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Hello All, a quick build of a Christmas present from my daughter, built in two sessions over Christmas Day and Boxing Day. Revell's 1/144 Apache comes with US and Dutch Army decals, but I made a couple of tiny British roundels to make represent a British Army aircraft. The main colour is Gunze H65 RLM70 which sprayed beautifully and is a swine to photograph. My fat fingers and declining eyesight made this a challenge, but it was a lot of fun and Revell have managed to pack a lot of detail in to a tiny package. A limitation of the moulding means that the Longbow radar is supposed to be glued to the rotor head and spins with the rotor. To rectify that I have re-engineered the radar support and the main rotor drive shaft with brass tube so the radar rotates independently of the rotor (but can still rotate) and the rotor spins freely between the fixed swashplate and the radar, as per the original. At 1/144 just how small is it? Very small...

Coyote TSV Update Set (36489 for Hobby Boss) 1:35 Eduard We reviewed this new kit from Hobby Boss here a couple of months ago, and it’s a nicely detailed kit of the British Army’s modern armoured support vehicle. This Photo-Etch (PE) detail set from Eduard is designed to improve on the detail that’s available in the kit, taking advantage of the thin etched brass to make in-scale parts. The set arrives in an A5 sized resealable clear foil bag, and consists of a single large fret of brass that is filled with a host of goodies. Two large skins are supplied for the inner sides of the main load area, and the undersides of the rear wheel wells are similarly skinned with a new part each, which also has a replica of flexible rubber “frill” that helps to keep the dust and aggregate from kicking up when in motion. When the glue is dry, you are advised to push the edges to give it a more organic look to better replicate the real rubber, so check your references if you’re unsure how they should look. A similar wheel arch insert with simulated rubber edges is supplied for the front arches too. The front of the vehicle and centre section stowage boxes between the cab and load area is covered with tie-down loops, all of which are removed and replaced with new PE parts with better detail. The running boards down the side of the vehicle have PE mesh included in the box, but the replacements in this set are more defined and to be honest, more capably etched. The seatbelts for the crew will stop them from getting thrown clear of the vehicle at the first bump, and four sets are included for all the crew, then the same courtesy is afforded to the big .50cal ammo cans around the gunner’s platform, which are lashed down on trays that are absent from the kit, so you’ll need to cut off the pins for the ammo boxes, glue the trays in place, then add the ammo boxes back, lashing them down if you wish. Another tray for a ready ammo can is included for the gunner’s ring, which again fits in place over the two locating pins once they are removed. The rear of this platform is covered with pioneer tools, all of which get new clasps after a short chop to remove the chunky mouldings. Next to these tools, a box is skinned over to include a mesh panel in the centre that is missing, as is a circular part on the floor behind it. A couple of weapon lashing points are added to the other side of the hump. The kit includes a large single part to represent a stowage box that is fixed to the A-frame door on the starboard side of the vehicle, and most of this part is removed, leaving the narrow top section to be reused. A new lower section is made up from PE panels, with internal load crates that have tie-down straps across their fronts. Lashings for a spade are added to the underside, then the top section of part D58 is glued atop the new assembly to complete it, giving the area much better scale authenticity. On the opposite side of the vehicle the similar framework “door” carries the spare tyre, which is fitted to its mount with a new PE bracket and large retaining nut for extra detail. The crew cab doors are detailed with additional small parts too, with the work duplicated on both sides, and new wire-cutters replacing the chunky kit mouldings on the sloped front roll cage around the cab. On the sides a pair of “shopping bags” made from strapping are made up from the etched parts on the fret, looped through itself and fitted on the two positions on the right side of the vehicle, adding some contents if you feel the need. At the rear of the Coyote, the two extensions that overhang the rear of the vehicle’s light clusters are replaced by a new PE pair, with mounts for the kit’s grenade dispensers with a more realistic hollow underside and scale thickness. The last area to be detailed is the antenna forest that is carried over the stowage in the middle of the vehicle behind the drivers. The kit platform is slightly incorrectly positioned, so it is replaced by a new assembly that consists of a flat top surface that has double-folded edges for strength, and is further stiffened by adding cross-braces and C-section stringers to the underside. On the flat top surface, an additional sensor is made from 2mm rod from your own stock with a circular base, and some of the other kit antennae are also placed on raised “washers”. This is then fixed to the two supports as shown on the final diagram. Conclusion A very comprehensive upgrade set for what is already a nice kit. The extra detail will definitely set your model aside from all the others. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

Dear fellow Britmodellers, this is IBG'S 1/72 Cromwell Mk.IV (C-Type Hull), in markings of the 6th Airborne Armoured Regiment, 6th Airborne Division, operating in Normandy in summer 1944. Painted with Mr.Hobby acrylics, photos by Wolfgang Rabel. I added resin tracks and wheels from Tank Models (TM72030), stowage from Modell Trans (MT72062) and photo-etch antenna socket from Dan Taylor Modelworks (C-76081). The mud is real dirt from the garden, mixed with white glue and pigments and applied to the hull with a bristle brush. Weathering with pastel chalks, graphite pen and artist oils. Thank you for your interest in this topic, best greetings from Lower Austria! Roman

Coyote Tactical Support Vehicle - TSV (84522) 1:35 Hobby Boss via Creative Models Ltd When the British forces in Afghanistan were forced to use their lightly armoured WMIK and Snatch Land Rovers in an arena where Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) were the norm, they were found to be wanting, disintegrating under the blast of explosives that were sufficient to cripple a main battle tank. Losses of men and machines led to a search for a new, more mine-resistant and generally increasingly rugged vehicle to replace the older types. The Jackal was developed as a replacement to the Land Rover WMIK by Devon based Supacat, with improved load carriage, armament and range, as well as a powerful engine to give it enough torque to tackle difficult obstacles and a high maximum speed on roads as well as excellent off-road performance. Conceived as a deep-penetration recce platform and convoy escort, it provides a better weapons platform with an extensive 500-mile range, whilst adding crew protection and maximum speed of almost 50mph on rough ground. In an effort to improve upon the Snatch Land Rover's poor IED resilience, the Jackal is fitted with armoured panels beneath the crew compartment, and shock-absorbing armoured seats to protect the crew further. Of course, nothing is totally effective, and some fatalities have occurred on active duty in Afghanistan. This in turn led to the Jackal 2, which built upon the successes of its progenitor, and learned from its weaknesses. The Coyote is an extended wheelbase variant of the Jackal 2, with an additional powered axle to give it better load carrying ability, whilst providing the same off-road traction, and the two vehicles are used in support of each other, in a complementary manner to carry sufficient supplies and arms for particular assignments. Due to its ability to carry almost four-ton on its load bed, the Coyote is also capable of acting as a light artillery tractor if the need arises. It is also capable of defending itself, with a centrally mounted Browning M2 50cal machine gun and a GMPG “Jimpy” in the front, plus whatever personal weapons the crew can bring to bear from their seating locations. The Kit This is an additive retool from Hobby Boss, based upon their Jackal 1 kit, which I’m reliably informed is actually a Jackal 2, while their Jackal 2 kit is actually the Jackal 1. Go figure. At least we know, and they have based this on their Jackal 1 kit, so it is using Jackal 2 hardware. Confused? Me too, but that’s a good thing. The kit arrives in one of their large top-opening boxes, and inside are ten sprues and two hull halves in sand-coloured styrene, a clear sprue, seven flexible black tyres, six frets of Photo-Etch (PE), a small decal sheet, the instruction booklet in black and white, plus a separate page of glossy colour profiles for painting and decaling. Like their earlier kits, this is a well-detailed offering with a high parts count, a new, longer hull, additional sprues for the extra wheels, axles and extra fuel can racks in the cargo area, plus parts for the new .50cal main weapon where the Jackal had a 40mm grenade launcher. Construction begins with detailing the upper and lower hull parts with styrene and PE parts before joining them together in preparation for further work. A test-fit of the two parts shows that they fit together very well, so shouldn’t cause any problems, as you can probably see in the above test-fit. The vehicle’s six suspension units are then made up over a number of steps, adding the inner wheel arches made of a lamination of PE and styrene parts. Additional flaps and struts are fitted before making up the six road wheels from their two-part hubs and flexible tyres, which slot onto the suspension arms, with a pair of PE and styrene running boards between the front and rear axle pairs, plus additional mudflaps behind the front wheels. Righting the vehicle, the crew cab is outfitted with a rack of ammunition cans for the co-pilot’s GMPG, and two C-shaped grab-handles/roll-cage components plus the two seats, which are made up from eight parts each, with an armoured panel underneath and to the rear. The dash is built around the front bulkhead, with instruments and driver controls and a LOT more ammo cans, a grab-handle for the gunner, and steering wheel with stalks for the driver on the right side of the vehicle (in both senses of the word). There are a couple of instruments on the left side-rail, and HB have included some decals for these and for the main instrument panel, the latter having its front bumper/fender and light clusters in large tubular cages made up and fixed to the front, joined by a piece of PSP (Perforated Steel Planking), vents on the top of the coaming, plus an aerial base and a pair of foot steps and door hinge-points under and in the front of the crew access cut-outs. An equipment stack is built up and placed between the two humps behind the crew seats, then another large palette is fitted with pioneer tools at the rear, and a quartet of ammo boxes for the hungry .50cal. Two more seats with moulded-in straps are made up and attached where the rear bed rises to form the load area, and a roll-over bar with armoured inserts is set behind the rear seats to protect and separate the areas. Behind this a pair of large stowage boxes are installed, the upper one with a sloped rear side, and both are covered by another section of the anti-roll cage that is also a surface to mount an antenna palette later on. More anti-roll bars are placed to the sides of the ammo stowage are, which is also where the .50cal gunner stands to operate his weapon. The last remaining flexible tyre is slipped over the final hub, then is fixed to an armoured shield on a triangular mount with turnbuckle, which in turn is fitted to a pivoting set of triangular roll-bars, with a similar set that holds a shelf-unit with yet more ammo cans on the opposite side. The sides of the vehicle are armoured up with additional sheets that are shaped to fit, and have various small parts fixed to their exterior during the procedure, after which it’s time to make up the masses of jerry cans that hold extra fuel for extended range. Four racks are made up with twenty-four cans in total in racks of six, with a U-shaped bracket between each rack, all of which have small details added, while the racks are fitted with two triangular PE internal supports each to give the structure more strength. The rear of the vehicle is studded with various shackles and lights, and on each corner a set of smoke grenade launchers are build and installed along with an antenna base, with more grenade launchers added to the front corners during the making of the front bumper, just under the rear-view mirrors that are fixed later. Also at the front, a T-shaped roll-bar assembly is glued over the crew, with the front section angled down to mate with the front of the vehicle. Just behind this bar is another C-shaped roll-over bar, and behind that in turn is the ring-mount for the .50cal, which is mounted on four legs in a similar way to a roof-rack on a civilian car, complete with clamps at the bottom of the legs. The .50cal Browning is a well-detailed sub-assembly with a high part-count, including a sight, a complex mounting system, plus an in-use ammo box with a spring-mounted mechanism to hold down the link as it leaves the box to prevent strumming and subsequent feed issues, with a ready-round box on a plinth on the ring, which also has a custom seat for the gunner that allows him to lean back whilst operating his weapon. The GMPG is equally well-detailed, although with fewer parts due to its size and simpler mount, but it has a twin-box mount for ammo, and a PE handle that does a similar job of holding the ammo in check during firing. The assembly is dropped into the toothed ring mounted on the centre of the Coyote, and the afore mentioned antenna palette is detailed with the various short antennae and glued to the two rectangular points on the aft roll-cage section. Time for some desert paint. Markings As is common with Hobby Boss, there are two decal options, but zero information as to where and when they were seen in service. From the box you can build one of the following: The decals are standard fare for HB, with decent registration, colour density and sharpness, although some of the dial decals are slightly off-centre. Painting the dials on the dash black and trimming the decals very carefully should result in a good finish. Conclusion Another piece of modern British light armour that will please more than a few Britmodellers, and thanks to it being based on the correct incorrectly named Jackal, it should build into a decent replica. They’re proving popular, so get one while you can, as stocks are diminishing already. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

Dear fellow Britmodellers, here's my 1/72 Dan Taylor Modelworks Humber Mk.II Scout Car. I built from the box, adding resin figure from Attack, scratch-built side mirrors and antennas from Albion Alloys steel wire. On first impression, the Dan Taylor kit looks like an Eastern European short run product. When I started construction, I was surprised about the ease of assembly and good fit of parts! I painted with Gunze/Mr.Hobby acrylics, weathering was done with artist oils and pastel chalks. Decals are out of the box (#M-72502) and were applied according to instructions, representing a vehicle of 59th Heavy Regiment, Royal Artillery, 2nd Army, 1945. Photographs by Wolfgang Rabel. Thank you very much for your interest in this topic. Best greetings from Vienna! Roman

Dear fellow Britmodellers, I just finished my 1/72 IBG Scammel recovery truck. This is an amazing multi-media model kit with fine detail, but requires some patience and experience. I am not too happy with the tow rope, which lacks tension. The photo-etch hook does not really add weight to the assembly. I painted with Gunze/Mr Hobby acrylics, representing a vehicle of 22.Armoured Brigade, 7. Armored Division, in France 1944. All photographs by Wolfgang Rabel. Thank you for your interest in this topic. Best greetings from Vienna Roman

So I toyed with this GB as I have 3 helos in the stash, including an earlier version of this (only thing different is decals so not sure how/why I have both!) and the Airfix Merlin......I have a lot ready for the Battle of Britain GB and can just see myself over extending - I have only just come back to the hobby, built in the Nordic GB, also managed to finish off my 2 x F-111 builds from the STGB (have updated the threads!), pushed along a couple of stalled 617 Sqn Lanc builds etc... Then I thought - when would I ever build these things - if not in a Helo GB....so why not! Living in Colchester I regularly have them flying over me from Wattisham, its still makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand up everytime, throwback to Helmand in 2006 I expect, where part of my role included being a JTAC (Joint Terminal Attack Controller) and as callsign WIDOW 67 I often had to call up air support, including UGLY callsigns from the Army Air Corp's 9 Regt/656 AH Sqn. I always like to have some personal link to my builds if possible, this is a bit of a stretch given I will have to build the aircraft as circa 2002! This boxing is not the best, its really a US version with some Dutch decals and British decals....the Heritage add on set for the upgraded AH1 that saved my butt a few times in Helmand in 2006 seems impossible to source.... As ever no crew, again a shout out to any 1/48 Helo crew sat in a spares box that want employing! I looked back and found a picture of an Apache AH1 without all the lumps and bumps that were later added - any experts please do correct me, but I think IO can get away with a UK build based on the initial delivery...if not I am anyways! Obligatory box and sprue shots Aforementioned 'basic' UK Apache - pic dated 2002! Got started yesterday, removing and cleaning up some parts. A little research seems to blow most of the painting guide out of the water, so I have used references and started the pit in various black shades, blades also will be a NATO black. Mr Paint FS34031 US Army Helo Drab is pretty much out of stock everywhere, so I have gone for the Hataka Orange Line version and ordered....found these paints ok to use, once perfectly thinned for whatever airbrush is being used.... won't be weathered too much (new airframe and BoB build in mind!). Priming also started: eye test next week, defo need glasses for close up work now, so I will just do the basics as the IP's look old rather than the UK version and I can't focus as well as the old days!! Some great ref pics for the newer Apaches by @gary1701 available on the site as well. Thanks for looking!

HI Due to lockdown, I thought I'd restart modelling - first time in about 20 years. Settled on the HobbyBoss WMIK Landrover. Let me know your thoughts - but be gentle! I added various bergans and daysacs from other kits - painted a mix of DPM and MTP Pleased with the MTP on the daysac and webbing but on the figures I think I made the base coat a bit too green. Various strapping made from painted masking tape. The kit puts the spare tyre on the bonnet but moved it to the roll cage and made a kit basket out of plastic covered wire. Also used a lot of reference images and so created hessian covers for the headlamps and a towing strop wrapped around the bumper. Not too good with the old paint chipping but added some chips showing the original green underneath the sand. Typically out of focus but probably one of the most pleasing elements was making the cam net. Adapted something I found on another forum and painted tissue paper with a mix of paint and PVA glue, then had a u-shaped artists lino cutting tool and made hundreds of interlinked cuts. These can then be teased out and it's the most realistic cam net I've seen - if I say so myself!

Having already done the Conqueror Mk.1 previously I couldn't face the Dragon kit so waited for Amuzings next release. Vehicle depicted on exercise on the mudhole called Soltau, Germany and thought I'd have a little fun with it. Completed on 28th February 2019

Dear fellow Britmodellers, here's my 1/72 Crusader Mk.III Anti-Air-Tank with 2cm Oerlikon guns. I bought this kit @ Modelbrno in June, and finished from the box, with the addition of the stowage pieces (one from Quickboost, the other one scratch-built). According to kit instructions, the markings resemble a vehicle of 1st Royal Tank Regiment, 22nd Brigade, 7th Armored Division, in 1944. Painted with Gunze/Mr.Hobby acrylics. Photographs by Wolfgang Rabel (thank you!). Thanks for your interest. Best greetings from Vienna!

Dear fellow Britmodellers, here's my first contribution to the "Vehicles" gallery - my 1/72 ACE Models Austin HP8 Tourer. Bought this kit @ GoModelling show in Vienna last year. It's supposed to sit alongside a Spitfire on a vignette (one day). Added rear mirror (scrap photo etch from the spares box) & windshield wipers (from stretched sprue). The kit's convertible hood was too crude for my taste and was replaced by scratch-built item made from rubber gloves. Hope you like my tiny car! Photographs by Wolfgang Rabel. Close-ups in this scale are pretty unforgiving, but to show off my detail work, here's the windscreen wipers ... The rear mirror is a piece of scrap photo etch: And here it is in it's full size …. my smallest model to date! Thanks for your interest, best greetings from Vienna! Roman

Hi I've got a Takom Chieftain Mk11 and FV432 next on the list. I've got vehicle crew figures but would quite like to open up the back of the 432. Does anyone know of any decent late 80's early 90's 1/35 British Infantry figures that are available to help man a diorama? Cheers Nick

For my current project (Diamond T Tank Transporter with Centurion) I'm looking for a suitable commercial solution to decals - but without much success. I'm therefore giving some thought to designing my own decals and either a) printing them myself, or b) getting them printed professionally. A problem I have however is that I am unable to identify the font that was used on the British Army Number plates and logos during the 1950's. Can anybody help me? The picture below shows plates for the Centurion and Dyson trailer: Thanks in advance.

Hi, I am about to embark on my first AFV for 25 years. My last was a Tamiya King Tiger. I'm a little hamstrung as I haven't got any paint with me on the ship, just the kit and some glue so my plan is to work on sub assemblies until I get home then paint and complete it. It's going to be built out of the box and with little weathering as really it is just a nice way to ease myself back into tanks. I have a Tamiya Chieftan V as well to build, but this will come later. Enjoy.

Hello, here's my UM (Unimodels) Achilles IIc Tank Destroyer. I believe this vehicle was also called 'Wolverine'. It's basically an American M-10 with a british gun. The vehicle belongs to 11th Armoured Division, 75th Anti-Tank Regiment, operating in NW Europe, Winter 1944/45. Painted with Mr.Hobby acrylics. Thanks for your interest! All pictures: Wolfgang Rabel, IGM Cars & Bikes. Although I did fare better with the tracks on this model, one of the links on the left back side opened (this was only discovered when I looked at the pictures and might have happened during transport to my photographer!). This will be fixed .... but is present on the photograph, unfortunately... Here's shots of the interior before closing it up. The interior hull was painted 'Off-White'. Cheers from Vienna! Roman

Chieftain Mk.5 Takom 1/35 I finished Takom's Mk.5 last December (having started it all the way back in September) It's a nice kit, although the BATUS markings supplied should in fact be for a Mk.10. I think Mig J. was a little lax on his research for this one. Built OOB apart from the MG and smoke discharger covers. The base used one of the AMMO branded model scene grass mats. It'll be nice to see how it stacks up against the Meng one, but that seems to have disappeared again, after having a brief revival late last year Thanks for looking Andy

Have been hunting though various online photo sites looking for a British Army Scout with unusual or bright/bold markings - whether they be temporary markings or zaps, or perhaps tactical markings. So far I have nothing. They seem to be all standard camo scheme (or one period or another) with perhaps a single letter code, and sometimes the unit badge at a small size on the door. The brightest markings are on those Scouts in the training school. I can't believe that in the years the Scout was in service that not once it was given a Christmas scheme, or 'end of deployment' art, or some special recognition scheme on an exercise! Can anybody help?