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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! 🤝

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

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.

Model T RNAS Armoured Car w/WWI British Tank Crew (35670) 1:35 ICM via Hannants Ltd WWI was the first war to feature mechanisation of infantry mobility with truck and tanks new to the battlefield. As the first truly mass-produced car, it was not long before the Model T was pressed into use, and eventually turned into an armoured car. In 1915, Commander Oliver Locker-Lampson was tasked with taking an expeditionary force to fight on the Eastern Front through Russia and Persia. After a huge gale wrecked the first batch of Lanchester cars, nine specially modified 'Model X Ford' Armoured Cars were developed by Chief Petty Officer L Gutteridge and shipped out to replace the damaged ones. At least half a dozen of them reached the squadron and were used as light recce cars in the summer of 1916 around the Caucuses and Romanian lines. The Kit The kit arrives in the usual ICM top-opening box with the captive flap on the lower tray and artwork depicting the contents on the lid. There is one common sprue in grey and another in clear from their other Model T kits, but a complete new body shell for the armoured car has been tooled, and a sprue added for the Vickers machine gun (we've seen this before too). This boxing has also been augmented by the addition of a WWI tank crew that was released separately earlier, who are equally at home standing outside an armoured car as a tank. In total there are four sprues in grey styrene, one in clear, plus three instruction sheet/booklets relating to the vehicle, the crew and the gun. Construction begins with trimming all the axles shorter to suit the chassis according to the initial diagram, then the front axle has the radiator attached and is glued on to the main floor pan. The engine is then made up from nine individual parts and added in behind the radiator from below. The exhaust is completed and attached to the underfloor along with the rear axle and its prop shaft. Protective side plates fitted under the floor to the outside of the chassis with a wider section covering the engine against incoming rounds. A pair of bracing struts form a triangle with the rear axle, then the chassis is flipped over. The spoked wheels are covered by flat armoured hubcaps on the outer face and have the tyres moulded-in, with one for each corner as you’d expect. The cab floor has a single plank moulded-in, with a shaped rear portion and an optional additional five planks that can be fitted in front for “ultimate” comfort. The pedal box comprises an angled trapezoid into which the three pedals fit on the right side, as this is a British vehicle. The body can now be glued to the back and sides surrounding the radiator with armoured panels, and the steering column is fixed to the steering box with controls fitted between it and the wheel. A pack of ammo boxes and a protective panel are slotted into the space to the left of the wheel, then the left door and sliding hatch is fitted offset onto the floor around the steering column and boxed in at the rear by the back panel, which also has a sliding hatch. The roof with bifold fittings moulded-in and bonnet panels are next, plus the windscreen with its visor and the lower panel for frontal protection, followed by the remains of the steering mechanism and anti-roll mechanism underneath. There’s a lot of lights on this little car, which is the sole reason they kept the clear sprue in this boxing for the lenses, starting with the headlights, then adding two wing lights and a one of the same design at the rear, plus handles for the side door and engine cowling, the latter fixed on both sides. A spare tyre is fixed to the roof on four moulded-in brackets, then the Vickers MG is built up on its tripod with an armoured splash guard and attachment ring on the jacket, which is inserted into the open rear of the car to finish the vehicle build. The figure set depicts the British crews and arrives in a slightly oversized figure shaped box with a top opening lid and captive inner flap. Inside is a single grey styrene sprue and a glossy instruction sheet with a sprue diagram on one side and painting and build instructions on the other. The sprue contains parts for four figures, all of which have separate arms, torso, legs and heads, with map case, revolver holster and gas mask bags as additional parts. The theme of the set has them looking at a map for perhaps an upcoming engagement with one crew member hunkered down pointing at a map with a stick, an officer stood with a stick looking down at the map whilst holding a map case. The other two figures are both stood upright with their heads bowed as if viewing the map, one with his battle bowler on his head and arms behind his back, the other with it in his hands in front of him. The kneeling man also has his helmet in his hand, while the officer has a cap that is made of two parts to obtain the correct shape. The officer is also wearing putties above his boots, and the bare-headed standing figure is wearing spats, while the remaining figures have their trousers loose over their boots. Painting instructions are given around the drawings, using a letter code that corresponds with a chart of Revell and Tamiya paints on the opposite side that also has the colour names if you don't use those brands. Sculpting of the figures is excellent as you would expect from ICM, and the parts breakdown is sensible, with a view to improving detail whilst minimising any filler, breaking along seams or belts where possible. Markings There’s only one markings option in the box, but then it’s a niche use armoured car, so that’s hardly surprising. The scheme is brown over grey camo, or vice versa (you decide), with white-walled tyres for the ultimate in camouflage. The decal sheet is tiny with only a couple of white stencils and two roundels with inverted colours to those you might normally expect. Conclusion A welcome reboxing for those of us that want some figures with our vehicles, and it’ll look great as a diorama if you have the time and skillset. Highly recommended. Available in the UK from importers H G Hannants Ltd. Review sample courtesy of

Cessna O-2A US Navy Service (48291) 1:48 ICM via Hannants Ltd. The O-2A Skymaster replaced the equally well-loved O-1 Bird-dog in the Observation role, adding Psy-Ops and light attack by the fitting additional equipment. It was developed from Cessna’s Type 337 Super Skymaster, and had additional windows in the pilot's side added to improve vision, the superfluous rear seats were replaced with racks of equipment including military radio gear, and hard-points were added under the wings. The twin props at either end of the stubby airframe gave it an element of redundancy in case of enemy fire, which also necessitated the installation of foam into the fuel tanks to help reduce the likelihood of leaks and subsequent fires bringing down the aircraft. With all the extra weight it was slower than the civilian version, but that was considered acceptable due to the crew and airframe protections it afforded. Like the Bird-dog it replaced, it spent a lot of time in Vietnam where it was used extensively in the role of Forward Air Control (FAC) and designated O-2B (31 converted Type 337 airframes) with the installation of loudspeakers to attempt to psychologically batter the enemy with recorded messages and leaflet drops that clearly didn’t have much effect other than supplying them with toilet paper in hindsight. Less than 200 were made in military form straight from the production line, and they continued service after Vietnam until the 80s, when some were sold on and others used in firefighting duties in the US, while others were flown in the nascent war against drugs in central America. The Kit This is a re-boxing of the new tool from ICM. It arrives in a modest-sized top-opening box with ICM’s usual captive inner flap, with two large sprues that fit snugly within the tray in their foil bag. Within that bag is a set of clear parts, and hidden inside the instruction booklet (which has a new more modern design) is the smallish decal sheet for the one option. Construction begins with the equipment racks in the aft fuselage, which are built up onto the bulkhead, then the fuselage halves are prepped with clear windows from the inside, plus an insert at the rear. The top surface of the engine is made up with exhausts and the front fairing that supports the prop axle, which is inserted but not glued. Under this the nose landing-gear bay is fitted with a firewall bulkhead that has the twin rudder pedals inserted before it is mounted into the starboard fuselage half. With those assemblies out of the way, the cockpit fittings are begun. The seats for the pilots have two U-shaped supports and a single piece back each, then the seats and instrument panel (with decals for instruments) with moulded-in centre console and control yokes added are offered up to the spartan cockpit floor, which slides under the already inserted electronics rack. The port fuselage half is decorated with a couple of M16 rifles and an arm-rest, then is joined with the other half taking care to insert at least 10 grams of nose-weight before you do. The aft fuselage has a complex shape that is moulded as a separate insert and is ready for a two-blade prop thanks to its axle and backstop part, and has two moulded-in exhausts under it. The nose gear leg was trapped in the wheel bay during assembly, and the two out-rigger main legs are a single C-shaped part that is trapped in a groove in the fuselage with a set of additional panels over it, making for a strong join, although some enterprising soul will probably make a metal one. Up front the big curved windscreen has a small instrument fitted into a hole in the middle, then is glued in place and the front prop is glued carefully to the axle if you want to leave it spinning. The wings are a single-span part on the top, and has the majority of the roof of the fuselage moulded-in, plus two top windows inserted from inside before fitting. The engine intake is made up from three parts including a separate lip, and fits to the aft of the roof, butting up against the rest of the fairing moulded into the fuselage, with a towel-rail and a small forest of blade antennae attached to the various depressions left for them. The wing undersides are attached after the booms are made up, and you should drill out the flashed-over holes for the pylons if you plan on fitting them. The booms are joined by the wide elevator that is made up of three parts including a poseable flying surface. The two booms are also two parts, and also have separate rudders, which are each single mouldings and can be posed as you see fit. The instructions show the elevator glued to the booms before they are attached to the wings, but this is probably best done at the same time to ensure a good fit and correct alignment, then the lower wing panels mentioned earlier are glued in, trapping the sponson ends between the surfaces. Front gear door, ailerons and wing bracing struts with their fairings are next, then the main wheels, more antennae, and two raised trunks that run along the main fuselage underside are all fitted in place, plus the four identical pylons if you wish, along with their anti-sway braces. You have a choice of using four rocket pods on all pylons, or rocket pods on the outer stations and SUU-11/A Minigun Pods on the inner pylons. The last page of the instructions show the placement of the masks that you are given a printed template for on the page, so you can make masks by placing the tape over the relevant template and either marking the tape and cut it later, or cut it in situ. It’s up to you whether you use the templates, but they’re there if you do. Markings There is only one decal option for this boxing that of VF-122 from NAS Lemoore. 6 aircraft were tranferred from the USAF to be used as range control aircraft by the USN hence the fairly conspicuous paint scheme. The modeller will have to paint both the blue and yellow with only the white lines between the two being in the sheet. The decal printers are anonymous, but they are in good registration, sharpness and colour density, with a thin gloss carrier film cut close to the printed areas. The instrument panel decals are also very crisp and clear. Conclusion It is good to see a modern tooling of this important little aircraft with crisp detail, restrained panel lines, some good decal options and quality clear parts. It is also good to see a decal option away from the USAF norm. Very highly recommended. Available in the UK from importers H G Hannants Ltd. Review sample courtesy of

WWI British Vickers Machine Gun Crew (35713) 1:35 ICM via Hannants The Vickers Machine Gun was a development of 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 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, and I’m proud to say my paternal Grandfather was one of the operators of this type, surviving the war despite getting gassed, and bringing home a medal for bravery into the bargain. We’ve still got his cap badge that has been polished so much that the ribs on the cooling jacket have all-but worn away. The gun remained in service throughout WWI and WWII, and was finally replaced by the General Purpose Machine Gun in the late 60s. Quite a service run. This set includes the parts of the earlier kit that contained just the MG (35712), but adds a two-man crew and lots of accessories. It arrives in a small top-opening box with their usual captive inner flap, and has three sprues in grey styrene plus three sheets of instructions and painting guides. You have a choice of whether to build the gun up in prone or seated positionss in the instructions, but as the figure is 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, 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 peaked caps that glue onto the flat tops of their heads. The gunner is in the seated position operating the weapon, while the ammo feeder is prone, feeding the link into the breech of the gun from the ammo box in front of him. Additional rucksacks, pouches and water bottle parts are included on their sprue, with many more parts on the accessory sprue, which has a separate instruction sheet, mostly for painting purposes. There are copious Lee Enfield rifles, a Lewis gun, spades, axes, more pouches, binoculars and some battle bowlers that could be used instead of the earlier caps if desired. There are also pistols, grenades, wire cutters, a rifle mortar, pick-axe and sheath, and even a football-style rattle for signalling. 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, or Model Master for the accessories. 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 is an important part of WWI, and there were many Vickers guns used in the trenches. My own personal connection aside, it’s a nice little kit either on its own or as part of a larger scene. Very highly recommended. Available in the UK from importers H G Hannants Ltd. Review sample courtesy of

Wehrmacht 3 Axle Trucks (DS3508) 1:35 ICM via Hannants Ltd. While tanks and fighting vehicles maybe the more glamorous side of vehicles used by armies it is often forgotten that the humble truck is the back bone of logistics; without which no army in the world can unction. This set from ICM brings together three of their 3 axle German truck models under one box lid. Henschell 33 D1 German Truck (35466) During the re-armament of German forces it was recognised mechanisation would be a key aspect, and trucks would be needed with a 3t tuck. Henschell, Krupp and Bussing would develop these. The Henschell 33 B1 was first delivered in 1928. In 1929 the D1 was developed with a better engine. From 1933 the truck was again improved with a single carden drive shaft, the axles were moved slightly further apart & the rims went to simplex units with 6 spokes. These trucks were manufactured in large numbers with over 22000 being made. They served in all theaters with the German Army right upto the end of WWII. This comprehensive kit from ICM arrives on 6 sprues of grey plastic and a clear sprue. The parts are very well moulded and the kit comes complete with the engine and all the running gear. Construction starts with the main chassis which is built up like the real thing. The main longitudinal members are joined by the cross members, at the front the engine is assembled and added in, large side running boards are added, and the front axle is made up and added under the engine. The rear air tanks go on along with the full length exhaust. Next up the complex drive train with the gear box, prop shafts and rear axles is made up and built onto the chassis. The rear suspension components are added, along with all the wheels. The cab and engine covers are the next major parts to be built up and added to the vehicle along with the front mudguards and radiator. The truck bed is up next with nicely wood grained components. This is made up as a single piece complete with mud guards and spare wheel carriers. To finish up the front bumper and lights are added along with various tools and the hoops for a rear cover (though no cover is provided). Markings The small decal sheet gives 4 options; France 1940, Russia 1941, Italy 1943, and France 1944 Krupp L3H163 German Truck (35461) Developed at the same time as the Henschell only about 2000 of the Krupp truck were built. It was a more complex vehicle with a high/low range gear box for road/off road driving and lockable rear differentials, Tracks were able to be fitted to the rear axles for use in snow and heavy mud, and the truck features a motor driven winch. These trucks were also license built by Raba in Hungary. This complete kit from ICM arrives on 7 sprues of grey plastic and a clear sprue. The parts are very well moulded and the kit comes complete with the engine and all the running gear. Construction starts with the main chassis which is built up like the real thing. The main longitudinal members are joined by the cross members, at the front the engine is assembled and added in, The large side running boards/front mud guards are added along with air tanks and side lockers. The complex front and rear suspension units are made up and added in. This is followed by the equally complex drive train. The wheels can then be added. The cab and engine covers are the next major parts to be built up and added to the vehicle, with the radiator also going on the front. The truck bed is up next with nicely wood grained components. This is made up as a single piece complete with mud guards, equipment lockers, and spare wheel carriers. To finish up the front bumper and lights are added along with various tools and the hoops for a rear cover (though no cover is provided). Markings The small decal sheet has markings for 4 trucks in Poland 1939, France 1940, Germany 1940, and Ukraine 1941 Mercedes-Benz Typ LG3000 German Army Truck (35405) The Typ LG3000 was Mercedes version o the 3 axle truck for the German Military. Over 27000 of the Type 3000 were produced in various versions. The truck had a diesel engine and proved extremely reliable and robust. It was used extensively by the Afrika Corps. Here construction starts with the large engine and main transmission block. This is added into the chassis which is built up like the real thing. The main longitudinal members are joined by the cross members, Small side running guards are added then the main suspension units are built up along with the axles and transmission components, once complete these go onto the chassis. All the wheels are then assembled and added. The complex main cab is then built up with the engine covers as well going on here. The truck bed is up next with nicely wood grained components. This is made up as a single piece complete with mud guards, equipment lockers, and spare wheel carriers. To finish up the front bumper and lights are added along with various tools and the hoops for a rear cover (though no cover is provided). Markings There are four markings options on the small sheet; Poland 1940, France 1940, Ukraine 1941, and Russia 1941. Conclusion This is a great combination set that offers a lot in the box that would keep you busy for quite a while. Very highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

American Civil War Union & Confederate Infantry (35920 & 35921) 1:35 ICM via Hannants After the war of independence the American Civil War is probably one of the most defining periods in the History o the USA, which still has cause to impact on the US to this day. These two new sets from ICM model the infantry of both sides in the war. Each of the sets contains a pair of common sprures with weapons and equipment. Union Infantry (35020) Here we have four Solider figures, two in fighting poses, one reloading, and one appearing to have just been shot. Available in the UK from importers H G Hannants Ltd. Confederate Here we have 3 solider figures, one carrying his rifle, one firing and the third reloading. The forth figure in the set is an officer firing his pistol. Available in the UK from importers H G Hannants Ltd. Conclusion Another two good figure sets from ICM. As alayay the sculpting looks first rate, and there is a good selection of weapons and equipment as well. Recommended, Review samples courtesy of

Chernobyl#3 Rubble Cleaners (35903) 1:35 ICM via H G Hannants Ltd One of the big problems with the clean up at Chernobyl was the fact that large chunks of highly radioactive parts of the core were in inaccesable places. They had tried robots to clean this up by the radiation field there electronics. In a move called "human robots" men would be used to clear up this debris. Many of them conscripts from the Russian Army who really had no idea of what they were being asked to do. Using primitive protection suits and respirators each man was allowed only 2 minutes working time as the radiation was so intense. It has been estimated that a third of men who worked on the roof have died from the after effects of it. This new set from ICM in their Chernobyl series brings us a set of five figures. four shovelers and a man holding a radiation detector. Also included in the box is a background scene and some chunks of core for the guys to shovel up. Conclusion Another first-rate set from ICM as a tie in to the HBO drama. Highly recommended. Available in the UK from importers H G Hannants Ltd. Review sample courtesy of

I was asked to build this by Airfix Model World for this Octobers issue. A subject I wouldn't have chosen, but one I came to love and enjoy researching and building with the challenge of fixing a prototype plug and play system by Magic Scale Modelling. I'm happy with how it went and I hope you enjoy looking at it too. I won't spoil the article about the build... suffice to say it was very interesting to put together! Bravo to ICM for a cracking kit and Magic Scale Modelling for thier technology.

AC-40-137A Soviet Firetruck (35519) 1:35 ICM via Hannants 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 a fire truck. The Kit This is a re-boxing with a few extras from ICM of their ZIL. The kit was previously issued in a Chernobyl boxing. Inside the large box are 7 sprues in grey styrene, one in clear, 8 knobbly flexible tyres, and a smallish decal sheet 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. Markings There are a few markings on the small sheet or the truck markings and number plates. There are 4 options for the Frie Departments of Sergiev Posad, Moscow, Kiev & Vinnytsia. 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 reboxing of the fire truck on its own. Very highly recommended. Available in the UK from importers H G Hannants Ltd. Review sample courtesy of

Model T 1913 Speedster with American Sports Car Drivers ICM 1:24 (24026) The Ford Model T car has gone down in history as the worlds first mass produced car. As early as 1909 the model T competed in the transcontinental race from New York to Spokane in Washington State. Seeing the potential for racing bodies were stripped of heavy items and bucket type seats installed. Glazing was reduced and most additional items removed. Stripped down the car was more than just a mass transportation vehicle but a fun Speedster. The Model The model arrives in the usual sturdy box with a separate top sleeve with a nice artist’s representation of the vehicle on the front. Inside, within a large poly bag, are four sprues of light grey styrene and, in a separate poly bag, two clear sprues, and four natural rubber tyres. As with the previously released Model T kits from ICM, the parts are really well moulded, with no sign of flash or other imperfections. There are a number of moulding pips, some of which are on quite fragile looking parts, so care should be taken when removing. The sprue gates attaching items like the exhaust are also quite heavy and I can see these parts breaking if you’re not careful. The build starts with the nicely detailed engine with the block and gearbox halves glued together followed by the addition of the rocker covers, fan belt, dynamo, exhaust manifold, cooling fan, cooling pipes, and other sundry items. The radiator is attached to the front axle and just needs the radiator grille glued to it to complete the assembly. The radiator/axle is then glued to the front of the floor pan/chassis. The rear axle, drive shaft and differential are built up from only three parts and fitted to the underside of the chassis along with the two piece exhaust/silencer unit. The front and rear axle support frames are then added, as is the steering rack. The four wheels, rubber tyres are added to the spoke wheels and are glued to the axles, the construction moves to the body work. The rear engine wall (not a firewall as its not solid) is made up and added, the engine covers are then added. The seat frames are added to the floor pan an then the two seats are made up and added in. The four part fuel tank is then made up and added directly behind the seats (an early safety feature NOT) this is then followed by a tool box behind the fuel tank. Up front the hand brake and foot controls are added. The steering column is then made up and the steering wheel added. On the speedster there is no windscreen on the body, but a small oval screen is fitted directly to the steering column. If carrying a passenger they have to fend for themselves! The last items to be made up are the head lights, lights and the motormeter for the radiator. Decals There are no decals included in this kit. Figures This set of figures is for the Speedster . One is a female driver and the second is a male passenger. Both are what would be considered well dressed for the period . In general the mould in crisp and clean with plenty of detail. Conclusion This is a good combination in a large enough scale for the detail to pop out. Highly recommended if you have any of the ICM model Ts. Review sample courtesy of

Luftwaffe Ground Personnel (1939-45) (32109) 1:32 ICM via Hannants This new set from ICM brings us three ground crew from the Luftwaffe. One refueling from a drum, one with a tool box and one carrying what could be an oil or water can. As with all ICM figure the sculpting and mulding is good. The set includes a separate sprue with the fuel drum, tool box etc; these is also a length of plastic refueling hose. Conclusion Another first-rate set from ICM will help bring your latest 1/32 Luftwaffe build to life. Highly recommended. Available in the UK from importers H G Hannants Ltd. Review sample courtesy of

Hi folks ICM's kit completed as the Shuttleworth Collection's Gladiator 'K7985' using the Aerocraft decals (unfortunately slightly out of register). Regards J.A.

Wight (16203) 1:16 ICM via Hannants This chap is described as a “Wight”, but one look at the box art makes it eminently clear that it’s one of the undead army from Game of Thrones. If you ignore the last season especially, it was quite a show and there will still be lots of fans out there that thought (like me) that the last season was unfulfilling, but doesn’t detract from the earlier seasons. We have had a few of these figures from ICM, the Great Other (White Walker – here, and the King of the Night (White King – here, all in 1:16 scale, and all with the same style of bases so you can build up a nice collection. Arriving in a top-opening box with captive inner lid, with a sprue of grey styrene, another in black, plus a single oval base. There is also a poster of the artwork that fits within the box for you to keep, plus a sheet of instructions that has a sprue diagram and paint code table in the rear. The parts on the sprue are well-moulded and have various textures as appropriate for this rather stinky, rotten fellow. He’s wearing the remains of some trousers with cloth shoes, and bits of armour on his shoulders, butt and one of his feet, with a patch of chain-mail on his groin, held up by an old belt. The rest of his tunic is missing below his rib cage, and his chest is easily seen through the gaps and holes in his clothes, which is achieved by adding sections of the outer layer over the chest. The arms are as thin and desiccated as the chest, and the head is equally thin, damaged and puckered, with lips shrunk back and teeth bared. Altogether a scary visage, as you can see from the magnified part of the photo. In his right hand he is carrying an old axe, which has his fingers separate in order to latch onto the axe. The base is moulded in black, and has a top and bottom plate to close up the fluted sides, and if you elect to add some groundwork that should make for easier creation and allows you not to bother with masking during the process. Conclusion If you’re a Game of Thrones fan this is definitely one for you, but it’s generic enough to also have a number of alternative uses if you’re a general figure painter. Highly recommended. Available in the UK from importers H G Hannants Ltd. Review sample courtesy of

Battle of Kursk - July 1943 (DS3505) 1:35 ICM via Hannants The T-34 was Stalin's mainstay medium tank that was produced in incredible volume by extremely crude methods, and thrown into the fray against the numerically inferior German tanks on the Eastern Front. The designers combined a number of important advances in design such as sloped frontal armour, wide tracks to spread the load, and the ability to cope with the harsh Russian winters without grinding to a halt, which was a problem that affected the Germans badly after the successes in the summer of Operation Barbarossa. The part count and cost of the tank was continuously reduced during production, with plants turning out up to 1,300 per month at the height of WWII. The initial welded turret was replaced by a cast turret with more room, and later the 76mm gun was replaced by a more powerful 85mm main gun in the T-34/85 with an enlarged turret, giving even the Tiger pause for thought. The 7.62cm Pak 36(r) Anti-Tank gun was a converted and bored out captured Soviet Divisional Gun (F22), of which over 500 were taken during the Nazi’s initial successes of Operation Barbarossa. In typical Nazi fashion they were pressed into service after modification, and for a while were the Wehrmacht’s most powerful field artillery until superseded by other models as the game of technological leapfrog continued in the East and West. The Kit The model arrives in a top opening box with ICM's usual captive inner lid with painting of the tank and gun in a combat situation to give an impression of their use in the battle for the Kursk salient. Inside the box are seven sprues in grey styrene plus two hull parts in the same colour, four lengths of black flexible plastic rubbery tracks and two towing cables still on their sprues in the same material, a small sheet of decals and a varied group of instruction booklets that show where the three kits originate, the T-34 from 2015 under the code 35365 and the Pak 36(r) from 2010 with code 35701. Detail is good throughout, and a set of crew figures tooled in 2010 with the original code 35801 are added to improve value even further. T-34/76 - early 1943 Production (35365) Construction begins with the fitting of the engine cover onto the rear decking and the bow machine gun with its armoured fairing. The two intake covers are then assembled and also fitted to the rear deck. Four plates that are fitted to the underside of the rear decking to blank them off, with the large radiator panel fitting over the aft portion of the deck, then having the rear bulkhead detailed and attached. The drivers hatch is made up from two parts plus a couple of smaller covers before being glued into position. Inside the lower hull the eight Christie suspension boxes are fitted and the driver’s controls sit justified to the front left, whilst the rear mudguards are fitted to the rear. The final drive housings and five stub axles on their swing arms are glued to the hull sides as are the idler wheel axles at the very front of the hull. Two comfortable-looking seats for the driver and machine gunner are made up and slotted into place, then the two hull halves can be joined together. The road wheels are made up from pairs with moulded-in tyres, while the idler wheels are bare, as are the drive sprockets, all of which are fitted to their respective axles. Towing hooks are attached front and rear, then grab handles, stowage rails and smaller lifting eyes are added to the upper deck, then it’s time for the tracks. These rubbery plastic tracks are moulded in black, and are made up from two halves that are glued together with epoxy of super glue (standard liquid glue doesn't work), then draped around the road wheels to complete the run. If you are looking at making them more realistic, painting them is a great start, and you can also glue some sections to the road wheels to give them the correct sag. This isn’t an interior kit, but you get a fairly detailed breech and coax machine gun, which fits to the back of the pivot that is hidden behind the mantlet once they have been attached to the hull, leaving the pivot unglued to maintain movement after completion. The lower turret with integrated ring is glued to the upper, and if you check your references, you’ll see that some were an absolute mess, so be careful not to make things too tidy! The mantlet and tip of the coax MG fit over the front and are joined by a 3-part mantlet cover with the barrel halves glued together then threaded through. Hinges, hatches, mantlet rain-cover, vision ports, lifting eyes and stowage rails are all scattered over the surface of the turret, which incidentally has an improved cast texture moulded-in, in case you didn’t spot it. Speaking personally, I would wash it with some liquid glue to soften the texture a little and give it a more irregular height in places. Final assembly includes two boxy additional fuel tanks at the rear, spare track links, pioneer tool boxes and aerial base, plus a folded tarpaulin, headlight, horn, the two flexible towing cables and a large saw attached before the model can be sent for painting. The towing cables are suffering from a little flash, and as the instructions give you an alternative of using your own braided cable and plastic towing eyes, this is probably your best option. Markings There are six markings options in the box and although the painting guide it printed in greyscale on thin paper you are fairly safe to assume that the three dark vehicles are Russian Green, while the white ones are winter distemper. From the box you can build one of the following: T-34 1st Leningrad Front Red Banner Tank Brigade, Summer 1944 (Green) T-34 1st Leningrad Front Red Banner Tank Brigade, Winter 1943/1944 (White) T-34 “Revolutionary Mongolia” Tank Column, Winter 1943/1944 (White) T-34 “Komsomolets – Severomorerts” Tank Column, Winter 1942/1943 (White) T-34 Stalingrad Front, Winter 1942/1943 (Green) T-34 5th Guard Tank Corps, Kursk Arc, July 1943 (Green) Obviously, you’ll be doing the last option if you intend to stick with the Kursk theme, but there are plenty of other options if not. The decals are printed in-house, and of the two decals that are relevant (i.e. 2 or more colours), registration is good, as is colour density and sharpness for the whole sheet, with lots of patriotic slogans for the various options in red for the winter colours, and white for the warmer weather scheme. 7.62cm Pak 36(r) German Anti-Tank Gun (35701) The tooling for this kit dates back to 2010, and as it is a smaller artillery piece than those fielded later in the war it fits on a single sprue, and has a short instruction booklet. Detail is good, with tread on the tyres and some nice moulding throughout. Construction begins with the barrel and breech, the former being split vertically with a separate two-part flash-hider that is split horizontally. The breech section fits into the end of the barrel on a square peg, with the vertically sliding block slotted into the back along with its control lever and damper. The carriage is made up from halves with the elevation guide moulded into one side and small parts added along its length, then detailed with the support frame and recoil dampers. The sighting and aiming mechanism glue onto the left frame, after which the barrel is slid onto the recoil bed from the rear. The gun support’s cross-member has stiffeners fitted front and rear, with a top surface where the frame fits added to the top, while the splinter shield is created from two layers on the cheek panels, with a second layer at the centre fitted from the inside. There are some ejector pins on the rear of the shield that will need filling, although some may be hidden by the boxes at the rear, so check so that you spend your hobby time wisely. The gun has split trails, which are made up from two long parts to make up each one with a hinge added to the front end, and the self-entrenching parts, ground spikes, pioneer tools, hitch and trail-lock parts applied, then all the sub-assemblies are joined together with the two wheels, which as mentioned earlier have a nice tread pattern, and a hollow inner face to prevent sink-marks that is filled by a separate sidewall. You get two each High Explosive (HE) and Armour Piercing (AP) shells, plus another two fluted shell cases that have separate lids and protect the rounds from accidental detonation. Colour call-outs differentiate the type for easy ID in a hurry. Markings A separate glossy sheet gives the colour codes in Model Master and English, with three schemes shown on the rear in grey. The earliest is painted Panzer Grey 1942, while the 1942/43 option is painted dunkelgelb, then 1943/45 has olivegrun mottle over dunkelgelb across the whole gun, so you can choose from either of the dark yellow options if you’re staying true to the Kursk theme. German Artillery crew (35801) Provided on a single large sprue, this set contains five figures, all wearing the standard Wehrmacht uniform of feldgrau with stahlhelm and calf-length boots, plus the usual water bottle, entrenching tool, ammo pouches etc. Two of the figures are posed walking stooped dragging two fluted shell containers to the gun to be used, while another is opening one in a kneeling position while opening it. The fourth figure is kneeling and beckoning the shell dragging men to hurry, while the last is kneeling on both knees, holding up field-glasses to sight the next target. The instructions show the figures complete, with the parts called out by numbers and the suggested paint colours marked with red letters in a box. You can find the part number in a diagram overleaf along with a table giving paint colours in Model Master codes and English again. Conclusion Even though it’s a mix of different toolings from the ICM catalogue the whole hangs together very well, and even though it’s out of stock at Hannants presently, it represents good value, especially with a 10% backorder discount. Remember that if you want to make a little piece of Kursk, you’ll need to be selective about which decal options and paint schemes you use, then you won’t go far wrong. Highly recommended. Available in the UK from importers H G Hannants Ltd. Review sample courtesy of

BM-13-16 on WOT 8 Chassis(35591) 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 few were converted to carry Katyusha rockets. In British service they were used as a prime mover for artillery, particularly in North Africa and Italy. 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 a new tool from ICM as part of their WOT line, the WOT8 we reviewed here. The kit arrives in a standard ICM box with their captive inner lid and a nice rendition of the vehicle on the top. Inside are eight sprues in grey styrene, five black wheels in flexible plastic, a clear sprue, a small fret of Photo Etch (PE) brass and a tiny decal sheet that is found inside the glossy colour instruction booklet. A few of the parts aren’t used in this variant, but ICM have already indicated they’re going to do a Katyusha fitted variant this year, so we’ve got that to look forward to too. I don’t know about you, but I’m an admirer of rocket launchers and such like. Construction begins with the 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” part 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 these are later joined by a rain “porch” that prevents ingress of water in the winter, and probably helps divert engine heat from the open cab windows in the summer. The spare wheel and the substantial fuel tank are built next, and positioned behind the cab. This is made from a large floor, detailed sides, front and tailgate, with stowage boxes between the front and rear angled mudguards, which have braces holding them at the correct angle to the floor. On the original kit the truck bed would now be made up (and the parts for it are still in this boxing), for this boxing though the rocket launching rails and their elevating apparatus are constructed. The eight rails are built up fr, three parts each and are then threaded together on three cross members. The modeller will need to line up the spacing of these and luckily ICM provide a jig for this. After the rails are sorted then the fairly complex raising gear is put together, this can be in either the raised or lowered position. 16 rockets can then be added to the rails (8 on the upper side, and 8 on the lower). The base for the launching system is then built up and attached to the back of the truck before the launch rails can then be added on. Two rear ground stabilisers are then added to the chassis. To finish off the vehicle lights are added and on the cab there are shutters to protect the cab when the rockets were being fired. Markings There are two no markings in this boxing Conclusion Another first-rate kit from ICM of an often overlooked British truck that was fairly common both during WWII and after. The inclusion of the a Russian Katyusha conversion extends the product line for ICM and gives us another great looking Russian/UK Hybrid vehicle. Highly recommended . Available in the UK from importers H G Hannants Ltd. Review sample courtesy of

Benz Patent-Motorwagen 1886 (24040) 1:24 ICM via Hannants We’ve been addicted to petroleum for over a century now, but in the late 1800s the predominant power source was still steam, although that just used another form of fossil fuel. When Karl Benz applied for a patent for his Motorwagen in 1885, it became the first petrol-powered production vehicle that was designed from the outset to use this method of propulsion. When you look at its three-wheel design it appears to have been the product of the mating between a horse carriage, a bicycle and a grandfather clock, with a little bit of chaise longue thrown in for good measure. A rear-mounted engine with a solitary cylinder, two seats without any weather protection and a kind of tiller for steering doesn’t really gel with our understanding of what represents a car now, but they had to start somewhere. There were only 25 made, but the precedent had been set and travelling at 16kmh was found to be quite fun and started us down the long road to becoming petrol-heads, much to our environment’s distress. The Kit This is a brand-new tooling of this important vehicle, and although it’s way out of my usual wheel-house I’m quite taken with it, especially when I opened the white-themed box to reveal the contents. There is one main sprue for the majority of the parts, with three smaller sprues in the same grey styrene for the wheels and a jig to complete the spokes on a Photo-Etched fret, which is secreted within a thick card envelope. The instruction booklet has been printed in an olde-worldy style, and a replica of the patent application is also included on thick card in case you wanted to use it as a base or backdrop. The bicycle car has spoked wheels that would normally give most modellers conniptions, but ICM have really pushed the boat out in terms of the engineering that should allow you to create a model that looks pretty realistic if you follow the instructions carefully. The supplied jig is mind-blowing both in its simplicity and cleverness that every time I examine it I end up smiling. Construction begins with the subframe and suspension, which looks more like a carriage than a chassis. Leaf-springs support the main axle beneath the slatted foot well, and an additional frame is applied to the rear with a set of three small pulley-wheel parts fit on a bar and form a transfer point for the drive-belt that’s added later, with a choice of two styles for the centre section. At the very rear of the chassis is a stub-axle that mounts a huge flywheel made up from two parts to create a rim, then the single-cylindered engine is built, bearing more than a passing resemblance to an air compressor that you might have under your desk somewhere. There are a few colour choices called out along the way, and the finished assembly is then mounted on the cross-rail, overhanging the flywheel. Various small ancillary parts are added to the engine “compartment”, another drive pulley is mounted perpendicular to the large flywheel, then the two are joined by the drive band, which you can make up from the two straps on the sprue, or by creating your own that fully wraps around the pulleys for a more realistic look. A toolbox is added next to the engine, then fuel and radiator tanks are built and installed along with their hosing. There is a surrounding frame for the seat added to the small upstands on the chassis, which holds the moulded upholstered cushions to which the framed back and side-rests are fixed, with extra padding attached to the back and arms before it is inserted and glued in place. Now the PE fun begins! The power that has been transferred to an axle under the foot well is sent to the wheels by a bike-style chain, which is layered up from three PE parts that form the rings as well as the links, with one assembly per side. Now comes the really clever part. Each of the pneumatic tyres are moulded within a circular sprue runner, which has four towers hanging down. These towers fit into corresponding holes in the jig, with a small one for the front wheel and larger one for the outside, all on the same jig. This allows the modeller to keep the tyre stationary while locating the little eyes on the ends of the spokes into the pips on the inside rim of the tyre. It also sets the correct dish to the wheels when you add the temporary centre boss during construction. You create two of these assemblies per tyre, cut them from their sprues once complete, then glue them together with a hub sandwiched between them just like a modern bike wheel. You carry out that task thrice, two large, one small and it would be well worth painting the spokes beforehand. The main wheels slot straight onto the axle, while the front wheel is clamped in place by a two-part yoke, much like a set of forks on a bike. In order to steer the vehicle, the tiller is made up from a few parts and slots into the footwell floor, with a small step added to the right front corner of the well to ease access. A steering linkage joins the fork and tiller together, a small wheel pokes out of the footwell, possibly a fuel valve? I don’t know, as I’m not quite that knowledgeable on the subject. The final part is a long brake lever, which is probably intended to make up for the lack of servo assistance by using leverage. Markings There are no decals in the box, as there isn’t enough of a vehicle for anything other than paint. The colours for each part are called out in boxed letters as the build progresses, and that’s a very good idea for such a stripped-down framework with parts strapped to it. The codes refer back to a chart on the front of the booklet that gives Revell and Tamiya codes plus the colour names in English and Ukrainian. Conclusion A totally left-field hit from my point of view, as it’s detailed, very cool and quite endearing. If you’d asked me if I would ever build a car from 1886 I’d have said no way. Now I am seriously considering it, although if you gave me a full size one to drive I’d need a few beers to drive anything that doesn’t float but is steered with a tiller. Extremely highly recommended. Available in the UK from importers H G Hannants Ltd. Review sample courtesy of

A-26/B-26 Invader Brass Undercarriage (for ICM) 1:48 Aerocraft Models To the joy and surprise of modellers ICM recently gave started a new line in A-26/B-26 Invade kits. These are large and impressive kit and a bit weighty Ali at Aerocraft has thought of this and has been busy at work creating this set to replace the kit parts in tough brass to alleviate any concerns. The set arrives in an unassuming ziplok bag, with three parts inside, all made from brass. With two main gear legs and the nose leg. Preparation of the brass parts will involve removal of the casting gate with a file or a motor-tool at very low speed. The moulding marks on the top and bottom of the part should be similarly easy to remove using a small file with sanding sticks used to smooth it out once the task is complete. Conclusion This set not expensive by any stretch of the imagination, and guarantees resilient gear legs for years to come, providing you use either super-glue or epoxy to attach it to the plastic. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

Just finished this one, build out of box, a rearly good kit fit was nice so no big issues, Cheers Jes

B-26C-50 Invader Korean War (48284) 1:48 ICM via Hannants The A-26 was built by Douglas back in WWII as their successor to the A-20 Havoc. 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. Then in 1948 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 that process of confuion. 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 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. 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, initially released as the Solid nosed aircraft, this is now the glass nosed aircraft with the inclusion of new parts for that nose (though all the parts for the solid nose are still in the box) This boxing also includes underwing rockets. It arrives in the familiar top opening box with a captive inner lid on the lower tray, and inside are nine sprues in grey styrene, two 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. 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. 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 glass-nose is appropriate for this model, but as it's a modular part that in real-world situations could be swapped for the gun-nose in a short time. This is built up and added on as a complete unit along with its glazing. 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 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 rockets 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 drop tanks are simple two-part assemblies with their attachment points moulded into the port side again; the rockets re 7 individual ones for each side.with the mounting stubs moulded on 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 boxing there are three options included on the decal sheet, two in bare metal, the other in black. From the box you can build one of the following: A-26C-45DL, 8th Bomb Sqn, 3rd Bomb Group, Korea 1953 (Overall Black) A-26C-55DL, 729th Bobm Sqn, 452nd Bomb Group, Korea 1951 A-26C-45DT, 728th Bomb Sqn, 452nd Bomb Group, Korea 1951 The decals are printed anonymously, although they look like DecoGraph's output to my eye. They have good registration, colour density and sharpness, and include a number of stencils that are legible with the right eyeware. However the read markings on the sheet for the all black aircraft look to bright, the ones on ICM's desperate Korea sheet looked more in keeping with the duller red markings seen on these aircraft. Conclusion This model should make a fair few people happy. 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

British Vickers Machine Gun (35712) 1:35 ICM via Hannants Ltd. The Vickers Machine Gun was a development of 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 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, and I’m proud to say my Paternal grandfather was one of the operators of this type, surviving the war despite getting gassed, and bringing home a medal for bravery into the bargain. We’ve still got his cap badge that has been polished so much that the ridges on the cooling jacket have all-but worn away. The gun remained in service throughout WWI and WWII, and was finally replaced by the General Purpose Machine Gun in the late 60s. Quite a service run. The Kit At 1:35 it’s a small model, although it took a fairly large crew to operate it, mostly in carrying the equipment from place to place, as it had a prodigious thirst for ammunition. The kit arrives in a small box with one sprue inside along with an A4 instruction sheet that is folded to fit the box. You can build one complete assembly from the box, but there are two guns and two tripods, the former having options for the fluted and straight cooling jackets, while the latter are set up for seated or prone operation. Construction is simple, with the breech details and firing handle attached to your jacketed barrel of choice, 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, there are a number of good resources online. Colour call-outs are made throughout the build using letters in boxes that correspond to a table on the rear that gives the paint names plus Revell and Tamiya paint codes. Conclusion It’s a useful item to have in any diorama or vehicle, and with its huge length of service it can fit into many different situations. I’m looking forward to a set with figures, especially if it is WWI era. Highly recommended. Available in the UK from importers H G Hannants Ltd. Review sample courtesy of

Cessna O-2A Skymaster (48290) 1:48 ICM via Hannants Ltd. The O-2A Skymaster replaced the equally well-loved O-1 Bird-dog in the Observation role, adding Psy-Ops and light attack by the fitting additional equipment. It was developed from Cessna’s Type 337 Super Skymaster, and had additional windows in the pilot's side added to improve vision, the superfluous rear seats were replaced with racks of equipment including military radio gear, and hard-points were added under the wings. The twin props at either end of the stubby airframe gave it an element of redundancy in case of enemy fire, which also necessitated the installation of foam into the fuel tanks to help reduce the likelihood of leaks and subsequent fires bringing down the aircraft. With all the extra weight it was slower than the civilian version, but that was considered acceptable due to the crew and airframe protections it afforded. Like the Bird-dog it replaced, it spent a lot of time in Vietnam where it was used extensively in the role of Forward Air Control (FAC) and designated O-2B (31 converted Type 337 airframes) with the installation of loudspeakers to attempt to psychologically batter the enemy with recorded messages and leaflet drops that clearly didn’t have much effect other than supplying them with toilet paper in hindsight. Less than 200 were made in military form straight from the production line, and they continued service after Vietnam until the 80s, when some were sold on and others used in firefighting duties in the US, while others were flown in the nascent war against drugs in central America. The Kit This is a complete new tool from ICM, and I’m personally very happy to see it, as I have a soft-spot for the Skymaster after building an old Airfix Dogfight Double with a Mig-15 in 1:72 as a kid. There have been kits in 1:48 before, but nothing that could be called truly modern for a long time, so I doubt I’m alone. We’ve had a bigger scale kit within the last year, but this is the one for me and all those 1:48 modellers out there. It arrives in a modest-sized top-opening box with ICM’s usual captive inner flap, with two large sprues that fit snugly within the tray in their foil bag. Within that bag is a set of clear parts, and hidden inside the instruction booklet (which has a new more modern design) is the smallish decal sheet for the four decal options. Construction begins with the equipment racks in the aft fuselage, which are built up onto the bulkhead, then the fuselage halves are prepped with clear windows from the inside, plus an insert at the rear. The top surface of the engine is made up with exhausts and the front fairing that supports the prop axle, which is inserted but not glued. Under this the nose landing-gear bay is fitted with a firewall bulkhead that has the twin rudder pedals inserted before it is mounted into the starboard fuselage half. With those assemblies out of the way, the cockpit fittings are begun. The seats for the pilots have two U-shaped supports and a single piece back each, then the seats and instrument panel (with decals for instruments) with moulded-in centre console and control yokes added are offered up to the spartan cockpit floor, which slides under the already inserted electronics rack. The port fuselage half is decorated with a couple of M16 rifles and an arm-rest, then is joined with the other half taking care to insert at least 10 grams of nose-weight before you do. The aft fuselage has a complex shape that is moulded as a separate insert and is ready for a two-blade prop thanks to its axle and backstop part, and has two moulded-in exhausts under it. The nose gear leg was trapped in the wheel bay during assembly, and the two out-rigger main legs are a single C-shaped part that is trapped in a groove in the fuselage with a set of additional panels over it, making for a strong join, although some enterprising soul will probably make a metal one. Up front the big curved windscreen has a small instrument fitted into a hole in the middle, then is glued in place and the front prop is glued carefully to the axle if you want to leave it spinning. The wings are a single-span part on the top, and has the majority of the roof of the fuselage moulded-in, plus two top windows inserted from inside before fitting. The engine intake is made up from three parts including a separate lip, and fits to the aft of the roof, butting up against the rest of the fairing moulded into the fuselage, with a towel-rail and a small forest of blade antennae attached to the various depressions left for them. The wing undersides are attached after the booms are made up, and you should drill out the flashed-over holes for the pylons if you plan on fitting them. The booms are joined by the wide elevator that is made up of three parts including a poseable flying surface. The two booms are also two parts, and also have separate rudders, which are each single mouldings and can be posed as you see fit. The instructions show the elevator glued to the booms before they are attached to the wings, but this is probably best done at the same time to ensure a good fit and correct alignment, then the lower wing panels mentioned earlier are glued in, trapping the sponson ends between the surfaces. Front gear door, ailerons and wing bracing struts with their fairings are next, then the main wheels, more antennae, and two raised trunks that run along the main fuselage underside are all fitted in place, plus the four identical pylons if you wish, along with their anti-sway braces. You have a choice of using four rocket pods on all pylons, or rocket pods on the outer stations and SUU-11/A Minigun Pods on the inner pylons. The last page of the instructions show the placement of the masks that you are given a printed template for on the page, so you can make masks by placing the tape over the relevant template and either marking the tape and cut it later, or cut it in situ. It’s up to you whether you use the templates, but they’re there if you do. Markings There are four decal options from the box, and three of them are the more usual white/grey scheme that most people know. The last option is an all-black airframe, which gives the aircraft a more sinister look. From the box you can build one of the following: No unit details or timescale is given on the profiles, but you get full four view pictures and can use the tail-codes if you want to find out a little more about your choice of aircraft. The decal printers are anonymous, but they are in good registration, sharpness and colour density, with a thin gloss carrier film cut close to the printed areas. The instrument panel decals are also very crisp and clear. Conclusion Finally a modern tooling of this important little aircraft with crisp detail, restrained panel lines, some good decal options and quality clear parts. It should prompt a number of decal options from the aftermarket arena very soon, and I wouldn’t doubt that they’ve started working on that already. Very highly recommended. Available in the UK from importers H G Hannants Ltd. Review sample courtesy of

Hallo again This kit I built straight from the box. In addition to my truck. So, that is it. Happy modelling

After tackling ICM's 1/48 Dornier Do215 (see my other RFI) I decided to jump in to my second ICM build the Do17Z-10, from ICM's1/48 Dornier family. The kit has all the same mouldings as the 215, except of course engines/cowlings and nose, a lot of these required injection pin marks to be removed(seems to be a hallmark of ICM kits). I used the Eduard p/e sets for the interior and exterior, also a set of masks. The interior had a little extra detail added to it including the MG151 cannon which can now hardly be seen. I closed up the bomb bay and added the fairing to the top of the rear fuselage, hollowed out the tail wheel fairing for a more authentic look. Wing and cowling fitting was excellent compared to the 215,even using the Eduard p/e in the u/c bays. the kit went together quite quickly and easily. One thing I did to get a decent wing to fuselage join was to leave out the three bulkheads in the bomb bay as they sat too high impairing a good join. I therefore suggest dry fitting and trimming of these bulkheads to get a good result, I will certainly be doing this with my next Do17Z build (yes I have another one 😱 ). The remainder of the build was pretty straightforward, I used gun barrels from the Eduard 109/190 kits that I had spare, as they have hollowed out tips. I decided looking at a couple of photos of the prototype that all the glazing at the nose, bar one on the port side, were plated over so I puttied over the glazing to give this appearance (rightly or wrongly ???). I also tried to duplicate the extra recognition lights these machines had, 2 above the tail and 2 below the cockpit, I drilled shallow indents painted them silver then filled them with clear ultra-violet glue, not brilliant but acceptable to me!! For the glazing that housed the infra-red search light I painted the rear with Tamiya clear red paint, then coated the top of that with black, trying to achieve a dark red finish - not very successful! I finished the kit with AK True Colours NATO Black, which is actually an extremely dark grey, possibly one step lighter than pure black. This gave to my mind a much better finish than black, please be your own judge as to the result! Panel lines were highlighted with medium grey which gave a pleasing but not very accurate result. I finished the kit as R4+GK of 2/NJG.2 based in Holland ( this machine was shot down in May 1941 by a 25 Sqdn. Beaufighter). The letter 'G' may have been red but having no photographic proof decided to have it grey. I used the kit decals for the national markings with some trepidation, having read some bad criticism of ICM's decals but to my delight they went on perfectly. The code letters were from the Xtradecal Do215 sheet and were not as good as ICM's!!!!! I really like the look of this particular if unsuccessful member of the Do17 family. Cheers Andy