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  1. Hi, I planned to build something from east Asia for this Group Build, but there are already so many builds from this area. Not that there is anything wrong with that, but I like to build something different from time to time. So time for a Turkmenistan Air Force MiG-25PD. I'm using the 1/72 ICM kit, with Linden Hill decals. I wish I could share all sorts of information about these MiG's, with lots of photos of the real ones, but alas, there isn't much out there. Work started with the cockpit, which is a multi piece affair, and it all fits nicely. I used some MRP cockpit green/blue on it. The base of the seat is also part of the cockpit floor assembly. You add the back later. The nose landing gear bay is also added, and unfortunatly you also have to add the nose gear legg at this stage. I used MRP duraluminium and Tamiya XF-80 here I can now close the nose section. Work on the intakes is next. So far it's a fun build.
  2. Hello my friends This is a side project, undertaken for the Greek Air Force, aiming to donate it at 113 Combat Squadron, for the Annual Air force Anniversary. More information about the restoration project (in Greek) in this website https://www.historicwings.gr/greek-spitfire-mj755 Mixed emotions for the kit, as the details are good, not to the modern kits, but acceptable. Fit is not kit's strong point and things got worse as locating pins are missing everywhere. Plastic was what i hated most, as it is so soft that melts from the glue. Not a kit for beginners. If anyone goes for the specific type, Eduard offering is far more better. In my case, it wasn't available and time was pressing. It is mainly an out-of-the-box build, besides a photo etched set from Eduard, to enhance the cockpit. So, cockpit is done, fuselage is closed and after a lot of sanding and rescibing we're heading for priming.
  3. Confirmed as new tool with ref.48261. Release expected for Q3 2017 https://www.hannants.co.uk/product/ICM48261 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Not mentioned in the 2016 catalogue (http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/234995418-icm-catalog-2016-programme/), dixit scalemodels.ru ICM is to release in 2017 a new tool 1/48th Heinkel He.111H-3 kit - ref.48261 Source: http://scalemodels.ru/news/10678-anons-ICM-1-48-He-111H3.html A new family of 1/48th He.111 in view? Would make sense after the 1/48th Do.17/Do.215 & Ju-88 ICM kits but wait and see. Scalemodel.ru info also show a box art... Dubious as it's the Revell 1/32nd He.111H-6 one! V.P.
  4. 2cm FlaK 38 WWII German AA Gun (35717) 1:35 ICM via H G Hannants Ltd Starting life as a 20mm naval anti-aircraft gun that was developed into the FlaK 30, the FlaK 38 was a further development of the basic gun to improve the fire rate that had previously been less than inspiring. The improvement meant an increase from 120RPM to 220RPM, but also benefitted from a decrease in all-up weight, which eased its way into service with the army in late 1939, just in time for WWII. As well as the usual trailer mount and three-legged base, a lightened mounting was also created for the gun, using a tripod that reduced the weight still more, and made it air-transportable by paratroopers into active warzones. Following accelerated acceptance trials, the new design began service with the Wehrmacht and Luftwaffe in the summer of 1940, where it became the standard light-weight Flak defence weapon for close-range operation, where it was highly effective. Crews also found that the weapon was devastating against personnel and lightly armoured ground targets, which it could attack due to its wide range of elevation. This led to it being mounted on the back of trucks, half-tracks and other armoured vehicles where it could perform both roles, which it continued to do until the end of the war. It was considered less effective by the RLM later in the war due to the increasingly well-armoured fighters it was ranged against however, and in addition to being fielded in Zwilling (twin) mounts, it was also used in a quad-mount for increased fire density, with the intensity of replacing it with a 40mm gun if the war had lasted longer. The Kit This is a brand-new tooling from our friends at ICM, and although many other companies have their own FlaK 38s in 1:35, this is their offering, and it’s a fresh tooling that has been created using accurate dimensions and proportions in an effort to obtain a highly realistic rendition of this important German anti-aircraft gun. The kit arrives in a shallow top-opening box with a captive flap on the lower tray, and inside are two sprues of grey styrene, a small decal sheet and instruction booklet printed in colour on glossy paper, with painting and decaling profiles on the rear pages. Construction begins by trapping the gun barrel with moulded-in breech between the two halves of the cradle, sliding the assembly into the armoured mantlet if you are building the variant with a splinter shield, with two L-shaped supports holding the cradle to the mantlet. Two hollow circular pivots fit on the sides of the cradle, slotting a magazine into the breech on the left side through the hole, and these locate in a two-layer trunnion on each side, choosing which elevation piston to fit underneath to set the barrel for anti-aircraft or travel and anti-personnel operations. The trunnions locate in slots on a circular base that has tread-plate moulded into the sides, fitting elevation and rotation mechanisms to the right and at the rear of the trunnions. The sighting gear is mounted on an arm above the rear of the gun, and a pair of seats are built and installed, one on each side over the tread-plated areas. The option with the splinter shield has a horizontal support tube fitted on two brackets at the front under the barrel, mounting two sections of shielding on the bottom tube, adding upper brackets to steady the parts during firing and transport. Two small tabs are removed from the circular pivots if you are fitting the shield, and an additional shield is fitted on a bracket in front of the gunner’s position, which is raised above the main shield for sighting the gun. Three additional magazines are supplied to store in the ready-mag box on the left side of the gun for either variant. The base consists of two layers with a large circular cut-out in the centre, plus three feet, one on each outrigger, lowering the completed gun into position as the final part of the build. A pair of diagrams show the completed model in armoured and unarmoured finishes to assist you with making your choice and ensuring you build it using the correct parts. Markings There are four widely varying decal options on the small sheet, starting with a Panzer Grey early option, and adding three more with a base coat of dark yellow (dunkelgelb), with various camouflages over the top, including a winter distemper and two variations of red and green or grey stripes. From the box you can build one of the following: Eastern Front, 1942 Italy, 1943 Western Ukraine, 1944 East Prussia, 1945 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 good to see a modern tooling of this common FlaK gun, which is well-detailed, although you will have to drill out the muzzle yourself to add extra realism. A good choice of decal options that include instrument faces add to the appeal. Highly recommended. Available in the UK from importers H G Hannants Ltd. Review sample courtesy of
  5. US Aerial Target Drones (48399) 1:48 ICM via H G Hannants Ltd People think drones are a new thing for the military, but remote controlled aircraft began service in simple forms during WWII. The Firebee was developed by Ryan for the newly reformed USAF in 1948 as a jet powered gunnery target, the first flight taking place in 1951. The USAF Designation was Q-2A, and when the US Navy bought them, they re-designated them KDA-1. The original Firebees were air launched from a modified A-26 Intruder, or ground launched using a Rocket Assisted Take-Off (RATO) pack, a system that was later also employed by the US Army. Q-2Bs were fitted with a modified engine for higher altitudes to widen the type’s range of operation and increase their usefulness. They were further developed over time with the KDA-4 being the main USN version, however differences were mainly internal, so once the stencils are removed, it’s difficult to tell apart without unscrewing panels. The Royal Canadian Air Force purchased 30 KDA-4s that they launched from an Avro Lancaster Mk.10DC, giving modellers another option for the use of these models. In the late 50s the USAF Awarded Ryan a contract for a new second generation Firebee that would become the BQM-34A or Q-2C, which employed a larger airframe with longer wings. One of the main recognition features was the fact the original nose intake was replaced by a chin intake for the new Continental J69-T-29A turbojet, beneath a pointed nose. In addition to the USAF and USN, the US Army had a ground launched variant with RATO pack that was designated the MQM-34D, this version having a longer wing than the USAF & USN variants, sometimes air-launched from a modified Hercules, designated DC-130 for Drone Control. While production originally ended in 1982, the line was re-opened in 1989 to produce additional units to satisfy the needs of the US military, and these BQM-34S variants featured improved avionics and a new J85-GE-100 engine. The Kit Comprising one each of the Q-2A and Q-2C kits, which ICM have previously released separately, the kit arrives in a top-opening box with the usual captive flap on the lower tray, and a painting of both airframes on the front. Inside are two individual resealable bags containing a total of four sprues in grey styrene, a pair of separate decal sheets, and two instruction booklets from the original kits. Detail is good as far as it goes on a drone, and it includes a trailer for each airframe, which will make display without an aircraft to hang it from a breeze. KDA-1 (Q-2A) Firebee with Trailer This earlier variant of the Firebee is the smaller of the two, with an intake in the nose and a central bullet that lends itself to nose art. Construction begins with the Continental J69-T-19B intake, which is made from two halves plus a depiction of the rear face of the engine, and a front mounting bulkhead that has the forward compressor fan moulded-in, and a keyed hole for the central bullet, which is also made from two halves before inserting it in the hole. The two fuselage halves have a tapering insert on each side to portray the intake’s inner lip, fitting the motor assembly into the starboard half, then trapping it in place with the other half and dealing with the seams in your preferred manner. Each swept wing is made from upper and lower halves, with a long tab that fits into a slot in the fuselage sides, while the elevators are single thickness and fit in the same way. An insert closes the gap in the upper fuselage, adding a pair of two-part wingtip fairings, the tail fin, and two V-shaped end-plates on the elevators to finish the airframe. The trailer is based on a large rectangular frame with a triangular A-frame moulded-in that has a towing arm at the front. Three castor wheels are fixed to the rear corners and under the tip of the A-frame, turning the assembly over, mounting an inverted V on the rear, and an inverted U at the front, which has a pin that descends and retains the front of the fuselage, while a pin at the top of the V supports the rear. Markings There are three decal options for this part of the kit, all of them a bit bright. From the box you can build one of the following: Q-2A Firebee USAF, Circa 1951 Ryan KDA-1 Firebee Naval Ordnance Test Station China Lake, California, Circa 1960 US Navy XQ-2 Prototype, Circa 1950 BQM-34A (Q-2C) Firebee with Trailer This later mark also comes on two sprues, whilst the trailer is larger and sturdier. Construction begins with the engine again, this time a Continental J69-T-29A, fitting front and rear faces between the two trunk halves, then fitting it on a long tab in between the fuselage halves, cutting off the small moulded-in strakes under the tail for one decal option. Like its stablemate, there is an insert along the spine, but the intake lip is a single part that should be carefully aligned with the fuselage to reduce clean-up later. The wings are wider but thinner for the Q-2C, and as such they are each single parts that match the elevators, the latter having small triangular end-plates added to the tips, along with the tail fin that slots into the rear of the spine insert. The trailer has a U-shaped under-frame, first mating two U-shaped ribs with three rods, then fitting those to the main chassis rails, and adding a cross-brace to the rear. A pair of axles are each made from two parts and glued into recesses in the underside, and they have two-part wheels fitted to the ends, making the towing arm from a two-part beam that has a shallow A-frame linking it to the front axle. The completed Firebee simply drops into the curved frames, locating on a pin at the rear under the tail. Markings There are four decal options for this part of the kit, all of them brightly coloured to make them stand out. From the box you can build one of the following: US Navy BMQ-34 Naval Base Ventura County US Navy BMQ-34 36 Mission markings USAF BQM-34 Wallace Air Station US Navy BQM-34 circa 2000s 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 compact reboxing that will give you a brace of noticeably different Firebees to build, and as there are no cockpits or gear bays to slow you down, it should make for a quick, fun build. Highly recommended. Available in the UK from importers H G Hannants Ltd. Review sample courtesy of
  6. Benz Patent-Motorwagen 1886 with Mrs Benz & Sons (24041) 1:24 ICM via Hannants We’ve been addicted to petroleum for over a century now, but in the late 1800s the predominant power source was still steam, although that just used another form of fossil fuel. When Karl Benz applied for a patent for his Motorwagen in 1885, it became the first petrol-powered production vehicle that was designed from the outset to use this method of propulsion. When you look at its three-wheel design it appears to have been the product of the mating between a horse carriage, a bicycle and a grandfather clock, with a little bit of chaise longue thrown in for good measure. A rear-mounted engine with a solitary cylinder, two seats without any weather protection and a kind of tiller for steering doesn’t really gel with our understanding of what represents a car now, but they had to start somewhere. There were only 25 made, but the precedent had been set and travelling at 16kmh was found to be quite fun and started us down the long road to becoming petrol-heads, much to our environment’s distress. The Kit This is a reboxing of a brand-new tooling of this important vehicle, reviewed here, and although it’s way out of my usual wheel-house I’m already smitten with it, even more so now that it has a set of figures with it to create a human scale. There is one main sprue for the majority of the parts, with three smaller sprues in the same grey styrene for the wheels and a jig to complete the spokes on a Photo-Etched fret, which is secreted within a thick card envelope, plus of course the new figure sprue. The instruction booklet has been printed in an olde-worlde style, and a replica of the patent application is also included on thick card in case you wanted to use it as a base or backdrop. The bicycle car has spoked wheels that would normally give most modellers conniptions, but ICM have really pushed the boat out in terms of the engineering that should allow you to create a model that looks pretty realistic if you follow the instructions carefully. The supplied jig is mind-blowing both in its simplicity and cleverness that every time I examine it, it has me smiling. Construction begins with the subframe and suspension, which looks more like a carriage than a chassis. Leaf-springs support the main axle beneath the slatted foot well, and an additional frame is applied to the rear with a set of three small pulley-wheel parts fit on a bar and form a transfer point for the drive-belt that’s added later, with a choice of two styles for the centre section. At the very rear of the chassis is a stub-axle that mounts a huge flywheel made up from two parts to create a rim, then the single-cylindered engine is built, bearing more than a passing resemblance to an air compressor that you might have under your desk somewhere. There are a few colour choices called out along the way, and the finished assembly is then mounted on the cross-rail, overhanging the flywheel. Various small ancillary parts are added to the engine “compartment”, another drive pulley is mounted perpendicular to the large flywheel, then the two are joined by the drive band, which you can make up from the two straps on the sprue, or by creating your own that fully wraps around the pulleys for a more realistic look. A toolbox is added next to the engine, then fuel and radiator tanks are built and installed along with their hosing. There is a surrounding frame for the seat added to the small upstands on the chassis, which holds the moulded upholstered cushions to which the framed back and side-rests are fixed, with extra padding attached to the back and arms before it is inserted and glued in place. This picture above shows both wheel types on one side. The larger wheel is actually built on the opposite side of the jig. Now the PE fun begins! The power that has been transferred to an axle under the foot well is sent to the wheels by a bike-style chain, which is layered up from three PE parts that form the rings as well as the links, with one assembly per side. Next comes the really clever part. Each of the pneumatic tyres are moulded within a circular sprue runner, which has four towers hanging down. These towers fit into corresponding holes in the jig, with a small one for the front wheel and larger one for the outside, all on the same jig. This allows the modeller to keep the tyre stationary while locating the little eyes on the ends of the spokes into the pips on the inside rim of the tyre. It also sets the correct dish to the wheels when you add the temporary centre boss during construction. You create two of these assemblies per tyre, cut them from their sprues once complete, then glue them together with a hub sandwiched between them just like a modern bike wheel. You carry out that task thrice, two large, one small and it would be well worth painting the spokes beforehand. The main wheels slot straight onto the axle, while the front wheel is clamped in place by a two-part yoke, much like a set of forks on a bike. In order to steer the vehicle, the tiller is made up from a few parts and slots into the footwell floor, with a small step added to the right front corner of the well to ease access. A steering linkage joins the fork and tiller together, a small wheel pokes out of the footwell, possibly a fuel valve? I don’t know, as I’m not quite that knowledgeable on the subject. The final part is a long brake lever, which is probably intended to make up for the lack of servo assistance by using leverage. The figures are newly tooled for this kit, and consist of Mrs Benz in a flowing dress and shawl, plus her two sons that are assisting or hindering, depending on your point of view! Each figure is made with some hollow parts, with the torso made of two parts that incorporates coat tails for added realism for the boys, and a flowing shawl draped around Mrs Benz’s head and shoulders. You’ll have to hollow out her voluminous cuffs for extra detail if you’d like, but the sculpting is excellent as we’ve come to expect from ICM, especially in the details of Mrs Benz’s ornate dress. To avoid confusion, there is a separate colour guide chart on the instruction sheet that accompanies the kit, or Mrs Benz would end up with a gloss black or copper shawl! That confused me briefly, I have to admit. Markings There are no decals in the box, as there isn’t enough of a vehicle for anything other than paint. The colours for each part are called out in boxed letters as the build progresses, and that’s a very good idea for such a stripped-down framework with parts strapped to it. The codes refer back to a chart on the front of the booklet that gives Revell and Tamiya codes plus the colour names in English and Ukrainian, with a separate chart for the figures. Conclusion Another totally left-field hit from my point of view, as it’s detailed, very cool and even more endearing with the addition of the figures. If you’d asked me previously if I would ever build a car from 1886 I’d have said no way. Now I am seriously considering it, although if you gave me a full size one to drive I’d need a few beers to drive anything that doesn’t float but is steered with a tiller. Extremely highly recommended. Available in the UK from importers H G Hannants Ltd. Review sample courtesy of
  7. Benz Patent-Motorwagen 1886 (24040) 1:24 ICM via Hannants We’ve been addicted to petroleum for over a century now, but in the late 1800s the predominant power source was still steam, although that just used another form of fossil fuel. When Karl Benz applied for a patent for his Motorwagen in 1885, it became the first petrol-powered production vehicle that was designed from the outset to use this method of propulsion. When you look at its three-wheel design it appears to have been the product of the mating between a horse carriage, a bicycle and a grandfather clock, with a little bit of chaise longue thrown in for good measure. A rear-mounted engine with a solitary cylinder, two seats without any weather protection and a kind of tiller for steering doesn’t really gel with our understanding of what represents a car now, but they had to start somewhere. There were only 25 made, but the precedent had been set and travelling at 16kmh was found to be quite fun and started us down the long road to becoming petrol-heads, much to our environment’s distress. The Kit This is a brand-new tooling of this important vehicle, and although it’s way out of my usual wheel-house I’m quite taken with it, especially when I opened the white-themed box to reveal the contents. There is one main sprue for the majority of the parts, with three smaller sprues in the same grey styrene for the wheels and a jig to complete the spokes on a Photo-Etched fret, which is secreted within a thick card envelope. The instruction booklet has been printed in an olde-worldy style, and a replica of the patent application is also included on thick card in case you wanted to use it as a base or backdrop. The bicycle car has spoked wheels that would normally give most modellers conniptions, but ICM have really pushed the boat out in terms of the engineering that should allow you to create a model that looks pretty realistic if you follow the instructions carefully. The supplied jig is mind-blowing both in its simplicity and cleverness that every time I examine it I end up smiling. Construction begins with the subframe and suspension, which looks more like a carriage than a chassis. Leaf-springs support the main axle beneath the slatted foot well, and an additional frame is applied to the rear with a set of three small pulley-wheel parts fit on a bar and form a transfer point for the drive-belt that’s added later, with a choice of two styles for the centre section. At the very rear of the chassis is a stub-axle that mounts a huge flywheel made up from two parts to create a rim, then the single-cylindered engine is built, bearing more than a passing resemblance to an air compressor that you might have under your desk somewhere. There are a few colour choices called out along the way, and the finished assembly is then mounted on the cross-rail, overhanging the flywheel. Various small ancillary parts are added to the engine “compartment”, another drive pulley is mounted perpendicular to the large flywheel, then the two are joined by the drive band, which you can make up from the two straps on the sprue, or by creating your own that fully wraps around the pulleys for a more realistic look. A toolbox is added next to the engine, then fuel and radiator tanks are built and installed along with their hosing. There is a surrounding frame for the seat added to the small upstands on the chassis, which holds the moulded upholstered cushions to which the framed back and side-rests are fixed, with extra padding attached to the back and arms before it is inserted and glued in place. Now the PE fun begins! The power that has been transferred to an axle under the foot well is sent to the wheels by a bike-style chain, which is layered up from three PE parts that form the rings as well as the links, with one assembly per side. Now comes the really clever part. Each of the pneumatic tyres are moulded within a circular sprue runner, which has four towers hanging down. These towers fit into corresponding holes in the jig, with a small one for the front wheel and larger one for the outside, all on the same jig. This allows the modeller to keep the tyre stationary while locating the little eyes on the ends of the spokes into the pips on the inside rim of the tyre. It also sets the correct dish to the wheels when you add the temporary centre boss during construction. You create two of these assemblies per tyre, cut them from their sprues once complete, then glue them together with a hub sandwiched between them just like a modern bike wheel. You carry out that task thrice, two large, one small and it would be well worth painting the spokes beforehand. The main wheels slot straight onto the axle, while the front wheel is clamped in place by a two-part yoke, much like a set of forks on a bike. In order to steer the vehicle, the tiller is made up from a few parts and slots into the footwell floor, with a small step added to the right front corner of the well to ease access. A steering linkage joins the fork and tiller together, a small wheel pokes out of the footwell, possibly a fuel valve? I don’t know, as I’m not quite that knowledgeable on the subject. The final part is a long brake lever, which is probably intended to make up for the lack of servo assistance by using leverage. Markings There are no decals in the box, as there isn’t enough of a vehicle for anything other than paint. The colours for each part are called out in boxed letters as the build progresses, and that’s a very good idea for such a stripped-down framework with parts strapped to it. The codes refer back to a chart on the front of the booklet that gives Revell and Tamiya codes plus the colour names in English and Ukrainian. Conclusion A totally left-field hit from my point of view, as it’s detailed, very cool and quite endearing. If you’d asked me if I would ever build a car from 1886 I’d have said no way. Now I am seriously considering it, although if you gave me a full size one to drive I’d need a few beers to drive anything that doesn’t float but is steered with a tiller. Extremely highly recommended. Available in the UK from importers H G Hannants Ltd. Review sample courtesy of
  8. CH-54A Tarhe with Universal Military Pod (53057) 1:35 ICM via H G Hannants Ltd With the advent of the helicopter, their ability to rise vertically into the air led them to lifting heavy loads, and by the end of the Korean War, there were already Heavy Lift choppers in service, most using piston-engines as their motive force, which was a limitation both in terms of power and reliability – a very important factor when you aren’t flying, but are instead beating the air into submission with your rotors. The peculiarly ungainly-looking CH-60 Mojave was reaching the end of its service life, and Igor Sikorsky had already identified the need for a very heavy lift helicopter with the S-60 that was powered by WWII era radial engines. The design was the basis for the Tarhe, but updated and given the more powerful and reliable turbo-shaft engines that were just coming into production. The engines for the nascent CH-54 were created in conjunction with Pratt & Whitney, adapting one of their new JT12 jet engines to their requirements. In an effort to keep the weight of the airframe down, the designers gave the Tarhe a cut-down skeletal fuselage, with only the crew compartment boxed in. This compartment also contained a rearward-facing cab that gave the crane operators an excellent view of proceedings, as well as limited control over the height and attitude of the airframe, as the CH-54 had an early form of fly-by-wire that allowed the duplicating of controls in a secondary location, but with the effectiveness of the controls lessened to reduce the likelihood of accidents due to sudden movements caused by the crane-operator. The advanced control system also gave it such luxuries as altitude control, reducing the workload of the pilots during extended hovers. The US Army recognised the potential of the type after a short testing phase, and took over 100 airframes on charge that would see extensive use in Vietnam. A civilian version was created too, called the S-64 Skycrane, while in army service it was often referred to as just ‘The Crane’. Because of its size, The Crane was capable of carrying enormous loads that were hitherto impossible to lift vertically, if at all. It was able to carry a Sheridan Tank, an M101 Howitzer, or up to 90 fully kitted out soldiers in a passenger pod that could be slung under the skeletal bodywork. There’s some fantastic diorama fodder right there. One of the tasks allotted to the Tarhe was carrying a large purpose-built pod that resembled a cargo container on wheels, which could be slung in the belly of the airframe, and could carry a substantial cadre of troops from A to B, act as a temporary air-transportable hospital ward, or a mobile command centre. Depending on the task it was allocated, it could be fitted out with seats, litters or admin facilities and could house up to 87 fully equipped paratroops sat on simple fabric seats, who could air-drop if necessary, through the doors on each side of the pod. Small windows were also sited on the sides, and these were slightly convex to allow easier vision around the aircraft, whilst still being streamlined. The Tarhe was eventually withdrawn from service in the late 80s, as the airframes were ageing and the new Chinook was taking over in military service, the Tarhe finally leaving National Guard service in the early 90s. Due to their usefulness however, many of them were bought by civilian operators, especially Erickson Air-Crane of Oregon, who also took over type approval to ensure their ongoing airworthiness. The Kit This is a rebox of a brand-new tooling from ICM with a new sprue for the bomb, and to create the base from which the Tarhe operated, a sprue of M8A1 US Landing Mat and two sprues of figures have been included to depict the crew and ground personnel, giving you the basics of a diorama. The master tooling is the first of its kind in this scale, and in fact we’ve not been very well served in any scale as far as the Tarhe goes, other than an extremely old kit in 1:72 from another manufacturer. It arrives in a long top-opening box with a wrap-around painting of the type in action, and inside are a deceptive two lower trays with the usual captive lids, all of which is held in by tape. Take care when opening the box, as it could surprise you when the second box drops out. Once the boxes are open, the sprues have been spread evenly across the two trays to reduce the likelihood of damage to some of the lovely detail that’s within. There are twenty-one sprues in grey styrene, one of clear parts, a relatively small decal sheet, and a moderately thick instruction booklet printed on glossy paper with colour profiles in the rear. It’s difficult to get a feel for the scale of the finished model from the sprues, but the length is stated on the box of 774mm or 30.4” long, and 225mm or 8.9” tall. The width isn’t given, but each rotor is 28cm or 11” long, so allowing for the extra width of the centre boss it should be a little more than twice that wide. Detail is excellent, as we’ve come to expect from ICM in recent years, with finely engraved panel lines, raised rivets where appropriate, and crystal-clear canopy parts, which will be very visible on the finished model. Without a shadow of a doubt someone will manage to create a diorama that uses the cables to support the finished model above its load to give the impression of flight, and if they also manage to make the blades rotate, they may just achieve modelling godhood. Construction begins with the stepped cockpit floor, which is kitted out with rudder pedals for both pilots, adding the instrument panel and supporting centre console with decals to the centre, then fixing collective and cyclic sticks in position, followed by the seats that are each made from rear frame, seat pad and back cushion, locating in holes in their adjustment rails moulded into the floor. Another seat is made up from a solid base and two cushions, gluing in position on the lower section of the floor, facing aft and forming the first part of the crane operator’s cab. A partial bulkhead separates the front seats from the rear, adding another to the side of the seat that has a small console with joystick sprouting from the centre. Another L-shaped column is added on the inner side, and a short frame with an instrument panel and decal attached to it at the side of the cut-out, which is fleshed out with a pair of curved bulkheads. At the front of the cockpit, the nose cone is mounted in front of the instrument panel, then the sides and underside of the cockpit structure closes in much of the area. Turning the assembly around, the rear is closed in with a panel that wraps under the edge, and under the crane-operator seat, a foot rest with twin supports is slotted into the edge. The back of the cockpit has a lot of glazing, starting with five radiused panes in the starboard corner, one more on the port by the crane-op’s seat, and a large wrap-around section enclosing the operator’s cab. Much of the fuselage of this behemoth is skeletal, and is built up as a separate assembly, including internal bracing to ensure your Tarhe doesn’t become a Droopy. The process starts with the underside of the fuselage structure, which is made from three overlapping lengths that have location grooves for the bracing that comes later. Firstly, the winch is made from two halves that form a drum, capped off with two nicely detailed parts that turn it into a bobbin, which is supported between two angled trunnions that are each laminated from three parts, and braced at one end by rods and by the bobbin at the rounded end. It is glued between two vertical braces that have two more braces slotted in across the front and rear of the winch bay, fixing two exterior panels to the end of the cross-braces, plus another that is slotted in nearer the front. Take care here, as there are two slots, and the aft-most is the correct choice. At the same time, a cross-brace that supports the main landing gear sponsons is added from underneath, and this slots into all four thicknesses, as does another short brace behind and one more in the front, making the assembly stronger, and once it is glued to the underside of the fuselage it should be very strong. On the tapering tail section two more bulkheads are shown being added, but in the next step a longitudinal brace is shown already fitted, which I suspect is part D11, but test fit to reassure yourself when you build yours. The two tail sides with moulded-in fin hides the tail internals, joining together at the tip of the fin, and secured by adding the rear surface, and cutting a raised area off the underside. The topside of the fuselage is then boxed in with three panels, the largest having a hole in the centre for the rotor head later. The full length of the beast can be seen for the first time now, when you mate the cockpit to the front of the fuselage, gluing the side extensions to the bare section to create one assembly. An overhead console is decaled and detailed with levers, and is fixed to the rear bulkhead of the cockpit alongside another, after which the cockpit roof is laid over the area, followed by the windscreen and side doors that give your Tarhe a face. Two small two-part “ears” are made up and inserted in recesses near the rear of the cockpit, as are a couple of other small humps and bumps, the uses for which will become clear later. On the port fuselage side, a thick trunk of cables is fixed to the side and overlaid by a pair of C-shaped assemblies that are each built from three parts. The CH-54 had long legs that allowed it to pull its loads close to the spine to reduce sway, and these are next to be made, starting with a pair of two-part wheels, and the sponsons that support them, each one made from four surfaces, plus the struts, which have a two-part sleeve around the upper area, separate scissor-links and two tie-down hooks, fitting to the end of the sponson by the flattened rear of the outer sleeve. The nose wheel is also two-part, and fits on a short oleo with a one-part scissor-link under the nose. The winch head is also two parts and is added to the winch mechanism while the main gear sponsons are slipped over the supports and the nose wheel is put in place. The tail rotor head is a complex assembly that should remain mobile after construction, made up from eleven parts and fitted on the back of the tail fin along with a small bracing rod at the front. There are also several external trunks added individually on the starboard side and down the leg sponsons, some of which are overlaid by a protective panel near the front, and yet more small lengths are dotted around all over the place, making for a complex, detailed surface that should look more realistic than moulded-in alternatives. The drive-shaft for the tail rotor is also external, and runs up the back of the fin through some additional brackets, and terminating at the bottom with a four-part universal joint. More scabbed-on panels are fitted to the back of the fuselage, and a pair of optional aerodynamic fairings are supplied for the sides of the main gear sponsons. This isn’t even close to the final layer of detail yet, but we take a break from detailing to build the main rotor head next. The rotor-head starts with a bell-housing that has two input shafts from the twin turbo-shaft engines, the main portion of which is two parts, plus two-part end caps that is then placed on a circular base, and has the shaft cover and ring fitted to the top, adding a number of actuators and rods to the side, plus a housing with pulleys and equipment that mounts on the back of the head. The basic assembly is then mated with the opening in the top of the fuselage, after which there are a host of small wires/actuators/hoses that link the two assemblies together. A scabbed-on box is fixed to the fuselage behind the rotor off to one side to accommodate the drive-shaft for the tail rotor later, and a bulwark slots into a groove just in front of the rotor-head, followed by the drive-shaft, which slots through a support and dives through the tail to emerge behind the fin at the universal joint. A two-layer cover is placed over the drive-shaft around half way back, possibly to protect it from blade strikes, but it’s not the only piece of equipment that is sited on the fuselage top, which includes what appears to be a radiator assembly and some kind of exhaust, both installed behind the rotor-head, an area that is getting busy already. More parts are added further enmeshing the various assemblies, then it’s time to build the two engines. The Pratt & Whitney engines are identical in make-up until they reach the exhaust stage, which is handed. The front section is made from thirty-five parts before the handed exhausts are made, each one a mirror-image of the other, and built from eight more parts. The motors are mounted on the top deck with an M-brace between them, adding a few more small parts around them, then building up two intake filter boxes from sixteen parts each, handed to each side, with a scrap diagram showing how they should look from the front. They mount in front of the engine intakes on the ears we made earlier, and have two Z-braces front and rear between them. There are four auxiliary winches for load stabilising placed around the front and rear sides of the fuselage, with a four-part assembly making each one, and locating on a pair of brackets moulded into the fuselage sides. More detail is applied to the cockpit in the shape of four clear lenses underneath, a towel-rail and blade antenna, two more externally routed wires around the rear, and crew step plus three ladder rungs on each side, with two more around the rear. Grab-handles, door handles and windscreen wipers are next, followed by yet more grab handles on both sides leading up to the cockpit roof. More aerials are fixed at the root of the tail boom, and at the very rear, a three-part bumper is fitted under the fin, then an asymmetrical stabiliser is mounted on the opposite side of the fin to the tail rotor. Most traditional choppers have two rotors, and despite its size the Tarhe conforms to that layout, and the tail-rotor is first to be made, starting with the two-part rotor base that accepts the four individual blades, and a two-part actuator crown in the centre. It fits to the axle and should be able to rotate if you’ve been sparing with the glue. That’s the easy, simple part over with, now you must do it again on a much larger scale and with six blades. Work starts with the axle, the lower end of which slips through a centre boss and is covered by the six-point star assembly, which has another smaller star fixed to the centre, six D-shaped inserts added to the tips, and T-shaped spacers added vertically to separate the top rotor “star” from the bottom. The top portion is made up identically to the lower apart from the spacers, then it is closed over the rotor holders after gluing them in place on the lower. Each blade holder then has its four-part actuator mechanism installed over the top, and the whole assembly is topped by a three-part spinner cap. The final act is to insert each of the six blades into the holders, then drop the completed rotor into the rotor-head. Universal Military Pod The floor is the starting point of this assembly, adding six rows of tubular legs to recesses in the detailed deck, fixing seat pans horizontally, and back cushions that rest at an angle on vertical posts, the port two rows facing starboard, the other against the starboard facing them. The walls are detailed on both sides, having panel lines and rivets on the outer face and ribbing on the inner face, where you will find a few ejector-pin marks that you may want to fill if you think they will be seen. They are further prepared by installing windows from the inside, plus two vertical tubes, a control panel on one side by the doors, which are fitted later. The floor is laminator with an extra layer that tapers upward at both ends, then the side walls are glued into position, followed by the two-layer back wall, which is covered in surface detail but has no windows or other features. The front wall has a window and a bracket, but the roof is prepared first, fixing seventeen inserts into recesses in the ribbed part, some of which are lights, finishing the main structure by installing the last two faces. The details added to the exterior of the pod are copious, starting with the retractable wheels that give you a choice of two styles depicting raised and lowered by using parts of different lengths. The basic shape of these struts is an inverted T, with the vertical strut extending to give the wheels clearance below the pod so that it can be moved around more easily. The wheels are each made from two halves, sliding onto the stub axles at the bottom of each strut, adding the doors to their cut-outs after mounting the handles at waist-height, and fitting various grab-handles and protective cages to the landing gear, and for ground-handling. Tie-downs are added, with four brackets that accept clips for carriage under the helicopter, plus a pair of dampers that reduce oscillation of the pod when airborne to reduce the likelihood of nausea for the passengers. Markings There are three decal options provided on the sheet, all varying slightly in the tone of green applied to the airframe or pod, one with matching colours, the other two with a lighter pod or airframe. From the box you can build one of the following: 68-18457, 295th Aviation Company, Germany 1972 67-18429, Key Field Air National Guard Base, August 1982 68-18459, 113th Aviation Regiment, Reno Stead Airport, November 1989 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 When the first boxing was launched, several commenters lamented, or hoped for the pod to be part of the release schedule, and now their wish has been fulfilled. Will we see some firefighting or ski-equipped boxings next? Highly recommended. Available in the UK from importers H G Hannants Ltd. Review sample courtesy of
  9. B-26B Marauder with USAAF Pilots & Ground Crew (48322) D-Day 80th Anniversary 1:48 ICM via H G Hannants Ltd Now 80 years ago, D-Day 6th of June 1944 was one of the major turning points of WWII, when the western Allies opened a second front that comrade Stalin of the Soviet Union had been asking for at meetings for some time. The land operation was named Overlord, and was timed to take place when the Allies were at maximum readiness in an attempt to secure success, although in war there is no such thing as a 100% guarantee. Southern England became the staging ground for millions of troops, their equipment, backup staff, and the aircraft that would provide critical air cover during the operation, in addition to heavy around-the-clock bombing that took place in before and after the big day. During a break in the poor weather that summer, a massive seaborne force undertook Operation Neptune, which transported them across the Channel/La manche to Normandy through the night of the 5th, landing early on the morning of the 6th of June. Many air raids were scheduled at other locations to confuse and distract the Germans into expecting the main attack elsewhere, which along with the acts of some very devious psyops under the banner of Operation Bodyguard were very successful, as Mr Hitler took several days to come around to the fact that Normandy was the main attack and not a diversion, giving the Allies some leeway to establish a beachhead, although the battle to get ashore was still intense, especially Omaha beach, where the American troops suffered horrific casualties. Overhead, a huge effort was expended by Allied fighters and bombers of every class. The fighters accompanied bombers to support their attacks, also seeking out targets of opportunity to weaken the enemy’s defences to ease the impending arrival of Allied troops and armour as they moved inland after the initial day’s assault, heading for crucial locations such as Caen. The Luftwaffe put up what defence they could, but their numbers and skill-base had been substantially eroded over the preceding years of warfare, losing many of their experienced pilots and manufacturing capability, which coupled with fuel and equipment shortages kept the skies from being filled with enemy fighters, although the pilots of the RAF and USAAF would probably beg to differ, as these things are always relative, and based upon individual experiences. To minimise friendly-fire incidents between air-assets and ground-to-air assets, ‘special markings’ were mandated for Allied aircraft, which became colloquially known as ‘invasion stripes’ or ‘D-Day Stripes’, consisting of black and white bands on the wings and fuselage, using prescribed colours and widths that were adhered to with varying levels of accuracy and tidiness depending on the individual unit’s available manpower and time before take-off, which has caused many disagreements between modellers over the years. The Set This set includes the newly-tooled B-26B Marauder, and adds a recently tooled USAAF figure set that was previously available separately, all three decal options for the Marauder wearing Invasion stripes to avoid friendly fire when over Europe from jittery Allied soldiers or otherwise friendly Anti-Aircraft installations. The figures add human scale to the model, and will lend themselves to a diorama situation if you have one planned. B-26B Marauder Instigated on the eve of WWII in Europe, the Marauder was a medium bomber developed over two years by the Glenn L Martin company, entering service in early 1942. Due to its high wing and relatively small planform, loading was high, which resulted in a faster than usual landing speed, which could cause problems for an inexperienced crew during final approach, and similarly if a single-engined approach was necessary. Its stall speed would bite the pilots aggressively if they varied even slightly from the documented landing procedures, resulting in excessive losses due to accidents, which earned it the nickname ‘Widowmaker’ amongst crews. To counter this, changes to the aircraft’s aerodynamics and wing length were undertaken, together with additional crew training, a combination that proved successful, and led to the type’s loss rate being amongst the lowest of the Allied bomber fleet. After initial orders, more followed, and improvements led to the B-26A, and soon after the B-26B, which by Block 10 benefited from longer wings and the other improvements that gave its pilots a longer life-expectancy. The type saw extensive service in Europe, flying with the US Army Air Force and with the RAF, where it was known as the Marauder Mk.1 for B-26A airframes, and Mk.1a for the B models. It also saw service in the Pacific, with a total of over 5,000 airframes built, 500 of which were flown by the RAF, with all airframes withdrawn from service by 1947, after which the A-26 Invader was given the B-26 designation, creating confusion amongst many aviation buffs and modellers over the years. Powered by a pair of Pratt & Whitney R-2800 Double Wasp engine in nacelles under the wings, the rotund fuselage could carry up to 4,000lbs of bombs in a bay between the wings with a range of 1,500 miles at a substantially higher cruising speed than a B-17, giving it a better chance against fighters and flak, which contributed to its low attrition rate. An early adaptation saw the main armament increased from .303 machine guns to .50cals in all four turrets that could take a bigger bite out of any enemy fighters that ventured too close. The Kit This is a re-boxing of a brand-new tooling from ICM, of an aircraft that has been neglected for many years in 1:48 scale, so there was much joy when the kit was announced, and many of us, myself included, have been waiting as patiently as we can manage for its release. The kit arrives in a top-opening box with an attractive painting of a colourfully marked Marauder getting ready to brave the flak over Europe, and under the lid is the usual captive flap on the lower tray, and under that are eight large sprues in grey styrene, another separately bagged grey sprue for the figures that we’ll cover later in the review, plus one sprue of crystal-clear parts, a large decal sheet and the instruction booklet that is printed on glossy paper in colour with painting and decaling profiles on the rear pages. Detail is up to ICM’s modern high standards, with most of the fuselage full of detail that includes the cockpit, bomb bay and fuselage compartments around the turrets and waist gun positions. Construction begins with the fuselage halves for a change, preparing the interior by drilling out some flashed-over holes for gun packs used on two decal options, and adding the outer bomb racks plus other small details, along with the windows and hinges for the bomb bay if you plan to pose them open. There are also two decals to be applied to parts of the nose compartment, one on each side. The nose bay is built upon its roof, adding side walls and details to the interior, then the cockpit floor is layered on top, fitting the pilot’s four-part seat and separate rudder pedals, making the centre console from another five parts, and attaching the instrument panel to the rear, both it and the console receiving decals to depict the dials. The cranked control column has a bow-tie yoke, applying them to the floor in front of the pilot’s seat, and a bottle behind it, plus a single-part co-pilot seat, two-part yoke, and a stiff neck from straining to view the instrument panel. In the front of the floor is the bomb aimer’s seat, with a three-part sight for him to look through when the time for dropping bombs arrives. The bomb bay front and rear bulkheads have spars moulded-in and show off the circular cross-section of the fuselage, detailing both with small parts, and joining them together via the roof, which is ribbed for strength. Six bombs are built from two main parts with a separate spinner trapped inside the fin structure, gluing three to each of the central bomb ladders, then mounting those onto a pair of rails that fit into the bottom centre of the two bulkheads during the installation of the bay roof. The completed assembly is inserted into the port fuselage half, hiding the short empty sections of the fuselage by inserting another bulkhead behind the bomb bay and in front, the latter having the cockpit floor slotted into it before installation. Before the fuselage halves can be closed, there is a lot of armament to be built, starting with the rear gun turret, which has two guns glued to a central support, sliding the barrels through the two slots in the rear cover, and adding a tapering bracket to the top. The fuselage waist defensive armament is stowed away inside until needed, mounting the two guns facing aft on a section of flooring via two supports, which is depicted with two options, although I can’t see any differences between the two, but it’s late. The waist guns are glued into the rear fuselage on a flat area, inserting the rear turret in the aft, and fitting an armoured bulkhead forward, which the gunner sits behind on a circular seat that is also included. The top turret has the front section with ammo cans built first, inserting it and the gunner’s seat into the turret ring from below along with the control levers. The twin .50cals are inserted from above with the sighting gear between them, slotting the completed interior into a surround, then sliding the glazing over the barrels and securing it with a non-fogging glue before it is slipped into the cut-out on the upper fuselage. Another ovoid bulkhead with a hatchway is inserted between the rear gunner and waist gunners, suspending a box overhead in the waist compartment, then sectioning off the nose from the cockpit with a horseshoe-shaped bulkhead. If you skipped ahead and prepared the starboard fuselage half to speed through painting and weathering, it’s all good, otherwise the starboard fuselage is drilled out and dotted with detail parts, windows, braces and bomb racks, plus bomb bay hinges if you are leaving the doors open, then closing the two halves after putting 50g of nose weight in the space between the cockpit and bomb bay to keep the nose wheel on the ground when the model is complete. The tail fin is a separate assembly on this kit, starting by gluing the two halves of the fin together, then building the stabilisers as a single unit made from a full-span lower and two upper parts plus two smaller inserts. The two assemblies are brought together at the rear, covering the rear of the fuselage, and adding a curved insert behind the cockpit, covering the nose weight, whilst giving you a last chance to add some if you forgot earlier. The rudder and two elevators are each made from two halves, and can be glued into position deflected if you wish, to add some individuality to your model. The bomb bay has four actuators fitted to each of the fore and aft bulkheads, installing the four doors folded into pairs, or covering the bay with a pair of doors if you intend to close it. Two of the decal options carried cheek-mounted gun packs, which mount on the holes drilled earlier, after building each one from fairing, barrel, and nose cap for each of the four, with the instructions advising to install them after applying decals in that area. The main canopy and tail gun glazing are attached, adding two clear roof panels to the canopy, and making the nose glazing with a rectangular box on one side, and a gun in the centre before it too is glued in place. Two detail inserts are applied between the spars that project from the wing root, with the detail facing inward, so remember to paint those at the same time as the rest of the interior for your own convenience. The wings are each separate, and slide over the spars that are moulded into the bomb bay bulkheads. Before closing the wing halves, the gear bay structure is made, consisting of three parts forming an H-frame, adding two more ribs in the forward compartment, and closing off the rear of the bay with a final stringer, painting everything as you go. A bay insert is also included for the ailerons, and this is fixed to the lower wing as the upper is brought in and the two halves are mated. The two-section flaps are each made from upper and lower halves, as is the aileron, and all three are fitted in the trailing edge of the wing, attaching actuator fairings, detail parts inside the nacelle roof, a landing light in the leading edge, and a tip light over the moulded-in recess, which has a likeness of a bulb moulded into the area. A pitot probe is cut from near the wingtip, then the same process is carried out on the opposite wing in mirror-image, setting the completed wings to one side while the engines and their nacelles are built. Each Double-Wasp engine is made from a layer of six parts, depicting both banks of pistons and push-rods, adding the bell-housing and magnetos to the front, trapping a prop axle between them without glue, and inserting the intake ‘spider’ at the rear, with nine exhaust stubs mounted behind the engine. The completed engine is then locked between two circular carriers, and two exhaust collector parts are attached at the rear next to the cooling gills that are moulded into the rear carrier. The cowling is a complex shape that has a substantial portion moulded as a single part, inserting a curved plate inside to create a broad intake trunk in the base, then fitting two more inserts into the top sections of the cowling that fit into position, creating the familiar intake ‘ears’ at the top. The engine slides into the cowling from the rear until the cooling gills butt up against a cut-out, then attention shifts to the nacelle, which is made from two halves after adding covered exhausts and hinge-points to the gear bay sides on a single carrier per side, then gluing the two halves together with three bulkheads holding everything to shape. Once the glue has cured and seams have been dealt with, the engine and cowling are glued to the front and fitted under the wing. Again, the same process is carried out in mirror image for the opposite nacelle, after which the wings can be slid into position and glued in place. The Marauder was another tricycle gear equipped bomber, and the nose leg is made from the main strut with scissor-links added on both sides, fitted into the bay with a retraction jack behind it. A crew access ladder is provided, and is fixed into the roof at the rear of the bay, locating the two bay doors on the sides after fitting hinges along the upper edges, with a small retractor jack installed at the mid-point to complete the area. The main gear legs are fitted with twin supports at the top and door openers mid-way down, inserting them into the nacelles along with a V-shaped strut, and a pair of bay doors on each nacelle. The main wheel tyres are made from two halves, with two more parts for the hubs, as is the nose gear wheel, but with flat hub caps, all three installing on stub axles so that the model can sit on all three wheels, or the rear two if you forgot the nose weight. I can’t laugh, as I recently did that on a kit I was building, but got away with it. I’m certain that wouldn’t be the case with this kit however, and made sure I applied a little bit more than prescribed in a neat box behind the cockpit. An aerial and a faired-in D/F loop are fixed under the belly, and another aerial is mounted behind the cockpit, with just the two four-blade props with separate spinners to complete the build. 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 create your own masks if you wish. It consists of only thirty-two elements, some of which are used on the side windows, landing lights and around the cowlings at the front of the engine nacelles. USAAF Pilots & Ground Crew (48088) Moulded on a single sprue of grey styrene and with a glossy instruction sheet with spot colour profiles of the five figures that can be found on the sprue. There are three crew members, two of whom are dressed for flight, complete with their life jackets and harnesses, while the third crewman is wearing olive drabs and a leather flying jacket with an officer’s cap and his hands in his pockets. Two of them have large kit bags at their feet, while the guy in the peaked cap is carrying a parachute pack in one hand and a glove in the other. The two ground crew figures are dressed in overalls, one kneeling with a spanner pack to his side, while the other is reaching up with what looks like a screwdriver in one hand. Sculpting is excellent, with an abundance of crisp detail throughout, even down to the sewn-in ribbing on the underside of the crewman’s turned up cap bill. The poses, breakdown of parts and fabric drape is also beyond reproach, and they should build up into an excellent set of figures to distribute around your new Marauder. Markings There are three decal options on the large sheet, all of which were European-based during Operation Overlord, with only one wearing camouflage, whilst all wear invasion band ‘special markings’ appropriate to the period they were in operation after D-Day. From the box you can build one of the following: B-26B-55MA 42-96077 ‘Ladies Delight’, 584th Bomber Squadron, 394th Bomb Group, probably Boreham, England, Summer 1944 B-26B-55MA 42-96214 ‘Coral Princess III’ 494th Bomber Squadron, 344th Bomb Group, Pontoise, France, Autumn 1944 B-26B-55MA 42-96165 ‘The Big Hairy Bird’ 599th Bomber Squadron, 397th Bomb Group, Peronne, France, December 1944 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 Like a lot of modellers, I’ve had a soft spot for the Marauder for a while, and was extremely pleased that a new well-detailed model was released by ICM, with the prospect of more boxings, this being the first of them. The figures are a useful inclusion, and increase the fun factor as long as you’re not phobic about painting them. The Marauder saw a lot of action, so there are plenty of opportunities to depict a well-weathered example, and having built the original boxing, I can confirm it’s a good kit that goes together well, although I wish I had more time on my hands to finally finish painting it. Very highly recommended. Available in the UK from importers H G Hannants Ltd. If you’re looking for reference material, you can also visit our Walkaround material below. Review sample courtesy of
  10. At the Moscow "Мир детства 2021" expo, ICM has announced a 1/35th Sikorsky CH-54 Tarhe kit for 2022. Source: AlexGRD V.P.
  11. Hi All ICM's Beaufort FYI, all OOB except for a bit of invisible elastic and Aerocraft engine nancelles - I could live with the sparse cockpit (no-one else is going to look in there, after all) but the nancelles are just too inaccurate for a mk.1. Hope you like: Thanks for looking J.A.
  12. ICM is to rebox in October 2024 as limited edition kit the 1/48th Special Hobby Bell AH-1G Cobra with a M8A1 US Landing Mat - ref. 48298 Source: https://icm.com.ua/aviation/ah-1g-cobra-and-m8a1-us-landing-mat/ V.P.
  13. 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.
  14. Not enough of these kits on here, so breaking my out of the stash. While not the most detailed kit, ICMs offering is easy to find and quite affordable. Most importantly, its ICM, so its made in Ukraine. Box shot The sprues, with the cockpit parts and main fuselage cut out and primed. Having tracked airframes since the start of the '22 invasion, there's lots of painting options, so not sure which one I'll do just yet. I also purchased ICMs paint set for this kit, which I plan to use if I go with the digital camo.
  15. Leopard 2A6 Armed Forces of Ukraine (72820) 1:72 ICM via H G Hannants Ltd The Leopard 2 is the successor to the earlier Leopard Main Battle Tank (MBT), and was developed in the 1970s, entering service just before the turn of the decade. The original had a vertical faced turret front, while later variants had improved angled armour applied to the turret front that gives the tank a more aggressive look and provides superior protection, and more likelihood of deflecting incoming rounds harmlessly away. It has all the technical features of a modern MBT, including stabilised main gun for firing on the move, thermal imaging, and advanced composite armour, making it a world-class contender as one of the best tanks on the market. The original Leopard 2 variant entered service in 1979, but has been through several upgrades through its service life and the current production variant is the highly advanced 2A7+, with the 2A8 waiting in the wings. The 2A6 is still a powerful battlefield resource however, and likely to be so for some considerable time. It sports the Rheinmetall 120mm smoothbore gun with the barrel extended over the A5, which results in a higher muzzle velocity that improves its penetration power over its predecessor, allowing it to reach targets at a greater range and hit harder. It also has an armoured ammunition storage space in the turret that is engineered to blow outward in the event of a detonation of munitions, which again improves the crew survivability further. For close-in defence they are fitted with an MG3 machine gun, and the armour is installed to give it an arrow-head front profile to the turret, as well as several more subtle upgrades that follow on from the 2A5. Sales of the Leopard 2 have been good overseas because of its reputation, and Canada, Turkey, Spain and most of the Nordic countries use it as well as many other smaller operators. Since the unlawful invasion of Ukraine by Russia in 2022, many nations have been providing military and other strategic assistance to keep the brave Ukrainians able to defend their nation against the aggressor. Although Germany initially appeared reticent to proffer their leading-edge A6 variants to a non-NATO nation, they eventually supplied A4 and A5 variants, but policy changes led to a small number of the more capable A6s being added to the roster, to be used as “tip-of-the-spear” at the centre of the attack to punch a hole in the front line and give the less capable tanks a helping hand. Unfortunately, there aren’t enough available of the A6 to spare from the nations that are supplying them, or more would doubtless be forthcoming. The Kit This kit is based upon a tooling that was initially released by Revell in 2011, and has since been re-released several times in their boxes, and is now in an ICM box with additional styrene and PE parts. The kit arrives in a top-opening box with a painting of a 2A6 wearing slat armour around its turret, while the lower tray has a captive lid, and inside are six sprues of various sizes in grey styrene, a fret of Photo-Etch (PE) brass, although it has a more coppery tone, a small decal sheet, and the instruction booklet, which is printed in colour on glossy paper and has the painting profiles on the rearmost pages. Detail is good, and the addition of PE slat armour will give it a more realistic look with careful painting and weathering. Construction begins with drilling holes in the lower hull sides, then gluing them to the underside and supporting the structure by adding an internal T-shaped bulkhead into a slot within the hull at roughly the engine firewall position. Much of the suspension is moulded into the hull sides, adding extra parts to enhance this, then fitting the swing-arms, stub-axles and return rollers over the sides, then making two drive-sprockets, two pairs of idler wheels and fourteen pairs of road wheels to complete the running gear ready for installation of the tracks, which are moulded in two lengths per side in styrene. After gluing the four parts into two lengths, the instructions advise heating the tracks in hot water so that they will bend around the rounded ends of the runs, of course taking care not to burn or scald yourself in the process. You are advised to wrap them around the upper run first, hiding the joint on the lower run, cutting superfluous links from the tracks to keep them taut. Once the tracks are in place, the upper hull and rear bulkhead with moulded-in radiator grilles are glued in place, followed by three-part side-skirts, and a set of grousers applied to the fenders above the front mudguard. Towing shackles are fitted low on the rear bulkhead along with the convoy shield, and adding pioneer tools to the engine deck, which includes a pair of towing cables with moulded-in eyes. The glacis plate has the driver’s hatch installed, more towing shackles, and two L-shaped palettes of track grousers arranged around the shackles and headlights, with a two-link run of spare track-links in the centre. A stowage box is applied further up the glacis under the gun barrel, attention then turning toward the massive low-profile turret. Firstly, the single-part barrel is inserted into the mantlet block, bracketing it with side plates, the port side having the coax machine gun moulded-in. A long narrow top plate is then fitted, and the completed assembly is put to one side while the turret body is made, starting with the floor, adding a bustle plate at the rear, and cheek panels to the front, so that the barrel can be slotted between the cheeks on separate trunnions, using no glue if you wish to leave the barrel mobile. The turret roof has an insert added from inside under the TV sighting box, then it is glued over the lower turret, and the side detail panels are fitted, inserting a trio of lifting lugs around the turret roof. Appliqué armour panels are attached to the sides, including an arrow-head part to the sides of the similarly-shaped mantlet armour, adding surrounds to the commander and the gunner’s cupolas, then fitting the two-layer hatches, with a choice of posing them open or closed, plus a wide vision block to the front of the commander’s cupola. The TV sighting box can be posed with the doors open or closed by either placing the single part over the opening, or cutting it in two, positioning the two parts on either side of the box, as per the scrap diagram nearby. Tapering stowage cages are made for the bustle by cutting a small section from the long flat part, folding the styrene around, and securing it with glue and a separate inner face. The smoke grenade barrels are mounted above and below a shallow shelf, making two pairs that fit in the space between the bustle cages and frontal armour, adding an optional MG3 mount to the gunner’s cupola, and a two-part 360° periscope to the commander's. For one decal option, two rectangular PE parts are applied to the rear of the bustle cages made earlier. The turret can be twisted into position in the ring on the hull and locked into place, which is the end of the basic build, to be followed by the new parts. The PE fret includes both slat armour for the turret and additional panels to fit on the side skirts and at the front of the glacis plate. There are styrene brackets for the turret sides, consisting of three sizes, tapering toward the rear, which supports the slat armour after bending the first section slightly inwards. The flat panels are glued in place without bending, but if you check your references, you will notice that they become bent and damaged over time, which is easy to replicate with PE parts. A styrene travel-lock can be slipped over the barrel before inserting the muzzle tip, locking in place between the circular vents on the engine deck, and a pair of wing-mirrors are applied to the front of the vehicle, either deployed, or folded-in for their protection during combat. Markings There are four decal options included on the tiny sheet, all ostensibly camouflaged the same, but with differing individual markings applied to each vehicle. There’s no information given regarding the dates and locations that these units are depicted, but that’s hardly surprising, given the fact that it’s an ongoing conflict. From the box you can build one of the following: Decals are by ICM’s usual partners, which is a guarantee of good registration, sharpness and colour density, with a thin gloss carrier film cut close to the printed areas. Conclusion A thoughtful reboxing of Revell’s kit, depicting actual in-service machines, rather than a quick reboxing. The base kit is good, and a more accurate build will result from using the extra parts. Highly recommended. Available in the UK from importers H G Hannants Ltd. Review sample courtesy of
  16. Hi. I'll be entering an ICM 1/16 figure in this GB. I got 5 to choose from, and now you'll get the opportunity to help me chose which one I'll do. The contenders are: 1 Royal Marine Officer 20231225_094210 by Bosse Persson, on Flickr 2 Roman Centurion (1st Century) 20231225_094231 by Bosse Persson, on Flickr 3 British Policeman 20240602_154528 by Bosse Persson, on Flickr 4 British Police Female Officer 20240602_154352 by Bosse Persson, on Flickr 5 Yeoman Warder "Beefeater" 20240602_154451 by Bosse Persson, on Flickr I'll not start this directly since I'm quite busy with my leftovers from the NATO, USN, D-Day and the ongoing F-35 GB's But I hope I can start in a week or two. So which one would you like to see? To be decided and continued..... /Bosse
  17. Tank Crew of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (35756) 1:35 ICM via H G Hannants Ltd Ukraine has always had their own stock of tanks, most of which are Soviet era, but recently new supplies have been provided by other friendly nations, including German Leopard 2A6 tanks, British Challenger IIs and a promise of a quantity of American M1 Abrams to aid in their efforts to rid their nation of its current infestation of invaders. Crews and mechanics have been trained in their use, and they are starting to be seen on the battlefield, making good use of these world-class tanks in their ongoing fight against invasion. This figure set from ICM is intended to go with any of these tanks, with many Ukraine specific boxings having recently been released by various manufacturers, and the figure set that was recently released specifically for the Leopard 2A6 is now being sold separately with amended instructions for those who already have a suitable kit, and just want to add figures. The set arrives in a shallow top-opening box, with a captive lid on the lower tray, and inside is a sprue of grey styrene, instruction sheet folded over, and a leaflet detailing their acrylic paint range that has been available for the last few years, of which set #3025 is most suitable. This set that’s available separately contains the following colours: 1072 US Dark Green, 1035 Grey Green, 1041 Buff, 1069 Extra Dark Green, 1054 Chocolate, 2001 Matt Varnish The Set 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 folds to minimise clean-up of the figures once they are built up. The sculpting is typically excellent, as we’ve come to expect from ICM’s artists and tool-makers, with natural poses, drape of clothing and textures appropriate to the parts of the model. There are four human figures on the sprue, plus a canine that is playing with an extra crew member that isn’t shown as being used in this boxing. All the crew’s heads (except the unused crewman) are trimmed down to a squarish shape in order to fit a semi-soft three-part tanker helmet over them, and all are wearing loose-fitting overalls and combat boots. One character is a half-figure that is popping out of a hatch with his arms outside the tank, and a colleague is sat on the turret or deck puffing on a pipe. Two more men are kneeling or hunkering down in the process of fixing an issue with the tracks, one of whom is nursing a sledgehammer to beat the offending part into compliance. The unused human is stood playing with the unused dog, which appears to be a Labrador or retriever, begging for a treat from the bearded tanker who is wearing a soft beanie cap on his head. Markings There are no decals present in the set, but the instruction sheet doubles as the painting guide, as is usual with ICM’s figure sets. The common camouflage use by Ukrainian armed forces is a brown-based digital scheme, and if you don’t fancy laying out and blocking in that level of detail, there are decal sheets available that you can purchase via model shops and online auction sites. One such sheet is marketed in conjunction with our friends at Dora Wings, so keep an eye out for those. Conclusion Figures add human scale. You know the drill by now. These are great figures with realistic poses, and bear in mind that they’re at rest, so wouldn’t be suitable for a combat diorama, as they’d all be buttoned-up inside the vehicle. A spare standing figure and a dog that are left on the sprues could also be used with this set or in other projects, as you see fit. Highly recommended. Available in the UK from importers H G Hannants Ltd. Review sample courtesy of
  18. I will make one of the first German tanks. First I planned building of OOB. Checked the photos of the real tank I found errors in a model. I plan to correct these errors.
  19. In Q4 2023 Q1 2024 ICM is to release a 1/48th Martin B-26B Marauder kit - ref. 48320 Source: https://www.hannants.co.uk/product/ICM48320 V.P.
  20. WWII Japanese Pilots & Ground Personnel (48053) 1:48 ICM via H G Hannants Ltd We’ve recently been blessed with a brand-new tooling of the Ki-21 Sally from ICM, which we reviewed here, with another boxing coming soon. ICM have created this handsome figure set to fill a gap for those of us that prefer injection-moulded figures in 1:48, which complements the new Sally perfectly. The set arrives in a shallow top-opening box, whilst the lower tray has a captive flap, and inside is a single sprue of grey styrene, an instruction sheet, and a leaflet advertising ICM’s acrylic paint range. The instruction sheet mentions set #3056 as being suitable for these figures, so if you’re in the market for some new paint, you could give them a try. This set contains the following colours: 1050 Saddle Brown, 1026 Oily Steel, 1061 Green Brown, 1052 Hull Red, 1041 Buff, 1072 US Dark Green As an aside, it seems like someone photo-shopped some facial likenesses onto the box painting. Does anyone know who they might be? There are five figures included in the box, each one in a standing or walking pose. There are three flight-crew dressed in their warm padded gear, plus sheepskin-lined leather flying helmets with goggles and the typical fly-away chin straps. They are all carrying a Samurai sword, as was typical of aviators in Japanese army or navy service, a tradition that remained at the time, despite their lack of use unless the crew were forced to bail out over enemy territory. The other two figures are ground-crew, one of whom is saluting one of the aircrew, who is returning it sharply. The other soldier is walking and has a crew access ladder over his shoulder, with one arm through the rungs, either on the way to or from the hatch of a bomber. 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. The instructions are formed from sections of the box artwork that have been separated to allow arrows in black that point out the part numbers, while red arrows and a letter code corresponds to a chart beneath the sprue diagram on the opposite page. The chart gives colours in names, swatches and ICM codes that match the afore mentioned paint system, which should allow modellers to make their choice of colour even if they don’t use or can’t get ICM’s own colours. Conclusion The sculpting at 1:48 is excellent, with realistic poses, proportioning and simple construction. Painting a figure well helps to bring it to life, but that’s not a task I can help you with, although I can witter on about figures bringing a sense of human scale to your models, because they do. Highly recommended Available in the UK from importers H G Hannants Ltd. Review sample courtesy of
  21. Finally got my laptop to upload a few photos, so here goes with ICM's kit of the Ilyushin Il-62M in 1/144th scale. The kit looks fairly accurate, but simple compared to it's Russian (Zvezda) competitor. I am not planning on using the supplied decals as I've got some Air Ukraine decals in the stash that are more appropriate. Dave Still having problems with the photos -will post asap!
  22. Kfz.70 with MG34 (35502) 1:35 ICM via H G Hannants Ltd The Horch 108 was developed and then built by Horch as well as Ford Germany as a heavy off-road transport for troops, light transport, searchlight and anti-aircraft installations. The passenger variant was known as the Kfz.70, but with the addition of the anti-aircraft mount in the passenger compartment, it was sometimes known as the Kfz.81. They were widely used by the Wehrmacht in various roles throughout their spheres of operation, and this model was employed as a mobile self-defence installation that was capable of rotating 360° and was effective out to 2,000 metres, with a high rate of fire that often led to them being employed as fire support when they were advantageously placed. Eventually the Horch was withdrawn in favour of the more flexible kubelwagen. The Kit This is a relatively new tooling from ICM, dating from 2015, but adding a machine-gun mount in the rear to improve the overall value and give it a more aggressive countenance. The additional instructions for the machine-gun mount are given on the last two page of the booklet, once the vehicle itself is completed. The kit arrives in a top-opening box with a captive inner flap on the bottom tray, and inside are seven sprues in grey styrene, plus a clear sprue, a sprue of flexible black tyres, a small decal sheet and the afore-mentioned instruction booklet. The model is built up on its ladder chassis, including the engine, transmission, suspension with nicely moulded springs, plus body supports, brake hoses and exhaust system. Overall it's a very nicely detailed underside, with the engine being the focal-point. The hubs are split between inner and outer halves, which facilitates easy painting of the wheels and tyres separately, and installation of the tyres on the hubs without struggle. The coachwork is assembled on the floor plate after drilling out a hole for the gun mount. It has the rear wheel arches moulded in and stops at the firewall, with spaces for the driver's pedals in the left footwell. The body sides are added, with moulded-in framework, and the dashboard is fitted between them to stabilise the assembly. The dash has a decal for the instruments, a handgrip for the co-driver, heater ducting and a lever beneath the steering column, which is added later. The front inner arches are glued to the underside of the body, and a rear load cover with moulded-in seat back is applied over the rear arches, after which the two rear doors and their handles are installed. A delicate (in this scale) framework is fitted between the rear seats and the driver's area, with the fifth wheel behind the driver, and a set of bench seats in the back of the rear compartment, which also have delicate framework under their cushions. The front seats are individual, but of similar construction, and have space for the supplied KAR98 rifles between them, with two more pairs fitted in the rear compartment. The windscreen is of the flip-down type, and has two separate panes added to the frame, with no windows supplied for the sides, as it is modelled with the hood down. The doors can be fitted opened or closed, with their own separate handles inside and out. Once the chassis and body are mated, more of the underpinnings are added, and the radiator with cooling fan are attached along with the louvred bonnet and front bumper irons. At the rear the hood is constructed from four parts, sitting on top of the load cover in a folded state, as there isn't an option for a raised hood on this variant. Wing mirrors, pioneer tools, front headlights with clear lenses, and number plates are dotted around to finish off the main build. To make up the gun installation, the MG34 has the breech-cover fixed in place, adding a drum magazine and a bipod before trapping the assembly between the two halves of the support, which has lightening holes moulded-in that you could drill out if you’re so minded, and while you’re drilling things, the muzzle of the gun is moulded solid. To finish, the gun on its support is glued into a hole in the floor of the crew compartment. Markings There are two markings options on the decal sheet in Panzer grey or Dunkelgelb schemes. From the box you can build one of the following: Eastern Front, 1942 1943 onwards 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 well-detailed model of a relatively common vehicle in Wehrmacht service, with added MG34 in the rear that the crew can use for self-defence. Highly recommended. Available in the UK from importers H G Hannants Ltd. Review sample courtesy of
  23. Model A Standard Phaeton Soft Top 1930s (24050) 1:24 ICM via H G Hannants Ltd Phaeton was originally a name for an open-topped, cut-down horse-drawn carriage, which translated into motoring parlance for soft-top, or open-topped vehicles that didn’t possess side windows that could be rolled down, and if they had a roof, it was one that was installed for inclement weather, or removed for sunny days. The name fell out of use in favour of Cabriolet and Convertible, but before it faded into history it became a broad term that could refer to any four-wheeled vehicle with two rows of seats and an open top, although triple-Phaetons and double-Phaetons were also a thing, just to muddy the waters further. After the runaway success of the Model T Ford, it was eventually replaced eighteen years later by the more modern Model A, reaching showrooms at the end of 1927. It was produced until 1932, by which time almost 5 million units had been sold. The chassis ran a 3.3L inline four-cylinder petrol engine that could propel it to a maximum speed of around 65mph, which might seem a little slow to today’s motorists (unless they’re on modern British motorways), but with only drum brakes slowing each wheel, it was probably for the best. There were several body styles available, the Phaeton being one of the most unrecognisable names to us today, other than the fact that the name was recently used by Volkswagen for an enlarged luxury coupé variant of their Passat for a while, and that most definitely had a roof. Ford’s Model A Phaeton was available in two- or four-door format, and the gearbox gave a single option of a three-speed unsynchronised (crash) gearbox, plus one reverse gear. Due to the difference in controls that were offered by most competitors by this time, the quirky layout of the driver’s controls were standardised to clutch, brake and accelerator pedals left to right on the floor, and a shifter in the centre for gear selection. It was replaced by the Model B after ‘32, and just to carry on confusing people, the Model 18. The Kit This is a new tooling of this type, with more variants to come, this being the first. The kit arrives in a top-opening box with a captive lid on the bottom tray, and inside are seven sprues in grey styrene, a clear sprue, a bag of five flexible black tyres with short lengths of runner still attached, and a small decal sheet that is slipped inside the colour instruction booklet that is printed with a glossy cover and matt paper insides, with profiles on the rearmost pages. Detail is up to ICM’s current high standards, portraying the full chassis, engine, interior and bodyshell in glorious detail, plus a removable soft-top that can be fitted or removed at will once complete. Construction begins with the main chassis rails that are set apart by five cross-members of various shapes and widths, adding bell-housings near each end, L-shaped front bumper supports, and a steering column with box at the bottom end attached to the left chassis rail, as this is a left-hand drive model. The engine block is made from two halves and a sump, making the transmission and clutch housing from four parts, emplacing the cylinder head, and ancillaries such as the generator, fan & belt, and the exhaust manifold, bringing the sub-assemblies together before it is inserted into the front of the chassis along with a long drive-shaft to the rear axle, which has the differential moulded-in to slot between the two axle stubs moulded into the chassis. The front axle with short laterally oriented leaf-springs is fixed to the front cross-rail, and a two-part exhaust is slung under the chassis, mating with the down-pipe of the manifold. Rear drum-brakes have small parts fitted to their rear before they are glued to the ends of the axle, adding small pivots and more L-shaped supports along the outer length of the chassis rails, plus a brake actuator rod that fits on a pivot. The front drum-brakes are made from the same number of parts, adding links to the axle, and more control rods running down the outer faces of the chassis rails, plus an extension to the chassis, and two diagonal supports under the rear on either side of the drive-shaft. Two more control rods attach to the brake drums and pivots, linking the hubs together, and adding a V-shaped damper between the two ends. By this time wire-wheels were available, and this kit has five made from two styrene parts that are joined together, trapping a flexible black tyre in position, sliding four of them onto the ends of the axles, and leaving the last for the spare later in the build. The bodyshell is made by fitting the combined arches and running boards to a tapering floor, and strengthening the assembly by adding another layer on the underside, sandwiching the sides between the two layers. This is carefully mated with the chassis, making a small three-part fairing for the front of the car under the radiator, taking care to arrange the two triangular parts with the slots on the outside. The firewall is augmented by adding a diagonal kick-board, steering column, lever and foot pedals, plus a stylish dashboard with lower fairing that slots into place horizontally, applying decals to the central instrument binnacle after choosing a colour to paint the assembly, depending on which decal option you have chosen. Panels are made up from dual layers, fitting to the sides of the firewall and supporting the dash, with a scuttle to the top, a filler cap for the fuel tank, and dash pots on the engine side, fitting it to the growing assembly at the front of the floor. The body’s side panels are fitted with three interior cards per side, adding handles and a rear panel that is best placed on the floor pan during curing of the glue to ensure it sets straight, mounting a three-part radiator and housing to the front, with engine cowlings linking it to the rest of the bodywork, and a pair of catches on each side, plus the top-cowling moulded as a single part. The front and rear bench seat cushions are layered from three parts each, and are located on L-shaped raised marks, fitting a rear shroud to the front seat to support the back, which is a single part, and has a pair of tapered arms added to the sides of the shroud, painted to match the seat cushions. The same style of rear cushion is fitted to the back seat, supported by the rear of the bodyshell, without additional arms, mounting the steering wheel and control stalks on the column, and the gear shifter on the transmission tunnel. A two-part rear-view mirror is fixed in the centre of the windscreen, adding a wiper motor shell to the top frame, which operates the single wiper that is moulded into the windscreen part. The remaining wheel is mounted on a back-plate with a diagonal tube that links it to the back of the car, adding short bumper stubs, light clusters and a number plate holder to the sides, and side-lights on the rear corners of the bodywork. The front of the car is finished off by a full-width bumper, a pair of headlights with clear lenses, horn and number-plate on a curved rod that is placed between the forward arches, adding a pair of clear wind deflectors to the sides of the windscreen, completing the model by building the removable roof from top and rear segments with a small window in the latter, making a frame from five parts that hold it to shape when it is in position between the windscreen and the rear of the car. Markings There are three colour options depicted on the decal sheet, which will also affect the choice of interior colours during the build, so choosing early will be a benefit. From the box you can build one of the following: Ohio, 1930 Michigan, 1931 New York, 1932 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. As is common now with ICM kits, there is a portion of one page of the instruction booklet devoted to the masking of the windscreen, using the printed shapes on the right of the page and the diagram to create your own masks if you wish. There are two masks, one for each side of the screen to ease painting of the frames. The deflectors don’t have masks, as they are attached to the screen by two small metal clips. Conclusion As 1:24 is the de facto standard for modern vehicle kits, there should be a wide market for this quite regal variant of a relatively short-lived design, when compared to the Model A. Detail is excellent, and its size should make the build a pleasurable experience. Highly recommended. Available in the UK from importers H G Hannants Ltd. Review sample courtesy of
  24. Krankenpanzerwagen with Medical Personnel (35114) Sd.Kfz.251/8 Ausf.A 1:35 ICM via H G Hannants Ltd The Hanomag Sd.Kfz.251 was the mainstay of the German armoured Personnel Carrier fleet, but was flexible enough to also take up many other tasks within the Nazi War Machine, from Anti-Aircraft duties to Howitzer carriage and back again to armoured reconnaissance, which led to a lot of variants. With two steering wheels at the front, the rear was carried on tracks, giving it good clearance and rough ground capabilities that a truck simply could not manage once the going got tough. It was armoured sufficiently to deflect non-armour piercing rounds from small arms fire, but with an open top it was susceptible to both grenades and aerial bombardment, where the armour would concentrate the blast and reduce the interior and its occupants to a tangled mess. The Ausf.A was used at the beginning of WWII alongside the Ausf.B, and was generally fitted with an MG.34 on the front cab wall, operated from inside. The armoured ambulance variant was of course unarmed to avoid braking convention, and in place of the military equipment normally found in the load area, it had two litters for casualties, and was crewed by medical staff. There were more than 20 official variants and more unofficial field modifications, but despite their seemingly ubiquitous nature in German service, not many were preserved after the war, and they are highly sought after now, with many examples being based upon post-war builds from Czech factories that have been made to look as convincing as possible by their restorers. While the purist may notice the differences in films, they're still a huge improvement on repainted American half-tracks from an authenticity point of view. The Kit This is a reboxing with extra parts of the 2018 tooling, and extends the range to a less combative aspect of the vehicle’s operational duties, and includes a set of medical personnel figures to round out the package. The kit arrives in a medium sized box, with a captive flap on the lower tray, and inside are nine sprues of grey styrene, a clear sprue, and two sprues of flexible black parts. A small decal sheet is found slipped inside the glossy colour printed instruction booklet for the half-track, with the figure instruction sheet also present between its pages, completing the package. This is a full interior kit, and has the engine, crew compartment and a substantial number of internal parts, including personal weapons, stowage and two beds mounted on one side, with a stretcher folded against one wall to bring new patients to and from the vehicle, so the build should result in a highly detailed model. The tracks included are of the flexible variety, and should be glued with super-glue (CA). Construction begins with the underfloor pan, which has two cross-members fore and aft, adding the sides of the tray, which is then added to the interior floor, and has stowage bins added to the sponsons over the tracks. The angular hull sides are held in the correct angle by butting up against the sides of the bins, and the rear bulkhead with door cut-out completes alignment. The engine compartment is fabricated from various panels including an armoured sump-guard, and work commences on the engine and compartment fittings. Suspension, steering gear and the block are assembled and fitted in turn, with colour call-outs to help you get the painting right, and a twin-fan radiator at the very front. The firewall is fitted out with the driver's controls with decal applied, then is inserted into a ledge within the hull, after which some engine ancillaries fit to the other side of the bulkhead. The driver's seat, bench seats and a range of tools, an MP40 and spare ammunition are installed with the upper hull plates off, while a narrow former marks the difference between the cab and crew compartment, which will be hidden under the upper hull part when it is installed. The bench seating in the rear compartment is assembled and fitted in place on the left side, adding a four-part ribbed drum at the front between the crew seats, and a single bench seat at the rear, all supported by simple legs with diagonal braces. On the right side, a litter is built from two rails with cross-members and the bed surface, inserting it in four recesses in the floor along with a blanket strapped to the walls, and a co-driver’s seat. The folded away right seats are fastened to the wall, leaving the rear seat open for the use of medical crew or passengers, adding a headrest on supports and several brackets around the edge of the lower walls. The same headrest is also applied to the left jump seat, and a handrail is fixed to the crew divide, drilling holes to accept the pegs long the flat top of the part, preferably before installation. Oddly, the model is then flipped on its back to add a steering linkage and actuator before attention turns to the upper hull. Several vision hatches and their multi-part hinge mechanism are supplied as separate parts, as are the engine compartment hatches, plus some small flush-fitting forward stowage bins. A bullet-splash strip is applied to the roof above the crew eats, but the gun mount and stowage racks are removed, as is the gun mount at the rear of the vehicle, presumably to discourage the crews from the temptation of fitting defensive armament that could result in attacks by a confused enemy. Two thin strips are applied to the lip of the upper hull, fitting a stowage box under the dash on the co-driver’s side, attaching the rack for the upper bed across the opening, and mounting a folded stretcher on the underside of the left lip, a single part that has some impressive moulding to give the impression of multiple parts, some made from fabric. The second bed is made in the same manner as the first, and is mounted as the upper and lower hull halves are joined, trapping the two hinge frames between its halves. The angled doors are then fitted to those hinges, allowing them to operate if you have been careful with the glue, affixing a fire extinguisher to the right door near the centreline. It's unusual to get this far into an AFV model without building up the wheels and/or tracks, but it's at this stage that it's done here. A V-shaped anti-roll bar is fitted to the front axle and the rear hull, fixing swing-arms and stub axles slot into holes in the sides of the chassis, with the interleaved wheels slid onto the axles both in pairs and singly, with the drive sprocket at the front. The two steering wheels are made up from two-part hubs, and have rubberised tyres fitted to them before slotting them onto the front axles, and with the three layers of road wheels installed, the tracks can be wound round the lengths, and glued with a suitable glue, probably super-glue, or CA as modellers tend to call it. The build is finished off by addition of pioneer tools, fire extinguisher, number plate, rear towing hook, spare fuel cans in two-part racks, one per door, crew step at the rear, four hoops to accommodate a tilt in foul weather, rear view mirrors, and headlamps with clear lenses on the front fenders. The Figures This figure set consists of three sprues in grey styrene, one containing the figures, and two their accessories and a collection of weapons, which would typically be only have been carried by their patients. There are four figures on the sprues, one of them the patient that is lying prone on the ground, while the other three medics crouch over the casualty, busily tending to their needs. One chap is holding a drip bottle as high as he can in an attempt accelerate its progress, while the gentleman in the forage cap seems to be offering comfort or holding a bandage in place on the casualty’s leg, while the final medic has the patient’s ankle raised while the bandage is applied or adjusted. 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. Because of their forward-leaning crouching poses, some of the boots, hands and forearms are separate from their limbs, and you will need a little wire to replicate the feeder tube from the drip bottle. 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. The accessories include the standard kit that all German troops would start out with, such as canteen, cylindrical gas mask container, stahlhelms, mess kit, bayonet in a scabbard, and an entrenching tool. Equipment such as binoculars, rifles, MG34 with bipod, MP40 and various ammo and map pouches are also provided in case you wish to add them to your scene. There is also a set of webbing laid out flat on the ground on the main figure sprue, as if it has been removed before treatment began. The instruction sheet has a sprue diagram on one side above a colour chart that has colour swatches and ICM colour codes, with an incitement to check out their colour set #3022, which contains many of the colours you’ll need. On the opposite side are drawings of the figures, which have colour codes called out in letter codes in red boxes, and the individual parts in black along with the letter of their sprue. You’ll need to apply a little common sense to the location of some parts where the join isn’t visible, but it’s nothing that a few moments of contemplation and test-fitting won’t resolve. Markings In keeping with German armour it's either Panzer Grey or Dunkelgelb (dark yellow) for the half-track, the later camouflaged with green mottle as the war progressed, any camouflage benefits cancelled out by the large red and white crosses painted on each side, front and bonnet of the vehicle. From the box you can build one of the following: Sd.Kfz. 251/8 Ausf.A livery Variant for North Africa, 1941-42 Sd.Kfz. 251/8 Ausf.A livery Variant for Eastern Front, 1941-42 Decals are printed on a bright blue paper, have good register, colour density and sharpness, with decals for the driver's binnacle included on the sheet. Conclusion A welcome re-release of a Wehrmacht staple with a more peaceful task in mind, with a set of figures that flesh out the package (excuse the pun), and is well detailed enough to be built out of the box for diorama purposes. Very highly recommended. Available in the UK from importers H G Hannants Ltd. Review sample courtesy of
  25. This is a Pokémon kit .... you got to catch (have) them all! I just thought that would go well with my Seehund and the VIIC. It is a nice quick build, especially if you, as I, leave out the interior, which you might only get a glimps of if you leave the hatch open - which I didn't... As always, thanks for looking any comments welcome. Here are my other WWII navy related subjects: https://photos.app.goo.gl/ejKuxEzNpACkLhwr8 and my post WWII Bundesmarine related builds: https://photos.app.goo.gl/8ByCfsVd67yg1GEt8 Cheers
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