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Leopard 2A6 Armed Forces of Ukraine (72820) 1:72 ICM via H G Hannants Ltd The Leopard 2 is the successor to the earlier Leopard Main Battle Tank (MBT), and was developed in the 1970s, 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 provides superior protection, and more likelihood of deflecting incoming rounds harmlessly away. It has all the technical features of a modern MBT, including stabilised main gun for firing on the move, thermal imaging, and advanced composite armour, making it a world-class contender as one of the best tanks on the market. The original Leopard 2 variant entered service in 1979, but has been through several upgrades through its service life and the current production variant is the highly advanced 2A7+, with the 2A8 waiting in the wings. The 2A6 is still a powerful battlefield resource however, and likely to be so for some considerable time. It sports the Rheinmetall 120mm smoothbore gun with the barrel extended over the A5, which results in a higher muzzle velocity that improves its penetration power over its predecessor, allowing it to reach targets at a greater range and hit 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 are fitted with an MG3 machine gun, and the armour is installed to give it an arrow-head front profile to the turret, as well as several more subtle upgrades that follow on from the 2A5. Sales of the Leopard 2 have been good overseas because of its reputation, and Canada, Turkey, Spain and most of the Nordic countries use it as well as many other smaller operators. Since the unlawful invasion of Ukraine by Russia in 2022, many nations have been providing military and other strategic assistance to keep the brave Ukrainians able to defend their nation against the aggressor. Although Germany initially appeared reticent to proffer their leading-edge A6 variants to a non-NATO nation, they eventually supplied A4 and A5 variants, but policy changes led to a small number of the more capable A6s being added to the roster, to be used as “tip-of-the-spear” at the centre of the attack to punch a hole in the front line and give the less capable tanks a helping hand. Unfortunately, there aren’t enough available of the A6 to spare from the nations that are supplying them, or more would doubtless be forthcoming. 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 in their boxes, and is now in an ICM box with additional styrene and PE parts. The kit arrives in a top-opening box with a painting of a 2A6 wearing slat armour around its turret, while the lower tray has a captive lid, and inside are six sprues of various sizes in grey styrene, a fret of Photo-Etch (PE) brass, although it has a more coppery tone, a small decal sheet, and the instruction booklet, which is printed in colour on glossy paper and has the painting profiles on the rearmost pages. Detail is good, and the addition of PE slat armour will give it a more realistic look with careful painting and weathering. Construction begins with drilling holes in the lower hull sides, then gluing them to the underside and supporting the structure by adding an internal T-shaped bulkhead into a slot within the hull at roughly the engine firewall position. Much of the suspension is moulded into the hull sides, adding extra parts to enhance this, then fitting the swing-arms, stub-axles and return rollers over the sides, then making two drive-sprockets, two pairs of 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. Once the tracks are in place, the upper hull and rear bulkhead with moulded-in radiator grilles are glued in place, followed by three-part side-skirts, and a set of grousers applied to the fenders above the front mudguard. Towing shackles are fitted low on the rear bulkhead along with the convoy shield, and adding pioneer tools to the engine deck, which includes a pair of towing cables with moulded-in eyes. The glacis plate has the driver’s hatch installed, more towing shackles, and two L-shaped palettes of track grousers arranged around the shackles and headlights, with a two-link run of spare track-links in the centre. A stowage box is applied further up the glacis under the gun barrel, attention then turning toward the massive low-profile turret. Firstly, the single-part barrel is inserted into the 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 put to one side while the turret body is made, starting with the floor, adding a bustle plate at the rear, and cheek panels to the front, so that the barrel can be slotted between the cheeks on separate trunnions, using no glue 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, inserting a trio of lifting lugs around the turret roof. Appliqué armour panels are attached to the sides, including an arrow-head part to the sides of the similarly-shaped mantlet armour, adding surrounds to the commander and the gunner’s cupolas, then fitting the two-layer hatches, with a choice of posing them open or closed, plus a wide vision block to the front of the commander’s cupola. The TV sighting box can be posed with the doors open or closed by either placing the single part over the opening, or cutting it in two, positioning the two parts on either side of the box, as per the scrap diagram nearby. Tapering stowage cages are made for the bustle by cutting a small section from the long flat part, folding the styrene around, and securing it with glue and a separate inner face. The smoke grenade barrels are mounted above and below a shallow shelf, making two pairs that fit in the space between the bustle cages and frontal armour, adding an optional MG3 mount to the gunner’s cupola, and a two-part 360° periscope to the commander's. For one decal option, two rectangular PE parts are applied to the rear of the bustle cages made earlier. The turret can be twisted into position in the ring on the hull and locked into place, which is the end of the basic build, to be followed by the new parts. The PE fret includes both slat armour for the turret and additional panels to fit on the side skirts and at the front of the glacis plate. There are styrene brackets for the turret sides, consisting of three sizes, tapering toward the rear, which supports the slat armour after bending the first section slightly inwards. The flat panels are glued in place without bending, but if you check your references, you will notice that they become bent and damaged over time, which is easy to replicate with PE parts. A styrene travel-lock can be slipped over the barrel before inserting the muzzle tip, locking in place between the circular vents on the engine deck, and a pair of wing-mirrors are applied to the front of the vehicle, either deployed, or folded-in for their protection during combat. Markings There are four decal options included on the tiny sheet, all ostensibly camouflaged the same, but with differing individual markings applied to each vehicle. There’s no information given regarding the dates and locations that these units are depicted, but that’s hardly surprising, given the fact that it’s an ongoing conflict. From the box you can build one of the following: Decals are by ICM’s usual partners, which is a guarantee of good registration, sharpness and colour density, with a thin gloss carrier film cut close to the printed areas. Conclusion A thoughtful reboxing of Revell’s kit, depicting actual in-service machines, rather than a quick reboxing. The base kit is good, and a more accurate build will result from using the extra parts. Highly recommended. Available in the UK from importers H G Hannants Ltd. Review sample courtesy of

Infantry Weapons & Chevrons (35749) of the Armed Forces of Ukraine 1:35 ICM via H G Hannants Ltd Since the invasion of Ukraine by Russian forces in early 2022, the brave people and armed forces of Ukraine have been fighting to preserve the integrity of their young country, and as such many of their number have been engaged in combat, something many of them would never have expected to experience in their lifetimes. Ukraine has a historic cache of arms from the Soviet era, and has also received a great deal of new hardware from other nations to bring up their level of equipment to more modern standards, as well as increasing the numbers that are needed to effectively defend their territory, and to reclaim those areas that have been unlawfully removed from their stewardship by the invader. They are coping well with the disparity of types of armaments that they have at their disposal, making effective use of them in their operations. The Soviet era gear includes AK47 and AK74 variants, heavier machine guns such as the PKM, various RPGs and MANPADs, with similar equipment from the US and other countries finding their way into their inventory, such as the devastating Browning .50cal, AR-15 derivatives, and even an updated MG42 variant manufactured by Beretta, which is still an effective weapon that is the basis for the German MG3 machine gun found in Bundeswehr service today. The Kit This set contains dozens of weapons such as those mentioned above, plus more of varying sizes and usage cases, which can be found on eight sprues of grey styrene in various sizes. There is also a large decal sheet that has a huge array of unit badges, flag patches, rank slides and so forth that are separated between units and arms, and an instruction booklet that is printed in spot colour, with a full-colour cover that has the badge/chevron key on both sides of the rear cover. Detail is excellent, as we’ve come to expect from ICM, and the instructions for each type of weapon has a key that gives the names/designations for those that aren’t familiar. The following are supplied in the box: AK-74 Assault Rifle with GP-25 Grenade Launcher Malyuk Assault Rifle with Silencer Malyuk Assault Rifle AKS-74 Assault Rifle AKS-74 Assault Rifle with Silencer & Telescopic Stock AKS-74U Assault Rifle AK-47 Assault Rifle AK-47 Assault Rifle with GP-25 Grenade Launcher RPG-18 Grenade Launcher AK-74 Assault Rifle FN FAL 50.61 Automatic Rifle SOG Knife in Sheath Glock Knife in Sheath FORT Pistol in Holster Beretta Pistol in Polymer Paddle Holster UAR-10 Sniper Rifle UAR-15 Automatic Rifle FIM-92 Stinger Man-Portable Anti-Aircraft Missile System RPG-7 Grenade Launcher with Grenade PKM Machine Gun M2 Browning Heavy Machine Gun AGS-17 Automatic Grenade Launcher with Drum Mag and Tripod SPG-9 Tripod Mounted Grenade Launcher Beretta MG42/59 Machine Gun with Bipod, link ammo & box Stugna-P Anti-Tank Complex on Tripod with Remote Controller 2 x FPV Drones with Pelican Carry Boxes Maxim Machine Gun on two-wheeled carriage, with ammo can and link Construction of the weapons are straight forward, whilst some are single parts. A few have multiple parts, which are shown either in one step, or up to eleven simple steps for larger items such as the Stugna-P and its associated equipment. Markings The weapons colours are called-out in red-boxed letter codes on the instruction diagrams, and the box art shows some examples of camouflaged rifles, but checking the many references from this ongoing conflict should give you plenty of choices. The decals are for the many units of Ukraine’s armed forces, and can be used for figures, checking your references for the correct locations. They are as follows: 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 perfect accompaniment to any Ukrainian-themed model or diorama, either for background equipment, or to re-equip figures that have been re-assigned to fight for Ukraine from other figure sets. The decals will also be a huge benefit in terms of authenticity and realism, as the carrier film can be gently peeled away after application, leaving a conformal decal that’s in-scale with the model. Highly recommended. Available in the UK from importers H G Hannants Ltd. Review sample courtesy of

Leopard 2A6 with Crew (35013) 1:35 ICM via H G Hannants Ltd The Leopard 2 is the successor to the earlier Leopard Main Battle Tank (MBT), and was developed in the 1970s, 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 provides superior protection, and more likelihood of deflecting incoming rounds harmlessly away. It has all the technical features of a modern MBT, including stabilised main gun for firing on the move, thermal imaging, and advanced composite armour, making it a world-class contender as one of the best tanks on the market. The original Leopard 2 variant entered service in 1979, but has been through several upgrades through its service life and the current production variant is the highly advanced 2A7+, with the 2A8 waiting in the wings. The 2A6 is still a powerful battlefield resource however, and likely to be so for some considerable time. It sports the Rheinmetall 120mm smoothbore gun with the barrel extended over the A5, which gives it a higher muzzle velocity that improves its penetration power over its predecessor, allowing it to reach targets at a greater range, and hit 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 are fitted with an MG3 machine gun, and the appliqué armour gives it an arrow-head front profile to the turret, as well as several more subtle upgrades that follow on from the 2A5. Sales of the Leopard 2 have been good overseas because of its reputation, and Canada, Turkey, Spain and most of the Nordic countries use it as well as many other smaller operators. Since the unlawful invasion of Ukraine by Russia in 2022, many nations have been providing military and other strategic assistance to keep the brave Ukrainians in the fight, defending their nation against the aggressor. Although Germany initially appeared reticent to proffer their leading-edge A6 variants to a non-NATO nation, they eventually supplied A4 and A5 variants, but policy changes led to a small number of the more capable A6s being added to the roster, to be used as “tip-of-the-spear” at the centre of the attack to punch a hole in the front line and give the less capable tanks a boost. Unfortunately, there aren’t enough available of the A6 to spare from the nations that are supplying them, or more would doubtless be forthcoming. The Kit This kit is based upon the Revell tooling that was first launched in 2012, and is part of the long-term collaboration between the two companies. The kit arrives in a top-opening box with a painting of the tank and crew on the front, and has a captive lid on the lower tray. Inside the box are ten sprues of grey styrene of varying sizes, four sprues and four half track runs in black flexible material, a small sheet of clear acetate, decal sheet, and instruction booklet printed in spot colour with glossy outer pages that have the decaling profiles printed in full colour, plus a separate sheet of instructions for the crew figures, which includes five humans, and a dog performing tricks for his owner for the promise of some treats. We’ve reviewed the Revell Leopard before, and it’s a solid kit from the era, including detail to the exterior, and a set of flexible tracks, towing cables and mudguards. The figures are a 2024 tool that we’ve also seen before, but the combination is a first, and lends itself to a diorama, or at least adding some human scale to your model. Construction begins with the hull, which is built up from separate sides, one with an insert on the rear upper edge, held in alignment with the floor by two perforated bulkheads that sit in slots. The lower hull is completed by fixing the rear bulkhead in place, giving the assembly extra rigidity. The upper hull is prepared by fitting a hatch on the right side, and one of the two circular cooling vents on the engine deck, the other fitted during final assembly. Suspension details such as bump-stops, swing-arms with stub axles detail the hull sides, after which seven road wheel pairs are slipped over the axles on each side, and four return rollers per side. The idler wheels are smaller than the road wheels, and the drive sprockets are built from two separate toothed parts each. As mentioned earlier, the tracks are of the rubber-band type with nice detail, and if you can live with the curving of the links around the drive sprockets and idler wheels they should suffice. Each length is made from two sections, which have a generous four-link overlap and two pins on each link to strengthen the join. For a previous review, I tested liquid glue and it had no melting effect, so CA (Super Glue) would be a better bet. The pins are flush to the track pads on the outer face, so filling or hiding them under the fenders and against the ground would be advisable once you have attached them to the vehicle. The rear bulkhead has a large radiator grille running along the full width, which is a little shallow, but with some black paint in the recesses, should suffice for most modellers. A set of turnbuckles are glued to the lower edge, and at the ends are light clusters and two flexible mudguards that are made from the same plastic as the tracks. Two other panels are fixed to either side, with a bracket in the centre that receives the convoy light shield, applying a decal or painting the white cross by hand if you prefer. A set of pioneer tools are added to the rear deck, making towing cable from flexible parts with styrene eyes at each end, gluing barrel cleaning rods and two racks of track grousers to the front deck, plus the afore-mentioned towing cables that are fitted over the ends of the engine deck and onto the rear bulkhead. If you're not happy with a mould-line running down your tow-ropes, now would be the time to replace it with some braided wire or cord, using the kit parts as a length template. Moving to the glacis plate, towing shackles and headlights are applied, followed by the driver’s hatch, which has detail inserts fixed front and rear, more grousers in L-shaped sets and a couple of spare track links. The fenders are integral to the top hull, and only the side-skirts need to be added. These are made from two basic parts on each side with tapering forward sections, and overlaying thicker appliqué armour over the front two road wheel stations and idler, plus the rear sections that locate on a long guiding tab moulded into the back of the parts. The turret is a complex shape, and the base is made up from three parts, onto which the main gun is built up from halves plus hollow muzzle with a block in place of the breech. It has some nice moulded-in detail, so take care aligning the parts and again when cleaning up the seam. The muzzle is a little shallow, so might be better drilled out once the glue is dry, or painted black to hide its depth. The mantlet section that raises with the gun is built up around the base of the barrel in three parts, and this is then added to the lower turret, being locked in place by a pair of trunnions that permit the barrel to raise and lower if you are careful not to allow the glue to flow into the pivots. The top of the turret is a large part with an insert panel in the rear right added along with the sighting system's lenses that are installed from inside. This is mated to the bottom of the turret, after which the side panels and bustle are added to complete the main part of the turret's construction. The angled panels that bolster the armour of the turret's arrow-head front are installed next, and here there are were some quite significant sink-marks in previous boxings that seem to have been almost totally eradicated in this boxing, but might need a smear of filler if you think it will notice. A bustle stowage box is created from three parts with separate roof, and is glued to the rear of the turret, then the roof of the turret is festooned with various small parts, including antenna bases, armoured surrounds over the vision blocks, the new sight in front of the commander’s cupola, which utilises two parts cut from the clear sheet for its lenses front and rear. Another sighting turret is installed behind and to the left of the commander’s cupola, and the TV sensor box at the front is outfitted with its doors, which you can pose open by cutting the part in half and gluing it to the outer edges of the box. Lifting eyes and two crew access hatches are made and installed in open or closed positions, fixing the gunner's MG3 to the edge of his hatch. Triangular mesh baskets are made from four parts each and are installed on the angled rear corners of the bustle, and these styrene parts would be prime candidates for replacement by aftermarket mesh to give a more realistic appearance. The smoke grenade launchers are fitted to each side of the turret just forward of the baskets, and these are made up from individual barrels attached to a rail with supports moulded in. To create the aerials, the instructions tell you to stretch some sprue and cut it to 75mm lengths before gluing them to the aerial mounts that were added earlier in the build. Both crew hatches are made from three parts each, fitting them to the cut-outs after installing raised surrounds to them both, and these can be fitted open or closed as you see fit. The turret can then be added to the hull by twisting it into place to lock the bayonet lugs under the turret-ring flange. A pair of rear-view mirrors are added to the front of the tank in deployed or retracted poses, and the last part of the build is to decide whether to lock the barrel to the rear for transport, or leave it free with the transport-lock stowed between the two large fan grilles, one of which has been left off until this point, possibly to ensure that the base of the travel-lock that is moulded into the grille is correctly lined up. Figures The parts for each figure are found in separate areas of the sprue for ease of identification, and parts breakdown is sensibly placed along clothing seams or natural breaks to minimise clean-up of the figures once they are built up. The sculpting is typically excellent, as we’ve come to expect from ICM’s artists and tool-makers, with natural poses, drape of clothing and textures appropriate to the parts of the model. There are five human figures on the sprue, plus a canine that is playing with one of the crew members. Four of the crew’s heads are trimmed down to a peculiar shape in order to fit a semi-soft three-part tanker helmet over them, and all five humans are wearing loose-fitting overalls and combat boots. One character is a half-figure that is popping out of a hatch with his arms outside the tank, with a colleague sat on the turret or deck sucking on a pipe. Two more men are kneeling and hunkering down in the process of fixing an issue with the tracks, one of whom is nursing a sledgehammer for advanced fixing duties. The final human is stood playing with the dog, which appears to be a Labrador or retriever, begging for a treat from the bearded tanker who is wearing a soft beanie cap on his head. These are great figures with realistic poses, and bear in mind that they’re at rest, so wouldn’t be suitable for a combat diorama, as they’d all be safe(r) inside the vehicle. Markings There are six decal options included on the sheet, all wearing the current NATO European camouflage of green, black and brown, but wearing differing identifying markings. From the box you can build one of the following: Zaporizhzhia Region, Summer 2023 Robotyne, Summer 2023 Zaporizhzhia Region, Autumn 2023 December 2023 Winter 2024 (Marking option 1) Winter 2024 (Marking option 2) Decals are by ICM’s usual partners, which is a guarantee of good registration, sharpness and colour density, with a thin gloss carrier film cut close to the printed areas. Conclusion The Revell Leopard 2A6 is a good base for your work, and the figures offer a more personalised, candid look to the model, including some human scale. Highly recommended. Available in the UK from importers H G Hannants Ltd. Review sample courtesy of

Kozak-2 State Border Guard Service of Ukraine (35016) 1:35 ICM via H G Hannnants Ltd The Kozak Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicle was developed in response to a need for protected troop transports for reconnaissance, patrolling and other such tasks, and was first seen in 2014, although only a few proof-of-concept vehicles were made by Praktika, in competition with several other types from other manufacturers, the Kozak going through to the next stage as one of the three that met the Ukrainian Army’s requirements. The original vehicle is based upon a heavily modified Iveco Eurocargo chassis, but this 2015 design is based on the Iveco Daily, which has a shorter chassis, resulting in a more compact vehicle. Looking at any of the variants side-by-side you wouldn’t think they were related to anything, as the outward differences are so great. It doesn’t have a sharply V-shaped hull in the same respect that custom designs do, but most of the chassis length is protected by a shallower V-shaped armoured panel that underpins the crew compartment, and in concert with the anti-trauma seating that is installed within, it satisfies the needs of the Ukrainian forces in the event of an IED detonating underneath. The exposed wheel stations would probably be sacrificed in the blast, but the diversion of the explosive energy away from the crew is the key aspect. After the initial design, the improved Kozak-2 was developed, incorporating a weapons station on the roof that allows the operator protection from small-arms fire, with vision slots that are protected by armoured glass in each of the side wall panels, plus a splinter-guard with more vision slots at the front, through which the machine gun projects, which can either mount an NSV heavy machine gun, or a 7.62mm weapon, depending on availability and mission requirements. The State Border Guard service of Ukraine have a more powerful 12.7mm DShKM machine gun that can tackle lightly armoured vehicles in addition to softskins and enemy combatants. The Kozak-2 entered service in 2017, and has seen plenty of active service since the unlawful invasion of Ukraine that began on 24th of February 2022. The Kit This is a brand-new tooling from ICM of the Kozak-2, and has been made in cooperation with the vehicle’s manufacturers Praktika, as noted on the box top in the top right, which bodes well. The kit arrives in a top-opening box, with a captive flap on the lower tray, and inside are eight sprues of grey styrene, two identical clear sprues, a bag containing five flexible black plastic tyres, a small fret of Photo-Etch (PE) of a copper-coloured metal, two decal sheets, and the instruction booklet that is printed in colour on glossy paper, and has profiles on the rear pages to help with painting and decaling. Detail is excellent, and as it’s a home-grown product, local knowledge will have come in very handy, as will their closeness for detail checking, although the vehicles have been rather busy of late, working tirelessly to recover parts of their country still occupied by the invader, and keep their other borders secure. Construction begins with the chassis rails, which have a leaf-spring attached to the front, and two double-leaf arrangements that are each made from two halves at the rear. Small armour plates and other parts are fitted to the frontmost sides, then the cross-members are built up, with two under the engine bay, a central four-part transfer box at the midpoint, a tough braced bar behind that, and another at the rear. Under the rear suspension is an additional cross-rail, plus a braced rail that has a pair of two-part tanks applied, one on each side before mounting. The solid floor pan is detailed with a three-part representation of the underside of the engine and sump, then the chassis rails are mated to the underside on tabs, adding a short drive-shaft that links the transmission to the transfer box, ready for when the axles are completed. The front axle is a thick assembly with differential bulge in the centre, which is made from two halves, and has the rear of the hub attached at the ends, and a damper bar that joins to the chassis via links, and the drive-shaft that links it to the transfer box. A steering actuator and two armoured plates are fitted over the newly mounted axle, adding two dampers to the rear, and a C-shaped linkage that joins the two hubs together. The rear axle is built from four parts, and is much bulkier than the front, as are the hub assemblies, which are each four parts. This is then glued to the leaf-springs, adding dampers, drive-shaft, damper bar, another cross-member and a towing shackle at the rear. The interior of the Kozak-2, which if you haven’t already guessed means ‘Cossack’, is a spartan compartment that is designed for a purpose and nothing more, keeping weight and clutter to a minimum, as well as reducing the likelihood of small parts becoming missiles in the event of an IED detonation. The crew seats are made first, making the back from cushion and backrest, then adding this to the base cushion and two concertina-style side panels, plus front and rear sections, taking care to line up the concertina elements to minimise clean-up. An adjustment lever is fixed under the front edge, and you should bear in mind that the seats are handed, so take care to fix the correct one to the tread-plated floor on its guide-slots. A small gear lever is made from two halves and inserted into the centre console, which is moulded into the floor. The dash is a single moulding that has the three foot pedals glued into the lower portion, then has the multi-part steering wheel, column and separate stalks fitted on the left side, with a gaiter and hi/low ratio knob mounted in the centre of the dash low down. There are three decals for the dials and controls on the sheet, remembering to paint the instrument binnacle black before you apply the decal. The dash is mounted on a central locating guide in front of the crew seats, and behind and between them a four-part rack with crew step/jump seat that has anti-slip tread-plate moulded into it, and acts as the support for the gunner when he is in action, folding away when not in use to keep obstruction to a minimum. Two passenger seats are built with two-part backs, adding safety tubing to the sides and top that helps prevent flail and neck injuries, fixing onto the seat cushion that has more U-shaped tubes glued underneath that project up and help keep the sitter’s body in position in case of a sharp sideways jolt. A back frame and a pair of shock-absorbing tubes attach the frame to the deck behind the driving crew, facing forward. The other six seats are fitted centrally with three on each side facing left and right. The base cushions are all moulded as a single linked unit, to which the lower tubes are fitted, adding two central supports in the space between them, then adding the backs, which are built at the same time as the first pair. This assembly is then mounted on a pair of raised rectangular areas of the floor, ready for the body to be built up. The vehicle sides are one part each, and cover the entire length of the chassis, adding radiused bullet-proof windows in the sides, a foot-plate at the front, cutting two lifting eyes at roof height, and drilling out four 1mm holes as indicated in a scrap diagram nearby. An interior skin is prepared by adding grab-handles and weapon stowage clips under the windows, with the inner face of the shooting loupes moulded into the surface. The laminated right side is offered up to the chassis, adding the front wing liner and inner panel to the engine bay at the same time, then doing the same for the left side, before working on the windscreen panel, which has two panes inserted into the frames, and two instruments applied to the centre frame on the inside. This is mated to the bonnet and two windscreen wiper blades are fitted into pockets in the bonnet before joining the two. The rear bulkhead has an inner and outer skin, then has the multi-part bumper and clear light clusters applied to the lower edge. It would be a good idea to prepare the front and rear panels at the same time as the sides, not just for ease of painting, but also to ensure that the side panels are mounted to the correct angle and can’t sag while the glue cures. The roof has four small parts fitted to the underside before it is glued in place, completed with a pair of moulded-in escape hatches and the circular cut-out for the roof-mounted weapons station. The grille is fitted to the front of the vehicle, and has a thick bumper with moulded-in reflectors for the clear lights that are installed and painted with suitable clear shades, then have protective cages folded from PE parts, with a winch housing between them. The front skirt is made from two layers and has small sensors fitted into recesses, then is assembled on the front with the bumper, and a cow-catcher that is built from eight parts, including three slats that protect the grille. The Kozak-2 has four side doors, two on each side, all of which have inner and outer skins plus glazing, with grab handles fitted inside, and handles on the outside, while the front doors have wing mirrors on C-shaped tubular frames, and the rear doors have a circular cut-out that doubles as firing loupe for the front passengers. The back doors are similar in construction, but with a smaller fixed window near the top, inserting into the frames at the rear. All doors can be mounted open or closed as you please. Inverting the model allows fitting of the shallow anti-mine keel panel, which has the ends closed off to prevent ingress of the explosive wavefront, which would reduce its effectiveness in protecting the crew. Mudflaps are added to the rear of the front wheels, and on both sides of the rear wheels, then the wheels are made to fill the arches. The spare tyre is built first, adding a two-part hub from either side of the flexible tyres, and mounting it under the body at the rear. The rear pair of wheels have a slightly different pair of hub halves inserted from each side, and then have a choice of two styles of dust covers fixed over the outer face. The front wheels have similar two-part hubs, with an additional centre insert, and the same choice of dust covers over the front. They all fit onto their appropriate axles, but don’t put the model on its wheels just yet. There are a pair of long crew steps to be fitted onto the keel panels under the rearmost side door on both sides, then the model is turned right-side up for all the external detail to be added to it. The first item is a searchlight, which has a clear lens and opaque rear, mounting on the right wing in front of a small part near the scuttle. A perforated mount for the pioneer tools is filled with four hand-tools before it is mounted on the right rear of the body. A two-part cage is closed around the searchlight, and completed by adding two top bars, and a bracket that stands out past the side of the wing for another mirror that is added later. Under the tools a pair of three-part brackets are mounted on recesses, and on the opposite side a pair of towing arms are fitted under the windows on pins. Two small lifting eyes are glued to the scuttle, and an LED lamp with armoured shroud fits into a pair of recesses on the left wing. What looks like a tubular convoy light in a shroud is added to the centre above the rear doors, and five rungs are glued to the left side of the rear for access to the roof, with a sixth on a bracket that hangs down below the bodywork on pivots, adding a jerrycan in its holder to the left. Grab handles are fitted between and above the side doors, on the roof above the ladder, and on the front and sides of the bonnet to ease access to all the horizontal panels, and on the right flank, palette of pioneer tools is attached, adding a rack of blocks beneath it. The detailing is still far from over though, as the wing-mounted indicators and roof-line repeaters are positioned, with the more exposed lower wing lights protected by four half-torus PE guards that create a cage around them on both sides. PE cages are added around the rear lights too, bending the ends to match the profile, then adding a pair of stirrup steps below the back doors. A two-part exhaust is attached to the left of the rear doors that allows the vehicle to plough through water up to a metre deep without stopping to prepare. The new machine gun turret has two C-shaped side armour panels that have their bullet-proof vision panels inserted from inside, cutting off the low part at the rear, assembling them onto the base that has a circular ring with bayonet lugs fixed to the underside, and moulded-in stiffeners on the top surface to keep the armour at the correct angle, even under fire. The D-shaped crew hatch is given a pair of handles, and is then fixed into position in the turret floor, adding an new mount for the weighty machine gun, which is built up from a breech with moulded-in barrel that is clamped between two mounting halves, with twin handles added to the rear and a three-part ammo box on the left, slipping it into the front splinter shield, which also has two vision blocks inserted from within. The completed gun and front shield is then lowered onto the mount, securing it on an additional Y-shaped fixture, then finishing off by adding a rear-view mirror on a U-bracket, and a hand-traverse wheel on the underside of the ring. The completed assembly then drops into the cut-out and is rotated to lock it in place on two bayonet lugs. Markings There are a generous five options available on the decal sheet, all vehicles depicted before the invasion, wearing a either black or digital camouflage over a green base. From the box you can build one of the following: Zhuravlivka Border Crossing Point, Kharkiv Region, Spring 2016 Lviv, December 2016 Military Exercises ‘Rapid Trident 2018’, September 2018 Military Exercises ‘Rapid Trident 2019’, September 2019 Special Task Force ‘Shkval’, December 2020 As previously mentioned, there are three instrument decals supplied on the sheet. Decals are by ICM’s usual partners, which is a guarantee of good registration, sharpness and colour density, with a thin gloss carrier film cut close to the printed areas. Conclusion This is a good-looking kit, and apart from adding some window blinds, strap for the top gunner, and a few cables in the passenger compartment, it’s an excellent rendition of the type from a period before the current hostilities. Highly recommended. Available in the UK from importers H G Hannants Ltd. Review sample courtesy of

Javelin – The Ukrainian Anti-Tank Crew (MB35229) Russian-Ukraine War Series #6 1:35 Master Box Ltd via Creative Models Ltd The Javelin Anti-Tank missile is a fire-and-forget missile that a small crew can carry into battle against tanks, firing it from a distance before making their getaway without leaving a tell-tale trail of smoke to their current position. It replaced the M47 Dragon in US service, and its automatic infrared guidance carries a HEAT warhead to the target, rearing up at the last minute to carry out a top-down attack on the enemy, where the armour is at its thinnest, increasing its chances of success. Of course, the new generation of infrared dazzler countermeasures can give the enemy a chance of surviving, assuming the detection of the threat occurs in time. The manufacturers estimate that around 5,000 engagements have been made worldwide using the system, although that number must be rising on a daily basis, given the fact that it is being used by Ukraine to defend their homeland from the invader. Usually crewed by two soldiers, the device is man-portable and can be lugged into position for use, making a soft ‘poop!’ sound as it exits the launch tube in what’s called a soft-launch, igniting the main rocket motor once it is a safe distance away from the launch-point, protecting the crew from burns, and if it is a close engagement it gives them an additional fraction of a second to down-tools and make tracks out of the danger zone. In top-attack mode, the climb at the end of the trajectory can take it up to 150m from the ground, but an alternative low-level profile rears up to only 60m to keep visibility to a minimum. The operator of the weapon can work alone for a one-shot mission, but if additional rounds are needed, the weight of the extra missiles requires a carrier to join the party, and during the set-up and aiming phase they act as target spotter and threat assessor, countering the tunnel-vision required of the operator to dial-in the target. The Kit This is a new figure set from Master Box’s Russian-Ukrainian War series, created by a Ukrainian company to honour their armed forces that are helping keep them safe from attack. There is a little bit about that on the back of the box, and they clearly state that a portion of their profits goes toward helping their fight, so you can choose whether to buy it or not, depending on how you feel about that. Nuff said. The set arrives in a figure-sized end-opening box with a painting of a Javelin crew on the front, and a depiction of the models, a sprue diagram, a swatch of camouflage and a paint chart on the rear. Inside is one sprue in grey styrene, although the box shows it in sand, so your boxing may include either colour, which is fine. One crewman is sitting down with his legs out in front, holding the Javelin launch tube on his right shoulder, looking through the sighting unit on the side, and stabilising the weapon with his opposing hand. His colleague is kneeling on one knee and pointing to a potential target, while his other hand appears to be resting on his friend’s shoulder. Both men are wearing BDUs with a tactical vest covered in MOLLE loops over their shirt. They are festooned with pouches, and the spotter has his AK-74 slung barrel-down over his shoulder by its strap. The Javelin is made from nine parts, and is a model in itself, with a patch of digital camouflage printed below the instructions. If you’re not a brave modeller, you could always paint them in a one-colour BDU, or pick up a set of decals from Breeze Decals (35-001), and apply small sections with plenty of decal solution. The colour chart shows codes from Vallejo, Lifecolor, Mr.Color, Tamiya and AMMO brands, plus swatches that should allow anyone to choose their paints from their preferred range. The parts for each figure are found in separate areas of the sprue for ease of identification, and parts breakdown is sensibly placed along clothing seams or natural breaks to minimise clean-up of the figures once they are built up. The sculpting is typically excellent, as we’ve come to expect from Master Box’s artists and tool-makers, with natural poses, drape of clothing and textures appropriate to the parts of the model. As well as the AK-74, there is a Malyuk assault rifle that is a home-grown bullpup AK-74 development, sometimes called Vulcan-M, which is probably just as well, as Malyuk translates to ‘baby’, so isn’t all that aggressive a nickname for a weapon. Conclusion Building this figure set as a tribute to the brave fighters of Ukraine in a small diorama base of long grass or snow would look great in your cabinet, especially if you’re one of those crazy people that can create realistic smoke and flame from a recent launch. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

Leopard 2A6 Ukraine (BT-031) 1:35 Border Model via Albion Alloys 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 editions had improved angled armour applied to the turret front that gives the tank a more aggressive look and provides much better protection, and more likelihood of deflecting incoming rounds harmlessly away. It has all the technical features of a modern MBT, including stabilised main gun for firing on the move, thermal imaging, and advanced composite armour, making it a world-class contender as one of the best tanks on the market. The original Leopard 2 variant entered service in 1979, but has been through several upgrades through its service life and the current production variant is the highly advanced 2A7+, with the 2A8 waiting in the wings. The 2A6 is still a powerful battlefield resource however, and likely to be so for some considerable time. It sports the Rheinmetall 120mm smoothbore gun with the barrel extended over the A5, which results in a higher muzzle velocity that improves its penetration power over its predecessor, allowing it to reach targets at a greater range and hit 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 are fitted with an MG3 machine gun, and the armour is installed to give it an arrow-head front profile to the turret, as well as several more subtle upgrades that follow on from the 2A5. Sales of the Leopard 2 have been good overseas because of its reputation, and Canada, Turkey, Spain and most of the Nordic countries use it as well as many other smaller operators. Since the unlawful invasion of Ukraine by Russia in 2022, many nations have been providing military and other strategic assistance to keep the brave Ukrainians able to defend their nation against the aggressor. Although Germany initially appeared reticent to proffer their leading-edge A6 variants to a non-NATO nation, they eventually supplied A4 and A5 variants, but policy changes led to a small number of the more capable A6s being added to the roster, to be used as “tip-of-the-spear” at the centre of the attack to punch a hole in the front line and give the less capable tanks a helping hand. Unfortunately, there aren’t sufficient numbers available of the A6 to spare from the nations that are supplying them, or more would doubtless be forthcoming. The older Leopard 2 variants have been retro-fitted with Kontakt Explosive Reactive Armour (ERA) blocks at key points to enhance their chance of deflecting a direct hit, although the A6 has more capable composite armour so this may be unnecessary. However, it’s better to be safe than sorry when it comes to armed combat. The Kit The kit on which this boxing is based was first released in 2019, and has been augmented a few times already, but now comes in a new box with additional parts to festoon the model with Kontakt ERA blocks, which look to have been pulled from one of their Russian tank kits, as they are moulded in green styrene. The kit arrives in a standard top-opening box with a painting of a Ukrainian Leopard on the front, and inside are seventeen sprues and two turret halves in grey styrene, seven more in green styrene, one in clear, a sheet of Photo-Etch (PE) that has been designed by Voyager Models, a turned aluminium barrel, a tree of black poly-caps, a length of braided wire, a small decal sheet, and the instruction booklet printed in colour on glossy paper, with profiles at the rear. Detail is excellent throughout, giving you the opportunity to build either an A5, or early and late examples of the A6 variant that is the subject on the box top. You also get workable track links and torsion suspension to create realistic-looking running gear that should also operate in a similar manner to the real vehicle. As per the text above, there are ERA blocks supplied, although the drawings are a little vague, and at time of writing there it is uncertain whether the Ukrainian engineers will find the need for installation, so they could be left on the sprues, or you could use online photos and your own references if you are unsure. Construction begins with the rear bulkhead of the hull, which is already well-moulded, but is further detailed with light clusters, convoy shield, towing eyes and so forth before it is attached to the hull floor along with the sides, and a supporting bulkhead near where the firewall would be between the crew and engine bay on the real vehicle. This part is purely structural however, and has stiffening web-work over both sides of its surface to create a strong shape ready for the next stage. Various suspension parts are applied to the hull sides, followed by seven torsion bars with swing-arms moulded into the ends on both sides, plus the two idler wheel axles at the front, the drive sprockets and final drive housings already moulded into the side walls. The road wheels are paired, and each one put together around a poly-cap so that the wheels can be added and removed as necessary, the same process applying to the idlers, and to the toothed drive sprockets at the rear. There are two types of circular cooling vents on the engine deck, which differ between the A5 and A6 variants, using different styrene parts, and for the A6, adding PE meshes over the vents. Two smaller raised vents are also made from styrene parts and a narrow length of PE mesh that wraps around the short vertical portion. They are put to one side for a short while so that the tracks can be built up. The track links consist of an upper and lower shell, with track pins and pivots sandwiched between them, which are built up in lengths of five links on the jig numbered 24 that is found on sprue P, gluing the central pivot to prevent them coming adrift during handling. Careful application of glue to the main track link halves results in a set of track links that are as mobile as the real ones, with good detail. I built up a short length of five links using six pivots in a few minutes, and can confirm that the parts are easy to clean-up, requiring trimming with a sharp knife, and the pivot sprue gates have been engineered in such a way as to make their clean-up a breeze. A quick translate of the text next to the number 84 offers a translation into something like “84 links”, so use that as your basis for each run, while 82 is another number I’ve seen. The track building process won’t be the work of five minutes, but it will be substantially quicker than a great many track systems I have used in the past. The upper hull is mated with the lower hull with the tracks in place, and has various detail parts fitted, including the driver’s hatch and surround plus vision blocks, track grousers and pins mounted on the glacis plate, a choice of two aerial bases, and front mudguards. A short two-link length of assembled track is placed between the grousers, adding barrel cleaning rods, towing eye and more grousers over the glacis and front fenders, fitting pioneer tools and frames around the engine deck, after dropping the four cooling vents into position before you do. A bow saw and pry bar are mounted on the right rear of the deck, fitting a travel lock to the centre, fixing light clusters to the glacis along with a wing mirror on the left side. The two towing cables are made from four styrene eyes, one at each end of a portion of the braided wire that is included in the box, although no length is given, but it’s not difficult to estimate this with the eyes tacked in place on the engine deck. The side skirts differ between variants, with pseudo-colour diagrams helping to choose which portions to include or remove. The drawings are a little confusing, so take your time to ensure you get it right. The same is true of the smoke grenade launchers on the sides of the turret, differing in layout between variants, whilst keeping the same eight barrels throughout. Speaking of the turret, it is provided almost complete, consisting of upper and lower halves, fitting the rear wall to the upper portion, whilst inserting five vision blocks around the commander’s cupola from the inside. All barrel options begin with the inner and outer mantlet, barrel shroud and fume extractor hump, but to depict an A5, a styrene barrel and muzzle must be used, as illustrated below in faux colour. The A6 early and late both utilise the turned aluminium barrel (or a styrene one if you prefer), plus the longer muzzle section to depict the substantial extra length of the new gun. The coaxial machine gun is moulded into one side panel, the other fitted to the side of the mantlet, and covered by a top-section that has a curved cut-out to accommodate the barrel. Step 15 seems to be a little upside down, as the top drawing shows the barrel already inserted, while the lower diagram shows the process of trapping the barrel assembly between the top and bottom halves of the gun assembly, fixing a cable roll and dividers in the bustle, with a cover over the top. The gap between the mantlet and the deflection fairings is covered by a three-part panel, building up the loader and commander’s hatches from multiple layers then inserting them into the top deck. Various lifting hooks, grab handles and a pair of aerial bases are fitted around the turret roof, making the MG3 on a two-part pintle mount for installation on the commander’s cupola in due course. Another page of false-colour images show the location of a training exercise beacon if required, cutting off the stub from the deck, and drilling a hole to accommodate it. The diagrams also show how to mount the hatch in open or closed states. There is a surround fitted over the commander’s vision blocks that incorporates two multi-part sighting boxes at the front and rear, which are built with clear lenses to the front, and the turret behind the hatch can be left to rotate if you are careful with the glue. The turret is covered at the front by a set of angled armour panels that give the tank its arrow-head look, and behind those are your chosen configuration of smoke grenade dischargers on an appliqué panel, then at the rear are two tapering stowage baskets, which have PE mesh on all sides, the outermost section folded around the contours of the tubular basket’s framework. The left side of the turret front has an optional set of specialist grenade launchers that are used in training situations to simulate firing of the main gun. They have the incredibly long-winded name of “Kanonenabschussdarstellungsgerät” that is shortened to KADAG. The barrels are separate from their support, and require the removal of three bolts from the armour panel they fit on, but to show the tank without them, the same base part is used, with a simple cover glued over the top. The completed turret is then lowered into the hull, lining up the bayonet lugs and twisting to lock it together. The ERA blocks are shown as an optional final two steps in the instructions, attaching a gaggle of them to the front of the turret, the glacis plate, and with moulded sets of blocks applied to the skirts. The layout of the turret and glacis plate blocks are vague, so if you intend to deploy your model with them applied, check your references, and if you can’t find any pictures of the A6 wearing them, take an educated guess based on those worn by the A5s and A4s that have already seen combat. Markings There is one page depicting the decal option from all sides, and the markings consist of hand-painted white crosses of various sizes, and four Ukrainian flags in blue and yellow in two sizes. From the box you can build the following: The decals are printed anonymously, but are suitable for the task, and there are only two colours plus white, with just the blue and yellow of the flags juxtaposed, but they appear to be in good register. The colour call-outs are given in AMMO codes, which are easy to get hold of almost everywhere, but there are plenty of paint conversion sites, tables and probably apps by now that will assist you if you need it. The main colours are NATO standard, so should be easy to find elsewhere. Conclusion A well-detailed model of an excellent tank that is going to do good work repelling the invader from Ukraine so they can get their country back and go on with their lives. Highly recommended. Available in the UK in all good model shops. Review sample courtesy of

URAL-43203 Military Box Vehicle of the Ukraine Armed Forces (72709) 1:72 ICM via H G Hannants Ltd The URAL-4320 originally entered into Soviet service in the late 70s, and as it is still in production, they and their derivatives are almost ubiquitous in Eastern Europe. It is in use with the Ukrainian Armed Forces today, where its off-road capabilities are essential, bouncing over rutted and turned-over terrain where tanks and shell holes have ruined the surface over the course of the last year. The invader has also donated some additional trucks that have been left behind, which is helpful. The vehicles are painted in a striking digital camouflage over their basic green colour to help hide them in built-up areas. Keep up the good work! The Kit This is a reboxing of a kit that has its heritage in the late 1990s, although there have been numerous additional parts over the years. The kit arrives in a small top-opening box with captive lid to the lower tray, and inside are three sprues, load box and cab parts in grey styrene, a larger sprue in black, two small clear sprues, a large decal sheet and the instruction booklet on glossy paper with colour profiles on the rear. Due to the age of the kit there are some minor issues with flash here and there, but it looks to have been reduced in this latest boxing, and where it remains, a quick scrape with the edge of a blade will see it disappear in moments. The cab part is slide-moulded, and a little flash is visible around the edges where the mould sections meet, probably as a result of the age of the mould. A little more care will be needed here to ensure you don’t accidentally remove any of the detail that should be there. The load area is also slide-moulded to obtain detail on all sides of the exterior, and the window cut-outs on the diagonal roof sections. Construction begins with the chassis, which is predominantly moulded in black, as per the finished colour of the underside, which is helpful. The three axles, drive-shafts, cross-members, exhaust and a representation of the underside of the drive-train are all added to the ladder chassis, and the axles are tipped with six two-part wheels with separate hub inserts. The cab interior is relatively simple, and is made from a sled-like floor to which the twin-seat part and gear stick are fitted, while the dash is given a steering wheel on the left side, and a grab rail on the right for the co-driver to stabilise himself when traversing rough terrain. These sub-assemblies are inserted into the cab from below after the numerous windows are fitted from within, adding radiator and inner arches within the engine bay, and two crew steps are fixed under the side doors, plus lights and door mirrors to complete the cab, which is then put to the side while the load bed is made. The bed floor is a single part that is stepped and has raised areas to accommodate the rear wheels, with plenty of support structure underneath, and mudflaps added on each side of the double rear axles. A small section of the floor is removed before installation of the upper, then an extending aerial on a bracket, spare tyre, and stowage areas are fitted around the rear and underneath. At the front of the load box, there are various piece of equipment related to climate control fixed high up above the cab, a cluster of small windows on the diagonal sections of the roof, and optional extra parts on the flat part of the roof to complete the detail. When it is installed on the chassis, a five-part fuel tank is inserted under the left front of the bed, completing the model by adding the substantial front bumper iron to the front end of the chassis rail. Markings There are two options included on the decal sheet, but with four number plates, that’s really four with two camouflage colour options. The base colour remains the same, adding either subdued digital camouflage decals, or the brighter yellow and brown option. It’s entirely up to you and/or your references which combination you go for. From the box you can build one of the following: Armed Forces of Ukraine Armed Forces of Ukraine, camouflage version from 2021 Decals are by ICM’s usual partners, which is a guarantee of good registration, sharpness and colour density, with a thin gloss carrier film cut close to the printed areas. Conclusion It’s not a new kit, so a little work tidying up the parts will pay dividends, but it’s an example of a Ukrainian workhorse that’s carrying crucial goods for the soldiers and civilians during this terrible war, this time with protection from the elements, and a likelihood that it could also serve as a radio truck. Highly recommended. Available in the UK from importers H G Hannants Ltd. Review sample courtesy of

To Be Ahead, To Save The Life – Sappers of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (35753) 1:35 ICM via H G Hannants Ltd It has been more than a year now since Ukraine was invaded, an action that the aggressor disingenuously still persists in describing as a “special military operation”. Ukraine’s response has been resolute and impressive, and with the assistance of their Western Allies, they have recovered much of the land that was lost in the initial stages, but due to the seeding of the territory taken by the invader with mines, their troops have had to clear a path for their own soldiers or risk massed death or serious injury. Sappers are a brave breed, and Ukraine’s Sappers must put their training into practice on live munitions every day that are singularly unforgiving of mistakes. Add to that the possibility of stay-behind snipers, ambushes and booby-traps, and their job is incredibly difficult and dangerous. They still go out every day to do it despite the risks, which is incredible. The Kit This figure set is a new tooling from Ukrainian company ICM, and depicts a team of three Sappers with their sniffer dog. It arrives in a shallow top-opening box with a captive lid on the lower tray, and contains a single sprue of grey styrene, a double-sided colour-printed instruction sheet plus a leaflet advertising their range of acrylic paints, and as luck would have it, they do a set specifically tailored to Ukrainian army figures, which we reviewed some time ago here. The human figures are all in different poses, one wrangling the dog, which appears to be a German Shepherd, although it’s difficult to tell with the goggles and Peltor ear defenders she’s wearing, plus the bullet-proof vest/harness she has on for protection from snipers and shrapnel. The handler is wearing the usual helmet and combat vest, with his AK shouldered on its sling, and various pouches about his person. The other standing figure is detecting mines with his electronic detector held out in front, the coil hovering just above the ground. His other hand is balancing a simple spike on a pole that is used to search for objects in the ground the old-fashioned way, and like his colleague he is wearing similar garb that includes knee-pads. The final figure is kneeling, wearing the same gear as his comrades, excavating something suspicious with an entrenching tool, which is a short shovel to us civilians. The parts for each figure are found in their own areas of the sprue for ease of identification, and parts breakdown is sensibly placed along clothing seams or natural breaks to minimise clean-up of the figures once they are built up. The sculpting is typically excellent, as we’ve come to expect from ICM’s artists and tool-makers, with natural poses, drape of clothing and textures appropriate to the various parts of the model. If you don’t much relish the task of painting digital camouflage on your figures, you can pick up a set of Ukrainian camouflage decals from eBay, which I did immediately on receipt of the first set we reviewed, noticing on receipt that it had been made in conjunction with our good friends at Dora Wings! Conclusion An excellent candidate for a modern-day diorama, and the detail is excellent, just needing the modeller to add a lead for the hound, and a length of fine wire to complete the detector rig. Very highly recommended. Available in the UK from importers H G Hannants Ltd. Review sample courtesy of

URAL-4320 of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (72708) 1:72 ICM via H G Hannants Ltd The URAL-4320 originally entered into Soviet service in the late 70s, and as it is still in production they and their derivatives are almost ubiquitous in Eastern Europe. It is in use with the Ukrainian Armed Forces today, where its off-road capabilities are essential, bouncing over rutted and turned-over terrain where tanks and shell holes have ruined the surface over the course of the last year. The invader has also donated some additional trucks that have been left behind, which is helpful. The vehicles are painted in a striking digital camouflage over their basic green colour to help hide them in built-up areas. Keep up the good work! The Kit This is a reboxing of a kit that has its heritage in the late 1990s, although there have been numerous additional parts over the years. The kit arrives in a small top-opening box with captive lid to the lower tray, and inside are three sprues and cab part in grey styrene, a larger sprue in black, a small clear sprue, a large decal sheet and the instruction booklet on glossy paper with colour profiles on the rear. Due to the age of the kit there are some minor issues with flash here and there, but it isn’t severe, and a quick scrape with the edge of a blade will see it disappear in moments. The cab part is slide-moulded, and a little flash is visible around the edges where the mould sections meet, probably as a result of the age of the mould. A little more care will be needed here to ensure you don’t accidentally remove any of the detail that should be there. Construction begins with the chassis, which is predominantly moulded in black, as per the finished colour of the underside, which is helpful. The three axles, drive-shafts, cross-members, exhaust and a representation of the underside of the drive-train are all added to the ladder chassis, and the axles are tipped with six two-part wheels with separate hub inserts. The cab interior is relatively simple, and is made from a sled-like floor to which the twin-seat part and gear stick are fitted, while the dash is given a steering wheel on the left side, and a grab rail on the right for the co-driver to stabilise himself when traversing rough terrain. These sub-assemblies are inserted into the cab from below after the numerous windows are fitted from within, adding radiator and inner arches within the engine bay, and two crew steps are fixed under the side doors, plus lights and door mirrors to complete the cab, which is then put to the side while the load bed is made. The bed floor is a single part, with two rails under the centre section, and mudflaps on each side of the double rear axles, followed by two rear light clusters at the very back. When it is installed on the chassis, the raised sides are fitted around the edge, with another three-part wheel slotted into a cylindrical half-frame between the cab and load bed, plus a five-part fuel tank under the left front of the bed, completing the model by adding the substantial front bumper iron to the end of the chassis rail. Markings There are two options included on the decal sheet, but with four number plates, that’s really four with two camouflage colour options. The base colour remains the same, adding either subdued digital camouflage decals, or the brighter yellow and brown option. It’s entirely up to you and/or your references which combination you go for. From the box you can build one of the following: Armed Forces of Ukraine Armed Forces of Ukraine, camouflage version from 2021 Decals are by ICM’s usual partners, which is a guarantee of good registration, sharpness and colour density, with a thin gloss carrier film cut close to the printed areas. Conclusion It’s not a new kit, so a little work tidying up the parts will pay dividends, but it’s an example of a Ukrainian workhorse that’s carrying crucial goods for the soldiers and civilians during this terrible war. Highly recommended. Available in the UK from importers H G Hannants Ltd. Review sample courtesy of

Soldier of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (16104) 1:16 ICM via H G Hannants Ltd We all know the story by now of the unprovoked invasion of Ukraine and the war that has raged for just over a year at time of writing. We won’t go further with the discussion of that, but suffice to say, it has resulted in the mobilisation of a lot of brave Ukrainians to defend their country from this incursion, and those efforts are ongoing during the bitter cold of the winter that is more than a bit colder than those we have here in the UK. Stay safe, all of you! This figure as part of ICM’s range of 1:16 larger figures represents a soldier engaged in that conflict, however his stance is that of a man that is away from the front at least temporarily, posing for the sculptor in a relaxed manner, whilst still carrying his war-fighting kit about his person. The kit arrives in a shallow top-opening box, with the usual captive flap on the lower tray. Inside are two sprues of grey styrene, two in black, an instruction sheet and a glossy colour copy of the box art if you would like to display it in your modelling room or somewhere in your home as a symbol of support. The instructions consist of a sprue diagram, a paint conversion chart with ICM, Revell and Tamiya codes alongside the colour names and swatches, then on the reverse is a detailed trio of drawings of the soldier from three angles, complete with part numbers and paint suggestions for the part. A swatch of digital camouflage that is commonly used by Ukrainian troops is also given, although a chicken like me would be looking for some camouflage decals in 1:16, as I have done already for my 1:35 Ukrainian figures. The majority of the parts for the figure are on the larger sprue, including the packs and pouches that a modern soldier carries on his or her tactical vest with its MOLLE loops making everything modular. The figure is broken down in a similar manner to a 1:35 example, although the torso is split into front and rear halves to prevent sink marks ruining the crisply moulded detail, especially the patch on his chest that appears to be of a raccoon. The soldier is wearing a covered modern helmet that is moulded in two halves, and has a pair of goggles in a protective bag strapped to the front, with most of the strap moulded into the helmet halves. The chin-strap is separate and formed from three fine parts that gives you the option to depict it closed or open for a more candid look. The fingers of both the soldier’s hands are also separate, as his hands are draped over and around his AK-74 variant, which has a 40mm Underslung Grenade Launcher (UGL) beneath the weapon’s barrel. He is also carrying a slide-out portable missile launcher across his back, while his AK is fed by the ammunition within the pouches around his waist, which are joined by other pouches and bags, with two types of comms on his chest, and various other small accessories, including a handset for his radio, grenades, bayonet, knife, magazines for his AK, medical shears, and buckles. There is also a choice of an AK without a UGL, and next door on the sprue are the plastic portion of the knee-pads that fit over the moulded-in cushions and straps, plus separate boot soles with finely engraved tread patterns evident. The base is moulded in black styrene, and has a choice of four different surfaces for the top and a flat base for the bottom. The choices comprise a flat asphalt surface plus three styles of cobble or paving stones. Conclusion In line with the stylised flag on the box lid, a brave Ukrainian soldier sculpted in great detail in a natural pose and with realistic cloth drape, that coupled with sympathetic painting should give an impressive result. Highly recommended. Available in the UK from importers H G Hannants Ltd. Review sample courtesy of

Armed Forces of Ukraine Acrylic Paint Set (3025) ICM via H G Hannants Ltd ICM have recently released their own brand of acrylic paints on the market, and are creating some kit specific sets to go with their major releases, of which this is one. The set arrives in a cardboard box with six screw-capped bottles inside, each containing 12ml of paint. The bottles are clear Polypropylene, and are capped with cylindrical tops with knurled sides, and a one-time security seal that you break on first opening. A label on the side gives you basic information about the colour and code, a little information regarding application in English and Ukrainian and a bar-code. This set provides the major colours to assist you in painting your Stugna-P Complex Anti-Tank Missile Launcher with crew from ICM themselves that we reviewed here, and you will find the following colours in the box: 1072 US Dark Green 1035 Grey Green 1041 Buff 1069 Extra Dark Green 1054 Chocolate 2001 Matt Varnish The paint is thick in the bottle, with plenty of headroom between the surface of the paint and the lip of the neck. I dropped a glass stirring ball into each bottle, and they took a few seconds to disappear beneath the surface, indicating their viscosity. On the rear of the pack is an example of the usage of these colours using the kit mentioned above, and also depicts a sample of the digital camouflage that is often worn by the brave soldiers of the Ukraine. During testing, I used Ultimate Acrylic Thinners to dilute the paint to spray through my Gunze PS770 airbrush, which has a 0.18 needle chucked in. The paint dilutes well once it has been mixed thoroughly, and sprays well through my airbrush, which has a smaller than usual needle that is a good test of the finesse of the pigment grind of any brand, some of which don’t spray very well though anything less than a 0.3mm needle. There were no problems with blockages at all, and the coverage was excellent after my usual ad hoc dilution method, which was probably nowhere near the 40-60% thinners or water that’s suggested on the pack. Apart from the varnish, the other paints all dry to a matt finish. In past tests, the matt varnish worked very well diluted with water, sprayed over the spoons that were also partially taped up to perform two functions at once. The matt patina that resulted is exactly what was expected, and the tape lifted no paint at all, despite my best efforts to do so. Bear in mind that the spoons were prepped by a buff with a very fine sanding sponge to give them the best chance of adhesion. Using a brush, the colours cover well two coats with minimal brush marks visible. Conclusion The paints were excellent through the airbrush with nothing in the way of drama during the testing process, including the Oily Steel and Satin Varnish. The solid colours also brushed out very well, as did the varnish, but what happened to the Oily Steel is a mystery to me at this stage, possibly a bad mix, or some other oddity peculiar to my bottle or batch. There is a little less paint in the bottles than some brands, but a shade more than others, so it’s about average. That is more than offset by the very reasonable price they’re asking for the set, even at RRP. Highly recommended. Available in the UK from importers H G Hannants Ltd. Currently on back-order, however. Review sample courtesy of

Ukrainian Soldier Firing FGM-148 Javelin (F35384) 1:35 CMK by Special Hobby The Javelin is a fire-and-forget anti-tank weapon developed by the American company Raytheon with a choice of top-attack or direct profiles, depending on whether a better result would be achieved through thinner armoured areas of an AFV for example. They have been successfully used over the years in many conflicts, and a substantial number of them have been shipped to the Ukraine since the invasion by the Russian Federation in March of 2022. They have been used to great effect against Russian armour by the Ukrainian troops, who have been trained on the weapon before becoming operational, learning that the Javelin offers excellent portability alongside accuracy and target penetration. The operator can aim and fire the weapon rapidly, retiring to a safe place immediately while the hardware inside the missile does the hard work, tracking and eventually hitting the target using infrared sensors. It also soft-launches, so that a launch plume doesn’t give away the position of the operator, and has a smaller warhead in the nose to detonate ERA or slat armour so that the main warhead can explode against the target’s primary armour layer. As usual with CMK's resin sets, it arrives in the familiar clear vacformed box, with the resin parts safely inside, and the instructions sandwiched between the header card at the rear. The main part of the figure is cast as a single, incredibly detailed part, and is joined by two jigs on a single casting block, and an orange 3D resin print-base that is filled with various parts of the missile and launch system. A small sheet of Photo-Etch (PE) and a set of decals complete the package, with the bifold instruction sheet guiding the way. The figure is complete apart from the operator’s hands that are moulded integrally to the 3D printed launch module, which has a targeting sensor at the front, to which you fit a drop-down protective cap. The barrel of the weapon is attached via a pair of small lugs and a circular flat-spot, and the rear end-cap is located on a keyed lug at the rear. You then have a choice of depicting the missile still in the launch tube by inserting the round-ended stub down the hollow barrel, but be aware that you may not be able to remove it again once it’s deep in there. The other option is to show off the missile, either just after launch or as a display – it’s entirely your choice. The short rear end slots into one of the jigs so that you can install the four tapered fins, and before it is glued to the main body, the larger forward section is slotted into its own jig to install eight more fins, after which the body halves are joined together on a square lug. A pair of diagrams show the location of the stencil decals and stripes, and also gives a hint about the paint colour, although no actual codes or colour names are given. The front cap of the launcher is also provided, and can be left on the ground near the soldier, as can the AK-74 that is found inside a protective frame. It also has a PE sling that can be laid out in a similar fashion to that shown in the instructions. Going back to the figure, the detail is fabulously well-sculpted, even down to the operator’s sun glasses tucked into the top of his tactical vest above a chest-full of loaded ammo pouches, and a radio with flexible aerial on his shoulder strap. The MOLLE loops are all represented on the vest, with a daysack mounted on the rear, and a modern spec-ops style helmet with adjustment dial on the rear frame, plus a night-vision mount on the front, four-point chin-strap system, and a tube scarf pulled up over his nose to ward off the cold, and probably Covid into the bargain. If you were wondering what the launch of a Javelin looks like, there’s not much smoke during the initial launch phase, and even the ignition of the main motor is relatively smoke-free, so hiding a supporting wire could be tricky. The video below should give you a lot more information than we can. Conclusion It’s a while since we’ve seen such a well-detailed, crisply moulded figure, and the addition of 3D printed parts and the PE makes for an impressive package. It’s a figure that deserves to be painted with as much care as possible, and lends itself to a poignant launch diorama. Very highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

The Ghost of Kyiv (72140) Mig-29 of Ukrainian Air Force 1:72 ICM via Hannants Ltd. This is going to be a difficult review to steer a centreline on, so you’ll have to forgive me if I drift to one particular side a little, although I’ll try not to. Please don’t be tempted to engage in any jingoism of your own. On 24th February 2022 an aggressor invaded Ukraine with malevolent intent, a variety of fallacious explanations as to why they were there, and intentions of taking over the whole country to make it their own. Ukraine, its government and people have fought back valiantly against this attack, and one Ukrainian aviator in particular gained notoriety for shooting down a number of the aggressor’s aircraft in quick succession, flying an upgraded Mig-29-13 in a grey digital camouflage scheme. There is conjecture whether the ‘Ghost of Kyiv’ exists, has since been killed in action, or whether it is simply a conflation of the exploits of the Ukrainian Air Force as a whole. Whichever it is, it has given the aggressors pause for thought, and prevented them from achieving anything resembling air superiority over most of Ukrainian territory, giving the brave Ukrainian fighters one less thing to worry about amongst many perils. We at Britmodeller would like to wish all of Ukraine’s armed forces the best with their struggle, and hope that it is resolved soon to their satisfaction. The Kit This is a reboxing of ICM’s 2008 tooling of this classic Cold War Soviet-era jet, but with new decals appropriate for the subject matter. The kit arrives in a stylishly appointed top-opening box with captive inner lid, and inside are three sprues of medium grey styrene, a small clear sprue, two sheets of decals and the instruction booklet, which shares the same design as the box lid, and has spot-colour throughout, including full colour profiles on the back page. Detail is on par for the era of its original release, with engraved panel lines, raised and recessed detail where appropriate, cockpit and gear bay detail, and a complement of weapons and fuel tanks, the latter remain unused. Construction begins with the cockpit, which has an ejector pin mark in the middle of the floor that will be covered by the ejection seat, but should be cut flush to ensure everything fits properly. A control column and instrument panel with raised and recessed detail moulded-in completes the cockpit, although the Zvezda K-36 seat could do with a little additional work, including adding the tubular housings for the ejection stabilisation beams that sit at each side of the headbox. The cockpit inserts into the upper fuselage from below, after which it can be closed up ready for the other components. There aren’t many stages to the instruction booklet, and we see the wings, elevators and stabilisers added at the same time as the two-part canopy. Two inset diagrams show the twin engine nacelles being made up with integral FOD guards before they too are joined to the underside of the fuselage, with the exhausts also made up from inner and outer parts in more inset diagrams. The included weapons also have inset diagrams, and you can make up two each of R-27 Alamo, R-60 Aphid and R-72 Archer air-to-air missiles, but bear in mind that the weapons sprue has a little flash, so some clean-up might be needed. Each missile has its own pylon, and the larger R-27s have separate fins perpendicular to the seamline. They are all shown inserted into the holes in the wing undersides at the same times as the main and nose gear, which have separate wheels and retraction jacks, plus gear bay doors and a clear landing light in each main gear well. The nose gear bay has three doors, and at the tip of the nose a pitot probe will poke out your eye if you look to closely. Markings There is just one decal option spread over the two sheets, with all the digital camouflage on the larger sheet, while Ukrainian national markings and codes are on the other. As the real identity of the Ghost is unknown, there are six lines of numeric codes in white/blue, blue/white and white/yellow options, plus a stylised skull for the nose on a black circular backing. The underside is painted sky grey and the topside off-white, glossing them ready for the digital camo decals, of which there are eighteen in three shades of grey. An instrument decal is also included to improve the detail in the cockpit, plus a number of stencils for the airframe, all of which should settle down well with the help of some decal setting solution. They are printed by ICM’s usual partner, and registration, colour density and sharpness is good. Ghost of Kyiv Paint Set (3027) ICM have this year released their own brand of acrylic paints to the market, and are creating some kit specific sets to go with their major releases, of which this is one. The set arrives in a cardboard box with six screw-capped bottles inside, each containing 12ml of paint. The bottles are clear Polypropylene, and are capped with cylindrical tops with knurled sides, and a one-time security seal that you break on first opening. A label on the side gives you basic information about the colour and code, a little information regarding application in English and Ukrainian and a bar-code. The paint is thick in the bottle, with plenty of headroom between the surface of the paint and the lip of the neck. I dropped a glass stirring ball into each bottle, and they took a few seconds to disappear beneath the surface, indicating their viscosity. Inside the box are the following bottles: 1028 Offwhite 1033 Sky Grey 1034 Dark Sea Grey 1037 Dark Grey 1038 German Grey 2002 Satin Varnish The paint is undiluted, so will need thinning by between 40-60% with water or acrylic thinner for use with an airbrush, and they naturally have a semi-gloss finish that can be adjusted later by the use of varnishes, and are waterproof when dry like most acrylics. During my initial testing I used Ultimate Thinners, my go-to thinners for any acrylic paint, which helps keep the number of large bottles in my spray booth to a minimum. The paint comes out of the bottle quite thick and viscous, so it’s possible you’ll have to dilute it even for brush painting use, although I used it neat during testing, so a small bottle will go a long way in either case. It sprays well when diluted, and like a lot of acrylics a light coat is best initially, followed quickly after by heavier coats until you have the coverage you require. It dries quite quickly, and is touch-dry in 5-10 minutes in summery 20-23oc temperatures, unless you’re in the antipodes as I write this. I have used them to create a number of spray-out cards and spoons for other sets in the range, and they both spray and brush very well, with little issue other than my inexpert application by paint brush. Conclusion It’s a poignant re-release of this model, and the decal choice is inspiring. If 1:72 is your thing and you like jets, you should get one. A set of acrylic paints specifically designed for this kit makes painting your model much easier to accomplish too. It’s all made by a Ukrainian company that is still capable of doing business despite the circumstances, which is singularly impressive. Very highly recommended. Available in the UK from importers H G Hannants Ltd. The Ghost of Kyiv Mig-29 (72140) Ghost of Kyiv Paint Set (3027) Review sample courtesy of