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  1. OV-10D+ Bronco (72186) 1:72 ICM via H G Hannants Ltd The Bronco was conceived as a light attack, long loiter aircraft of modest size, enabling it to operate from unprepared fields and roads close to the combat zone. As so often seems the case, the final design turned out to be much larger and heavier due to the requirements of the avionics and ejection seats, thus limiting its use to conventional airfields. The twin boom aircraft first flew in 1965 and was destined to serve with the US Navy, Air Force and Marines as a replacement for the ageing Cessna O-1 Bird Dog & O-2 Skymaster. The Marines were the first to take the OV-10 into service as a forward air controller platform operating both night and day missions. Whilst the Bronco is best known for its operations in Vietnam, it also served in later conflicts as late as the Gulf War before being retired from US front-line service in 1995. The USAF received Broncos in 1968 and deployed the aircraft in the Forward Air Control (FAC) role, using smoke laying methods initially, and later using laser targeting designators. Eventually after extensive modernisation to the -D model with the addition of a FLIR turret and new avionics, then another upgrade to the -D+ version that involved replacement of much of the wiring loom and further stiffening of the wings to enable it to carry more and fly harder. By this time it carried its own ground attack armament including rockets, machine guns and bombs, plus targeting equipment that gave it the capability of Light Attack Aircraft, and made it a scary prospect for the enemy to see overhead. Seven export contracts were signed with other foreign operators including Germany, Columbia and Indonesia, each having their own letter suffixes, and the very last of which will be leaving service in the near future after long service. The last action of the Bronco in US Marine service was the first Gulf War, where a mixture of As and D+s fought side-by-side bravely carrying out the Forward Air Controller (FAC) task against enemy forces, although they did suffer some losses due to equipment inadequacies and possibly owing to its relatively slow speed making it an easier target for the anti-aircraft assets of the opposition. Although efforts were made to keep the bronco in service, by 1995 it was withdrawn from active service and handed-off to other government institutions, with the job being carried out from there on by two-seat F-18s that had speed, modern avionics and plenty of self-defence capabilities to hand. The Kit This is a reboxing of the brand-new tooling from ICM, bringing the fruits of their research creating the 1:48 tooling of this aircraft to the smaller scale modeller. The kit arrives in a shallow top-opening box with a captive flap on the lower tray, and inside are four sprues of grey styrene, a rectangular sprue of clear parts, a decal sheet, and glossy-covered instruction booklet that has spot colour throughout, and profiles of the four decal options on the back pages. The level of detail on the sprues is excellent, and almost identical in terms of content as the larger kit, differing mostly in terms of sprue-count due to the comparative size of the parts, as more can be fitted on one sprue in this scale. Construction begins with the rear seat, which is made from six parts, and is inserted into the back of the cockpit floor in front of the aft bulkhead, which has moulded-in equipment boxes on the top shelf. Side consoles, control column and throttle quadrants are added, then the bulkhead between the seats is made up with rudder pedals on a cross-brace under the bulkhead between crew. The instrument panel is then cemented to the top of the bulkhead, with a decal and its own coaming moulded into the top of the part, slotting it into the space between positions. The front seat is built using the same four parts in the initial step, but with three different parts on the back that have two “ears” behind the head-box. A control column and individual rudder pedals are added to the floor, then the side consoles are fitted either side of the seat. The front bulkhead has three detail parts for the nose gear bay glued to the rear, then it is put into the front of the cockpit, to be joined by detailed tops to the side consoles. The pilot’s panel has a decal applied as it is inserted under the coaming, which has a shallow central box glued into the top, allowing it to be fitted into the front of the cockpit. The cockpit is mated to the fuselage pod floor, and is flipped over to add a pair of sidewalls with moulded-in bay doors for the nose gear bay, the top section of the nose gear strut, and a retraction jack. The nose sides have moulded-in cockpit sidewalls with plenty of detail, adding a document box to the port side, and painting them according to the colour call-outs that appear throughout the instructions. A small bulkhead with kinked pipe is inserted into the tip of the nose, adding weight of just 5 grams to be placed in the space in front of the bulkhead before you close the two halves around the cockpit. An insert is inserted in front of the cockpit, and a circular light is inserted under the moulded-in probe at the tip of the nose, adding a pair of intakes to the sides of the nose, and a strake under the rear centreline, then building up the two winglets from top and bottom halves, plus an insert that depicts the gun openings, and a wingtip to finish them off. They glue into the fuselage in shaped recesses on either side, and four raised turrets are added either side of the belly strake, with a small bay door fitted to the retraction jack in the nose bay. The nose wheel is made from two halves and is slipped between the legs of the yoke that is glued onto the upper nose strut along with a linkage, joined by a pair of gun barrels in, and four sway-braces under each winglet. A hemispherical faceted FLIR turret is inserted into a hole under the nose, which quickly differentiates this boxing from earlier variants. The upper wing is a full-span part, and has a long spar that doubles as the back of the flap bays fitted in a recess with locating ribs helping achieve the correct position. The lower outer wing panels each have 1mm holes drilled in them if you are installing the underwing pylons, then they are added to the upper wing along with the inner panels, leaving space for the engine nacelles and fuselage nacelle that will be fitted later. The four flap sections are built in mirrored pairs from three parts each, and the ailerons have two small parts added to the top and bottom before all six flying surfaces are glued into the rear of the wing, fitting an actuator to the inner edge of the ailerons, a laser warning sensor on a hump on the wing over the fuselage, and two intake baffles above where the engines will be built shortly. Firstly, the wings are mated to the fuselage nacelle from above, and the windscreen part with a clear instrument in the top framing is fitted over the coaming. The canopy roof joins the windscreen to the rear of the cockpit opening, then the two side glazing panels are fixed to the remaining gaps in the side, with no in-built option to pose either entryway open, other than taking a razor saw to them. Unless you’re very brave, that’s going to be a job for the aftermarket folks. The two engine nacelles and their booms are built in mirror image, starting by adding the main bay doors and an instrument box on one wall, then building the main gear legs onto the forward bay roof from several parts, fixing the main roof and aft bulkhead before they are trapped between the two nacelle halves, finishing off the front with the intake fairing and a two-part shaft that is linked to the back of the spinner, leaving the prop spinning if you go easy with the glue. The lower nacelle skin fits on a pair of ribs, fitting the two-part exhausts for the turbo-prop engines, an auxiliary intake and the rudder panel as the last step. Once both booms are complete, they are offered up to the wing underside, remembering to add the three-part elevator panel between the two tail fins. The Bronco had dive brakes in the shape of four fin-shaped protrusions that popped-up sideways from inside the wing, and these can be depicted deployed, or left off if you prefer, adding a pair of three-part props with spinners to the front of each nacelle. A windscreen wiper blade is fixed to the windscreen with as little glue as possible to avoid marring the screen, two small blade antennae are inserted into depressions in the top of the nacelles, and a horn balance is installed on the top and bottom of the elevator, adding a blade antenna to the port nacelle behind the gear bay. The main wheels are each two parts, and are glued to the swing-arm at the bottom of the main gear legs, adding a lateral towel-rail antenna behind the nose gear bay, and another small antenna at the rear of the port nacelle. The optional wing pylons are two-parts each, and fit under the wings in the holes you drilled earlier. Weapons There is a substantial range of munitions supplied on the sprues, as follows: 2 x LAU-33 Rocket Pod 2 x Mk.81 Snakeye Iron Bomb 2 x Mk.81 Lowdrag Iron Bomb 2 x LAU-69A Rocket Pod 2 x LAU-68 Rocket Pod 2 x Mk.82 Snakeye Iron Bomb 2 x Mk.82 Lowdrag Iron Bomb 2 x Mk.77 Incendiary Bomb 2 x LAU-10A Rocket Pod 1 x 150 gal. Fuel Tank Each weapon is well-detailed, all made from two halves, adding end caps to the tubular rocket pods, and even individual rocket tips on the LAU-10A. There is a full range of stencils supplied for the various weapons on the decal sheet, with diagrams to the sides of the four pages of profiles. An additional page in the instructions shows the correct location for the various weapons, and which are compatible with the mounting points under the wings and fuselage. Markings There are four options on the decal sheet, three in various camo schemes, one in an all-over grey scheme. From the box you can build one of the following: OV-10D+ 155489 Marine Observation Sqn. 1, (VMO-1), USS Theodore Roosevelt, 1990 OV-10D+ 155494 Marine Observation Sqn. 2, (VMO-2), Saudi Arabia, 1991 OV-10D+ 155473 Marine Observation Sqn. 2, (VMO-2), Saudi Arabia, 1991 OV-10D+ 155499 Marine Observation Sqn. 1, (VMO-1), early 1990s The instruction booklet includes a half page diagram of the canopy, giving silhouette drawings of masks that you can cut yourself to avoid having to shell out for a masking set, and you can either apply tape then cut them out, or lay a clear acetate sheet over the drawings before applying tape, cutting the masks carefully with a new #11 blade to protect the instructions, and avoid the difficulties that may occur releasing the tape from the paper if they come away together. 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 reboxing of the first new tooling of this type in the new millennium, and benefits from the advances in injection moulding technology and CAD rendering that give the modeller a thoroughly modern, well detailed kit of the last Bronco variant that is complete with a host of weapons, some of which will remain in the spares box. Highly recommended. Available in the UK from importers H G Hannants Ltd. Review sample courtesy of
  2. ICM is to release in 2016 two new variants from its Junkers Ju-88 kit. Already released: Ju-88A-5 kit http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/234975682-148-junkers-ju-88a-5-by-icm-released/ - ref. 48233 - Junkers Ju-88A-4 - WWII German Bomber - released Source: https://www.hannants.co.uk/product/ICM48233 - ref. 48234 - Junkers Ju-88A-14 - WWII German Bomber - released Source: https://www.hannants.co.uk/product/ICM48234 V.P.
  3. Junkers Ju-88A-8 Paravane (48230) 1:48 ICM via H G Hannants Ltd The Ju-88 was designed as a schnellbomber in the mid-30s, and at the time it was faster than current fighter designs, so it was projected that it could infiltrate, bomb and exfiltrate without being intercepted. That was the theory anyway. By the time WWII began in the west, fighters had caught up with the previously untouchable speed of the 88, and it needed escorting to protect it from its Merlin equipped opponents. It turned out to be a jack of all trades however, and was as competent as a night fighter, dive bomber or doing reconnaissance as it was bombing Britain. They even popped a big gun in the nose and sent it against tanks and bombers, with variable success. The A series sported a pair of Jumo 211 engines in cylindrical cowlings producing over 1,000hp each, and was improved gradually up until the A-17. During the Battle of Britain the British defenders flew balloons, or Aerostats above their main centres of population, tied to the ground via strong steel hawsers, with the intention of snagging unwitting enemy aircraft and bringing them crashing to the ground. To combat this, some German aircraft were fitted with wire cutting blades in arrow-headed arrangements around the front of the aircraft to cut or deflect the cables and save the aircraft from becoming another casualty of the wily Brits. The Ju-88A-8 was outfitted with such a contraption, referred to as a Paravane, and to counter the extra weight the crew was reduced to three, and the engines were upgraded to Jumo 211F-1 that produced more power at higher revs to counter both the weight and drag. It wasn’t wholly successful, as the performance was worse despite the attempts to ameliorate this. They were of course only of use at lower altitudes to which aerostats could be raised. The Kit This is a new variation on the original tooling of an A-5 and subsequent A-11 that were release by ICM, with new paravane parts on a single additional sprue added to make it specific to this boxing. The box is the usual top-opening with an inner lid on the lower tray, and inside you will find nine sprues in grey styrene, one in clear, a decal sheet and a glossy covered instruction booklet with spot colour inside, and the decal options in full colour on the rear pages. If you have been lucky enough to see the other kits, you'll know that detail is right up there in terms of quality and crispness, with ICM improving leaps and bound over the last several years despite impediments, which is great news for us modellers, as they aren't frightened of tackling what to us may seem niche subject matters. Construction begins with the addition of sidewall details in the capacious cockpit area of the fuselage. Rear bulkhead, side consoles and seats are all added to the cockpit sides for a change, with an insert in the fuselage for the circular antenna and tail wheel added into the starboard side. The instrument panel is supplied with decals, and fits into the fuselage during joining. The missing floor is added to the lower fuselage panel that includes the lower parts of the inner wings and gives the structure extra strength. It also receives the rudder pedals, control column, and the two remaining crew seats before being joined to the fuselage. The tail plane has articulated flying surfaces, and the wings are supplied as top and bottom halves, with the flaps and ailerons separate from the box, having neat curved fairings so they look good when fitted at an angle. The flaps include the rear section of the soon-to-be-fitted nacelles, which are added as separate parts to avoid sink-marks, and these and the ailerons run full-span, terminating just as the wingtip begins. This variant was fitted with the under-fuselage gondola, and each side has separate glazing panels inserted from inside, and a seam running vertically through its length. It is added to the hole in the underside of the fuselage, with the front and rear glazing plus zwilling mounted machine guns later in the build. At this time the landing gear is made up on a pair of upstands that are added to the underwing in preparation for the installation of the nacelle cowlings. The engines must be built up first though, with a high part count and plenty of detail, mounting on a rear firewall that securely fits inside the cowling. Even though this is an in-line engine with a V-shaped piston layout, the addition of the annular radiators gives it the look of a radial, with their representation added to the front of the cowling, obscuring much of the engine detail. The side panels can be left off to show all that detail however, and I'm sure someone will be along with some in-scale opened panels in due course. The cooling flaps around the cowling are separate, and the exhausts have separate stacks, which aren't hollow but are large enough to make boring them out with a drill a possibility. The completed nacelles fit to the underwing over the top of the main gear installation, securing in place with four pegs, two on each side of each nacelle. The props are made from spinner, backplate and a single part containing all three blades, sliding onto a pin projecting from the engine front, which will require some glue if you want to keep them on. At this point the instructions recommend adding the canopy glazing, which consists of a choice of two faceted nose cones, and the main greenhouse for the cockpit aperture. The rear portion is made from two additional parts due to its double "blown" shape to accommodate the two rear-facing gun positions, so that the gunner's head isn't pressed against the canopy. The guns are fitted through the windscreen and the two circular ports on the rear, although no ammo feed is supplied. Under the wings the four bomb crutches on aerodynamic mounts are built up with anti-sway braces and installed, with bombs supplied that have two of their fins moulded separately, along with the stabilising struts that fit into notches in the fins. While the airframe is flipped over, the two-part wheels, tail-wheel bay doors and twin main gear bay doors are added, both having good detail and the former a radial tread. Exhaust covers are fixed over the individual exits, and a small number of actuators are glued to recesses in the ailerons. Addition of the canopy mounted antenna completes the standard build, but the paravane parts are yet to be added. There are four wing-mounted supports for the cutting blade, each one an A-frame that attaches above and below the wing. They are joined by two more angled A-frames that project from the sides of the nose, all six supporting the two blade symmetrical sections that meet up in the centre and at the wingtips. This and the other delicate parts are best left off until main painting is complete, but that’s your decision, not mine. Markings The kit includes three markings options, and although there are no Swastikas on the sheet, they are supplied in halves for those that want them. From the box you can build one of the following: Junkers Ju 88 A-8 Paravane, 5./KG 30, 1941 Junkers Ju 88 A-8 Paravane, KG 30,1941 Junkers Ju 88 A-8 Paravane, KG 51, 1941 The colours are picked out using letters that correspond to a table on the front page, which gives the names and paint codes in ICM, Revell and Tamiya ranges, so should be easy to convert to your paint system of choice. The decals are printed in good register, colour density and sharpness, with additional instrument dials included on a clear carrier film to help with cockpit painting. All the stencils are legible, with a thin carrier film cut close to the printing. As is common now with ICM kits, there is a page of the instruction booklet devoted to the masking of the canopy, using the printed shapes on the right of the page and the diagrams on the left to create your own masks if you wish. It goes up to 64 thanks to the faceted greenhouse glazing. Conclusion ICM's range of Ju.88s, He.111s and Do.17s are a good example of how far they have come in recent years, adding value to their brand, and improving their reputation with each release. The kit is well-detailed and comprehensive in what it includes, and the Paravane gear is a little bit out of the ordinary, which is always fun. Highly recommended. Available in the UK from importers H G Hannants Ltd. Review sample courtesy of
  4. Helicopter Ground Personnel – Vietnam War (53102) 1:35 ICM via H G Hannants Ltd There has been a spate of new helicopter kit releases in 1:35, many of them from ICM themselves, including their CH-53 Tarhe “Skycrane” and their AH-1 Cobra series that’s ongoing, and appears to be the focus for this figure set, although other kits could well use them in different positions. This set arrives in a top-opening box with ICM’s usual captive flap on the bottom tray, and inside is a single sprue of grey styrene, a glossy instruction sheet that’s printed on both sides in colour, and a flyer for their acrylic paint range that debuted some time ago. There are four figures supplied on the sprue, two of whom are standing to inspect their charge, one leaning over for a better view. The other two are kneeling or sitting, the kneeling gentleman inspecting something low down, while the other chap is sitting atop a winglet on the box top, screwdriver in hand, contemplating his next move in repairing or maintaining the engine compartment he has open. This last figure is the most kit-specific, but could easily be re-tasked by adding a box or platform of suitable height under his backside to give his stance some support. 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. Seamlines and stitching have been engraved into the surfaces, making detail painting easier, and more rewarding to the eye. Markings There are no decals provided, but over the page from the sprue diagram and paint chart are four drawings of the figures in colour, with part numbers supplied in black, and paint codes in red boxes that correspond with the chart and give codes for ICM’s own paint system, plus the generic name of the colour in question. It also lets us know that ICM’s acrylic boxed set #3023 can be used to paint the figures, which you can find in our mega review, scrolling down to the appropriately numbered set. Conclusion I’ve worn out my keyboard saying that figures provide a much-needed human scale to a model, but whilst that remains true, I’m hardly going to tell you otherwise. Excellent sculpting and natural poses make this a compelling set for anyone in the market for figures for their 1:35 helicopter. Highly recommended. Available in the UK from importers H G Hannants Ltd. Review sample courtesy of
  5. Gulaschkanone WWII Mobile Field Kitchen LKW AHN (35415) 1:35 ICM via H G Hannants Ltd The original AHX truck design by Renault could carry a load of 2 tonnes, and when Germany conquered France they ordered more into production along with the larger AHN, which was capable of carrying 4 tonnes, but was designated 3.5 tonnes by the Wehrmacht, probably as a safety feature. The AHN was equipped with a 4L straight-six petrol engine coupled to a four speed gearbox. From introduction in 1941 to the end of WWII they served in all theatres, and around 4,000 were built in various forms. One option was a field kitchen, carrying a wooden carriage-style 2-wheeled kitchen unit in the load bed, which contained various ovens and hot-plates to serve food to the German troops in all sorts of places in active service. It drafted the smoke from combustion away through a tall chimney, which could be folded down for transit, giving rise to the nickname ‘Gulaschkanone’, due to the folded chimney vaguely resembling the barrel of an artillery piece. The Kit Stemming from a new tool in 2014, this is a reboxing with the addition of a Field Kitchen and some accessories, plus a set of load bed sides with diamond patterned stiffening shapes along their length. Inside the box are nine sprues of grey styrene, a clear sprue, a bag of seven flexible plastic tyres, decal sheet and instruction booklet with profiles printed on the rear pages. Starting with the truck, this is a full detail kit, and construction starts with the chassis, which is built from rails and cross-members, into which you install the engine when it has been assembled from nineteen parts that results in good detail. The two-part radiator slots into the front, and then two C-shaped box-sections with a single cross rail are fitted underneath, adding suspension in the front and rear using leaf springs, which are then fixed to axles after the exhaust has been glued to the chassis rails. Steering linkages are fitted into the left side of the engine, joining up with the front axle's steering rack and steering column, following which the wheels are added, made up from the flexible tyres slipped over the two-part styrene hubs. The rear wheels are mounted in pairs for weight distribution, so have twin hubs joined together with a crenellated mating surface. Fuel tank, spare wheel, drive-shaft to the rear axle and towing hitches are then installed to finish off the lower of the vehicle. The slope-nosed cab is next to be fabricated, and this begins with the stepped floor, which has two-part crew steps added to the underside, and then has the sides with clear quarter-lights put in place, with the front completed in the same manner, adding the windscreen panels. Inside the cab an air filter box, instruments (with decal), windscreen wiper actuators on the top of the windscreen, driver controls and comfy-looking barrel-backed seats are all glued in place after painting, and the rear panel with small rear-view window on the left finishes off the framework. The crew doors with handles and winders have glazing added and are attached to the front edge of their aperture in open or closed positions as you see fit, while the roof goes on as a single part, and has a couple of ejector-pin marks to square away if you think they will be seen. Outer door handles and indicator parts are fitted to the sides of the cab, then at the front is a distinctive radiator grille, which has an emblem design applied over the front, and is fitted to the hole in the nose, plus a filler cap above it. The truck bed has an arrangement of six lateral supports underneath, which are slotted together on two central rails and surrounded by side frames and another frame, so the floor can be dropped on top and the diamond-patterned sides added, including a wooden headboard and tail-gate, both with a separate frame placed over the wood effect parts. A placard is fixed on the left side of the tail-gate, and a numberplate holder with Notek convoy light is made from two parts to be fitted under the tail-gate in the next step. The rear mudguards underneath the bed are attached via a pair of supports that mate with small location blocks under the bed and ridges on the semi-cylindrical guards themselves. Both the bed and cab are fixed to their slots in the tops of the chassis rails, and set aside while the Field Kitchen is made, as it must be placed inside the load bed before the tilt framework can be glued in place. The body of the kitchen has a large circular cooking area for mixing and keeping the Goulash warm, which is first evidenced by a circular depression in the floor, fitting the rear of the box to it, then adding the sides, and an internal divide, finishing off with the front of the body. The top has a raised edge to a circular cut-out, and this has a large pan with curved bottom edges glued underneath before it too is fitted to the top of the body, creating two raised areas by doing so, which have their own tops that have bases of other storage areas, adding the lids to each one and the central circular lid to keep the goulash warm. The chimney is made from two halves, with a rib around the lower end that shows where it folds, but it is moulded as one length for this boxing at least. It mates to the top of the kitchen on a raised circle, then work begins on the kitchen’s chassis, which is more akin to that of a horse drawn coach, which is appropriate, as it was sometimes pulled by horses. The axle is fitted to the leaf-springs moulded into the curved chassis rails, adding a cross-brace and triangular web toward the towing eye. The finished frame is then glued under the body of the kitchen, fitting three covers to vents under the fireboxes, one having a folded-up ladder that could be folded down to add extra working space, or to hang cloths to dry next to the warm ovens. Two one-piece cart wheels are fitted to the ends of the axle, fixing a front rail under the kitchen, which has a V-shaped support to add strength. The final part is a support pole that is used to keep the kitchen level when unhitched, stopping the whole thing from pitching forward due to the weight of the A-frame, or back due to the weight of the goulash. Going back to the truck, the headlights with clear lenses, windscreen wipers, convoy light, and wing mirror are all attached to the sloping front and sides of the cab. Before the kitchen is put into the back of the truck, there are several accessories to be made up that can be glued into position on the bed once everything is painted and weathered. This includes a metal jug with sloped top; two jerry cans with prototypical triple handles; two buckets with separate handles; two wooden crates made from six parts each; four large sacks and six smaller sacks of ingredients, and four oval metal storage containers with separate lids. After adding the kitchen and any accessories from the kit or your own supplies into the load area, the framework of the foul-weather tilt can optionally be placed over the contents. The roof frame is moulded as a longitudinal spine with six ribs moulded-in, adding four bracing strips along its length, then gluing the vertical frames in place on the sides of the load area, mating the roof to the tops on a stepped joint to add strength. Markings There are two colour options as you might already expect, either early war Panzer Grey, or later war Dark Yellow (Dunkelgelb). The decals include stencils for the kitchen, the accessories and the wagon, plus battalion markings, and on the grey option, a little nose art on the sides of the kitchen. From the box you can build one of the following: Pre-1943 Colour Scheme Post-1943 Colour Scheme 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 LKW AHN is an interesting subject in itself, but with a gulaschkanone in the back with a truck-load of accessories, it becomes even more unusual. Detail is excellent throughout, and the inclusion of the main food preparation area gives options for faking your own meal, although it might mean pulling it out of the truck for a diorama, as who makes a meal under a close-fitting tilt frame? Highly recommended. Available in the UK from importers H G Hannants Ltd. Review sample courtesy of
  6. ICM is to release a new variant from its 1/72nd Tupolev Tu-2 "Bat" kit ( ref.72031 - https://icm.com.ua/aviation/tu-2s-2/), as Tu-2T - Soviet torpedo plane - ref. 72030 Source: https://www.hannants.co.uk/product/ICM72030 V.P.
  7. My second contribution to the GB. It is the nice Mitsubishi bomber from ICM in Thai markings during WWII. Parts are already removed from the sprues on this one. /Nanond
  8. Hope I can jump in a bit late. After many years of mostly lurking, I decided that I couldn't pass up a group build of one of my favourite classes of aircraft! So for this build, I'm going in with an ICM Ju-88 in 48th scale that I picked up on eBay some months back. In this case, some of the Hungarian decals I initially thought of using were taken by the seller, who instead supplied a set of superscale decals with the kit for a Luftwaffe subject. Which suited me just fine. So I hope to not procrastinate and instead get this thing done. First - the kit... and the decals I'll be using...
  9. In Q4 2023, ICM is to release a new tool 1/48th Mitsubishi Ki-21-Ib "Sally" kit - ref. 48195. Source: https://www.hannants.co.uk/product/ICM48195 V.P.
  10. Always the First (35754) Air Assault Troops of the Armed Forces of Ukraine 1:35 ICM via H G Hannants Ltd Since the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the Ukrainian armed forces have had to become their country’s protectors in the most practical manner, and it’s a job that they have taken to like the proverbial ducks to water. Their regular forces have been expanded by the general populace taking up arms against the invader, and their Special Forces, amongst which are the Air Assault troops, have become masters of stealth and tactics, causing many costly set-backs to the invader that helps keep Ukraine free. The title of this new box of figures from Ukrainian company ICM isn’t an immediately clear indication of what’s in the box unless you read the smaller text below or already know a little about their organisational structure. Air Assault troops are often the first to go into an area of operation, regularly behind enemy lines, causing disruption and uncertainty in the minds of the invader, which helps their brothers and sisters to do their jobs with less impediment, the enemy more concerned about which direction the bullets will come from next. They are well-equipped and armed, and due to the nature of their insertion, must be self-sufficient for the early part of operations and possibly longer, moving quickly and travelling light, which makes the choice of equipment crucial. The four figures are all standing in action poses, two aiming their rifles with legs planted wide for stability, while another prepares to toss a grenade in the enemy’s direction, giving an indication of close combat. The final figure is similarly posed, but could be dealing with a weapons jam of his suppressed rifle, or ducking incoming rounds impacting nearby. The parts for each figure are found in separate areas of the single 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, especially the tactical vests, which are covered in MOLLE loops to hang pouches and equipment. Their battle dress is thoroughly modern, with integrated knee-pads on the trousers, which alleviates soreness behind the knee that you get from external strapped pads. Camouflage is a modern pixelated scheme that extends to the FAST helmets on the accessory sprues. Of course, you could always choose another colour, or you could also pick up a set of Ukrainian camouflage decals like I did, applying them to the figures in small sections, using plenty of setting solution to avoid voids and wrinkling. They’re made by a company called Breeze Decals, who are colleagues with Dora Wings, under the code 35-001 with the name “Ukraine digital camouflage pattern”, and you can find them on eBay as well as many model shops online. The accessories are on two identical smaller sprues that contain several AK74 derivatives, with a choice of different stocks, an underslung grenade launcher, and even the locally produced AK-based bullpup the Malyuk, which means baby, but it also has a more aggressive name of Vulcan-M. If you look closely, you can just about see the AK bones beneath the rifle’s skin. A light machine gun is also included, the Ukrainian variant of the PKM, which is known as the KT-7.62 that is manufactured by Mayak. One edge of each sprue has a pair of FAST helmets that are often used by Special Forces around the world, and have side rails plus a separate night vision goggle mount on the front. The last few parts are a couple of pistols in paddle-holsters, knives in and out of scabbards, optics for the weapons, and comms headset cans (probably Peltor) that are shown on the drawings, but don’t have their part numbers mentioned, but for reference purposes are parts W12 + 13. Markings Modern Ukrainian troops frequently wear digitally camouflaged BDUs and equipment, a swatch of which is shown on the painting guide, although solid colours could be used with a little research. The instruction sheet has drawings on the back of the sprue guide, which has red letters in boxes that correspond to the table overleaf giving colour names, plus the codes from ICM’s own range of paints, most of which can be found in boxed set #3025. You can find details of that set along with many others in our mega-review here. Conclusion This set represents a squad of Ukrainian Air Assault Troops in action for your next diorama or vignette, with great poses, detail and equipment to enhance realism. Highly recommended. Available in the UK from importers H G Hannants Ltd. Review sample courtesy of
  11. ICM is to release in 2016 new tool Focke-Wulf Fw.189 Uhu kits - ref. 72291 - Focke-Wulf Fw.189A-1 Uhu WWII German Reconnaissance Plane (100% new molds) - Q2 2016 Source: https://www.hannants.co.uk/product/ICM72291 - ref. 72292 - Focke-Wulf Fw.189A-2 Uhu WWII German Reconnaissance Plane (100% new molds) - Q3 2016 Source: https://www.hannants.co.uk/product/ICM72292 V.P.
  12. After the 1/72nd kit ( http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/234967600-172-polikarpov-i-153-chaika-by-icm-released) ICM is to release in 2015 a 1/48th Polikarpov I-153 Chaika Soviet biplane fighter kit - ref.ICM48095 Sources: http://www.hannants.co.uk/product/ICM48095 and https://www.scalemates.com/products/product.php?id=101557 V.P.
  13. ATZ-5-43203 (72710) 1:72 ICM via H G Hannants Ltd The URAL-4320 series originally entered 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 munitions impacts 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 origins 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, tank, cab and wheel parts in grey styrene, a larger sprue in black, a small clear sprue, a large decal sheet and the instruction booklet on matt 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 greatly 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 tiny amount of flash visible around the edges where the mould sections meet, probably because 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 to the novice. 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 that are fixed under the side doors, plus lights and door mirrors to complete the cab, which is then put to the side while the tank is made. The elliptical tanker body is built from top and bottom halves, filling the gaps in the rectangular fairings to the sides of the tank. The end caps also have the rectangular profile moulded-in, as well as strengthening ribbing, adding mudguards at the front, a couple of little fire extinguishers, a mechanism in the centre, then at the rear a number plate and more mudguards. Under the tank are two rails that keep it level, and a drainage pipe in an L-shape, finishing the tank off with the circular hatch that drops into the cylindrical fairing on the top. When it is installed on the chassis, a five-part fuel tank is inserted under the left in front of the rear wheels, completing the model by adding the substantial bumper iron to the front end of the chassis rail, and adding windscreen wipers that you’ll need to scratch build yourself. Markings There are two decal options included on the 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, although this edition is much improved over previous boxings that share the common parts. It’s a fine example of a Ukrainian workhorse that’s carrying crucial fuel for the soldiers and civilians during this terrible war, the camouflage hopefully keeping it safe from the enemy. Highly recommended. Available in the UK from importers H G Hannants Ltd. Review sample courtesy of
  14. Hi all here are some pics of my latest project, it's ICM's lovely 1/48 Dornier DO-17Z built and painted as a DO-17z-3 of the Ilmavoimatt (Finnish Air Force) and finished in a temporary Winter scheme. I thoroughly enjoyed this build and found the kit to have the right mix of detail and ease of build and can highly recommend it and also the decals by SBS Models which are superb. Anyway here are the pictures; If any of you haven't been along to the Radial Engines Rock GB (which I built this for) then I recommend popping along and having a look at the cracking models in the gallery and those still in wip, there are some great ones to look at. And if you like the colour scheme (and who wouldn't!) there is a Winter War GB proposed which I suggest you have a look at and sign up for. Here is a link to the build of her; Thanks for looking, and as usual all comments and criticisms are gratefully received. Craig.
  15. Ain't that the truth! These will be my entries: I hope to start soon after giving some much needed love to my somewhat-stalled-due-to-holidays-work-weatherNesher-T frankenbuild. Cheers. Andre
  16. Made a start on this - interesting model Have put the engine together
  17. Hi All, This is my last one of what has been a quiet year output-wise, ICM's CR42 LW in Luftwaffe service, Italy 1944. A nice, straightforward but well-detailed kit with no fit problems. And to finish off, here's a couple including the figures supplied with the kit which I actually painted quite a while ago: As always, thanks for looking. Season's Greetings, J.A.
  18. Hello friends! This is my last model in 2023 and the kit is relatively easy to build.. As always, the plastic is a bit soft and it takes a lot of patience to open the side windows of the cockpit. But what the heck, we are model builders.The main focus is actually on detailing the cockpit. So I added a selfmade fire distinguisher Not a big deal, but a nice splash of color. I completed the cockpit instruments with 3 D decals from eduard. Good to work with and much better than the ones from the kit. The focus was actually on the weathering. In the end it looked a bit different than I had imagined, because I used watercolor crayons for the first time. That's another technique you have to learn first. In the end, I'm reasonably happy with how the little snake turned out. Of course, a small tabletop was needed to set the scene. The figures are also from ICM. A blessing that they bring out more and more figures in 1/48. I hope you like the Cobra. Enough talk, have a look at the photos.
  19. Bristol Beaufort Mk.IA with RAF Pilots (48313) 1:48 ICM via H G Hannants Ltd The Beaufort was originally designed as a torpedo bomber by Bristol, using the experience they had gained in developing the then-excellent Blenheim. They were ready in time for the outbreak of WWII, and as well as their prescribed role, they were also used as light bombers, undertaking many ‘Rhubarb’ missions over enemy territory in the so-called ‘phony war’, embarking on daylight missions that saw heavy casualties, although the accidental loss tally outstripped combat losses, surprisingly. Roughly 1,200 were built in the UK, with the total being elevated to almost 2,000 by additional Australian-built airframes that were known as DAP Beauforts. They were rapidly overhauled by the German fighters and were withdrawn from frontline service as early as 1942, by which time they had also been tasked with Aerial mine-laying. From then on, they were assigned to serve away from the front, and saw extensive use as a trainer, which might go at least some of the way to explain the high attrition rate due to accidents. The Mk.IA had an improved turret fitted at the rear of the crew compartment spine, that was notable because it was more square in profile, and torpedo bombers were fitted with early ASV radars, the antennae for which were mounted on the leading edges of the wings. A further development of the Beaufort was the Beaufighter, which used important components of the Beaufort that included the wings and engines, with a new cut-down fuselage that was comparatively low and streamlined, with a powerful cannon armament under the nose that was useful in its assigned duties as long-distance heavy fighter, and later nightfighter, where it excelled. Some obsolete Beauforts were even converted to Beaufighters to make further use of the shared parts, which gave many of the original airframes a more honourable end than they would otherwise have seen. In an attempt to improve on the original Mk.I that took up the majority of production, the designers created additional variants that used other engines, had faired over turrets when they were to be used as trainers, and even a project that saw the fitment of a pair of Merlin XX engine that didn’t achieve the desired effect, so was cancelled, in much the same manner as the Merlin powered Beaufighter that managed to be “underpowered” despite the pedigree of the engines that propelled it. The Kit A lot of modellers that build in 1:48 were waiting with baited breath for this new tooling from ICM, and now it has been with us for some time, with a few boxings already on the shelves now. This new issue includes a sprue of crew figures, torpedo and trolley to sweeten the deal, and it arrives in a reasonable-sized top-opening box with their usual captive lid on the lower tray. Inside are nine sprues in mid-grey styrene, a large clear sprue, decal sheet and glossy instruction booklet that has colour profiles on the rear pages. Opening the resealable bags reveals the detail that has been lavished on this kit that includes lots of internal ribbing, a set of ribbed flap bays and flaps, a representation of both banks of the Bristol Taurus engines, detailed gear bays and bay doors, and a torpedo to complete the package. Construction begins with a narrow torpedo bay under the fuselage that is glued to a section of the aft floor, then detailed with ribs, flipped over and joined to a bulkhead that has a doorway cut in it, then has a chute made up on one side before it is attached to the rest of the interior floor, which is initially free of detail, apart from underneath, where it has bomb shackles moulded-in, and a semi-cylindrical bay toward the front of the fuselage, which will allow the torpedo to nestle into the fuselage part way. The starboard fuselage half has an insert fitted into the wing-root depression to match the crisp moulded ribbing that is all over the interior as far back as the trailing edge of the wings, and extends into the tail-wheel bay. The side windows are inserted from inside, swapping the rear one out for an opaque cover if appropriate, then the floor is mated on several slots into the fuselage sides ready for the twin spars and a good quantity of detail. The forward spar is detailed with four parts to depict the radio gear with a plotting table below it, and on the other side a section of fairing is fixed, then the assembly is glued into its slot, joining the bottom of the spar with the fuselage blank. The cockpit is a two-tier assembly that is started by joining the two halves of the side console together, adding a raised floor panel, the instrument panel with five dial decals and rudder pedals, a short half-bulkhead and the swivelling front seat. Another simple seat is made up and glued to the rear spar along with another step-like fairing, and it too is slipped into the rear slot in the fuselage and glued in place. The pilot’s seat is made up from two parts and has a bow-tie control column placed in front of it, while to the rear, an Elsan toilet is dropped onto a raised plinth in the rear fuselage floor. The tail wheel bay is made up from ceiling with two small bulkhead ends, and it is glued into the very rear, which already has ribbing moulded into the sides. The tail-wheel and strut is a single part than inserts in the bay ceiling on a peg, so can be left off until after main painting. The port fuselage half is prepared in a similar manner to the starboard, save for the optional rear window, and a 0.9mm hole that is drilled in the ceiling. Just before closing the fuselage, another detail part is fixed to the bulkhead behind the pilot’s seat, with more glued into the nose, which might be better added before you paint the cockpit. The main canopy is glued over the cockpit aperture, and the nose is glazed by four additional clear parts, and a choice of port-side aft door with a circular porthole or gun port fitted over the hole in the fuselage, which can have a Lewis machine-gun with dinner plate magazine on a spar across the opening. If you are installing the gun, the clamshell door part should be left off. The Beaufort had mid-mounted wings, so each one is separate, and made from two halves. The port wing has a small landing light bay inserted before it is closed, and a small dome is removed from the leading edge, then the clear glazing is inserted once the glue has set up. A clear wingtip is fitted, and a one-piece aileron is added and able to be offset if you feel the urge. You also must make a choice whether to fit the wing surface over the inner flaps with a trio of strakes in a nacelle extension, or a straight section with curved root fairing. The same process is carried out minus the landing light bay on the starboard wing, then both wings are slotted over the two spars that have corresponding guides moulded into the inside of the wings to ensure good location. The elevator fins are each two parts and are mounted in the usual slot/tab method, to be joined by one-piece elevators and rudder, which the latter having a pair of horns near the hinge. Two flap sections are added to each wing’s underside, then the two nacelles are made up from halves along with a bulkhead near the front, and another that is glued into the wing before the nacelles are put in place. The roof of the bay is free of any detail, and is the location that the twin strut gear legs and their actuators are fixed once they are built up. The main wheels are each two halves, and they flex-fit into the lower section of the main leg, which has a curved tubular framework added to the top section, probably to assist with the smooth opening and closing of the door bays. The lower section of the main gear forms a twin triangular framework that is linked by several cross-members before the lower section is glued into the sockets in the upper section, and has another pair of actuators added at the rear to brace the top section. Both assemblies are inserted into the bays on each level of the ceiling, then the twin bay doors with their ribbed inners are added to the sides of the bays on hinge tabs. At the same time, the bomb bay has a small insert attached to the front bulkhead to add detail to the area. Each Taurus radial engine is formed from two well-detailed banks of cylinders with a circular collector ring attached to the centre by three stators, plus a complex system of tubes installed around the circumference in between the cylinders, and another at the rear of the engine that has a square peg at the back for fixing them to the wing through the cooling flaps at the rear of the cowlings. Two holes on the top of the nacelle receive a different two-part intake, then the cowling is wrapped around the engine, comprising two halves and a pair of curved exhausts for each engine. She’s looking very much like a Beaufort now, but needs some defensive armament in addition to the optional Lewis gun in the side. The new mid-upper turret is mounted in the back of the cockpit “hump”, and is built upon a separate section of the fuselage with a circular base that receives the guns’ mount and gunner’s bicycle-style seat below the lip, gluing most of the turret into position along with a fairing lip around the end, then deciding whether to mount the clear glazing in the top of the nose, or the alternative that mounts another two Lewis guns in the nose. The bomb/torpedo bay forms a cruciform shape when viewed from below, as it was lengthened to accept the torpedo, and has the mount fitted into the wider centre section, and if not carrying a torpedo, two inserts close off the bomb bay from its two narrower sections. The bay doors are in three sections, the narrower front and rear sections having one door per side, while the wider bomb bay section has two doors each side that fold together, minimising the aerodynamic drag, as well as fitting in the space below the aircraft when on the ground. If you plan on posing all the bay doors closed, there are three additional conjoined parts to ease your path, which is always nice to see. The torpedo has been seen in a separate box before, and its build is covered on the last page of instruction steps, making it up from two halves, adding a three-part H-tail with twin spinners, and another spinner-plus-spacer at the business end. There are also five steps to create a trolley for moving your Torp about and loading it onto the Beaufort on rising scissor-links if you want to add a bit of diorama appeal to your model. The torpedo is mounted with all bay doors open, and glues onto a long curved rectangular frame in the centre of the bomb bay. While the model is inverted, the underslung nose turret can be built from three parts for the gun and two-part dome, or a blanking plate is fitted over the aperture. A pitot is also mounted under the nose, a towel-rail antenna under the fuselage, and three small outlets are mounted on the wings and just behind the bomb bay. Back on its wheels, the cockpit hump is detailed with two more antennae, and another either flush with the roof in a typical D/F loop fairing. The radar antennae are reminiscent of TV aerials, formed from a main antenna with several dipoles perpendicular, one under each wing, mounted on two brackets that fit into holes drilled in the wings earlier, and another offset under the nose on a single post. These are most definitely best left of until the very end so that they survive without damage. Figures This set has been sculpted to coincide with the recent launch of ICM’s own Beaufort, and arrives in a medium-sized, top-opening box with ICM’s trademark captive flap on the lower tray. There is a single sprue in grey styrene and an instruction sheet within, containing parts for five figures, consisting of three aircrew and two mechanics. As usual with ICM figures, the sculpting is first-rate, and parts breakdown as well as seamlines are sensibly placed to ease clean-up and construction. The aircrew are all wearing WWII period RAF blue uniforms with leather flying jackets and two are wearing Mae West life jackets over the top. The captain is wearing a flat-topped cap and carrying what looks like a log-book in his right hand, while his left hand rests in his jacket pocket. The other two crew are walking with their hands to their sides, carrying a parachute pack or leather flight helmet in one hand, and the parachute carrier is also still wearing his harness. The ’erks are wearing dark blue overalls, one in long boots is standing with his hands about to rest on what is shown to be a torpedo on the box art, while the other gentleman in short boots is kneeling, ministering to a trolley wheel on the art. Both their overalls have the word “TORP” written on the panel on their blacks, with a white square below left, denoting their specialisation, presumably so they can be tasked with jobs appropriate to their skillsets from a distance. As usual with ICM figure sets, the instructions include drawings in full colour that have the part numbers and colour codes called out in black text and red boxed text respectively, the latter cross-referring to the paint table on the opposite side of the sheet, which gives colour codes for ICM’s paint system as well as colour names in Ukrainian and English printed over a swatch of the colour itself. There is also an ICM paint set for RAF Pilots numbered #3033 that is available from Hannants if you’re in the market. It’s on our mega-review of the ICM Acrylic Paint Sets here, but you’ll need to do a little scrolling, where you’ll also pass #3018, which is another set to help you paint the Beaufort itself. Markings ICM have begun to include templates for masking material with each of their new kits, which can be found just in front of the colour profiles for you to place tape over, cut around and apply to your model, thanks to drawings above that indicate what goes where. There are four decal options included on the sheet in a variety of schemes. From the box you can build one of the following: DD959 Q, No.217 Sqn., Malta, 1942 L9965 T, Mediterranean Sea region, 1942 DX157, presumably Indian Ocean region, Spring 1944 EK979, RAF Training Unit, Bilbais, Egypt, 1944 The decals are printed by ICM’s usual partners, and include dials for the instrument panels, with good register, sharpness, and solid colours. As is common now with ICM kits, there is a page of the instruction booklet devoted to the masking of the canopy, using the printed shapes on the bottom of the page and the diagrams above to allow you to create your own masks if you wish. It goes up to 64 thanks to the copious glazing of the Beaufort. We already mentioned the ICM acrylic paint set intended to assist with painting the exterior of your Beaufort, which is set #3018, the details of which you can find in our Mega-Review here. Conclusion I was looking forward to the initial release, and this rebox with new parts and figures is great news, adding extra value to the kit, including a torpedo and trolley into the bargain. It’s another Beaufort in my preferred scale, there’s plenty of detail, and a good choice of decal options. Very highly recommended. Available in the UK from importers H G Hannants Ltd. Review sample courtesy of
  20. After the 1/48th kits (thread), ICM is to release 1/72nd North American OV-10 Bronco kits - ref. 72185 - North American OV-10А Bronco - US Attack Aircraft (100% new molds) - released - ref. 72186 - North American OV-10D+ Bronco - US attack and observation aircraft - December 2023 Sources: https://www.hannants.co.uk/product/ICM72185 https://www.hannants.co.uk/product/ICM72186 V.P.
  21. Quietly Came, Quietly Went… (35752) Special Forces of the Ukrainian Army 1:35 ICM via H G Hannants Ltd Since the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the Ukrainian armed forces have had to become their country’s protectors in the most practical manner, and it’s a job that they have taken to like the proverbial ducks to water. Their regular forces have been expanded by the general populace taking up arms against the invader, and their Special Forces have become masters of stealth and tactics, causing many costly set-backs to the invader that helps keep Ukraine free. The title of this new box of figures from Ukrainian company ICM indicates what’s in the box, but keep it to yourselves, right? Ukrainian Special Forces, who get up to all sorts of mischief and have the best equipment available to do the most damage to the invader. They infiltrate, do their work then exfiltrate, hopefully without being seen or heard unless they want it that way, but if they encounter enemy soldiers unexpectedly, they are well-armed and trained to look after themselves, returning home to base for the Ukrainian equivalent of tea and scones, followed by some rest, before going out another day on the next mission until the country is totally free. True bravery. There are four figures in the box, representing a squad of soldiers that are discussing their next move around their leader, but with weapons ready in their hands in case they are seen by the enemy. Two soldiers are stood looking down at their commander’s handheld device, while he and the other team member are crouching down. 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, especially the tactical vests, which are covered in MOLLE loops to hang their gear from. If you’re not a big fan of painting faces, all the troops have masks over their mouth and nose, partly for anonymity, but also to keep out the dirt and dust kicked up during combat. The accessories are on two identical smaller sprues that contain several AK74 derivatives, with a choice of different stocks, an underslung grenade launcher, and even the locally produced AK-based bullpup the Malyuk, which means baby, but it also has a more aggressive name of Vulcan-M. If you look closely, you can just about see the AK bones beneath the rifle’s skin. A light machine gun is also included, the Ukrainian variant of the PKM, which is known as the KT-7.62 that is manufactured by Mayak. One edge of each sprue has a pair of FAST helmets that are often used by Special Forces, and have side rails plus a separate night vision goggle mount on the front. The last few parts are a couple of pistols in paddle-holsters, knives in and out of scabbards, optics for the weapons, and comms headset cans (probably Peltor) that are shown on the drawings, but don’t have their part numbers mentioned, but for reference purposes are parts W12 + 13. Markings Modern Ukrainian troops frequently wear Multicam BDUs and equipment, a swatch of which is shown on the painting guide, although solid green is also an option, however Multicam is much more Gucci, and is an effective camouflage in all areas of operation except arctic. The instruction sheet has drawings on the back of the sprue guide, which has red letters in boxes that correspond to the table overleaf giving colour names, plus the codes from ICM’s own range of paints, most of which can be found in boxed set 3041. You can find details of that set along with many others in our mega-review here. Conclusion A tight-knit squad of Ukrainian Special Forces for your next diorama or vignette, with great poses, detail and equipment to enhance realism. Highly recommended. Available in the UK from importers H G Hannants Ltd. Review sample courtesy of
  22. Typ 320 (W142) Soft Top (35542) 1:35 ICM via H G Hannants Ltd In the 30s, Mercedes replaced their 290 chassis with the longer 320 in 1937, offering a standard or longer chassis variant, the latter being the basis for the top-of-the-range Cabriolet body format. The extra length gave the vehicle a sleeker, more sporty appearance, which coupled with a raked radiator grille, lack of light bar, and the canvas roof made it all the more streamlined in appearance. Under the bonnet was a 3.2 litre straight-six side-valved petrol engine that produced 78hp and a top speed over 120km/h or 75mph. Power was delivered via a four-speed manual gearbox with synchromesh on all forward gears, which was a luxury at the time. In military service as a staff car, the 320 was fitted with a shrouded convoy light on the left wing, and could also have a short mast on the same wing to display the occupant’s allegiances, battalion etc., with a spare tyre on both sides, which was a common fitment even in civilian service. In 1938 an updated model was introduced, with displacement bored out to 3.4 litres and adding overdrive to shorten the journey to top speed, although the documented HP wasn’t increased, possibly due to de-tuning of the engine to accommodate inferior fuel quality that was beginning to become a necessity as Germany geared up for war. The Kit This is a reboxing of a partial retool that was based upon the hard-top version released by ICM in 2016, depicted with a retractable hood that keeps the passengers safe from precipitation or cold. It arrives in a top-opening box with the usual captive lid on the lower tray, and inside are two large sprues and a smaller one in grey styrene, three pairs of black flexible tyres on small sprues, a clear sprue, decal sheet, and instruction booklet, where you’ll find the decals tucked away. The instructions are printed on glossy paper in colour, with profiles on the rear pages to help with painting and decaling. Detail is excellent, and extends to a full engine and transmission, plus a very crisp interior, as well as a very natural depiction of the stowed roof. Construction begins with the engine, the block and transmission being made from two halves with the sump and cylinder head added from above and below. The air box and exhaust manifold along with the down pipe are made and attached to the right side of the motor, adding the dynamo and other ancillaries to the left side, the serpentine belts and pulleys to the front with the fan, and more hoses and the distributor pot on the top. The chassis rails are each made from two parts to achieve the correct length, adding short outriggers to the outsides, and a large cross-member at the rear of the chassis that holds the rails in the correct tapering attitude, as well as having moulded-in details of the rear differential on the lower side. Two more cross-members support the frame, adding the differential, axle and drive-shaft down the centreline, and the front suspension arms with their leaf-spring and coils, plus twin coils and other parts installed over the top of the rear axle. The rear wheels are created by inserting the two sides of the hubs into the holes in the tyres so they can be slipped onto the ends of the axles, adding a two-part fuel tank in the rear at the same time. The motor and bumper are fixed in the front, and joined by a pair of wing supports and the radiator, which plugs into the pipes leading to and from the engine, then the floor pan can be lowered onto the chassis, including the rear panel below the boot in-between the moulded-in rear wings. Before turning the vehicle right-side-up, the single part exhaust and two mufflers are inserted, attaching to the end of the down pipe and a tab just in front of the rear axle. Inside the cab, the pedals, gear lever and hand brake are all installed in the left footwell and transmission tunnel, followed by the firewall that has the windscreen frame moulded-in, fitting the two-pane glazing and the dashboard before it is inserted into the space between the cab and engine bay, adding a few knobs and decals before you do. A dash pot is popped into the engine side of the firewall, and the long steering column is threaded through into the cab with the lower end buried deep in the engine bay. Both front and rear seats are bench-type, and their bottom cushions are each made from a main part with a rear edge that has a recess to accommodate the transmission tunnel moulded-in, fitting into the cab on paired pegs, and are joined by the rear cushions that have their backs glued into place before fitting. The body sides are next, inserting door cards before they are latched on pegs to the floor pan, fitting the boot panel and a two-part steering wheel, then the radiator grille that is stabilised by an X- brace that fits into holes in the firewall. The side windows front and rear attach to the sides via pegs, and the bonnet covers the engine, but with a bit of surgery it could be posed open. The two spare tyres are made in a similar three-part arrangement as the others, and are locked in place in recesses in the front wings by brackets running between the tyres and body. The windscreen has a rear-view mirror and two sun visors fitted to the top interior, and two wiper arms are added to holes in the outside near the centre of each pane at the bottom, dotting lights, handles, indicators and the convoy light around the front of the vehicle as appropriate, including a three-pointed star motif on the top of the radiator. At the rear are tiny light clusters and twin handles for the boot, fixing the rear bumper to the rear panel. The canvas hood is made from a single part, and the metal outer framework installed after it is glued to the top of the vehicle. The shape and stretching of the hood is very natural-looking, and should give a realistic impression once it has been painted. Markings There are four decal options that are the same as the previous boxing, and you’d be forgiven for thinking any colour as long as it’s black, but you’d be wrong, because there are grey and blue options for a Luftwaffe car too. From the box you can build one of the following: France, 1940 Unknown Luftwaffe Unit, 1940 Eastern Front, 1943 Nachtjagdgeschwader 1, probably 1943 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 sleek Merc for the transport of the upper echelons around the countryside, with plenty of detail that should allow a realistic replica of the type to be made. Highly recommended. Available in the UK from importers H G Hannants Ltd. Review sample courtesy of
  23. In the Skies of China (DS7204) Ki-21-1a & 2 x Ki-27a 1:72 ICM via H G Hannants Ltd Here in the West we generally consider the start of WWII to be in 1939 with the invasion of Poland by the Nazis that forced Britain and France to declare war on Germany, and the rest is history. The Japanese Empire was already committed to expansion from the mid-30s onwards, and by 1937 it has set its heart on China, launching a brutal attack on their lands and people, giving no quarter to military or civilian personnel, with around 20 million casualties and many atrocities carried out by Japanese forces that get very little coverage in the West, even today. In some ways it was a dress-rehearsal for Japan’s war with the West, fine-tuning their weapons and tactics before they awoke the sleeping giant that was the United States by their attack on Pearl Harbour on the 7th December 1941. The Ki-21 and Ki-27 were in-service during the early part of the conflict, and were used extensively in bombardment of the Chinese. Mitsubishi Ki-21-1a The Sally, as she was known by the Allies during WWII was a heavy bomber designed by Mitsubishi as a replacement for the Ki-20, in competition with Nakajima, who although they lost out on the design of the aircraft, were given the contract for the power plants, as their HA-5 engines were found to be superior to Mitsubishi’s offering originally installed. A small number of airframes were also built by Nakajima, with a total of just over 2,000 built between them. It first flew in 1936 and was intended for long-range bombing missions against Soviet and Chinese opponents, first entering service in 1938 in operations against China. Initial experience showed that the design was lacking in some respects, extending to the crucial oxygen system that was found to be unreliable. The Ib was intended to address most of the issues, including the lack of armament and changes to the flying surfaces. It also had a remote tail gun installation, and could mount an additional fuel tank for extreme range missions. The type was pretty much obsolete by 1940, and mounting losses prompted the type’s withdrawal from front line service, and sale of some of the airframes to friendly nations. Uses were still found for the type with the Japanese forces however, and the remaining aircraft were used until the end of the war as cargo transports, trainers, troop transports and communications hacks. The later variants had improved engine performance with Mitsubishi units, some with alterations to the greenhouse behind the cockpit, which was changed to a turret on some, and removed entirely on transport variants. The Set This boxed set includes three kits in a standard sized ICM box, which is a top-opener with an additional captive flap on the lower tray, and inside are three kits, which are separately bagged. They are all re-issues, the Ki-21 a recent kit while the two fighter escorts are of an earlier vintage. The Ki-21 has its own instruction booklet printed on glossy paper in colour, while the Ki-27a instructions are in black and white, while both instruction sets have decals hidden inside, the Ki-27 having two sheets for both the fighter kits. The Kit This is a reboxing with an additional sprue of a recent tool from ICM, who continue to produce new kits despite the difficult circumstances in their home country. Inside the bag are six sprues in grey styrene, a clear sprue in a separate bag, decal sheet and the instruction booklet, which is printed in colour with colour profiles on the back pages. Detail is well up to modern standards, and extends to ribbing on the interior of the fuselage, full representation of the engines and a nice cockpit, plus a set of crystal-clear glazing parts. Construction begins with the fuselage halves, which have the tail added to the rear, a lozenge-shaped detail insert to make the wing root recess flush, and the side windows, plus an equipment insert in the cockpit area, and a line of trunking that extends from the trailing edge of the wing to the tail. The cockpit floor is a long part, with a recessed front end for the flight crew, detailed by adding the rudder pedals for the pilot, and the two seats, which both have separate seat cushions. The twin ‘bow tie’ control columns are inserted into the floor in front of the seats, and near the rear of the floor are two large tanks that attach on pins. The assembly is inserted into the starboard side of the fuselage, and has a bulkhead fixed just in front of the crew steps under the mid-fuselage greenhouse. The front bulkhead has a small circular seat glued to the side of the fuselage and additional details with instrument decals, a choice of two clear chin inserts with an instrument panel, gun mount and a rack of bottles added to it during installation, with a choice of two types of machine gun for the belly window that has two spare mags nearby. The port fuselage is prepared with new (older) tail fin, wing insert and windows, plus ammo cans and forward fuselage details, more racks of oxygen bottles and a side-mounted machine gun. The fuselage can be closed around the cockpit after adding the main instrument panel, which has a centre throttle quadrant and dial decals added beforehand. The mid-upper gunner’s suspended seat is also inserted into holes, but can probably be inserted after gluing the fuselage halves together by flexing the support struts. His twin machine guns are added to a mount on a bracket, with a pair of magazines on top, after which it is fitted into the insert that is then glued into the opening in the fuselage behind the main canopy. The main canopy and greenhouse gunner’s canopy are fixed on top of the fuselage along with the nose glazing, which has a choice of two types of machine gun inserted from the inside. Completion of the earlier tail begins by adding the elevator fins from the new sprue, which have separate flying surfaces and rudder panel, then the wings are prepared by inserting a two-part bay in each one before joining the upper and lower halves together, adding the ailerons and landing lights in the leading edges. They are then glued onto the wing root fairings on the fuselage, which have a lip to improve fit and joint strength. The wheels are installed under the wings before the engines and lower cowling are made up, starting with the tail-wheel in its yoke, and then adding the two-part wheels to the H-frame main gear, which has a support frame fitted to the front, and a long yoke with mudguard that links the strut lower to the back of the bay. Four small parts are fixed to the wing inside the bays, and the lower cowlings are made up out of two halves plus a round bulkhead, and a pair of intakes top and bottom, then sliding the lower nacelle over the completed wheels and mating the edges with the recessed lip of the lower wing. The engines are built-up on bulkheads with the cooling flaps moulded-in, a separate exhaust stack underneath, and a depiction of both cylinder banks, plus the front bell-housing with push-rods, hiding the prop axle inside without glue so that the props can spin later. The finished engines are covered by two cowling halves and a separate lip, gluing them to the front of the nacelles and finishing them off by adding the three-bladed prop and separate spinner. The model is completed by installing an antenna post and D/F loop over the canopy, and a curious-looking cranked pitot probe in the leading edge of the port wing. Markings There are four options on the decal sheet, three in light green-grey, differentiated by their unit markings, one with camo oversprayed, and the other in darker overall camouflage. From the box you can build one of the following: Ki-21-Ia Sally, 60th Sentai, China, Early 1939 Ki-21-Ia Sally, 58th Sentai, China, probably 1940 Ki-21-Ia Sally, 14th Sentai, China, late 1941 Ki-21-Ia Sally, 105 Hyoiku Hiko Sentai, China, presumably 1942 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. Ki-27a Japanese Army Fighter x 2 Designed as a replacement for the biplane Ki-10, it was the first monoplane fighter in service with the Japanese Army after winning the competition between Mitsubishi, Kawasaki and Nakajima. It was a light agile fighter that the Allies called the type the Nate, first taking to the skies in 1936, entering service over China in 1938, and although it was slower than some of its competitors, its low wing loading gave it enviable agility and turning speed that gave it the edge over the Russian-built aircraft being flown by the Chinese. Like the Zero that followed it, the pilot and internal structure of the aircraft were unprotected by armour or self-sealing fuel tanks, so when the Chinese began flying upgraded types that carried 20mm cannons, the Nate found any advantage it had previously enjoyed was obliterated, despite the superior training of its pilots and twin 7.7mm machine guns. A further disadvantage was the apparent fixation of the Japanese pilots and tacticians with flying a turning battle, whereas their opponents, which latterly included the AVG, had changed their tactics to swoop down on their opponents from altitude where manoeuvrability would do the Japanese pilots no good. Losses began to accumulate after these changes. The Nate was used extensively over China, where it was used as bomber escort, serving widely in the Pacific area, but when it encountered allied aircraft in the Philippines, it fared badly against the Brewster Buffalo, which was a second-rate Allied aircraft that was itself quickly outclassed by newer designs from American and British manufacturers. The Nate was clearly outclassed, and was withdrawn from front-line service by 1940 to be replaced by the Ki42 Hayabusa, but it continued in service as a trainer to the end of the war, at which point the remaining aircraft were loaded with explosives and converted for use in Kamikaze attacks, despite being outpaced by every Allied aircraft then in service. The Kit This kit was first released in 2006 and re-released a few times over the years, and although the detail is good with lapped panels on the surface, there is a little flash here and there, and what appears to be some mould-damage on the wings, which has introduced a few very fine raised lines that give the impression of hairs lying on the surface on first inspection. The starboard upper wing tip also has a fine crack in the outer surface that might need a little filler, though the edges appear to be raised, which should make it easier. Construction begins with the pilot’s seat base, which is a simple bucket with lightening holes to the rear, mounted on the seat back that has moulded-in rear legs. The engine is then built from the cylinder bank, adding the intake spider, moulded-in ancillary package, and a two-part exhaust ring to the rear, trapping the prop shaft inside the assembly by fitting the bell-housing to the front. The engine mount is made from a circular frame with four supports moulded-in, adding a V-shaped frame underneath, and two diagonal tubular cross-members to the sides, then setting it aside while the cockpit and wings are built. The fuselage is joined around the instrument panel, bringing both halves together and gluing them and a cooling gill to the underside of the nose, remembering to paint the cockpit side walls, which have a few ribs moulded-into the interior of the fuselage halves. The lower wings are full-span, and have the cockpit floor fitted into position in the centre, onto which the pilot’s seat, control column, rudder pedals and twin 7.7mm machine guns are fitted, painting everything before mating the fuselage over the cockpit and lower wing, then adding the upper wing halves. At the rear the full-span elevators are slotted into the back of the tail, adding the rudder and tail fairing behind it. The engine mount is inserted into the front of the fuselage, locking it in place with the upper nose panel that is inserted into the T-shaped opening along with lengths of cooling gills around the sides. The engine has a pair of trumpet-style intakes fixed to the top at the rear, adding a ring to the front, and another ring with stators that slip over the bell-housing, finishing off the engine by sliding the cowling lip over the front of the engine. The long ailerons are inserted into their cut-outs on the trailing edges of the wings plus twin actuators, fitting an optional fairing to the port wing, and the two bladed prop to the axle. The canopy is in three parts, gluing the windscreen in position and sliding the tubular sight through a small hole moulded into the front pane, then fixing the opener and sloped rear over the rest of the opening. The landing gear is fixed, and each leg is built from a strut that plugs into two choices of fairings, or ‘spats’ as they’re sometimes called. The shorter spats have a yoke with hub fitted underneath, which fits onto a circular part that in turn locates on the back of the wheel, while the longer spats cover the yoke and most of the hub, so have the wheel trapped between the two halves. The struts slip into the fairings moulded into the underside of the wings, taking care to align them with the direction of travel and each other. Markings There are four decal choices printed on a separate sheet in black and white, all wearing the same light grey/green shade that was common used in early war years, differentiated by their unit and theatre markings. From the box you can build two of the following from the box: 1. Sentai Commander Toshio Kato, Nomonhan, June 1939 84 Dokuritsu, China, 1939 10. Tutai, China, April 1940 59. Sentai, 2. Tutai, Nomonham, June 1939 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 Three kits in a box the size of one is great for the size of the stash, and the Sally is an excellent new tool, while the two Ki-27as aren’t the newest kits on the block, but still have good detail, although a wee bit of work will be needed to fix the cracks on the upper surface of the wings. Don’t let it put you off even slightly. Highly recommended. Available in the UK from importers H G Hannants Ltd. Review sample courtesy of
  24. ICM Acrylic Paint Sets ICM via H G Hannants Ltd In 2021 ICM released their own Acrylic Paint range, and soon after began offering boxed sets that matched with their recent kit releases, which is good marketing, and helpful to the modellers building these kits. The sets arrive 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 that have 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, plus a bar-code. As is sensible with a new range of paints, we undertook some testing of the first issues to establish whether the paint was good for brushing and airbrushing, and what sort of finish you can achieve with their products. They have released many sets since then, and so far we’ve been reviewing them separately, which is not only time intensive for us, but also means that they’ll be scattered throughout the Tools & Paint Review area, due to the time between releases and the volume of reviews that we post. To counter this, we’ll be putting all the sets in this thread going forward, so that anyone with an ICM kit can check the availability of a suitable set, and only have to read that they have a polypropylene bottle holding 12ml of paint the once. It should cut down on the instances of déjà vu too, which is always nice. Below you can see the results of our initial testing, complete with painted spoons that help to show off the smoothness and effect that light and shade has on the colours. The individual sets will be listed below these, with photos and a note of the colours included for your reference. Testing with Airbrush 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. The photo below shows the five actual colours sprayed out onto plastic spoons that have been prepared by buffing with a fine grade flexible sanding stick of the kind you use in the penultimate step before buffing to a shine. As the paint dried it obtained a highly matt finish with the exception of the Oily Steel paint, which is clearly semi-gloss. The Satin Varnish also worked very well diluted with water, sprayed over the spoons that were also partially taped up to perform two functions at once. The satin 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 a chance of adhesion. There was very little damage to the cured paint from scraping my fingernails across the surface too. There were track-marks of course, but no lifting of paint at all. Testing with Paint Brush As usual I used a #6 synthetic filbert brush from AMMO, which has slightly curved edges to keep tramlines in the paint to a minimum. The colours brushed extremely well with one exception, which was the Oily Steel. It appeared to pull up when over-brushed during application, despite the surface remaining wet, which resulted in the appearance of tiny fibre-like structures in the paint that led to a gritty finish that was also translucent even after two coats, obtaining a rather lumpy opaqueness after three coats. The rest of the colours covered perfectly after two coats with minimal brush marks visible, which was thoroughly impressive to this long-lapsed brush painter, and some were almost completely opaque after one coat, save for the fact that they were laid down over a white surface. The undiluted Satin Varnish brushed out well over the matt surface of the brush painted spoon undersides, and I had to leave it until the next day to have my evening meal. The satin effect was excellent again, and the paint was tough enough to stand up to my fingernail test without lifting, although you can’t avoid leaving tracks across the surface due to the deposition of tiny particles from your fingernail on the surface. The Sets We’ve updated this review with all the sets that we’ve reviewed over the last couple of years (how time flies!), and will keep adding the new ones so that it becomes a comprehensive reference. WWII Marder I (3003) This set contains the following colours: 1060 Middle Stone, 1071 Camouflage Green, 1050 Saddle Brown, 1038 German Grey, 1027 Gun Metal, 1002 Matt Varnish B-26K Invader (3007) This set contains the following colours: 1072 US Dark Green, 1058 Tan Earth, 1069 Extra Dark Green, 1002 Black, 1024 Silver, 2002 Satin Varnish OV-10A Bronco (3008) This set contains the following colours: 1071 Camouflage Green, 1031 Warm Grey, 1032 Blue Grey, 1026 Oily Steel, 1002 Black, 2002 Satin Varnish Laffly (3009) This set contains the following colours: 1072 US Dark Green, 1042 Pale Sand, 1052 Hull Red, 1039 Rubber Black, 1027 Gun Metal, 2001 Matt Varnish Basic Colours (3010) This set contains the following colours: 1001 White, 1002 Black, 1003 Deep Yellow, 1004 Deep Red, 1005 Dark Blue, 1006 Deep Green The rear of the box shows the following: USAAF Pilots 1944-45 (1012) This set contains the following colours: 1002 Black, 1008 Deep Brown, 1052 Hull Red, 1068 Olive Green, 1044 Basic Skin Tone, 1059 Green Ochre American Civil War Union Infantry (3013) This set contains the following colours: 1037 Dark Grey, 1026 Oily Steel, 1075 Grey-Blue, 1050 Saddle Brown, 1017 Gold, 1043 Light Flesh German WWII Aviation (3014) This set contains the following colours: 1074 Pale Blue, 1034 Dark Sea Grey, 1003 Deep Yellow, 1070 German Field Grey, 1035 Grey-Green, 2002 Satin Varnish WWII Soviet Aviation (3016) This set contains the following colours: 1032 Blue Grey, 1033 Sky Grey, 1036 neutral Grey, 1069 Extra Dark Green, 1071 Camouflage Green, 2003 Gloss varnish The rear of the box shows the following: Bundeswehr Vehicles & AFVs (3017) This set contains the following colours: 1026 Oily Steel, 1060 Middle Stone, 1072 US Dark Green, 1039 Rubber Black, 1052 Hull Red, 1073 4BO The rear of the box shows the following: WWII Royal Air Force (3018) This set contains the following colours: 1054 Chocolate, 1069 Extra Dark Green, 1037 Dark Grey, 1032 Blue Grey, 1027 Gun Metal, 2002 Satin Varnish The rear of the box shows the following: US Cargo Trucks (3019) This set contains the following colours: 1046 Blood Red, 1003 Deep Yellow, 1066 grass Green, 1068 Olive Green, 1001 White, 2003 Matt Varnish The rear of the box shows the following: Try Me (3020) This set contains the following colours: 1001 White, 1002 Black, 1027 Gun Metal, 1073 4BO Green, 1011 Clear Red, 2004 Grey Primer The rear of the box shows the following: WWII Japanese Aviation (3021) This set contains the following colours: 1063 Green-Grey, 1023 Aluminium, 1025 Natural Steel, 1062 British Khaki, 1073 4BO Green, 2002 Satin Varnish The rear of the box shows the following: US Helicopter Pilots – Vietnam War (3023) This set contains the following colours: 1060 Middle Stone, 1062 British Khaki, 1002 Black, 1072 US Dark Green, 1073 4BO Green, 2001 Matt Varnish The rear of the box shows the following: WWI US Infantry (3024) This set contains the following colours: 1059 Green Ochre, 1055 Deck Tan, 1061 Green Brown, 1050 Saddle Brown, 1008 Deep Brown, 2002 Satin Varnish The rear of the box shows the following: Armed Forces of Ukraine (3025) This set contains the following colours: 1072 US Dark Green, 1035 Grey Green, 1041 Buff, 1069 Extra Dark Green, 1054 Chocolate, 2001 Matt Varnish The rear of the box shows the following: US Helicopters (3026) This set contains the following colours: 1071 Camouflage Green, 1072 US Dark Green, 1001 White, 1007 Deep Red, 1027 Gun Metal, 1011 Clear Red The rear of the box shows the following: Ghost of Kyiv (3027) This set contains the following colours: 1028 Offwhite, 1033 Sky Grey, 1034 Dark Sea Grey, 1037 Dark Grey, 1038 German Grey, 2002 Satin Varnish US Aviation 1980-90 (3028) This set contains the following colours: 1055 Deck Tan, 1056 Light Earth, 1039 Rubber Black, 1072 US Dark Green, 1032 Blue Grey, 1011 Clear Red The rear of the box shows the following: Ships of the Kriegsmarine (3029) This set contains the following colours: 1007 Deep Red, 1018 Brass, 1037 Dark Grey, 1056 Light Earth, 1027 Gun Metal, 1011 Clear Red The rear of the box shows the following: Civilians (3030) This set contains the following colours: 1005 Deep Purple, 1008 Deep Brown, 1009 Deep Green, 1030 Ivory, 1047 Matt Red, 1077 Dark Blue The rear of the box shows the following: Fire Trucks (3031) This set contains the following colours: 1001 White, 1007 Deep Red, 1039 Rubber Black, 1023 Aluminium, 1060 Middle Stone, 1012 Clear Blue The rear of the box shows the following: WWII German Tank Crew (3032) This set contains the following colours: 1024 Silver, 1004 intense Pink, 1002 Black, 1036 Neutral Grey, 1070 German Field Grey, 2001 Matt Varnish The rear of the box shows the following: WWII RAF Pilots (3033) This set contains the following colours: 1077 Dark Blue, 1075 Grey Blue, 1003 Deep Yellow, 1054 Chocolate, 1060 Middle Stone, 2001 Matt Varnish The rear of the box shows the following: American Civil War Confederate Infantry (3034) This set contains the following colours: 1075 Grey Blue, 1076 Deep Sky Blue, 1036 Neutral Grey, 1055 Deck Tan, 1020 Bronze, 2002 Satin varnish The rear of the box shows the following: Personal Protective Equipment (3035) This set contains the following colours: 1045 Medium, Orange, 1035 Grey Green, 1011 Clear Red, 1039 Rubber Black, 1015 Clear Yellow, 1024 Silver The rear of the box shows the following: WWII Aircraft Armament (3036) This set contains the following colours: 1071 Camouflage Green, 1057 Ochre, 1037 Dark Grey, 1002 Black, 1072 US Dark Green, 1026 Oily Steel The rear of the box shows the following: WWII US Infantry (3037) This set contains the following colours: 1041 Buff, 1058 Tan Earth, 1031 Warm Grey, 1072 US Dark Green, 1008 Deep Brown, 2001 Matt Varnish The rear of the box shows the following: Wehrmacht Trucks (3038) This set contains the following colours: 1038 German Grey, 1040 Beige, 1029 White Grey, 1052 Hull Red, 1072 US Dark green, 2003 Gloss varnish The rear of the box shows the following: Combat Vehicles Armed Forces of Ukraine (3040) This set contains the following colours: 1001 White, 1011 Clear Red, 1027 Gun Metal, 1072 US Dark Green, 1039 Rubber Black, 1073 4BO Green The rear of the box shows the following: WWI British Infantry (3042) This set contains the following colours: 1018 Brass, 1059 Green Ochre, 1071 Camouflage Green, 1062 British Khaki, 1052 Hull Red, 2001 Matt Varnish The rear of the box shows the following: Military Equipment Armed Forces of Ukraine (3039) This set contains the following colours: 1027 Gun Metal 1008 Deep Brown 1072 US Dark Green 1041 Buff 1002 Black 1073 4BO Green The rear of the box shows the following: Armed Forces of Ukraine (3041) This set contains the following colours: 1028 Off White 1072 US Dark Green 1058 Tan Earth 1062 British Khaki 1054 Chocolate 1031 Warm Grey The rear of the box shows the following: WWI & WWII Weapon & Equipment (3043) This set contains the following colours: 1025 Natural Steel 1027 Gun Metal 1035 Grey Green 1031 Warm Grey 1053 Leather Brown 1002 Black The rear of the box shows the following: WWI German Infantry (3044) This set contains the following colours: 1008 Deep Brown 1037 Dark Grey 1070 German Field Grey 1034 Dark Sea Grey 1038 German Grey 1072 US Dark Green The rear of the box shows the following: WWI French Infantry (3045) This set contains the following colours: 1075 Grey Blue 1076 Deep Sky Blue 1046 Blood Red 1055 Deck Tan 1008 Deep Brown 1002 Black The rear of the box shows the following: Luftwaffe Pilots (3046) This set contains the following colours: 1077 Dark Blue 1002 Black 1003 Deep Yellow 1054 Chocolate 1028 Off White 1024 Silver The rear of the box shows the following: Conclusion The paints were excellent through the airbrush with nothing in the way of drama during the testing process, including the metallics and varnish. The solid colours also brushed out very well, as did the varnishes. 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. Review sample courtesy of
  25. Announced as released today is a set of 1/32nd WWII Pilots of British Naval Aviation - ref. 32118 And what do you see in the box art background? A Fairey Swordfish ! To put alongside the 1/32nd Trumpeter kit or the ICM's Gloster Sea Gladiator? A subliminal message ? Just as two years ago with the 1/48th US pilots and crews sets in South East Asia with, in the box art, the - at that time not yet announced - OV-10 Bronco and AH-1 Cobra. Wait and see. Source: https://icm.com.ua/figure/pilots-of-british-naval-aviation/ Instructions: https://icm.com.ua/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/32118_instr_web.pdf V.P.
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