Search the Community

Middle East Diorama MiniArt 1:35 Having released the Middle Eastern house on its own, MiniArt have now given it a base and some additional buildings and re-released it as a diorama kit. Of course you could still use the house parts on your own base should you wish, as it’s always nice to have options. Contained within a deep, top opening box, with a picture of the completed model on the front, are eight sheets of grey vacformed styrene, six sprues of grey injected styrene and the vacformed base. The injected parts are crisply moulded with only a small the tiniest amount of flash which can be easily and quickly removed with a sharp knife. The vacformed parts are very well moulded, with good detail definition on the parts and the styrene is actually quite thick. There are still the unusual polyps over the surface of the vac parts which will need to be removed, but they don’t appear to be as numerous as in previous kits. The removal of these polyps can sometimes result in small holes in the surface that will need to be filled and sanded down. The instructions for the injected parts and their sub-assembly are very clear, and whilst the building parts are clear, plenty of test fitting will be required to get everything square. There is a lot more work required in building this kit than others I have reviewed, as there are in fact two parts to the main building, including separate floor sections, a separate face of another building, a wall and an archway connecting the wall to the secondary building. Each wall, floor and arch section is made up of inner and outer halves. As with other vacform kits, it’s not necessary to cut all the way through the styrene to remove the parts, just score with a sharp blade and snap apart. Care should be taken when scoring the corner parts of the buildings as these make up prominent joins and whilst it is a ruined building these corners are meant to be intact. Once the parts have been removed from the backing sheets they will require a good sanding on the mating surfaces, (I usually tape a sheet of emery cloth to a large board to ensure the mating surfaces stay as straight as possible), to ensure a tight join, care and patience prevail here as it will mean a lot less work with filling and sanding later on. Once all the vac parts have been prepared they can be glued together. With the sub assemblies constructed the two sections that make up the main house are joined then affixed to the base. This is then followed by the corner wall, secondary house front wall and the interconnecting archway. It is up to the modeller how they proceed with this but I generally build the buildings first, fill any gaps as required, give it a coat of primer before painting it in the basic colours. When this is done, then the injected parts can be built up, painted and attached to their relevant positions. The injected parts in this kit consist of several doors, window frames, shutters, gates plus a host of generic parts found in most, if not all of these diorama kits. The nature of these generic parts means that you are left with quite a few spares which can be used as debris for the completed diorama. Having made quite a few of these buildings I have found that the plastic is readily melted by liquid glue, which, whilst making gluing parts together easier, care must be taken to prevent glue getting over the surfaces of parts as it will show. Once construction is complete one can paint/weather to your hearts content, plus add any troops/vehicles as you desire. Conclusion This is another super diorama set from MiniArt and will build into a very attractive attractive model in its own right. Of course it could be used to depict all sorts of vignettes within the diorama, with interactions between vehicles and various personnel, no matter which nations forces you wish to model. Since the style of building hasn’t really changed over the years the kit could be easily used to show off vehicles from any era, be it WW1, Interwar, WW2 and post war, giving the modeller even more options. Very Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

Finished this morning. Not 100% happy with it, mainly as the door windows decided to fight back as I installed them, so much so that I resorted to cutting the right hand one, and posing it as if the window has been wound-down. Tried to pose the drivers door open but it refused to co-operate aswell, so I've simply pushed it in to place fore the benefit of the camera... - I'll keep working on it tho'. As mentioned with previous projects always happy to take any comment, question or criticism. Kit - 1:35 Italeri/Max-Peerless Paint - All acylics (mainly Tamiya). Washes & pigments for weathering. Decals - Tamiya & Kit Extras - None. AFN Ian

M-1083 FMTV with Armoured Cab Trumpeter 1:35 History The FMTV, (Family of Medium Tactical Vehicles), series of vehicles are derived from the Austrian Steyr 12M18 and built by Oshkosh Corporation having taken over production from BAE Systems in 2011. The Medium Tactical Vehicle (MTV) has a 5-ton capacity (cargo and long-wheelbase cargo with and without material handling equipment, tractor, van, wrecker, and dump truck models). Three truck variants and two companion trailers, with the same cube and payload capacity as their prime movers, provide air drop capability. M1083s have been deployed to Iraq with armoured cabs with roof gun mounts with shields, similar to those fitted on High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicles (HMMWV) and M113s. he cab-over FMTV replaces the 2.5 ton and 5 ton M35 and M939 series of trucks and performs local and line haul, unit mobility, unit resupply, and other missions in combat, combat support and combat service support units. It is rapidly deployable worldwide and operates on primary and secondary roads, trails, and cross-country terrain, in all climatic conditions. Commonality of parts across truck chassis variants significantly reduces the logistics burden and operating and support costs. New vehicle applications are being developed to meet new requirements. The Model The kit is contained in the standard sturdy top opening box, with an artists impression of the vehicle in an encampment somewhere in the sandbox on the front. Inside are twelve sprues of light grey styrene a separate cab, one of clear styrene, a small fret of etched brass, and seven vinyl tyres. Construction begins with the chassis with the main longitudinal rails joined together with the various cross members, intermediate gearbox and the underside of the engine/gearbox. To the rear the hose accessory fittings for a trailer are fitted to the last crossbeam. There are a number of attachment points fixed to the outside of the rails for use later on in the build. The rear carriage spring suspension and associated shock absorbers are fitted, followed strangely by the rear mudguard assemblies, consisting of the guards, attachment beam and the light clusters. Also fitted at this point is the exhaust system which comes in two lengths of pipe and two halves of the silencer. The three axles are now assembled, each with their fittings, differentials and the ball joints for the steering mechanism at the front, connected by the track rod. The front carriage springs are assembled and fitted to the chassis, followed by the axles into their respective positions with the rears connected by separate driveshafts. Next up is a series of sub-assemblies that make up the external details of the truck. These include the fuel tank, hydraulic reservoir, the triple air bottle container, plus the bottles themselves, fuel filter and storage box. These are then fitted in position on either side of the chassis. Each wheel is made up of a four piece outer hub, which also includes a poly cap, the vinyl tyre, and the inner hub. With the six main wheels assembled they can be attached to their respective axles. Before the next stage can be started there is a three piece hand winch to be assembled and fitted to the right hand side, just aft of the fuel tank. Work now begins on building the body work, beginning with the fitting of the various support beams to the chassis. The front beam is larger than the others and incorporates the mudguards for the front wheels. The truck bed itself is assembled from the bed, side, front and rear panels. The underside of the bed is fitted out with strengthening beams on the underside, tilt hooks on the sides and to the rear a folding access ladder. On the inside of the bed sides the troop seats are assembled and affixed into place. These seats each consist of two styrene parts and an etched part. They can be posed folded up out of the way or down for use. Work on the cab begins with the attachment of the support structures, foot plates and wheel arches to the underside of the cab floor. Turning the floor over, the front console and instrument binnacle are glued together then attached to the front for the cab floor, along with the instrument cluster and switch box, (decals are provided for the instruments), followed by the steering column and foot pedals. The cab has three seats fitted, each made up of a base, squab, back rest and side supports. With the seats in place, the fire extinguisher is fitted, along with two storage boxes. Finally the steering wheel and column shift gear lever are attached to the steering column. The single piece armoured cab is fitted out with clear parts for the windows, identification panels on the sides and rear along with their associated PE handles. The doors are next, each fitted with internal and external handles and three piece wing mirror assemblies. The completed doors can be posed either open or closed. The kit comes with three PE windscreen wipers which are very fine and liable to bend to care will need to be taken removing from the fret and attaching to the windscreen. The large air filter is now assembled from two halves, onto which the intake ends are attached, followed by the two support brackets. The cab interior is now fitted into the cab shell, after which the 50 cal mount is assembled from the scarf ring, mount, armour plate, machine gun and ammunition basket. This is then fitted into position on top of the cab. Nearing completion the modeller needs to add the truck bed, and air intake sub assemblies. Before the cab can be attached there is the spare wheel support bracketry to be assembled and attached, plus the assembly of the air conditioning units, which fits onto the back of a separate plate fitted behind the cab. The completed cab can now also be attached to the chassis ending the build. Decals The small decal sheet has decals for the instrument cluster and switch panel along with various placards for around the truck. There are no unit markings, but from the photographs I’ve seen they very rarely have them. Conclusion Trucks like this don’t get the recognition that the heavy armour gets but without them the modern army would be unable to operate, so it’s good to see kits being produced. The detail is excellent and the build doesn’t look too awkward, so would be good for all but the newest beginner. The fact that the tilt is missing, even though it’s shown on the boxart is the biggest downer which hopefully Trumpeter will rectify in an update set or an aftermarket company will come to the rescue. All in all though a nice kit. Highly recommended Review sample courtesy of

Russian T-30S Light Tank HobbyBoss 1:35 History Unfortunately I cannot find any reference to this tank anywhere on the internet, other than just over 550 were built and it seems it was in production for only one year. If anyone has further information I would gladly welcome it. The Model The kit comes in the HobbyBoss standard top opening, and quite attractive box, with an artistic representation of the tank trundling along a country road. Inside there are six sprues of green coloured styrene, a separate hull, seven brown sprues of track links, a metal barrel and a small photo etch sheet. The parts are really well moulded with no flash and only a few moulding pips needing removal. Although not to everyones taste, the track links, whilst pretty small, are beautifully moulded, but note, there are 172 of them, (86 per side), which can be a bit daunting. The build begins with the fitting of the idler axle plates and centrally fitted towing hook to the rear hull, followed by a sprocket drive mounting plate, three return rollers and the four torsion beam bump stops attached to each side. A photo etched support beams are fitted to the underside of the rear fenders which also has the rear mudguards attached. The drive sprocket drive, four torsion beams and idler mud scraper are now fitted to each side of the hull, followed by the single piece sprocket, idler and road wheels. The track links are assembled as per the instructions and fitted to around the wheels, but it might be best to leave this stage until after painting of both the tanks and tracks. With the lower hull now complete it’s on to the upper works, and the attachment of the forward fenders to both sides of the hull. The upper hull section is then fitted with the rear and right hand side plates to the storage bin, the slats within the engine intake box structure before being attached to the lower hull. A PE footplate is attached to the right hand side of the upper hull. There is a horn/tannoy like fixture to be assembled next from three styrene parts and an etched support plate. Once assembled it is fitted to the right hand side of the upper decking, next to the drivers hatch. Three armoured plates are then attached to the area around the drivers position, the front plate features the drivers viewing port moulded into it. With these in place the drivers hatch can then be fitted. A lot of the fittings, such as grab handles, brackets and clamps have been provided in both styrene and etch which is good for modellers who don’t particularly like using etched parts. One etched piece you can’t get away without using is the large intake grille on the rear right hand side of the upper decking along with the weirdly shaped exhaust which is fitted over the intake. The large engine hatch is that fitted along with the two headlights, each made from three parts. Unfortunately, unlike most of their other small tank kits, HobbyBoss don’t provide clear lenses in this one, so it may be an idea to source them elsewhere or fabricate them yourself. The small conical turret comes with a separate trunnion mounting and mantle, to which the barrel support structure is attached, followed by either the single piece styrene of the metal provided. The coaxial machine gun is slid into position from inside the turret and is provided with a ammunition drum, but since there isn’t any other interior fittings you could leave this off and keep it for a spare. With the guns in place the turret hatch is applied, as are the main gun muzzle brake and flash ring. The completed turret is then fitted to the hull and finally the pioneer tools fitted to the front fenders, thus completing the build. Decals The small decal sheet only provides the numbers 0 to 9 for each side of the turret for use when the unusual and interesting three coloured camouflage option is chosen. The other option of an overall Russian green tank is devoid of markings. Conclusion Hobbyboss have been releasing some really obscure early WWII Russian vehicles lately and they should be commended for it, but this is the most obscure yet, with very little information anywhere that I can find. That said it is a rather interesting little tank and looks like it may have evolved into the T-37 amphibious tank which is also due out soon. Highly Recommended Review sample courtesy of

Russian T-90 MBT with Cast Turret 1:35 Detail Set, ET Models Trumpeter has released a number of different versions of their T-90 but this new set from ET Models is for theT-90 with cast turret. The set comes packaged in their standard poly sleeve with card header, with six of the large sheets of relief etched brass taped to individual black card, and with the smaller sheets held within smaller zip lock bags. This set also includes six replacement resin smoke discharger tubes, resin aerial base and a length of copper wire. As is usual with these types of add-ons the kit needs to be modified to accept the brass replacements. This means the removal of all the straps, handles, catches, and other moulded fittings, and is best done before the build proper is started. With the kit parts prepped, it’s on with the fiddly task of assembling the numerous straps and buckles, of which there are nine different types. With the straps done it’s on the main hull and the fitting of the various angle beams, glacis plate upright, mounting plates, mudguard fixings, hinges, for which the modeller is required to provide 0.3mm rod. The two fuel drums attached to the rear are provided with new supports and straps, along with other items attached to the rear of the vehicle. Each engine deck grille has a new mesh cover fitted and there are loads of smaller items such as hooks, hinged panels right down to the wingnut fasteners for the headlamp housings. The turret is fitted out with new catches for the external lockers, new supports and spare machine gun ammunition cases, new surrounds and shields for the various sensors and sights. The machine gun also receives new sights, whilst the main gun barrel is fitted with new ultra detailed straps and strengthening rods. The resin aerial base is fitted on top of several fixing rings and each of the kit smoke launchers are replaced by the more typical resin units provided in this set. Conclusion The Trumpeter T-90 is already a really nice kit and these enhancements will really truly be the icing on the cake. Be prepared for some fine bending and fiddly fitting, as a lot of the parts in the set are very small. You will need some sort of ocular enhancement and a pair of very fine tweezers or a suitable picking up tool. Highly recommend. Review Sample courtesy of

JGSDF Type 10 MBT for Tamiya 1:35 Detail Set, ET Models This new set from ET Models is for the rather nice Tamiya JGSDF Type 10 MBT. The set comes packaged in their standard poly sleeve with card header, with the larger of the five sheets of relief etched brass taped to individual black card, and with the smaller sheets held within smaller zip lock bags. The instructions, on the distinctive green paper are very clear and concise and should be held up as a example of how to do it to other manufacturers. As is usual with these types of add-ons the kit needs to be modified to accept the brass replacements. This means the removal of all the handles, hooks, etc, and is best done before the build proper is started. Once the relevant plastic parts have been removed, the instructions start with the modification of the 50cal machine gun. This includes a completely new cartridge case support, case, including a length of belt to be fed into the gun, new gun handles, fore and rear sights, cocking lever, perforated barrel cover and details for the spent cartridge basket. This is followed by the construction of two new storage boxes and lifting eye assembly which are then fitted to the top of the rear intake grilles. Both the commanders and gunners hatches receive new inner plates, locking handles and chains. There are many grab handles, brackets and clamps, all of which are made up of multiple parts building up to very realistic assemblies that need to be carefully placed into position all over the vehicle. The instructions then concentrate on the various tools carried on the vehicle. Each receives one or more new brackets or clamps. One neat bit of additional detail is a new mic boom for the figure included in the kit, which looks like it could be fun bending into shape. The engine deck grille mounting points are then folded and fitted into position as are the lower skirt panels fitted on either side plus those fore and aft. The mesh grilles, each sized for their individual positions are then fitted. The set also includes the mesh inserts for both the side and rear turret baskets and really do look the business. The catches for the rear basket door are also included. The wire included in the set can now be painted up and fitted to the brackets on the rear intake grilles. Conclusion This is another excellent and comprehensive set from ET Models. Tamiya has produced a very nice kit of the Type 10 and this set will really enhance the finished model and could even help make it a competition winner. If you only want to add a lower level of detailo then the engine and basket mesh can be bought as a separate set. The level of detail that ET have included in this set will require the modeller to have at least a magnifier or optivisor type set up and a very steady hand, not to mention quite a bit of patience. Highly recommend. Review Sample courtesy of

King Tiger for Academy 1:35 Eduard The new Academy King Tiger is a corker of a kit, but as always there’s always room for improvement, and Eduard have now released two new sets to super detail the kit. Admittedly some of the styrene parts within the kit can look rather over scale and this is where the etched parts really come into their own. The modeller will need to provide styrene or brass rod and some of the kit detail needs to be removed before the etched parts can be added, as per standard procedure for Eduard sets. [36260 External Set] This set is contained on a medium sized fret of relief etched brass. As is pretty much standard with these sets the majority of the smaller parts are dedicated to replacing the clamps, brackets and supports for the various pioneer tools. Also include are new brackets and straps for the headlights and fire extinguisher. Each of the vision blocks around the commanders cupola are fitted with new guards. For the engine deck the set includes not only mesh grilles, but armoured covers for them, theses are supported by four risers made of styrene rod sourced from the modellers supplies. The turret receives new lifting eyes, hatch fittings for the gunner, (internal and external), commander and expended cartridges, (also internal as well as external). There are also foot steps up the turret sides and additional fittings for the turret roof. [36257 Fender Set] As the name suggests, this set is for the complete replacement of the tanks fenders and side skirts. The set comprises a medium sized and a smaller sized fret. Each of the side pieces and mudguards will need to be carefully bent to shape and fitted to the sides of the model. Unfortunately Eduard haven’t given any templates for this, so it’ll be a bit of trial and error using the kits parts to get the shape right. Between each individual section there is an additional jointing piece which will also need to be bent to the correct shape. The front mudguards are slightly more tricky in that they need to be rolled to shape and the side piece folded to sit snugly alongside the curved part. Additional details such as the hinges, strengthening strips and locks are provided for both the front and rear mudguards. Conclusion A pair of very nice sets, which given the detail on the Academy kit may not be necessary to some modellers, but they will certainly give an extra finesse to the detail, particularly the fenders with the better scale thickness. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

Thought I'd start the year with a nice big tank, so got going on the newish Academy King Tiger. I'll be using the Eduard etched sets I reviewed HERE and an RB turned barrel, which will require some modification to the kits barrel assembly to fit, but it will be worth it. BTW, if you have this kit pay special attention to the construction of the wheels the rim, inner and outer hubs are all separate and there are specific differences in which rim is assembled with which. I've had to unstick a few and swap the hubs around as I wasn't paying attention.

Russian BT-7 for Tamiya 1:35 Eduard Eduard are really churning out the etched detail sets, trying to keep up with the number of releases that the various manufacturers are putting out. These two sets are for the Tamiya 1:35 BT-7 Russian medium tank. The relief etched sheets are up to the usual standards as Eduard seem to have good quality control on their releases. Coming in the usual sleeve packaging with card inserts to protect the brass there is one set for the exterior and one for the interior. [36253 Interior Set] Contained on one medium sized sheet are a plethora of small parts, the majority of which seem to go into the assembly of the six ammunition drum racks for the machine guns and their associated strapping. There are also racks for the 45mm for either side of the turret ring. The drivers compartment is provided with new instrument cluster, with acetate sheet for the dials, various placards and other instrument faces. The driver also gets two new control leavers, a complex pedal assembly and gear stick. Inside the turret there new vision block details, two radio boxes an ammunition drum rack. The main gun is detailed with catching bin for the expended cartridges and the breech leaver. [36257 Exterior Set] Also contained on one medium sized sheet of brass this set, as its name implies is for the outside of the model. Apart from the usual brackets and clamps that most of these sets include, particularly for the pioneer tools there are also fittings for the front inner fairings, headlamps, rear lights and loudspeaker. The kit fenders are completely replaced with etched items along with their support brackets, this goes for the front and rear mudguards as well. The four external fuel tanks receive new tops and straps and filler caps whilst the jack is provided with a new cradle and tire down strap. The perforated fairing over the exhausts needs to be carefully rolled over the kit former and fitted with additional handles whilst the intake on the left hand side will need some careful folding to get it to fit into the kit recess, as does the rear storage box which is fitted then with two long hand rails. Conclusion Even Tamiya kits can do with some extra detailing every now and then, and these sets provide enough to make the difference without going overboard. With care and patience they should be ok to be used by all but the pure novice but still be slightly challenging in areas. Highly recommended Review sample courtesy of

US Armoured Gun Truck for Italeri 1:35 Eduard [36254] Comprising of three sheets of relief etched brass this set for the new Italeri M923 Armoured gun truck is well up to Eduards usual standards. They provide a host of detail parts to really take the model to the next level. Unfortunately the instructions also live up to their reputation in being cramped and certainly not the easiest to read. As usual the modeller will need to provide styrene or brass rod for some of the assemblies and some of the kits details need to be removed before the new brass items are fitted. It’s probably best for the modeller to go through the instructions and removing all these parts at the beginning to improve the flow of the build. Construction starts with the fitting of a new top and lid for the smaller of the main storage boxes. To the lid a new jerry can bracket and straps are attached. The larger box is fitted with a new support bracket, top fitting, padlock and handles. To each inner wheel there are new flange fittings attached, similar fittings are also fitted to the faces of the drive shaft couplings. The fuel tank is assembled with new straps, supports and what looks like an armoured shelf surrounding the filler cap. The exhaust stack is given a new heat shield which will need to be carefully curved to fit whilst the spare wheel mount at its associated jib are provided with new support brackets, hook slide and wheel restraining bracket/ramp. Moving forward, the hood/bonnet is fitted with new hinges and brackets, whilst the headlights a provided with new surrounds, there is a new radiator face and grille. The rear face of the cab is also fitted with new brackets and a new vent cover. Inside the cab, new instrument cluster, facia, switch panel and passenger grab handle are included, along with replacement clutch, brake ad accelerator pedals. The drivers and passenger seats are fitted with new supports and the windscreen has all of its styrene furniture replaced, including items such as wipers, hinges and supports. The cab doors also receive new handles, window winders and wing mirrors. To the rear of the truck there are complete replacements for the rear mudguards and supports, plus numerous catches for the rear and side cargo bed panels. Naturally, being a gun truck it only seems sensible to have the gun details updated. The two 50 cal machine guns are each fitted out with new barrel handles, perforated covers, fore and aft iron sights, firing handles and fittings, new mountings and replacement ammo box support bracket s, ammo boxes and a short length of ammunition. The pintle mounted gun on the truck bed is also fitted with a new gun shield and support brackets. Conclusion Given that the Italeri Armoured Gun Truck kit is already pretty well detailed out of the box this set isn’t that complicated. With very few complex bends or folds it should be useable by all but the newest modellers and would be a good introduction to the art of using etched brass. The details contained in the set do help to improve the somewhat clunky look that of the styrene parts and will help make a good looking model into a great one. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

German Pz.Kpfw. II Ausf A/B/C detail updates 1:35 ET Models These two new releases from ET Models are for the Tamiya Panzer II. The kit is a very nice kit in its own right, but could be transformed by the use of these sets. [E35-185] Comprising of three sheets of relief etched brass, plus a resin shielded headlight and resin smoke discharger tubes, showing that this set is not as basic as the name on the header card suggests. Contained in the standard poly sleeve with the sheets taped to black card for protection with the instructions on the ubiquitous green A4 paper there is a wealth of detail to be added to the kit. The instructions are, as usual very clear and easy to read, with the very useful addition of diagrams of the kits hull and turret showing where all the sub-assemblies go. There are a number of kit details that need to be removed first before adding being replaced by etched parts and it may be an idea to remove all the areas mentioned in the instructions before starting the build. The modeller will also need to provide styrene or brass rod for certain parts. Construction starts with the assembly of nine hand clamps and brackets before assembling the complex locking mechanism on the interior of the drivers hatch which will need to be left open to appreciate the work. The pioneer tools all receive new brackets and clamps as well as a new shovel blade. There is some more complex cage work for the left hand rear tool box and jack clamps along with clasps and hinges for the storage boxes. The grille on the right hand side rear of the engine deck is made up of separate frames and shutter bars which will look great when fitted. There are another couple of hatches on the engine deck that not only have external detail, but internal mechanisms too, so it would be a shame to fit them closed. The two storage boxes on the right hand fender are also included and will take some careful folding to get them square. The light cluster on the rear bulkhead is completely replaced, but will need the centre piece made out of plastic stock by the modeller. The exhaust receives a new, finer, perforated cover and the smoke dischargers on the rear bulkhead are very nicely detailed, with new resin barrels, holder, cover, brackets and tube cover chains, the whole assembly is then fitted to the exhaust cover. The turret receives new hatch details internally and externally, strengthening beam across the turret just in front of the hatches, lifting eyes and a pair of headphones which will require stretched sprue of very fine thread for the wires. [E35-186] is for those modellers who find that the looks of the kits fenders are just too thick and bulky. Those fenders are completely replaced by etched items which not only look more to scale, but could be bent and modelled to look damaged more easily. The main fender parts are single piece items onto which all the brackets, bolt holes, supports and clamps are fitted. The front and rear mudguards will require some rod to more the basis of the hinges and also include strengthening strips and clamps for some incredibly fine detail. Conclusion Another pair of superb sets that will take the model to the next level of detail and also give the modeller a bit more of a challenge in making all the small parts and bending them to shape. As normally is the case with this type of set, patience and care are the watchwords and although some experience with PE would be beneficial it shouldn’t be insurmountable for the less experienced modeller to achieve a really good result. Highly recommended. Review Sample courtesy of

AEC Mk111 Armoured Car 1:35 MiniArt MiniArt have just released the final version of the AEC armoured car and as with the Mk1 and Mk11 it contains mostly the same sprues, so MiniArt are really getting their monies worth out of the moulds, and who could blames them. As with the Mk1 review HERE this review will concentrate on the differences. The differences between this kit and the other versions are very small and concern only the turret, which is the same type as used in the Mk11 but this time fitted with the 75mm gun as used in a number of British tanks. Of course the ammunition racks in the turret basket are altered to fit the larger rounds, but that’s about the only difference inside. Externally the addition of the twin Vickers machine gun mount to the top of the turret is the only difference. As per the other versions the kit comes in a top opening box with an artists impression of the vehicle on the lid. Even though the box is quite deep it is full of styrene, each sprue within individual bags and all contained in one large poly bag. The sprues are still in the medium grey styrene. All the parts are well moulded and with out a hint of flash, but quite a few moulding pips. The Model The hull and turret are of the same design as the Mk11, and the interior details appear to be very much the same with the exception of some storage bins and equipment around the fighting compartment. The main difference in this version is the gun. The build begins with the construction of the gun breech with its large recuperator which is fitted through the mantlet and the elevating assembly. To the breech the two piece breech block is attached, followed by the gun sights and two piece cartridge catcher. To the right hand side the BESA machine gun breech is fitted and once the numerous PE bolt heads, gun firing controls and turret training motor assembly have been fitted to the turret halves the turret can be fitted around the gun/mantlet assembly. The turret roof is next for attention, with the two optical sights and their covers, PE aerial mounting base, mount and styrene fitting, a PE cooling vent cover for the rear of the turret roof, several other smaller fittings and finally the two piece turret hatch. The radio is the same as the previous kit and is fitted to the rear of the turret ring. With the drivers compartment hatch fitted to the upper hull deck the turret is fitted into position and locked in place by the lower turret ring. On the outside of the turret three storage containers are fitted to the rear, whilst at the front the machine and main gun barrels are attached. The turret basket is then assembled. This begins with the fitting of the commanders seat and upper segment of the inner cartridge rack to the basket floor. The circular upper segment for the main cartridge rack that runs around the entire turret basket is fitted with two L shaped supports and the racks filled with 2pdr shells in their containers. The spent cartridge container and the four BESA ammunition boxes are the glued to the basket floor, and yes it does look a bit cramped in their now. The completed basket assembly is then fitted to the lower turret ring and the whole turret/hull decking assembly fitted to the lower hull. The two Vickers machine guns are single piece guns which have the circular ammunition drums attached to the top and a spent cartridge case chute to one side. The mounting consists of a central tubular piece to which the guns are attached, with a support beam added between the breeches. The pintle mounting is then fitted with a ratchet mechanism and then fixed to the lower mounting tube. The completed assembly is then attached to the top of the turret roof between the hatches. Also differing from the other two releases is the welcome inclusion of a driver figure with separate arms, legs, head and beret Decals The small decal sheet gives options for three vehicles, all in overall olive drab colour scheme. The decals include the vehicle identification numbers unit badges and large stars of two different styles for the vehicles used overseas:- • Royal Armoured Gunnery School, Lulworth Camp, Dorset, 1944 • Heavy Troop, D Squadron, 2nd Household Regiment, VIII Corps, Normandy, June 1944 • 1st Kings Dragoon Guards, XII Corps, 2nd British Army, North-Western Europe, Spring 1945 Conclusion As with the other versions of the AEC armoured car from MiniArt this is a superb kit with everything a superdetailer would wish for all included. From a couple of completed examples I’ve seen they are quite complex to build but make for a fantastic looking model. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

Russian BM-21 Grad MLRS detail updates 1:35 ET Models [E35-191] The Trumpeter 1:35 BM-21 Grad mobile rocket launcher is a great kit out of the box, but as is the want of many modellers there’s always room for extra detail. ET Models have released this set of etched brass just for such a requirement. The three sheets of brass, one large, one medium and one small are all taped to black card and contained in the standard poly packaging with card header. The instructions, on the now standard green paper, cover five sides of A4. They are very clear and concise, well laid out and easy to read giving good directions on where the individual parts go, some other manufacturers could take a leaf out of ET’s book and see how instructions should be laid out. The construction starts in the cabin with the addition of four air vents on the facia and the drivers three pedals. On the in front of the driver, on the headlining, a sun visor is added. Externally the footsteps and fuel tanks are fitted out with new brackets, supports and straps, whilst the large storage locker has new support brackets and a new handle attached. ET Models have also provided a completely new storage/ammunition box for the port side truck bed. One of the more complex assemblies of this set is for the spare wheel housing, with plenty of benign into the correct curve of the wheel, hinges, brackets and footplates which all go together to make a very accurate and realistic structure. Another large assembly is the tool locker on the right hand side of the truck bed which also incorporates the front of the rear wheel arch. This box includes internal shelving, clamps and straps on the fold down door for various tools and equipment which will have to be provided by the modeller. The rest of the parts comprise the usual small items, such as brackets and clamps for the pioneer tools, also including a new blade for the shovel. There are small mudflaps for the front wheel arches and large ones for the rears which also included their supporting structures. Also included are replacement windscreen wipers, number plates, numerous brackets and locking pins complete with chains, aerial support bracket and some unusual mountings fitted to either side of the cab, which look like light fittings but more research will be needed to decipher exactly what they are. Finally the rear bumpers, large footplate and rocket tube rear structure and forward strapping are added. [E35-053] For even more detail and also helping get rid of those vinyl tyres that many modellers don’t seem to like, ET Models have released this set of resin wheels and tyres to completely replace the kit items. All seven wheels are included in the set so even the spare gets replaced. The detail is excellent and really shows off the heavy tread these tyres have. The hub detail is well executed on both inner and outer faces. Only a small amount of clean up will be required on removing the small moulding blocks, which are also well placed on the bottom of the tyre where there is a slight bulging in contact with the ground. Other than painting these wheels are designed to fit directly into position with nothing else for the modeller to fiddle around with, making them very useful for the more novice modeller. Conclusion Two more great and very useful sets for the modeller to really go to town on this interesting and quite impressive vehicle. The etched parts shouldn’t cause any intermediate modeller, or above any headaches. Although patience and care will still be needed on some for the folding and bending, particularly the spare wheel rack and its curves. The wheel set is just so easy to add, giving excellent detail to the model and will ensure it doesn’t start collapsing as may happen with the vinyl tyres. Highly recommended Review Sample courtesy of

S-65 Tractor with Cab Detail Set – E35-193 ET Models 1:35[.size] Trumpeter has recently released the second configuration of this esoteric vehicle and ET Models have followed it by releasing this update set for it. E35-139 consists of three sheets of etched brass and a small acetate sheet. The instructions are printed on ETs usual green paper, but are better laid out than some of their normal fare, with diagrams of the model and where the various brass parts are to be fitted. Some parts of the kit need to be removed before the finer brass parts can be added. As is normal for these types of upgrade sets some assemblies also require the addition of plastic rod of various sizes. The set is basically a repetition of the previous release E35-145 reviewed HERE with the exception of the open cab that is provided for the driver, since the new kit already has a cab included, so it would be rather churlish to repeat myself with what’s included. As it is, the quality is up to the usual standards and you’ll still need a fair amount of patience and care in removing the kit parts, particularly the names on the radiator housing and the fitting of the bonnet side clamps. I have used the earlier set in a build HERE so you can see how it goes to make a nicely detailed model. Conclusion This is a very nice little set and without the cab of the previous set is perhaps slightly less daunting to use. It will certainly help take the kit to the next level of detail and also remove some of the rather clunky kit items. Recommended. Review Sample courtesy of available in the UK from White Ensign Models

BMP-1P Infantry Fighting Vehicle 1:35 Trumpeter Trumpeter have released another vehicle in their series of BMP kits, this one is the BMP-1P and since there is very little difference between this and the previous version which has been reviewedHERE It would seem churlish to repeat what has been said. With experience in the Yom Kippur war, Angola and Vietnam in the use of light AFV’s a modernisation program was set up that resulted in the BMP-1P. The 9M14M Malyutka ATGM was replaced with the much improved, reliable and effective 9P135M ATGM launcher capable of firing the 9K111 Fagot or 9M113 Spandrel ATGM’s. Whilst it was difficult to use, as the gunner had to stand in his open hatch, exposing himself to hostile fire, it was a much more effective weapon system. The mount could be detached and used from a more protected position. The 1P also had a special coating which was meant to be effective against Neutron weapons and a special fire extinguishing system for use against Napalm. Later vehicles also had a row of six 81mm smoke grenade launchers on the rear of the turret. The kit comes in the standard Trumpeter box with a depiction of the vehicle racing across the battlefield along with other BMP’s and troops. The grey styrene is very well moulded with no sign of flash, and only a few moulding pips. Dry fitting of the hull parts shows that the fit is very good indeed, well up to the standard shown in recent Trumpeter armoured vehicle kit releases. The only differences between this and the earlier kit is the later anti-tank missile fit, turret smoke grenade launchers and an extra sheet of PE. The modeller still gets the metal gun barrel and Indy link tracks. Construction is the same up until the ATGM launcher which is made up out of nine parts onto which the four piece missile tube is fitted before the whole sub-assembly is attached to the turret. The smoke grenade launchers are moulded individually and are fitted to the curved rack that is then attached to the rear of the turret. Trumpeter has also been decent enough to provide a separate tripod mount with addition sighting equipment so that the missile/launcher assembly can be dismounted for additional diorama options. Decals The small decal sheet provides markings for only one of the two vehicles depicted on the colour chart, due to the fact that the Russian BMP is devoid of markings other than the line stripe around the front of the missile tube. The other choice is a Finish vehicle with roundels for each side and identification number for the front glacis plate. Conclusion As with the previous release this is a lovely kit with some very nice detail and good fit. What’s not to like really, the Finnish example will cause a bit of pain with masking for the rather complex three colour paint scheme, but other than that it should be an enjoyable and relaxing build. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

Hungarian Light Tank 43M Toldi III (C40) HobbyBoss 1:35 History The Swedish Landsverk L-60 was licensed in 1938, bought MÁVAG and Ganz factory plants. On paper, the new model the armour was slightly decreased to allow a greater supply of ammunition, and agility. On 17, august, 1937, the V-4 was tested with an all-Hungarian Armament. At that time, the Hungarian armies most likely enemy was Czechoslovakia, and it needed relatively light tanks to cope with the Czech designs. The Swedish Landsverk tests in Hungary showed a need to redesign some of the internal fittings within the turret and add enhanced shock absorption. The turret was to be originally fitted with a 25 mm Bofors but the project had to be dropped when faced with pre-production and supply problems. So the well-proven 36M type 20mm infantry gun was chosen instead. It was made more compact and was already in large supplies. The turret electric rotary engine had shown that it had to always be switched on, as it was found to have a tendency to switch itself off. Considerable attention was paid to speed, but also agility, as the final goal was to perform a complete turn of 360 degrees in around a 8m radius. This was achieved by a fitting a revised five-speed gearbox and advanced steering. Each cranked axle control arm consisted of a double road wheels connected to a common hub. The first and fourth swing arm was fitted with spring shock absorbers. The chain tensioner for the return roller springs pulled the tracks up and they each had a separate cranked swing arm. During the early phase of World War two the tanks were used in Yugoslavia and later during the early phase of the summer campaign against the Soviet Union, the Toldi showed it had excellent qualities. When faced with the Russian T-26 and BA-10 vehicles it could just about cope, but when the later T34 and KV-1 tanks appeared the 20mm gun was shown to be completely ineffectual against their armour. From 1942 onwards, despite the arrival of the Toldi II, the Hungarian infantry had to continue fighting a growing number of these Soviet tanks with the same increasingly ineffective anti-tank weapon, which led to proposals or a redesign of the tanks. The Toldi II had its frontal armour increased to 30mm but was nearly identical in many aspects to the Toldi I, even so, 110 were manufactured. Later on, the Toldi IIa was introduced, mounting a 37M 40mm (licensed Bofors), L/25 anti-tank gun, whose longer calibre offered increased accuracy and muzzle velocity, which considerably enhanced their antitank capabilities. The tanks were further modernized in 1942, but the expected full upgrade never came about and instead consisted of replacing the 37M by the 42M main gun. From the beginning of 1942 up until April 1943, 80 Toldi II were upgraded as Toldi IIa. The next upgrade was taken to produce the next generation Toldi III, with thicker armour (40mm glacis and mantle) and the introduction of spaced armour. However, due to the deteriorating industrial conditions (and allied bombings), production came to a standstill and only 12 of the new 43M were delivered. The Model The kit comes in a sturdy top opening box with a depiction of two Toldi IIIs charging into battle. Inside there are 5 sprues and 2 separate hull pieces in a sandy coloured styrene and eleven sprues of brown styrene. There is also a small etched brass sheet and a small decal sheet. All the parts are well moulded with no signs of flash, but there are a number of moulding pips. Detail appears pretty good and they match well with photographs of the surviving example at Kubinka. Dry fitting of the two hull parts produced a very positive click and showed little in the way of gaps that would need to be filled. The instructions are nice and clear and pretty precise with parts placement. Construction begins with the two sprocket and rear idler wheels, each made up of inner and outer rims. With the sprockets having an extra space on the outer face fitted. The lower hull is then fitted out with the lower front glacis plate and the mountings for the road wheel torsion bars, bump stops and the return roller axles. The torsion bars, three piece return rollers, and the sprocket wheel axle plates are then fitted, followed by the sprocket, idler and road wheels. At this point the most taxing part of the build is building up the individual links to make up tracks, although the instructions do have a very clear diagram to guide the modeller. Patience is the name of the game here to get the tracks looking natural given the fact that there are 125 links per side. They also look very fragile and are held onto the sprue at three points, so great care will be needed to remove them. The two exhaust silencers and their pipe work are then fitted to the rear bulkhead, which is then attached to the rear of the lower hull. Meanwhile, on the upper hull the three intake parts are fitted to the inside of the hull, followed by the side fenders and their PE support brackets, six per side. On each of the rear fenders a storage box assembly is attached whilst at the front the drivers hatch is fitted. Several hand holds, a hand rail, headlight guards and rear engine vents are fitted into place. The upper hull is then attached to the lower hull. The turret is made up of upper and lower halves which, when glued together are fitted with the trunnion mount and mantle. The commanders cupola is fitted with several vision blocks before being fitted with the hatch cover and the assembly attached to the top of the turret. Around the sides there are three vision block hatches which need to be fitted and on top there is an aerial base. The single piece main gun has been slide moulded giving a good representation of the muzzle opening and not a seam in sight. The co-axial machine gun is also fitted at this point. Finally a turret vent, a four lifting hooks, one on each corner and a pair of PE mantle lifting eyes are fitted. The turret can then be fitted to the hull, completing the build. Decals The small decal sheet provides identification markings and national markings for just one vehicle, which unfortunately doesn’t have any information on which unit operated the vehicle. The decals are well printed and have minimal carrier film and are of good density. Fortunately the areas the decals are positioned are fairly flat so they should settle down well. Conclusion This is another super little kit of a little known tank which looks like it will be a fairly fun build, perhaps with the exception the small individual track links, which may add some consternation. Otherwise I think that with the three colour paint scheme it will be a striking looking model in the display cabinet. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

European Farmyard MiniArt 1:35 The latest release from MiniArt in their series of diorama kits is this large European Farmyard. Unlike some of the other kit this one does not come with a base. This is understandable as the completed farm is pretty large and the modeller has the option of building it either in an L shape or in a long I shape or any combination they can think of. The instructions actually show four variations and even though the kit comes in a large box to have a base that covered all options would make it much more expensive and require an even bigger box. As is usual the main building parts are produced on vacform moulds for which there are eleven sheets of vacform parts and an additional seven injection moulded sprues. All parts are in a medium grey styrene. As with other vacform kits, it’s not necessary to cut all the way through the styrene to remove the parts, just score with a sharp blade and snap apart. Care should be taken when scoring the corner parts of the building as these make up prominent joins and whilst it is a ruined building these corners are meant to be intact. Once the parts have been removed from the backing sheets they will require a good sanding on the mating surfaces to ensure a tight join, care and patience prevail here as it will mean a lot less work with filling and sanding later on. Once all the vac parts have been prepared they can be glued together and onto the base. It is up to the modeller how they proceed with this but I generally build the building first, fill any gaps as required, then give it a coat of primer before painting it in the basic colours. When this is done, then the injected parts can be built up, painted and attached to their relevant positions. The injected parts in this kit, comprise of the cart that is seen in a number of MiniArt kits along with the ladders, fences, gates and picnic tables. The kit specific items include a complete set of windows, window frames, shutters, the main barn doors with a smaller door inset into one. There are quite a few parts that aren’t mentioned in the instructions such as drain pipes, street lamps and there seems to be a surfeit of doors, both standard and Dutch type, thus giving even more options for the modeller. The key to making these kits is preparation. Taking time in cutting gout and sanding the edges will make for much better joints, but also take care when gluing. The plastic ready accepts liquid poly type glues but use sparingly as any spillage will melt the details away which is actually quite difficult to hide unless doing a damaged building, which these really aren’t. With the construction complete give the parts a coat of primer before adding any top coat, after which you can weather to match your specific scenario. Conclusion This is another great kit from MiniArt which gives the modeller so many options it will definitely be one to plan out before building. A good sized base will also be needed, which is actually quite useful in this instance as the scope of the diorama is huge. I will certainly be putting this kit to good use once I find a board big enough for my plans. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

Panzerkampfwagen 35(T) Academy 1:35 History Originally designed and built for the Czech army the 35(T) or LT 35 as it was then known, wasn’t an immediate success. Once the shortcomings had been ironed out it did become very popular with the crews. This was Skodas first tank built with a turret, which mounted a 37mm gun and a co-axial machine gun. With the invasion of Czechoslovakia the German army took over 244 tanks of the 434 built, and designated them the Panzerkampfwagen 35(T). Used extensively in the blitzkrieg attacks in the invasion of Poland, France and even the opening attacks against Russia, it is said that the German Army wouldn’t have been successful had it not been for these tanks. Although being of bolted construction they could be dangerous for the crews in the event of a hit, which even though it may not have penetrated the armour it could sheer bolts off, which would act like shrapnel inside the tank. Most 35(T)s were retired from active service by 1942 and used instead as training vehicles. Countries such as Bulgaria retired their last training 35(T) in 1950. The Model The model comes in an attractive full colour box with a depiction of the tank trundling along a country track. Inside there are ten sprues, a separate upper hull and turret all in dark grey styrene. All the parts appear well moulded with no sign of flash or moulding pips. Moulded it detail is quite nicely done, with all the distinctive rivet heads around the tank depicted well. Being a fairly small tank construction shouldn’t take too long and the only area that will take care and attention will be with the link and length tracks, and the multiple bogies. To compliment the model Academy have also provided two crew members, which is quite a rare thing these days. Admittedly the driver only comes as the upper half whereas at least the commander is complete. Construction begins with the lower hull which is made up of the floor, hull sides, two piece front glacis plates and two piece rear bulkhead. Unlike most tanks this one has two sprocket wheels per side and each is made up out of four pieces, the two toothed sprockets, plus an inner and outer hub. There is a separate twin wheel just behind the front sprocket wheels and three two piece return rollers per side. The main bogies, of which there two each side are made up out of four two piece wheels, two axle frames an inner support structure and two leaf springs. When completed, these assemblies can be fitted to the lower hull, followed by the mud scraper that fits between the rear sprocket wheel centres. The link and length tracks, whilst slightly fiddly don’t look as bad as a full individual link track does, but what indy links there are do look quite fragile and are connected to the sprue at three points. What is quite a nice feature is that the upper length of track has track sag moulded in. Just ensure that the sag is where it should be on the return rollers when fitting. With the lower hull now complete the upper hull section can now be fitted, along with the sloping rear engine decking. The single piece fenders are then attached on either side, whilst at the front the two piece bow machine gun, drivers hatch covers, (posed open or closed), headlights, towing eyes and aerial bases are attached. Five Jerry cans are assembled out of their two halves and separate handles. Three are mounted onto a frame on the left side of the engine deck and two more, also in a separate frame are mounted on the rear of the left hand fender. If required there are five more jerry cans that can be built and fitted to the rear engine deck by a two piece frame. With the pioneer tools fitted to the left hand side adjacent to the turret ring and the main jack, wrecking bar and exhaust fitted to the right hand side, all that need adding before the hull is complete is the rear towing hooks and light fitting. The main gun is made up of a separate barrel, upper recuperating unit above and the two piece trunnion. This assembly is then thread into the slot within the mantle. The main turret part is fitted with the underside of the mantle mating point and four vision blocks around the commanders cupola. The upper turret is then fitted to the lower turret part and the gun/mantle assembly is attached. The commanders hatch come as inner and outer parts and the assembly can be pose either open or closed. With the turret complete it can then be slotted into the turret ring and rotated to suit. The kit comes with two ends of the tow cable and the kit does provide a length of white thread which will need to be painted if may be best to use a length of wire instead. The tow cable is wound round the two rear towing hooks. Decals The small decal sheet provides crosses and identification numbers for two vehicles, both in an overall panzer grey scheme. • Vehicle A01 of the 6th Panzer Division, France 1940 • Vehicle 735 of the 6th Panzer Division, Russia 1941 The decals are nicely printed but look like they will need some softening and setting solution to settle them down as they may be a little thick. Conclusion This is a great little kit with some nice details and yet nothing too taxing which could make for a pleasant break from more complex builds. I’m still not sure of the origin of this kit as it has been said that it is the old ICM kit reboxed. That said, the mouldings still look good and I can happily recommend the kit to all. Review sample courtesy of

Landrover WMIK/Milan Etch Set – E35-178 ET Models 1:35 The new Landrover WMIK with Milan is a very nice kit in its own right and builds nicely on the back of the standard WMIK kit. ET Models have released this set which comes on five sheets of relief etched brass and has a small acetate sheet with the instruments printed on. The standard of etching is very high and the relief etched details look very nice indeed. As usual some of the kit details need to be removed before being replaced by brass parts, and the modeller will also need to supply their own brass or styrene rod. The instructions on ET Models trademark green A4 sheets. These are very clear and easy to read, but care and attention should still be maintained to ensure that the parts are folded correctly and fitted in the correct position. Assembly and fitment begins with the replacement of the radiator grille, removal of the wing details and their replacements fitted, along with the replacement headlight protection bars. The aerial base is folded to shape and the kit kits flexible aerial base fitted on top. There are the usual numerous straps for use in tying down the pioneer tools along with extra clamps and brackets. The drivers position receives new pedals and a new dashboard. Both front seats are enhanced with new seat belts, for both shoulders and lap. The tilt strap brackets need to be removed from the kit and replaced by brass parts whilst the canvas doors, missing from the kit are made up of rolled brass and tied off with two straps. Two ammunition boxes are provided along with their associate cradles and there are new identification screens for each side. The tail gate receives a whole new locking mechanism and brackets for the ammunition basket, which is also fitted out with new perforated sheets for the base, front and back. Still at the rear of the vehicle new bumpers are fitted along with a couple of other extraneous fixtures. New sand channels are provided and these are strapped to the vehicle sides. The front storage basket has new netting and the Milan launcher is fitted with new locking pin chains and handles for the missile tube. The spare missile box is fitted with new locks once the kit detail has been removed. Conclusion This is another nice set from ET Models, although to be fair I’m not sure whether some of the parts in the kit really need to be replaced since they were already PE. The finer details though will make for a good looking and interesting model along with the parts that HobbyBoss missed out. Unfortunately the rifle storage brackets that need to be added have been missed out on this set as well. Recommended. Review Sample courtesy of

Ardennes Building MiniArt 1:35 MiniArt seems to be on a production role at the moment and this is their latest release, the Ardennes House. Arriving in quite a large, deep box with a picture of the completed house on the front, it is full almost to the brim with parts. As usual the majority of the parts are vacuum formed, although in this case there are also a lot of injection moulded parts. As with other vacform kits, it’s not necessary to cut all the way through the styrene to remove the parts, just score with a sharp blade and snap apart. Care should be taken when scoring the corner parts of the building as these make up prominent joins. Once the parts have been removed from the backing sheets they will require a good sanding on the mating surfaces to ensure a tight join, care and patience prevail here as it will mean a lot less work with filling and sanding later on. Once all the vac parts have been prepared they can be glued together and onto the base. It is up to the modeller how they proceed with this but I generally build the building first, fill any gaps as required, and give it a coat of primer before painting it in the basic colours. When this is done, then the injected parts can be built up, painted and attached to their relevant positions. The injected parts in this kit, comprise of the entrance door, which is raised off the ground and accessed by a set of stairs and a landing area, each surrounded by hand rails, barn like double door with a smaller door within one side, drain pipes, lanterns and their brackets. The majority of the parts are generic and used in many MiniArt kits, and by the very nature of being generic means that you are left with quite a few spares which can be used as debris for the completed diorama. The front, two side walls and an internal wall are glued together, followed by the roof and chimney. The step assembly to the front door is fitted into position and the railings added. The injection moulded window frames, windows, doors and door frames are then added, followed by the gutter and drain pipe. Most of these parts are best painted before fitting as should the main parts for the building be painted before these parts. Having made quite a few of these buildings I have found that the plastic is readily melted by liquid glue, which, whilst making gluing parts together easier, care must be taken to prevent glue getting over the surfaces of parts as it will show. Since this kit doesn’t come with a base, it is up to the modeller how they wish to present the completed model so is only limited by the extent of their imagination. Conclusion This is a great looking building and quite an extensive kit. Yet again you will be left with a lot of spare parts which no doubt will be used in other builds. But it will look great on the right base and suitable weathered and of course can be used for dioramas depicting a whole range of eras. Recommended. Review sample courtesy of

AEC Mk1 Armoured Car 1:35 MiniArt MiniArt have just released this earlier version of the AEC armoured car and it does contain a lot of the same sprues as the MkII so rather than repeat what was written in our review HERE this review will concentrate on the differences. Naturally these are mainly concerned with a different smaller turret with the smaller gun, but there are quite a few external and internal changes between the two vehicles. The Mk1 used a Valentine MkII turret which carried a 2pdr gun. 129 AEC MkIs were built and apart from the 2pdr the turret was also fitted with a 7.92 BESA co-axial machine gun. It appears that they were mainly used in areas of North Africa such as Egypt, Libya and also in Syria. The kit comes in a deep top opening box which is not as sturdy as some, but should still give good protection if kept in the stash for a while. Inside are twelve sprues of medium grey styrene, four separate grey styrene tyres, one of clear styrene and a small sheet of etched brass. Quality is the same as the MkII kit with good detail, no flash but still with the multitude of moulding pips probably due to manufacturing limitations. It's good to see that MiniArt haven't just rested on their laurels by regurgitating the same kit with just a different turret. Whilst the internal details don't seem to have changed too much the hull is of the correct shape and is quite a bit different at the front end, matching that of the real vehicle. Of course the turret sprue is also new as are the internal turret details, even the slightly awkward stage of having to cut the cartridge case to size is eliminated. The Model As stated above the hull is of a slightly different design, but the interior details appear to be very much the same with the exception of some storage bins and equipment around the fighting compartment. The main difference in this version is the turret and basket. The build begins with the construction of the gun breech with it's three recuperators which is fitted through the mantlet and the elevating assembly. To the breech the two piece breech block is attached, followed by the gun sights and two piece cartridge catcher. To the right hand side the BESA machine gun breech is fitted and once the numerous PE bolt heads, gun firing controls and turret training motor assembly have been fitted to the turret halves the turret can be fitted around the gun/mantlet assembly. The turret roof is next for attention, with the two optical sights and their covers, PE aerial mounting base, mount and styrene fitting, a PE cooling vent cover for the rear of the turret roof, several other smaller fittings and finally the two piece turret hatch. The radio is the same as the previous kit and is fitted to the rear of the turret ring. With the drivers compartment hatch fitted to the upper hull deck the turret is fitted into position and locked in place by the lower turret ring. If carefully glued this will allow the turret to be poseable. On the outside of the turret three storage containers are fitted to the rear, whilst at the front the machine and main gun barrels are attached. The turret basket is then assembled. This begins with the fitting of the commanders seat and upper segment of the inner cartridge rack to the basket floor. The circular upper segment for the main cartridge rack that runs around the entire turret basket is fitted with two L shaped supports and the racks filled with 2pdr shells in their containers. The spent cartridge container and the four BESA ammunition boxes are the glued to the basket floor, and yes it does look a bit cramped in their now. The completed basket assembly is then fitted to the lower turret ring and the whole turret/hull decking assembly fitted to the lower hull. Apart from the turret and front hull, the main visual differences with this mark is the large storage boxes fitted on both sides between the wheels. To each of these the very important sand channels are fitted and held on by PE straps. On each of the rear mudguards two PE brackets are folded to shape and each has a three piece water/fuel can inserted. The mudguard assemblies are then fitted to the hull, with the forward ones fitted out with lights, mirrors and towing eyes. Lastly the engine hatches are attached and the four shackles fitted to the towing eyes with separate shackle pins. Decals The small decal sheet gives options for three vehicles, all of unknown units, unfortunately. The decals include just the vehicle identification numbers and are for the following:- Syria 1943 in an attractive sand and earth brown scheme Egypt December 1942 in overall field green Libya1942 in overall sand. Conclusion This is another super kit from MiniArt and brings yet another lesser know military vehicle to the mainstream modelling community. With the parts being significantly different the completed model will make a very nice companion to the previously released MkII. Although not for the inexperienced modeller I can highly recommend this kit to those who either love these types of vehicles or would like something different in their collection. Review sample courtesy of

Canadian AVGP Husky 1:35 Trumpeter Originally, Husky AVGP armoured recovery vehicles were designated as the "Car, Armoured, Maintenance & Recovery" or "Wheeled Maintenance & Recovery Vehicle". The Husky has a raised rear compartment to provide room for a modest workshop space. The most dramatic distinction from other AVGPs is the rooftop crane. The Husky otherwise follows the layout of the Grizzly Infantry Section Carrier complete with optional GPMG on a rotating pintle-mount in the rear position. The Husky has a crew of only two – the driver and a technician (who operated the ARV's defensive armament and the knuckle-boom hydraulic crane). The roof-mounted hoist had a 4500 kg capacity and was operated from within the armour hull. To extend its reach, the Hiab crane was also extensible to about 6.5 m. The Husky was stabilized during heavy crane using its two, swing-down hydraulic jacks pivoting from just in front of the rear wheel sets. Equipped with a Hiab 650-series crane is generally used for engine removal, but also helped with tire changes on other AVGPs. The Husky were also equipped with a hydraulic winch (with a pull of up to 8128 kg ). Originally designated to be withdrawn from service in 2015, the Huskies are undergoing a life extension program enabling them to continue to support the remaining Grizzly, and Cougar vehicles. The Model The kit comes packaged in a smaller version of the standard Trumpeter box with a depiction of the vehicle at work having removed an engine pack. Inside there are seven sprues and two hull halves in a light grey styrene, one sprue of clear styrene, along with a small etched sheet, decal sheet, six rubber tyres, a length of braided wire and a length of thicker single strand wire. The parts are very nicely moulded with no sign of flash and only a few moulding pips. Whoever the team that are designing the latest batch of military vehicles for Trumpeter is they should be commended for their work, as on dry fitting the hull sections together there was a pleasant click and no a gap to be seen all round the seam line. Parts breakdown is good, and not overly complicated, (although there are still areas which need some care and attention when fitting the parts), but still with plenty of detail out of the box. Construction begins with the wheels, each wheel comes as inner and outer hubs which, when joined together has the rubber tyres slid into the central recess. As is common these days the tyres are hollow and may sag over time. To prevent this it may be an idea to fill the lower halves with Milliput or similar that shouldn't react with the rubber. WIth the wheels completed construction moves naturally to the lower hull and the fitting of the transmission boxes. Each box is made up out of five parts onto which the drive shafts are attached before the completed assemblies are fitted into their respective hull locations. Once the rear axle support beams and other support mounts have been attached the torsion bar style suspension parts for the four rear axles can be mounted. The front axles are of a different configuration with a combined external spring shock absorber and axle per wheel. Either side of the rear hull the propeller drive units, propellers and guards are fitted, whilst at the front the large trim board is attached. just to the front of the forward pair of rear wheels a pair of what look like air accumulators are attached, one each side and using different thicknesses of brass wire the simulated airlines are assembled. The lower hull is now complete and the instructions call for the six wheels to be fitted, but should really be left off until the paintwork is complete. With the lower hull complete work can begin n the upper hull. First of all sub assemblies for items such as the headlights, floodlight, main hatches, Jerry cans and drivers windscreen are completed. These are then fitted to their respective positions along with the drivers viewing ports, towing eyes, grab handles, PE clamps and brackets, aerial bases, drivers hatch and the rotating base for the Hiab crane. These are followed by the fitment of the two smoke discharger assemblies just forward of the main hatches, the technicians hatch and viewing port, sundry handles and clamps, PE covers, and a pair of towing beams with PE straps. The engine exhaust cover is fitted next, followed by the various pioneer tools and a couple of footsteps on the rear hull sides. The M2 50 calibre machine gun breech section is in two halves, once joined the gun is fitted with the firing handles, ammunition box cradle, ammunition box and finally the pintle which is the attached to the machine gun mounting and fitted to the technicians hatch ring. Two more floodlights are fitted aft of the main hatches and the towing cable is assembled from the braided wire and two styrene end pieces and fitted to the right hand side rear. The Hiab crane is a little model in itself with the main structure made up of the various actuator rams, support beams and fittings. The retractable boom can be assembled in either extended or retracted depending the modellers preference. With the boom and jib assembled it is fitted to the rotating base on the vehicle and more brass wire is used to depict the numerous hydraulic hoses that are prominent on these cranes The rear bulkhead and its two hatches are assembled and fitted out with the rear light clusters, main towing hook and a couple of smaller eyes then fitted to the lower hull, followed by another towing beam with hook. The two completed hull halves are the joined together, and having done some dry fitting the fit is superb with no visible gaps at all. Decals The small decal sheet has identification numbers and registration numbers for two vehicles one in three colour camo and one in two colour camo. There are also a number of stencils and unit insignia. The colour charts unfortunately don't give unit information for these vehicles, but since only twenty seven have been built it shouldn't take too much detective work to find out. Conclusion This is another great little kit which, with the fit and details shouldn't take too long to put together. It'll certainly be a good kit to start if the mojo is a little depleted. As usual though it may be an idea to get a set of resin wheels once they are released just to ensure there'll be no sag over time that could possibly happen to the rubber ones. It's just a shame the the kit didn't come with an engine pack as depicted on the box art as that would have for an nice diorama when placed with a Cougar or Grizzly. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

Italian Puma 6x6 Armoured Vehicle 1:35 Trumpeter The Defence Vehicles Division of IVECO developed the Puma family of 4x4 and 6x6 light armoured vehicles to meet the requirements of the Italian Army. After extensive trials with prototype vehicles, the army placed a contract with IVECO in 1999 covering the supply of 540 Puma vehicles. The first vehicles were completed in 2003. Of the 540 vehicles, 320 will be in the 6x6 version with the remaining 220 in the 4x4 configuration. The 6x6 version of the Puma will typically be used in the armoured personnel carrier (APC) role, while the 4 x 4 version will typically be used for reconnaissance. To reduce overall life-cycle costs, the Puma family shares many common components, such as the diesel engine, automatic transmission and suspension. The baseline APC version of the Puma is armed with a 12.7mm M2 machine gun. However, the vehicles can be fitted with a range of turrets and cupolas developed by Oto Melara, including one with a remote-controlled weapon. IVECO has developed a number of specialised versions of the Puma for the Italian Army. These include ambulance, command post, 81mm mortar, air defence with MBDA Mistral missiles and two anti-tank (one with the Raytheon TOW and one with the Euromissile MILAN anti-tank guided missile system). The Puma design is such that it can be adopted for a wide range of other roles and missions. Standard equipment includes powered steering, run-flat tyres, a nuclear, biological and chemical defensive system and afire-detection and -suppression system. The Model Packaged in the now Trumpeter standard of sturdy top opening cardboard box the artwork of which depicts a vehicle at the head of a convoy of similar vehicles. Don't look to closely to the artwork as you'll see something has gone wrong with the front pairs of wheels. Inside there are the hull halves and eleven sprues, all in alight grey styrene, along with one small sheet of etched brass, a small decal sheet, six poly caps and six rubber wheels. All the parts are very well moulded with no sign of flash and only a few moulding pips. The details are crisp and well defined and the dry fitting of the hull pieces showed that the fit is superb, almost click together with no gaps whatsoever. Even though the Puma is quite a small armoured vehicle, in kit form it's a nice size to work with, not too small and fiddly. With only nine pages of instructions it's not been over engineered or has overly complex suspension or transmission boxes which makes it look like a really nice and relaxing weekend type build even though the kit count is quite high. The build starts with the fitting of the clear ports into the upper hull after which the it is slid onto the lower hull and glued into place. As stated above the fit of these parts is quite amazing and shows how much Trumpeter have come along in the last few years. On the underside the there are two four piece transmission boxes and on three piece box. These are fitted into position and connected by their respective drive shafts.the main shock absorbers, complete with stub axles are fitted into position and joined to the transmission boxes by cross-shafts. The front two pairs of stub axles are also fitted with steering racks. The three pairs of wishbones assemblies are then attached to their respective wheel hubs, followed by three cross braces. Additional details such as the front valance, front towing shackles and mounts, fuel filler cap upper and lower hinge for the side door and a footstep on the left hand side are attached. The wheels are made up of an inner and outer hub between which a poly cap is fitted. These are best painted before the tyres are fitted which are push fitted over the hubs. Since the tyres are hollow it might be an idea to fill the lower portion with Milliput or such like to prevent them from sagging in the future. The rear bulkhead is festooned with small parts such as the lights, shackles and their mountings, tow hook with addition eye-bolts and storage racks. There is a very complex winch assembly consisting of eleven styrene and two PE parts. The rear bulkhead assembly is then attached to the vehicle followed by the winch assembly which is fitted to the right hand side of the bulkhead. The engine intake grille and aerial mounting are fitted to the front of the vehicle whilst three storage clamps are fitted to the right hand rear quarter and an armoured panel fitted to the right hand side just above the gap between the two front wheels. An attachment plate for the pioneer tools is fitted to the front glacis and then fitted with the pickaxe and shovel whilst a host of smaller fittings are attached to the rear and sides of the vehicle. Further progress is made with the fitting of the two upper hull rear hatches, side storage baskets, lifting eyes and the five piece smoke discharge assemblies. There is a strange hook assembly on the bow just aft of the engine deck, the use of which evades me. In front of the hook structure the engine radiator grille is fitted, whilst to the front of the vehicle the headlight and sidelight assemblies are attached. The drivers hatch is assembled out of the main hatch, large hinge bar on top, with the two handles and three vision blocks fitted from beneath. This prominent hatch is very often open and it's a shame that there is no interior detail, even if just for the drivers position. In front of this hatch is a large armoured glass windscreen, with additional wiper part and support plate. The turret assembly also has a number of vision blocks, but this time fitted from the top. There are a number of other sights and sensors fitted to the turret surround along with the machine gun mount. The turret hatch is attached to the surround by two hinge parts. The machine gun, which looks like an MG-42 or derivative has a separate ammunition box and cradle for one side, along with a case collection box on the other side. The completed turret assembly is then fitted to the turret ring on the vehicle. Finally the two part wing mirrors and a couple of grab handles are attached completing the model. Decals The small decal sheet provides items for two vehicles, one in standard Italian three colour scheme with markings for ISFOR in Arabic whilst eh other is in overall white scheme for a UN mission. The decals include registration plates, Italian flags, UN identification plates and convoy plates. Conclusion This is a fantastic little kit and going by the fit of the hull sections should be a very nice build with little use of filler. There's quite a lot of detail included and with the exception of the tyres/wheels or you're adding it to a diorama shouldn't need any aftermarket additions. The six wheeler is a better looking vehicle in my eyes and I'm glad Trumpeter chose to release it ahead of the four wheeler. I can highly recommend this kit to anyone interested in modern military vehicles and it would be good starter kit for those fairly new to military modelling. Review sample courtesy of

US Army M1A2 SEP MBT TUSK I/II (E35-192) 1:35 ET Model The Tusk I/II from Tamiya is a beautiful kit in its own right, but, once again ET Models have found areas where it can be improved. It’s not as extensive as their Merkava sets, but there are still two large sheets, three medium sheets and eleven small sheets of relief etched brass, along with two lengths of metal wire, one small resin part, two metal aerial springs and a slab of thick clear ABS plastic. The set comes in two of the standard ET packaging of poly bags stapled together onto the card header. The main sheets are taped onto black card, whilst the smaller sheets are contained in a zip lock poly bag, as are the metal and resin parts. The instructions of twelve sides of A4 green paper. These are very clear and well laid out, particularly with reference to where the sub assemblies are fitted to the kit shown in a line diagram. They will still require careful reading before starting to assemble the etched parts, as some of the kit parts need to be altered or removed before these can be added. Plastic or brass rod of various diameters will also be required to use as directed. ET Models have also used various thicknesses of brass for the sheets, so that the small items, such as straps will be easier to fold while items such as the reactive armour brackets and thicker and therefore stronger to hold the weight of the kit parts that are attached to them. The first task is to build up three ammunition boxes for the M2 50 cal and M240 7.62mm machine guns and two further boxes for what looks like 40mm grenades, for the smoke launchers on either side of the turret. This last box is the trickiest in that the internal holders for the rounds have to be rolled into shape before fitting into the box and an internal division fitted around them. Of course if the box is to be modelled closed the holders won’t need to be used. The gunners hatch receives internal sight details and an external ring which covers the gap between the hatch and the turret armour. A large gun ring is then fitted around the completed hatch. On the forward end of the left hand turret storage box a new shelf and support brackets is fitted along with the associated straps for one of the ammunition boxes. The machine guns are detailed nest, with the commanders weapon being fitted with new barrel handle, perforated barrel hand hold, front and rear sights, cocking handle, parts of which need to be made out of plastic rod, ammunition box cradle into which one of the previously made boxes is fitted, a length of ammunition belt and two locking pins with chains attached to hold the gun to the mounting. The 7.62mm M240 is fitted onto a new pintle mounting and ring slide, perforated barrel fittings, rear sight, ammunition box cradle and ammunition belt. The M2 fitted near the front of the turret over the main gun also receives new barrel fittings, front and rear sights, a complete mounting with the pins and chains to hold the gun on, cocking handle, rear firing handles, and ammunition cradle, box and belt. The turret is then fitted with new brackets and supports to the rear, while the stowage baskets are fitted with new perforated floors, ID panels, new jerry can shelves and a new cable reel. The refrigeration unit is fitted with a new top box and several handles. On the turret sides near the front the smoke discharges are fitted with new support brackets as are the spare 40mm ammunition boxes just in front of them. Also on the turret sides the new brackets and supports for the kits reactive armour pieces are attached. Above the mantle cover another small flap is fitted to cover the gap and new flash suppressor for the co-axial machine gun is rolled to shape and fitted into position. There are several new handles fitted to the drivers hatch and other fittings, including the chains for the fuel caps, around the hull. On the rear deck all the engine hatch mesh is replaced with brass parts and the rear hull is fitted with angled exhaust plates, ID plate support bracket, and telephone box, which is a small kit on its own. The side skirts are fitted with new front and rear mudguards, whilst to the rear a new skirt piece is fitted to the rear. The front and rear angled shields for the hull reactive armour are fitted once the kit parts have been attached. Finally the armoured sections that make up the commanders and loaders protection screens and assembled. Each screen section s folded to shape and fitted with pieces of the ABS sheet, the templates for each screen is contained on the instruction sheet. The sheet is 1.5mm thick so represents well the armoured glass fitted to the screens. If you’re not confident with cutting the sheet, then the clear parts in the kit could most probably be made to fit. Engine & Turret Rack Grilles, (EA35-093). If you think this is all too much and you only want to add a little extra something to your build then ET Models have also released a small set containing just the perforated grilles for the engine deck and the floors of the turret baskets. Conclusion This is an amazing set that provides so much extra detail that it’s difficult to describe it all. ET Models certainly give the modeller their monies worth. Some may say why bother when the kit is already so good, but you can’t get the scale thickness of metal or the finesse of detail in most styrene parts no matter how good the manufacturer. If you want a highly detailed model in your collection this is the only way to go, especially as ET Models haven’t replaced kit parts that don’t need replacing which can be a concern with other manufacturers. I can’t recommend this set highly enough and will certainly be using it when my Tamiya Abrams gets on to the work bench. Review Sample courtesy of

Russian T-26 Light Tank MOD 1935 (E35-183) 1:35 ET Model Trumpeters T-26 (1935) Light tank is a very nice little kit even though the suspension is a little awkward as seen in the review HERE. Whilst the kit is quite nicely detailed ET Models have released this two sheet set to replace some of the chunkier items to give a more scale thickness and appearance. Onto top of these there a host of smaller items that both delight, when fitted and frustrate, when making. The set comes in the standard ET packaging of poly bag with card header. The main sheet is taped onto black card, whilst the smaller sheet is contained in a zip lock poly bag, and the instructions of three sides of A4 green paper. These are very clear and well laid out, but they will still require careful reading before starting to assemble the etched parts, as some of the kit parts need to be altered or removed before these can be added. Plastic or brass rod of various diameters will also be required to use as directed. The first parts to be constructed are the large storage box for the right hand track guard and is made up of a single piece lower part which needs to be folded to shape and the lid which also needs the edges folded down to for an lip. To the completed box two support brackets, one at each end are attached as are the rear lid hinges, two hasp and clasps and one of two alternative lifting handles. Each of the pioneer tools receives new brackets and clamps including tiny wing nut bolts for each clamp. The next major assembly is that of the air intake grille on the rear engine deck. This is made up of the base box structure, which is quite a complex folding job, into which twelve individual slats are glued into the slots on either side. The top edges of the box are then folded over to cover the ends of the slats. Four bolt heads are then fitted to each edge and three plastic/brass rods passed through the three holes on each side under the slats. One of the most awkward assemblies within this set is that of the new exhaust. The main body needs to be rolled to shape with only the small overlapping seams being glued or, preferably, soldered. The internal end pieces are then fitted and the three support struts/straps attached to their specific locations. Whilst it may be awkward the effect should be a much better looking exhaust particularly as the etched part has a nice knurled like texture more indicative of the real item. Another awkward assembly is that for the two replacement track guards, where each end needs to be rolled to the shape matching that of the folded sides. Once achieved however, the completed guards are a great improvement over the kit parts in that they provide a much better scale thickness. Once the guards have been rolled and folded to shape they are fitted out with a compliment of strengtheners, support struts and fitting straps. To the left rear section of the engine decking there is another air intake and this is completely replaced with etched items, including new grilles and intake housing. Next to the slatted intake a new jack support and clamp fitting is provided, but the instructions give details of how to make a new shaped bottle jack to fit. With all the main assemblies built up they can be fitted to the model leaving just the new drivers hatches, turret hatch hinges, turret rear hatch hinges, fighting light lens covers and driving light housing hinges to be fitted to complete the build. Conclusion This is another superb set that, considering the size of the model is pretty comprehensive. Covering almost all the tank these parts will give a much improved detail and scale appearance to the completed model. There are some specialist folding and rolling tools that would make the work on the parts much easier, but I’m sure there are modellers that can find ingenious ways to do the same work if they’re not too keen of the extra expense. Highly recommended. Review Sample courtesy of