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Personal Protective Equipment Acrylic Paint Set (3035) ICM via H G Hannants Ltd ICM have recently released their own brand of acrylic paints on the market, and are creating some kit specific sets to go with their major releases, of which this is one. The set arrives in a cardboard box with six screw-capped bottles inside, each containing 12ml of paint. The bottles are clear Polypropylene, and are capped with cylindrical tops with knurled sides, and a one-time security seal that you break on first opening. A label on the side gives you basic information about the colour and code, a little information regarding application in English and Ukrainian and a bar-code. This set provides the major colours to assist you in painting your Chernobyl Liquidators or the new Feat of Divers set from ICM themselves, and you will find the following colours in the box: 1045 Medium Orange 1035 Grey Green 1011 Clear Red 1039 Rubber Black 1015 Clear Yellow 1024 Silver The paint is thick in the bottle, with plenty of headroom between the surface of the paint and the lip of the neck. I dropped a glass stirring ball into each bottle, and they took a few seconds to disappear beneath the surface, indicating their viscosity. On the rear of the pack is an example of the usage of these colours using the kit mentioned above, and also depicts some of the figures that have been released as part of ICM’s Chernobyl series of vehicle and figure kits, which at time of writing extends to six boxings… so far. The suitable kits for this set are Radiation Monitoring Station 35901, Rubble Cleaners 35903, Deactivators 35904 & Feat of Divers 35906. During testing, I used Ultimate Acrylic Thinners to dilute the paint to spray through my Gunze PS770 airbrush, which has a 0.18 needle chucked in. The paint dilutes well once it has been mixed thoroughly, and sprays well through my airbrush, which has a smaller than usual needle that is a good test of the finesse of the pigment grind of any brand, some of which don’t spray very well though anything less than a 0.3mm needle. There were no problems with blockages at all, and the coverage was excellent after my usual ad hoc dilution method, which was probably nowhere near the 40-60% thinners or water that’s suggested on the pack. Apart from the varnish, the other paints all dry to a matt finish. In past tests, the Satin Varnish worked very well diluted with water, sprayed over the spoons that were also partially taped up to perform two functions at once. The satin patina that resulted is exactly what was expected, and the tape lifted no paint at all, despite my best efforts to do so. Bear in mind that the spoons were prepped by a buff with a very fine sanding sponge to give them the best chance of adhesion. Using a brush, the colours cover well two coats with minimal brush marks visible. Conclusion The paints were excellent through the airbrush with nothing in the way of drama during the testing process, including the Oily Steel and Satin Varnish. The solid colours also brushed out very well, as did the varnish, but what happened to the Oily Steel is a mystery to me at this stage, possibly a bad mix, or some other oddity peculiar to my bottle or batch. There is a little less paint in the bottles than some brands, but a shade more than others, so it’s about average. That is more than offset by the thickness of the paint, and the very reasonable price they’re asking for the set, even at RRP. Highly recommended. Available in the UK from importers H G Hannants Ltd. Review sample courtesy of

No Fishing- Pripyat Marshes Near Chernobyl 1942 This is a fictional diorama of what might have taken place, its set outside the town of Chernobyl in Vyshhorod Raion of northern Kyiv Oblast. There are three characters in this diorama. Hans, Misha and zhadnyye kishki (greedy guts). Today is Hans birthday, he turned 21 today and his commander has given Hans 24hrs off work to celebrate, what does a fishing mad German from Wittenberg do in the middle of Russia on their birthday? Spend it fishing of course! Its not like there was much else to do really. Hans was part of the 213th Division that provides local security for convoys of supplies going east. Hans found some line, fashioned his own rod and used some of the flies that he brought from home. He found the little jetty with a sign that one of the villagers told him said No Fishing in Russian. Such a sign was an affront to any fisherman and Hans duly took care of the sign, besides he thought this area is under new management. Hans hopes to land a good sized catch but he is about to land something he didn’t expect, a rotting old Russian boot! Misha the cat, observed the human walking down to the jetty and in her experience humans tended to be a good source of food, particularly scraps of tasty fish, this human seemed friendly not like the other one the commissar, a nasty kick in the ribs from a boot taught Misha not to get caught anywhere near that one, although she hadn’t seen much of him recently not since the terrible thunder came and went. Now if Misha can just convince this human to part with something nice… zhadnyye kishki (greedy guts) was a wylie fish, as he had grown many had tried to snare him, but it was like he could sense when something wasn’t right, when a fly was just to tempting, it was this and this alone that had saved greedy guts from the many dangers that these waters held for a Carp. Greedy guts quietly loitered under the reeds and lillies of the marshes as he sought out his next meal. The Build I used ICMs 1/35 scale German Armoured Vehicle Crew, and I mixed and matched the set to get the figure sitting with the right pose. This is my first foray into figures and I was lucky enough to get a master class in figure painting from a good mate, Don (Cheers mate!) I think I definitely need more practice with figures right enough The diorama was built with a photoframe, turned upside down , epoxyed in and sealed with bathroom sealer, next I used foamboard to build up the terrain and then used tile grout plus brown paint to form the terrain, I added some gravel ballast from the garden to give me the boulders. I used a scribe to create the three plastic side for the diorama then cut the fibreboard that was the photoframe back for the fourth side , painted it to match the frame. For the pier I gathered some twigs from woods, and I had some 1mm jute twine, I used the twigs to form the pier used a hot glue gun to stick it together and used the twine as rope. I took my first foray into oil paints and used some to paint the pier. The grass is a mix of 2 and 6mm static spring grass. The reeds were a pain in the bottom, I tried a few things, I used the bristles from a cheap paint brush, as in one for your walls, I put some painted brown grout on baking paper, soaked the bristles in green paint and when dry stuck them in the grout, I let the grout start to dry out as well and that seemed to work better than when I tried initially, when the grout was “wet” the bristles would fall over. The little tufts were done slightly differently the were painted then I took a small bunch and glued them with a hot glue gun and I dipped them in water to solidify the glue, they were then stuck in the semi dry grout. The lillies are Fimo clay, rolled some flat, then used some metal rods as a cookie cutter and then further thinned the disk of clay, cut a notch in them , baked them and painted them (BTW I tried Fimmo’s green clay and that was a bust, it seemed wetter than the white and seemed stickier so the lillies ripped , not sure if it was me or the clay is different? ) Greedy guts the fish was just a lot of experimenting until I got the right shape for a fish, then baked and painted roughly like a carp. The boot and fishing line (black thread) was set on the base and the resin poured adding in Tamiya smoke to make the water murky. Three issues with the resin that I need to try and improve on, 1 bubbles, I managed to get most of them, however the area that was a right T$%t was around the reeds , I tried to get my mini blow torch in there to get the bubble and only succeed is setting fire to some of the reeds, so I needed to live with the bubbles, second I was pouring the resin in layers and I managed to get get a drop of water on the wet resin, there was a horrible reaction where it formed a whitish skin on the surface and when it dried I had several holes in the resin, I tried to fix them but it didn’t work all that well, I will just need to live with them and be very aware of that in the future, lastly I managed to get resin on the Perspex sides and scratched it trying to remove it, I think next time I use perspex I will leave the film on as long as possible. All in all a longer build but I enjoyed it , and I enjoyed creating the story to the diorama, I wanted to build something that was military related but like not a battle or war scene , kinda of military downtime type thing. Any tips or advice welcome 😊 Making The Lillies First pour and Greed Guts In And the finished results Thanks for reading this far 🙂 Mark

Zil-131 command vehicle (KShM) Hi there, having finished my first ever car build (ICM 1:35 Moskvitch) I thought I'd continue straight on to my second one - a Zil truck from the ICM Chernobyl #1 box. Very nice box art - and is really precise in what actually comes with the box: Zil truck, figures, guard hut & scenic background. But this is what we are building from the box for now. It all seems quite complicated - a total of 125 build stages is not something I've used to. But ICM instructions seem very clear and precise, so I think I will be OK. Nice pile of plastic, these are the parts that make out a Zil truck. Detail is very nice and sharp - even if the plastic feels bit soft. Easy to work with, just need to be careful when tidying up as the knife really sinks into the plastic. The kit is apparently made out of two different sets of plastic - one on top is 'generic' Zil sprue, one on the below is a different shade of grey and is specific to the command vehicle. During the construction phase I made a bit of a mess out of the Moskvitch, so I try to be more careful this time and follow the instuctions so that it all comes together as it should. Ive cut down the parts needed to put together the frame. Parts have been cleaned and assembly can begin. There were some ejector pin marks that I did not clean, though. They are on the inside of the framework under the truck so I figured it's not worth the hassle. Fit is excellent, everything has it's place. As the plastic is quite soft, it's quite easy to get things out of shape. I made sure with some weight that the alignment of the frame is not wonky in the end. And here we are - slap on some tyres & cabin and we have a finished truck! So far this truck seems awesome. And as this is all new to me (I'm more at hope with things that have wings), if you have any good tips regards truck building (I'm looking at you @JeroenS ), please feel free to share your wisdom. I rather avoid the pitfalls than walk right into them

Chernobyl #5 Evacuation (35905) 1:35 ICM via Hannants After the partial core meltdown at Chernobyl in 1986, a massive clean-up operation was begun almost immediately to help damp down the radiation in order to help clear away and reduce the contamination that had escaped the burning reactor after the accident. Due t the highly radioactive surrounding a large area around the plant extending 30 kms was evacuate. This area of 2,827 square km was later extended to 4,143 square km. The evacuation of civilians was not immediate following the accident, but was begun once the seriousness of the accident was realised. Originally people were told they would only be gone for 3 days and to take minimal belongings, however this was only to speed up the evacuation as those in charge knew people would not be returning. Over 53,000 people mainly from Pripyat were evacuated at the start, however the expanding area of evacuation in the time following the accident meant over 135,000 people would be displaced. The Kit This figure set depicts a group of 5 evacuees, and is part of the recent Chernobyl themed series that ICM have been releasing lately. The kit arrives in a slim, top-opening box that is larger than the usual figure box, due to the cardboard diorama base that is included. It’s a new tool, so the sculpting and injection-moulding is thoroughly modern, with excellent detail. The background is also very effective for its simplicity. The five figures are 4 adults and one child with accompanying suitcases and bags. As usual with ICM figures their sculpting is exceptional with crisp detail and sensible parts breakdown into torso, legs, arms, heads etc The folding backdrop is made from a single large piece of card that has been pre-folded in three places to enable easy construction, with a tab to join the right side to the base and create the three-sides diorama. It is well-painted and has a plastic construction entrance to the building to build up and add if the modeler wants to. Conclusion Another great Chernobyl themed set that opens up many diorama possibilities separately, or when coupled with some of the other kits in their range. It was a horrific disaster that has lingering effects even today, and we would do well to remember it to avoid similar catastrophes in the future. Very highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

Chernobyl#2 Fire Fighters (35902) 1:35 ICM via Hannants We’ve probably all heard of the nuclear power-station at Chernobyl and the disaster that befell it in 1986 due to a mistake made by the staff that resulted in a core meltdown. The behaviour of the neutron absorbing cooling rods wasn’t properly documented (due to a cover-up) as a reason for a runaway reaction under certain circumstances, and this was responsible for a huge quantity of radiation being released over much of Europe and beyond. Initial responses by the authorities were inadequate and a number of firemen and staff were exposed to fatal doses of radiation early on. Eventually a huge sarcophagus was built up around the site, with yet more work being done on the site today, although it has since become a rather mawkish tourist destination for some. The ZIL-131 is a general-purpose utility 6x6 truck, one of the mainstays of the many Eastern Block armies along with the Ural-375, with over a million made. The basic model is a general utility tuck powered by either petrol or diesel engines, depending on the type. Like most armies the chassis for a general truck has been used for a multitude of different versions from a fuel truck to the BM-21 rocket launcher to fire truck. The Kit This is a reboxing with a few extras from ICM of their ZIL with added parts in the shape of crew and additional figures to complete the scenario. There’s even an impressive folded card backdrop with the burn power station that you can use as your backdrop if you wish. Inside the large box are 7 sprues in grey styrene, one in clear, 8 nobbly flexible tyres, two small decals sheets. Detail is excellent throughout Construction begins with the chassis, which consists of two rails and multiple cross-braces to which tanks, transmission, transfer boxes and even the engine are attached, with lots of parts used in the process, including a pretty full rendition of the 8-cylinder power pack and the stamped, welded fuel tanks on outriggers to each side of the chassis. Leaf suspension, exhaust and drive-shafts are also fitted to the chassis along with a winch power take-off behind the large bumper irons and under the radiator. Then it’s a case of building up the axles, with two at the rear on their own leaf-springs, fitted with dampers and drive-shafts for better off-road performance. The front axle is a single one with drive-shaft again, which slots into the front suspension and benefits from another few extra dampers. The wheels are simple but well-detailed, consisting of a hub with separate centre that a big black tyre is pressed onto, handed into sets of three each side. The crew cab is next with its structure made up from individual panels fitted to the shaped floor, onto which the driver controls are added, including pedals, gear and ratio sticks, then with a dash slid inside the scuttle area after adding some dial decals following painting. The steering wheel and crew seats are then made up and put in place, having a separate seat for the driver and a wide two-man seat for the passengers, both with adjustment framework between it and the floor. The rear compartment for the rest of the firemen features one bench the full width. Windows are fitted to the sides and the cab can be boxed in. Sidesteps are attached and then the windscreen and dash can be fitted, following this the roof goes on. The crew cab can then be fitted to the chassis. The rear firefighting compartment and water tank is the next step for construction. At the rear the pump housing is built up and the tank then built around this. At this point without its top it is added to the chassis. The switching to the underside the exhaust is added along with the rear mount spare wheel and its carrier. We can then switch back to the rear section of the vehicle. The final sides are put onto the tank to be followed by its roof. The rear section with steps upto the roof is then put on. There is a hatch into the pump area which can be modelled open or closed, Hose stowage pipe for the roof are put on along with the ladders. Other ancillary parts are then also fixed to the roof. With the addition of the mirrors and light protectors the fire truck is then finished. The Figures This single sprue contains all four of the figures for this set of firemen, three wearing breathing apparatus which in the end offered no protection from the radiation. There is a length of fire hose for one of the figures to hold, two clear sprues for the helmet visors. There are then 2 smaller spures with equipment, and some what look to be parts of the graphite elements of the reactors to use on the ground. Markings There are a few markings on the small sheet or the truck markings and number plates. Decals are well-printed with good register, sharpness and sharpness, and should leave you with plenty of spare Soviet Bloc number plates and emblems in your decal drawer. Conclusion It’s a shrewd decision by ICM to bring out this interesting boxing of their kit, and figures they have created something that is quite appealing to anyone that either has an interest in the Chernobyl disaster, or has watched the excellent HBO series. Very highly recommended. Available in the UK from importers H G Hannants Ltd. Review sample courtesy of

Hello, everyone! 30 years ago was a catastrophic nuclear accident that occurred at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant in the city of Pripyat. By this date I built a diorama "The Forgotten Sloggers of Chernobyl ". This diorama showing some of machinery, which took part in liquidating the results of the accident . All the machinery was leveled in cemeteries (a fragment of one of these represent in this job). Have a nice view!