Search the Community

Standard B “Liberty” Truck ICM 1:35 As America's war effort ramped up in 1917, there was a collective realization that the fleet of vehicles needed to support a semi-mechanized army needed some standardization. The Liberty truck was the solution. It was designed by the Motor Transport section of the Quartermaster Corps in cooperation with the members of the Society of Automotive Engineers. A group of leading automotive engineers was summoned to Washington in 1917 to design standardized trucks for the AEF. It took 50 men 69 days to design a 1-½ ton "A" model and the 3–5 ton "B" model. Production of the Liberty B began in the fall of 1917, and the first models were delivered to the secretary of war on 19 October. Of the almost 9,500 produced by 15 manufacturers, more than 7,500 were sent overseas. The Liberty's four-speed transmission coupled with its 52-hp engine gave the truck a top speed of about 15 miles per hour. The Model The model arrives in a strong 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 medium grey styrene and, in a separate poly bag, one clear sprue. On initial inspection the parts are really well moulded, clean, with no sign of flash. There are a number of moulding pips, some of which are on delicate parts, so care should be taken when removing. The sprue gates attaching items like the tilt rails are also quite heavy so again take care with their removal and clean-up. The build starts with the chassis, with each rail being fitted fore and aft leaf springs, each of two parts. Two of the cross-members are assembled from two parts each before being fitted to one of the chassis rails, along with three other single piece cross-members followed by the other rail. The radiator is then assembled from six parts before being glued into position at the front of the chassis. The single piece front axle is then glued to the front pair of leaf springs and a further cross-member is also glued into place. The rear differential is made up from fourteen parts which include the rear drum brakes. The front bumper beam and transfer box are also assembled and glued into position along with t he drive shafts and three piece front mudguards. The front wheels and single piece items with a choice of separate hub caps, the rears being made up of inner and outer wheels with separate tyres and hub caps. The completed wheels are then attached to their respective axles. Work then begins on the engine, which is made up from eleven parts. Once assembled, it is fitted to the chassis along with the two piece exhaust pipe and silencer. The gearstick is then added to the gearbox and the engine fitted with two more parts. The cabin is then assembled from twenty one parts before being fitted to the chassis over the gearstick, followed by the outer radiator grille, and two piece bonnet, which could easily be made to be posed open to show off the engine, even though it’s not shown posed that way. The next assembly is the truck bed, with the bed itself being fitted with the sides, rear, and front plank sections. On the underside, five lateral strengthening beams, and the sides with four vertical beams each. Two five piece storage boxes are assembled and fitted to the front underside of the bed before the whole assembly is attached to the chassis. There is a five piece searchlight and two piece horn attached to the cabin coaming and the steering wheel is also glued into place at this point. The pair of two piece headlights are attached to the front of the cabin bulkhead, while the bonnet latches, and grab handles, plus the cabin access handles are fitted, as is the starting handle. The cabin roof is fitted with left and right hand frames before being glue into place, and on the bed the modeller has the option of just fitting the five tilt rails, or the complete canvas cover which is made up from five parts, completing the build. Decals The small decal sheet gives the modeller just two options of vehicle, both in use by the US army in 1918, one with just unit badges and one with US Quartermaster Corps labelling on the tilt sides. The decals are nicely printed, clear and in good register with a slightly matt finish. Conclusion It’s great to finally see a WW1 Liberty tuck being kitted, especially in this centenary year. ICM have not only provided us with a nice tribute to one of the lesser sung vehicles of the First World War, but a very nice truck to build too. It’s not overly complicated, which is good to see, even though the truck itself was pretty simple, and would be a great kit for any level of modeller. Review sample courtesy of

I just purchased this kit and thought I would get in to it while finishing off a few others as well as starting an A-20 in RAAF colours. The kit is nicely cast with minimal flash on the parts. The interior is going to be RLM 02 and the exterior is black, this will be done with various grays at this stage with minimal actual black paint involved. There are some ejector post marks that need cleaning up more than I initially thought, especially in the cockpit area and bomb bay The easy part of gluing in the cockpit parts prior to painting it RLM 02 and then detailing the dials etc. The bulkheads are going in ok and have not caused any problems as yet when test fitted with a closed fuselage. There has been a little more flash than I first thought, nothing extreme, but a little bit. It is a little bigger than I thought it would be. The join behind the cockpit is going to be a problem and will need to be filled with filler or plastic card as I can't quite get it to fit properly. This poor fitting may just change when the fuselage i s actually glued together.

Model T Ambulance (Early) WWI AAFS Car ICM 1:35 (35665) One of the most numerous and famous cars in the world’s history was the Model T, produced by the Ford Motor Company. These cars were widely used on all fronts during WWI. This kit is a re-release of the ambulance version, but this time the early version, so comes with an additional sprue of parts. 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 three sprues of light grey styrene, two clear sprue plus a small decal sheet. All 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 moulded together with 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, which is much longer than the other versions. The two part fuel tank is then assembled and fitted to the chassis, along with the engine assembly. 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, and two chassis end plates. The front mudguards and running boards are attached, followed by the four wheels, each moulded as single parts are glued to the axles and the instructions move to the body work. The truck bed is basically a box, made up from the two sides, each with a three part bench structure, and the front bulkhead. The rear bulkhead is made up from upper and lower segments. The upper section has two clear windows fitted, while the lower section has three bumper sections before being glued into position. There is a seven piece stretcher that is then placed in the interior. The compartment is then glued to the chassis. The drivers compartment is then assembled from the floor, three pedals, handbrake and seat cushion. The front bulkhead, with the windscreen frame moulded integrally is fitted with the windscreen and two part battery. This assembly is then glued to the drivers assembly, which in turn glued to the chassis and fitted with the steering column and steering wheel. Each of the two part bonnet sections are fitted with grab handles, then glued together, before being fitted to the engine bay. If you’re very careful, the modeller could cut the lower section of one side of the bonnet and fold it up along the hinge line to show off the engine. Two side panels are glued to the sides, just aft of the doors, followed by two storage boxes and ledges. The drivers cab roof frame is fitted along with the roof which covers the ambulance section and the drivers section. The rolled up rear panel is fitted above the rear entrance, while there is a two part container fitted to the left hand ledge, and a storage box on the right hand ledge with the spare wheel. The two lamps are assembled and glued in place along with the two, two piece, headlights and two shovels on the left hand rear of the ledge. Decals The small decal sheet contains identification numbers and Red Cross markings for two vehicles. The three AFS vehicles are intermediate blue overall with a khaki roof. Model T Ambulance 141850, France 1917 Model T Ambulance 43784, France, 1917 Model T Ambulance 44940, France, 1917 Conclusion This is a good looking kit and an interesting vehicle, especially with what looks like a ridiculous overhang of the stretcher compartment from the rear wheels. Recommended. Review sample courtesy of

King Of The Night ICM 1:16 (16201) In a departure from the World Guards series in 1:16 ICM bring us The Night King from the highly successful Game Of Thrones TV series, Though it might be called The King Of the Night for licencing rules? The kit comes on one sprue of grey styrene and one of black, with a separate black pedestal. There is a clear part for the Ice Sword. The parts are very well moulded with no sign of flash or other imperfections, and while the build is relatively simple, the painting will be a challenge to get the look right. Being 1:16 scale it’s large enough for the detail to be seen and painted, yet small enough to have a nice collection in a display cabinet. As with the other kits in 1:16 the instructions are not very clear. They consist of a colour drawing of the completed and painted model, with the parts numbered and arrowed. At least ICM have included some detail drawings on the painting guide this time, rather than having to squint and guess. As the kit is fairly straightforward it probably won’t worry the seasoned figure builder, but it might give the beginner some pause for thought. The kit comes with a nicely moulded pedestal with just single option of top. Alternatively the figure can be presented on a plain flat base. Conclusion If you’re a figure modeller then this will be a great way to pass the time. The painting will require a great deal patience to get right. This is really nicely made though and although quite small, and it will look really nice in the display cabinet. Review sample courtesy of

Picked up a cheap kit online to verify my Uni address, the ICM 1/72 Polikarpov I-1 in a Maquette Box. For 6$, it looks a treat so far, with the exception of the wings that are far more complicated than need be. For whichever reason, it was decided to split the wing lengthwise, and that means an unfillable line is created. At least it fits well. The plan is to finish it in plain Aluminum - Green over Blue looks nice but I haven't either color on hand. Little has been done so far other than the construction of one wing and the mounting of the top of the engine block to the left fuselage. The interior is simple so it shouldn't take long to close her up. More to come tomorrow. Thanks, Tweener

Strong rumour: after the MiG-25RB recce and P interceptor variants, ICM is to release in 2019 a 1/48th trainer MiG-25PU "Foxbat-C" kit - ref. V.P.

Hello all, Here's my just finished 1/48 ICM JRB-4 Twin Beech. I saw the kit with these markings at the hobbyshop a couple months ago and thought it would be nice to build something bright and colourful for a change. Painted with Tamiya (white) ,MR Paint (international orange) and Humbrol (the hinomaru), the decals came from the kit and were very nice to work with. Other than the engine cowlings with a nasty horizontal seam, the kit was a joy to build. I did change the antenna on the roof and pitot tubes under the nose to look more like the later ones. Gear doors were not used, as they are missing from the ones on photos of the real ones too. Thanks for looking, I hope you like it. Pete

Sd.Kfz.251/6 Ausf.A (35102) 1:35 ICM via Hannants The Hanomag Sd.Kfz.251/1 was the mainstay of the German armoured Personnel Carrier fleet, but was flexible enough to also take up many other tasks within the Nazi War Machine, from Anti-Aircraft duties to Howitzer carriage and back again to armoured reconnaissance, which led to a lot of variants. With two steering wheels at the front, the rear was carried on tracks, giving it good clearance and rough ground capabilities that a truck simply could not manage once the going got tough. It was armoured sufficiently to deflect non-armour piercing rounds from small arms fire, but with an open top it was susceptible to both grenades and aerial bombardment, where the armour would concentrate the blast and reduce the interior to a tangled mess. The Ausf.A was used at the beginning of WWII alongside the Ausf.B, and was generally fitted with an MG.34 on the front cab wall, operated from inside. There were more than 20 official variants and more unofficial field modifications, but despite their seemingly ubiquitous nature in German service, not many were preserved after the war, and they are highly sought after now, with many examples being based upon post-war builds from Czech factories that have been made to look as convincing as possible by their restorers. While the purist may notice the differences in films, they're still a huge improvement on repainted American half-tracks from an authenticity point of view. The command version being identifiable by the large antenna. The Kit This is a reboxing of kit number 35101 of the same vehicle, but with the addition of a sprue for the command antenna. We reviewed the original kit here, where you can see all the pictures below, as well as the build process and our thoughts on the model. This boxing arrives in a similar box, with the additional sprue taking up any spare space within, and on the exterior it has a new painting, which represents the more relaxed theme of the figures, which are either walking with their transport, or standing offering directions. There are now six grey, a clear sprue (just the headlamps are used), and the flexible tracks and wheels. Markings 2 markings are supplied in any colour you want as long as its Panzer Grey WH 179467 Command Vehicle of General H Guderian, Poland, 1939 WH 609084 1941 Conclusion We liked it first time around, and like it still, especially with the addition the command version. Highly recommended. Available in the UK from Hannants and other model shops Review sample courtesy of

German Drivers (1939-1945) 35642 1:35 ICM So many vehicle kits arrive bereft of driver figure, so there's bound to be a market for additional figure to fill these seats. The seating position of vehicles can be quite different between trucks and cars, and even between types of these vehicles. Also, not every officer cared to have, or was appointed a driver, so sometimes drove themselves – the shame of it! This small set from ICM gives you four figures to fill those empty seats. It arrives in a sub-figure sized box with a lift off lid and tray lid inside, with a single sprue inside that has been attacked with sprue-cutters to enable it to fit in the box. It was also wrapped in the longest and thinnest releasable bag I have seen, which was unusual! I've attached the sprue back together for aesthetic reasons, but as you can see where it was cut you won't be upset when you open your box up. The boxtop shows some neat examples of the use for the drivers, as well as giving you a sneak peek at what they look like, and I do rather like the dynamics of the painting, with the cut-away doors and so forth. That chap in the saloon car is just a bit too cheerful, given the danger he's in though. The guy in the top left is also looking a bit cheesed off at being rear-ended whilst flying over two other vehicles too. It's safe to say that these figures are all posed in the seated position, and two are dressed in standard Wehrmacht uniforms with a forage and patrol cap on their heads. One other figure has a smock coat over his uniform with a lace-up neck, and the final one is an officer with a rather relaxed hand draped over the top of his steering wheel. Two of the drivers forage cap and smock guy are looking to their left (the two on top on the box art), while patrol cap guy seems to be looking at his steering wheel, perhaps at a map? Each figure comes broken down as torso, individual legs and arms, head and hat, with a couple of ammo pouches for the belt around the smock bedecked gentleman. The instructions are on a single sheet of glossy paper, with part numbers and colour call outs that reference a chart on the rear that shows Revell and Tamiya colour codes, plus the name of the colour in English and Ukrainian (that's a guess). Sculpting and moulding is excellent as we have come to expect from ICM, and the figures will doubtless fit a lot of applications without any adjustment, although that isn't guaranteed, so prepare yourself for a little sanding and such to adapt them. Conclusion A useful set of figures to add a little human scale to your German WWII vehicles, with typical quality from ICM's figure people. Available from their UK importers, H G Hannants Ltd. Review sample courtesy of

Heinkel He 111H-6 (48262) 1:48 ICM The He.111 was originated in secrecy, disguised as a civilian transport in the mid-30s, but once Nazi Germany came out of the closet and disregarded the Versailles agreement, it immediately became clear that they were rearming in a major way. The early civilian and military variants had a more traditional stepped canopy, and there is a famous piece of film that is used and reused in documentaries showing a D or "Dora" variant dropping bombs during the Spanish Civil War as part of the Condor Legion, which was Hitler's proving ground for his new designs and Blitzkreig tactics. Various revisions followed until the P, which introduced the now-iconic stepless fully glazed cockpit, which improved both aerodynamics and the pilot's situational awareness. The P series saw limited action in WWII as it was replaced by the more competent H variant, substituting Junkers Jumo 211 engines, detuned to give it the throbbing beat that was to be heard over Britain almost until the end of the war. The H-3 had an improved version of the engine and increased numbers of machine guns for self-defence. As is often the case with wartime development, the end of the Battle of Britain saw the introduction of the H-4 with better engines and external bomb racks. The H-6 had improvements in design. The Jumo 211 F-1 engine gave it increased. Defensive armament was upgraded with one 20 mm MG FF cannon in the nose, one MG 15 in the ventral turret, and in each of the fuselage side windows, some carried tail-mounted MG 17s. The performance of the H-6 was also improved; he climb rate was higher and the machine could reach a slightly higher ceiling. Overall weight of the H-6 increased to 14,000 kg (30,600 lb). The Kit This is an adaptation of the new tool kit from ICM which we reviewed here. who have raised their game substantially over the recent years. The kit arrives in their lidded top-opened with a glossy card lid and painting to top it off, with 11 sprues in medium, grey styrene, and two in crystal clear styrene, an instruction booklet in line-drawn colour, and a long decal sheet that can be found ensconced within the booklet. On opening the bags, it is very apparent that this is a modern tooling, with lots of lovely details, crisp moulding, and some very clever engineering on display. This version also includes torpedoes which the variant could use. Construction starts with the two wing spar parts, which are separated by the gear bay roof assemblies and a walkway part. Additional detail is added to the bulkheads along with the fuselage walkways and a smaller bulkhead toward the tail, with the lower portion of the mid-upper "turret" ring attached to the floor. The cockpit floor is then assembled with rudder pedals, instrument panels, seat and control linkages, slotting into the front spar once finished. An additional chair and the overhead instrument panel are installed later in the build. As a prelude to closing up the fuselage, the tail wheel is fitted together, which has the wheel moulded-in, and consists of three parts. Preparation of the fuselage halves involves adding the inserts into the wing roots and making good the join; inserting the paired side windows; adding ammo can racks; radio panel; the pilot's control column, and more glazing in the ventral gondola. The spar/cockpit assembly is then fitted to the starboard fuselage half and the port side is added along with some glue. The rudder is separate and fits to the fin with actuators, then the missing fuselage panels between the spars are added, which of course will need painting and fettling in if you're bothered about the "endoscope brigade". If you are intending to fit the tail armament option then the tail cone will need to be sawn off and the new one added. The mid-upper insert is designed to cater for different "turret" installations, and has a lovely serrated ring moulded-in, with controls and bracing strut added before it is installed into the fuselage opening, closing off much of the rear fuselage. You can pose the bomb bay open or closed by selecting one of the two panels, one of which has opening for the bomb bay, where the bombs are suspended tail-first in a framework that is peppered with lightening holes so that the included bombs are visible within. With the bomb bay finished, it is inserted into the fuselage from below, filling yet another gap in the skin. Even if you are leaving the bays closed, the bomb bay can be seen from the side windows, so it's best to build that assembly and install it anyway to prevent that section from being see-through from the sides. Racks for either bombs or torpedoes are added to the underside. The bombs themselves are built up from two halves that have two fins moulded-in, and a single part that fits on the tail forming the other two fins in a cruciform layout. To these are added stiffening brackets, with two bombs in total to make externally or two torpedoes. These are two part main bodies with main propeller and a 6 part tail to be made up and added. At this point the wings are begun, with the lower sides added to the fuselage/spar assembly first. The ailerons are separate, and are built up before the uppers are added, as are the elevators, and the two engines, which are provided in their entirety, along with much of the ancillary equipment and engine mounts. The completed Jumo 211s are fitted to the front of the spars and depending on whether you want to display them or not, and then enclosed by cowling panels, radiators and the intake/outlet ramps. The bottom cowlings can be split to reveal the engine detail, which is a good way of showing off the detail without ruining the lines of the aircraft. The upper wings and ailerons are fitted, the remaining cowling panels with the exhausts are added, with the latter having a decent indent at the tip to simulate being hollow, and finally the nose glazing, which has a machinegun and the aforementioned overhead instrument panel, which is moulded in clear styrene and is provided with a decal for the instruments. The nose "cone" is a separate clear part, and it too is fitted with a machine gun with a choice of single or twin drum mags and dump bag for the spent brass. Another two MGs are fitted to the front and rear glazing on the gondola, and the mid-upper gun is added to the turret ring, along with the protective clear shroud at the front. A different nose cone is provided if using the heavier armament and a different underside blister noses is included. A new clear rear blister nose is also included in the new box. A new open or closed top blister is also included. The main wheels are each built up from two halves, and placed between the twin legs that have the main retraction jacks moulded in, and secured with a number of cross-braces between the two legs. An additional ram is fitted within the bay, attached to the rear cross-brace. The gear bay doors fit to the bay sides with large tabs, as do the bomb bay doors if you are using them, and these last parts have the correctly separated four "petals" that are seen on the real thing, rather than a single panel. The props are made up from a single part with two part spinner and back plate, which fit onto the engine's output shaft through the vented front of the cowlings. Markings There are four decal options included in the box, all of which share the same RLM70/71 splinter pattern over RLM65 with the unit markings and codes to differentiate between them. From the box you can build one of the following: He.111H-6 3/KG.26 Norway Summer 1941 He.111H-6 Stab I/KG.26. Bardufoss, Norway, July 1942 He.111H-6 8/KG.53, Poland 1941 (Yellow Eastern Front Markings) He.111H-6 7./KG.27, Russia, November 1941, Temp white camo over topsides. Decals are printed by ICM, with good registration, sharpness and colour density, with a thin gloss carrier film cut close to the printed areas with a few exceptions around some of the fuselage codes. These can easily be cut off before they are applied however, so it's not an issue. No swastickers are provided so the modeller will have to source these. Conclusion The He.111 is a truly iconic shape, and we're long overdue a new tooling of the type in this scale. ICM have done a great job of it by the looks of things. Very highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

Renault Taxi De La Marne (1914) ICM 1:35 The Renault Taxi de la Marne (Marne Taxi) is an automobile manufactured between 1905 and 1910 by Renault and used as a taxicab. The name Taxi de la Marne was not used until the outbreak of World War I, when the fleet of Paris taxis was requisitioned by the French Army to transport troops from Paris to the First Battle of the Marne in early September 1914. It was the first car produced after Marcel Renault's death in 1903, along with another four models. A car-rental company in Paris ordered 1,500 cars in 1905 as a result of a new invention that automatically calculated how much the passenger had to pay. It was called a taximeter and had been invented in 1891. Soon the Taxi de la Marne was popular for the rest of the decade in Paris and also in London from 1907. 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, four vinyl tyres, a small decal sheet and, in a separate poly bag, one clear sprue. On initial inspection the parts are really well moulded, clean, with no sign of flash. 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 begins with the joining of the two chassis rails, each with the front suspension springs integrally moulded, by two cross members. The single piece mudguards/running board part is then glued to the chassis. The carriage like cabin is then assembled from four parts before being fitted to the chassis too. Two longitudinal rails are then fitted between the forward cross member and front of the engine bay, while the four supports for the running boards are also glued into position. The sump tay is then attached, followed by the two piece front axle. The cute little engine is assembled from seven parts which includes the exhaust, before being glued into the engine bay, followed by the two piece gearbox and two piece radiator, which actually sits behind the engine. The single piece bonnet is then fitted as are the two, two piece rear doors, rear seat base and front bulkhead. The rear seat is fitted, along with the front seat base and front. The front bulkhead of the rear cabin is attached, as are the drivers bench seat and the two, two piece headlights. The rear suspension springs have to be slid into place and twisted for the location pins to fit properly. The two piece rear lamp is attached, as are the silencer and rear section of the exhaust pipe. The rear axle is made up form two parts, which includes the integrally moulded drive shaft. Each wheel is made from the single piece rim and the vinyl tyres, the completed wheels are then fitted to the axles, while the engine under tray, brake leaver and steering column are also fitted. The foot pedals are glued into position, as are the steering wheel, gear and handbrake levers. The front of the main cabin is further detailed with another panel onto which two headrests and fold down seat are attached. The spare wheel consists of a styrene ring and vinyl tyre, this is then glued to the drivers side running board. The rear cabin is fitted with the side and rear panels, while the drivers cabin is fitted with a headrest, armrests and frame for the folding rain cover. The three piece meter is assembled and fitted to the opposite side to the driver and the starting handle attached at the front. Lastly the rear cabin is fitted with its roof and roof hinges, while the drivers position is fitted with its two piece cover and all the doors have the handles glued into position. Decals The small decal sheet contains registration numbers for three vehicles and a couple of decals for the taximeter. The three vehicles are all painted in the overall red, with black mudguards and roof sections. Conclusion It’s good to see these rather unusual vehicles being released, particularly for the WWI aficionados and also remembers the role played by them during the Great War. It is also great to see a civilian vehicle of the time, for those who like something different in their collection. Whilst not a complicated kit, certainly by ICM standards, it looks like it will build into a nice little model. Review sample courtesy of

This is the recent Revell boxing. Nice straightforward build, only slight issue being the exhaust stack contact points which could be a bit more positive. Markings are all homemade stencils. Regards J A.

Do 17Z-7 WWII German Night Fighter 1:72 ICM The Dornier Do 17, nicknamed the Fliegender Bleistift or flying pencil due to its slender shape, was a light bomber designed by Dornier Flugzeugwerke in the mid-1930s. Along with the Heinkel He 111, the Do 17 carried out the lion’s share of bombing raids against the UK up to the end of the Battle of Britain. The Do 17 Z was the main production variant and featured a redesigned forward fuselage that was enlarged in order to accommodate a rear gunner. The Z-7 was a dedicated night fighter, featuring a solid nose borrowed from the Junkers 88C. The new nose was was fitted with four guns; one 20mm cannon and three 7.92mm machine guns. An additional fuel tank in the bomb bay improved loiter time and for those dangerous head-on assaults, additional crew armour was fitted to the front bulkhead to protect them from defensive fire. This kit is the fourth iteration of ICM's excellent new tool Dornier. The plastic is essentially identical to the original Z-2 kit, but with a small extra sprue containing the new nose. Inside the very sturdy top-opening box are three largish frames of light grey plastic, a single clear plastic frame and the aforementioned nose. Together they hold a total of nearly 200 parts. The airframe is covered in crisp, recessed panel lines which look very good indeed, and the mouldings are crisp and clean. The instructions are an A4 stapled booklet which has been printed in colour and the decal sheet is clear and well printed. The overall impression is of a well-executed kit which looks like it should be thoroughly enjoyable to build. Construction begins with the very well detailed cockpit. Interior detail includes crew seats, rudder pedals, a control column (moulded in two parts), radio gear and other sidewall details. The instrument panel is made up from two parts and is really nice in terms of moulded detail. Internal frames for the bomb bay and wing spar are also included, as is the additional long range fuel tank for the forward part of the bomb bay. Interestingly, the instructions suggest you assemble and fit a full load of bombs into the aft part of the bomb bay. I think it's safe to say you can ignore this stage and save yourself the trouble of painting ten bombs! The upper wing is moulded as a single span, complete with interior detail for the main landing gear bays. The ailerons are moulded as separate parts, which is always welcome. The rest of the flying surfaces follow suite, with the rudders and elevators all moulded separately. The elevator balance mechanisms are also included. The bramo radial engines are presented in their complete form and are rather nicely detailed, which opens up the possibility of finishing the model in some form of maintenance diorama. The main landing gear legs have to be installed as part of the construction of the engine pods, so take your time making sure everything fits well together and is painted ready for installation. With the engines in place, the rest of the build is occupied with finishing details. The canopy is nice and clear, while the rear-firing MG15 is included. The new nose includes the muzzles for the cannon and machine guns, all of which were already included on the original sprues. Decal options are included for two aircraft, both of I.NJG 2, Glitze-Rijen, Autumn 1940 (R4+HK and R4+FK). Both aircraft are finished in the overall black scheme shown on the box artwork. The decals look nicely printed but no stencils are included. Conclusion ICM have certainly made the most of their investment in their new tooling, unlike Airfix who stopped at the classic Battle of Britain bomber. While both kits are excellent, ICM's effort is slightly ahead of the Airfix kit in terms of detail. The mouldings are high quality and the surface structures are fine and crisp. Overall this is a well executed and carefully designed kit which looks as though it will be thoroughly enjoyable to build. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

Hi folk's,WWI is a subject I've been fascinated with for year's,recent delving into my families history has revealed how many member's served throughout it's five year's my Grandfather was an artilleryman,Great Grandfather served in the Canadian army as a tunneller then engineer and Great Uncle died in the mud of Passchendaele in November 1917 add in brother's we are into double figure;s as a family.I tried to be a bit different when it came to choose a subject aircraft would be the preffered object but decided on confronting my weakest modelling skill figure's. I then decided on a theme of Mons where the British army fired the first shot's of the great war in 1914 with a simple vignette using ICM's infantry and Masterbox's farm cart on a simple base and some scenic's. That's the plan I still need to order/buy the kit's but doubt I'll start till after the holidays in a few week's,now I then decided to bookend this build with another vignette Mons 1918,probably with ICM's later equipped British infantry on a matching sized base this time with some kind of building or structure to represent the last shot's of the great war which although many year;s apart happened in tha same area.As soon as I plan the kit's I'll update the thread.

Another project that languished for a bit. I mostly enjoyed the build, although the ICM T-34 had some fit issues, and the tracks don't want to take paint, which peels off easily. As a result, I was unable to weather the wheels and tracks as much as I wanted to.

This 48th scale kit is my most recent and my proudest kit. Though the icm decals discintergrated in water, i am very fond of my work and the kit. The kit overall fitted well together, the wings required a bit of sanding to get the right shape but apart from these the kit was very nice.

Hi Fellow Modellers, Bit of a gap between my last posting and now as two builds have not quite passed muster, but this one's just about good enough to publish IMHO. Nice kit actually, went together well with no real issues(apart from disintegrating decals). First real trial of my Iwata Revolution CR and I'm most impressed. Paints are Vallejo MA. Let me know what you think. PS: From my research there seems to be some disputed colours for the prop spinner, some sources say red & white, I went with the Black-green & white as per kit diagram. PS: I know my canopy framing sucks !! Cheers Nigel

S.W.A.T Team Fighter #4 ICM 1:24 24104 With the current world situation armed Police officers and SWAT (Special Weapons and Tactics) Officers are seen all too frequently on the news. ICM have now brought us three 1/24 scale SWAT Figures. This figure is well sculpted and comes in a traditional format to build up. The main torso is on two parts with a join seam at the side, this should be covered in the build by added on equipment pouches. The left and right legs are one part each and are added to the torso. There is a mould seam on both sides of the leg to clean up. The arms are added and again these have mould seam to clean up, the shield then attached to one arm. The head is then fitted and a choice of three tactical helmets is offered for the top. Goggles are provided for the helmet with a separate clear part. Additional tactical equipment pouches are provided as are a selection of weapons. Different types of pistol (holstered and drawn) are provided. While these are not shown as being used for the figure it does provide many different possibilities for the modeller to use these if they wish to alter the figure in some way. Conclusion This is a new kit of a modern law enforcement figure in a large enough scale for the detail to pop out. Review sample courtesy of

Sd.Kfz.251 Ausf.A with German Infantry (35103) 1:35 ICM via Hannants The Hanomag Sd.Kfz.251/1 was the mainstay of the German armoured Personnel Carrier fleet, but was flexible enough to also take up many other tasks within the Nazi War Machine, from Anti-Aircraft duties to Howitzer carriage and back again to armoured reconnaissance, which led to a lot of variants. With two steering wheels at the front, the rear was carried on tracks, giving it good clearance and rough ground capabilities that a truck simply could not manage once the going got tough. It was armoured sufficiently to deflect non-armour piercing rounds from small arms fire, but with an open top it was susceptible to both grenades and aerial bombardment, where the armour would concentrate the blast and reduce the interior to a tangled mess. The Ausf.A was used at the beginning of WWII alongside the Ausf.B, and was generally fitted with an MG.34 on the front cab wall, operated from inside. There were more than 20 official variants and more unofficial field modifications, but despite their seemingly ubiquitous nature in German service, not many were preserved after the war, and they are highly sought after now, with many examples being based upon post-war builds from Czech factories that have been made to look as convincing as possible by their restorers. While the purist may notice the differences in films, they're still a huge improvement on repainted American half-tracks from an authenticity point of view. The Kit This is a reboxing of kit number 35101 of the same vehicle, but with the addition of a set of German Infantry (4 figures) to accompany it. We reviewed the original kit here, where you can see all the pictures below, as well as the build process and our thoughts on the model. This boxing arrives in a similar box, with the additional sprues for the figures taking up any spare space within, and on the exterior it has a new painting, which represents the more relaxed theme of the figures, which are either walking with their transport, or standing offering directions. In addition to the five grey sprues there are three in sand coloured styrene (the figures), a clear sprue (just the headlamps are used), and the flexible tracks and wheels. The instruction booklet follows the same format, and is actually the one from the earlier box, but with the instructions for the figures slipped inside, along with a separate page for sprue diagrams and painting guide for the accessories that come with the figures. The figures are four in number, and come as separate torsos, legs, arms, heads and helmets/hats. Shoulder bags, weapons and all the usual parts such as gas mask canisters, water bottles, entrenching tools, ammo pouches, pistols, binoculars, weapons and bayonets are included, most of which are found on the smaller sprue. The third sand sprue contains two lengths of link for the MG34 that is included on the aforementioned smaller sprue, which were sometimes carrier over the shoulders for easy access in event of contact with the enemy. These are moulded in a more flexible styrene, and are also a slightly different colour to the others, which can hopefully be seen from the pictures. An officer is included looking at a map, while another soldier points with one hand, with an MP40 in his other. The other two figures are depicted walking, one with an MG34 over his shoulder and a scarf of bullets, the other with boxes of ammo in his hands, and his rifle slung over his shoulder. As always with ICM, the sculpting it excellent, and the level of detail in the accessories of similar quality. Painting call-outs are included in the Revell and Tamiya ranges, with colour names in English and Ukraine for those without access to one of the many online paint conversion tools. Markings As this is the same kit, the same markings options are supplied this time around, with Panzer Grey being the colour scheme of the era. It also explains why there are no MG42s included on the weapons sprue. WH 726465 1.Pz.D., France, May 1940 WH 179074 1.Pz.D., Russia, July 1941 Conclusion We liked it first time around, and like it still, especially with the addition of these figures, which add a human scale to the model, and lend themselves to a diorama base, possibly at a crossroads in France? Highly recommended. Available in the UK from Hannants and other model shops Review sample courtesy of

S.W.A.T Team Fighter #3 ICM 1:24 24103 With the current world situation armed Police officers and SWAT (Special Weapons and Tactics) Officers are seen all too frequently on the news. ICM have now brought us three 1/24 scale SWAT Figures. This figure is well sculpted and comes in a traditional format to build up. The main torso is on two parts with a join seam at the side, this should be covered in the build by added on equipment pouches. The left and right legs are one part each and are added to the torso. There is a mould seam on both sides of the leg to clean up. The arms are added and again these have mould seam to clean up, the shield then attached to one arm. The head is then fitted and a choice of three tactical helmets is offered for the top. Goggles are provided for the helmet with a separate clear part. Additional tactical equipment pouches are provided as are a selection of weapons. Different types of pistol (holstered and drawn) are provided. While these are not shown as being used for the figure it does provide many different possibilities for the modeller to use these if they wish to alter the figure in some way. Conclusion This is a new kit of a modern law enforcement figure in a large enough scale for the detail to pop out. Review sample courtesy of

Soviet T-34/85 with Riders ICM 1:35 History The T-34 was and remains a legend. It is not only the most produced tank of the WWII-era, with 84,000 built (compared to the 48,966 Shermans of all versions) but also one of the longest-serving tanks ever built. Many are still stored in depots in Asia and Africa, and some served actively during the 90’s (such as during the 1991-99 Yugoslavian war). They formed the backbone of countless armoured forces around the globe from the fifties to the eighties. The basic design was drawn for the first time in 1938 with the A-32, in turn partially derived from the BT-7M, a late evolution of the US-born Christie tank. The T-34/85 came about after it was recognised that there was a need to increase the firepower of the T-34/76 following the Battle of Kursk in 1943. While the hull stayed the same, a new turret was designed and was to be originally fitted with a derivative of the M1939 air defence gun. This gun wasn’t chosen to be produced en masse, that honour went to the ZIS-S-53 which armed the 11,800 tanks produced between 1944 and 1945. The Model The model arrives in a strong box with a separate top sleeve with a nice artist’s representation of the tank and riders on the front. Inside, within a large poly bag, are five sprues and two hull parts of green styrene and, four lengths of tracks, a small sprue of clear styrene, and a smallish decal sheet. On initial inspection the parts are really well moulded, clean, with no sign of flash. 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 some items like are also quite heavy and I can see these parts breaking if not careful. The build begins with the fitting of the engine cover onto the rear decking, and the bow machine gun, armoured tear drop, mantle and ball. The two intake covers are then assembled and also fitted to the rear deck. The two piece bow mounted machine gun is then assembled and slide into the ball of the mounting, being glued such that it is still moveable, whilst there are four plates that are fitted to the underside of the rear decking. The drivers hatch is made up form four parts before being glued into position. Back aft, the rear bulkhead is attached, followed by the radiator cover. Inside the lower hull section the eight suspension boxes are fitted, four per side as are the two driver’s control sticks, whilst the rear mudguards are fitted to the rear. On the outside the driver gearbox covers are fitted, as are the five axles on their torsion beam suspension arms and the idler axles. The drivers are machine gunners seats, each made from six parts are glued in their appropriate positions and the two hull halves joined together. Each of the idler wheels, drive sprockets and road wheels are made from two parts before being fitted to their respective axles. The four towing hooks are then attached, two at the front and two aft. The upper hull is then fitted out with grab handles, stowage beams and a couple of smaller hooks. Each of the two halves of rubber track lengths are joined together and slide of the wheels. While there isn’t really any interior, ICM have allowed for the fact that some modellers like to have the hatches open, to that effect there is some semblance of interior parts. The main gun breech is made up form thirteen parts, and although relatively simple, does look quite effective. On the outside of the turret the mantlet and fixed section of the mantlet cover are fitted, the breech assembly is then glued to the mantlet from the inside and the lower turret, including the turret ring is glued into place. The moving section of the mantlet cover is then attached, along with the machine gun muzzle. The three piece mantlet extension and three piece main gun is then fitted, along with the four piece cupola, gunners hatch, grab handles, ventilator dome, viewing block and top armour plate for the mantlet. There are more stowage bars, periscope sights, lifting eyes and viewing blocks fitted to the turret before the whole assembly si fitted to the upper hull. Final assembly includes the four, four piece fuel drums, each with two cradles, spare track links, stowage boxes and aerial base. There is a four piece folded tarpaulin, (in place of one of the fuel drums), another stowage box, two more track links headlight, horn, two towing cables and a large saw attached before the model can be declares complete. The riders are then assembled. There are four of them, and each is made up from separate legs, upper torso, arms, head and headgear. There are also separate pouches, water bottles, ammunition drums and ammunition pouches. The weapons are also separate with the ammunition drum or magazine to be attached. Three are armed with the PPSh-41 sub-machine gun and one with a German MP-40 sub-machine gun. Decals The decal sheet provides four options for tanks that each served in 1945. All of the tanks are in all over green, each with tank ID numbers and unit markings. The choices are:- A T-34/85, 7th Guards Tank Corps, Germany, Spring 1945 A T-34/85, 7th Guards Mechanised Corps, Germany, Spring 1945 A T-34/85, 4th Guard Tank Army, Germany, Spring 1945 A T-34/85, of an undesignated unit, from the Spring 1945 Conclusion This is another fine kit from ICM. Although not the most complicated of tank kits, it does look the part and would make a nice, relaxing weekend build. The addition of the riders makes for some interesting diorama builds. Review sample courtesy of

RKKA Drivers (1943 – 1945) ICM 1:35 ICM have a great selection of figures in their catalogue, the latest set is of is for RKKA Drivers, consisting of two drivers, with eh picture on the front showing one in a truck and one in a staff car. I’m sure each could be posed to fit in most of the vehicles released by ICM or indeed any other manufacturer that needs a driver. Each figure is made up from separate legs/lower torso, upper torso, arms and head; the truck driver also has a separate hat. Conclusion This is another very useful set for the diorama builders where it’s good to have the vehicles built actually being driven. Review sample courtesy of

Soviet Pilots (1939 – 1942) ICM1:32 ICM have a great selection of figures in their catalogue, the latest set is of is for Soviet Pilots, consisting of two pilots and a member of the operations staff. One pilot is in a sitting position, just right to pose in your lovely I-16 or I-153. The other pilot is standing and should be posed with the third figure as it looks like he’s giving the pilot a briefing before a mission. Each figure is made up from separate legs/lower torso, upper torso, arms and head; the standing pilot also has a two piece helmet. Then there is a selection of map and ammunition pouches, holsters, and parachutes and goggles. The parachute packs could do with some better webbing as the two parts provided for the standing pilot don’t look that realistic. Conclusion As usual ICM brings us something a little different, and it’s nice to see some 1:32 scale figures for use with their lovely aircraft kits. Review sample courtesy of

Mig-25RBF (48904) 1:48 ICM In an attempt to fulfil the perceived need for a supersonic interceptor that could take off, climb to height and attack an incoming bomber stream, which at the time was the most efficient method for delivering the newly invented nuclear warheads, The Mig-25 Foxbat was created. It managed the job to a certain extent, but as it never truly achieved its goals, it was left to its successor the Mig-31 Foxhound before the task was handled competently, by which time the role of ICBMs was about to make the primary role redundant. The prototype flew in 1964, and was constructed primarily of stainless steel, and reached service at the turn of the decade, although it had been seen before that, both in reconnaissance photos of the West, as well as at some parades. The Mig-25's inadequacies were hidden from the West however, until the famous defection of a Soviet pilot to an airfield in Japan revealed that the Foxbat wasn't as high-tech and all-conquering as we had been led to believe, having many steel parts instead of the high-tech alloys that the investigators were expecting. The West assumed that the large wing was to aid manoeuvrability, when in fact it was a necessity due to the aircraft's enormous weight, which made it a fast aircraft, which was not very manoeuvrable. It was also lacking in the avionics department, especially in one crucial aspect. It had no capability for targeting aircraft that were lower than itself, which coincided with the change in tactics to low level attack by the Western Allies, so a lack of look-down/shoot-down capability was a serious deficiency. Nevertheless, several hundred were made, with the last one rolling off the production line in 1984 with a number of export orders into the bargain. The MiG-25RBF was a Conversion of the MiG-25RBK (Single-seat dedicated ELINT platform, with the Kub-3K Elint system) but fitted with a new Shar-25 Elint system. NATO would call both the RBK & RBF the Foxbat-D. Attempts to improve the Foxbat design were unsuccessful, and the Foxhound was its eventual replacement, which delivered everything that was expected of its forebear, staying in service until it is replaced by the Pak-Fa at some point in the near future. The Kit This is the latest Foxbat from ICM. Inside are seven sprues of grey styrene, plus a clear sprue, two sheets of decals and a colour printed instruction booklet with painting guide to the rear. The clear parts are bagged separately from the rest of the sprues, and both are secured with resealable tape in case you prefer to keep your kits in the bags. The decals are inserted between the pages of the instructions, and have a waxy cover sheet lightly adhering to each sheet. If you think that construction is going to start with the cockpit, you'd be kind-of right. Cockpit parts in the shape of one of the side consoles are added to the inside of the cockpit section first, followed by the rear bulkhead and then the nose gear bay, with gear leg included but easily left off 'til later. Rudder pedals are then added to a short cockpit floor; the base of the seat with its stirrups and ejection actuator handle; control column and the instrument panel are joined before being added to the side console in the short fuselage section. The back and headbox of the seat are then installed, the opposite side console made up, and then fitted to the fuselage, which is then joined together. A large M-shaped former is added at the rear to hold the intakes, which are built from three sections and are then fitted to the former. At the rear of the intakes a pair of conical intake trunks are glued in place with the front engine face, leaving you with a rather odd looking assembly. This is set to one side for a while as you add the main gear bays to the lower fuselage. The nose (minus radome at this stage) is then joined with the lower fuselage, the main gear legs added, and a capital B shaped bulkhead fitted to the rear to hold the exhausts in place. Fuselage sides are then fitted to the bulkheads, with the rear missing, as it is attached to the two big fins that are made up next with separate rudders and lower strakes. The exhausts are next, with the afterburner flame-holders attached to the rear fan section, which is shaped like a figure-8 and linked to obtain the correct exhaust spacing. The trunking is then added in four parts, with detail within, and with careful alignment, you should be able to get away with a hidden seam. Another figure-8 part, the base of the exhaust rings links the rear of the tubes together, and two further layers give it depth and detail, with the inner petals added in sections to complete the assembly. The fronts are slid into the rear bulkhead on the fuselage, and the top fuselage panel is added along with the twin fins and the tops of the intake nacelles. It finally looks like an aircraft, but a wingless one at this stage. The pen-nib fairing between the fins is added from two parts, and it's then time to give her wings. The are separate from the top fuselage, and their tabs fit in traditional slots once they have their control surfaces and strakes added. The elevators fit into holes in the sides of the fuselage too, in much the same way as the full-size parts. There is no mention of it but I would add nose weight to avoid a tail sitter. The gear bay covers are fitted along with the wheels, which are well detailed and the mains are split vertically around their circumference, while the dual nose wheels are single parts. Due to its prodigious thirst, the Foxbat was often seen carrying a huge belly tank, which is supplied in the kit as a two-part assembly, split horizontally. The final act sees the windscreen added along with the coaming, and a choice of either open or closed canopy parts. Stick the pitot in the nose and you're done. Markings There From the box you can build one of the following: Mig-25RBF, 47th GRAP, Shatalov AB, August 2001(Brown / Light Green / Ochre / Olive Green camo) Mig-25RBF, 931st OGRAP, Werneuchen AB, Germany 1991(Brown / Green / Tan camo) Mig-25RBF, 47th GRAP, Shatalov AB, August 2001 (all over grey) The decals are printed with ICM's logo and have good registration, sharpness and colour density, with a thin gloss carrier film cut close to the printed areas. The stencils are printed on a separate sheet, are legible and their locations are called out via a page in the instructions so as not to clutter the profiles with too many arrows. Conclusion Detail is excellent, the panel lines are restrained, and construction follows a logical process. Just take care with the location of the internal assemblies to make sure that they are correctly placed, and the outer skin should fit well. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

I-153 Chaika ICM 1:32 The Polikarpov I-153 was the last of Nikolai Polikarpov's biplane fighter aircraft to enter service and despite being the most advanced entry in the series was already obsolete when it first entered service in 1939. The I-153 was developed as a result of a misreading of the results of the aerial combat during the Spanish Civil War. In July 1937 a meeting chaired by Stalin concluded that the Fiat CR.32 biplane was superior to the Polikarpov I-16 monoplane. The nimble Fiat fighter had achieved impressive results against the Soviet fighter, but partly because the I-16 pilots had attempted to dogfight rather than use their superior speed to break off combat. The successful introduction of the Bf 109 was ignored, and instead of focusing on producing a superior monoplane the Soviet authorities decided to work on an improved biplane. The new aircraft needed to maintain the manoeuvrability of the I-15 and I-152 while also increasing in speed. This presented Polikarpov with a problem, for he had already argued that any increase in speed came at the cost of an increase in weight (from the heavier more powerful engine and stronger fuselage needed to support it). The heavier aircraft would then be less manoeuvrable. Work on the I-153 was officially approved on 11 October 1937. Polikarpov's main aim was to reduce drag and weight in an attempt to compensate for the weight of a heavier engine. He did this in two main ways - first by introducing a retractable undercarriage, and second by returning to the 'gull wing' configuration of the I-15, in which the upper wing was linked to the fuselage by diagonal sections, eliminating its central section. This had worked on the I-15, but had been unpopular with some pilots and higher authorities, and had been removed from the I-152. As a result that aircraft had been less manoeuvrable than its precursor. The 'gull wing' on the I-152 was an improved version of that on the I-15, with a bigger gap between the wing roots, which improved the pilot's forward view when landing and taking off. The fuselage and wings of the I-153 were similar to those of the I-15 and I-152, with a steel tube framework, covered by metal at the front of the fuselage and fabric elsewhere. The manually operated retractable undercarriage rotated through 90 degrees before folding backwards into the fuselage. The first prototype was powered by a 750hp M-25V engine. Its maiden flight is variously reported as having taken place in May or August 1938, with A.I. Zhukov at the controls. Tests that began on 27 September are variously described as state acceptance or factory trials. These tests weren't entirely satisfactory and production was delayed while some of the problems were solved. In June-August 1939 state acceptance trials were conducted using an I-153 powered by the new Shvetsov M-62 engine, a version of the M-25V with a two-stage supercharger. These trials were not officially concluded until January 1941, long after the type had been superseded. Next in line was a version powered by the 900hp M-63, and this version passed its trials on 30 September 1939. Only a handful of aircraft were produced with the M-25 engine. The 800hp M-62 was used in the largest number of aircraft, around 3,018 in total. The 1,100hp (at take-off) M-63 was used in 409 aircraft. A total of 3,437 I-153s were produced, beginning in 1938. 1,011 aircraft had been completed by the end of 1939, and a massive 2,362 were built in 1940, at a time when the Soviet Union desperately needed more modern monoplanes. Production came to an end early in 1941 and only 64 aircraft were completed that year. The standard I-153 was armed with four ShKAS machine guns. These replaced the PV-1 guns used on the I-15 and I-152, and had a much higher rate of fire (1,800 compared to 750 rounds per minute) as well as being much lighter. The four under wing bomb racks could carry up to 441lb of bombs. The Model Having done a couple of versions of the I-16, it’s great to see ICM release its biplane stablemate. Contained in a sturdy box the three large sprues of grey plastic are pretty well protected in their single plastic bag, with the clear parts in a separate bag, there is also a largish decal sheet. All the parts are superbly moulded, with no sign of flash or other imperfections and only a few noticeable moulding pips. There are a few swirl marks in the plastic, but nothing to worry about and will easily be covered when the kit is primed and painted. Since the aircraft was mostly wood there are very few panel lines, where fabric was used in the construction, the kit shows the underlying structure, but in a nicely restrained way. Construction begins with the lower wing and the two upper sections being attached to the single piece lower section, after which there are two insets that fit into the main undercarriage bay roof. The cockpit is assembled next, and is a very nicely detailed area. The two seat supports are attached to the seat back and glued to the cockpit floor, followed by the seat base. The two piece control column is glued into place along with its separate control rod and rudder pedals. The tubular framework of the cockpit is quite delicate, and care should be taken when removing from the sprues and assembling. Side tubular structures are fitted with ancillary instruments, levers, radio controls, throttle lever and flare pistol. The side sections are then glued to the front and rear sections. The whole assembly is then attached to the cockpit floor assembly and the whole lot glued to the lower wing assembly.The fuselage sides are then detailed with an oxygen bottle, and side access doors before being glued together. The fuselage is then slid over the cockpit structure and glued to the lower wing. The horizontal tailplanes, elevators and rudder all come in two halves. When glued together they are attached to the rear fuselage. The upper wing comes as single piece upper section and two piece lower sections. Once joined, the assembly is attached to the forward fuselage and the two interplane struts glued into position. The engine is quite a simple affair, being moulded in two halves, to which the valve rods are attached, followed by the exhausts. The cooling shutter ring is then fitted to the inside of the nose cowling, followed by the engine assembly, rear bulkhead, and separate exhaust stubs and five piece propeller. The engine/nose cowling assembly is then attached to the front fuselage, followed by the two side panels, top panel, windshield, gunsight and oil cooler duct. Each of the main undercarriage is made from five parts, once assembled they are glued into their respective positions. The tailplane struts are then added, along with the undercarriage bay doors and two piece tail wheel. You then have the option of adding wither eight rockets, each of three pieces, two small bombs, also three parts or four larger bombs also three parts. The bombs have separate crutches while the rockets are fitted to rails. Then it’s just a bit of very light rigging and the model is done. Decals The decal sheet is printed by ICM themselves. The decals are quite glossy, well printed, in register and nicely opaque, particularly useful for the large white numbers. There are four decal options, the four aircraft being:- I-153, aircraft No.26 of the 70th Fighter Regiment, Khalin-Gol, August 1939 in Aluminium overall, with Field Green squiggles all over the upper sides of the wings and fuselage sides. I-153 aircraft No.28 of the 15th Fighter Regiment, Lithuania, June 1939 in an overall Aluminium finish I-153 aircraft No.6 of the 72nd Mixed Regiment, North Fleet Air Force, Vaegna, 1940 in an Field Green upper surfaces and fuselage sides, and Light Blue undersides. I-153, aircraft No.102 of the 71st Fighter Regiment, Baltic Fleet Air Force, Lavansaari, Summer 1942 in Field Green over flat black upper sides of the wings and fuselage sides and Light blue undersides. Conclusion As with the I-16, this is a very cute and recognisable little aeroplane. The biplane design, whilst out of date, makes this aircraft look a nicer design then the I-16. It’s certainly great that ICM are catering to those of us who like the larger scales and there is still plenty that could be done with the interior should you wish t go to town on it. Review sample courtesy of