Search the Community

Leopard 2A7V (03355) 1:72 Carrera Revell The Leopard 2 is the successor to the earlier Leopard Main Battle Tank (MBT), and was developed in the 70s, entering service just before the turn of the decade. The original had a vertical faced turret front, while later variants had improved angled armour applied to the turret front that gives the tank a more aggressive look and more importantly provides enhanced protection, with a higher probability of deflecting incoming rounds harmlessly away. It has all the technical features of a modern MBT, including stabilised main gun for accurate firing on the move, thermal imaging for night-fighting, and advanced composite armour, making it a worthy contender as one of the best tanks in the world today. The original Leopard 2 has been through several upgrades through its service life and the current production variant is the highly advanced 2A7 and 2A7V, all of which have been re-manufactured from earlier models, with the designation 2A8 being given to a tranche of newly-manufactured tanks that utilise 2A7 technology. The 2A7 is not intended to be used in a close-quarters or urban environment, and is different from its stable-mate, although both are derived from the 2A7+ demonstrator. Most of the improvements of the 2A7+ were incorporated into the 2A7V, which has extensive modular armour, advanced technology and anti-mine packages fitted to improve crew survivability. It sports the Rheinmetall 120mm smoothbore gun with a longer barrel than the A5, which results in a higher muzzle velocity, thus improving penetration power over its predecessor, allowing it to reach targets at a greater range, and hit closer targets harder. It also has an armoured ammunition storage space in the turret that is engineered to blow outward in the event of a detonation of munitions, which again improves the crew survivability further. For close-in defence they can be fitted with a stabilised FLW remote weapon station instead of the usual MG3 machine gun, and appliqué armour is installed to give an arrow-head front profile to the turret, as well as several more subtle upgrades that follow on from the 2A5 and 2A6, such as all-round protection from incoming RPG rounds, a common weapon encountered in asymmetric combat such as the Middle East. Sales of the Leopard 2 have been good overseas because of its excellent reputation, and Canada, Turkey, Spain and many of the Nordic countries use it as well as many other smaller operators. The Kit This kit is based upon a tooling that was initially released by Revell in 2011, and has since been re-released several times with additional parts. The kit arrives in a deep end-opening box with a painting of a 2A7V ploughing through heavy snow in an alpine environment, and inside are a surprising eight sprues of various sizes in grey styrene, a small decal sheet, and the instruction booklet, which is printed in colour on matt paper and has the painting profiles on the rearmost page. The high sprue count is due to the distribution of the required parts across the sprues, leading to a relatively high number of parts that will be left on the sprues after the build, for example two turret-tops and an upper hull will be left over, plus a substantial number of detail parts. Detail is good, and it should produce a creditable replica once completed after careful painting and weathering. Construction begins with removing three strakes under the rear of the hull floor, then gluing the sides to the underside and supporting the structure by adding an internal T-shaped bulkhead within the hull at roughly the engine firewall position, adding an extra part to the right side vertical, and closing up the rear with a well-detailed bulkhead after removing the ends of the same strakes removed from the floor, and fitting an armoured panel beneath the crew compartment floor. Much of the suspension is moulded into the hull sides, adding extra parts to enhance this, then fitting the swing-arms, stub-axles and inner return rollers to the sides, then making two drive-sprockets, two paired idler wheels and fourteen pairs of road wheels to complete the running gear ready for installation of the tracks, which are moulded in two lengths per side in styrene. After gluing the four parts into two lengths, the instructions advise heating the tracks in hot water so that they will bend around the rounded ends of the runs, of course taking care not to burn or scald yourself in the process. You are advised to wrap them around the upper run first, hiding the joint on the lower run, cutting superfluous links from the tracks to keep them taut, and fixing the outer return rollers in place against the outer face of the guide-horns. A riveted appliqué panel is mounted under the glacis plate, fitting towing eyes, brackets and spare track links to the rear bulkhead, and making up two towing cables with moulded-in eyes. Once the tracks are in place, the upper hull is mated with the lower, installing the towing cables over the rear of the vehicle, followed by a four-part appliqué armour package over the glacis, with moulded-in light clusters, and a pair of mudguards at the front, plus a sensor package in the centre at the very front of the vehicle. The glacis plate has the driver’s hatch installed, more towing shackles under the front, plus more lights and their protective cages. three-part side-skirts with appliqué armour blocks are next, attention then turning toward the massive low-profile turret. The turret is started with the floor first, adding a bustle plate at the rear, and cheek panels to the front, then the barrel body is inserted into an internal mantlet block, bracketing it with side plates, the port side having the coax machine gun moulded-in. A long narrow top plate is then fitted, and the completed assembly is inserted in the lower turret on separate trunnions, using no glue on the pegs if you wish to leave the barrel mobile. The turret roof has an insert added from inside under the TV sighting box, then it is glued over the lower turret, and the side detail panels are fitted, adding appliqué armour panels to the sides of the mantlet, including an arrow-head part to the sides of the similarly-shaped mantlet armour, adding surrounds to the commander’s cupolas, inserting a trio of lifting lugs around the turret roof, and a large bustle box at the rear. The TV sighting box can be posed with the doors open or closed by either placing the single door part over the opening, or cutting it in two, positioning the two doors on either side of the box, as per the scrap diagram nearby, then mounting two aerial bases on cylindrical pedestals near the bustle, plus a sensor in front of the commander’s hatch. The rear of the bustle is enclosed by adding a panel with two racks of track grousers moulded-in, plus an L-shaped side panel on the right side, and a shallow box on the rear left of the turret roof. The smoke grenade barrels are mounted on a shallow shelf, making two pairs that fit in the space between the bustle and frontal armour, adding an MG3 mount to the gunner’s cupola, and a two-part 360° periscope to the commander's, then fitting the two-layer hatches, with a choice to pose them open or closed. A triangular railed stowage area is fitted to the roof behind the gunner’s hatch, a lid for a stowage box behind the sighting system, and a cowl over the system itself, fixing a ring around the gunner’s hatch, extra stowage boxes and grab handles around the sides of the turret, and the afore mentioned smoke grenade discharger assemblies. A fire extinguisher and long narrow box (for cleaning rods or aerials) are attached to the bustle, then the turret can be twisted into position in the ring on the hull and locked into place, deciding whether to position the travel lock flat on the engine deck, or by using a different part that you slide over the barrel first, the turret can be reversed and secured in place facing backwards for travel, fitting the muzzle portion to the end of the barrel to complete it. The final parts are two wing mirrors that can be deployed, or folded flat out of the way for battle or operations in cluttered areas. Markings There is a single option included on the small decal sheet, which is painted in a three-tone NATO camouflage that consists of wavy-edged areas of green, black and brown. From the box you can build the following: The decals are printed using a digital process and have good registration, sharpness, and colour density, with a thin gloss carrier film cut loosely around the printed areas. This means that the carrier film on their decals can be coaxed away from the printed part of the decal after they have been applied, effectively rendering them carrier film free, making the completed decals much thinner and more realistic, and obviating the need to apply successive coats of clear varnish to hide the edges of the carrier film. It’s a great step further in realism from my point of view, and saves a good quantity of precious modelling time into the bargain. Conclusion A well-appointed 1:72 kit of this effective Main Battle Tank that is amongst the best in the world. While there isn’t a plethora of decal options, almost all Europe-based Leopards would be painted in the same scheme. Highly recommended. Carrera Revell model kits are available from all good toy and model retailers. For further information visit or

Israeli Merkava Mk.2D (BT-037) 1:35 Border Model via Albion Alloys Merkava means ‘Chariot’ in Hebrew, which is an appropriate name for an Israeli tank. They began development of an indigenous solution to their armour needs in the early 70s, taking most of the decade for it to reach maturity in the shape of the Merkava Mk.I. The design established key criteria, making survivability of the crew a key requirement, mounting the engine in the front of the vehicle with the crew and turret at the rear, above a capacious crew compartment, which can be used for medical evac and troop carriage when ammo has been unloaded, exiting to the rear for safety. The Mk.I utilised the 105mm license-built version of the American M68 gun, and this was carried forward to the Mk.II, which was an incremental upgrade to implement lessons learned during the 1982 war in Lebanon. The internal 60mm mortar was moved totally inside the vehicle for remote operation, adding shot-trap covers to defeat rocket projectiles with shaped warheads. The transmission was switched to an automatic unit that reduced the workload of the driver and freed up some space for additional fuel, upgrading other critical systems, such as optics, imaging, and improving the overall accuracy of the gun. The Mk.IIB added thermal optics and more fire-control improvements, while the IIC added appliqué armour to the turret to improve defense against air attacks. The Mk.IID extended the appliqué armour to the hull and side skirts, taking the shape of modular blocks that can quickly be replaced in the event of damage or operational detonation, to protect the crews, the tank, and to enable engineers to return it quickly to the frontline if it should be hit during battle. After reaching service in 1983, the majority of Mk.IIs were out of service by 2015, those that remained being converted for use as specialist vehicles, either armoured personnel carriers, ARVs, and other tasks where rough ground handling and armour would be an advantage to the mission. By 2016 the last units had been re-equipped with Merkava Mk.IIIs that had started to reach battalions as early as 2003, and the newer IVs that replaced it just a year later. The Kit This is a new tooling from Border, and it has a full interior, plus workable tracks, with a lot of detail present. It arrives in a top-opening box with a painting of the subject matter on the front, driving through a stretch of desert, kicking up plenty of dust in the process. Inside the box are ten sprues and three large parts in grey styrene, fifteen trees of track links also in grey, a clear sprue, a bag containing eight metal springs, a small Photo-Etch (PE) brass fret, a smaller decal sheet, and the instruction booklet that is printed in spot colour on glossy white paper, with profiles on the rear pages, plus 3D renders of the interiors with additional painting guides to assist with detail painting. Detail is excellent, including raised and recessed features, a finely engraved anti-slip textured coating on the horizontal surfaces, and a crisp rendering of the diesel power-unit. Construction begins with the lower hull, adding rear surfaces to suspension mounts, and towing eyes on the underside of the glacis, before fitting the Mine Resistant keel to the bottom, which has a pivoting plate under the glacis, and has additional eyes added. More suspension parts and armour shields are added on both sides, fitting the final drive housings to the front, and a single return roller at the mid-point on each side of the hull. The 1,500hp turbo-diesel engine is a large lump, starting with the twelve-cylinder block that is a two-part assembly initially, building a large square box with twin fans on the top from ten parts, mating it to the top of the block, and filling a gap at one end with two detail inserts. Transmission is next, formed from two main sections, plus a pair of end-caps that are each built from five parts, mating it to the engine with a five-part turbo unit between it, which has some more excellent detail moulded-in. A two-part tapering box is fitted in the front of the hull, adding a multi-part assembly that forms a rough H-shape behind it, fitting the rear crew access door from two parts into the cut-out in the rear bulkhead. The floor with cut-out for the turret basket is laid into the lower hull along with another box to the side of the rear door, after which detailing of the interior is started, which includes a folding-backed seat for the driver on the left hull side, and a couple of pressurised bottles just behind him. A complex bulkhead that separates the power-pack from the driver is built from three facets, plus a set of driver controls on the left side, starting work on the floor of the turret basket, which includes a PE shield that is rolled to match the curve of the basket base, a couple of seats with small backs, and a large tapering stowage bag that is strapped to the floor. The engine and basket are both inserted into position in the lower hull, adding an exhaust duct from the engine on the right side. An internal bulkhead is detailed with a set of ammo boxes on brackets, a breather and box, plus a tapering ‘airlock’ to the rear exit, slotting it in place on a raised guide near the back of the hull, adding seven ready-rounds to the turret basket, and a stack of twelve boxed rounds to the rear right of the hull, each box made from two parts. The adjustable idler axles are fixed to the very rear of the hull on the outside, making the idler wheels from five parts each, and the drive sprockets from two parts each. The road wheels are paired, and made from four parts per pair, making up twelve in total, to mount in pairs on bogies that are based on three-part castings, plus swing-arms that have a basic spring moulded-in, and trap a real metal spring between the two ends, the details of which are on an errata sheet that also corrects a few mis-labelled parts at the same time. The sprung units are fitted one each side of the bogie, making four with two three-part struts, and two with a pair of brackets on the bottom pivot points, installing those with struts at each end of the hull, and without in the centre, locking the loose ends in place with additional brackets, whilst adding the idler wheels on stub axles, and slotting the drive-sprockets in place at the front. The track links each have four sprue gates on the curved edges that will be mostly hidden, and have been moulded without ejector-pin marks that should speed up the process of preparing them. They are made up in lengths of five links, securing them together with the pins that are moulded in lengths of five on carriers to ease construction, cutting them off once in place, although a jig would have been appreciated. 113 links are needed for each side of the vehicle, and it will take some time to make them, but the design has been fine-tuned to ensure it’s as quick as possible. Before the upper hull is mated to the lower, sections of the undersides of the sponsons are created, fitting a PE mesh panel to the right forward section, and a hose to the left forward section, the rear lengths simple flat parts, all of which fit into slots in the sides of the hull. Inverting the upper hull, you will notice several raised ejector-pin marks, which should be cut away first, drilling out four flashed-over holes in the rear deck, and two more behind the driver, slipping three clear vision blocks through the deck in front of his hatch, then flipping it back over to glue in two PE mesh panels and two rear inserts over the track runs, plus two more recessed stowage boxes and appliqué armour panels either side of the turret ring, some pioneer tools at the rear, and the driver’s hatch that is made from two parts and rotates with the help of a washer beneath the deck that allows it to pivot if you’re careful with the glue. The cut-out in the glacis is filled with two inserts, the forward part holding the travel lock that is made from two parts, adding another PE mesh panel to the space on the opposite side of the driver’s hatch after bending it to fit. Two more appliqué armour packs are installed on the left front fender around a grille, mounting the relocated headlight to the front, and the right headlight in its usual recessed position, both with clear lenses. The rear bulkhead is decked out with two stowage boxes, and two hatches are fixed in their openings, adding separate hinges and another layer of armour once they are installed. More storage and light clusters are mounted on top of the larger boxes, making up two louvred panels from four parts, each one with weighted lengths of chain along the bottom edge, and fixing them both over the hatches. A fuel tank is glued over the left rear sponson, then the upper hull can be mated with the lower, fixing a pair of two-part brackets to the front of the lower glacis plate once the glue is dry. The hull sides have detail plates fitted, adding two short mudguards with separate sides to the front, before building the side skirts, one for each side that are made from two layers, mounting on several recesses in the hull sides. It's time to make the turret, based upon the ring with the floor moulded-in, adding seats, and copious quantities of equipment around the rim. This is put to one side while the barrel is made from two halves, with a hollow muzzle as a separate part, sliding it through the tapering inner mantlet and clamping it in position with a two-part ring. The breech is built from seven parts, sliding the barrel into the front, then building the breech block from four parts, which traps the centre parts without glue so that they can remain mobile. It is glued to the rear of the barrel, adding extra details around the breech, including the coaxial machine gun and elevation mechanism, then installing it in the lower turret, resting the pivots on the trunnions moulded into it. A bulkhead with detail parts is fitted at the rear of the crew area, doing the same with the interior sides, which locate on raised guides on the lower turret, replicating the thickness of the turret’s armour. Before the upper turret is mated with the lower, it must be detailed with periscopes and other sighting equipment and other parts, making up a faceted cupola that fits in a ring with a similarly faceted top, with more small parts, the loader’s hatch, and an aerial at the rear of the bustle, which has a PE shroud around the lower end. Two bustle hatches are installed on the left, one having two ammo boxes on a rack, the other with a PE part on the underside, dotting more small parts around the top, then making up more ammo boxes on a rack for the large bustle hatch, plus two slender two-layer hatches on the front left, and three more on the mid-right. A machine gun is fitted to a three-part pintle-mount, fixing a searchlight with clear lens on the breech, and a three-part ammo box on the left. This is installed on the right side of the turret roof, making another from a single part with two-part ammo box for the right side of the roof. The sighting recess has a pair of protective doors fitted in the open position, inserting the clear lens in between them, and closing the turret after fitting a forward-leaning aerial with separate base on the left rear, and a vertical aerial on the right, with the same PE shroud as the first one. Two triangular armour packages extend the turret on each side of the barrel, adding a lifting-eye and triangular stowage box to the left side of the bustle, an insert on the top-side of the mantlet, then fitting a sensor to the right side, and two spare track-links on the rear. The forward-facing aspect of the turret roof that is most exposed to enemy fire is covered with a single part that represents several armour packages, adding a cover over the barrel shroud, and yet another machine gun in the centre that fits on the mantlet with the remote sensors mounted behind the breech, the ammo box on the left, while the gun is made from a two-part breech with separate barrel and mount. There’s never enough room inside a tank for storage, so a bustle basket is needed, which has a tubular set of railings, with more weighted chain to defeat/weaken incoming fire to the shot-trap under the bustle. A framework floor is covered with PE mesh and four more spare track links, making up two sides that have the same weighted chain, and additional stowage compartments fixed to the outer faces, joining them all together and fitting the completed assembly under the bustle. Two frames have been made and sited on the sides of the turret, which are used as supports for the next round of appliqué armour panels that are made for each side, each one built from four parts that form the surface on which smoke grenade launchers, grab handles, and extinguishers are fitted, gluing the completed armour packages to the sides of the turret, twisting the turret into position on the hull, and locking it in place with the bayonet lugs moulded into the turret ring. Markings Two pages of the instruction booklet are devoted to painting the interior, and are followed by two more pages of profiles, one page for each decal option on the sheet, the profiles having been designed by AMMO, and using their brand of paint codes to call out each colour. No information is given regarding dates or locations for the options, but from the box you can build one of the following: The decals are printed anonymously, and consist of mainly white markings in Hebrew, a few of which have black shadows. Colour density and sharpness are suitable for the task, and the two colours seem to align well. Conclusion This is a very well-detailed model of the second generation Merkava, and that detail continues to the interior. You’ll have to ensure that the upper hull is relieved of its ejector-pin marks if you intend showing off the interior, but as they’re raised, that’s just a matter of cutting and sanding them away. Highly recommended. Available in the UK in all good model shops. Review sample courtesy of

Leopard A3/A4 1:35 Meng Models After WWII, Germany's limited self-defence forces used American AFVs almost exclusively, but the technology was nearing the end of its service-life and considered not sufficient to meet the new threat of the Soviet horde advancing across Europe during the height of the Cold War. Originally starting as a joint project with France, the French eventually went their own way with the AMX-30, while Germany continued on with a Porsche design that became the Leopard 1. Subsequent upgrades to the design were introduced throughout the various batches, with the A3 variant having a welded turret and composite armour, plus a more streamlined mantlet to deflect shot more effectively. The A4 was externally very similar to the A3, but had some systems upgrades, a reduced round count due to the space taken up by the added equipment, plus a night sight for the commander's exclusive use. The A5 was the last variant to see service, and became the definitive version over time, having a larger turret bustle for ammo storage, improved systems and optics, and the ability to carry bolt-on applique armour. Although some "funnies" are still in service, the majority of Leopard 1s are either phased out or in secondary roles with the majority of users, being replaced by the more modern Leopard 2 in many cases. The Kit After kitting the French AMX-30, it's only natural that the Leopard 1 should be their next MBT project, as they both shared some of the same beginnings. The design must have been well advanced when it was announced, as here it is, in one on Meng's by now standard satin finished boxes with a picture of a Leopard on base, and the three colours of the modern German flag across one corner. Inside the box are the two hull components, turret, plus thirteen sprues of various sizes in a medium green styrene, and another six in brown containing individual track links. A set of rubber-band style tracks are also included for the indi-link phobic, a spruelet of poly-caps, two sheets of Photo-Etch (PE) brass, a length of rope/string, small decal sheet, painting guide and the instruction booklet. Quite a well rounded package, with lots of detail evident on the sprues, including substantial use of slide-moulding to improve detail further. In the bottom of the box is an amazing little piece that is attached to its own little sprue, which is a protective cage for the PZB200 sighting system used on one of the decal options, and is one of the most impressive bits of slide-moulding I've seen so far. Construction is typical of most AFV builds, and starts with adding all the bump-stops and return rollers to the sides of the lower hull, then adding the functional torsion-bar suspension through the holes in the hull, the ends of which lock into sockets on the opposite side. The road wheels are built up next, with each pair trapping a poly-cap between them, as do the drive sprocket and the externally similar idler wheel at the front of the hull. An alternative outer face for the drive sprocket is included for one of the decal options. The wheels push-fit onto the axles, which should make painting and weathering easier, as well as track construction, whichever method you choose. If you prefer the realistic look of the individual links, you will need to make up two runs of 84 links using liquid cement, and wrap them around the road wheels whilst they are still soft, wedging them in place to give the correct amount of sag on the top run. If you haven't yet tried to work with individual links, this kit will be perfect for you, because if you make an unholy mess, you can easily fall back to using the flexible styrene tracks that are also in the box. I believe they can be glued with ordinary styrene glue, but I always opt for the individual links, so can't testify to the strength of the join. The top deck is a single piece, with a cut-out on the engine deck for a grille and PE mesh combination, plus another pair of PE mesh panels at either side of the transition from engine deck to turret ring. The rear bulkhead is a separate panel, and is detailed with various stowage boxes, tools and spare track links, plus the travel lock for the main gun. It and the upper hull are added after the tracks are complete, and a full set of pioneer tools are added from their own dedicated sprue. The side-mounted radiator panels, PE shrouds for the driver's vision blocks, towing shackles and rear mudguards are added at the rear, and the side-skirts can be installed at this point, assuming you've painted the road-wheels and tracks by now. The skirts have a slightly rippled textured finish to them, and have the cut-out footsteps at the bottom of each section, plus turnbuckles that link the panels together. Four towing cable eyes are provided to top and tail two lengths of the supplied string that are used to depict the towing cables. No length is given in the instructions however, so you'll need to test fit the towing eyes on the hull and do a rough measure of the distance to approximate the length first. The turret houses a license built 105mm Royal Ordnance rifled barrel gun that is supplied in styrene that is split vertically down its length, with a short stub muzzle to give a hollow end, so getting the joint perfectly aligned is key. The cooling jacket is moulded in, so care will need to be taken when scraping or sanding the seams after construction. It slots into the hole in the front of the sharply sloped mantlet part, and the choice of searchlight box with optional open or closed front, and/or the PZB200 sighting system is made, attaching to the top of the mantlet along with some grab-handles and lifting eyes. The main turret is in three pieces, the majority of it being the upper half, plus the lower section with built-in turret ring, and the rear panel on the bustle. Inside the upper turret, two sections are added to the front where the mantlet fits, the lower half of the commander's cupola, and a small section of the rear roof, the use for which isn't immediately apparent. Before adding the lower turret and rear bulkhead, the elevation mechanism is built up, with two poly-caps providing friction to enable you to pose the barrel without gluing it in place. Speaking personally, I appreciate this kind of thought, as sometimes you need to move your tanks around your display or diorama base, and being able to adjust it later is good planning. The substantially complete turret is then bedecked with grab handles, more PE vision block shrouds, and sighting gear, plus radio antennae bases, smoke discharger units, and a choice of removing one bump from two moulded into the commander cupola depending on which decal option you are building. The hatches are provided separately, and the commander's is simple, while the loader's is quite complex, and can be posed open or closed by using different hinge parts. There is also an MG3 machine gun on pintle mount for his use, which bears a great family resemblance to the MG42 that is the father of a large proportion of modern machine guns. The mantlet has a canvas shroud to protect the joint between it and the turret body, which clips over the top of the mantlet and has a nicely rendered material finish, with creases and humps that suggest the workings beneath. The final act is to twist the turret into the turret ring that is then held in place through most of its traverse by a pair of bayonet style lugs moulded into the ring. Markings The painting and decaling booklet is four pages, and gives you four choices of markings from the small decal sheet included in the box. As usual the decals are printed by Cartograf, and are of excellent quality with their trademark matt carrier film cropped close to the designs. Colour density, register and sharpness are excellent, and you can build one of the following four vehicle from the box: 1A3 2nd Squadron 304th Panzer Battalion, German Bundeswehr Mid 1980s – NATO green/black/brown camo turret number 363 1A3 4th Squadron 301st Panzer Battalion, German Bundeswehr 1980s – all over dark green turret number 544 1A4 4th Squadron 293rd Panzer Battalion, German Bundeswehr 1980s – all over dark green turret number 422 1A4(GR) Hellenic Army – four colour green/brown/black/beige camo with Greek flag on the turret sides Conclusion I'm already a fan of Meng, whether the subject has wings, wheels or tracks, and this release has done nothing to dent my confidence in them. Detail is excellent, construction simple, and the inclusion of both types of tracks adds appeal and ensures that people won't be put off buying it because they don't like one or the other type. Markings are different enough to appeal, with two choices that include camo, with the differences also extending to fitment of equipment between options, which shows attention to detail. I hope we see some more Cold War German armour from Meng in due course. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

T-90A Main Battle Tank 1:35 Meng Models Modern Russian tank design was originally split between two tanks of different complexity and cost, which became unsustainable after the fall of the Berlin wall and the break-up of the Soviet Union. In order to save costs, a number of systems and features were lifted from the expensive T-80U and added to the cheaper T-72, which was then given the new designation T-90. The result was an excellent platform on which to develop a single Main Battle Tank that would both suit the Russian Army and be attractive in both price and performance for export sales. The first line of defence against ATGM (Anti-Tank Guided Missile) is the Shtora-1 that detects laser designation, slews the turret to face the threat, which also brings the twin infra-red dazzlers to bear, as well as the grenade launchers that fire a volley of disruptive aerosol smoke canisters to further scatter any laser reflections. The by-product of all this action also brings the thickest armour and the 125mm smooth bore main gun to bear on the aggressor, which the crew can use to return fire. If the missile or shell gets through, the explosive reactive armour plates are next in line, and are angled sharply to assist in deflecting any incoming round. The turret's shell is made from modern composite armour, and this is the final barrier between the crew and the incoming round. As well as service with the Russian army, several satellite states have taken delivery of a total of around 400 vehicles, with India operating over 600, and Uganda having a small complement on charge. The T-90A is the variant for "home" service, and has an ESSA thermal viewer, and welded turret. Its export version is the S and is available with different armour packages to be chosen by the customer. The updated T-90M includes some additional crew comforts, plus some additional equipment from around the world now that the Iron Curtain is no longer a problem. The Kit The kit is of course the T-90A variant, of which there are over 500 in service with the Russian Army, and this kit comes close on the heels of another new tool T-90 from another company, which although welcome, was identified to have some almost impossible to fix shape issues a while after release, which makes this launch very welcome for those that strive to build more accurate models. It is also a Meng kit, which to me is a good thing, as I have seen almost all of their catalogue, and they consistently produce high quality products that go together very well. My armour guru (who is also responsible for introducing me to the genre, damn him!) is extremely excited by the new kit, and has one in his stash already. He classifies it as "a real nice kit", and I'll take his word as gospel on that. The box is standard Meng fare, with a stylish satin finish and an excellent cover painting. It is a heavy package, and the reason for that becomes apparent when you lift the lid. Meng don't skimp on parts, as evidenced by the content listing below: 13 sprues in mid-green styrene Upper hull Lower hull Turret body 16 x flexible styrene track parts 8 sprues of track links in black styrene Clear sprue 3 x PE frets - including one wheel mask 20 poly-caps 2 x pale grey flexible styrene tanker helmets 1 x pale grey flexible styrene mantlet cover Length of braided string/rope Decal sheet 22 page A4 instruction booklet with glossy colour cover 4 page A4 painting and decaling guide Other than a turned metal barrel, which isn't included, it's hard to see what more many modellers could want in the box. You could almost level the term "multi-media" to the kit because of the intelligent use of different materials for the various aspects of it. Inside the inner cover of the instruction booklet is a section titled The new model, new approach, new quality from Alexey Khlopotov, known as Gur Khan on the internet. It details his cooperation with the Meng designers in order to create what he hopes will be the first truly accurate (in as far as a styrene model can be) rendition of the T-90A, and thanks the modellers and employees of the factory where the tank is manufactured (his home town) for their assistance. I understand that there is a publication from Gur Khan's publishing company that will complement the kit, and we'll be looking to source a copy to review here at some point in the near future. Given that this will contain a lot of the research used in creating the kit, it's bound to be an interesting tome to have in your research pile whilst building the model. The text is reproduced in four languages. English, Russian and I think Japanese and Chinese, although I might be wrong about the last two as Japanese Kanji and Chinese glyphs are indistinguishable to anyone like me that doesn't write them. In between the pages though, there is a useful pair of diagrams of the tank that point out most of the main systems that cover its surface. I find this type of additional information quite interesting, as I like to know what each part of a model is. On page 6 is a paint chart using Vallejo colours as a reference, and this is replicated in colour on the inside back cover, which might be helpful to assist in matching non-Vallejo colours. Construction of course starts with the road wheels, which are set in pairs with a poly-cap between them. The roadwheels are bristling with detail, both on the hubs and the rubber tyres, with tiny grooves radiating from the centre on the sidewalls. The idler wheels and drive sprockets are similarly split, with a central plate between the sprockets. As mentioned in the content listing, a thick brass tyre mask is included in the kit, so that you can mask off the painted tyres to spray the centres the same colour as the body of the tank. There are twelve pairs of roadwheels and two each of the idlers and drive sprockets, so they'll keep you busy for a little while. Due to the complex and busy nature of the underside of the hull, the front and rear panels are provided as inserts that sit flat against the bare styrene blanking plates, and a nicely detailed self-entrenching shovel runs the full width of the front, with actuator rams reaching back under the hull. The suspension is torsion bar, and this is replicated by the inclusion of a full set of bars that run through the lower hull and slot into square slots to keep the end fixed from rotating. The suspension arms are moulded into the torsion bars, so the sit of the wheels should be perfect by default unless you manage to insert any at crazy angles. The final drive bell-housing is at the rear, and is protected from damage by a thick set of bars that glue into the hull sides. The wheels all push onto the axles obtaining a friction fit from the poly-caps hidden within each wheel pairing, and three return rollers mount on the top track-run to keep tension on the tracks up. The tracks are a work of art, but you have to follow instructions carefully and not be too free with the glue if you want them to remain workable after completion. The hollow guide horns are supplied as pairs, which clip onto the central area of the track pins, which are moulded into the main track parts. You must assemble short lengths before separating the two from their little sprue-runner to ease handling, then insert the runs into the two-piece jig that is supplied on its own sprue. Then you insert the flexible styrene track-ends into yet another part of the jig, cut them from their runners, and apply them to the ends of the track pins in runs of five on each side using no glue! The track pads are added once the tracks are complete, and this is painted with a rubber colour. Two sets of 81 links are needed, so again, you'll be working for some time with the jig, but the results should be well worth the effort. If you prefer the rubber-band type tracks, you'd better prepare yourself for a new experience, because it's just such a nice kit, you won't want to miss out on it. Sorry! The tracks are then wrapped around the wheels and closed with two of the flexible end parts. Surprisingly, a detailed engine is included with the kit, with a bulkhead and some of the ancillary equipment also. The engine is made up from a considerable number of parts, with two banks of 6 pistons in a vee arrangement, plus a multi-part turbocharger and some PE panels that cover the engine in much the same way as modern cars. It is inserted in the lower hull at the rear along with a lump that looks like a picnic basket on steroids (pardon my ignorance) and the aforementioned bulkhead with a large thin reservoir and a smaller pot attached. In the upper hull a beam and another pot is added before you close it up. Colour call-outs are given in Vallejo paint codes throughout this process, as most of us would otherwise be scratching our heads. After attaching the glacis plate detail insert with driving lights, the front section of the deck that includes the driver's hatch, a section of the turret ring detail, fuel tanks, stowage boxes on the fenders and the fender fronts, the upper hull is joined to the lower, and a pair of PE grilles are added to the engine deck at the rear. At this point the engine is still visible through a large hole in the engine deck, which can be added in the closed position or open position at your whim. If posing it closed, you could mount the engine on a trolley, and pose it next to the finished model if you like. The exhaust, vents, rear mud-flaps and other small parts are added to the back of the engine deck, as are the cradles for the auxiliary fuel tanks that are synonymous with Russian armour. However, for the majority of the decal options included in this kit, the main part of the bracket is removed, as the extra tankage is not required. The side skirts on the T-90 are thick flexible rubber attached to the fenders by the metal clamps that hold the rubber in place. These are moulded with the characteristic fluting that occurs over time, leaving a slightly wavy edge. It has been done in an asymmetrical manner, so that the sides don’t match, which would have looked "off". The brackets for the three staggered explosive reactive armour are added to the front section of each skirt, and the blocks themselves, which are marked with their part numbers on the back, are added to the brackets and joined with the fenders. An unditching log is often carried by Soviet tanks in particular, and Meng haven't let us down. There's one on sprue B, split down the middle, with a nice Woody irregularity to the moulding, although some extra scuffing of the surface and careful painting should improve it further. The towing cables are kept on the rear bulkhead under the log, and these are made up from two-part eyes attached to 100mm lengths of the supplied string/rope. Because it is a man-made fibre, there is no "fluff" to show up after painting, so it should be suitable for the job as long as you cut the ends neatly and glue them before they have had chance to fray. If you're modelling the decal option with the auxiliary fuel tanks, you'll need to make them up from the two halves and end caps, plus filler cap (times two), install them and then add the hoses that are so often missed out on AFV kits. It's a fairly complex arrangement linking the tanks together and then disappearing into the hull, but all the parts are supplied, and a scrap diagram shows how it is then linked into the hull correctly. Attention then turns to the turret, starting with the 125mm smooth-bore main gun. This is a jacketed unit with a recuperator in the middle, and as such it is built up in sections. The fore and aft sections are built up from halves that split along the jacket detail and then insert into either end of the recuperator, which has been moulded as a single part with separate collars on either end. To finish off the barrel and give it a hollow appearance, the muzzle is added last, and is a single part. The whole approach minimises the likelihood you'll have to do any serious seam cleanup, whilst appealing to the widest audience (some folks don't like metal barrels) and helping keep the cost of the kit down. The turret body is supplied as a large single moulding that utilises slide-moulding to maximise the moulded detail. The rear is a separate part, as is the underside with the turret ring moulded in. The shell ejector hatch and reactive armour blocks are added to the top, and some internal periscope detail is added to the roof inside the gunner's hatch. The advances optics and sensor suite that is dotted around the roof area is build up and installed onto the roof along with the hatches and stowage boxes. The mantlet on the T-90A is quite small and usually covered with a blast-bag, which is replicated in a single part using flexible styrene that fits over the two-part mantlet former and is held in place by a detailed plug that receives the non-lethal end of the barrel. Smoke grenade launchers and the twin infrared dazzler mounting brackets are built next, and the lamp boxes themselves are made up, with their bodies covered in very nicely rendered cooling fins that use slide-moulding again. The characteristic sloped armour blocks that extend the front of the turret to a point are made up and attached to slots in the turret front, and at the rear the many stowage boxes and snorkel gear are built and added to the bustle area. The commander's cupola is a complex affair, and has a large number of parts making up the many controls and vision blocks that enable him to get a picture of the battlefield. At the front of the cupola is a a 12.7mm NSV heavy machine gun for anti-aircraft defence, with a commensurately large recoil absorbing mount, cartridge bag and ammo drum. There is even a small length of ammo included to string between the breech and box for a little extra detail. The finished cupola drops into the turret roof within a slim ring, and the barrel is slotted into the keyed aperture in the mantlet, to ensure that the detail is correctly oriented. A small plate attaches to the top of the gunner's hatch, and a sensor pole sits behind, and apart from dropping the turret into the hull, securing it with the usual locking lugs, the build is done. Markings There are six colour schemes to choose from, and within five of those schemes, you can depict any of the 16 vehicles within the unit to which the scheme relates. One scheme seems to relate to only a single vehicle however, but I don't profess to understand why. From the box you can build one of the following: 27th Separate Guards Motorised Rifle Brigade, Moscow Military District, Russia Victory Parade 2011 - overall Russian green 27th Separate Guards Motorised Rifle Brigade, Moscow Military District, Russia Victory Parade 2012 - overall Russian green 19th Motorised Rifle Brigade of North Caucases Military District - Russian green/black/duck egg green camouflage 27th Separate Guards Motorised Rifle Brigade, Moscow Military District, Russia Victory Parade 2008 - Russian green/black/sand camouflage 27th Separate Guards Motorised Rifle Brigade, Moscow Military District, Russia Victory Parade 2009 - Russian green/black/sand camouflage 27th Separate Guards Motorised Rifle Brigade, Moscow Military District, Russia Victory Parade 2010 - Russian green/black/sand camouflage It's perhaps a little disappointing that there are only parade schemes included in the box, but I would imagine that these schemes were kept for a time after the parades, so there should be plenty of scope for weathering after a little checking of your references. The camouflaged schemes are all laid out in five-view full colour of a good size, so there won't be any guesswork as to how the pattern should continue onto any section of the hull. Decals are minimal with most AFVs, and this is no exception. The sheet is printed by Cartograf and contains a full set of vehicle codes, with six of each digit, plus four extra 1s. The smaller codes on the rear of the turret are also included, plus unit markings and four Russian wreaths in red, yellow and white. Register, colour density and sharpness is first rate, as you would expect from Cartograf, and the carrier film is thin and commendably close to the edges of the decals. Conclusion This highly detailed and comprehensive model of the modern Russian MBT is seriously good, and is likely to be built entirely out of the box by many modellers with no additions of aftermarket. It fairly bristles with detail, and the knowledge accumulated over the years by Gur Khan shows in every part. The complex and detailed tracks may dissuade a few, but most rubber-band track aficionados will be so sorely tempted by the kit that they will probably buy it and deal with their phobia later. Patience will be key in completing the tracks successfully, and as relatively little glue is required, it shouldn't end up too difficult. Aside from the decals representing only parade machines, there's so little to gripe about that you'd really have to put your pedantic side to the test to be more critical. Well done Meng and all those that helped with the project. It has paid off in spades! Very highly recommended. Available soon from Creative Models in the UK Review sample courtesy of

Chieftain Main Battle Tank Kagero Publishing The Chieftain MBT was the natural successor to the Centurian, and utilised the new armour to give it the edge over the "Red Menace" on the battlefield, which was envisaged to be the border between East and West Germany in the Cold War era. It put right the wrongs of WWII, when British armour had been under armoured and under armed by equipping the turret with a 120mm rifled gun, ensconced behind the aforementioned composite armour, although it wasn't the fastest tank on the battlefield as a result. The Book The subtitle reads "Development and Active Service from Prototype to Mk.11", which is an accurate description of this interesting tome. Part of the PhotoSniper range (number 7), the book is an oversize A4 size in portrait form, perfect bound at the left hand side as you'd expect. The thick card jacket is printed in full colour on the outside with a glossy picture of a Chieftain hull-down in camouflage on the front, and some profiles on the rear. The first 26 pages are devoted to the development and service of the tank, and it goes into detail from the beginning to the every end, interspersed with some interesting and relevant photos. There are also two scale three-view drawings of two marks of the Chieftain, in 1:55 scale, which I'm guessing was "page scale" to allow the drawings to be as large as possible. The next section spans the following pages to page 50, documenting the tank in derelict and in-service settings, with some interesting captions that offer insight into what the Chieftain was like to work on and crew. This section has a black background to differentiate it from the rest, which also makes it easier to find. Pages 50-62 are taken up with a detailed walkaround of both the exterior and interior, getting into nooks and crannies that you wouldn't normally see. The final 9 pages (10 if you include the back cover) show the variations in camouflage of the Chieftain in service with the British Army, Iran, Kuwait and even one found in Iraq in 2003, thought to have been crewed by defecting counter-revolutionary Iranians during the Iran/Iraq war. Conclusion If you're serious about the Chieftain, this is an excellent book for reference, but should also make for a good read. Written by Robert Griffin, it is entirely in English (some Kagero titles are mixed Polish/English), and with colour photos throughout (where the source material allows), plus some handy engineering-type drawings, it gives plenty of inspiration for the modeller and diorama builder. Now we just need a new mould Chieftain model that doesn't blur the distinctions between marks. Let's hope our friends at Meng are looking in! Also, don't forget that the Chieftain was often paired with a 432 for exercises, so you'll need to pick up one of those too, and do your bit for keeping model shops in business Review sample courtesy of

T-62 Mod.1972 Value Package (for Trumpeter) 1:35 ET Model (S35-012) Trumpeter's T-62 is a bit of a tour de force, and this set is aimed squarely at the first edition, although most if not all of it could be applied to the kit with the ERA blocks added, which I'll incidentally be reviewing shortly. The "Value Package" from ET Model means exactly that, incorporating their Basic set, Stowage Bins set, Fender set, DShK Machinegun Set, Auxiliary Fuel Set, and DShK ammo can sets. Wow… that's quite a handful of sets in one! Arriving in ET Model's usual thick polythene outer with header card, the set contains three large card stiffener cards containing four sheets of Photo-Etch (PE) brass measuring 9.5cm x 14.5cm, 9.5cm x 17.5cm, 9.5cm x 7.1cm and 9.5cm x 6.2cm. In addition, there is a bag of nine (!!) smaller frets of PE brass, and one single piece of cream coloured resin. This is a very comprehensive set, and is not for the PE novice. You will need to be confident to bend pre-weakened shapes, as well as a limited amount of rolling, which although quite simple when you know how, or have the correct tools (Small Shop's Brass Assist being foremost in my mind), it can be a bit intimidating. The main set is intended for the basic model kit, and comprises of the two smaller of the large sheets, plus two of the small sheets, and the resin Antenna base. Work starts on the hatches, replacing the periscopes with entirely PE units that are hollow, as well as hinge, latch and edge detail, which extends to the hatch-mounted flood-light, for which you'll need a small supply of 0.5mm and 1.0mm rod to complete the job. Various assemblies, mounting brackets and tie-downs are then added to the turret, along with the antenna base, a plate that attaches to the top of the mantle cover, mount for the snorkel, and a mount for the coaxial flood-light. The DHsK ammo cans receive a set of PE tie-downs, and here you have the option of replacing or augmenting them with PE alternatives. The stowage boxes that sit on the fenders are then comprehensively accessorised, with additional retention plates between each one that attach to the small triangular bulkheads that separate them. The engine deck is covered with various mesh covers and detail parts, which transforms the look, improving it immensely. Aft of the deck are the two auxiliary fuel tanks, which are effectively a pair of large drums attached to the hull by strong brackets. Here you can either use the kit drums, or replace them entirely with the PE set, which you will need to roll into a cylinder and attach the end-caps to. These will take the knocks and dings that the real thing was subjected to mush easier, and will look more realistic if done well, but if you don't fancy the challenge, use the kit parts and just replace the shackles with the PE parts. The lashing points for the unditching beam that was often carried by the T-62 is also replaced with better looking PE parts, and the rear bulkhead is also spruced up with some scale-thickness brackets and detail parts, particularly those that hold a section of spare track link in place. Moving to the glacis plate, the driver's vision blocks are augmented with PE covers, the hatch is detailed with a bullet-splash lip and rotating hinge detail, while the running lights are all upgraded with detailed bracket parts, and bullet splash strip is added all around the base of the turret. The front mudguards are detailed with hinge parts, and a section of 0.5mm wire will be needed too, plus some 0.5mm rod to complete the job. The ancillary sets can be added to suit, and start with the stowage set, creating detailed bins to improve detail and give the option for damage and even open bins to the modeller. In total this covers six complete bins of varying shapes and sizes, with full latch and hinge detail, as well as mounting brackets. The fender set replaces the whole fender with PE parts, retaining only the exhaust section, which must have a 0.3mm extension at the rear to conform to the width of the fenders. Strengthening brackets are added down the length of each fender, and edging strips give the parts extra strength and realistic thickness. The final sets cover the DShK, adding a mass of tiny detail to the gun, its mount and replacing the kit ammo box with a more detailed and realistically thick PE assembly. There are enough parts on one sheet to make two boxes, and an extra sheet is included, permitting you to build up to four boxes, with ammo link that is folded over to produce a more three dimensional link, although that can't be bettered by available sets from Mission and others. Conclusion As mentioned earlier, this is certainly comprehensive, and what I've come to expect from ET. Their attention to detail is excellent, and only their instructions could really be improved by adding some clarity of what parts you're working on for inquisitive modellers like myself. Very highly recommended. Available soon from White Ensign Models in the UK Review Sample courtesy of