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  1. Skoda 305mm Siege Howitzer CMK 1:35 History The Škoda 30.5 cm Mörser M.11 was a siege howitzer produced by Škoda Works and used by the Austro-Hungarian Army during World War I and by Nazi Germany in World War II. Development began in 1906, when a development contract was placed by the Austro-Hungarian high command with Skoda-Werke in Pilsen to develop a weapon capable of penetrating the concrete fortresses being built in Belgium and Italy. Development work continued until 1909, when the first prototype was finished and, in 1910, fired secretly in Hungary. The weapon was able to penetrate 2 m (6 ft 7 in) of reinforced concrete with its special armour-piercing shell, which weighed 384 kg (847 lb). There were a few technical problems with the first piece, but, after few reconstructions in 1911, the upgraded piece made another round of testing in Felixdorf and in the mountains of Tyrol. After that, Moritz von Auffenberg, the Minister of War, placed an order for 24 of the new weapons The weapon was transported in three sections by a 100-horsepower 15 ton Austro-Daimler road tractor M. 12. It broke down into barrel, carriage and firing platform loads, each of which had its own trailer. It could be assembled and readied to fire in around 50 minutes. The mortar could fire two types of shell, a heavy armour-piercing shell with a delayed action fuse weighing 384 kg, and a lighter 287 kg shell fitted with an impact fuze. The light shell was capable of creating a crater 8 meters wide and 8 meters deep, as well as killing exposed infantry up to 400 m (440 yd) away. The weapon required a crew of 15–17, and could fire 10 to 12 rounds an hour. After firing, it automatically returned to the horizontal loading position. In 1916, the M. 11 design was upgraded and the new M.11/16 was produced - the difference was mainly that the firing platform had been modified to allow for a traverse of 360 degrees. Also in 1916, a new model was released, the M.16, which had longer barrel (L/12) and longer range 12,300 metres (13,500 yd) The Model The kit comes in quite a small, yet deep box with a rendering of the mortar on the front. Inside it is packed with resin parts in a number of poly bags. According to the instruction leaflet there are one hundred and six parts moulded in a greeny grey resin, with the exception of one part which is moulded in dark grey resin. The way they have been moulded onto the blocks you will need to take great care in cutting them off and there will be quite a bit of cleaning up required. The parts are well produced with some great detail including the big bolt heads found on weapons of this era. Read the instructions carefully as there are alternative parts depending on whether you build an early or late version. Construction begins with the very sturdy base unit, onto which the towing beams, forward mounted box top which is fitted with a pair of large brackets onto which four eyebolts are attached. The large turntable is slotted into the base recess and the shell chute base attached to the rear of the base. The build then moves onto the mortar itself with the assembly of the two small recuperators glued to the underside of the trunnion cradle, onto which the two trunnion gears are affixed. The elevation gears are glued to their shaft and the tow assemblies put to one side. The two large recuperators, made up form eight parts are built up, followed by the trunnion section of the barrel. This is fitted with a variety of longitudinal and cross beams top and bottom, an eye plate and four large bolt heads. The middle section, either bolted or smooth is then attached to the trunnion section, followed by the muzzle section, and the optional muzzle cap. The breech section is built up from four parts and can be positioned either open or closed, and finished off with the rear mounted breech plate and recuperator end fittings. The large and small recuperators are then attached to the rear of the barrel section, followed by the breech section. The two impressively moulded trunnion mounts are detailed with a selection of small parts before being fitted to each side of the barrel. Between the mounts the elevation cog assembly is also fitted and closed off with a curved front plate. The barrel/mounting is then fitted to the turntable on the base. The mortar is fitted with a small splinter shield which comes in two parts whilst the main elevation wheel is made up from nine parts. The seven piece training unit is also assembled at this point, whilst the mounting points of it and the “range computer”, and sights are fitted to the left side trunnion mount followed by the units themselves. The complex shell handling system is assembled from seventeen parts, and if done so carefully, should be able to move, allowing the shell, included, to be positioned at any point in the loading process. This assembly is then glued to the rear of the mounting, followed by two rails onto which the shell trolley can run to move the shell onto the loading cradle. The trolley is provided and is made up from eight parts and once assembled can be fitted to the rails finishing the build. Conclusion There have been a few big mortars released in the last year or so, but injection moulded, so it interesting to see CMK release this one. Not that it’s not welcome and is in fact more detailed than the similar marque of weapon released by Takom. Certainly not one for the novice, it will make a superb addition to any collection of big guns. Very highly recommended. Review samples courtesy of
  2. Type IX U-Boat Conversion Set 1:72 CMK This is the second of two sets to be released by CMK for use with the Revell Type IXc U-Boat. Rather than just another weapon set, this contains parts to backdate the kit to a time when the Type IX’s were armed with a single 105mm cannon and a quad 20mm Flak Vierling. As with the previous set, each mounting is made from grey resin, twenty parts for the 105mm and thirty one parts for the quad 20mm mount, the gun barrels themselves are, once again, made of turned brass, which really does help with the look. There is also a sheet of etch brass that provides items such as the hand wheels and support brackets. N72020 – The build begins with the 105mm cannon with the pedestal fitted to the deck mounting plate, followed by the three piece breech section and the metal barrel. The sight fixture and ballistic controls are then attached to the upper breech section, whilst the locking jack is fitted between the underside of the breech section and the inner pedestal, this can be left off if you are using the gun crew in a diorama display. The port and starboard hand controls are attached and fitted with the PE hand wheels. Lastly the port and starboard gun crew rests and their respective supports are fitted. The quad 20mm Flak Vierling build also begins with the deck plate, spare ammunition cartridge storage racks and central pedestal. The centrally positioned controls are fitted to the rear of the pedestal, along with the seat supports and seats. Each side of the mounting is made up of the rotating part, two gun breeches, two metal barrels and two ammunition cartridges. When both are assembled they are fitted to their respective sides of the pedestal, followed by the spare cartridges in their racks and the foot pedals used for firing. The three piece gun shield is then attached and strengthened with a piece of 0.4mm wire that the modeller has to provide. Conclusion This set should give the Revell Type IXc kit a real boost, as any submarine modeller will need to have at least two to build an early and late marquee. As usual the moulding quality is superb, and what flash there si si really fined and will mostly come off without use of a blade. Once assembled and painted they will really look good on the completed submarine. Very highly recommended. Review samples courtesy of
  3. Type IX U-Boat Weapons Set 1:72 CMK Having released a selection of U-Boat interiors for the Revell Type IX U-Boat, CMK have now released a pair of weapons sets. The first of these is to replace the kit weapons and consists of two twin 20mm cannon and a single 37mm cannon. Each mounting is made from grey resin, eight parts for the 37mm and ten parts for each 20mm mount, but, unlike some other sets, the gun barrels themselves are made of turned brass, which is an excellent move in my view. There is also a sheet of etch brass that provides items such as the hand wheels and support brackets, plus a micro saw to cut the resin parts from their moulding blocks.. N72018 – Each mounting is made up from multiple parts and in this scale, some of them are really rather small. The single 37mm cannon construction begins with the assembly of the mounting, where the base fixing is fitted with the pedestal, which, in turn, is fitted with the seat support structure, training hand wheel on the port side, and the two seat mounts. The starboard side is fitted with a second control beam with another training hand wheel and an elevation hand wheel. The trunnion mount is then fitted to the top of the pedestal, followed by the trunnion cover and two sights. The cannon is made up from a resin breech section, into which the brass barrel is fitted. The breech is then fitted with the ammunition chute and expended cartridges chute. The completed cannon assembly is then fitted to the trunnion mount and finished off with the attachment of the gun shield. With the two 20mm cannon mounts, assembly begins with the twin breech section being fitted with the brass barrels, ammunition cartridges, expended cartridge bag, shoulder harness, trunnion and a PE fitting to the starboard gun. The single piece pedestal is fitted with the training hand wheel and spare cartridge cradle, complete with spare cartridges. The cannon mounting is fitted with the counter weight assembly before the gun assembly is attached and the whole lot fitted to the pedestal. Conclusion It’s great to see CMK releasing more items for the Type IX U-Boat, and these weapons are so much more detailed than the kit parts they really are a must have for the serious modeller. Very highly recommended. Review samples courtesy of
  4. G'day folks, Well my first official Britmodeller GB. Lets see how I go. This is the Academy kit and CMK resin conversion I'll be using to build the kit from. the machine itself was used during Operation Gothic Serpent which of course was made famous in the film adaptation 'Blackhawk Down'. Love the box art from the Academy kit while the CMK photo looks quite imposing...ooooohhhhhh aaaaahhh. First job is to chain drill the frame out for the forward and rear doors. Made easier by mounting the Dremel in its drill vise and plunging away. The right side rear door is already a separate part so I've filled in the hinge recesses with some Tamiya basic putty. I've run some Tamiya thin glue around the inside of the openings to knock back the rough edges of the plastic. Voilá...result The interior is coming together however I wasn't quite sure about the overheard support that runs between the mid bulkhead and rear wall. The transmission is moulded into the kit part however if glued in place a gaping void will result in the interior. I've used some ten though card to fill the gap. I'll add a few bits of plastic to busy it up a bit. The stand alone part. That's it for the moment. Back soon with some more. Cheers, Mick
  5. My next project is going to be my first resin kit. I picked this up at the WASMEX model expo swap meet. i have always liked Vampires and this really caught my fancy. Here are the deceptively simple instructions: A nice decal sheet: Of course it has to be the RAAF bird: The resin itself: I've handled resin before as details parts, but never a complete kit. It looks like a significant amount of time will be taken cleaning the parts up of flash etc. And on the main airframe there appear to be some pinholes that will need filling as well, you can just seem them in the close up: I know I will need to use superglue and be careful of any sanding dust, but any advice the collective could give me would be gratefully received. First queries: I will need to do some background reading on the colour scheme, I am assuming the cockpit will be black? Will there need to be any weight put in the front to stop it being a tail sitter? I am a bit worried it may be too much for the undercarriage. I was playing with the idea of semi-permanently mounting it on a base.
  6. Hi everyone Something new (old) by me, finally took some time to take photos... It is a Tamiya 1:48 + CMK bomb bay and a quikboost seat. The decals are Two Bobs Kosovo Nighthawks... or something like that. Here are some pics: For more pictures, please check my blog: http://militaryaviation148.blogspot.si/ Thanks for looking in.
  7. Type IX U-Boat Interior Sections Part 2 1:72 CMK Having recently reviewed five interior sections for the Revell 1:72 Type IX submarine, we have just received another two. As with the previous sets these two are moulded in grey resin and come complete with some etched parts and a micro saw for cutting the model sides open. Whilst the resin parts are beautifully moulded, there is quite a bit of cleaning up to do, especially from the moulding blocks for the larger parts. There are a lot of parts that make up each section and will make for some really well detailed sections, particularly with some care detail painting. The sections will need to be carefully marked out on the kit hull before cutting out, fortunately CMK have thought about this, and rather than just giving a set of measurements they have provided a template for each section that is cut out and laid over the hull. N720112 – Rear Torpedo Section and Crew Bunks. Although quite large this appears to have one of the smaller part counts of the series, containing just 23 parts. As with the forward torpedo area the set is provided with the rear sections of the torpedo tubes, although in this case there are only two tubes to assemble. Each tube is provided with a selection of ancillary equipment, such as the pipework, valves, air accumulators, along with PE hand wheels, firing levers and locking wheels of the tube doors. Unlike the forward torpedo section this one does not come with a torpedo, although one can be bought separately should you really need one. The port side wall of the torpedo handling area is also where some of the crew are accommodated on four bunks which require the modeller to make up the bunk supports with wire. Etched parts are included for the addition of various hand wheels, light fittings, valves and controls to the hull side and aft bulkhead. On the ceiling there is a single torpedo handling rail and its respective supports for the moving and loading of the torpedoes, but there aren’t and chain winches, which will need to be scratch built. The aft bulkhead, if the section is to be used on its own, should have its access hatch closed, but if used with the next section along it is possible to have it posed open. If you’re going to be using the torpedo loading kit that is available, then the hatch in the ceiling of the torpedo handling section can also be posed in the open position, giving the opportunity for a rather cool diorama scene. With all the sections and bulkheads assembled it makes for a strong rigid structure which will help with strengthening the cutaway hull. N72017 – Diesel Engine Section. This rather large set is for the main engine room, and whilst the basic construction of the port wall/deckhead, floor and two bulkheads mirrors the other compartments the amount of detail in this section is quite considerable. There are quite a few ancillary equipment parts fitted to the side wall/deckhead. These include control boxes, electrical boxes, pumps, light fittings and control hand wheels, in both resin and PE. The engine room floor is dominated by the single 9 cylinder diesel engine, which is a lovely moulding in itself, but is further enhanced by the fitter of the turbo supercharger unit, intake manifold, exhaust manifold, cooling jacket, and instrument panel, RPM gauge and numerous sections of pipework. Forward of the engine are further accessories, such as air accumulators, pumps, and more pipework. In fact there are two sets of these fittings, one for each engine, oh, and if you’re wondering what happened to the second engine, this is available separately as CMK felt that it would obscure too much of the other detail should both be provided in the one set. Conclusion If you’ve bought the other sections that are available then these two are a must have. The details included are superb as per the previously reviewed items, but I am a little disappointed in that at least one torpedo could have been included in the rear section and the second engine included for the engine room, rather than having to spend even more money to add them. There is still one or two more interior sections that are to be released which will enable the modeller to open up the whole kit which will look really quite impressive. Very highly recommended. Review samples courtesy of
  8. U-Boat Crews for Interior Sections 1:72 CMK To compliment the new interiors designed for the Revell 1:72 Type IX U-Boat, reviewed HERE, CMK have also released two sets of crew members to man the interiors. Although we have only had two sets released, I’m sure that there will be more, as there are quite a few more interior sections that ill need to be brought alive by having crews installed. The first set, F72253, is for the command section and includes two officers and one crewman. Each is set in a particular pose, so you can’t just buy more of the same set to increase the numbers of men in the section, but they do come with separate heads, so at least you can have them looking at each other or particular controls etc. They very well moulded, but, once they have been removed from the moulding blocks you will still have some cleaning up as there is quite a bit of flash, particularly between their limbs. The second set, F72254, is to man the galley section. They have quite distinctive poses, one working on the stove, one checking a gauge or hand wheel and one picking up a box of provisions. Two are wearing chefs aprons, one standard overalls, and again, all have separate heads, one with a chef’s cap whilst the other two have standard brevet caps. CMK also provide a frying pan, a box, (with the lifting man’s hands moulded onto it), and a utensil I can’t quite identify. The picture on the blown poly pack shows quite a bit of space in the galley, which isn’t really the case, so while it may show how cramped it is, it might be an idea to use the box carrier in another section of the sub. Conclusion It’s great to see CMK releasing these sets, as even though the interior sections are superb in their own right, the ability to have crew members manning each section is a wonderful idea and will bring the whole thing to life. Yes, the painting of each man will be a little taxing, but it’s good to have a challenge every now and then. Very highly recommended. Review samples courtesy of
  9. Type IX U-Boat Interior Sections 1:72 CMK Soon after Revell released their 1:72 kit of the Type VIIc U-Boat, CMK produced several interior sections for it so that modellers could build a cutaway model, adding quite a bit of interest to the finished article. Well, now they’ve done the same for the 1:72 Type IX U-Boat kit. The five sections we have been sent, (there are others), are all moulded in grey resin and come complete with some etched parts and a micro saw for cutting the model sides open. Whilst the resin parts are beautifully moulded, there is quite a bit of cleaning up to do, especially from the moulding blocks for the larger parts. There are a lot of parts that go up to make up each section, yet the modeller is still required to provide some wire or plastic rod to finish them off. All sections will need to be carefully marked out on the kit hull before cutting out, fortunately CMK have thought about this, and rather than just giving a set of measurements they have provided a template for each section that is cut out and laid over the hull. N72011 – Front Torpedo Section. Containing over 32 parts this is the biggest of all the sets and comprises basically three areas/zones. The torpedo loading area, showing the foreward bulkhead, the rear of four torpedo tubes, complete with all the ancillary pipework, air bottles and fittings. The floor of the torpedo handling area with a torpedo made up of two resin parts and completed with etched fins and propellers lying in a recess. The port side wall of the torpedo handling area is also where some of the crew are accommodated on six bunks which requires the modeller to make up the bunk supports with wire. Etched parts are included for the addition of various hand wheels, light fittings, valves and controls to the hull side and aft bulkhead. On the ceiling there are two rails and their respective supports for the moving and loading of the torpedoes, but there aren’t and chain winches, which will need to be scratch built. The aft bulkhead, if the section is to be used on its own, should have its access hatch closed, but if used with the next section along it is possible to have it posed open. If you’re going to be using the torpedo loading kit that is available, then the hatch in the ceiling of the torpedo handling section can also be posed in the open position, giving the opportunity for a rather cool diorama scene. With all the sections and bulkheads assembled it makes for a strong rigid structure which will help with strengthening the cutaway hull. N72014 – Command Section. The heart of any submarine is the command and control section and this is represented here by a single section between the two provided bulkheads. The centre floor section is quite sparse with only the periscope housing and access ladder to the control tower fitted. On the hull side however, it’s a different matter, with a plethora of hand wheels, pipework, control boxes, lights, valves and claxon horns fitted. The floor adjacent to the rear bulkhead and side wall is slightly recessed. This is filled with more pipework and what looks like an air accumulator which is attached to a valve by a piece of wire provided by the modeller. The two bulkheads are fitted out with further hand wheels, valves and their access hatches, which as per the section above can be left open if two sections are joined together. N72015 – Foreward Crew Quarters. This is a very simple module, with on the floor, side wall, two bulkheads, and a couple of stacked lockers. One bulkhead is fitted with a hatch, whilst the other is fitted with a door, whilst the other details include more hand wheels, claxon horns, lights and a couple of pipes. N72016 – Captain’s & Officers’ Ward Room. Although stating that this is the wardroom it is also fitted with the enigma code room and radio room, both of which are normally enclosed with a curtain, which will need to be scratch built by the modeller. Within the floor, ceiling/sidewall and main bulkhead structure, you have bunks, stacked lockers, internal bulkhead, radio stack, enigma machine, stools, light fittings and claxon horns fitted. N72022 – Galley. This is naturally the smallest of all the compartments reviewed here, but it is full of equipment, showing how cramped the galley was and a wonder how they cooked anything for the crew of up to 56 men. Between the two bulkheads the floor is fitted with hotplates, ovens, sinks, and a host of associated pipework, hand wheels and fittings. On the ceiling/sidewall there are more hand wheels, air filter, tannoy speaker, and an unidentifiable fan housing like fixture. Conclusion The Revell 1:72 Type IX U-Boat was a very welcome release and there have been some fantastic builds seen on the internet and at shows, but these sets will allow the modeller to take it to the next level. If you have the courage to cut your kit open then these sets will make for an amazing looking model. You could go even further and enhance the sets with appropriate lighting and others in the series such as the torpedo loading and external sets. You will have some careful painting to carry out, but anyone who has the ability to use these sets shouldn’t have a problem with that. Very highly recommended. Review samples courtesy of
  10. Hi I've finally got my mojo back after a disastrous time with a 1/32 Su-27 which ended up in the bin. Decided to start last year's Christmas present, the CMK waterlined Type VIIC U-Boat in 1/72. I have a very useful reference book, plus some very informative PDFs from AMP This fantastic book was a snip at just £18 from the antiques cabinet at the Royal Navy Museum in Portsmouth! It's some very substantial lumps of resin - I've glued the two hull halves together with Devcon 5-minute epoxy, filled, sanded and primed. Some of the weld lines and rivet groups disappeared in the process, Archer Transfers will rectify that! The conning tower fittings cleaned up and primed. All the castings are near-perfect, just flash and cleanup required. The only assembled pieces so far - deck gun and 20mm C/30 AA gun. Both barrels needed straightening with a hot bath and pliers. Great casting detail - this whole tower is one complete piece. Dunno how they do it! The following pics show the crispest of detail on the hull pieces: All I've done so far is attach the torpedo loading hatches, which are separate to facilitate a dockside diorama. I'll be posing this with crewmen on deck as a "returning from patrol" diorama. The sea base is 100x20cm! Handling the completed hull is like trying to paint a javelin (as in spear!) it's a long, thin and heavy lump at the moment. Going well so far, hope I can manage not to mess this one up, even though I got it half price from Hannants sale last year, it was still a very expensive kit.
  11. Ages since I posted anything up on here. I started this 3 years ago and finally got round to finishing it the other day. Its the Dragon Me163 Komet. I've used the CMK detail set which includes the cockpit, gun bays wheel (skid) well and all control surfaces. The well took ages to fit only to disappear when I fit the sky! I used Archer rivets to replicate the prominent riveting to the lower fuselage. All the markings are done with Mal's Masks. I've modelled it as one built by the Klemm factory, these Komets were the first batch to be delivered and were always covered with a messy mottling. I also used a vac formed canopy and Master pitot tube. Apologies for the crap pics. Tim.
  12. U-Boat Crews 1:72 CMK With the release of Revells Type IX U-Boat last year and the re-release of their Type VIIc there has been the need to man them which CMK have released a fair number of crew sets to fulfill this requirement. These two sets add to the range and each provide three figures each of which is very well moulded in grey resin. The first set is titled “The Crew Returning”, and are posed as if returning from a cruise. Each figure will need to be removed from their moulding blocks and the flash in the area between their legs removed. Two of the figures are provided with separate hands whilst all three have separate heads, all with prominent beards, one with an officers cap, the other two having crew brevet style caps. The third figure has his hands in his pockets so that’ll take a bit of pressure when painting. The second set, entitled “Crew In Raincoats” says it all really. The poses are very similar to the first set in their distinctive long oilskin style raincoats, whilst the third is in a shorter coat with a live vest over the top. Again two figures have separate hands, with the third having his hands in his pockets. They also have the separate heads, this time two with large rainproof hats and the third with a cap. Conclusion Both of these sets are very nicely produced, and when combined with the other sets on offer they will make an interesting an interesting tableau that will compliment the U-Boat model. I hope CMK will continue to expand their range, particularly as they could be used with the amazing internal sections they produce for both types of Revell U-Boats. Highly recommended. Review samples courtesy of
  13. Paveway II and Paveway III Laser Guided Bombs 1:32 CMK The Guided Bomb Unit-12 (GBU-12) utilizes a Mk82 500-pound general purpose warhead. The operator illuminates a target with a laser designator and then the weapon guides to a spot of laser energy reflected from the target. The GBU-12 is a member of the Paveway II series of laser guided bombs (LGBs). These weapons are hybrids. At the core of each is a bomb: a 500-pound Mk 82 for the GBU-12. A laser guidance kit is integrated with each bomb to add the requisite degree of precision. The kit consists of a computer control group at the front end of the weapon and an airfoil group at the back. When a target is illuminated by a laser - either airborne or ground-based - the guidance fins (canards) react to signals from the control group and steer the weapon to the target. Wings on the airfoil group add the lift and aerodynamic stability necessary for in-flight manoeuvring. The pack contains two well detailed and moulded resin bomb units, with the rear fins folded for carriage. There are separate forward fins and guidance heads which characteristically droop when on the ground and un-powered. A decal sheet is provided containing a full set of stencilling for both bombs and a sheet of pre painted photo etched remove before flight flags complete with attachment wire and rings. To only awkward part of the assembly would appear to be the removal of the moulding plug at the base of each bomb where care will need to be taken not to damage the rear fins. The seeker heads are also a bit awkward in that the cut line of the moulding block is indistinct, fortunately the paint guide should aid where the cut is to be made. The forward fins are much easier to remove and fit though. The painting guide shows the colours required for the bombs in service with different air arms, that of the US Navy, US Air Force and Luftwaffe. The Guided Bomb Unit-24 (GBU-24) Low Level Laser Guided Bomb [LLLGB] consists of either a 2,000-pound MK-84 general purpose or BLU-109 penetrator bomb modified with a Paveway III low-level laser-guided bomb kit to add the proportional guidance in place of the bang-bang type used in the Paveway II. The LLLGB was developed in response to Sophisticated enemy air defences, poor visibility, and to counter limitations in low ceilings. The weapon is designed for low altitude delivery and with a capability for improved standoff ranges to reduce exposure. The GBU-24 LLLGB/Paveway III has low-level, standoff capability of more than 10 nautical miles. Performance envelopes for all modes of delivery are improved because the larger wings of the GBU-24 increases manoeuvrability. Paveway III also has increased seeker sensitivity and a larger field of regard. This bomb is not nearly as delivery parameter sensitive as is the Paveway II LGB, nor is it affected by early laser designation. After a proper low altitude delivery, the LLLGB will maintain level flight while looking for reflected laser energy. If it does not detect reflected laser energy, it will maintain level flight to continue beyond the designated target, overflying friendly positions, to impact long, rather than short of the target. In 1996 the Navy conducted tests of the F-14A Tomcat with the GBU-24B/B Hard Target Penetrator Laser-Guided Bomb at Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Md., as part of an air-to-ground development program to support clearance for use of the weapon in the fleet by F-14 Tomcats. As with the Paveway II pack this set contains two bombs although these are appreciably larger, naturally as the core is that of a 2000lb bomb. Each weapon is made up of the body, separate tail unit which doesnt look as awkward to remove the moulding block as it is attached to the forward edge rather than the rear so the guidance fins are unaffected, the forward fins, which will need some careful removal from their moulding blocks and clear resin seeker heads. Once again the detail is really well done although I imagine the bomb lugs will need to be removed if fitting to an aircraft pylon. The included decal sheet includes all the stencils required depending on which service they are in use with and the colour painting guide shows which go where as well the correct colours for use with the US Navy, US Air Force and RAF. TO finish them off the set also has a sheet of pre-painted photo etched remove before flight tags. Conclusion Both of these sets of bombs are really well designed and will provide quite a visual impact to any model they are fitted to. Alternatively they can be used as part of a diorama on a trolley or bomb sled that are available from other manufacturers. There are also quite a few 1:32 aircraft that they can be used with so Id imagine that youd need more than just one set. Very highly recommended. Review samples courtesy of
  14. DKM Bismarck Detail Sets 1:200 CMK The big Trumpeter 1:200 kit of the DKM battleship Bismarck has already seen attention from the big detail set manufacturers. Whilst they all appear excellent sets they sometimes don’t go far enough. This is where CMKs Maritime Line comes in. They have released nine packs of detail parts to provide additional detail to the big sets. There is only minor overlap, but even then CMK have given the modeller a choice on how much or little they would like to add. Each set consist of finely detailed resin parts, with the exception of one, in which there are also some beautifully turned brass barrels for the main guns. The way each set has been moulded means that there is minimal clean up required after the removal from the moulding blocks and for some the modeller doesn’t have to do anything other than paint and fit. Each set comes in either a blister pack or ziplock bag with a card header. The largest of all the sets, the Primary Armament set, (NS019) contains the turned brass barrels mentioned above, which in this scale are really quite impressive. Along with the barrels, the kit also contains the individual blast bags for each gun, with nicely moulded canvas folds, and the six rangefinders which were fitted to Bruno, Caesar, and Dora Turrets. The rangefinders originally fitted to Anton Turret were removed due to damage by heavy seas, so check your references, particularly in relation to the date for which the model is being built. Each rangefinder is deeply indented, allowing the actual rangefinder optical face to be seen. Also included is a small fret of etched nickel which contains the rangefinders protective/armoured doors. If you have turned barrels already, as they are included in a couple of the big detail sets then you might just want to buy the blast bags and/or rangefinders separately. Well, CMK have thought of this, and released two further sets with each of these items, Rangefinders, (NS021) and Blast Bags, (NS012). This also allows the modeller to get hold of the extra pair of rangefinders if an earlier build is attempted, of course you will end up with two pairs for the spares box this way. This set does also include the parts that are required for the two secondary armament turrets though. Again and etched sheet is included for the doors. Talking of the secondary armament, set (NS013) provides the blast bags for each of the twelve 150mm guns fitted to the six turrets. Each is nicely detailed with scale folds and the slight sag that each bag had. Making the whole model even more detailed, it’s the small items that can make the difference. To this end CMK have released two sets that comprise of parts to make up just the ships 2 x 8m, (NS014), and 2 x 6m, (NS015), cutters. Each boat has separate hull and gunwhales/thwarts and there are twenty one separate oars to fit them out with. Unusually the rudders aren’t included, but in the instructions the modeller is advised to use the Trumpeter kit part. In addition to the more obvious items CMK have also included a set of paravanes, (NS016). Each paravane, of which there are eight, is detailed up with etched nickel parts, some of which, even in this scale are very small, so care should be taken when cutting out and handling. As an aside, this set also includes ten liferings, which are moulded integrally with their brackets and just require painting before being fitted into position. The last of the ships sets, (NS017), contains nine hose drums with covers, 5 small and 4 large. The drum supports are made of etched nickel with the smaller drums supports being bipods whilst the large are tripod style. The covers are, as per the blast bags, nicely creased, and as such, suitable shading with really make them stand out. The last set is probably going to be the most popular as it contains the parts for two Arado 196 floatplanes. Each resin fuselage comes with separate outer wings, allowing them to be displayed folded, thus being able to be fitted in the hangers. The wings have the appropriate flaps and trailing edge sections moulded in the folded positions. The set also includes clear resin canopies, but, perhaps fortunately, no interiors, which, given these “models” will be displayed in the hanger may not be so important. The windscreens, floats, struts etc all come from the kit parts. Even though the blister pack gives the parts quite a lot of protection, the rudder on one of the review samples had broken off, but since it’s a clean break it will be pretty easy to repair. Conclusion CMK have done a fair few items for the maritime modeller and it’s great to see them release these sets, especially as they given even more options to the big Bismarck builder. The mouldings are very well mastered and will look great painted up and suitably weathered/shaded. Used in conjunction with the big etched sets they will be like adding the cherry on top of an already fabulous cake. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of
  15. P-51D Mustang 1:32 CMK Since some modellers don’t particularly like the rubber/vinyl tyres used in the various 1:32 Mustang kits, there is the option of replacing them with resin parts. There are a number of sets from different manufacturers and now CMK have joined the fray with this set Q32 184, in their Quick and Easy line. The resin comes in a small poly bag stapled to card header with a small instruction sheet also inside the bag. On removal the quality of the mouldings can clearly be seen. The diamond and hole tread pattern is beautifully rendered and with the moulding block thinly attached to the inside of the tyres inner edge no damage will be caused to the tread on removal. Clean up is nice and simple, as it is for the inner and outer hubs. There is a choice of outer hubs, one for the Dragon and Tamiya kits and one for the Trumpeter kit. There is also a set of diagrams on how to modify the different kits oleos to give the correct height for the Dragon kit and to reduce the size of the axles on the Trumpeter and Tamiya kits. CMK have also been good enough to provide a replacement tail wheel complete with finely moulded radial tread. Conclusion I’ve not seen this line of add-ons before, but am pretty impressed by the detail in this set. The only downside in this set is that the brake detail on the inner hubs is a little soft and could be better defined. Other than that I can happily recommend this to all owners of any of the three kits this set is aimed at. Review sample courtesy of
  16. Seafire FR 46/47 Armament Set 1:48 CMK The Airfix Seafire 46/47 kits is reputedly one of their best kits released until the advent of the new Hornby owned Airfix and their latest 1:48 releases. That said the Seafire is still a great kit but there’s always room for improvement, if not to make the model more accurate, then to make it more interesting. This armament set does just that. The set consists of eighteen resin and sixteen etched brass parts that go to make up a pair of very nicely detailed gun bays. The resin parts include a pair of 20mm cannon, gun bays, gun bay dividers, ammunition bays, inner bay and outer bay covers. The etched parts are used to represent the fastener strips seen when the covers are removed, these fit around the edges of the new bay trays. The resin parts are attached to their moulding blocks by one edge, so there shouldn’t be too much clean up required once they’ve been removed. There isn’t any other sign of flash or imperfections other than thin webs between the gun bay dividers, and the moulding details look very good indeed and the covers edges nicely thin. The kits wings need to have the bay covers carefully removed and tidied up to accept the new items, probably best to cut slightly undersized and opened up with a file until the new bays slide in. Conclusion This looks like a great little set that will certainly ensure your model will give its admirers something else of interest to look at. It shouldn’t be too hard to fit, but would probably be best for those modellers with some experience of working with resin and etch and aren’t afraid to start cutting up their kits. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of
  17. Hello, I'm looking to build the AZ Spitfire Mk.I (cannon armed) and as far as I can asume, the fabric ailerons were not yet replaced by the alluminium ones. Because my AZ kit doesn't have fabric ailerons I am thinking to use the CMK control surfaces set to replace the kit ones. Just because sanding a fabric patern into the existing ailerons is not my thing and so they are all have the same surface condition They are designed for the Airfix kit but my biggest issue is if they the ailerons are representing fabric ones? I don't seem to find any info on them except the 2 existing pictures released by CMK. Thanks in advance and kind regards, Tom
  18. Hello, does anyone have any experience with the CMK cockpit for this kit? http://www.modelhobbies.co.uk/shop/canberra-interior-4239-p-34237.html This link seems to suggest that it includes the navigator's cockpit, although other photos of the resin parts seem to contradict this (perhaps some confusion between the 1/72 and 1/48 scale sets?). What about fit - How does it compare to the Pavla sets? I saw a build on here a while ago that indicated the Pavla set took some work to get right... Any words of wisdom? Thanks, Andrew
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