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Trumpeter is to release a 1/72nd Sukhoi Su-33 "(Sea)-Flanker-D" kit - ref. 01667 Source Primeportal: http://www.primeportal.net/models/thomas_voigt8/trumpeter/index.php?Page=3 V.P.

Hi guys! Started another project few days ago. Trumpeter MiG-3 Early version. Nice kit. Also I got Eduard photo etched set for cockpit. Artbox got few books as references With planning to get A. Pokrishkin plane... probably something like this: I know this kit got few mistakes but not critical. Going to change armour back plate on pilot seat and not to use harness straps because no one wartime photo showed it. So, lets go rock and roll Tried to deepen and make thinner pilot's seat First version armour back plate beside original one Progress at the moment. Hope you like it Ivan.

Photoetch set by Eduard; wooden deck by Artwox. I'm fortunate to be able to post this, because while making a late correction last night the model slipped from my fingers and crashed to the floor. Luckily it landed on its side and the breakages were kept to a minimum - whew! The paint scheme might lack historical accuracy since I generally don't do splinter camouflage as it breaks up the lines of the ship; I did want to include the striking AR deck markings as they really make the model stand out on the shelf. Thanks for looking; any comments or questions most appreciated. Regards, Ross.

I'm very close to finishing my 1:32 Trumpeter Wildcat and just dry fitting the canopy I found that it doesn't fit very well when it's shown in the open position. It's fine closed but I've put a lot of effort into the cockpit and want to show it off! Any tips to make it fit? There doesn't seem to be a 3rd party vacform alternative and I really don't fancy making my own.

Has been a while since my last posting. Started work on both Tamiya 1/32 F-14A and the Trumpeter 1/32 A-7E back in Early spring. Lots of domestic obligations....like moving house have slowed these 2 builds down. Now that the family is settled in and I've got a workspace, I've made a bit of progress! First the 1/32 A-7E - Air Doc decal sets will be used for the "Low Viz Tactical Scheme" This has been a fun build, even managed to get a seamless air intake too, after many an hour of careful attention Sorry there have not been earlier photos of the build progress: The A-7 does come together in a very pleasing shape after a while:-) It's a big aircraft in 1/32 but it's a good scale for this subject. Looking forward to seeing it next to the F-14A "Top Hatters" My apologies for the photo quality, I was trialling the IPhone camera but it's useless in anything but sunlight More to follow....

Whilst ordering some bits from Hannants a while back I found this on sale and thought it would be something different to do I didn't bother with a build thread as it only has 9 parts and they come pre-removed from the sprue. I had fun painting it though! And no, it's not a HUGE penny

Grumman A-6A Intruder Trumpeter 1/32 History The A6 was developed to meet the U.S. Navy's need for an aircraft that could attack ground and sea based targets in any weather, day or night. These needs generated a Request for Proposal in 1956 to which eight companies submitted no less than twelve design proposals. Grumman's design number 1280 was the winning entry and a contract was issued on March 26, 1959. The aircraft was originally designated the A2F1, and the first flight of BUNO 147864 took place on April 19, 1960. When aircraft designations were standardized, the A2F1 became the A6A. The first A6A entered service with VA-42 in March 1963. The "Intruder," as it was nicknamed, joined Navy/Marine squadrons on board fleet carriers in 1964, complementing A4 and A7 aircraft in the attack role. The A6 provided the Navy with an all weather strike capability for the first time. Its design enabled it to carry both nuclear and conventional weapons, which consisted of over three dozen types of ordnance, from guided missiles to cluster munitions. The Intruder's lack of eye appeal has resulted in a low-key image in the minds of many uninformed aviation enthusiasts. But throughout its 32 years of service, it has earned and maintained a reputation as the workhorse of Naval Aviation from the countless Battle Group Commanders who were responsible for projecting United States power abroad. Time is one of the key yardsticks used to determine the relative success or failure of almost anything man develops. And time has clearly signaled the success of the A6 design. It leaves the fleet as it entered the sign and how adaptable that design is to accepting improvements and technology. The A6 has proven exceptional in both areas. One of the main advantages of the Intruder has always been its ability to carry a lot of ordnance, both tonnage and variety, to the target. The aircraft can deliver twenty-eight 500 pound bombs with pin point accuracy day or night. It also can deliver the Navy's entire arsenal of available weapons, from bombs to ground attack and air-to-air missiles, flares, and also provide a full array of target services for air and surface training. The Intruder's range is also legendary. She can strike targets at over 500 miles from the carrier unrefueled. Her ability to go long distances with minimal additional fuel has greatly simplified strike planning for over 30 years, as airborne refuelling has been and continues to be one of strike planning's most irascible problems. The Model It has been on the wish list of many modellers for a long time and finally an A-6 Intruder has been released in 1:32 scale. Trumpeter have started, naturally with the A model and hopefully they will be releasing more marks in the future. The kit comes in a large top opening box, with a very nice artists impression of two Intruders in the air, one with a full weapons load and the other with racks empty but with undercarriage and wing tip air-brakes extended. Inside the box is crammed to the gunwales with twenty seven sprues of grey styrene, three sprues of clear styrene, a small etched brass sheet, rubber tyres, metal undercarriage legs and three sheets of decals. The mouldings are really rather nice with very fine details, engraved panel lines, well defined, but not overly done riveted areas, no sign of flash anywhere, (which is always a good sign in a new kit), and only a small number of moulding pips. Apart from the number of sprues, and therefore parts, (there are 570 parts in the kit), it is the size of the fuselage halves that gives the game away as to how big the completed model is going to be and it will certainly be impressive, being 522.2mm in length with a 502.8mm wingspan with wings extended. There is a wealth of internal detail included in the kit but there is always room for additional detail to be added by the more fastidious modeller should they so wish. Each of the sub-assemblies should be considered models in their own right as they are quite complex and will require some careful building and painting. Each engine build starts with the assembly of the intake fan which comes in five parts which is then fitted to the two part intake trunking, the seams of which shouldnt cause too much of a problem since its quite short in length. Around the rear of the trunking the four sections of the engine body are glued into position. Once the glue has set then another three sections that make up the rear of the engine are attached. Along with the auxiliary accessories pack there are a number of electronic boxes, pipes and sundries that are attached around the engine body. Before fitting the three piece exhaust duct and nozzle, the five piece engine exhaust is fitted to the rear of the engine. The way these engines have been designed they shouldnt cause too many problems with painting, my only reservation would be the filing and sanding of the seams, particularly if the engine bay doors are to be left open for all to be seen. The two assemblies can now be set aside until required later in the build. With the engines complete, its on to the cockpit assembly. Each of the two seats are made up of the main seat frame, two side arms, main gun tube and lower firing handle. Onto this the two piece backpad, seat squab and headpad are fixed. To complete each seat the upper firing handle is fitted and the four piece harness, made of PE is attached. The cockpit is constructed of the main tub and rear under canopy panel. Two circuit breaker panels are fitted to the rear of the tub, followed by the ejector seat assemblies. Several fittings are the attached to the rear panel along with a pair of pipes. The instrument panel is assembled next, with the clear part attached to the rear of the styrene part, (best painted beforehand). The panel is then glued into position on the underside of the coaming, before fitting to the cockpit tub the pilots rudder pedals are affixed to their mounting then to the cockpit floor. With the coaming in place the reflector bombsight and glass are fitted to the pilots side. The kit comes with a fully detailed rear equipment bay which swings out from the belly of the real aircraft. The two shelves are fitted out with black boxes before the swing arm frame, bay sides and bottom panel are attached. Four support rods are then attached, two per side. The next sub-assemblies built are the main undercarriage. Each side is made of the metal main oleo, onto which the main retraction jack, two part scissor link, additional linkages and tie down rings are attached. Each main wheel consists of the rubber tyre, inner and outer hubs and the brake unit, the completed items are then attached to the axle. Next on the production line is the windscreen and canopy. The windscreen is simply fitted with the magnetic compass whilst the canopy is fitted with an internal l shaped panel, onto which two boxes are attached. The two slides are then fitted to the underside of the panel and the whole assembly fitted to the inside of the canopy. As well as a small overhead console there is a small pipe, T handle and four rear view mirrors fitted. The nose wheel assembly is constructed from the metal main oleo, onto which the nose wheel steering motor associated link, and two additional items are fitted, along with the main scissor link, launch bar and motor, main retraction jack plus additional linkages are attached. The nose wheels themselves are made up of the rubber tyres plus inner and outer hubs, when assembled they are attached to the axle stubs. The last of the sub-assemblies are those for the two fuselage air-brake bays. Each bay is fitted out with from frames and three sections of pipework. With the above sub-assemblies complete, its onto the build proper. The keel beam panel, complete with nose wheel bay moulded onto it is fitted with the nose wheel bay sides and a couple of internal fittings. The nose wheel assembly is then fixed into place, followed by the main longitudinal keel beam. The cockpit assembly is then fitted to one fuselage half whilst the air-brake bays are fitted to both halves. The main intakes are constructed from three parts and also affixed into place. Each fuselage half is also fitted with a bulkhead just aft of the main wheel bays. With the keel beam/nose wheel assembly in place the fuselage halves can be close up with the single piece rudder sandwiched between them. The instructions call for the air-brake s to be attached at this point, but unless being posed in the closed position it may be better to leave these off until later as they could easily be broken off whilst the build continues. On the underside the arrestor hook bay is fitted along with the two piece arrestor hook, although this could be left off till later to aid painting. The forward bulkhead is populated with a complex array of black boxes, main radar and terrain following radar before being fitted to the nose section. The build progresses with the construction of the inner wings. Each wing section is made up of upper and lower panels, onto which the multi part flaps, slats and spoilers are attached, each of which has the option of being posed extended or retracted. The wing fold mechanism comes in pre moulded complete the two halves of the pylon situated at that point. Each inner wing section can then be attached to the fuselage, after which the two engine/intake/exhaust ducts are fitted into place, as are the nose wheel bay doors and their associated retraction jacks. The outer wings also come in top and bottom panels, which, when glued together are closed off by the outer wing fold mechanism panel. The wings are then fitted out with actuator fairings for the wing tip air-brakes and flap hinges. The air-brakes, flaps and slats are again able to be posed in the extended or retracted state. If the outer wings are to be posed in the spread position there is a rod that will help in support in the outer wing panels in place, followed by the appropriate wing fold cover on the upper wing. The two piece horizontal tailplanes are also glued into position, as are a couple of small intake ducts, the tailplane positioned pitot probe and the Ram Air Turbine in port wing root, which can be left off if required and the bay covered by a panel. If the wings are to be posed folded then the inner and outer wing fold cover needs to be fitted and the wings glued into position. Two large wing retraction jacks are then glued into place, followed by four small links and pipes. With the build nearing completion it is only a matter of fitting the nose radome, either open or closed, the windscreen and canopy sub-assemblies, and the main undercarriage. The crew access foot steps are assembled out of both styrene and PE parts and fitted into position on either side of the forward fuselage. Finally the engine access doors are attached. Once again these have the option of being posed open or closed and if open there are quite a few internal fittings that need to be attached first. There are a number of external air intakes to be fitted to these panels in either case. The central fairing, covering the exhaust section is also glued into position, followed by the main equipment bay sub-assembly, the forward nose wheel bay door, complete with clear parts for the lights, main undercarriage doors plus the centre and inner pylons, each made up of two halves onto which the crutch plates are added. There is a comprehensive array of weapons that can be fitted to the kit and each made up of multiple parts, including styrene and PE as well as having their respective adapters and fittings. For the iron bombs the kit comes with two TERs and two MERs. The selection of stores include:- Centreline drop tank 4 off wing mounted drop tanks 2 off AGM-12 Bullpups 2 off AGM-45 Shrikes 2 off GBU-8 2000lb HOBOs 12 off Mk82 500lb iron bombs with normal or extended fuses and slick or retarded tails 6 off M117 750lb iron bombs with normal and extended fuses For the correct or historical loadout check your references, for all other instances load it up to the hilt. Decals There are two large decal sheets and one small one provided. There is one for the aircraft and one for the weaponry and one for the instrument panel. They are all very nicely printed, in good register and opacity. They are quite glossy and thin, with minimal carrier film visible and with a good gloss coat beforehand they should bed down well without silvering. Two aircraft schemes are provided, these are for:- US Navy, VA-35 Panthers, BuNo. 152940, USS Enterprise US Navy, VA-145 Swordsmen, BUNo. 155717, USS Ranger The weapon sheet provides the yellow live weapon rings and placards for the each of the different weapons, with the rest of the sheet covering the placards for each of the pylons. Conclusion Grumman had a reputation for build strong, well built aircraft and the Intruder lived up to that reputation. It could carry a huge amount of stores great distances and deliver them accurately. With this kit you really get to appreciate the size and construction of the real aircraft and the amount of detail included is quite amazing and will keep even the out of the box builder busy for a good while, whilst giving the detail enthusiast an excellent starting point onto which to practice their art. I cannot comment on how accurate the model is as I dont have plans, but it sure looks right. Highly recommended. Walkround photos are available HERE Review sample courtesy of

Hi all, Our local model shop had their birthday sale recently and many of us were there hoovering up bargains. Amongst other things I picked up Trumpeter's 1/144 scale Tu-160 for the equivalent of ten quid. I like Russian stuff but have never attempted to build any of it, although I do have a Forger and a Flanker in the stash. I had a poke around in the box when I got home, verified that the fuselage halves fit together nicely, and couldn't resist clipping out the wings to see what it looked like. And one thing led to another and it's now halfway done. I've just finished gluing and clothes-pinning the fuselage, and my camera battery has run out, but I do have some pictures of the interior bits I painted today. There's a really nice flight deck with maybe 16 parts, which is going to be almost entirely invisible. The layout is roughly right although I think the seats are a bit underscale. The IP has dials, which I filled in with AK engine oil to get some gloss, though I don't think we'll be able to see it through the windows. I even painted the dear little crew toilet (and opened the boarding hatch since the plane is going to be on the ground) The other bits I've done are the insides of the U/C doors, and the faces of the bays. The colours are based on a walkaround of the main gear and main gear bay on scalemodels.ru, although it's a bit hard to piece together so I'm not claiming everything is in the right place. My read on the insides of the bays is that they're mostly bare metal, with brown and white discolouration on the lower parts and doors, which makes me think maybe aluminium?. There are plenty of painted (avionics?) boxes on one side of each bay though. I sprayed everything with Alclad II Dull Aluminium and oversprayed with both Pale Burnt Metal and a little flat light grey. The details are brush painted with Games Workshop paints, and I used some Cold and Brown MIG washes plus sponged paint to discolour things. Next job is either the sanding and filling (probably almost none) on the airframe. I also need to detail the slightly soggy nose gear strut, and add some pivots for the tailplane and rudder (which I sawed off already). So far this is one of the nicest plane kits I've attempted to build. Everything fits! It appears to be reasonably accurate as well, although I haven't checked it against plans or anything... Cheers, Will

Trumpeter catalog 2013-2014 is here: Part.1 & 2 http://scalemodels.ru/news/5759-katalog-Trumpeter-2013-2014-chast-pervaja.html http://scalemodels.ru/news/5768-katalog-Trumpeter-2013-2014-chast-vtoraja.html V.P.

Hi All, One more ship completed this year - it's the USS Dortch, a Fletcher-class destroyer converted to the late-war anti-kamikaze AA configuration of 14x 40mm Bofors guns and 12x 20mm Oerlikons. The model is the Trumpeter "The Sullivans" kit which makes an interesting comparison to the more highly-thought-of Tamiya kit. The Tamiya version is severely limited in how much you can make out of the box, whereas the Trumpeter gives you the option of two different configurations (1943 and 1945) and therefore far more options. Unfortunately it's not the best kit in terms of detail, and I added loads of scratchbuilt bulkhead details and antennae for the mast and ECM rig. I also used L'Arsenal Bofors and Oerlikons plus the GMM PE set for this kit. Paint was WEM Haze Gray 5-H and Navy Blue 5-N enamel with Tamiya XF-17 Sea Blue acrylic for the deck colour . I finally added crew figures from Eduard. The seascape was my favourite recipe - polystyrene base, Acrylic paint and gloss gel, and toilet paper waves. Pics courtesy of IPMS Farnborough website. Cheers, Al

S-65 Tractor with Cab Detail Set – E35-193 ET Models 1:35[.size] Trumpeter has recently released the second configuration of this esoteric vehicle and ET Models have followed it by releasing this update set for it. E35-139 consists of three sheets of etched brass and a small acetate sheet. The instructions are printed on ETs usual green paper, but are better laid out than some of their normal fare, with diagrams of the model and where the various brass parts are to be fitted. Some parts of the kit need to be removed before the finer brass parts can be added. As is normal for these types of upgrade sets some assemblies also require the addition of plastic rod of various sizes. The set is basically a repetition of the previous release E35-145 reviewed HERE with the exception of the open cab that is provided for the driver, since the new kit already has a cab included, so it would be rather churlish to repeat myself with what’s included. As it is, the quality is up to the usual standards and you’ll still need a fair amount of patience and care in removing the kit parts, particularly the names on the radiator housing and the fitting of the bonnet side clamps. I have used the earlier set in a build HERE so you can see how it goes to make a nicely detailed model. Conclusion This is a very nice little set and without the cab of the previous set is perhaps slightly less daunting to use. It will certainly help take the kit to the next level of detail and also remove some of the rather clunky kit items. Recommended. Review Sample courtesy of available in the UK from White Ensign Models

Source: http://old1.trumpeter-china.com/a/en/news/20130808/2476.html 1/32nd Junkers Ju-87B-2/U4 Stuka announced for November by Trumpeter - ref. 03215. V.P.

A Trumpeter model, I got this when it first came out, half built it then put it back in the box for several years due to the poor quality molding (particularly on the missile itself) and pretty bad fit in areas. Just like every Trumpeter kit I've built, it's just plagued by mold slip and seams, especially on mating surfaces which for a brand new kit (I got it hot off the LHS shelf) is just crap. I built this off a black and white picture of an Egyptian SA-2 seen in a 1982 Born in Battle magazine.

Finished today - a nice simple kit that goes together quite nicely, though the auxiliary fuel tanks are pretty awful fit. The WIP is available here Peter - who's now going back to aircraft again for a bit - they don't have tracks :-)

Just spotted this on Cybermodeller: http://www.cybermodeler.com/hobby/kits/tru/kit_tru_1637.shtml Nothing is leaping out at me screaming "Sell your Revell kit now, while you still can!" and I expect this will be quite pricey considering what one of their Wellingtons will set you back.

This is my Trumpeter 1/48 Westland Wyvern S.4 built for the FAA GB, but since I rarely build an aircraft I thought I'd post it here too. Nice build with few problems that weren't made by me. WIP HERE

Started today - as some relief after the harrier i thought i'd go for something subtle :-) So far just building up the lower hull - fit is generally very good so far, with only a little Mr Surfacer required along some of the weld seams. The supplied PE is quite thick and tough to bend Peter

Well, I hope to build this kit for the GB, inbetween reviews etc. It's the Trumpeter Westland Wyvern S.4 and I will be using some, if not all of the accessories shown below, which are the Pavla cockpit set, Pavla camera bay set and the Eduard etched interior set. Since I don't have a lot of room here, she will be built with wings folded.

Hi all, Now that the Wessex is out of the way, what better time to start something new rather than finish off any number of old projects? I saw this fantastic thread on another forum where someone was building 1/1200 skyships for a board game, and I was able to get a load of Trumpeter 1/700 ships for a bargain price recently, so I thought I'd have a go. This started as Admiral Hipper, and I've removed a couple of inches from the length and flipped the hull upside down. Clicken = Embiggen The underside (which was the top) is capped off with slices of the waterline plate, and the upper side (which was the bottom!) has the original deck, with a slice removed from the middle. I had to reshape the prow quite a bit to fit it into the section of the hull at what was the waterline, and of course the stern deck stuck out over sides. What I've done there is fill in the gap with Miliput, then added a new lip (the white styrene) to the deck and blended that down to the waistline with filler. Lots of cleanup still to do in that area. For the prow, I cut the original bow vertically straight and added a sort of keel plate underneath as a guide, then built it up from more Miliput, sanded to shape and reinforced in spots with CA. To shorten everything I cut it up with a razor saw and mitre box (oo technical!) and fitted it back together. Rescribing the deck planking across the join was fiddly but quite fun. Oh, and the red stuff on the superstructure is blood where I stabbed myself (twice!) while paring away some of the superstructure locating blocks from the deck. I opted to shorten because Admiral Hipper was very long and thin, and I think something with a slightly fatter section will look a bit more archaic. What I'm thinking is that there'll be a triple-tube engine at the back, and some kind of lift mechanism underneath in two rows pointing about 20' outward rather than straight down. I'll probably add a skirt of armour plates extending from the waist to about 5mm below the bottom to give the hull a bit more presence, and use some of the spare details from the shortened deck to build a Yamato-style third bridge underneath. If I can find room I'd like to add some launch/recovery racks for the spotter plane At the moment the idea is to play this fairly straight. I'm not sure if I should backdate it to WW1, or go full Luft '46? And if it works out well I really want to do a sky-whaler Cheers, Will

BMP-1P Infantry Fighting Vehicle 1:35 Trumpeter Trumpeter have released another vehicle in their series of BMP kits, this one is the BMP-1P and since there is very little difference between this and the previous version which has been reviewedHERE It would seem churlish to repeat what has been said. With experience in the Yom Kippur war, Angola and Vietnam in the use of light AFV’s a modernisation program was set up that resulted in the BMP-1P. The 9M14M Malyutka ATGM was replaced with the much improved, reliable and effective 9P135M ATGM launcher capable of firing the 9K111 Fagot or 9M113 Spandrel ATGM’s. Whilst it was difficult to use, as the gunner had to stand in his open hatch, exposing himself to hostile fire, it was a much more effective weapon system. The mount could be detached and used from a more protected position. The 1P also had a special coating which was meant to be effective against Neutron weapons and a special fire extinguishing system for use against Napalm. Later vehicles also had a row of six 81mm smoke grenade launchers on the rear of the turret. The kit comes in the standard Trumpeter box with a depiction of the vehicle racing across the battlefield along with other BMP’s and troops. The grey styrene is very well moulded with no sign of flash, and only a few moulding pips. Dry fitting of the hull parts shows that the fit is very good indeed, well up to the standard shown in recent Trumpeter armoured vehicle kit releases. The only differences between this and the earlier kit is the later anti-tank missile fit, turret smoke grenade launchers and an extra sheet of PE. The modeller still gets the metal gun barrel and Indy link tracks. Construction is the same up until the ATGM launcher which is made up out of nine parts onto which the four piece missile tube is fitted before the whole sub-assembly is attached to the turret. The smoke grenade launchers are moulded individually and are fitted to the curved rack that is then attached to the rear of the turret. Trumpeter has also been decent enough to provide a separate tripod mount with addition sighting equipment so that the missile/launcher assembly can be dismounted for additional diorama options. Decals The small decal sheet provides markings for only one of the two vehicles depicted on the colour chart, due to the fact that the Russian BMP is devoid of markings other than the line stripe around the front of the missile tube. The other choice is a Finish vehicle with roundels for each side and identification number for the front glacis plate. Conclusion As with the previous release this is a lovely kit with some very nice detail and good fit. What’s not to like really, the Finnish example will cause a bit of pain with masking for the rather complex three colour paint scheme, but other than that it should be an enjoyable and relaxing build. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

Started my next project - Trumpeter 1/32nd AV8B Harrier II With an Aires pit And Eduard Exterior etch First phase adding the heat deflector plates to the fuselage sides - each one is 11 pieces of etch Peter

HMS Dreadnought 1915 1/350 Trumpeter History HMS Dreadnought was an 18,110-ton battleship built at Portsmouth Dockyard. She represented one of the most notable design transformations of the armored warship era. Her "all-big-gun" main battery of ten twelve-inch guns, steam turbine powerplant and 21-knot maximum speed so thoroughly eclipsed earlier types that subsequent battleships were commonly known as "dreadnoughts", and the previous ones disparaged as "pre-dreadnoughts". The swiftness of her construction was equally remarkable. Laid down in October 1905, she was launched in February 1906, after only four months on the ways. Dreadnought was commissioned for trials a year after her keel was laid and was completed in December 1906. The new battleship served as Flagship of the Home Fleet in 1907-1912 and remained part of that fleet thereafter. Dreadnought served with the 4th Battle Squadron in the North Sea during the first two years of World War I. On 18 March 1915, while so employed, she rammed and sank the German Submarine U-29. From May 1916, Dreadnought was flagship of the 3rd Battle Squadron, based on the Thames to counter the threat of bombardment by German battlecruisers. Placed in reserve in 1919, the once-revolutionary warship was sold for scrapping in 1922. The Model The model comes in the standard Trumpeter sturdy top opening box with a colourful depiction of the Dreadnought a mooring buoy on the lid. Inside you are confronted with nine sprues of grey styrene, two separate deck pieces, the two hull halves, four sheets of etched brass, a length of metal anchor chain, (which will need to be painted in the correct colour) and a small decal sheet. All the parts are cleanly moulded with no signs of distortion and no flash, although there are a number of moulding pips, but not as many as some models I’ve seen. Unfortunately for those who like to build their ships waterline the kit comes in full hull option only and unlike the Zvezda kit doesn't even come with an internal cut line. The hull shape matches well the plans and diagrams in the Anatomy of a Ship book which, considering their sometimes hit and miss approach, Trumpeter should be commended for. The decks are made up of the single piece main deck and the separate foredeck. There are a large number of indentations in the main deck which look like ejection pin marks, but don't worry these are for the numerous mushroom vents the ship was fitted with. Planking is a little bit artificial looing but under a a coat of paint should look ok. Due to the small number of moulded deck houses the deck painting shouldn't be too much of a chore, although there is always the option of using the wooden decks that are soon to be released for this kit. During the period which this kit represents the anti torpedo nets may have been landed as they were proving less and less useful, and also forced the ship to reduce speed considerably. The booms though were kept for another year when they were removed in the refit of 1916. So the ship can actually be modelled both with and without nets, although since they are not provided in the kit the only option of providing them is to buy the Pontos set. Construction begins with the two hull halves being joined together. To enable a strong and stiff hull there are six bulkheads and a stern pin. Throughout the build sequences there are small sub assemblies built, not necessarily in a useful order. Thus it may be an idea to build as many of these sub-assemblies at the beginning and fit them when called for. The foredeck is fitted with two PE supports aft and three bulkheads foreward, just aft of A turret. The main deck is fitted to the hull whilst on the underside the four propeller shafts, supports and propellers are attached along with the two rudders and the bilge keels. As with other sub-assemblies the fore and aft funnels are assembled, complete with PE funnel caps. According to the instructions items such as the thirteen 12pdr guns, windlasses, deckhouses, derricks and other parts are fitted before the whole deck is attached to the hull/maindeck, but it would be best to add these after the deck had been fitted to prevent damage and loss. Assuming this, the shelter deck and ships boat cradles are fitted along with two more 12pdrs, searchlights, cable reels, and ammunition lockers are attached. The bridge structure is made up of four parts, onto which the upper PE railings ate attached, as are the compass binnacles, signal lamps and a small shelter structure. On the underside the bridge supports are added. Still on the foredeck, PE items are fitted, these include inclined ladders, grilles and shutters. Once the foretop has been assembled the supports star can been added. To this the yardarms and topmast is fitted, the foremast is attached to the bridge and the foretop assembly attached to the top of the foremast. With the bridge in position along with the foremast and it's attendant supports the fore funnel sub-assembly can be fitted into position. The five turrets are then built up out the single turret, two 12" gun barrels. On top of each turret, three sighting positions and two platforms are attached. Only four of the five turrets have the twin 12 pdr mounts fitted, with A turret the odd one out. The rear spotting structure is also assembled at this point Each of the seven ships rowing boats have separate rudders, but no other embellishments. The three steam pinnaces each have a separate rudder, deck and funnel. When these boats are complete the can be fitted to their respective cradles and supports. As mentioned above there are numerous mushroom vents on the main deck and these can now be fitted, followed by the anti-torpedo net booms, anchors, davits, three 12pdr guns on the quarter deck and the ensign staff. There is the option of having two accommodation ladders depicted in the lowered position, one amidships on the starboard side and one on the port quarter. The five turrets, rear spotting structure, PE name plates on each quarter and the Jack staff are fitted. There are a number of stove pipes that are positioned around the superstructure, but you will need to check your references for the date of construction your build depicts, as these were only fitted during the winter. Finally there are thirty eight PE parts that are presumed to represent the tie-point for the anti-torpedo net wires. Decals The small sheet of decals provides the Union Jack and Naval Ensign in both straight and wavy form and the ships name plates. Please note, and it's a common fault in models, the Ensign and Union Jack are not flown at sea, only in harbour. There may be a smaller Ensign flown form the mainmast should yuo wish to depict the model at sea, but you'll have to provide your own. Conclusion This is a super model of the most important ship of its age. Trumpeter have done superb job on this kit and deserve a cheer for getting not only the shape of the hull right, but also the details that differentiate this from their earlier 1907 kit. The only downside is that they don't appear to have provided enough railings to cover the ship, especially as they provide some, they might as well gone the whole hog and provided them all. While there is nothing too taxing in the build the rigging is something else, particularly with the wire spreaders, although these are available along with several PE sets from the aftermarket companies should you not wish to try and make them yourselves. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

Canadian AVGP Husky 1:35 Trumpeter Originally, Husky AVGP armoured recovery vehicles were designated as the "Car, Armoured, Maintenance & Recovery" or "Wheeled Maintenance & Recovery Vehicle". The Husky has a raised rear compartment to provide room for a modest workshop space. The most dramatic distinction from other AVGPs is the rooftop crane. The Husky otherwise follows the layout of the Grizzly Infantry Section Carrier complete with optional GPMG on a rotating pintle-mount in the rear position. The Husky has a crew of only two – the driver and a technician (who operated the ARV's defensive armament and the knuckle-boom hydraulic crane). The roof-mounted hoist had a 4500 kg capacity and was operated from within the armour hull. To extend its reach, the Hiab crane was also extensible to about 6.5 m. The Husky was stabilized during heavy crane using its two, swing-down hydraulic jacks pivoting from just in front of the rear wheel sets. Equipped with a Hiab 650-series crane is generally used for engine removal, but also helped with tire changes on other AVGPs. The Husky were also equipped with a hydraulic winch (with a pull of up to 8128 kg ). Originally designated to be withdrawn from service in 2015, the Huskies are undergoing a life extension program enabling them to continue to support the remaining Grizzly, and Cougar vehicles. The Model The kit comes packaged in a smaller version of the standard Trumpeter box with a depiction of the vehicle at work having removed an engine pack. Inside there are seven sprues and two hull halves in a light grey styrene, one sprue of clear styrene, along with a small etched sheet, decal sheet, six rubber tyres, a length of braided wire and a length of thicker single strand wire. The parts are very nicely moulded with no sign of flash and only a few moulding pips. Whoever the team that are designing the latest batch of military vehicles for Trumpeter is they should be commended for their work, as on dry fitting the hull sections together there was a pleasant click and no a gap to be seen all round the seam line. Parts breakdown is good, and not overly complicated, (although there are still areas which need some care and attention when fitting the parts), but still with plenty of detail out of the box. Construction begins with the wheels, each wheel comes as inner and outer hubs which, when joined together has the rubber tyres slid into the central recess. As is common these days the tyres are hollow and may sag over time. To prevent this it may be an idea to fill the lower halves with Milliput or similar that shouldn't react with the rubber. WIth the wheels completed construction moves naturally to the lower hull and the fitting of the transmission boxes. Each box is made up out of five parts onto which the drive shafts are attached before the completed assemblies are fitted into their respective hull locations. Once the rear axle support beams and other support mounts have been attached the torsion bar style suspension parts for the four rear axles can be mounted. The front axles are of a different configuration with a combined external spring shock absorber and axle per wheel. Either side of the rear hull the propeller drive units, propellers and guards are fitted, whilst at the front the large trim board is attached. just to the front of the forward pair of rear wheels a pair of what look like air accumulators are attached, one each side and using different thicknesses of brass wire the simulated airlines are assembled. The lower hull is now complete and the instructions call for the six wheels to be fitted, but should really be left off until the paintwork is complete. With the lower hull complete work can begin n the upper hull. First of all sub assemblies for items such as the headlights, floodlight, main hatches, Jerry cans and drivers windscreen are completed. These are then fitted to their respective positions along with the drivers viewing ports, towing eyes, grab handles, PE clamps and brackets, aerial bases, drivers hatch and the rotating base for the Hiab crane. These are followed by the fitment of the two smoke discharger assemblies just forward of the main hatches, the technicians hatch and viewing port, sundry handles and clamps, PE covers, and a pair of towing beams with PE straps. The engine exhaust cover is fitted next, followed by the various pioneer tools and a couple of footsteps on the rear hull sides. The M2 50 calibre machine gun breech section is in two halves, once joined the gun is fitted with the firing handles, ammunition box cradle, ammunition box and finally the pintle which is the attached to the machine gun mounting and fitted to the technicians hatch ring. Two more floodlights are fitted aft of the main hatches and the towing cable is assembled from the braided wire and two styrene end pieces and fitted to the right hand side rear. The Hiab crane is a little model in itself with the main structure made up of the various actuator rams, support beams and fittings. The retractable boom can be assembled in either extended or retracted depending the modellers preference. With the boom and jib assembled it is fitted to the rotating base on the vehicle and more brass wire is used to depict the numerous hydraulic hoses that are prominent on these cranes The rear bulkhead and its two hatches are assembled and fitted out with the rear light clusters, main towing hook and a couple of smaller eyes then fitted to the lower hull, followed by another towing beam with hook. The two completed hull halves are the joined together, and having done some dry fitting the fit is superb with no visible gaps at all. Decals The small decal sheet has identification numbers and registration numbers for two vehicles one in three colour camo and one in two colour camo. There are also a number of stencils and unit insignia. The colour charts unfortunately don't give unit information for these vehicles, but since only twenty seven have been built it shouldn't take too much detective work to find out. Conclusion This is another great little kit which, with the fit and details shouldn't take too long to put together. It'll certainly be a good kit to start if the mojo is a little depleted. As usual though it may be an idea to get a set of resin wheels once they are released just to ensure there'll be no sag over time that could possibly happen to the rubber ones. It's just a shame the the kit didn't come with an engine pack as depicted on the box art as that would have for an nice diorama when placed with a Cougar or Grizzly. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

Italian Puma 6x6 Armoured Vehicle 1:35 Trumpeter The Defence Vehicles Division of IVECO developed the Puma family of 4x4 and 6x6 light armoured vehicles to meet the requirements of the Italian Army. After extensive trials with prototype vehicles, the army placed a contract with IVECO in 1999 covering the supply of 540 Puma vehicles. The first vehicles were completed in 2003. Of the 540 vehicles, 320 will be in the 6x6 version with the remaining 220 in the 4x4 configuration. The 6x6 version of the Puma will typically be used in the armoured personnel carrier (APC) role, while the 4 x 4 version will typically be used for reconnaissance. To reduce overall life-cycle costs, the Puma family shares many common components, such as the diesel engine, automatic transmission and suspension. The baseline APC version of the Puma is armed with a 12.7mm M2 machine gun. However, the vehicles can be fitted with a range of turrets and cupolas developed by Oto Melara, including one with a remote-controlled weapon. IVECO has developed a number of specialised versions of the Puma for the Italian Army. These include ambulance, command post, 81mm mortar, air defence with MBDA Mistral missiles and two anti-tank (one with the Raytheon TOW and one with the Euromissile MILAN anti-tank guided missile system). The Puma design is such that it can be adopted for a wide range of other roles and missions. Standard equipment includes powered steering, run-flat tyres, a nuclear, biological and chemical defensive system and afire-detection and -suppression system. The Model Packaged in the now Trumpeter standard of sturdy top opening cardboard box the artwork of which depicts a vehicle at the head of a convoy of similar vehicles. Don't look to closely to the artwork as you'll see something has gone wrong with the front pairs of wheels. Inside there are the hull halves and eleven sprues, all in alight grey styrene, along with one small sheet of etched brass, a small decal sheet, six poly caps and six rubber wheels. All the parts are very well moulded with no sign of flash and only a few moulding pips. The details are crisp and well defined and the dry fitting of the hull pieces showed that the fit is superb, almost click together with no gaps whatsoever. Even though the Puma is quite a small armoured vehicle, in kit form it's a nice size to work with, not too small and fiddly. With only nine pages of instructions it's not been over engineered or has overly complex suspension or transmission boxes which makes it look like a really nice and relaxing weekend type build even though the kit count is quite high. The build starts with the fitting of the clear ports into the upper hull after which the it is slid onto the lower hull and glued into place. As stated above the fit of these parts is quite amazing and shows how much Trumpeter have come along in the last few years. On the underside the there are two four piece transmission boxes and on three piece box. These are fitted into position and connected by their respective drive shafts.the main shock absorbers, complete with stub axles are fitted into position and joined to the transmission boxes by cross-shafts. The front two pairs of stub axles are also fitted with steering racks. The three pairs of wishbones assemblies are then attached to their respective wheel hubs, followed by three cross braces. Additional details such as the front valance, front towing shackles and mounts, fuel filler cap upper and lower hinge for the side door and a footstep on the left hand side are attached. The wheels are made up of an inner and outer hub between which a poly cap is fitted. These are best painted before the tyres are fitted which are push fitted over the hubs. Since the tyres are hollow it might be an idea to fill the lower portion with Milliput or such like to prevent them from sagging in the future. The rear bulkhead is festooned with small parts such as the lights, shackles and their mountings, tow hook with addition eye-bolts and storage racks. There is a very complex winch assembly consisting of eleven styrene and two PE parts. The rear bulkhead assembly is then attached to the vehicle followed by the winch assembly which is fitted to the right hand side of the bulkhead. The engine intake grille and aerial mounting are fitted to the front of the vehicle whilst three storage clamps are fitted to the right hand rear quarter and an armoured panel fitted to the right hand side just above the gap between the two front wheels. An attachment plate for the pioneer tools is fitted to the front glacis and then fitted with the pickaxe and shovel whilst a host of smaller fittings are attached to the rear and sides of the vehicle. Further progress is made with the fitting of the two upper hull rear hatches, side storage baskets, lifting eyes and the five piece smoke discharge assemblies. There is a strange hook assembly on the bow just aft of the engine deck, the use of which evades me. In front of the hook structure the engine radiator grille is fitted, whilst to the front of the vehicle the headlight and sidelight assemblies are attached. The drivers hatch is assembled out of the main hatch, large hinge bar on top, with the two handles and three vision blocks fitted from beneath. This prominent hatch is very often open and it's a shame that there is no interior detail, even if just for the drivers position. In front of this hatch is a large armoured glass windscreen, with additional wiper part and support plate. The turret assembly also has a number of vision blocks, but this time fitted from the top. There are a number of other sights and sensors fitted to the turret surround along with the machine gun mount. The turret hatch is attached to the surround by two hinge parts. The machine gun, which looks like an MG-42 or derivative has a separate ammunition box and cradle for one side, along with a case collection box on the other side. The completed turret assembly is then fitted to the turret ring on the vehicle. Finally the two part wing mirrors and a couple of grab handles are attached completing the model. Decals The small decal sheet provides items for two vehicles, one in standard Italian three colour scheme with markings for ISFOR in Arabic whilst eh other is in overall white scheme for a UN mission. The decals include registration plates, Italian flags, UN identification plates and convoy plates. Conclusion This is a fantastic little kit and going by the fit of the hull sections should be a very nice build with little use of filler. There's quite a lot of detail included and with the exception of the tyres/wheels or you're adding it to a diorama shouldn't need any aftermarket additions. The six wheeler is a better looking vehicle in my eyes and I'm glad Trumpeter chose to release it ahead of the four wheeler. I can highly recommend this kit to anyone interested in modern military vehicles and it would be good starter kit for those fairly new to military modelling. Review sample courtesy of

This was started last Nov 2012 bit too long for me,other ships kept getting in the way Link for build http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/234929546-hms-renown-august-1945-1700-trumpeter/ Link for trawler http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/234931996-round-table-class-trawler-1700-white-ensign-models/