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D9R Armoured Bulldozer w/Slat Armour 1:35 Meng Models Based upon the successful Caterpillar D9 bulldozer chassis, the D9R is the latest incarnation of the armoured variant used extensively in the Israeli Defence Force (IDF) in the Combat Engineering Corps. It is heavily armoured with bullet-proof glazing, as well as protection for the hydraulic and electrical components, with The updated version sporting the new slat/bar armour to pre-detonate RPG rounds before reaching the cab area, a feature that was introduced in 2005. It has a crew of two, with the commander issuing the orders and manning the roof mounted M2 machine gun, and a driver living up to his job title. Its nickname in IDF service is Doobie, which is Hebrew for Teddy Bear, which I'm guessing is ironic. It is used for breaching barriers under fire, as well as creating or destroying earthworks, or making areas passable by heavier armour. They have also been used to clear landmines, make fortifications and clear areas of cover, preventing sneak attacks on their forces. They are so well armoured as to be impervious to all but the largest of explosives, and have been known to withstand direct hits from RPGs and IEDs up to half a tonne. So successful has the Doobie been that some have been purchased and used in US service for similar tasks. The Kit The original release was way back in 2013, reviewed here, and it has taken the best part of three years to tool the necessary parts to do the slat armoured version, although the "slats" are actually tubular bars, so the title bar armour would seem more appropriate if we were going to be pedantic. Inside the box are nineteen sprues in sand coloured styrene, three in black, two sprues in clear, one of which is truly clear, the other tinted bullet-proof glass green. A small sheet of Photo-Etch (PE) brass, seven chromed metal tubes of varying lengths, a length of flexible black tubing, four poly-caps plus of course the decal sheet and instruction booklet round out the very full package. The moulding has been adapted cleverly to incorporate the new parts, and construction is almost identical to the earlier model, so I won't go into vast detail about it, although some important upgrades have been added with the benefit of feedback from the modelling community. The first and most obvious upgrade is the inclusion of chrome tubing to replicate the finish on the hydraulic rams, along with a newly tooled end-caps and attachment eyes on the two new sprues to complete them. These are simple replacements for the plastic parts and should give a much more realistic finish to the area with a little careful masking of the metal. The second change is to the track links, which were a little fiddly in their previous incarnation. Instead of two inner links to marry up and glue to the traction plates, the two parts are supplied as one, ready to be glued directly to the plates. This will save a lot of time, glue and cursing, so Meng are to be applauded for expending the effort to improve them. The hangers for the slat armour panels are added around the top of the crew cab on armoured "pelmets" above the window that fit onto the wall panels. Additional brackets are spaced around the sides, with scrap diagrams showing the correct orientation of those that are difficult to see from one view only. The panels themselves are almost without exception single parts, very finely moulded to give a realistic depiction of the bars and slats that hold them together. There is however a tiny amount of flash here and there, but this can be quickly scraped off with a sharp #11 blade along with the moulding seams to give the correct look to the rods. A little tedious, but worth it to get it right. The sections are shaped to hug the contours of the cab, and separate parts are used to allow access to stowage areas, or to go around protrusions. It is very nice to see that the armour is left until last, which will suit the modeller down to the ground, allowing them to complete the kit as far as possible before painting, and at the same time they can paint the armour panels. Markings There are three markings options, but all vehicles are painted IDF Sand Grey, which is referred to as Hemp in the instructions, but as the likes of AK, AMMO and LifeColor have the correct IDF colours in their range, it shouldn't be a problem to convert the Vallejo colour call-outs if necessary. From the box you can build one of the following: Combat Engineers Battalion, 188th Barak (Lightning) Brigade, IDF, Golan Heights, October 2015 – coded 949642. Combat Engineers Battalion, 401st Brigade, IDF, Golan Heights, June 2014 – coded 949630. Un-named unit with a small stylised cat motif on the blade sides, with the digits 003 beneath it – coded 949669. Decals are by Cartograf, which is a guarantee of good registration, sharpness and colour density, with a thin matt carrier film cut close to the printed areas. Conclusion Another welcome release, and a nice easy way of building a slat-armoured Doobie without resorting to the expense of aftermarket PE sets. It's a Meng kit, so moulding quality and detail is first rate, and if you want to upgrade the rest of the detail, most of the aftermarket for the original release should fit just as well on this kit. Very highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

Israeli D9R Armoured Bulldozer Bar Armour 1:35 ET Model Meng's Doobie is a lovely looking kit, but lacks the bar armour that makes the dozer look a little more purposeful. This set contains all the parts you'll need to add it, but you'll also need to purchase some patience and a steady hand from your local model shop while you're next there, as the task will take some of both. Arriving in ET's usual thick polythene flat-pack with card header, the pack contains two black card inserts with large frets of Photo-Etch (PE) brass taped to them, plus a ziplok bag containing two more frets of PE and 70 lengths of 0.5mm brass rod all of which are roughly 11cm long and very hard to juggle – I now have 69 of them. I hope. Unusually for a PE set, you will attach less than half of the set to the actual model, as one of the large frets and a proportion of the smaller sheet is used up in creating templates on which you will build the bar armour panels. The instructions consist of 5 pages of light green A4, printed on 9 sides, so you can get a feel for the complexity of the installation. That said, if you treat it as separate sections as the instructions suggest, it shouldn't be too painful. The templates shaped to accommodate each panel of bar armour, and will require the supporting edges folding up before they can be used. They are all etched with their intended use, and each panel has a preamble that describes the layout and length of the parts required to make the panels, and a larger diagram that shows the final construction of the panel including brackets and ancillary parts. There are five panels that are labelled A, B, C, D and E, with sub-assemblies referred to by digits to ease construction. The final four pages of the instructions show the finished item from all sides, showing where each of the panels fit, and where the smaller numbered sections will fit. Conclusion It's a superbly engineered bit of PE and brass that will make your Doobie stand out from the crowd, but you'll need to check your markings options to see whether they are still appropriate for the later bar-armour equipped vehicles. You will need to cut the bars to the correct length reliably, and access to a soldering iron might be an advantage, especially for the top and bottom bars that can give the assembly rigidity without making the build into a total solder-fest! The set is most definitely intended for the experienced modeller with plenty of PE sets under their belts. The folds aren't difficult however, but handling and overall assembly will be crucial to make a good job of the panels, so it's not to be attempted lightly. Highly recommended to the experienced modeller. Available from White Ensign Models in the UK Review Sample courtesy of

D9R Armoured Bulldozer 1:35 Meng Based upon the successful Caterpillar D9 bulldozer chassis, the D9R is the latest incarnation of the armoured variant used extensively in the Israeli Defence Force (IDF) in the Combat Engineering Corps. It is heavily armoured with bullet-proof glazing, as well as protection for the hydraulic and electrical components, with some units sporting the new slat armour to pre-detonate RPG rounds before reaching the cab area, a feature that was introduced in 2005. It has a crew of two, with the commander issuing the orders and manning the roof mounted M2 machine gun, and a driver living up to his job title. Its nickname in IDF service is Doobie, which is Hebrew for Teddy Bear, although it's a bit of a tough looking teddy bear for my liking! It is used for breaching barriers under fire, as well as creating or destroying earthworks, or making areas passable by heavier armour. They have also been used to clear landmines, make fortifications and clear areas of cover, preventing sneak attacks on their forces. They are so well armoured as to be impervious to all but the largest of explosives, and have been known to withstand direct hits from RPGs and IEDs up to half a tonne. So successful has the Doobie been that some have been purchased and used in US service for similar tasks. The Kit The box is larger and deeper than a standard Meng box, and inside are 17 sprues in a sand coloured styrene, with five more in a very dark grey styrene. There are two identical glazing sprues, one of which is totally clear, the other has been tinted a blue/green colour to depict the colour typical of the thick bullet-proof glass installed on this machine. A length of flexible "rubber" hose, four poly-caps, and a small sheet of Photo-Etch (PE) is also in the box, plus a small sheet of decals, glossy covered A4+ instruction booklet and a large colour sheet for painting and decaling that covers almost the whole floor of the box. It's a pretty full box, and the immediately it is evident is that it's going to be a detailed model. What isn't obvious from perusing the sprues is the final size of the model, because the hull is built up from slabs rather than supplied as a tub like many armour kits. The large "bucket" is about your only clue other than the numbers on the box, which gives a length of 247mm and width of 126mm. Initial impressions are very good, with plenty of detail evident on the sprues, and individual link tracks that accurately depict the real things, which is always good. There is no slat armour included in the kit which is a shame from my point of view, but I'm sure that some enterprising aftermarket producer will be along shortly with a set if Meng don't beat them to it of course! Following the four language introduction to the vehicle is a page of different variants of the Doobie, which is nice for a bit of background information, showing its progression to the 62 tonne behemoth it is today. Construction starts with the underside, with the two slab-sides added which have the axles for the drive sprockets moulded into the rear. At the front the compartment for the 405bhp diesel engine is built up, with lots of moulded in louvre detail. The rear-mounted ripper, a large hydraulically operated tooth, is built up next, along with its arm, controls and hydraulic pistons, which can be left working if you are careful with the glue. The ripper takes up a surprisingly large number of parts and construction steps, with the resulting assembly looking complex and robust. The cab's base is built up next, with various sections added to the main floor. The driver and commander controls are added, together with their seats, which are fitted on adjusting mechanisms covered with concertina shaped gaiters. The cab's armoured side panels are next, with the choice of tinted or clear glazing panels up to you - personally I'd choose the more realistic tinted panels at the expense of a little visibility. The glazing is sandwiched between The outer skin and an inner window frame. Additional opener detail is added where appropriate, and the whole interior is painted white before being assembled. The exterior of the cab is bulked up with additional fairing and stowage boxes, as well as grilles, opening windows and the lip at the edge of the roof. The roof part has equipment added to its interior and is installed onto the lip, with lifting lugs dotted around the top surface. The access panels for maintenance and replacement of the bullet-resistant glass are moulded in with hinge and latch detail, plus an opening hatch for the commander/gunner, which can be posed open or closed. Given that a new IDF crew set are to be forthcoming from Meng shortly, the gunner figure could be of use here. The rear light cluster is protected by a small cage, and the vehicle's serial number is attached to the rear of the cab on a plaque and repeated on the sides of the machine, with a choice of numbers depending on which decal option you are going for. Two antenna bases fit into their corresponding lugs on the rear, with the sprung bases included, but the antennae themselves will need to be fabricated from rod or stretched sprue. Additional fuel cans in a tube-framed rack are added to the side of the cab, and the self-defence gun is built up onto its pintle mount with ammo box, and dropped into its base on the roof, at which point the two assemblies are joined together. A set of hoses are cut to length and attached to the cab before it is mated, and these hook up to the ripper arm, details of which are shown in three diagrams at different angles. The next major assembly is the running gear, although if you're a traditionalist, there's nothing to stop you from skipping ahead and getting that part over with early in the build. Each side builds up as a mirror image of the other, and the roadwheels are sandwiched between the two halves of an armoured sponson with the two idler wheels at either end. The caterpillar track differs from standard tank and AFV arrangements in that the drive wheel is raised above the weight bearing wheels, giving the track a triangular profile. There are eight roadwheels on each side, set into pairs within the sponson, and one of the poly-caps is lodged within the heart of the sponson for attachment to the hull later on. The idler wheels are single parts, and fix at both ends of the sponson, while the drive sprocket is made up from three parts plus a poly-cap, which enables them to be push-fitted to the hull on both sides. Tracks are of the individual link type, and are different from your average track run, as you'd possibly expect. The tracks are more akin to a chain with flat plates on one side of the links, which requires you to build a set of 43 links from two "chain" parts that glue together at the end of the shaft that links one link to the next. The leading edge is left free until the next link is attached, so you'll have to make sure they're correctly spaced before you start adding the flat plates. Once you have the run completed, the traction plates are added, and these line up with two pips on each side of the track link, so alignment is crucial as already stated. Having put a few links together, I can see CA (super glue) being a good option once you have established where the parts go. It would certainly speed up the process and might result in stronger joints, but you'd have to be careful to use it sparingly because any overflows would be more difficult to resolve. A pair of special links are on another sprue to link the ends of the tracks together, but these are sand coloured, so if you plan on leaving the tracks their natural grey shade, you'll need to paint at least one. Most of us won't though, and a coat of primer will unify the whole thing nicely. The parts themselves have only two sprue gates each, so clean-up should be quick and easy, but there is an ejector pin in the middle of the underside of each track plate, but once build up, you'll struggle to see them. A little mud and dust should save you from the tiresome job of clean-up, even if you think they might still be seen. I'm definitely NOT going to be cleaning them up - life is too short. The track plates are nicely moulded and very thin, replicating the real thing well, with four large bolt heads that hold them on, and a curved section where the links mesh together that reduces the likelihood of jamming on the real thing. Sure, they're complex to build up, but they're worth the effort in the end, but I'd advise anyone to take their time building them to avoid ending up in a gluey mess. The front lights, fire extinguisher, grab rails and the large flip-topped exhaust are added to the top of the engine compartment, and the main body of the beast is done. The rest of the instructions deal with the construction of the large dozer blade, which has sliding rams that can remain movable if you're frugal with the glue. Two of these are built up and glued to the front of the engine compartment, and here you have choice - one set have narrower sleeves, while the other set are armoured and have a number of lugs along their length. Choose which ones to build up at the beginning of this section, as you could end up wasting time building up all four if you don't read ahead a little. Which ones you choose depends on your decal option - smooth for US, armoured for IDF use. The hydraulic hoses attach at the rear with more ironwork added to protect the assembly. The large floodlights sit on top of them with a cage protecting them from damage, and again here you have a choice of armour types, which affects your choice of floodlights. It's best to check your references here, just to be on the safe side. The blade is a large curved part, and is backup by some heavyweight ironwork, side-plates, push-rods and a webwork of strengthening plates attached to a grille that allows the driver a better view of proceedings without letting the big stuff spill over the top of the blade. Two large ram arms are added to the rear, and the assembly is offered up to the hull. The ram arms sit almost horizontally along the outside of the roadwheel sponsons, on a keyed location pin under the drive sprocket, while the push rods slip into the hydraulic tubes attached to the front of the engine cowling. A cross-brace that allows the blade to follow the contours of the ground fixes at one end to the hull and on the other to the bottom edge of the blade assembly, with the hull-end capable of sliding in and out as the blade twists. Markings There are three markings choices, one of which is a US machine that was stationed in Iraq, the other two are Israeli machines. The IDF machines have the commander's gun and the more robust front arms, and the IDF hemp colour with red step-marks makes for a more attractive model to my eyes. From the box you can build one of the following: US Marine Corps bulldozer, Iraq 2004 - all over sand IDF 603rd Combat Engineers Battalion, Second Lebanon War, July 2006 - all over hemp IDF Combat Engineers School, Bahalat'z, August 2008 - all over hemp Decals are printed by Cartograf for Meng, and are up to their usual standards of colour density, registration and sharpness. A full set of unit marking digits are included along with those of the two featured machines, so with a little reference you could build other vehicles if you wish. A dashboard decal is included with all the dials within the driver's binnacle, and detail is good. With a little decal solution, it should settle down well over the raised detail, just remember to get the alignment right before you leave it to dry! Conclusion Another winner from Meng, and an unusual subject to boot. It should be a straightforward build apart from the tracks, but as mentioned earlier, patience and a little care will ensure that the job is done well. The detail is excellent as you'd expect from Meng, and apart from a few ejector pins on the rear of the dozer blade and inside the cab, there's little that will need any extra work for the majority of modellers. It will be great diorama fodder, and would look great with a Meng Merkava and their forthcoming crew set, breaking through some earthworks. Very highly recommended. Availabe soon in the UK from Creative Models Review sample courtesy of