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  1. Roman Centurion (1 Century) ICM 1:16 I'm not really a figure modeller but do like to dabble in different modelling genres as it often forces you to learn different techniques. I was offered this kit to review back in March, just before the lockdown hit. I liked it so much that got straight on with building it, albeit slowly as my bench is always too full of ongoing projects. I thoroughly enjoyed it, and will definitely do more in the future. And just to give some idea of the size: One problem was the lack of a decal for the complex shield design. I tried making some 'wings' from yellow decal sheet but they ended up looking like bunches of bananas. I decided to go for a simple lightning bolt design and cut a template out of plasticard to use as a guide to cut around. Thanks for looking, John
  2. Good day, fellow hobbyists. Today I want to show you one of my recent works. Army truck Fordson W. O. T. 6, model from the company ICM. Of the additions - photo etching from Microdesign and some epoxy from my stash (in the body). WIP Prototype Complete model :3 Enjoy your viewing, thank you for your attention)
  3. Bücker 133 Jungmeister I suggested ICM, my Christmas desire, to get a Jungmeister in scale 1/32. The response is open, since ......I will send it to our Design Department and...... Who also wants to get one more trainer biplane in this scale? Just write them a letter. [email protected] If it is also your desire! Happy modelling
  4. WWII British Vickers MG Crew (35646) 1:35 ICM via Hannants The Vickers Machine Gun was a development of the original Maxim, the company Vickers had bought in the late 1800s, lightened and with an inverted breech to improve the type, which entered into British service at the outbreak of WWI in insufficient numbers due partly to the price being asked for each one, which was soon rectified by accusations of war profiteering that resulted in a huge price cut per unit. It was used first by the infantry, then by the newly formed Machine Gun Corps when the lighter Lewis gun arrived on the scene. The gun remained in service throughout WWI and WWII, and was finally replaced by the General-Purpose Machine Gun in the late 60s. Quite an impressive service run, and a testament to its enduring design. The Kit This is a reboxing of the gun, which is essentially the same as the one used in WWI, but a new tooling of the crew with WWII era equipment and uniforms. It arrives in a small top-opening box with their usual captive inner flap, and has four sprues in grey styrene plus two sheets of instructions and painting guides. You have a choice of whether to build the gun up in prone or seated shooting positions in the instructions, but as the figures are seated you should choose the latter to make full use of the included figures. Construction of the gun is simple, with the breech details and firing handle attached to the ribbed or smooth barrel jacket, followed by the two arms that hold the gun in place and their central arm with adjustment wheel at the bottom. A length of finely moulded ammunition slides through the breech, and the unused end is fixed to the ammo can with more moulded rounds in an insert that sits on top of the box. The weapon is inserted into the hole at the top of your choice of tripods, then the aforementioned ammo can and the water reservoir for the cooling jacket, which is linked by a hose to the underside of the muzzle, but isn’t mentioned at all in the instructions. Depending on how you will deploy your gun, you could use a length of lead wire or similar to portray this, gluing it to the can. If you’re unsure of the correct locations, it is shown on the box top, and there are a number of good resources online. The figures are covered on the glossy instruction page, with two views of each of them showing the parts in position and giving full painting options using their usual letter codes in red. The figures are well sculpted with sensible parts breakdown into torso, head, arms and legs, with battle-bowlers that glue onto the flat tops of their heads. The gunner is in the crouched position operating the weapon with one knee down, while the ammo feeder is kneeling, feeding the link into the breech of the gun from the ammo box in front of him. Rucksacks, pouches and water bottle parts are included on the other sprues, plus a pair of Lee Enfield rifles and revolvers. You can use as many or as few of the accessories as you wish, keeping any spares for use in future projects. Colour call-outs are made throughout the build using red letters in boxes that correspond to a table on the rear that gives the paint names plus Revell and Tamiya paint codes. All the codes have the colour names in English too, so if you’re not a user of those brands you should be perfectly able to find some alternates from your preferred brand. Conclusion The machine gun was still an important part of WWII, and there were many Vickers guns used in action throughout the conflict. It’s another nice little kit either on its own or as part of a larger scene. Very highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of
  5. Fiat CR.42 LW With German Pilots (32022) 1:32 ICM The Fiat CR.42 Falco (Falcon) was developed in the late 1930s at a time when the more modern monoplane fighters were starting to outstrip bi-planes in performance but it was felt they still had a place. The CR.42 was a development of the CR.32 which were used with success in the Spanish Civil War. The new aircraft would feature a supercharged radial engine and be of simple clean strong construction offering good manoeuvrability. The CR.42 was considered to be the best bi-plane available at the start of WWII although that in itself might be faint praise. Despite its apparent obsolescence the CR.42 would fight in every campaign with the Italian Forces and be exported to Belgium, Sweden, and Hungary. The Luftwaffe would use the aircraft after taking over Italian examples following the 1943 armistice. Following this the Luftwaffe placed and order for 200 CR.42 LW, these were optimised for night harassment and operations against partisan forces mainly in the Balkans. The LW featured underwing racks for 4 50kgs bombs and a flame dampened exhaust. Of the 200 ordered 150 were built with 112 being accepted into service. The Kit This is a new tool kit from ICM, the original release was for the Italian Air Force, now followed up with this Luftwaffe release. The parts are crisp and well moulded consistent with ICMs modern tooling. Construction starts with the cockpit, as with most fighters of the this era this is a tubular affair which sits into the fuselage. The base of the seat fits to the floor with the flight controls going in. The front bulkhead fits to this with the rudder controls attached to it. The rest of the frames then builds up around this with the back of the seat going in. Into the main fuselage the pilots headrest is fitted along with the instrument panel (instruments are provided as decals). Once these two parts are in the cockpit can be fitted in and the fuselage closed up. The decking in front of the cockpit can then be added. At the rear of the aircraft the rudder and tailplanes can then be constructed and added., with the tail wheel assembly going on under the tail. Moving to the front of the aircraft the detailed engine is built up. There are two banks of cylinders for the radial engine with an exhaust manifold and ignition harness. The propeller hub attaches to the front and a full set of cowl flaps to the rear. There are sets for open and closed flaps. The cowl and covers can then be attached, though the covers can be left off to show the engine, The completed unit then attached to the front of the aircraft and the air filter then goes on. We now move onto the wing. The lower wings are two part left and right, with a single upper wing split top/bottom. There is one set of struts from each side of the fuselage, then two sets per wing. All fit into positive locating points. The top side ailerons are separate parts with their control horns being added. Once the wings are on its time to fit the propeller and fixed under carriage. Here the two different decal options feature slightly different parts so the modeller will need to pick their option. If going for the first decal option the long flame dampening exhausts will need to be added as well. If the bomb racks are to be used hopefully you opened up the holes in the main lower wing! The racks and their four bombs can now be fitted. Decals Two options are provided for on the decal sheet: 2./Nacht Schlacht Gruppe 9, Luftwaffe, Turin April 1944 Nacht Schlacht Gruppe 20, Luftwaffe, Strasbourg, October 1943 The decals look nicely printed with no issues. The Figures. Adding figures to a model gives it scale and realism that is hard to otherwise achieve, and often this is done with resin figures that are both expensive and for those not too keen on resin, this can be off-putting. Styrene figures however are simple to deal with, and with advances in sculpting and moulding techniques they are becoming more detailed and realistic as time passes (unless I paint them!). This new set from ICM, who have an excellent reputation for injection moulded figures, depicts a group of WWII Luftwaffe pilots stood relaxing. It arrives in a top-opening box, with the usual inner flap on top, with a single sprue of medium grey styrene inside, together with a sheet of instructions on glossy paper. The figures are moulded very crisply, and at 1:32 they are large enough to show off subtle details such as zipper pockets, boot details, insignia and other badges. Couple this with the breakdown of parts, and you will have a highly detailed figure once you have assembled them. The moulding seams are minimal, with slender sprue gates that also won't need much clean up, and the parts join at convenient breaks such as waists, trouser seams etc. One chap has his hands out in front of him, which necessitates his arms being separate from the elbow down, so a little filler may be needed there, but precious little if any should be required elsewhere. The two capped figures have their heads moulded as a single part, while the pilot with a peaked cap has a two part head, split at the cap brim, and each pilot has a side arm in holster that should be glued onto his waistband. Two of the figures have moulded-in life vests, while the third does not, instead having a ¾ length coat with fleecy collar turned up around his neck. Each of them have their faces turned subtly skywards as if they are watching their colleagues return after a mission, having already landed themselves. The instructions show the part numbers and paint codes on the same diagram, which relates to a table on the rear in Revell and Tamiya codes with the colour names in English and Cyrillic text. Conclusion It is great to see ICM releasing new tools of aircraft like this in 1/32, the addition of the figures makes for a good all round package. Available in the UK from importers H G Hannants Ltd. Review sample courtesy of
  6. Gloster Gladiator Mk.I with British Pilots Tropical Uniform (32043) 1:32 ICM The Gladiator was the last biplane fighter used by the RAF due to the introduction of more modern monoplanes. The Gladiator was designed in response to an Air Ministry requirements for an aircraft capable of 250mph armed with at least four machines guns. Gloster decided that rather than developing a brand new fighter they could capitalise on their Gauntlet design. This modified design would dispense with a pair of interplane struts to reduce drag and follow a wing design developed by Hawkers. The "new" aircraft would use the 700 hp Bristol Mercury engine. The prototype flew in 1934, with the first production aircraft being delivered in 1937. The Gladiator was probably the pinnacle of biplane design with its streamlining, closed cockpit and heavier armament, While the RAF ordered 180 aircraft the biplane design was really at the end of its life with more modern types being introduced. The type saw service in France in 1940, and on the home front in the Orkneys. Overseas they were used in Norway and most famously in the defence of Malta. Here these aircraft managed to defend the Island against superior Italian forces. Gladiators also saw service in North and East Africa as well as in Greece and the Middle East. Gladiators would also see combat service in Belgium, China and lastly Finland. By 1941 the aircraft had been retired from front line service, though continued to serve in communications and weather research roles. The Kit This is a new tool from ICM who really do seem to be giving us kits we want at the moment. On initial inspection the kit looks very good. There is plenty of detail and the moulding is first class. The fabric effects are not over done and the sprue gates are quite fine. This is the Mark I aircraft however be assured a Mark II and Sea Gladiator are scheduled by ICM. Construction starts with the cockpit and interior. Framework sides are added into each fuselage half with appropriate control systems and additional parts being added. Into the each side the fuselage mounted guns are also added at this stage. The cockpit itself with the seat, rudder controls, and the pilots compass is constructed and added into the left fuselage, The coaming around the cockpit is then added along with the main instrument panel and its coaming. Behind the cockpit the rear decking and bulkhead are added in. After the addition of the tail wheel to the rear of the fuselage, the two halves are then ready to go together. Once this is done the gun sight can be put in place. We now move toe the rear tail surfaces with the rudder and tail planes being constructed and added on. All of the moveable surfaces are separate parts. Back onto the front of the fuselage the pilots entry doors at each side are added along with the prominent side mounted oil cooler. Its worth noting here that the surface moulding of this part seems to accurately match the real thing. The canopies can now be added. The instructions show the front and rear being added first with the main canopy going over these. Next the lower main wing is assembled and added. There is a one part lower section to this with left and right uppers. The lower main wing part form the bottom of the fuselage in that area. Separate ailerons are then added. To the aft lower fuselage a plug section is added, this would appear to be in the area the arrestor hook will be on the Sea Gladiator version. Next up the top wing is assembled. This is in upper and lower parts with the ailerons as separate parts. Once together this can be joined to the lower wing with the outer struts and the inner ones attaching to the fuselage. There are positive locating points for all the struts. Next up the main gear is added. These seem quite strong with an inner part for the axle being sandwiched between the parts for the gear legs. The gun pods also need to go under the wings at this point. We now move to the front of the aircraft and the engine. Given the scale the engine is as detailed as the plastic parts can make it and it looks to be a good representation of the real thing. To the front is added the exhausts and collector ring. A three part cowling then goes over the engine. The front machine guns are then added along with the lower exhaust parts. The prop can then be added to the engine and the whole assembly mounted to the front of the fuselage. To finish up rigging diagrams are provided for the modeller to correctly rig the aircraft. Markings There are markings for four aircraft in this boxing No. 72 Sqn RAF, UK 1938 - Aluminium Dope / NMF overall. No. 607 Sqn RAF, UK Aug 1938 - Camo No. 112 Sqn RAF, Egypt 1940 - Camo No. 80 Sqn RAF. Egypt early 1940 - Camo Decals are printed by ICM, with good registration, sharpness and colour density, with a thin gloss carrier film cut close to the printed areas. Figures This is ICMs figure set 32106 and while it says British Pilots it would encompass a lot of commonwealth nations as well. There are two pilots and another standing office who look like they are in a briefing scenario. All are what would be considered dressed for the period and the climate. In general the mould in crisp and clean with plenty of detail. . Like ICM's recent figures these are well sculpted and should build up well. Conclusion It is good to see a new kit of this important RAF type being released. Even in 1/32 this is not overly large. ICM have done a great job with this kit, the inclusion of a set of figures is a nice touch. Very highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of
  7. B-26B Invader Pacific War Theater (48285) 1:48 ICM via Hannants The good old B-26 Marau… no, wait. The A-26 Invader? Hang on, erm... B-26 Invader. That's it, as long as it's after 1948 as that's when it was re-designated as the B-26 by the US Air Force to confuse us, and later on back to the A-26 just to complete my befuddlement. It was developed a little after the Marauder and despite using the same engines it was designed totally separately from its tubular colleague. It was designed to replace the A-20 Havoc, but it was initially less than popular in the Pacific theatre where its poor cockpit visibility due to the canopy and engine position rendered it unloved by the first users. It was more popular in the European theatre and was accepted as replacement for the Havoc fairly quickly. Two types were designed, The C with a glass bomber nose and the B with a full metal nose filled with either 6 or 8 .50cal machine guns, which coupled with the three in each wing gave it quite a punch, deserving of the Strafer title. It also had a pair of turrets on the fuselage mid-upper and dorsal positions, which were both operated by a single gunner using a complex remote mechanism that flipped between the upper and lower turrets depending on where the gunner was looking through his binocular sights. This trained the guns accordingly and also calculated the correct offset for parallax and lead, but was very complex and caused some delays to it entering service, and even more issues with maintenance in the field. After the war it served in Korea, early Vietnam engagements and other conflicts, ending its days in US service with the Air National Guard in the early 70s. It continued in civilian service as a fire bomber and in other roles, such as actor in the film Always with Richard Dreyfuss playing its brave but ill-fated pilot. The Kit This is a brand new tooling from ICM and a lot of folks have been waiting for, hoping for something to replace the old Revell Monogram kit of yore. Here it is! The main difference ion this boxing is the inclusion of underwing rockets and the 6 gun solid nose. . It arrives in the familiar top opening box with a captive inner lid on the lower tray, and inside are eight sprues in grey styrene, one in clear, a decal sheet and the instruction booklet. A quick look over the sprues reveals that panel lines are very crisp, narrow and restrained, the surface is matt and very neat-looking, with plenty of engraved and raised details on the parts, plus subtly indented flying surfaces mimicking their fabric covering. You might also notice that there are parts for an open or closed canopy, the open one having the flat top surface, while the closed canopy has the slightly blown roof that was used after 1944 to improve visibility. That might give you some latitude in case you can't wait to build a WWII aircraft. Construction begins with the cockpit, creating the pilot's seat, instrument panel (with instrument decals) with built-in door to the nose, centre console with throttle quadrant before adding those and the single control column to the floor. The aft compartment is built up around the front wing spar with a set of radio gear hanging from a pair of risers, then a pair of bombs on their racks, the reason for which will become clear in a moment. The port fuselage half is detailed with some side console and panel parts and then has the bomb racks, nose gear bay sides, forward spar with radio gear, rear spar in the centre of the bomb bay, sloped aft bulkhead and another frame behind that, followed by the cockpit floor, so you'll have to do some detail painting as you go. After this the starboard fuselage side is prepped, and here's where a little cautionary note about sink-marks on the exterior of my sample needs making. The right side of the cockpit and bomb bay with its detailed ribbing has caused the shallowest of sink-marks on the exterior, which would be best dealt with using a little filler before you get busy building. You could have dismissed it as oil-canning of the skin if it were consistent and on both sides, but as it isn't you'll need to decide whether you're going to fix it. Happily the majority of it is in areas that are open enough to allow easy sanding back of filler, so it shouldn't slow you down very much. I'll be using some Tamiya Basic on mine in due course and have no doubt it will be just fine. A 0.8mm hole is drilled in the section behind the canopy and the two remaining bomb racks are added inside along with an internal detail panel, nose gear bay side, and a hatch that does a credible impression of a toilet lid. With that and a quantity of detail painting you can then slide the starboard fuselage over the two spars, and it would be a good idea when fitting those spar parts to let them set up with the starboard fuselage taped in place to ensure they make the correct angle when they're set in place permanently. The instructions then have you building up the tail feathers, with the elevators having separate single-part flying surfaces, plus a two piece rudder to attach to the moulded-in tail fin. The gun-nose appropriate to the decal option being built needs to be selected and added.. The fixed lower and rear section of the nose are built up out of three parts, making space for the 40g of nose weight you are encouraged to fit before you add the single cowling panel that covers the gun bay, with a pair of four barrel gun-inserts added through the holes to depict the .50cals. You'll need to drill out the muzzles or take the lazy way out and get a set of Master barrels, such as the P-47 set until they get their own specific set. The nose section is a straight-forward butt joint to the fuselage, with a small half-moon cut-out that should help align it. The wings are next, and the lower parts have a smattering of flashed-over holes ready to drill out for bombs, gun-pods or drop tanks, plus three cartridge ejection chutes to be cut out for the wing mounted .50cals. The modeller will also need to open up the holes for mounting the rockets if using them. The faces of the in-line radiator baths are added to the lower wings and then it's already time to bring the halves together. You'll notice that there are fairings and a hump in the upper wing where the engine nacelles will be, and these are separate assemblies to be built up later. First, the separate two-section flaps (oddly with no deployed option), and the ailerons are prepared and added to the trailing edge of the wings, the latter being of one piece each and slotting into wing via two tabs. The tip lights and underwing landing lights are added from clear parts, and a small insert is glued into the wing that includes three more barrel stubs each and will again need drilling out. At this stage the instructions have you sliding the wings onto the spars and gluing them in place. Whether you'd rather wait until you've added the engine nacelles though is entirely up to you though. There are of course two engine nacelles and these build up pretty much identically apart from their outer skins, which are handed to fit their respective fairings as you'd expect. They are split vertically, and each half has internal structure moulded-in, with bulkheads added fore and aft of the gear bays, coupled with bay lip inserts that bulk out the edges and also hold captive their bay door. This may require some clever masking and a little care during handling, but it shouldn't hold you back too much, as the hinge-points are relatively robust. The two halves are joined together, the prominent intake on the top of the nacelle is made up from two parts, then is added to the nacelle front which is in turn glued to the rest of the nacelle, with the completed assemblies attached to the wings from the underside, as yet without their engine cowlings or props. The engines are added later in the build, and the Twin Wasps are depicted in their entirety with both banks of pistons, push-rods, ancillaries and reduction housing at the front, plus the collector ring and exhausts at the rear, the latter made up from eight parts each. So that they are fitted correctly and mesh properly with the nacelles, they are attached using a jig that is discarded later, so remember not to glue it in! Again the engines are identical and interchangeable with each other, and they fit to the nacelles with a teardrop-shaped tab, after which the engine cowling is slotted over them. The cooling flaps are last to be added in four sets around the rear of the cowling. The top of the fuselage is still open at this point, as it has an insert with the top turret to fit in place, with another for the dorsal turret fitted later on. The remote turrets are both made up together with the ability for the twin .50cals to be left movable if you wish. The top turret has its mechanism and ring made up first, with the two halves brought together on either side of the insert before being glued into the fuselage closing up that area. Then the gunner's compartment with simple seat and periscope is made up and installed under the glazing that sits behind the top turret. Flipping the model over, the lower turret is added to the insert and glued in place too. Another clear light is added to the very rear of the fuselage, and attention turns to the landing gear, which is of the tricycle variety as became the fashion in late war. Each of the three tyres are made from two halves with separate hubs applied from either side, then hung on their respective legs, which have retraction jacks and scissor links added along the way. Happily these can be fitted late in the build, so the open bays can be masked quicker than if they were present. Speaking of bays, you can depict the bomb bay open or close by using either a one piece door for closed, or two separate doors with internal detail for open. This is nice to see, as it's always a little tricky to join two doors and get them aligned with the fuselage so there's minimal join-lines. The main airframe is ostensibly complete save for some antennae and the props, and if you've been sparing with the glue when assembling the engines, the latter should still spin once complete. Your final choice is bombs, tanks or gun-packs hung under the wings. The bombs are made up from two halves each with a spinner insert in the rear and their attachment points moulded into the port side, the gun-packs have a handed three part pod that fits around the central gun-tray, and the drop tanks are simple two-part assemblies with their attachment points moulded into the port side again. They are all mounted on pegs, and fit into their holes that you remembered to drill in the wings before you closed them up, didn't you? Markings In this initial boxing there are three options included on the decal sheet, one in bare metal, the other two in olive drab, one of which has a bare metal leading-edge panel to the tail and an all-over olive drab finish. From the box you can build one of the following: B-26B-50-DL, 437th BS, 319th BG, Machinato, Okinawa, July 1945 (Overall NMF, with blue tail) B-26B-50-DL, 344th BS, 319th BG, Machinato, Okinawa, July 1945 (Overall NMF) B-26B-51-DL 89th BS, 3rd GB, Okinawa August 1945 (OB/Gray) The decals are printed anonymously. They have good registration, colour density and sharpness, and include a number of stencils that are legible with the right eyeware. If you forgot to ream out those cartridge chutes in the wing before you closed them up, some kind soul has added two decals with three black rectangles to help you out. Conclusion This model should make a fair few people happy, and consign a lot of old Monogram kits to deep stash or eBay as a result. Detail is excellent and made so much nicer by the matt surface, and there's a fair proportion of the interior included for what is bound to be a popular kit. Smear a little filler into those light sink-marks before you get started, and no-one will know they're there. Keep 'em coming ICM! Very highly recommended. Available in the UK from importers H G Hannants Ltd. Review sample courtesy of
  8. ICM is to release 1/32nd Stearman Kaydet kits in 2020 - ref. 32050 - Stearman PT-17/N2S-3 Kaydet American Training Aircraft (100% new molds) - Source: https://www.hannants.co.uk/product/ICM32050 - ref. 32051 - Stearman PT-17 with American Cadets - III quarter 2020 Source: https://www.hannants.co.uk/product/ICM32051 - ref. 32052 - Stearman PT-13/N2S-2/5 Kaydet, American Training Aircraft - IV quarter 2020 Source: https://www.hannants.co.uk/product/ICM32052 V.P.
  9. Stearman PT-13/N2S-2/5 Kaydet (32052) 1:32 ICM via Hannants The Stearman Aircraft Corporation was founded in 1927 by Lloyd Stearman. then in 1929 it was sold to The United Transport & Aircraft Corporation. This would then split in 1934 due to US Antitrust legislation with Boing which had been a part of it becoming its own business again; Stearman then became a subsidiary of Boeing. At about this time they designed what would become their most famous aircraft the Model 75 Kaydet. The new aircraft was a conventional tail wheeled biplane with an un-cowled radial engine. The aircraft was selected as the basic primary trainer for the USAAF and the USN, as well as for the Royal Canadian Air Force. In USAAF Service it would be designated the PT-13 with a Lycoming R-680 engine, The PT-17 with a Continental R-670-5 engine, and a PT-18 with a Jacobs R-755 engine. The USN had the NS, and NS2 with a variety of engines. Canadian PT-27 aircraft were USAAF PT-17s supplied under Lease Lend. In total over 10000 aircraft were built, many were sold off post war, and a lot of these still survive today. The Kit This is a new tool kit from ICM. Following on from the original PT-17 kit this boxing features different engine parts and new decals. The quality of the plastic is first rate with nice moulding inside and outside of the main fuselage. Fabric effects are very good. The kit arrives on 4 main sprues and a small clear sprue for the two screens. Construction starts with the main framework that forms the internal structure for the two pilots. The two sides have additional parts such as the throttles added, along with the rudder pedals The floor frame has the duel controls added, and then the two sides can be joined up. There is a front V shaped frame to be added however this has strangely been missed off the instructions. The one piece seats can then be added to their support frames and installed in the main cockpit frame. This is now ready to be installed into the fuselage. The tail wheel has to be put in at this stage and then the fuselage can be closed up. The main landing gear and wheels can now be attached to the main fuselage. Next up are the wings and rear control surfaces. The tail planes with their separate control surfaces are added first, followed by the large rudder. The main lower wing is next. This is a single part lower section with left/right uppers. Once this is on the windscreens are added for ease of access. The upper wing can now be constructed (single part upper & lower sections). The mounting struts are then added to this wing before mounting it to the airframe. Next up its the engine. The engine mounts and exhaust parts are added to the fuselage and then the engine itself can be constructed and added. The engine is quite detailed as its on show but there is penalty of room for detailing it up further. Decals A large in house sheet gives markings for three aircraft. N2S-2 Corpus Christi NAS, 1941 (Box art) PT-13 USAAF, Randolph Field, 1941 (Classic Yellow/blue scheme) N2S-5 USN, Unit not known 1944, (all over Aluminium scheme) Conclusion Another first-rate kit from ICM of an important training aircraft. Highly recommended. Available in the UK from importers H G Hannants Ltd. Review sample courtesy of
  10. WWII French Tank Crew (35647) 1:35 ICM via Hannants We reviewed the new FCM 36 from ICM recently here, and in the same shipment there was also this figure set that will work perfectly with this kit, and could also be pressed into use on many other French WWII tanks with little or no modification. Truthfully, calling it a tank crew kit does it an injustice, as it also includes two children that are being shown around the vehicle by the crew, which you can use to create a scene, or put the little ones to one side for another day if you have a different atmosphere in mind. The box is a top-opening affair with a captive inner lid, and inside is one sprue and a single sheet instruction and painting guide, similar to those found on the back of a standard figure box. There are three tankers and two boys, two tankers are stood, presumably showing the kids around, one pointing out some part of the vehicle to the lad clutching his beret in both hands. The final figure is sat half inside the turret on the hatch, with a WWII style French tank helmet with bumper at around brow level. The other two crew are both wearing berets with badges on the front and all three are dressed differently, including pull-over, tunic and overcoat, as well as a heat-resistant gauntlet for the seated figure. The chap with the tunic has a separate rear to the back of his tunic, to give the correct overhang (underhang?) as he bends slightly forward to bring himself down to the level of the boy he’s talking to. The boys are both dressed as you would expect two young lads in WWII France to be, with shorts, socks & shoes, but with different tops as would be expected. As usual with ICM figures their sculpting is exceptional with crisp detail, realistic cloth drape and sensible parts breakdown plus loads of extra detail moulded into each part as appropriate. Conclusion The perfect accompaniment to any French tank from interwar, or early WWII to give the model some human scale. Highly recommended. Available in the UK from importers H G Hannants Ltd. Review sample courtesy of
  11. ICM is to release in Q4 2018 Q2 2019 a 100% new tool 1/48th Dornier Do.217N-1 - ref. 48271 Source: https://www.hannants.co.uk/product/ICM48271 V.P.
  12. U-2/Po-2 WWII Soviet Multi-Purpose Aircraft (72244) 1:72 ICM The Polikarpov Po-2 or U-2 in the training role, was a standard training bi-plane developed to replace the U-1 which was a copy of the Avro 504. The prototype first flew in 1928. The aircraft would also later find roles in crop dusting, light attack, reconnaissance, liaison and even psychological warfare, The Russian forces used the aircraft very successfully in the night bomber role where the Germans nicknamed it the Sewing Machine due to the note from its engine. The aircraft would also go on to fire some of the first shots in the Korean War. American forces would nickname the aircraft "Bedcheck Charlie" due to its nocturnal raids. Due to its low radar signature the aircraft was very hard to detect by allied forces in Korea. In what was fast becoming the Jet age the Po-2 was credited with a kill on an F-94 when it stalled trying to shoot down the Po-2, and a USMC would score the Skyraiders only Air-2-Air victory against a Po-2. It is estimated that upto 30,000 aircraft were built and it was in production longer than any other soviet era aircraft. The Albanian Air Force only retired the type in 1985! The Kit This is not to be confused with ICM's previous boxing of the aircraft, this is a new tool kit from them. The kit arrives on a single main sprue and this boxing has an additional sprue for the under wing & over wing pods. The moulding is first class as you would expect from ICM, the fabric effects are very good and should look quite realistic under a coat of paint. There is another boxing of this kit from ICM for the night bomber, however this can not be built directly from this box as the sprue with the bombs and rear machine gun is not included here. Construction starts in the fairly basic cockpits. Instrument panels are built up and installed into the fuselage as well a some flight controls. The fuselage is then closed up and the front added on to mount the engine. Once this is finished work can start on the wings. For the lower wing holes are opened up then the seats and their frames can be installed in the centre section which also forms the cockpit floor. one on this can then be added to the main fuselage. Next up the engine is made up and installed on the front of the fuselage. The tail planes and the rudder are then added. Underneath the main wing now the undercarriage is built up (or skis as needed) and adde The struts are then added and the upper wing can be added. A basic rigging diagram is provided to rig the bi-plane. Markings There are four decal options included in the box. From the box you can build one of the following: U-2 Summer 1943, Black/Green over blue camo. (Fitted with over wing pods) U-2 Winter 1942 overall white. (Fitted with under wing pods) Po-2 339th Independant liason air regiment, 3rd Russian Front, Feb 1945 (Green/Black/.Tan/Brown over blue scheme) U-2 Summer 1941 Green over blue camo. Decals are printed by ICM, with good registration, sharpness and colour density, with a thin gloss carrier film cut close to the printed areas. Conclusion It is good to see an important historical aircraft like this kitted, and its good to see the ICM kit on release again. The inclusion of a figure set makes for a ready made airfield diorama. Very highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of
  13. FCM 36 French Light Tank (35336) 1:35 ICM via Hannants The FCM 36 was a light infantry tank that was the result of a proposal issued by the French government in 1933 after Hotchkiss had offered a design to the ministry. Of the resulting series of designs from the different manufacturers, three were taken forward including designs by Hotchkiss, Renault and of course FCM, which stands for Forges et Chantiers de la Méditerranée, who were based at Toulon in the French Riviera. The FCM offering was well-liked due to its sloped welded armour, and was continued with despite the fact that they couldn’t get the thing working during the initial test period. It was sent back for repair, and that also turned up a number of other issues such as weak suspension and insufficient armour, increasing weight even further over the original limit. It was originally equipped with a pair of machine guns in much the same way as the German Panzer I, but one was removed in favour of a 37mm cannon, mounted in a turret that was intended to become the standard turret design for all French light tanks, despite a number of problems. One of the reasons it was well-liked was that it was considered to be the design with the most design potential, which was in part responsible for some serious delays spent working on an upgraded version that eventually came to nothing. By the time they had reverted back to the comparatively superior original it was outdated, and too late to fight the advancing Germans in any great numbers. The Kit This is a new tool of this type from ICM, so is a thoroughly modern kit, arriving in ICM’s usual top opening box with captive inner flap, holding six sprues of grey styrene, two runs of flexible black tracks, a small decal sheet and instruction booklet within, the latter having colour painting guides on both sides of the glossy rear cover. It is crisply moulded with lapped panels, rivets and weld-lines over the exterior, and although there is no interior, the crew hatches can be posed open as long as you either block the view with figures or prepare yourself for some scratch-building of any visible areas. Construction begins with the lower hull, which is made up initially of the floor and two sides, with bulkheads added to the sides to support the lower sponson panels that give the vehicle more ground clearance. The running gear is made up from a three-part drive sprocket, eighteen sets of twin wheels that are fitted to eight double bogies and two singles, then the big idler wheels at the rear of the hull on sliding tensioning axles. The sloped armoured upper sponsons are installed along the way, with the mud-shedding “windows” on each side. Two pairs of return rollers on the top run are glued inside the sponson, then the flexible black “rubberband” tracks are glued together, the instructions neglecting to mention that styrene glues won’t join them, so you should use super glue or epoxy instead. Each run has two sections, with the joints best placed in the centre of each run so they stand less chance of being seen on the finished model. Detail on the tracks is very nice, with twin guide horns and perforated centres like the real thing, but of course the links will curve round the ends, rather than give the correct faceted look that individual links provide. The upper hull is mostly complete, needing some small facets adding near the glacis, and some louvered vents on the engine deck and sides. Lifting eyes, latches and other small parts are added around the rear and sides, then are joined by a set of pioneer tools, a loop of cable, and a large bifurcated exhaust system that exits the top of the engine deck and has two mufflers, one on each rear fender with a hollow flared exhaust pipe. Stipple those with some Mr Surfacer and paint them lots of shades of rust, and they should be a nice focal point of the model. The driver’s pop-up hatch has grab handles, armoured vision port and large exposed support ram on the left side that can pose the hatch open if you wish. Hinges for the moulded-in lower panel on the glacis are also fitted at this time, as is a folded tarp on the left side. Despite the kit having no true interior, you get a full breech and coaxial machine gun that slots through a perforated inner mantlet that bears a passing resemblance to a piece of swiss cheese, then has supports added to the sides, which are in turn glued to the turret bottom with the upper dropped over it, and an outer mantlet cover slid over the barrel. The barrel is tipped with a hollow muzzle, a domed recuperator cap, and armoured bell-shaped cover for the machine gun barrel, then the various vision ports are fixed to the sides, and the large trapezoid hatch at the rear is made up and can be attached open or closed. A couple of grab-handles are glued to the sides of the hatch aperture to assist the commander in and out of the turret, then the completed assembly is twisted into position on a pair of bayonet lugs that should hold it in place throughout most of its traverse. The final task is to make up four lengths of chain from the two sprues of oval-shaped styrene parts, which are held on the towing eyes front and rear by a pair of pegs. Markings There are two decal options on the colourful decal sheet, both being French as you’d expect. From the box you can depict one of the following: FCM 36, 7th BCC, Chemery, France, 14th May 1940 FCM 36, 4th BCC, France, 10th June 1940 The decals have good registration, sharpness and colour density, with a thin gloss carrier film cut close to the printed areas. Conclusion A fairly niche subject that has been well-represented by this new kit. We understand that technical assistance was provided by Michael Brodhaeker for this project. Highly recommended. Available in the UK from importers H G Hannants Ltd. Review sample courtesy of
  14. Fiat CR.42 LW (32021) 1:32 ICM The Fiat CR.42 Falco (Falcon) was developed in the late 1930s at a time when the more modern monoplane fighters were starting to outstrip bi-planes in performance but it was felt they still had a place. The CR.42 was a development of the CR.32 which were used with success in the Spanish Civil War. The new aircraft would feature a supercharged radial engine and be of simple clean strong construction offering good manoeuvrability. The CR.42 was considered to be the best bi-plane available at the start of WWII although that in itself might be faint praise. Despite its apparent obsolescence the CR.42 would fight in every campaign with the Italian Forces and be exported to Belgium, Sweden, and Hungary. The Luftwaffe would use the aircraft after taking over Italian examples following the 1943 armistice. Following this the Luftwaffe placed and order for 200 CR.42 LW, these were optimised for night harassment and operations against partisan forces mainly in the Balkans. The LW featured underwing racks for 4 50kgs bombs and a flame dampened exhaust. Of the 200 ordered 150 were built with 112 being accepted into service. The Kit This is a new tool kit from ICM, the original release was for the Italian Air Force, now followed up with this Luftwaffe release. The parts are crisp and well moulded consistent with ICMs modern tooling. Construction starts with the cockpit, as with most fighters of the this era this is a tubular affair which sits into the fuselage. The base of the seat fits to the floor with the flight controls going in. The front bulkhead fits to this with the rudder controls attached to it. The rest of the frames then builds up around this with the back of the seat going in. Into the main fuselage the pilots headrest is fitted along with the instrument panel (instruments are provided as decals). Once these two parts are in the cockpit can be fitted in and the fuselage closed up. The decking in front of the cockpit can then be added. At the rear of the aircraft the rudder and tailplanes can then be constructed and added., with the tail wheel assembly going on under the tail. Moving to the front of the aircraft the detailed engine is built up. There are two banks of cylinders for the radial engine with an exhaust manifold and ignition harness. The propeller hub attaches to the front and a full set of cowl flaps to the rear. There are sets for open and closed flaps. The cowl and covers can then be attached, though the covers can be left off to show the engine, The completed unit then attached to the front of the aircraft and the air filter then goes on. We now move onto the wing. The lower wings are two part left and right, with a single upper wing split top/bottom. There is one set of struts from each side of the fuselage, then two sets per wing. All fit into positive locating points. The top side ailerons are separate parts with their control horns being added. Once the wings are on its time to fit the propeller and fixed under carriage. Here the two different decal options feature slightly different parts so the modeller will need to pick their option. If going for the first decal option the long flame dampening exhausts will need to be added as well. If the bomb racks are to be used hopefully you opened up the holes in the main lower wing! The racks and their four bombs can now be fitted. Decals Two options are provided for on the decal sheet: 2./Nacht Schlacht Gruppe 9, Luftwaffe, Turin April 1944 Nacht Schlacht Gruppe 20, Luftwaffe, Strasbourg, October 1943 The decals look nicely printed with no issues. Conclusion It is great to see ICM releasing new tools of aircraft like this in 1/32 Available in the UK from importers H G Hannants Ltd. Review sample courtesy of
  15. Now that I have two completed builds out of the way for the Vietnam GB it is time for me to join in on the MTO fun. I had planned a more time consuming and larger build (a 1/48 Ju-88) but there's no way I will get that done now and I have other build commitments ongoing and more on the way so I needed to find something that was doable in the time frame. A root around the stash threw up a few of the usual suspects that are already being covered on this round of the MTO GB such as the Bf 109 and P-40 but I wanted to do something different, then I found this little beauty in the vehiclular section of the stash, an ICM 1/48 Sd.kfz.222, perfect! Those of you confused by the title of the build will not be aware of what was a long running British comedy show called "Allo, Allo". It followed the exploits of a French cafe owner and resistance member during the German occupation in WWII and had quite a few main characters (most of which wouldn't be allowed by today's PC police) from both sides, one of which was a rather camp Lieutenant Gruber who was the proud owner of a "little tank" as he referred to it, it was in fact an Sd.kfz.222! So lets imagine that he finally tired of his time in the French countryside and went in search of adventure on the Dark Continent in his little tank in the company of the D.A.K. Putting that nonsense aside,for moment at least, I have built a few of these in DAK markings over the years from the old Airfix German Reconnaissance Set which had one of these in it and a Kubelwagen and would like to do a 1/48 DAK diorama with a couple of vehicles including the 222 so what better place to make a start on one of the diorama components. The kit is really rather nice with nicely moulded plastic parts and even an etched fret to reproduce the mesh on top of the turret for keeping out such nasties as hand grenades or Molotov cocktails. The teeny tiny decal sheet even has markings for a DAK machine, the middle one in the pic below; I am hoping that this should be a relatively quick build, but we all know how that usually works out! Thanks for looking and any help or advice along the way will be extremely welcome. Craig.
  16. The ICM kit of a Mig-29 from the Swifts aerobatic team straight from the box. The kit decals only provide straight lines but the scheme needs many curves and the decals tend to break easily if coaxed to bend, so I masked all of the swift and only used the silver stripes. Steve
  17. Abandoned Moskvitch Kit: Moskvitch-401-420A Soviet Passenger Car (#35484) Scale: 1/35 Aftermarket: MiG Dry Leaves Paints: Vallejo Model Color, Model Air & Metal Color, Lifecolor Weathering: Mig weathering products, Lifecolor pigments, Flory Models wash My first ever car kit, was bit lost with the construction so it has numerous build errors - but I was mainly concentrating on the painting & weathering and had really fun time with it. Despite almost abandoning it for real to the shelf of doom at one point. Detail of the kit was real nice but the plastic is quite soft and the build process seemed quite complicate at a times (which was not helped by the very fine parts) - but I suspect it was mainly due to builder errors. Just make sure your chassis comes up straight, I built mine bit wonky. Definitely looking forwards to more car kits! I think this car will probably end up in a diorama. Thanks for looking - comments & constructive criticism welcomed! Build thread: New photos 16/11/2020:
  18. Polish Regiment Representative Officer (16010) 1:16 ICM via Hannants The Polish military have Honour Guard regiments for each branch of their armed forces who perform ceremonial duties, with each having their own bespoke and distinct uniforms. The army Representative Regiment wears the Rogatywka, which is a peaked cap with a four-pointed top that errs toward the rear of the wearer’s head, and despite appearances it is hardened to afford some limited protection to the wearer. The badge on the front of the cap is the Polish Eagle, and the members of the regiment also carry a ceremonial sword on parade, although this is swapped out for a rifle when carrying out duties such as guarding the tomb of the unknown soldier as well as other memorials throughout Poland. The Kit This is a brand-new tooling from ICM, and represents the uniform as it is today. It arrives in ICM’s usual top-opening box with captive inner lid, and inside are two sprues of grey styrene, a sprue of black styrene and plinth, plus a single instruction sheet printed in colour on both sides. At the bottom of the box you will also find a print of the box artwork, which could be framed and hung if you're so minded. Construction and painting guides are shown on the same set of diagrams, using the parts on the grey sprues, which comprise separate head, torso, legs and arms, plus the two-part Rogatywka. The white lanyard is moulded into the torso, but the Aiguillette is a separate section that is glued between the separate shoulder boards and the top button of the jacket, which has separate tails that hang down over the trousers. Due to the position of the hands, they are supplied in parts with some fingers moulded-in, and others separately on the left hand, and with a complete separate hand, cuff and fingers on the right hand, which is tasked with holding the unsheathed sword, while the scabbard is steadied by the left. The sword also has a tassel fitted to the pommel, hanging down below the hand guard. A choice of traditional leather or modern composite paddle holsters are also supplied for your choice, attaching to the belt in the small of the soldier’s back. The base is moulded in black, and has a choice of four different surfaces for the top and a base for the bottom. The choices comprise a flat asphalt surface plus three styles of cobble or paving stones. Markings There are no decals included in the box, but the various badges, ribbon bars and emblems are all shown with colour call-outs, and they are all large enough to be painted carefully by hand, although the piping around the cap will need a steady hand or careful masking. Conclusion This is a handsome kit of a ceremonial uniform that was brought back into use in 1993, drawing its cues from older uniforms used in Poland over the years. Highly recommended. Available in the UK from importers H G Hannants Ltd. Review sample courtesy of
  19. Hi there! I make aircraft models - but wanted to try out some cars too. I'm mainly interested in the weathering aspect of cars and adding them into diorama environment. So honestly, I'm not much of a 'car guy' but I suspect this will be fun and different kind of challenge in any case. So the kit that I have is this: And this is what we have in the box: It's a fine looking model for sure. Pretty crisp details and quite a lot of details overall. Not your average Heller 1:32 Volvo truck, eh @JeroenS ? In addition to this being my first car kit ever, it's my first ICM kit ever. First impression is good, nice box art, good sturdy box, crisp looking model and a manual that makes sense. So let the building commence. I thought I'd make a sacrifice to the carpet monster early on, before I lose something important. One of the pedals went missing so I made a new one from a piece of sprue. It's not completely straight forward kit, the exterior of the car is made from quite many pieces, have to think about a little in what order I will qlue the the parts down or do I need to paint them first. Planes tend to be bit more simple, you just paint the cockpit separately and once it's done you will put the fuselage together. Started putting together the engine too. Not much of this will be visible but it's nice that the underside of the car and the engine are well detailed too. There are lot of skinny parts - and the plastic is bit on the soft side so need to be extra careful not breaking anything. Next, some paint.
  20. BM-13-16 on WOT 8 Chassis w/Soviet Crew (35592) 1:35 ICM via Hannants Made by Ford UK under the Fordson brand, the WOT 8 was the last of a long line of vehicles using similar nomenclature in service of the British Army. Introduced in 1941 there were approximately 2,500 built, with a number of those sent to Russia as Lend/Lease vehicles, of which a number were converted to carry BM-13-16 Katyusha rockets on an angled rack that extended partially over the cab and is bolted firmly to the chassis. They carried 16 RS-132 rockets in an over-and-under configuration on each of the eight rails, which made a uncanny howling roar as they were unleashed from the rails. Its large fuel tank gave it a healthy range and a reasonable top speed thanks to the Ford V8 engine that put out 85hp, which wasn’t terrible for the day. The Kit This is rebox of a new tool from ICM as part of their WOT line, based upon the initial WOT8 we reviewed here. The kit arrives in a standard ICM box with their captive inner lid and a nice rendition of the vehicle and crew on the top. Inside are thirteen sprues in grey styrene, five tyres in flexible black plastic, a clear sprue, a small fret of Photo Etch (PE) brass and glossy colour instruction booklet. More than a few of the parts aren’t used in this variant, and those parts are overprinted in pink to assist you in ignoring them. Detail is excellent throughout as we’ve come to expect from ICM, and the extra figures are the icing on the cake that gives the model a human scale once complete, and will come in handy if you plan on including it in a diorama. Construction begins with the amended chassis ladder and the front sub-frame with cross-members and leaf spring suspension, plus a full V8 block made up from a good number of parts. The exhaust has a silencer near the rear and exits the underside at the rear of the aft suspension springs, to which the rear axle and differential are fitted, then joined to the central transfer box by a driveshaft with the front axle having a similar reversed layout plus steering box. The drum brakes are hidden behind the wheels, which are made up from the flexible “rubber” tyre that is sandwiched between the inner and outer hub, plus extra detail parts on both sides, eventually slotting onto a long axle front and rear. The underside is mostly complete, and attention turns to the body beginning with the engine compartment between the two curved front wings. Radiator, air filter and fan are added along with a hand-crank for manual starting, then the radiator hosing is installed so that the side plates that isolate the power plant from the crew cab interior can be added. In the right foot well the driver’s controls are added, with a handbrake further to the rear, and a central instrument panel sits almost on top of the engine. The crew seats sit atop boxes and have separate cushions for back and base, after which the cab can be boxed in, adding detail parts and glazing panels as you go. The sloping cab is trimmed with a dash panel and steering wheel, then separate doors with handles and more glazing are put in place either open, closed or anywhere in between at your whim, then closed in with the rear cab and finally the curved-sided roof. The PE radiator grilles have to be bent to match the contours of the sloped front, and should be attached with Super Glue (CA). The spare wheel and the substantial fuel tank are built next, and positioned behind the cab on their brackets. On the original kit the truck bed would now be made up (and the parts for it are still in this boxing), but for this boxing the rocket launching rails and their elevating apparatus are constructed. The eight rails are built up from three parts each to create an I-beam, it has stoppers and end plates added, then they are all threaded together on three tubular cross members. The modeller will need set the spacing of these using the provided jig, gluing them in place whilst being careful not to glue the jig in place too. The complex frame with elevation mechanism is assembled, which can be in either the raised or lowered position by swapping out the long or short elevation jack before joining the two assemblies and adding clips over the bare cross-braces. The full complement of 16 rockets are then added to the rails after adding the additional fins in the aforementioned over/under configuration. The amended flatbed for the launching system is then built up onto the curved rear mudguards and attached to the back of the truck along with a few small additions to the chassis, such as supports for the completed rocket assembly, which itself is held in place by the addition of brackets and washers around the framework. Two rear ground stabilisers are fitted to the rear of the chassis along with lights, shutters over the cab, heat/fume deflector over the radiator, windscreen wipers, rear view mirrors and extended elevation adjustment winders on the port side are all added, with folded shutters to protect the cab windows from the blast and heat when the rockets were being fired. Figures (35648) All four figures are on one sprue with a separate instruction booklet and product code. They are moulded in ICM’s by now familiar lifelike style, with lots of detail, realistic poses and sculpting, and including a number of weapons to sling over their shoulders. Three of the figures are shown loading rockets onto the back of the rails, while the fourth can either be their commander watching over the process, or with the tweak of his arm, he can be propping up the next rocket for loading with one of his hands, as can be seen in the picture below. Markings There are no markings in this boxing, as they weren’t technically frontline units due to the trajectory of the rockets necessitating distance between them and their targets. Unless the users daubed patriotic slogans on the sides, identification clearly wasn’t a priority. You can guess that the scheme is Soviet Green, with the rockets in steel. Conclusion Another first-rate variant from ICM of a previously overlooked British truck that was fairly common both during WWII and after. The inclusion of a Russian Katyusha conversion increases the interest to those of us that like their models to go BANG!, and for me the figures complete the package. Highly recommended. Available in the UK from importers H G Hannants Ltd. Review sample courtesy of
  21. Sd.Kfz.247 Ausf.B (35110) 1:35 ICM via Hannants The Sd.Kfz.247 was a small four-wheeled 4x4 armoured car that was ordered in small quantities to keep battalion commanders and other officer types safe whilst ranging around the battlefield marshalling their subordinates. They weren’t intended for front-line use, but were sufficiently armoured to withstand a 7.62mm round from a distance, although the open rear compartment would have been a tempting target for a well-lobbed grenade. They were manufactured by Mercedes Benz on a Horch 108 chassis, and could maintain a good 50mph top-speed on a made-up road thanks to its 8-cylinder 3.5L Horch petrol engine. It had better off-road characteristics than its 6-wheeled Ausf.A predecessor, and saw extensive use in the early part of WWII, during the fast-paced Blitzkrieg advances through France and the lowlands. The Kit This is a new tool from ICM, but it does share a few clear parts with one of their earlier Mercedes kits, using the light lenses and little else, plus the tyres from the Horch. It is a fairly niche product with only 58 having been made and used at the beginning of WWII, but it’s an attractive armoured car, and as they intimated on their Facebook page, it bears a passing resemblance to the recently announced Tesla Cyber Truck. It arrives in ICM’s usual top-opening box with captive tray lid, and there are five sprues in grey styrene, a tree of black flexible tyres, a clear sprue, decal sheet, and a glossy-covered instruction booklet with painting guide on the rear cover. Detail is excellent, as we’ve come to expect from ICM, including an almost full interior with engine, radio gear, seating and pioneer tools all depicted in styrene. Construction begins with the ladder chassis, with two beams running front to back that have a box-section profile thanks to an insert, separate suspension mounts and cross-braces, plus the two axles with their differential bulges in the middle. The upper swing-arms are fitted onto the chassis and mate with the combined hub/brake drum parts, then the steering arms and other parts are installed, the two-part twin springs per wheel are glued in, and the lower swing-arms close up the assembly. The power pack is built around the two-part block with cylinder heads, ancillaries, exhaust manifolds and timing belts added before it is inserted into the chassis over the front axle. The front bumper iron is built up and fitted with hooks, then placed at the front of the chassis rails, after which the wheels can be made, comprising three parts to the hubs, which press on either side of the flexible tyres, being well-detailed and come from an earlier Horch kit. These could be painted and weathered after a good scrub in warm soapy water to improve adhesion. This is replicated on each corner, with a keyed shaft ensuring correct location on the rear of the hubs. Attention now turns to the bodyshell, which begins with a tread-plated floor pan that has a number of parts added to the underside first, then is flipped over and receives the driver’s foot pedals. The lower sides are separate, and have doors with handles fitted, external arches and other clamshell doors, then they’re attached to the floor along with the radiator to create the angular lower hull, which is then joined to the chassis and has all the remaining underpinnings and mudflaps added along the way. With the two assembles mated, the radiator is joined up and the rest of the driver controls are installed with the instrument panel, plus decals for the dials in the dash. The gear shifter, hand brake and the crew seats are next, with a bench seat opposite the large double-stack radio rack that is built from a large number of parts into a well-detailed assembly that just needs a few cables. Another jump seat is positioned next to the radio stack, and it has tubular framing, just like the rest of the seats in this vehicle. The upper bodyshell is prepared with front drivers’ inner and outer hatches plus three more hatches on each side, with mechanisms applied from the inside, and each one is shown in a scrap diagram to assist with correct placement of the parts. A hatch on the bonnet/hood is installed, then the hull halves are mated, with an armoured panel and headlamps at the front, plus width “lollipops” on both fenders and the exhaust on the right rear one. There are numerous raised shapes on the exterior of the vehicle, which are location points for the many scabbed-on stowage boxes of various shapes that clutter the sides of the vehicle, and are joined by rear lights, covered spare wheel, towing hitch, aerial mast and the familiar pioneer tools that adorned the outside of almost every WWII German truck, tank of armoured car. Convoy light, wing mirror and another aerial finish off the build. Markings There are four decal options on the small sheet, with two in panzer grey and another in the late war dark yellow, having survived up until D-Day. From the box you can build one of the following: Sd.Kfz.247 Ausf.B Grossdeutschland, Ukraine, Summer 1942 Sd.Kfz.247 Ausf.B Russia, Autumn 1941 Sd.Kfz.247 Ausf.B Russia, Summer 1941 Sd.Kfz.247 Ausf.B France, Summer 1944 Decals are printed by ICM’s usual partner on a bright blue backing paper, having good register, sharpness and colour density as well as nice crisp instrument decals to detail the interior. Conclusion It’s a fairly rare piece of WWII German hardware, and a detailed model in the bargain, with just about everything you might need to build an excellent replica of this coupé of the armoured car world. Highly recommended. Available in the UK from importers H G Hannants Ltd. Review sample courtesy of
  22. 80 years ago today, Lt. Herbert Huck, Gefr. Georg Kerkhoff, Uffz. Paul Plischke and Fw. August Skokan of 9.KG26 based in Stavanger, Norway were briefed to attack the airfield at Leuchars in Fife with shipping and dock facilities in the Firth of Tay as an alternative target. They departed mid-morning in Heinkel He-111H-3 1H+FT but there seems to be some confusion over whether this was in the company of other aircraft or alone. We will examine this later. We next hear of the Heinkel approaching the city of Aberdeen from the North, a good 60 miles northeast of its intended target. One possible explanation is that the crew had opted to minimise their time over the North Sea, making landfall over the nearest part of Scotland to Norway, then making their way to Leuchars inland avoiding the massed defences and radar sites around the firths of Tay and Forth. Their hopes of remaining undetected en-route to the target were frustrated by a raid earlier that day which had left the Observers Corp, responsible for tracking enemy movements inland, on full alert and able to sound the alarm in time for the three Spitfires of yellow section, 603 (City of Edinburgh) squadron to be scrambled from RAF Dyce (now Aberdeen Airport) and intercept the intruder. The Heinkel flew across Aberdeen towards the sea, harried by the Spitfires and jettisoning its bomb load until reaching the sea it turned southwest, possibly deterred by the barrage of fire coming from the defences on the coast and ships in the harbour. Pilot Officers J. R. Caister and G.K. Gilroy and Sergeant I. K. Arber finally delivered the coup d'grace over the city's Duthie Park and the Heinkel plummeted into a nearly completed ice rink on South Anderson Drive striking the top of a tree on the way. All four members of the crew were killed instantly. Eye witnesses related how one crew member was hanging out of a hatch on the aircraft when it crashed, presumably attempting to bail out. Friday 12th July 1940 was known as Black Friday in Aberdeen for many years afterwards because of the bomb damage caused that day. Hall Russell shipyard was struck along with a nearby bar where many of the yard workers were spending their lunch killing 25 and injuring close to 100 men, according to council records. Several other areas in the city also received damage with further loss of life. As you can imagine, this was a memorable event for Aberdonians and growing up, I often had the tree the Heinkel had hit pointed out to me. Right enough, it did have a bit of a lean and a truncated look to it. So when I saw that this group build was coming up, I decided that I would build the doomed machine as it might have appeared before setting out on its last flight. To my surprise, I discovered that this would not be the first time 1H+FT has appeared on Britmodeller. @Jamie @ Sovereign Hobbies built this very aircraft here and I will be brazenly appropriating some of his findings such as the fact that the aircraft appeared to be carrying its full serial on the underside of its wings. As Jamie says in his build, there doesn't seem to be much information available about this aircraft so much of this build will be based on hopefully not too wild surmise. I'll be building the ICM 1/48 He-111H-3 as one of the few things about this incident there seems to be much consensus on is that the Heinkel was indeed an H-3 and this was the only model of that version I could find readily available. I'll be building it OOB apart from some PE harnesses. Finally, a personal note. Seconds before plunging into the ice rink, the Heinkel narrowly missed the houses of the Ruthrieston area of the city. At the time there was speculation that Lt Huck had made heroic efforts to avoid the houses, though others maintained that he was instead trying to reach the open fields beyond the ice rink or had mistaken the rink for a factory and had decided to make the ultimate sacrifice for the Fatherland. It's equally likely that Lt. Huck had been killed or disabled by that point and the aircraft was out of control. Whatever the truth of this, the fact is that my mother, who would have been 7 at the time, was living in one of the houses under to the doomed aircraft's flight path and a small alteration in its course might have resulted in me never existing at all, a small matter in the great scheme of things but pretty important to me. Makes you think. More soon, Craig.
  23. Hello Britmodellers! 🙂 I bought this little kit some time ago and while the plastic soldiers from the U.S. 1st Infantry Division are waiting for the diorama base and Vigilante - for the riveting - I decided to share the build with you. An attractive box art (that’s why it was picked up): The box content - it’s only 94 parts to build: Sprue A with a fuselage halves, rudder and engine shroud: Sprues B and E with a wings and canopy glazing: Sprue C with a cockpit, engine details and the rest of the parts: The decals, instructions and the B&W painting guide: The instruction is the only one (smaller than the A4-sheet) and looks very simple: I like the painting scheme pictured above, but I saw the drawings of the «Yellow 14» with a red rudder... Thanks for watching! 🤝
  24. Stearman PT-17 With American Cadets (32051) 1:32 ICM via Hannants The Stearman Aircraft Corporation was founded in 1927 by Lloyd Stearman. then in 1929 it was sold to The United Transport & Aircraft Corporation. This would then split in 1934 due to US Antitrust legislation with Boing which had been a part of it becoming its own business again; Stearman then became a subsidiary of Boeing. At about this time they designed what would become their most famous aircraft the Model 75 Kaydet. The new aircraft was a conventional tail wheeled biplane with an un-cowled radial engine. The aircraft was selected as the basic primary trainer for the USAAF and the USN, as well as for the Royal Canadian Air Force. In USAAF Service it would be designated the PT-13 with a Lycoming R-680 engine, The PT-17 with a Continental R-670-5 engine, and a PT-18 with a Jacobs R-755 engine. The USN had the NS, and NS2 with a variety of engines. Canadian PT-27 aircraft were USAAF PT-17s supplied under Lease Lend. In total over 10000 aircraft were built, many were sold off post war, and a lot of these still survive today. The Kit This is a new tool kit from ICM. The quality of the plastic is first rate with nice moulding inside and outside of the main fuselage. Fabric effects are very good. The kit arrives on 4 main sprues and a small clear sprue for the two screens. Construction starts with the main framework that forms the internal structure for the two pilots. The two sides have additional parts such as the throttles added, along with the rudder pedals The floor frame has the duel controls added, and then the two sides can be joined up. There is a front V shaped frame to be added however this has strangely been missed off the instructions. The one piece seats can then be added to their support frames and installed in the main cockpit frame. This is now ready to be installed into the fuselage. The tail wheel has to be put in at this stage and then the fuselage can be closed up. The main landing gear and wheels can now be attached to the main fuselage. Next up are the wings and rear control surfaces. The tail planes with their separate control surfaces are added first, followed by the large rudder. The main lower wing is next. This is a single part lower section with left/right uppers. Once this is on the windscreens are added for ease of access. The upper wing can now be constructed (single part upper & lower sections). The mounting struts are then added to this wing before mounting it to the airframe. Next up its the engine. The engine mounts and exhaust parts are added to the fuselage and then the engine itself can be constructed and added. The engine is quite detailed as its on show but there is penalty of room for detailing it up further. Decals A large in house sheet gives markings for three aircraft. PT-17 USAAF, 63rd AAF FTD, Douglas, Georgia 1942 (in the classic Blue and yellow training scheme) PT-17, WAASPs, Avenger Feild, Texas, 1943, (All over Aluminium scheme) N2S-3 USN, Unit not known 1943, (Yellow / Aluminium scheme) Figures ICM Bill this kit as the PT-17 with Cadets, however the figure set is their US Wasps set. The WASPs or Women's Air Force Service Pilots was a civilian Women organisation which were US Federal Service Employees. As well as training other pilots they would ferry aircraft around, and test aircraft. Their aim was to free up male pilots for combat roles. The WASPs were disbanded on late 1944 is slightly dubious circumstances. It is estimated that WASP members delivered half of all aircraft production in the US Thirty-eight members lost their lives in accidents, eleven died during training, and twenty-seven were killed on active duty missions, as they were not classed a military they had none of the rights or privileges, and were in the end pretty badly treated. Members only gained veteran status in the late 1970s with the award of a WWI Victory medal in the early 1980s. These could be WASP Cadets, There are three figures, two pilots and one ground personnel it look like. All are what would be considered dressed for the period. In general the mould in crisp and clean with plenty of detail. . Like ICM's recent figures these are well sculpted and should build up well. Conclusion Another first-rate kit from ICM of an important training aircraft, The re-boxing with the figures is a welcome one Highly recommended. Available in the UK from importers H G Hannants Ltd. Review sample courtesy of
  25. ICM is to release 1/72nd Polikarpov Po-2 kits - ref. 72243 - Polikarpov U-2/Po-2VS WWII Soviet Light Night Bomber (100% new molds) NEW Source: https://www.hannants.co.uk/product/ICM72243 - ref. 72244 - Polikarpov U-2/Po-2, WWII Soviet Multi-Purpose Aircraft NEW Source: https://www.hannants.co.uk/product/ICM72244 V.P.
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