Search the Community

2,000lb Bomb AN-M66A2 w/Conical Fin Assembly M130 x 2 (4459) 1:48 CMK by Special Hobby The AN-M66A2 bomb was a US made 2,000lb air-dropped bomb that could be fitted with different fin assemblies for various applications, and although it was a WWII era design, it carried on in service long after. The M130 tail assembly was conical type, extending the length of the completed bomb and increasing stability during flight. As usual they were fitted with two lugs at 30” centres, plus another on the underside that was positioned at the centre of mass. This set includes two such bombs as a combination of traditional resin casting and 3D printed parts. The main bodies where the explosive component resides as cast in grey resin, while the tail assemblies are 3D printed in light orange, attached to their printing base by several thin tendril-like support fingers that are easy to cut off and sand smooth. The bombs are attached to their casting blocks at the rear, so the cutting point will be hidden within the tail, so you don’t need to be too fussy with your razor saw. A tiny Photo-Etch (PE) fuse spinner is supplied with a spare on one tiny fret of PE, and these should be glued to the raised turret on the nose, and once the glue is dry, the blades should be tilted with your tweezers to give it the correct shape. Once basic painting is done in olive green, the stencils on the small decal sheet, and the yellow bands for the nose cone are applied, and as these decals have the same removable carrier film as Eduard’s, you should be able to peel it away once it is dry. How much weathering and scratching of the paint you do is then up to you. Conclusion No more than a few minutes’ work to put them together, and very nicely detailed ordnance to hang from your latest model. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

Allied Mine Detection Equipment (35390) 1:35 MiniArt via Creative Models Ltd Mines have been an unfortunate fact of war for many years, as a way to prevent the enemy encroaching on your territory, and giving you a loud bang and a bright flash as a tip-off if this happens at night. Minefields became a standard military practice during WWI and WWII, and only recently has the laying of mines been frowned upon by many countries due to the damage inflicted on hapless civilians once the combatants have gone home. During WWII there were many methods available to the Allies to counter German minefields, including manually searching for them using some kind of prod or bayonet, but the more efficient method was the use of electronic devices that could detect the presence of metallic objects beneath them. There were several types, but all used a coil, sometimes within a round or oval plate-like surround, held by the operator on a long broom handle-like stale, with a wire leading eventually to a pair of headphones that would alert the operator to an object beneath the ground with an electronic tone. If it wasn’t a rush-job, they would mark the mine with a small flag and move on, otherwise the tools would come out to extract the mine there and then, which although it was much less likely to explode because you were aware of its presence, it was still a very difficult task that could result in you becoming a victim. Of course, the best and safest solution was the flail-tank, but these units were often overwhelmed by requests for their presence, particularly soon after D-Day. The set arrives in a shrink-wrapped end-opening figure box, and inside are eight sprues in grey styrene, and a small decal sheet with some signs as well as stencils for equipment. As is common with this type of set, the instructions and painting guide are on the rear of the box, showing what’s included and giving painting instructions linked to a colour chart at the bottom, giving colour swatches, Vallejo, Mr Color, AK RealColor, Mission Models, AMMO, Tamiya and colour names. You can build the following from the parts within: 4 x Different mine detector handsets with headsets & electronics pouches 2 x Signposts on stakes 2 x triangular mine pins 2 x bayonet style spike 2 x walking stick sized spike 2 x shovels 2 x US electronics pouches 2 x US tapering pouches 3 x Teller Mine 43 2 x Teller Mine 35 The instructions show the cables and handles on the mines as parts that you will need to scratch build from your own stock of wire, but the pictures are enough to give you the information you need. In addition, there are decals for small square flags that you will also need to scratch build for yourself, painting the flags yellow and applying the decals over the top. Two red mine signs on stakes, four small white Ms for the triangular flags, curved stencils for the recovered mines, and nine of the afore mentioned small black Danger signs. Some US Army symbols for the pouches and white stencils for one of the detector plates finish off the small decal sheet, which is printed by DecoGraph to their usual high standards. As usual with MiniArt kits their sculpting is exceptional with crisp detail and sensible parts breakdown, plus loads of extra parts, although a little wire will be needed to make the most of that detail for the wiring, flags, handles and one of the headsets that are joined together with a wire loop. Conclusion A nice set of highly detailed equipment to add to your next project, whether it is stowed aboard a vehicle in anticipation of use, or on the scene of a minefield that needs clearing. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

AGM-84D Harpoon Missile (648619) 1:48 Eduard Brassin In the mid-60s, America watched in horror as a Soviet-made missile was used to sink an Israeli Destroyer in the Middle East, causing them to accelerate their Harpoon programme that would give them their own effective anti-ship missile. By 1977 the first Harpoon missiles were being delivered, and various different blocks saw the type develop its capabilities, with several thousand delivered to US and many allies over the years. The AGM-84D is a capable weapon that can be carried by ships, aircraft and even submarines, travelling at low level to targets over the horizon. A later block was able to re-attack in the event of an initial miss, thanks to improved avionics. As is now usual with Eduard's smaller resin sets, they arrive in the new shallow Brassin cardboard box, with the resin parts safely cocooned in bags, and the instructions folded around acting as padding. Inside is a bag of resin parts and another bag with stencil decals and a small Photo-Etch (PE) sheet protected by a piece of white card. There are parts for two missiles, which have eight separate fins and a choice of either a seeker head moulded into the forward fuselage part, or an alternative FOD cover moulded in. The PE parts are folded up into a pair of small grab-handles that attach on either side of the FOD cover to aid clean removal by the ground/deck crew. Colour call-outs throughout are in Gunze codes, and are repeated in a separate diagram that also shows the location of the many stencils on the weapon. Another superbly detailed weapon set from the masters at Eduard. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

GBU-32 Non-Thermally Protected 1:72 Eduard 672207 The GBU-32 is a 1000lb air-dropped weapon that is part of the JDAM (Joint Direct Attack Munition) family of GPS-guided bombs. The weapon is relatively modern and was deployed in combat in Afghanistan. In common with most other 1:72 scale brassin weapon sets, the set of eight GBU-38s arrive packaged into the usual Eduard blister pack, complete with decals and a tiny fret of photo etched parts. Each bomb comprises the main body of the weapon with the ballistic tail cast in place, a choice of four heads are provided for both USN and USAF variants. The casting is flawless and smooth, with minimal cleanup required thanks to the positioning of the pouring stubs at the tail-end of the weapon. Colours and stencil positions are marked in a colour diagram, with Gunze Mr Color paint references as usual. Review sample courtesy of

AGM-158, R-23R & AIM-9X Missiles 1:48 Eduard Brassin A new raft of 1:48 Missiles from Eduard, and as usual with Eduard's larger resin sets, they arrive in the oblong Brassin box, with the resin parts safely cocooned on dark grey foam inserts, and the instructions sandwiched wrapped around, providing extra protection. AGM-158 (648425) The AGM-158 is a stand-off or cruise missile, which combines small size with stealthy exterior to minimise chances of interception before it reaches its target and detonates the 1,000lb warhead. They are currently in use with the US, Poland, Australia and Finland, with extended range variants also developed. There are parts for two missiles in the box, with two wings per fuselage, a vertical tail and small parts for shackles, an antenna and a clear part for the rear of the fuselage. The wings and tail can be modelled folded for carriage, or deployed during flight, as shown in a scrap diagram. Decals are included and their location is shown in the painting diagram that uses Gunze codes as call-outs. R-23R Missiles for Mig-23 (648432 for Trumpeter) Designed specifically for the Mig-23, this version uses Semi-Active Radar Homing to seek its target, and has the ability to climb to a target if necessary, with a range of up to 22 miles. There are parts for two missiles in the box, with the large rear fins and smaller steering vanes provided as separate parts that fit into recesses in the missile body. A PE exhaust ring is fitted to the rear, and a pair of pylons are supplied for attachment to the airframe. If you want to show the missiles before flight, the nose needs to be removed with a saw and replaced by the resin covers that are moulded in lighter resin. A set of small PE covers for the proximity sensors are also included, and these are shown in position on a scrap diagram. The little rods on the very tips of the missiles are there to prevent formation of bubbles in the nose-cone, and should be cut off during construction. Decals are included and their location is shown in the painting diagram that uses Gunze codes as call-outs. AIM-9X Sidewinder Missiles (648435) The latest in a long line of Sidewinders, designed for modern air combat in an effort to leapfrog the unexpectedly superior performance of Russian missiles over previous incarnations, and built in collaboration with other Allied countries. This set has parts for four missiles with moulded-in rear stabilisers, separate forward steering vanes, exhausts and clear seeker heads. Decals are included and their location is shown in the painting diagram that uses Gunze codes as call-outs. Review sample courtesy of

Russian 9K79 Tochka (SS-21 Scarab) IRBM (85509) 1:35 Hobby Boss via Creative Models Mobile launch systems are a method for deploying missiles in such a way that makes tracking them down by the enemy more difficult, ensuring that launches take place before they are destroyed due to their location being known in advance. The Soviet Union had a number of such types in their inventory, which were able to move, set up and fire in short order, then escape retaliation by packing up and moving again, at least in theory. This system is known in the West as the SS-21 Scarab, with the suffix A, B or C used for improved variants over time that could reach further into enemy territory. The missile is capable of carrying high explosive, nuclear, biological or fragmentation warheads and is more accurate than its larger predecessors, with better inertial guidance, and solid propellant that makes it easier to handle and launch than equivalent liquid options. The carrier and launch vehicle is a BAZ 5921 built by KB Mashinostroyeniya with the designation 9K79, and it carries the missile in a recess that runs down the length of the chassis that has a protective warhead "cup" at the front behind the crew cab. When setting up, the missile is raised pivoting at the rear on a short platform, with corner steadies deploying from the underside to reduce instability. The chassis has 6 wheels on three axles and is fully amphibious, with water jet propulsion at the rear, and a set of long lift-and-slide doors that cover the missile when on the move. The system has been in use since the mid-70s, and still serves with the Russian military in an upgraded capacity today, as well as former Soviet states and sympathetic countries. It has seen use most recently in the ongoing Syrian conflict, causing concern and an aborted reaction by neighbouring Israel. The Kit This is a new tool from Hobby Boss, and pretty much the first injection moulded kit of the type that I could find online. It arrives in a fairly large box, which is divided internally to hold the hull parts and missile safely, with ten sprues in sand yellow styrene, plus the five larger parts that have already been removed from sprues before packing. There is a clear sprue, a fret of Photo-Etch (PE) parts, six black rubberised tyres, two decal sheets, a sheet of die-cut masks, and a short length of braided thick brass wire. It's a full interior kit, so the instruction booklet is a fairly long affair, and the painting guide includes photos of the interior built up and painted. The level of detail is excellent throughout and the exterior surface is very crisp, fitting snugly to the underside part with no adjustment. The instructions begin with the drive and steering units, of which there are six, built up in pairs due to their location on the hull. The tyres are slipped over the two-part hubs, and glued to the axles, while various small parts are fitted around the underside before it is flipped over to accept the main chassis rail. This large part sits in the space between the wheel arches down the full length of the hull, and has additional drive parts added to the inner rail, cross-members fitted between the halves, and a small deck at the rear of the frame. When it is placed in the hull, transfer boxes a fitted inside, and the basic cradle parts for the front of the missile are put in place, including the rear pivot-points. The big 300bhp engine is incorrectly mislabelled when it is built up as E-E, and later as G-G when it is installed in the chassis, so it may be worthwhile altering the instructions to remind yourself. It sits low behind the crew cab, and as joined by a number of other assemblies, such as the receivers for the rams that power the steadies, which can be fitted deployed or stowed as you see fit. The ancillary power unit is also built up from a substantial number of parts, along with the cab bulkhead with radio gear, the water jet system in the rear, the launch rail for the missile, various equipment, plus a protective shroud for the main power plant. A whole host of other equipment is made up and installed in a flurry over the next few pages of instructions, with controls for the missiles, stowage, equipment boxes and all manner of other tanks, receptacles, and of course the crew compartment, which has seats, instrument consoles and pedals fitted, plus the remainder of the parts, and even more equipment being fitted to the inside of the hull top. The missiles can be built up either ready to launch or stowed for transport, with two included so you can take your pick. The fins fold closed, and the steering baffles can be fitted to the exhaust ring open or folded up parallel to the rocket body, and it latches to the launch rail by four small tangs that fit into corresponding recesses on the sides of the missile body. The folding nose-cone shroud is attached to the chassis and can be left open or closed as is appropriate to your build option. Although it looks like you can build two missiles, they are slightly different from each other, and there are only one set of fins and baffles supplied. Turning to the upper hull, this is detailed with the aforementioned internal parts, plus the door mechanism for the missile trough, the doors themselves with separate hinges, external vents that are fitted from the inside, the top crew hatch, and of course the windscreen parts, which are actually fitted from the outside (don't forget to mask them!). Externally there are a set of pioneer tools, some PE mesh vents, side windows, hooks, light clusters, wing mirrors… the list goes on! The final act brings the two halves together, which would probably be best done before you add all the greeblies for fear of knocking them off during handling. The back page of the instructions show the two display options, either all locked away for transport, or in a deployed mode with doors open, steadies down and the missile at a jaunty angle. Markings Someone at Hobby Boss quite likes this subject, as they have included six decal options for the kit, and most of them are quite attractive camo options in varying colours, and only one boring Russian Green version for the camo-phobic. The missile is always a medium green however, but some options sport a bright red tip, and others have decal stripes added to the sides. As usual with Hobby Boss however, you don't get any additional information of where and when these schemes were used, so you'll have to make an educated guess based on the decals, or surf the net to pick up some comparables. Decals are printed in-house and have good enough registration, clarity and sharpness for the job, and the smaller sheet includes lots of decals for the interior equipment, with dials and so forth for instrument panels. Conclusion Nicely detailed and quite petite for a mobile missile system, this should look cool in your cabinet if you choose one of the camo options, needing only a little extra headroom if you decide to portray it in the launch position. Review sample courtesy of

FAB 100, 250 & 500 Soviet WWII Bombs (648376, 648377 & 648378) 1:48 Eduard Brassin Russian free fall iron bombs in three sizes, now referred to as dumb bombs in this age of laser or radar guided munitions might seem a blunt instrument to us, but during WWII that was pretty much all they had on all sides for the most part. As usual with Eduard's resin sets, they arrive in the familiar Brassin clamshell box, with the resin parts safely cocooned on dark grey foam inserts, and the instructions sandwiched between the two halves, doubling as the header card. FAB 100 Soviet WWII Bombs (648376) You get eight of these diminutive bombs in the pack, with Photo-Etch (PE) fins, actuating spinners and a tubular support to the aforementioned stabilising fins. The bomb body is provided as a resin part, with the stand-off for the front fuse spinner, with another separate stand-off for the one at the rear. You have to roll up the tubular stiffener to fit between the fins, which will be aided by annealing the part in a flame and allowing it to cool naturally before you roll it on a suitably small rod. Decals are included, and these are shown in place in the painting guide, which uses Gunze paint codes for call-outs, as usual for Eduard. FAB 250 Soviet WWII Bombs (648377) You get two of these medium sized bombs in the pack, with Photo-Etch (PE) fins, actuating spinners and a bracing brackets to the aforementioned stabilising fins. The bomb body is provided as a resin part, with the stand-off for the rear fuse spinner, with another separate stand-off for the one at the front. Decals are included, and these are shown in place in the painting guide, which uses Gunze paint codes for call-outs, as usual for Eduard. FAB 500 Soviet WWII Bombs (648378) You get two of these larger sized bombs in the pack, with Photo-Etch (PE) fins, actuating spinners and a bracing brackets to the aforementioned stabilising fins. As with the 250s, the bomb body is provided as a resin part, with the stand-off for the rear fuse spinner, with another separate stand-off for the one at the front. Decals are included, and these are shown in place in the painting guide, which uses Gunze paint codes for call-outs, as usual for Eduard. Review sample courtesy of

British 500lb Bombs (648368) 1:48 Eduard Brassin The British had a range of General Purpose bombs from 40lbs all the way up to 4,000lbs, with the 500lb unit being suitable for carriage either by single-engined aircraft in the ground attack role, or in large quantities in the belly of dedicated bombers in the area bombing role. As usual with Eduard's resin sets, they arrive in the familiar Brassin clamshell box, with the resin parts safely cocooned on dark grey foam inserts, and the instructions sandwiched between the two halves, doubling as the header card. Inside the box are four bomb bodies on separate pouring blocks, four aerodynamic rear fairings and four more stabilising fins that slot into the rear of the bomb. Additionally there are fuses for the nose, with Photo-Etch (PE) ring behind it, and a small PE spinner at the rear of the fins. The painting diagram gives Gunze Sangyo colour call-outs, and a small sheet of decals provides the stencils and designation bands to finish off. You can build four bombs from the box, as you'd probably already guessed! Review sample courtesy of