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  1. Skoda PA-II Turtle 1:35 Takom This unusual looking inter-war four wheel drive armoured car was part of the Czechoslovak republic's development of an armoured car that would be used by the Czechoslovakian army, although this offshoot didn't do too well, and was used mainly by the Czechoslovakian police, and the Germans who pinched some when they marched in. The original PA-I was an angular beast, but had the same two drivers and ability to be driven just as well in forward or reverse. In fact, looking at the vehicle it is difficult to tell one end from another. The second version was an attempt to gain more room within the vehicle and keep the weight low, so it was fashioned from 5mm steel by panel beaters, which resulted in an organic look to the shell. It was bolted to the same chassis as the I using an angle-iron frame, and had four Schwarzlose machine guns with over 6,000 rounds on board, manned by two gunners. The final crew member was the commander, who had a little hatch in the roof through which he could pop out to direct operations. It must have been very cramped and hot in there with five men plus a large Praga RHP 6 litre engine dragging round the seven ton bulk of the vehicle. The Czechoslovakian army were unimpressed by the finished article, as although it had four-wheel drive, it had unsuitable suspension, low ground-clearance, and its wheels were thin and poorly suited to off-road driving. Add a top speed of just over 40mph on good roads, and they turned up their noses. The Czechoslovakian police had a few on strength, and the remaining few were soaked up by the army some years later – probably at a much reduced price too! When the Nazis arrived, they took a number of them, removed the guns and added a radio antennae "bed-frame" above the roof, with a three-man crew, which allegedly continued in service to the end of WWII. The Kit Previously only available in resin at this scale, the Turtle is an interesting organically shaped armoured car, and I was pleased when Takom announced its impending release, as I've wanted one for a while. It arrives in a small glossy box with its subject matter on the top, sporting a Czechoslovakian flag, and all the guns pointing skywards, presumably under the weight of their breeches. Inside are four sprues of grey styrene, a grey body shell, four rubbery wheels in black, a small clear sprue, decal sheet, instruction booklet in black & white, and of course the painting and markings booklet, which is in full colour and folds out to quite a width! The moulding of the body shell is super, although you'll need to scrape off a couple of seamlines around the body where the sliding mould components met, but that's the work of moments. There's no interior and no opening crew doors, but the top hatch can be left open by adjusting the hinges accordingly. The four sprues are actually two that are repeated, as the vehicle is so symmetrical that it is difficult to tell one end from the other, apart from a moulded-in hatch on the driver's area and small protuberance from the bonnet/hood area. It is a simple model and shouldn't take long to construct, especially compared to how long it'll take to mask off all those camouflage schemes! Construction begins with the transmission and suspension units, which are as you'd expect for the era, with rather skinny looking leaf springs. You make two of these assemblies, which are mated to half of the floor pan along with the swept ends of the chassis rail, before they are joined in the middle, such is the extent of the symmetry. There are mating tabs strengthening the joint, and three beams are added laterally, one of which runs across the seamline, so things should stay where they are, on balance. The wheels are added to each corner by way of the aforementioned rubberised styrene tyres that are sandwiched between the outer and inner hub parts, the inner one having an axle stub inserted before gluing so that the wheels will rotate once completed. Attention then shifts to the upper body, which is made up from four quadrants to form the cylindrical crew section that blends into the body. Four cups are added for the guns, which are made up from two parts with a ball-mount at one end, and the gun's muzzle at the other. The muzzle is not hollow, so get your mini-drills at the ready. The guns are just glued in place, so choose how you'd like to set them up, as they won't be moving once the glue sets. If you are modelling one of the German operated vehicles, the guns should be cut from the ball-mount and the centre hollowed out with a drill to show where they should slot in. The two hatches on the roof are hinged toward the centre of the "roof" under an armoured dome cover, and these are dropped in place and glued down unless you fancy altering them to have one or both lifted for crew figures. The light clusters are added to each end with clear lenses, an optional domed cover, and a single centre-mounted towing eye. The top and main body are then glued together, taking care to align everything to minimise seam filling, and the body is then flipped over to add the wheel-arch inner covers to prevent a see-through body. The chassis and body can then be clipped together, the body being held at the right height by ledges on the inner faces of the wheel well parts. If you are modelling the German variant with the armament removed, there is a bed-frame aerial assembly to add to the roof of the vehicle, although there is at least one picture I have seen where this isn't present, so it's up to you. That's it! You're done. Now to paint and weather the thing, which might take a little longer, depending on your markings choice. Markings Once you have opened the paper concertina that is the painting guide, you are presented with five markings choices, most of which are of the "crazy paving" school of camouflage. Only the German vehicle is in Panzer Grey, which I'm suspecting will result in a lot of German ones on the tables at shows! From the box you can build one of the following: Police HQ Moravska Ostrava, 1937 – five colour crazy paving scheme. Training Squadron of armoural (sic) cars, Milovice, 1932 - five colour crazy paving scheme, with larger patches. Assault Vehicles Regiment, Milovice 1925-1932 - five colour crazy paving scheme, largest patches. Assault Vehicle Regiment, Milovice, 1925-32 - five colour splinter scheme. Panzerspahwagen Skoda PA II (Fu) 4Rad, French Campaign, May 1940 – all over Panzer Grey. The camouflaged options have sand, grey, light khaki green and brown patches, and all bar the splinter pattern have dark green "grout" between each colour patch. It does lend itself to brush-painting, although it could also be done using very thin sausages of Blutak or similar. The decals are on a small sheet and have good register, colour density and sharpness, and a nice thin matt finish on the carrier film. You even get a couple of undocumented Czechoslovakian flags in case you feel like replicating the scene on the box top. Conclusion A great little kit of a horrifically weird-looking armoured car that I wouldn't have set foot in if you'd paid me! It's simple, so as long as you don't approach it expecting wonders such as interiors and opening body panels, you'll be fine. It'll certainly be an interesting talking point when it's on display. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of UK Distributors for
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