamiya paint codes. Conclusion This is a niche series that will doubtless appeal to those that enjoy looking at and studying profiles of vehicles, and the decals that are included, whilst generic for the most part also include the Rudy decals (as seen above) that will appeal to an Eastern European market where the series is more well-known. Recommended. Review sample courtesy of

Jaguar E-Type Roadster (07687) 1:24 Revell The E-Type is perhaps Jaguar’s best-known type, and was one of their most successful too. Based on, but very different from their D-Type racer, it introduced a number of modern features that we take for granted today, such as a monocoque-type body that removed the weight and bulk of a ladder-chassis, adding disc brakes, a powerful engine, and a modern steering rack that gave the driver excellent feedback on which to judge their performance. It was beloved by purchasers, and even competitors, one of whom rated it as the most beautiful car ever made. It retained its popularity through the years and there are still many examples on the road, and even a replica that costs many hundreds of thousands more than the original - go figure. It was in production from 1961 to ’75, known as the XK-E in the USA, and was available first overseas, with Roadster and coupé versions, a choice of engines, fit and finish, and the occasional special edition throughout the Series, which extended from 1 to 3 with over 72,000 made before it was replaced by the “Marmite” XJ-S that polarised Jag lovers, although time seems to have softened the opinions of those that disliked it initially, as did the improvements over the years before it too was replaced by the soap-bar shaped XK8. I think everyone's had this conversation either internally, or with friends so far, but WHAT is 1990's Sean Bean doing in a Jag with 1960s Emma Peel? And Lassie???? Whatever the motivation, Sean's looking righteously very pleased with himself, but really should be paying more attention to the road , and ensuring he doesn't knock lassie into the well. The Kit This is a partial re-rool of a brand-new kit from Revell adapted to make the Roadster version, which will appeal to many an already aching wallet. It arrives in an end-opening box, and inside are two sprues in light grey styrene, one in a mid-brown, two in chrome, two more sprues and two bodyshell parts in an approximation of British Racing Green, two clear sprues, four flexible black “rubber” tyres, a decal sheet, instruction booklet and a helpful safety sheet to recycle. It’s a colourful model even before you get your paintbrush out, and while some of you folks might not like the chrome out of the box, we’re not all perfectionists, and it can be removed pretty easily using oven cleaner. Better yet, the novice modeller can build the kit without paint, and still have most things a decent colour once complete, so it’s not just a gimmick. It’s a thoroughly modern tooling, but there are a few ejection marks that you might want to cover up if you’re putting the effort in under the bonnet for example. The new bodyshell is just the rear section, as the immense bonnet is the same for both types, but of course it’s all in green this time, rather than red. There are also a few tiny sink-marks here and there too, with a pair of incredibly shallow ones on the bonnet where the hinge-point mounts are, so get to work on those before you start building in earnest so that they don’t bite you later. The deployed fabric hood also has a few very shallow ejector-pin marks too, which should be easy to hide, as the fold texture extends to the inner surface too. Construction begins with the engine block, which comes as two halves with the transmission moulded in, and has the sump and rocker cover added, then the ancillaries, fan-belt, and the exhaust manifold with six-into-two downpipes. At the rear is a differential, drive-shafts and suspension-link, bookended front & rear by a pair of formers. The suspension units either side of the differential are covered by the lower swing-arms, then it’s time for the twin exhausts and their mufflers to be made up to be added under the chassis once the engine has been popped in between the front rails, so that the manifold and pipes can be mated. The extensive framework under the bonnet is next, getting painted along the way, then being put to the side while the firewall and front brakes/steering are inserted into the chassis. A pair of drop-links slip in between the bottom of the brake assembly, gluing into the top of the bonnet framework, then it’s time to fill the bonnet/hood with stuff! The triple-carbs are fed by the airbox, with a choice of left- and right-hand steering boxes, battery, radiator and a bunch of other little ancillaries that festoon the area. Moving back indoors, you can choose the right- or left-hand drive dash, with decals appropriate for each, plus pedal-box and steering-wheel fitted underneath in your choice of positions. The centre console is made up with a shifter, and a handed hand-brake, so make sure you drill out the correct hole in the underside before you proceed with the gluing. The two seat areas within the floor are painted a two-tone brown, and are matched with a self-coloured bulkhead piece at the rear of the floor, and a couple of little chrome handles for the ventilation are installed low down in the front of the cab with some decal vents that they operate. The dash slides in and locates on some pegs and ledges in the floor, then the two door cards are detailed with handles and window-winders, both of which are chromed. The two seats are each single parts and have nicely moulded cushion details included, although they look strange to modern eyes with the lack of head rests and seat belts. The passenger has a grab-rail placed across the corner between the dash and the short A-pillar, which differs between the left- and right-hand drive options. Even a Jag won’t go anywhere on its own without wheels, and these are next to be made up. The flexible tyres have a cruciform sprue arrangement in the centre that must be cut out with a sharp blade, then in the front the chromed hub and its moulded-in spokes are inserted, which should look good with a dark wash to bring out those spokes. There’s a separate knock-off hammer-on locking nut as is appropriate for the era, then at the rear is a simple hub with a hole in the centre and a cap that will glue onto the axle, leaving the wheel able to rotate if you’re frugal with the glue. Revell even supply a decal of the car’s green instruction manual, which you can cut out and leave on one of the seats if you like. The rear bodyshell is installed onto the chassis first, joined by the chromed windscreen surround and the glazing panel, adding the chromed rear-view mirror, door handles and sill trim, then more chrome parts with clear inserts make up the rear light clusters, joined by the rear bumper halves and a central clear reversing light, then a pair of chrome bumper overriders, and a choice of EU or US number plate frame. The E-Type is well-known for its gigantic bonnet, which takes up a large proportion of the front end, and makes pulling out of some junctions a whole heap of fun. The underpinnings are made up first, with the lights inserted into the front bulkhead, which is then fitted into a frame that holds the bonnet to shape once it is glued in place in the huge panel. The curved lower is then put in place underneath, and as this is a separate part on the real thing, you can leave the seamline there as it's mostly occluded by the bumpers anyway, unless your references show otherwise. The choice of colour for the light “tunnel” of body colour, silver or black isn’t mentioned on this variant, so while you have your references out you might want to check that too. With the paint choice decided, the chrome bezels and clear lenses are glued in, and the indicators join them with chrome bases and clear lenses. The front bumpers are also fitted as halves, then joined together by adding the central section with moulded-in overriders that hide the join between the three parts. There is another choice of EU or US numberplate frames, which glue to the lower lip of the oval intake under the bumpers. The hood can be depicted raised or lowered by choosing different parts, and both options are fairly simple to make. The deployed hood is a single moulding with a separate glazing panel that is inserted into the rear from the inside, then the two side windows are fitted into the spaces from the outside if you plan on portraying it with the windows wound up. For the top-down version, it’s just a single part that slots onto the back of the cockpit via the same three posts as the hood-up version, and although it doesn’t show it, you could always put the side windows in if you wish. More chrome is added in the shape of wing mirrors with clear lenses, an aerial that is relocated to the wing for the drop-top, and three small windscreen wiper blades. Markings Many of the supplied decals are used up in the cockpit, providing a comprehensive set of dials and instruments for the interior, a number within the engine bay, and smaller details around the vehicle, including meshes, grilles and stencils. In general, someone has taken a lot of time and effort to create a set of decals that really drills down into the detail, from filler cap logos to shock absorber badges, alternator shell cut-out patterns and battery filler caps – remember the non-sealed batteries that needed topping up with deionised water from time to time? The rest of the decals are number plates from various countries, plus a set of generic E-Type plates for showroom examples. A few “driving abroad” country stickers round out the sheet if you feel the urge to apply one. There is one colour option shown on the instructions, which is British Racing Green, but you’re at liberty to paint it any colour you like. Decals are by Zanetti, which is a guarantee of good registration, sharpness and colour density, with a thin gloss carrier film cut close to the printed areas. Conclusion This is another modern kit of the wind-in-your-hair version of this classic car, and has plenty of detail moulded-in for the detail hound to finesse and add to. The decal sheet is excellent, and the consensus seems to be that Revell moulded initially the Roadster front windscreen angle and curve on the coupé that is correct for this version. Highly recommended. Currently, Revell are unable to ship to the UK from their online shop due to recent changes in import regulations, but there are many shops stocking their products where you can pick up the kits either in the flesh or online. Revell model kits are available from all good toy and model retailers. For further information visit or

StuG at Bastogne has been repainted in RAL7021.

Kit Linx in the USA sent an email to announce that a shipment of the Airfix Avro Vulcan B.2 had arrived. I am aware that these are done on a "first come, first served" listing. so, I may, or may not get my Vulcan soon. that's fine as their service is good; and, I shall receive it. they don't charge until the item is boxed and shipped; so, I have no worries about that.

FCM 36 French Light Tank in German Service (35337) 1:35 ICM via Hannants The FCM 36 was a light infantry tank that was the result of a proposal issued by the French government in 1933 after Hotchkiss had offered a design to the ministry. Of the resulting series of designs from the different manufacturers, three were taken forward including designs by Hotchkiss, Renault and of course FCM, which stands for Forges et Chantiers de la Méditerranée, who were based at Toulon in the French Riviera. The FCM offering was well-liked due to its sloped welded armour, and was continued with despite the fact that they couldn’t get the thing working during the initial test period. It was sent back for repair, and that also turned up a number of other issues such as weak suspension and insufficient armour, increasing weight even further over the original limit. It was originally equipped with a pair of machine guns in much the same way as the German Panzer I, but one was removed in favour of a 37mm cannon, mounted in a turret that was intended to become the standard turret design for all French light tanks, despite a number of problems. One of the reasons it was well-liked was that it was considered to be the design with the most design potential, which was in part responsible for some serious delays spent working on an upgraded version that eventually came to nothing. By the time they had reverted back to the comparatively superior original it was outdated, and too late to fight the advancing Germans in any great numbers. Some tanks were captured and used by the German Army, the Germans used the title Panzerkanpfwagen 737 FCM (f) for these tanks. The Kit This is a new tool of this type from ICM, so is a thoroughly modern kit, arriving in ICM’s usual top opening box with captive inner flap, holding six sprues of grey styrene, two runs of flexible black tracks, a small decal sheet and instruction booklet within, the latter having colour painting guides on both sides of the glossy rear cover. It is crisply moulded with lapped panels, rivets and weld-lines over the exterior, and although there is no interior, the crew hatches can be posed open as long as you either block the view with figures or prepare yourself for some scratch-building of any visible areas. Construction begins with the lower hull, which is made up initially of the floor and two sides, with bulkheads added to the sides to support the lower sponson panels that give the vehicle more ground clearance. The running gear is made up from a three-part drive sprocket, eighteen sets of twin wheels that are fitted to eight double bogies and two singles, then the big idler wheels at the rear of the hull on sliding tensioning axles. The sloped armoured upper sponsons are installed along the way, with the mud-shedding “windows” on each side. Two pairs of return rollers on the top run are glued inside the sponson, then the flexible black “rubberband” tracks are glued together, the instructions neglecting to mention that styrene glues won’t join them, so you should use super glue or epoxy instead. Each run has two sections, with the joints best placed in the centre of each run so they stand less chance of being seen on the finished model. Detail on the tracks is very nice, with twin guide horns and perforated centres like the real thing, but of course the links will curve round the ends, rather than give the correct faceted look that individual links provide. The upper hull is mostly complete, needing some small facets adding near the glacis, and some louvered vents on the engine deck and sides. Lifting eyes, latches and other small parts are added around the rear and sides, then are joined by a set of pioneer tools, a loop of cable, and a large bifurcated exhaust system that exits the top of the engine deck and has two mufflers, one on each rear fender with a hollow flared exhaust pipe. Stipple those with some Mr Surfacer and paint them lots of shades of rust, and they should be a nice focal point of the model. The driver’s pop-up hatch has grab handles, armoured vision port and large exposed support ram on the left side that can pose the hatch open if you wish. Hinges for the moulded-in lower panel on the glacis are also fitted at this time, as is a folded tarp on the left side. Despite the kit having no true interior, you get a full breech and coaxial machine gun that slots through a perforated inner mantlet that bears a passing resemblance to a piece of swiss cheese, then has supports added to the sides, which are in turn glued to the turret bottom with the upper dropped over it, and an outer mantlet cover slid over the barrel. The barrel is tipped with a hollow muzzle, a domed recuperator cap, and armoured bell-shaped cover for the machine gun barrel, then the various vision ports are fixed to the sides, and the large trapezoid hatch at the rear is made up and can be attached open or closed. A couple of grab-handles are glued to the sides of the hatch aperture to assist the commander in and out of the turret, then the completed assembly is twisted into position on a pair of bayonet lugs that should hold it in place throughout most of its traverse. The final task is to make up four lengths of chain from the two sprues of oval-shaped styrene parts, which are held on the towing eyes front and rear by a pair of pegs. Markings There are three decal options on the colourful decal sheet, all featuring captured examples. From the box you can depict one of the following: Panzerkampfwagen 737 FCM (f), Approx 1940 In Panzer Grey FCM 36, Tank 30061 4th French Tank Battalion, Captured in June 1940. French colours with German Markings. FCM 36, Tank 30022 7th French Tank Battalion, Captured in June 1940. French colours with German Markings. The decals have good registration, sharpness and colour density, with a thin gloss carrier film cut close to the printed areas. Conclusion A fairly niche subject that has been well-represented by this new kit. Its good to see captured markings now being provided. Highly recommended. Available in the UK from importers H G Hannants Ltd. Review sample courtesy of

The instructions on Scalemates are now complete with the missing pages, color schemes and stencil diagrams.

Thank you very much indeed for adding to your post, superb pics of all the detail. This is one kit I'm really, really looking forward to, I absolutely love the 757 and it looks like Zvezda have come up with the goods here. The shape looks spot on, with the best will in the world I couldn't bring myself to finish the Minicraft kit I had many years ago its that bad. This will be going straight onto the bench on arrival. Thanks again for the extra pics, Rgds Grae

That's interesting and, as you say, could be used in a dio or as a standalone display. I wonder if they will produce attachments for it, such as a trailed plough? Their catalogue shows a trailer for the military version but how about the civil version? Mike

Zetor 15 "Czechoslovak Tractor" (MV127) 1:72 Planet Models by Special Hobby Following WWII industrial plants worldwide turned in some cases to making civilian vehicles. The Zetor 15 was the first farm tractor to be produced at Zbrojovka plant in Brno after WW2. The Zetors were delivered both to civil users and the military, in Czechoslovakia and abroad as well. The Czechoslovak army for example used Zetor 15 tractors for towing the military aircraft such as the MiG15 on airfields. Amongst many unique features to be brought into tractor manufacturing they unitised parts across the range and introduced the first roll over protected cab for a tractor. The company is still in existence to this day and still making tractors after UTC Holding rescued the then failing State owned company from bankruptcy in 2002. The Kit This is a new tool kit for 2021 from Planet Models, part of the Special Hobby group of companies. It is a resin kit with a number of small parts which will need careful handling in their removal from the casting blocks. There is also a small PE Fret and a small decal sheet. A small length of wire (not included) will also be needed to finish the model. The main chassis is a single part to which the seat and controls are added along with the cooling fan on the front the exhaust. The engine cover/fuel and oil tanks is added to the radiator and all of this is added to the front of the tractor. The front steering axle is then built followed by the rear frame. The large rear mud guards go on and then the wheels. Markings There are two different styles of factory markings on the small decal sheet. Conclusion This will probably be used by most modellers for an aircraft diorama, but it will make a good stand alone build for anyone who likes tractors. Recommended. Review sample courtesy of

Great review,thanks for posting. I very happily look forward to receive my first batch (6 units) soon from my local model shop

While I dont know this author I do know a couple of people who write these and its not always easy to be an expert on everything of a particular aircraft, so yes the odd thing may slip through as its not always easier to find someone who is an "expert" on the particular aircraft, but these guys do their own research. I stand by my comments, but everyone is free to have their own opinion. Julien

For me, the caption on that picture of the ejection seat calls into question the author’s depth of F9F knowledge. That’s a very early Grumman design that almost certainly wasn’t in even the first production F9Fs. See https://tailspintopics.blogspot.com/2016/03/early-us-navy-ejection-seat.html

Unfortunately, this one is a dud, at least in terms of the text. For example, the so-called "Panther At War" section is nothing of the sort, and instead spends 15 pages (excluding profiles) talking about the evolution of US aircraft carriers, the history of the build-up to the Korean War, and then a running commentary on the movements of the carriers during the war (and is fairly repetitive at that). Nothing wrong with this subject if it was in a different book, but this is supposed to be about the F9F Panther, and there really is scant mention of it in those 15 pages! Anyone looking for how they were used, notable missions or pilots (a certain Neil Armstrong for example), what ordnance was carried, operations of the photo-recon versions, etc, will be very disappointed (and much better off with the Osprey book on the subject, #103). This section therefore looks very much like padding as it accounts for about 1/3 of the entire book's text and does pretty much nothing to add to the reader's knowledge of the aircraft. I was also hoping for more on the development of the Panther, in particular the trials with the Emerson turret, but again this area is rather underwhelming, with the Emerson turret experiment being covered by some brief captions to 3 photos and no mention at all in the main text. At least the photos and profiles look good, and there are scale plans included. Unfortunately, they can't make up for the very poor text content. Mike

Dominic’s ’70 Dodge Charger (07693) Fast & Furious 1:25 Revell There’s a little-known petrol-head friendly film franchise called The Fast & The Furious that started out with Vin Diesel and the late lamented Paul Walker in a film by the name of “The Fast and the Furious” that now extends to nine films with a two-parter as 10th and 11th of the saga, plus a spin-off movie with two more planned, one with the ladies in charge, and one for the men. I lost touch with it after number 2, as it I felt it was getting a little extreme in terms of what a car can do on the open road without CGI and wires helping out. After tempting the car-buying public with a display in 1964 and a concept car in 1965, Dodge turned that into the first Charger by 1966 by fine-tuning it, knocking off the rough edges, and using some pre-existing components from their existing range to keep costs from spiralling. By 1970 it had been redesigned and far exceeded sales expectations, having become quite popular, one might say. The design was tweaked to include a full-width front grille with no central divider, and an unusual slant-6 engine joined the engine options, which had been carried over from the first generation largely unaltered. It wasn’t suited to racing however, so a more aerodynamic bodyshell was created and given the name Charger Daytona. Americans love to fiddle with their muscle cars, which is almost anathema to us over here in the UK, as our insurance would be null-and-void if we install even the smallest of upgrades and don’t tell them so they can hike up the price. The specification of the movie vehicle changed from scene to scene, and film to film, but the constant was a fake supercharger bulge in chromed plastic on the bonnet, with an alleged 900bhp being generated between the plastic and the real engine. Yeah. Right. This is Hollywood though, so we’ll let them off. It looks nice, and the shiny chrome contrasts well with the black of the bodyshell, with the fat tyres on the rear wheels completing the look. Of course, lots of different bodyshells and engines were used during production of the various films that it appeared in, but we’ll ignore that. The Kit This is a rebox of an original kit from 1997, but it has been treated to new parts over the years in order to represent other variants, such as the 1970 model that we have here. It arrives in an end-opening box and has seven sprues of white styrene plus three bodyshell parts, two small chromed sprues, a clear red sprue, a clear sprue, four soft black tyres, four “screws” and a colour instruction booklet with colour profiles on the rear pages. Time has been very kind to the sprues, and there is plenty of detail moulded-in. Pretty much the only thing that points to the age of the sprues are the few misaligned ejector-pin marks on the headliner inside the bodyshell. Construction begins with the engine, which is well-detailed and includes the transmission, with the alleged supercharger that sticks through the bonnet attached to the top. The exhaust manifold has four exit pipes on each side, merging into a single wider pipe that connects to the exhaust later on. The pulleys are installed on the front of the engine with paint and/or decals to add a little detail. A pair of front seats are made up with nice upholstery and piping detail on the front shell, and a back panel added to each one to complete them. These are installed on the floor pan, which has a cranked shifter and an anti-roll bar that has a fire-extinguisher strapped to the cross-bar, and a V-shaped brace that leaves the cab via a slot in the rear of the compartment. The dash is painted and decaled, has the steering wheel on a short column inserted, plus a chromed dial above the column, and two clear dials inserted from behind into the binnacle. The footwell is another insert that has the four pedals (four????) on the left, and what looks like a heater matrix or aircon unit on the passenger’s side, then the sub-assemblies are brought together around the floor pan, adding the door cards, which are moulded as one piece per side, and the two layers of dash/pedal box. The main bodyshell has the headliner moulded-in, which has those ejector-pin marks to deal with first, then after painting you add the windscreen, rear window, plus the quarterlights on the front sloped of the doors, together with a central cabin light and a chromed rear-view mirror. The windscreen has the sun-visors moulded-in, and those should be painted before you close up the model. The third body part is the chassis, which separates the floor pan from the road, and this is fitted with the stub of the steering column, then a few detail parts are fixed to the front face of the firewall on the cab, after which the whole body can be put together with the engine slotted into the space between the wings. At this stage the front end is a bit bare, which is next to be rectified by adding in the front panel, radiator with decals included, and the complex front axle and suspension ironwork. At the back, the two leaf-springs are added to the rear axle and inserted into the rear of the vehicle, joined to the transmission by its drive-shaft, and adding a pair of shocks that damp down the movement of the back axle under power. She’s not going to go very far without wheels, so the kit includes two pairs of chromed hubs that slip inside the tyres, and are fixed to styrene hubs at the rear by the “screws” that are actually blunt pins, by friction alone. These glue into the wheel wells, with the big ones at the back so people don’t laugh at you. Attention turns back to the engine bay, adding the battery, some hoses, one needing a hole drilling to fit, the underside of the bodyshell and that full-width super-shiny chrome grille, the centre of which is painted matt black. A pair of clear “blinkers” are added under the front after painting them orange, the chromed door handles, fuel filler cap, and two windscreen wipers finish off the front (the bonnet comes last), with a rear panel, clear red rear lights and tiny round clear ones underneath, then the chromed bumper covering the lower half. The rear number plate is chromed, but needs painting black, which seems a waste of time, but never mind, eh. The bonnet has a large hole in the centre, and around it there is some nice detail on the underside, which has two hinges added at the rear edge, then is slotted inside the bay, clicking into position and allowing you to leave the bonnet open or closed. The last part is a chromed wing mirror for the driver’s side. Markings You can paint the model any colour you like as long as it’s black. That’s if you want to be true to the movie car anyway. From the box you can build the black beastie below: Decals are by Cartograf, which is a guarantee of good registration, sharpness and colour density, with a thin gloss carrier film cut close to the printed areas. There are a lot of seatbelt decals, stencils, stickers and even tie-downs for the bonnet and boot (sorry Americans), although the purists might want to make those a little more 3D. You have a choice of three numberplates for your Charger, all from California, but the black option is distinctly of the vanity variety. Conclusion A nicely timed reboxing of a decent kit that builds up into a good replica of the smoke & mirrors of a Hollywood cash-cow franchise. Highly recommended. Currently, Revell are unable to ship to the UK from their online shop due to recent changes in import regulations, but there are many shops stocking their products where you can pick up the kits either in the flesh or online. Revell model kits are available from all good toy and model retailers. For further information visit or

I am a former Cavalry Scout, this is the armored vehicle I used, but thankfully only during my 18 weeks of training at Ft. Knox. While it was fun to operate and the main gun certainly made for good times, it was a nightmare to clean after running the hills of Kentucky after a hard rain. The red clay that makes up the soil (if you can call it soil) became thick and damn near impossible to clean from the road wheels and gaps that trapped the mud as we churned up the hills in the vast armor training center. This beast is also not well suited for Scout Recon, very tall and with that diesel engine, could be heard from several kilometers away. Not eactly stealthy. Anyway, it's nice to have an accurate Calvary version of the Bradley, most of the other kits, are infantry specific, now I have something to build that relates directly to my skills during my time in the Army. Thanks for the detailed review, cheers, Anthony

Looks stunning. Can’t wait to see some appear in the RFI forum

Thanks eng, I'm hoping to build one in 'Chelsea Rose' as well, and possible the classic BA Negus livery. I've updated the review with some more photographs to show the nose gear and assembly, and a few other bits. The nose leg is multi part and will be delicate to assemble. We wouldn't have it any other way though would we? Certainly not a chunky single part moulding - give me Zvezda's finely detailed style every time . Cheers John

I know there's one coming before long, but can this kit produce a Mk.Vb?

Well that answers that question before I even thought about it! I'll need one of these - one performed at an airshow I attended in 2004 and I was deeply impressed. The kit looks great!

Excellent review, I've a few of these on order and am kinda hoping they arrive before my next set of days off! I've already picked up some nice FDcal sheets for the RNZAF scheme and BA's Chelsea Rose livery, and the lovely 26Decals BA Negus livery. Fingers crossed for plenty more nice schemes to come. Any chance of some pics of the sprue with the gear parts? Rgds, Eng

Boeing 757-200 Icelandair (7032) Zvezda 1:144 First flown in 1982 the Boeing 757 was designed as a replacement the to hugely successful 727 tri-jet. The initial version was the -200 as depicted in this kit, which entered service with Eastern Airlines on January 1st 1983. Designed to cruise at higher altitudes than the 727, the 757 was able to achieve up to 45% fuel saving over its predecessor. The later -300 version stretched the fuselage by 23 ft (7.1m) and entered service in 1999. It has served widely with Civil, Military, and Government/VIP operators, as both passenger and freight haulers. Offered with the Rolls-Royce RB-211 or Pratt & Whitney PW2000 engines, a total of 1,049 757's of all versions were delivered. After nearly 40 years of service it is becoming an increasingly rare sight in the skies. Since this kit was announced, it has been eagerly awaited by airliner modellers, and first impressions are that it was well worth the wait. It is presented in Zvezda's stout cardboard post-office resistant box, with an outer sleeve depicting an Icelandair 757 taking off. Slide the outer cover off and the box reveals a set of beautiful looking moulding in light grey plastic. Panel lines are lightly engraved, and details are razor sharp on all the finer elements such as engine fans and undercarriage legs. The fuselage features the 'lobe crease' along its length, but is difficult to photograph as it is so subtle. Construction starts with the cockpit (we don't say that very often in airliner modelling!) with seats, control columns and rear bulkhead. Strips of glazing are provided for the cabin windows, and the instructions show to remove various lengths from each one, a sure sign that a -300 is on the way, and this sprue will be shared with it. The cockpit opening is of the 'letterbox' type, with a clear insert for the glazing, like the Airfix 'Skyking' and some Revell kits do. The instructions note to include 10 gr of weight in the nose to prevent tail sitting. There is no option to assemble it with slats and flaps down (which seemed to divide opinion amongst modellers) as the wings are formed from a single span lower part with individual uppers for each side. This is a virtually fool proof way of getting the dihedral set correctly and equally each side, simplicity itself. The wing can be built with the upward curved 'winglets', or the standard tips which are included but marked as not for use. Either are probably appropriate as photos show Icelandair 757's with both at various times. Next up are the engines, and here we have a real bonus. Zvezda have included both the Rolls-Royce and P&W options in full, which is very welcome for those of us who like to buy multiple kits and finish them with aftermarket decals for other liveries. The Rolls-Royce engines are used on this Icelandair version, and feature stunningly moulded fan detail. Also welcome is the provision of inner liners for the intakes. They are in 2 parts so can be assembled and smoothed off before fitting to the fan units. Knowing how accurately Zvezda's kits fit together, a quick swipe with some wet & dry paper should clean up any seams in seconds. Finally the undercarriage is assembled, but there is the option to assemble it 'gear up' in flight, and a sturdy stand is provided should you chose to do this. The undercarriage is made up of Zvezda's typically fine detailed parts, so will need care in assembly. Attention to detail evident even here as two complete sets of wheels are provided, each with different hub patterns. Kudos to Zvezda! Nose leg main part: I've had a couple of messages since posting this review, asking if it is possible to fit the nose leg after assembly. The good news is yes! Stage 10 in the instructions is the final step, and this is where you fit all the legs to complete the model. Summaries from the instructions to illustrate some of the pints made above. Decals Just one colour scheme is provided, that of Icelandair. It is beautifully printed in perfect register and with minimal carrier film. Silver framing is provided for all window surrounds and the cockpit glazing. A much appreciated touch is the provision of blocks of colour for the blue and yellows needed for painting the model. These will be the engine cowlings (yellow) and the under fuselage and fin. A second sheet provides the wing and tailplane walkway markings. Conclusion. The 757 has been high on many airliner modeller 'wants' list for several years. There are nice resin kits available, but the two injection moulded 757's from Minicraft and Eastern Express are not up to most modellers expectations, and can now be consigned to 'collectors only'. This new kit far and away exceeds them, and looks to be outstanding 'in the box. I have no doubt that it will build up with the superb fit that Zvezda achieve with their kits, a little care will be needed with assembling the noseleg, but the rest of it looks to be simplicity itself. I am sure that it should be a big seller for Zvezda, and that the aftermarket decal producers should be releasing some of the many, many attractive schemes that the 757 wore over the years. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of