mmi.132.2017

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Thunder Models’ 1:35 Case VAI Tractor

Issue 132 April 2017 www.modelmilitary.com

AMIS IMLAND

WUNDERDiorama 1

1:35 scale M2A

Y L L O F S ’ FERDI Tank Workshop’s 1:48 resin Ferdinand backdate on Tamiya’s new Elefant

INSIDE: p 01 Cover MMI 132B.indd 1

1:35 Patriot ■ 1:48 Sikorski H-34 ■ 1:35 Panther Ausf. A ■ US Halftrack SPGs ■ and more...

April 2017 / £4.50 / Issue 132

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Contents - Issue 132 April 2017 REGULARS p 4 NEWS

What’s new in the world of military modelling

p 60 1:48 SCALE

32

Luke Pitt takes a look at the latest in 1:48

p 66 LAST POST

Dragon’s latest small-scale Panther

FEATURES p 6 THINK TANK

US Halftrack SPGs by Bruce Culver

p 16 AMIS IM WUNDERLAND

Dragon 1:35 scale M2A1 by Lukasz Kapelski

p 26 FERDINAND WALKAROUND

Full-sized reference by Zack Sex

p 32 FERDI’S FOLLY

6

Tank Workshop 1:48 scale Ferdinand conversion by Brett Green

p 44 PREVIEW

46

Dragon 1:35 Patriot

p 45 PREVIEW

Italeri 1:48 Sikorski H-34 Helicopter

p 46 CALL TO FARMS

Thunder Models’ 1:35 Case Vai Tractor by Kamil Feliks Sztarbala

©Doolittle Media Ltd 2017 Tel: (UK) 01525 222573 Fax: (UK) 01525 222574 Email: enquiries@doolittlemedia.com Address: Doolittle Media Ltd., Doolittle Mill, Doolittle Lane, Totternhoe, Bedfordshire, LU6 1QX, UK

16

Model Military International is published monthly by Doolittle Media Ltd.. Reproduction in part or whole of any text, photograph or illustration without written permission from the publisher is strictly prohibited.

While due care is taken to ensure the contents of Model Military International is accurate, the publishers and printers cannot accept liability for errors or omissions.

ISSN 1749-8864

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Newsline - April 2017

MMI Newsdesk, Doolittle Mill, Doolittle Lane, Totternhoe, Bedfordshire, LU6 1QX, UK Tel:01525 222573 Fax:01525 222574 Email:editor@modelmilitary.com

Dragon 1:35 Type 4 Ke-Nu Light Tank

T

he Type 4 Ke-Nu was a light tank used by the Imperial Japanese Army (IJA) in WWII. It was essentially a hybrid combining the hull of a Type 95 Ha-Go light tank with a turret from the Type 97 Chi-Ha medium tank.

When the Type 97 was up-gunned with a higher-velocity 47mm gun, turrets with the original low-velocity 57mm tank gun became surplus and were installed onto the obsolete Type 95.

The IJA received approximately 100 examples of the Type 4 Ke-Nu from 1944. While the type’s firepower improved, the heavier weight of the turret added a ton of weight and thus reduced its maximum speed to 40km/h. The 8.4-ton tank’s thin armour could be easily penetrated by Allied anti-tank weapons too. It was operated by a crew of three. Most tanks were retained on the Japanese mainland in anticipation of an Allied invasion, but some saw combat against the Soviets in Korea and Manchuria.

Dragon has now produced a 1:35 scale plastic kit of the Type 4 Ke-Nu. There are numerous new kit parts such as the turret with the characteristic ring antenna. Although the Type 4’s hull may look similar to that of Dragon’s Type 95 Ha-Go kit, the glacis plate has been completely redone. This will be an eye-catching 1:35 release from Dragon, and it just proves the adage that good things do indeed come in small packages!

Thanks to The Hobby Company Limited for the information and images www.hobbyco.net

Bronco 1:35 Sd.Kfz.247Ausf.A German Armoured Command Car

I

n 1936 the German army issued a requirement for a command and personnel car. As a result Krupp manufactured the Sd.Kfz 247 Ausf A using their 6x4 Protze truck chassis in 1937. It used a 65bhp Krupp 4-cylinder air cooled petrol engine which gave a top speed of 70 km/h. Armour was from 6-8mm, enough to protect against small arms fire and shell splinters. Combat loaded it weighed 5.1 tons and had a road range of 350 kilometres.

The Sd.Kfz 247 Ausf A was designed as a command car for use by the Commanders of motor cycle reconnaissance battalions. It was not issued with a radio as standard equipment and carried no fixed armament. Only 10 of the Ausf A model were built and these served in the early years of WWII, a few surviving until 1945. A smaller Sd.Kfz 247 Ausf B was built by Daimler-Benz using a 4x4 heavy car chassis, 58 were built 1941-42.

Bronco has now released an injection moulded 1:35 scale kit of this pioneering command car. The model features full interior detail including engine and chassis, poseable visors and vinyl tyres.

We’ll have more information about this interesting new release in a future issue of Model Military International magazine.

Thanks to Bronco for the information and images www.cn-bronco.com/en/products.php

EGYPTIAN SHERMANS:

A PHOTOGRAPHIC HISTORY OF THE M4 TANK AND VARIANTS IN EGYPT, 1949-1973

J

ust published by Blurb.com: EGYPTIAN SHERMANS: A PHOTOGRAPHIC HISTORY OF THE M4 TANK AND VARIANTS IN EGYPT, 1949-1973, by Christopher Weeks The M4 Sherman tank is one of the world’s most famous tanks, with a long and storied career lasting through World War II into the post-war era, in foreign armies across the world. One of the least-well known users of the Sherman was Egypt, which used the Sherman in combat during its 1956 and 1967 wars with Israel. Egypt also developed its own unique variation mounting the French 75mm gun turret from the AMX-13 light tank, and used a number of specialized vehicles based on the Sherman chassis, ranging from self-propelled artillery to recovery vehicles.

Egyptian Shermans is the most comprehensive work in the English language covering the M4 in Egyptian Army use. Over 45 photographs are featured, the vast majority of which have never before appeared in print in the English language, including details of vehicle insignia, and rare photographs of Sexton self-propelled guns and a bridging tank used in the 1973 war.

Egyptian Shermans is available now from Blurb.com in hardback, paperback, and PDF formats. 38 pages. Illustrated.

To purchase the book or view sample pages, visit http://www.blurb.com/ b/7446053-egyptian-shermans For more information, please contact egyptianshermans@gmail.com

4 Model Military International - April 2017

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Think Tank - U.S. Halftrack Self-Propelled Weapons Some 330 M2 halftrack scout cars were converted to anti-aircraft weapons by mounting a Maxson M45 quad .50 Browning mount in the rear compartment. The mount had to be raised to clear the fixed sides of the body. Note the standard .50 MG ammunition boxes on this vehicle. These converted M2s were unofficially referred to as “M16Bs”

U.S. Halftrack Self-Propelled Weapons

Bruce Culver explores the origins, development and deployment of US Halftrack Self-Propelled Weapons.

I

n some respects, the M2 and M3 halftracks were like the Curtiss P-40 fighter plane.

While not perfect or the most capable vehicles, they were available in the tense early days of the war, and provided the means to develop improvements and better tactics. As America rearmed in the late 1930s and early 40s, the great expansion in numbers led to equipment like the M2/ M3, designed to use commercially available components to speed development and contain costs.

There was also the need to provide easy-to-use vehicles for the majority of U.S. troops who had not driven a truck before their entry into the army. The U.S. halftracks filled these requirements very well,

even at the cost of their requiring more maintenance than equivalent wheeled trucks.

The thin open-top armour was a concern, but adding armour would have increased weight and reduced performance. Early users complained about the lack of overhead protection, but eventually the officers and men of the armoured infantry battalions were able to convince the line infantry and senior officers that the armoured halftracks had more protection than the 2 ½ ton 6x6 truck and far better crosscountry performance. Early losses in North Africa resulted in the halftracks being labelled “purple heart boxes”, but many of the losses were the result of poor

tactics and improper use of the halftracks. Better tactics were able to compensate for the weaknesses of the halftrack design.

ENCOUNTERING GERMAN HALFTRACKS The appearance in North Africa of the German Sd.Kfz. 251 mSPW (mittlerer Schuetzenpanzerwagen, or medium armoured personnel carrier) impressed many Allied troops. The Sd.Kfz. 251 had sloped armour thicker than the armour on the U.S. halftracks, and a complex suspension with interleaved wheels and a long track run for better flotation in soft ground. The U.S. 2nd Armored Division tested the Sd.Kfz. 251 against the M3 APC halftrack and found the U.S. vehicle to have somewhat better overall

performance in the field. The M3 had 20% more interior room than the German machine, and its simpler suspension surprisingly gave as good cross-country capability as the Sd.Kfz. 251. The German halftrack was handicapped by having a non-driven front axle, which meant that the front wheels could not help the vehicle negotiate soft ground or earthen barriers like creek banks and gullies. The front wheels often dug in or plowed when attempting to steer, sometimes stopping the vehicle in its tracks. The lack of the M3’s front roller also allowed the Sd.Kfz. 251 to dig the nose into a berm or creek bank. In addition, the suspension and lubricated tracks of the Sd.Kfz. 251 required

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.

The converted M16Bs were issued to many units in the European Theater to supplement the M16 AA halftracks. They were often used for ground support, as seen here. This M16B is part of the 377th AAA Battalion, seen in France in July 1944.

This M16B is part of the 554th AAA Battalion, assigned to the 29th Infantry Division of the 9th Army, guarding a position on the Roer river in Germany, February 1945. Note the shelf added to the top of the side wall for the observer.

The 2nd Armored Division was aggressive in improving the equipment they used. This M2 scout car was armed with a 37mm M3 anti-tank gun mount from the unsuccessful M6 Gun Motor Carriage. This M2 served as a light self-propelled gun for infantry support.

An M2 scout car of 2nd Armored Division, armed with a 37mm M3 gun, enters Belgium during the push to drive the German forces back after the battle of the Bulge. Note the stowage box built across the rear of the body. The number “D-35” is in yellow.

considerably more maintenance and repair than the rubber band tracks of the U.S. halftracks.

This, of course, did not stop Allied troops from using as many captured Sd.Kfz. 251s as possible.

US HALFTRACKS AS WEAPON PLATFORMS Very early in the development of the M2 and M3 halftracks, Army planners realized that the halftrack chassis could serve to mount self-propelled weapons until better designs were available.

Many of these weapons served through the war, and some were the result of field initiative by using units. An early example of this was the arming of M2 scout cars by the 2nd Armored Division by adding the complete mount for the M3 37mm anti-tank gun from the unsuccessful M6 Gun Motor Carriage to the rear fighting compartment. These conversions were first done in Africa, and gave the armoured infantry some organic self-propelled guns for

attacking strong points and general fire support.

The M2 scout car was also used for another conversion at depot level in Europe when it was realized there was a need for more self-propelled anti-aircraft weapons. Although the M2 had been considered too small for an anti-aircraft vehicle, it was found that the Maxson M45 turret for four .50 Browning HMGs could be installed in the rear body, and about 330 M2s were armed with the quad .50 mount, serving in the European campaign until the end of the war. They were unofficially referred to as “M16Bs”. The mount had to be raised for the guns to clear the armour side walls, but the adaptation was successful and augmented the supply of selfpropelled anti-aircraft mounts.

As mentioned, the lack of suitable vehicles for mounting selfpropelled weapons led the army to consider the halftrack chassis.

The nascent tank destroyer

force lacked any sort of weapons carriage, leading to the fairly desperate scheme of mounting a 37mm M3 anti-tank gun in the back of a ¾ ton Dodge Weapons Carrier to create the M6 Gun Motor Carriage (GMC), the force’s first tank destroyer. It was obviously

unsuitable, having no armour at all, and with a gun that could not penetrate most German medium tanks in 1943.

Fortunately, development had begun on other more suitable approaches, among them a design that placed an M1897A4 75mm A

The T12 Gun Motor Carriage was the developmental model for the M3 Gun Motor Carriage, the first vehicle adopted for the nascent Tank Destroyer Command. This T12 was photographed during manoeuvres in North Carolina in 1941.

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Think Tank - U.S. Halftrack Self-Propelled Weapons B anti-tank gun (improved from the famous “French 75” of World War I) on the M3 halftrack chassis.

The M3 body was retained with the interior modified to mount the gun and carry a supply of ready ammunition. The fuel tanks were relocated at the rear and the gun mount was built up in the front, behind the driver’s section. The vehicle had a crew of five, and carried 59 rounds for the 75mm gun. The test model, the T12 Gun Motor Carriage, was ready very quickly and 86 production T12 models from Autocar were all delivered in only three months from the approval for the project.

50 went to the Philippines, where they were used to defend Bataan in 1942.

M3 GUN MOTOR CARRIAGE With the addition of an armoured gun shield and other improvements, the T12 was standardized as an expedient tank destroyer, the M3 Gun Motor Carriage. The similar M3A1 GMC used the same gun in a different mount but was otherwise identical.

Later, the supply of M1897A4 guns was used up, and a test model, the T73, tested the used of the M3 75mm gun from the M4 medium tank as a replacement. Though successful, it was not adopted because by mid-1943, better tank destroyers were available and the new design wasn’t needed.

The record of the T12 and M3/ M3A1 Gun Motor Carriages was mixed. Used properly from ambush for quick engagements and equally quick withdrawals, they could be effective, and the M1897A4 gun could knock out most German tanks in North Africa in 1943. But the Americans’ inexperience led to improper tactics that exposed the M3s to enemy fire and resulted in high losses in many engagements.

With the arrival in Africa of the superior M10 Gun Motor Carriage based on the chassis of the M4A2 diesel-powered medium tank, the M3 GMC was increasingly relegated to use as a mobile artillery piece. In this role, the M3 GMC excelled. The M1897A4 was an accurate and effective artillery piece. The halftrack-based M3 GMC was operated by many units as organic or attached artillery, and served well in the Italian campaign and in the Pacific, where it was used by U.S. Marine Corps units in 1943-44. Its lighter weight and smaller size compared to tankbased vehicles made it popular in the many island landings in the Pacific campaign.

The earliest self-propelled mounting for the M2/M3 halftrack series was developed with the A

The T12 Gun Motor Carriage (GMC) was first deployed to the Philippines in 1941, but the standardized M3 GMC first served in North Africa. This M3 was seen in Tunisia in 1943. The heavy smoke cloud was a disadvantage of U.S. artillery ammunition.

This still from a colour motion picture shows an M3 GMC of the 601st Tank Destroyer Battalion in Tunisia near El Guettar, near Kasserine Pass where American troops suffered a severe defeat against Panzerarmee Afrika. The camouflage pattern was made with mud.

This M3 GMC of the 3rd Marine Division was seen on Bougainville during the beginning of the campaign in 1943. The Marines were wearing the camouflage jungle suit, effective in some situations but later replaced. The vehicle was overall Olive Drab (OD).

Another overall OD M3 GMC of the 3rd Marine Division on Bougainville in late 1943 has an interesting detail – an M32 truck gun ring mount for a .50 HMG was added to the rear corner of the halftrack body for better crew protection, with a better field of fire.

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This US Marine Corps M3 GMC of a regimental heavy weapons company was photographed on Tinian in July 1944 during the battle to liberate the island. It carried a camouflage pattern over the basic army OD, which was the standard colour of all M3s.

British M3 GMCs were used as mobile artillery, a task for which they were well suited. These vehicles were photographed in the Cassino area in Italy in February 1944. They were in the official British scheme of a mud-yellow base with a black standard pattern.

M3 GMCs of the King’s Dragoon Guards serving in Italy in 1944 carried the theatre camouflage scheme of a mud-yellow grey base with a standard pattern of blue-black on top. The pattern was applied according to drawings and was pretty consistent.

M3 GMCs of the 27th Lancers of the British forces formed a part of the artillery support for British troops. The M3 excelled as a mobile artillery piece, though it was deficient as a tank destroyer. These vehicles were early production examples, apparently repainted.

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Think Tank - U.S. Halftrack Self-Propelled Weapons

The M4 Mortar Carrier (MC) was developed from the M2 scout car and shared the M2’s short body, though there was a rear door added to the M4 MC. The 81mm mortar faced the rear and was intended to be dismounted from the vehicle for firing. The skate rail for the MGs blocked much of the rear door, which was probably not used much as a result.

B initial test models. The M2 scout car was adapted to carry the M1 81mm infantry mortar with accommodation for a crew of six and 96 rounds of ammunition for the mortar. A rear door was added to the M4 body for access, but the skate rail for the MG mounts blocked the top of the door opening. Though standardized in 1940 with the M2 and M3, the M4 Mortar Carrier (MC) did not enter service until 1942.

The initial intent was to use the M4 to carry the mortar to the firing location and the crew would then dismount to fire. The mortar would be fired from the vehicle only in emergencies. In practice, the mortar was fired from the vehicle, but with the very limited traverse of the mount, it was necessary to keep moving the vehicle to aim. The vehicle was modified by raising the mortar

The M4A1 was an improved M4 with a revised mount for the mortar so that it could be fired from the vehicle. The mortar still fired to the rear and combat experience suggested a front firing mortar was better. 2nd Armored Division altered a number of M4A1 MCs so the mortar fired over the front of the vehicle, as seen here.

base plate and increasing the traversing limits. This became the M4A1 MC, which appeared in 1943.

Even with the improvements in aiming, many units felt the mortar should be fired over the front of the vehicle for better coordination with the driver and observer.

2nd Armored Division again took the initiative in reworking their M4A1s by rearranging the rear ammunition bins and turning the mortar mount around to face to the front. These served throughout the war in Europe.

ANTI-AIRCRAFT DEFENCE The next requirement was for a self-propelled mount for antiaircraft defence, based on the successes of the Luftwaffe in strafing and bombing military and civilian targets in the early years of the war. The M3 halftrack proved to be a good size to accommodate

This 2nd Armored Division M4A1 MC, modified to fire the mortar over the front, was photographed near Overloon, Holland, in October 1944. The side racks held M1 anti-tank mines, but later in the war, they were used for more stowage.

The twin-gun M13 Multiple Gun Motor Carriage (MGMC) was issued in small numbers, as the M16 MGMC with four guns was a superior weapon. This M13 MGMC of the 105th AAA Battalion served in the San Pietro area in Italy, seen here in January 1944.

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light to medium anti-aircraft guns and the required mounts and sights. A number of prototypes appeared, mounting most the existing light and medium antiaircraft weapons available.

The first test vehicle was the T1E1 Multiple Gun Motor Carriage (MGMC), based no the M2 scout car body with a Bendix power turret with twin .50 Browning HMGs. There were problems with the turret, resulting in the T1E1 being cancelled, but a new turret from the W.L. Maxson Corporation (Maxson) proved to be superior to the other turret mounts available, simpler and easier for field troops to maintain and repair. The Maxson twin-gun turret was mounted in an M2 scout car, becoming the T1E2. For the production model, the turret was standardized as the M33, and it was mounted in the M3 halftrack, as the M3 had a more spacious body for crew and ammunition. This was the T1E4, which was standardized as the M13 MGMC in 1942. Production began in early 1943, but only 139 M13s of 1106 built were issued to front line units, as most of them were held to be converted into the more effective M16 MGMC with four .50 HMGs. The issued M13s served primarily in the Italian campaign.

The Chief of Coastal Artillery requested a new multiple gun motor carriage with heavier armament, resulting in several prototypes designated T28, based on the M2 scout car chassis. Most of the rear body was removed and a power turret mounting a 37mm M1A2 automatic cannon and two .50 M2 Browning water-cooled heavy machine guns. Versions were tried with and without turret shields and rotating base platforms. The Coast Artillery considered them unstable and the project was halted. However, experience in North Africa indicated the need for an antiaircraft weapon that could also be effective against light armor. The T28 mounting the 37mm cannon seemed to be a good candidate, and a revised pilot was built using the longer M3 chassis. It was designated the T28E1.

The T28E1 was similar to the earlier T28, mounting the same M1A2 37mm cannon and two .50 M2 water-cooled machine guns, which were superb weapons, very accurate and capable of extended fire because of the water cooling.

80 of these developmental vehicles were built and 78 were sent to North Africa. The T28E1s did not have armour shields around the mounts, exposing the crews to counter-fire, but they proved successful, having a greater

effective range than the M13 or M16, which had only .50 HMGs. All 78 T28E1 vehicles were issued to the 443rd Anti-Aircraft Artillery, Automatic Weapons Battalion (443AAA, AWB), which used them in North Africa, Sicily, Italy, southern France and Germany; 26 were still in service at the end of hostilities.

The success of the T28E1 led to the next version, similar to the T28E1 but replacing the watercooled .50 MGs with the standard .50 M2HB air-cooled HMGs, introducing an armored shield for the mount and improving the firing controls. This modified T28 pilot was designated the M15 Multiple Gun Motor Carriage (MGMC) and entered production at Autocar in February 1943. Fewer than half of the 600 M15s manufactured were issued, and these were used in North Africa, Italy, southern France and Germany.

The unsuccessful T28 Multiple Gun Motor Carriage (MGMC) was tested in 1941, but the following year, the T28E1 was developed to meet the need for a dual-purpose anti-tank/anti-aircraft weapon.

This T28E1 was photographed in Tunisia in early 1943, and mounted a 37mm automatic cannon and two .50 Browning M2 water-cooled MGs.

GROWING DEMAND As the M15s proved successful in North Africa, there was a requirement for more such vehicles. A shortage of components for the original M42 mount caused a redesign using a new mount. The twin .50 M2HB machine guns were now placed below the 37mm cannon and the new mount was designated the M54 Combination Gun Mount. The pilot, the M15E1, was standardized as the M15A1 Combination Motor Gun Carriage (CMGC) in August 1943. Autocar built 1652 examples through February 1944. M15A1s were issued to a number of antiaircraft artillery units and served throughout WWII in Italy and Europe. They were also employed during the Korean conflict from 1950 to 1953.

All the T28E1 MGMCs served with the 443rd AAA, Automatic Weapons Battalion, and a number of their vehicles survived from North Africa until the end of the war. The water-cooled .50 Brownings were superbly accurate, and were highly effective in any situation.

PACIFIC THEATRE

The M15 Multiple Gun Motor Carriage (MGMC) was developed from the experience of the T28 and T28E1, and entered production in early 1943. This M15 MGMC was photographed while being shipped overseas, here with a standard camouflage scheme of black over the OD base colour.

In the Pacific theatre, while the M3 GMC was proving useful, some units wanted a weapon with more power than the .50 M2 HMGs on the halftracks, and a weapon capable of dealing with Japanese aircraft at longer ranges was needed. Although the T54 halftrack carriage for the M1 40mm Bofors anti-aircraft gun had been rejected, U.S. depot troops in Australia developed an expedient conversion of the M3 APC chassis to mount the same 40mm Bofors AA gun. The M3 body was removed and the gun mount installed.

Although the M15 MGMC had not been deployed to the Pacific, depot personnel created a decent copy of the armour shield from the M15 and added it to the experimental vehicle. As a result, the new halftrack was often referred to as A

This M15 MGMC was shot while guarding a landing beach during Operation Dragoon, the invasion of southern France in August 1944. It also carries a standard camouflage scheme of black over OD, which was applied to large numbers of U.S. combat vehicles.

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Think Tank - U.S. Halftrack Self-Propelled Weapons B the “M15 Special”, though it had nothing to do with the M15. The 40mm Bofors was an excellent anti-aircraft weapon but also proved equally good in engaging ground targets. Its explosive ammunition wreaked havoc on enemy fortified infantry positions, vehicle columns and buildings.

The M13 MGMC with just two .50 M2HB HMGs was considered to be under-gunned and efforts were made to design a replacement with more firepower. In rejecting the earlier T28 pilot model, the Coastal Artillery stated that they thought a vehicle with four .50 HMGs would be a better solution.

Army Ordnance first tried with the T37 and T37E1 with two similar quadruple .50 MG turrets from the United Shoe Machinery Company.

They both proved unsuitable and in April 1942, Maxson received an order for a four-gun version of the two-gun turret in the M13 MGMC, designated the T61 turret.

The new Maxson turret was very successful in tests and was standardized as the M45, and the converted M3 halftrack was designated as the M16 Multiple Gun Motor Carriage (HMC). The White Motor Company produced 2877 M16s from May 1943 to March 1944. They were assigned to antiaircraft battalions, and used in every theatre in the war. Effective against low-flying enemy aircraft (and tragically, some friendly aircraft), they also were feared by enemy troops. The effect of four .50 Browning HMGs against A

America’s industrial might resulted in enormous physical advantage to the Allied nations in WWII. This Anti-Aircraft Artillery (AAA) battalion of M15A1 MGMCs was just a small part of the forces prepared to land in Normandy after D-Day in June 1944.

Landing craft of various sizes carried hundreds of thousands of vehicles and men across the English Channel, among them this M15A1 MGMC “BRASS CITY”. It carried a standard camouflage scheme and the usual excess stowage common to U.S. vehicles

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The M15A1 was used as an anti-aircraft weapon to guard important potential targets, here the port of Cherbourg in northern France. The M1A1 37mm auto-cannon was fed by an ammunition tray as seen here. The gunner here was wearing only his fibre helmet liner.

The M15A1 served through the war, effective against both air and ground targets. This example, was seen following an M16 MGMC near Marzwiller, France in January 1945. Both vehicles towed ammunition trailers, as did many self-propelled weapons.

In the Pacific theatre, the need for heavier firepower to deal with stone bunkers and caves led to the depot modification of M15A1 MGMCs into self-propelled 40mm Bofors carriers, unofficially referred to as “M15 Specials�. Note the tracks chains for traction, and the heavy mud, a common problem is the wet climate of much of the Pacific area.

This M15 Special of the 209th AAA Battalion was photographed attacking Japanese positions on the Yamashita Line on Luzon Island in the Philippines in April 1945.

The 209th AAA Battalion operated both M16 MGMCs and M15 Specials and they complemented each other for different targets. The 40mm Bofors was effective in attacking fortified positions while the quad .50s on the M16 were better for area fire.

This M16 MGMC of the 209th AAA Battalion was overall OD. The mud found in the Philippines was a terrible obstacle, bogging down many vehicles and forcing others to use chains as seen here.

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Think Tank - U.S. Halftrack Self-Propelled Weapons

The M16 MGMC could inflict great damage on any target and could, if needed, even clear areas of jungle. American ammunition produced much more smoke than that of other countries, and this often made observing fire difficult, as seen here. By saturating suspected enemy positions, the M16s protected the supporting tanks from enemy troops.

This M16 MGMC of the 390th AAA Battalion, attached to the 26th Infantry Division, guarded a bridge near Saarlautern, Germany in February 1945. The Maxson M45 mount for the .50 HMGs was a tight fit inside the body; the folding flaps were for clearance.

This M16 MGMC of an unknown unit guarded a beach on Okinawa after the Easter Sunday landing on 1 April 1945. This crew has added a .50 HMG on a front mount to protect the front quarter from attacks from different directions.

While M16s like this one from the 447th AAA, AWB were employed for anti-aircraft protection, the poor weather during the Battle of the Bulge resulted in many of these vehicles being used against ground targets. This early production vehicle was painted OD with a typical black camouflage pattern. Note the racks for jerry cans on the winch frame.

B infantry gave the M16 the grim nickname “meat chopper”. M16s were used to clear enemy troops from wooded areas and jungle, as the four guns could cut down foliage and trees over a wide area.

This complemented the heavier weapons like the 40mm Bofors that were more powerful with individual shots but didn’t have the M16’s area firepower.

MORTAR CARRIER DEVELOPMENTS The disadvantage of the M4 and M4A1 Mortar Carriers in firing the mortar over the rear of the vehicle had been reported to Ordnance, and in 1942, the T19 test vehicle was evaluated at Aberdeen Proving Ground. It was based on the longer M3 APC body and carried a forward-firing M1 81mm mortar, a six-man crew and 97 rounds of ammunition for the mortar. After modifications, it was

standardized as the M21 Mortar Carrier (MC) in June 1943. 110 were built by the White Motor Company from January to March 1944, and were issued to newly formed units and as replacements for destroyed M4/M4A1s. They had all the details of the late production and remanufactured M3 APCs, including the new stowage racks on the sides that looked like ladders, and the extra folding stowage frames on the rear body.

ARTILLERY MOUNTINGS The lack of tank-based selfpropelled mounts for artillery in 1941 led to development of artillery mountings on the M3 halftrack, chosen for its larger body. The two artillery pieces selected were the M2A1 105mm howitzer and the M1A1 75mm pack howitzer.

The M2A1 105mm was mated to the M3 APC body as the T19

Howitzer Motor Carriage (HMC).

It was expected the T19 would be replaced quickly and so it was accepted as an expedient weapon without being given an “M” model number. The Diamond T Motor Car Company produced 324 T19s in early 1942. They served in North Africa, and then, in spite of the expedient status, the T19 served in Sicily, and reportedly a few served in Italy until replaced by the M7 HMC. A number were converted into M3 APCs in 1945.

In a similar fashion, the M1A1 75mm pack howitzer was mated to the M3 APC body as the T30 Howitzer Motor Carriage (HMC) in 1942. As with the T19, the T30 HMC was not given an “M” model number. The White Motor Company produced a total of 500 T30 HMCs, but 108 were converted back into M3A1 APCs. They served in North Africa and

Sicily, often in reconnaissance battalions and infantry divisions as support artillery. The new M8 HMC based on the new M5 light tank was to replace the T30 halftracks, but a number of T30s served in Italy into 1944.

EPILOGUE Though halftracks went out of favour after WWII, the U.S. Army preferring fully-tracked vehicles, a number of them served in the Korean conflict, and for many years after that in National Guard and Reserve units, as well as the armies of many other countries.

The simple design and truck-based construction made it possible to build over 44,000 halftracks during the war, a testament to the industrial power of the United States in WWII. Many exist today in collections, museums and re-enactment groups, still going. ■

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This M16 MGMC of the 457th AAA, AWB guarded a searchlight installation near Canach, Luxembourg in February 1945. The very rough white over-painting was typical of hastily painted vehicles during the Battle of the Bulge, but here it works well.

The M21 Mortar Carrier was an improved design using the longer M3 halftrack body and having the 81mm mortar firing to the front. With the mortar in front, the .50 HMG was moved to the rear. The M21 had late-production details like the side stowage rods and rear folding frames for more stowage.

Fighting in the Philippines was fierce, involving urban combat on a large scale in cities like Manila.

This M21 did not have the mortar mounted when this shot was taken. Infantry troops had a desire for supporting armored vehicles, but not the fire they drew. Except for the relocated .50 HMG, this M21 looks much like a late-production M3A1.

The T19 HMC served in North Africa and Sicily primarily until replaced by the M7 HMC (Priest). It was an effective artillery weapon but lacked crew protection and the chassis was overloaded, increasing maintenance requirements. This example has a layer of mud smeared over the OD paint as expedient camouflage.

The T19 Howitzer Motor Carriage (HMC) was an expedient design adopted because there were no other suitable vehicles available to mount the M2A1 105mm howitzer. This is a very early example. The fixed headlamps were often damaged by muzzle blast, and were replaced by detachable headlamps during production.

These T30 Howitzer Motor Carriages (HMCs) were in the 82nd Reconnaissance Battalion of 2nd Armored Division, near Licata, Sicily, July 1943. The camouflage is sand paint sprayed over the OD base. The coloured bars on the side were shipping route indicators.

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FEATURE ARTICLE

Dragon Models 1:35 scale M2A1 Half-Track • Kit No. 6329

AMIS IM WUND

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NDERLAND

Lukasz Kapelski builds and details Dragon’s 1:35 scale M2A1 Halftrack and also creates a muddy vignette scene with figures.

W

ithout a doubt, the M2 Halftrack must be considered one of the main workhorses of the Allied land forces during World War Two. The first M2s were fielded in 1941, and soon found their way to the North African, European and Pacific war theatres, along with U.S. Army and Marine units. Many of these vehicles were also delivered to the Soviet Union and other U.S. Allies, mainly in South America. The M2 was initially developed as the prime mover and ammo carrier for artillery units, but substantial numbers of these vehicles were issued to armoured engineer and armoured reconnaissance units.

The M2 Halftrack in Plastic Despite their extensive use during and after World War Two, for many years the M2 series halftracks seemed to be forgotten by plastic kit manufacturers.

Believe or not, but the first 1:35 scale injection moulded kit of the M2 was brought to the market by DML only ten years ago.

The initial release (cat. no. 6329) offered the possibility of building either the M2 or M2A1 variant from a single kit. The main difference between these two variants was the replacement of the ‘skate rail’ weapon mounting system inside the hull, with a more practical M49 ring mount, located above the commander's position on the starboard side of the cab. I chose to depict the later variant, and supplemented the otherwise excellent base kit with a big set of resin stowage from Czech company Black Dog. The latter also included the replacement drive wheels with snow chains, and a canvas top for the cab and gun ring mount.

In fact, it was the acquisition of this accessory set that inspired me to pick up the kit from the stash, and start this project.

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FEATURE ARTICLE

Dragon Models 1:35 scale M2A1 Half-Track • Kit No. 6329

Assembly Assembly did not bring any major issues, although this doesn’t mean the whole job was a walk in the park. I had to study the instructions carefully in order to use the parts correct for the M2A1 variant I chose. Even though the tracks are moulded in two halves per each side, construction of the running gear required a lot of time and patience, as on the other hand, each of the bogies had to be built from twenty parts, some of them being quite tiny.

To make the subsequent painting process easier, I divided the kit into a number of sub-assemblies, namely the chassis frame with the entire running gear, the rear body, the gun ring mount with canvas cover, and the cab minus the engine hood.

The latter was left as a separate element, along with some pieces of stowage that were intended for the vehicle’s front area.

The resin accessories from Black Dog were nicely cast overall, but the removal of moulding seams and some further fine sanding were necessary.

The only resin piece that required more attention was the canvas top of the cab, as to mate it with the few plastic parts of the gun mount, I had to remove some redundant material from the inner side of the canvas cover.

Painting

Before I began the painting stage, I masked the windows with pieces of Tamiya tape and sealed the headlights with Humbrol’s masking fluid.

This allowed me to spray a priming coat of Citadel ‘Chaos Black’ over all sub-assemblies and separate parts of the kit.

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The base colour was created using the two darkest tones from the Lifecolor CS-11 ‘U.S. Olive Drab’ set, ie. UA219 ‘Lusterless Olive Drab FS 33070’ and UA220 ‘Lusterless Olive Drab 319’.

Next, I added the highlights with a mixture of Tamiya’s XF-62 ‘Olive Drab’, XF-55 ‘Deck Tan’ and a little Mr. Hobby H1 ‘White’, that had been diluted with Mr. Color T106 ‘Levelling Thinner’.

In my opinion, the latter is the best choice for dilution of not only the Mr. Color (‘C’ series) paints from Mr. Hobby, for which it is officially intended, but also for the Aqueous Hobby Color (‘H’ series) range from the same manufacturer, as well as Tamiya’s acrylics.

The paint was airbrushed gradually from the top area, downwards towards to the lower areas.

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FEATURE ARTICLE

Dragon Models 1:35 scale M2A1 Half-Track • Kit No. 6329

I brush painted the cab and rear bed details with various Vallejo acrylics. Once the paint had fully dried, I could bring some life to the interior. The first step was to apply an oil wash. Next, I added damage to the paint layer, using the sponge technique.

At this stage, I also applied Tamiya XF-49 ‘Khaki’ to the canvas cover and chosen pieces of stowage, and subsequently highlighted them with a mixture of their base colour and Mr. Hobby H1 ‘White’.

The paintwork was then sealed with a layer of ‘Sidolux’ floor polish, which acted as the varnish.

This was followed by dirtying the floor and other horizontal surfaces with a number of earthy pigment tones from Mig Productions range, which were then sealed with Zippo lighter fluid. The final touch was to create a few wet stains. To this end, I used AK-Interactive AK079 ‘Wet Effects Fluid’. With the interior weathering process complete, I could glue together the cab, engine hood, gun ring mount and rear bed, and remove the masks from the clear parts.

I also attached the photo-etched wipers and applied the national insignia decal to the engine hood.

Putting together the entire body of the vehicle allowed me to deal with the exterior detail painting and weathering.

For the base colours, I mainly used dark green and khaki tones, whilst the highlights were added with various shades of yellow and beige.

The inspiration for this painting process mostly came from viewing colour photos from the WWII period, as well as the pictures of historical reenactment groups and their gear.

The tools and abundant stowage were brush painted with Vallejo acrylics from Model Color and Panzer Aces ranges.

To bring out the details, I applied a wash using a dark brown oil paint that had been slightly darkened with a little black oil, and diluted with either Zippo lighter fluid or Mig Productions P239 ‘Thinner for Washes’. The excess wash was removed with cotton buds.

Focus on Weathering I then focused on reproducing the weathering effects.

My first step was to apply two dark pigment tones from Mig Productions, namely the P034 ‘Russian Earth’ and P039 ‘Industrial City Dirt’, to the running gear.

The powders were sealed with lighter fluid, with the excess wiped off with a brush.

I also added some wet stains and streaks, using AK-Interactive AK025 ‘Fuel Stains’ enamel, that had been diluted with lighter fluid at different ratios. The resulting mixtures were mostly applied pointwise, although I made some small splashes too.

The dirt in the chosen areas was lightened by applying a brighter pigment tone, ie. Mig Productions P415 ‘Light European Earth’, which was again fixed with lighter fluid.

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More splashes of light mud were created with a mixture of P415 ‘Light European Earth’ pigment and lighter fluid. To retouch the effects a little, I applied a small quantity of AK-Interactive AK017 ‘Earth Effects’ enamel here and there.

Finally, a few details had to be emphasized with a pin wash after the application of pigments.

The body was weathered in similar manner as the running gear, although in addition to the pigmentation process that mainly concerned the lower areas of the vehicle, I replicated some fine damage to the paint layer on the entire body, using the same method as in the case of the interior, and painted a number of vertical streaks and stains with AK-Interactive AK012 ‘Streaking Grime’ enamel.

Vignette The almost finished kit just screamed for a vignette. My idea was to capture a scene of a layover during a recce mission, in the late period of war in Europe. I started by preparing a relatively small piece of styrodur foam, which had been cut to the desired shape and glued within a boxed structure, constructed from pieces of balsa wood. The box sides were then masked with pieces of adhesive tape in order to prevent any dirt or physical damage during the further stages of work. Next, I picked up a small plastic cottage, manufactured by MiniArt, from my stash, and cut it in such a way that allowed adjusting it to the corner of the base. As I didn’t intend to represent any interior of the building, I just glued a piece of balsa to the side that ran along the edge of the base. I also improved the texture of the wooden door by creating the woodgrain effect with a sharp hobby knife, and adding a simple handle. The gutter pipe was made from pieces of a beverage can.

The cottage and wall were base-coated with Humbrol enamels.

Near the cottage, I placed a wall section that had been cut from a piece of plaster. I subsequently shaped the whole thing and engraved the bricks using a scalpel and ruler.

With the sections of the building and wall both attached to the base, I could create the ground. I began by applying a thin layer of plaster.

Before it dried, I poured some potting soil over it, and fixed this with Unigrunt priming emulsion. At this stage, I quickly imprinted the tracks and wheel marks either in the position where the kit would be placed and behind it, as it is important not to forget that any vehicle would not be teleported into the exact point of its stay, and we should always reflect this when building a diorama or vignette.

Once the ground had fully dried, I airbrushed its surface with a number of earthy colours from the Vallejo range, selecting such tones that would match the weathering effects which had been previously reproduced on the vehicle.

Next, I sealed this basecoat with a layer of ‘Sidolux’, and moved onto detail painting using Vallejo acrylics.

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FEATURE ARTICLE

Dragon Models 1:35 scale M2A1 Half-Track • Kit No. 6329

Worth noting is that the door was given an aged look with the help of the hairspray technique.

Afterwards, I again sealed the paintwork with a layer of varnish, and applied oil washes to the wall and building.

The chosen roof tiles and wooden beams were further emphasized using the dry brush method, whilst the mortar holding the wall bricks was represented with MiG Productions P026 ‘Concrete’ pigment.

To replicate the effects of moss and humidity on the lower surfaces of the wall and cottage, I painted the selected areas with heavily diluted green acrylic paint.

Now it was time to add some vegetation. I firstly “sowed” some grass from Noch and Polák Model. I progressively attached one tiny tuft after another, fixing them with small amounts of white glue.

To give some variety to the grass, I also used some longer tufts that had been made from old brush bristles, as well as little clusters of dried perennial plants.

At this stage, I also “planted” a small bush in front of the wall (this one came from Polák Model range), and a tree behind it, but the latter was eventually removed as I was not satisfied with the result.

The area behind the wall was filled with some firewood that had been made from pieces of thin twigs. I supplemented this with a few tools whose presence would look natural in a backyard, such as a bucket, a shovel and, of course, the axe used for chopping wood. I also decided to place a barrel under the gutter pipe, giving the former a rusty appearance with the use of suitable paints and pigment tones.

In order to represent the water gathered inside the barrel, I cut off its top part, glued a disc made from clear plastic within the edges, and applied a thin layer of Vallejo 26.230 ‘Still Water’ over this. The Vallejo product is theoretically intended for reproducing a variety of water effects on dioramas, but in fact, it is rather useless for anything larger than puddles.

In this case, however, it was sufficient.

Afterwards, I added some leaves, simulated with dried birch seeds. This was followed by fixing the kit to the base, and merging it with the ground. To this end, I used the same pigments that had been previously employed for weathering the vehicle’s running gear and lower body surfaces. I also applied further wet streaking.

Figures All the figures were brush painted with Vallejo acrylics, and subsequently glued to the base using a two-part epoxy adhesive.

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To finish the project, I had to attach the figures.

I’d browsed my stash and selected a few 1:35 scale soldiers that would fit the scene. The addition of two cats and a pigeon from Mantis Miniature’s miniature animal sets helped to give a more rustic feel to the whole vignette.

The back of the figures.

10/02/2017 09:36

Conclusion I must admit that I’m happy with the final result, even though for some the scene may perhaps be too idyllic and fairytale. However, this is the effect I’d imagined before I started building this vignette – hence the title “Amis im Wunderland”. ■

Modelspec Dragon Models 1:35 scale M2A1 Half-Track Kit No. 6329

Now I could remove the tape from the balsa framing and stain it with wood dye.

With the figures and vehicle in place, the vignette was complete.

Detail view including the overflowing 44 gallon drum.

An overall view from above.

Accessories Used: Black Dog 1:35 scale US M2 Big Accessories Set – Kit No. T35034 Mantis Miniatures 1:35 scale Animals Set 3 & 6 – Kit Nos. 35012 & 35024 Tools and Modelling Products: Tamiya Extra Thin Cement, C.A. glue, Two-part epoxy glue, Tamiya masking tape, Humbrol masking fluid, Styrodur foam, Balsa wood, Plaster, Unigrunt priming emulsion, Potting soil, Polák Model and Noch miniature vegetation, Vallejo 26.230 Still Water Paints and Finishing Products: Paints: Tamiya (acrylic), Mr.Hobby, Lifecolor, Vallejo Sidolux floor polish (as clear varnish), Zippo lighter fluid AK-Interactive weathering products: AK012 Streaking Grime, AK017 Earth Effects, AK025 Fuel Stains, AK079 Wet Effects Fluid Mig Productions weathering products: P026 Concrete, P034 Russian Earth, P039 Industrial City Dirt, P239 Thinner for Washes, P415 Light European Earth ✓ Good detail; versatile usage. ✗ Nothing of note Available from

Assembly did not bring any major issues, “although this doesn’t mean the whole job was a walk in the park... ”

Dragon kits are distributed in the UK by The Hobby Company Limited www.hobbyco.net

Rating I am happy with the final result.

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References - Elefant Heavy Tank Destroyer Walkaround

D Front three quarter view of Kubinkas Ferdinand, one of a large number of vehicles captured or destroyed at the battle of Kursk.

FERDINAND

With an eye on Tamiya’s 1:48 scale Elefant Heavy Tank Destroyer release and the new Tank Workshop Elefant conversion, Zack Sex brings us a walkaround on the sole surviving Ferdinand preserved in Kubinka tank museum outside Moscow.

T

he year is 1943 and under a baking sun vast armies consisting of entire Wehermacht and SS Panzer Corps in conjunction with masses of infantry, artillery and aerial armadas prepare to launch Operation Citadel in an attempt to regain the initiative on the Eastern front.

Unbeknownst to the German High Command, the Russian Stavka have prepared for this eventuality having been informed of German intentions the Red Army created massive defence in depth sowing thousands of anti-tank and anti-personnel mines per square kilometre with overlapping Pak and artillery positions all expertly camouflaged.

This in conjunction with hundreds of thousands of Red Army troops ensured that this battle would be the turning point of the war for whomever was the victor.

On the German offensive side the armament

producers had not been idle with a number of new vehicles in the form of the Brumbaer, Panther and the eponymous Ferdinand. The Panther was to suffer mechanical problems as it had been rushed into service on Hitler’s orders.

The Ferdinand, a self propelled gun which came into being as a result of the failure of the Tiger P programme and of which there were ninety produced, was extremely effective at long range tank killing but was to suffer an almost 50% attrition rate mainly due to mine damage, its slow speed over Russian defensive positions and lack of defensive machine guns.

In some incidents Ferdinand crews were said to have fired machine guns down the main barrel in an attempt to counter infantry attack.

It is the grainy black and white photographs of knocked out, broken down and destroyed Ferdinands after the battle of Kursk that bears moot testimony to the abject failure of

Ferdinand Porsces behemoths design. After the epic failure of Operation Citadel the surviving Ferdinands were returned to their factories and suitably altered with Stug III cupolas for the Commander and a front machine gun aperture for the radio operator.

Being given the sobriquet Elefant, these upgraded vehicles went on to serve in Italy and on the Eastern Front proving to be capable of inflicting heavy casualties on enemy armour, with at least two seeing action outside Berlin by war’s end.

One surviving Elefant could be found until recently in Aberdeen proving grounds in the U.S. For a vehicle that was produced in such a short production numbers, the Ferdinand and Elephant units had an impact well out of proportion to their small numbers. ■

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D Detail shot of the rear of the Ferdinand showing minor light connections found to the rear of the

D Detail shot of the lower armoured grill cover found to the rear of the vehicle.

left-hand side of the lower hull. Of note is the replacement circular hatch cover.

D The Ferdinand’s drive wheel and idler are two of the same as found on the original Tiger P designed by Porsche.

D Detail shot of the running gear and track section found on the Ferdinand with the still complete aerial stowage tube found on the side running board.

D Detail shot of the upper front hull showing the truncated circular viewing port and lighting arrangement.

D Side shot of the armoured casemate showing to good effect the weld seams, conical bolt heads and side pistol port.

D The front drive wheel on the Ferdinand has six conical retaining bolts rather than the 12 found on the idler.

D Detail shot of the main gun mount for the Ferdinand’s 88mm gun. This conical ball joint allows for a limited traverse of the main gun.

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References - Elefant Heavy Tank Destroyer Walkaround

D Top shot of the driver’s and radio operator’s hinged rectangular

D Detail shot of the left-hand side armoured air intake and outlet.

access hatches.

D Top shot of the dusty and uncleaned armoured Ferdinand casemate roof. Of note is the periscope swivel mount, the square two-piece Commander’s hatch replaced on the later Elefant with a circular hatch unit from a Stug. III.

D Top shot of the engines armoured ventilation cover, on the post Kursk later Elephant variant this arrangement of grills was altered.

D Detail top shot of the Commander’s hatch on the original Ferdinand, positioned to the front right hand side of the armoured casemate. This simple armoured hatch cover did not allow the Commander to view the battlefield without exposing his head to enemy fire.

D Top shot of the main gun swivel mount and its armoured cover. The red outer armoured plate was later reversed on the surviving Elefants.

D The the circular rear access plate which allows removal of the 88mm main gun and changing of tank barrels has been left by the museum staff on the top of the Ferdinand.

D Detail shot of the swivel plate through which the gunners periscope normally protrudes.

D Detail top shot of the Commander’s hatch on the original Ferdinand, positioned to the front right hand side of the armoured casemate. This simple armoured hatch cover did not allow the Commander to view the battlefield without exposing his head to enemy fire.

D Detail shot of the rear left hand side periscopic hinged armour cover also of note is the gunners hatch half of which is missing.

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D Top shot of the right-hand side main gun and engine deck arrangements of the Ferdinand.

D Top shot of the 88mm main armament swivel mount.

D Top shot of the radio operators hatch complete with empty aerial pot.

D Top shot of driver’s rectangular hatch complete with periscopic guard for three periscope units.

D Detail shot of the empty tow hook fitting on the right-hand side front bow armour section.

D Ferdinand track.

D Close-up of the drivers slit viewing port and lighting arrangement.

D Close-up of armoured casemate fitting used to attach the heavy Stug casemate to the Tiger P hull.

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References - Elefant Heavy Tank Destroyer Walkaround

D Rear lower casemate extension section.

D Clear shot of one of a pair of the Ferdinand road wheels. These pairs consist of one regular and one extended road wheel as seen here.

D Ferdinand road wheels.

D Close-up of the regular road wheel in the aforementioned pair.

D Detail shot of the rear idler showing a patch and damage inflicted during operation Citadel.

D Side shot of the Ferdinand’s flank armour and battered running board.

D Detail shot of the drive wheel showing its cog teeth and draped with the early style track.

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BACKDATING TO A FERDINAND For those modellers who wish to back date there Tamiya Elefant to the earlier battle of Kursk variant or Ferdinand, the work required is fairly straightforward. By removing the improvements added in 1944 you can create the version pictured here.

First get your hands on a set of Hillary Doyle’s excellent scale drawing and depending whether it’s a 1:48 scale version or 1:35 scale kit you can scale them up or down using a photocopier.

The two main areas of this conversion consist of removing the Stug. III cupola and the protruding MG 34 mounting on the front hull.

The Stug. III cupola is replaced with a simple two-door hatch, while the pointed bolts on machine gun position are carefully removed, the extra plate cut or filed off and the bolt heads glued back on in correct position.

The square collar around the 88mm gun is also reversed and your back dated Ferdinand is complete with none of that fiddly zimmerit to worry about!

Happy modelling.

D Detail shot of hinged mudguard unit found to the front of the Ferdinand minus its tensioning springs long since lost.

C The impressive front elevation of the Ferdinand showing to good effect how this legendary vehicle would

have looked to Russian infantry as they scrambled through their camouflaged trench systems in Prokolufka attempting to deploy their anti-tank mines, Molotov cocktails and heavy calibre anti-tank rifles.

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KIT REVIEW

Dragon King Tiger late production with new pattern tracks Ardennes 1944 • Kit no 6232

FERDI’S FOLLY Brett Green backdates Tamiya’s brand new 1:48 scale Elefant Heavy Tank Destroyer to a Kursk-era Ferdinand using Tank Workshop’s resin conversion.

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Folly ˈfɒli/ noun 1. lack of good sense; foolishness. "an act of sheer folly" 2. a costly ornamental building with no practical purpose, especially a tower or mock-Gothic ruin built in a large garden or park.

T

he Ferdinand Heavy Tank Destroyer might be seen to fit both definitions of “folly” in its initial deployment on the Eastern Front.

During 1943, the Ferdinand tank destroyer suffered from mechanical problems that were compounded by poor visibility and the lack of any close defence weapons.

The large smooth steel surfaces were also a magnet – quite literally – to infantry-placed explosive charges.

This disastrous recipe resulted in the destruction of many Ferdinands on the Kursk battlefield, but even more littered the salient due to mechanical failure.

The surviving Ferdinands were withdrawn and rebuilt with more reliable engines, a modified Panzer III cupola with all-round episcope vision, a bow mounted machine gun, and renamed "Elefant".

Zimmerit coating was also applied to combat magnetic charges.

THE ELEFANT IN THE BOX Tamiya released their 1:35 scale Elefant in mid-2012. This was a great kit – well-detailed, simple parts breakdown, perfect fit and link-and-length tracks.

Fast forward to 2016, and Tamiya has scaled down this big Tank Destroyer to produce an allnew 1:48 scale kit.

Tamiya’s 1:48 scale Elefant comprises 192 parts in tan coloured plastic, ten polythene caps, four cylindrical metal ingots, a length of string and decals for

one marking scheme.

Unlike its 1:35 scale big brother, the hull and superstructure sides are moulded as one full side each with separate panels for the hull floor plus superstructure and hull front and rear panels. The track guards also double as sponson covers.

The internal casemate permits the gun to elevate and traverse thanks to a combination of polythene caps and snap-fit plastic parts.

Typical of Tamiya’s 1:48 scale military kits, four cylindrical metal ingots are supplied for the lower hull to add “scale weight” to the model.

Both the driver’s and Commander’s hatches may be posed open.

Tracks are made up from a combination of individual links and five different lengths. The lengths are moulded with curves in place – either up or down depending on their final position on the track run.

Outer and inner surfaces are well detailed.

The plastic parts are rounded out with a Commander figure.

He is well moulded and the facial detail is particularly nice. A single marking option is supplied on the small decal sheet.

Tow cables are supplied as lengths of string.

The instructions are well laid out over 17 steps with clear illustrations supplemented by text directions where required. The section dealing with the tracks is especially well done. A

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KIT REVIEW

Dragon King Tiger late production with new pattern tracks Ardennes 1944 • Kit no 6232

B TANK WORKSHOP’S RESIN

FERDINAND CONVERSION

Tank Workshop’s replacement engine deck.

New resin track guards include skids underneath and Ferdinand-style tread pattern on top.

The Kursk-era Ferdinand looks superficially similar to the improved Elefant, but there are a surprising number of major and minor differences between these two heavy tank destroyers.

The Tank Workshop has now released a 1:48 scale Ferdinand resin conversion that addresses all of these differences.

The 50 grey resin parts include a new engine deck, glacis, front mudguards, track guards, superstructure roof, exhaust shroud, headlights and mounts, gun mount, reversed mantlet armour, hatches and replacement link-andlength tracks.

Casting quality is perfect on my sample.

Please note that my sample is a pre-production version with a couple of issues being corrected for all future releases. The main error is that the centre engine grille is cast with 15 slots where

there should be 18. Anyone buying the conversion from The Tank Workshop will receive the corrected 18 slot grille.

PREPARING THE RESIN By far the most important aspect of this project is adequate preparation of the resin parts.

Be prepared to allocate plenty of time to cleaning up the resin parts, thinning backs and edges, test-fitting, and repeating this routine as often as necessary for everything to fit perfectly.

Fortunately, Tank Workshop has made this job a little easier by casting most of the parts onto casting strips rather than a single large block. This means that the strips can be snipped off and the residue cleaned up with a sharp knife and sanding sticks.

There is some raised waste along the bottom of the superstructure roof though, so make sure that you remove this as well. A

Casemate roof, new glacis, front mudguards, replacement exhaust shroud and detail parts.

Some modifications to the kit parts are necessary.

I used a hobby knife and coarse sanding stick to sand down the remnants of the raised casting strip underneath the superstructure roof.

The kit casemate has a fine raised guide line moulded at the level of Zimmerit. This was scraped off before the model was assembled.

The other major conversion parts cleaned up and ready for assembly.

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The main gun mount parts.

The gun mount can elevate and depress thanks to the use of polythene caps.

A view from the rear of the gun mount.

The spherical gun mount viewed from the front.

The casemate roof is test-fitted to the kit superstructure. Fit was good, with only a little sanding and filing needed.

The completed gun mount is glued to one side of the hull side.

The diagonal gutters on the casemate front panel were cut off with a hobby knife then cleaned up with sanding sticks. Check your references though, as some Ferdinands seemed to have these fitted.

The new resin engine deck glued into place.

The mount is secured from below using a clever glue-free “click fit� sliding lock. This allows the gun mount to traverse as well.

Casemate parts glued in place.

A number of locating holes are redundant for the Ferdinand. These were filled with a mix of super glue and talcum powder then sanded flat.

The glacis and front mudguards.

Track guards ready for assembly.

Looking like a Ferdinand!

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KIT REVIEW

Dragon King Tiger late production with new pattern tracks Ardennes 1944 • Kit no 6232

…then directly gluing the mudguard section to the track guards. The glacis was added last.

The only notable fit problem that I encountered was the glacis to the track guards. A gap was present between the mudguards and the track guards.

This was easily fixed by cutting off the glacis mount…

The lower hull is supplied as a flat pack with separate floor, sides, and rear hull panels.

B CONSTRUCTION Construction of the basic model and the conversion are covered in detail in the accompanying photos and captions.

In summary, the Tamiya Elefant is a joy to build and the Tank Workshop conversion should present no serious challenges to an experienced modeller.

CREW FIGURES A crew always lends a nice sense of proportion to a model, and probably moreso in a smaller scale such as 1:48.

I had recently bought a number of 1:48 scale resin figure sets from Figures With Attitude.

Amongst these were six figures that were nominally designed for a Sturmgeschutz III, but they are equally appropriate for most tank destroyers or self-propelled guns.

I picked three figures that seemed to suit the Ferdinand including one who looked comfortable sitting astride the 88mm barrel.

I used a round sanding stick the eliminate any gaps between the figure and the barrel. I also picked two standing figures – one for the engine deck and a Commander.

I cut the Commander’s legs off to allow the partial figure to be fixed to Tamiya’s mount below the Commander’s hatch.

The figure in the driver’s hatch was started out as a 1:48 scale Luftwaffe crew member riding Tamiya’s Kettenkraftrad. I painted this figure years ago, but the sprawling, casual pose was perfect for the scene that I had in mind. I removed the head and replaced it with a spare from one of the other Figures With Attitude crew figures.

The assembled lower hull. I did not add the metal ingots yet.

The upper hull was fitted to the lower hull. A gap at the rear hull was fixed by trimming the inside of the track guards.

The drive sprockets and idler wheels are workable thanks to polythene caps.

The road wheels are provided as inside and outside halves. Two styles are included.

Running gear elements ready for assembly.

A

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Bogies fitted to the lower hull awaiting wheels, sprockets and idlers.

Tank Workshop supplies new link and length tracks with the correct tread plate pattern.

The lower hull on its wheels.

I started by fitting the individual tracks links to the idlers and the drive sprockets. I left one link off each drive sprocket to give myself a bit of fiddle-space at the end.

Tamiya’s lower track run is employed. Short resin lengths are added to each end of the lower run.

The tracks start to come together. The gap between the lower run and the drive sprocket will be adjusted when the rest of the track has been fitted.

The completed tracks on the running gear.

Each upper run is made up from five shorter lengths.

Upper and lower hull test-fitted.

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KIT REVIEW

Dragon King Tiger late production with new pattern tracks Ardennes 1944 • Kit no 6232

To correct my error, I cut the end of the equivalent kit part and glued it to the rear of the resin mount.

The mount for the barrel has a resin plug that must be drilled out. I used my Dremel and a round dental burr for this job but I made the hole too big.

The basic conversion complete. The upper and lower hulls have not been glued together at this point.

A side view of the barrel mount and reversed armour fitted.

B PAINTING THE FIGURES The arms and bodies were assembled with super glue, and the completed figures primed with Tamiya’s Grey Primer straight from the spray can. The heads were sprayed separately with Tamiya’s Fine White Primer to give a lighter base for the flesh tones.

The heads and the bodies were drilled and mounted on toothpicks to ease handling during painting.

In this relatively small scale, I wanted to make sure there was a bit of variety in the crew’s appearance. I selected a combination of three main shades for the uniforms – Panzer Black and two versions of Field Grey (Feldgrau). One of these shades is greenish, while the other is more a khaki grey.

Vallejo made my life a little easier by packaging all the uniform colours I needed in one box – Panzer Aces Set No.5. This set also includes paler shades of the base colours to paint highlights.

The specific colours I used were 333 Germ. Tkcr. (Black), 334 Germ. Tkcr. I (Feldgrau), 335 Germ.

Tkcr. II (Feldgrau), 337 Highlight Ger. (Black), 338 Highlight Ge. I (Feldgrau) and 339 Highlight Ge. II (Feldgrau).

The colours were applied by brush. Two coats were plenty to ensure solid even coverage. An intermediary shade between each base colour and its highlight colour was mixed and applied, once again by brush, to the highlight areas.

Details such as epaulets, piping and insignia were then picked out with a fine brush. Following a protective coat of AK Interactive’s Ultra Varnish Matte, metallic items including buttons and belt buckles were painted with Vallejo Model Colour 70865 Oily Steel.

Painting of the heads got underway with a sprayed base coat of Tamiya’s acrylic XF-15 Flat Flesh. Headgear was then painted, followed by a wash of heavily thinned Burnt Sienna and Raw A

The other three crew members are from Figures With Attitude.

These are simply gorgeous.

The driver figure was from Tamiya’s 1:48 scale Kettenkraftrad crew. My original paint job on this one was pretty rough!

I set the poses and made the small adjustments to the figures before painting commenced.

Resin detail parts and relocated kit stowage was added at this stage.

I realised that I hadn’t added the rear steps after I had applied the Tamiya Grey Primer coat. The two rungs were added from bent brass wire.

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The model received an overall coat of Mission Models’ acrylic MMP-011 Dunkelgelb RAL 7028.

This is a pleasing shade – almost light khaki.

The tracks were brush painted immediately before the upper and lower hulls were glued together.

Note that the cylindrical metal ingots have been fitted here.

I mixed the base colour with around 50% MMP-019 Dunkelgelb Late 1944 RAL 7028 as a highlight coat for the upper surfaces and the tops of the horizontal surfaces.

The two large sub-assemblies were taped while the glue set.

A paler shade of yellow was brush painted as a top highlight onto raised features. I use a disposable paper palette pad for mixing and painting.

I quite liked the effect and was tempted to leave the model in overall Dark Yellow.

A blend of Vallejo acrylics was mixed for a pale dry-brushing coat.

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KIT REVIEW

Dragon King Tiger late production with new pattern tracks Ardennes 1944 • Kit no 6232

B Sienna oil paint. The ruddy mixture

flows into the low-lying areas and crevices, making a nice start to shading and detailing.

Fine facial details such as mouths and eyes were carefully brush painted with a watered-down mix Vallejo 337 Highlight Ger. (Black), which is actually a dark brown shade. High areas of the face such as the chin, brow, nose, cheeks and ears were painted with paler shades of flesh, while shadow areas under the eyebrows, under the nose and chin received darker shades. I made no serious attempt to paint the whites of the eyes – I rarely do in 1:35 scale so I didn’t even consider it in 1:48 - preferring a dark thin slit in most cases.

Finally, with the figure painting complete, the rather uncomfortable looking handles were extracted and the heads glued to the bodies.

CONCLUSION Tamiya has once again delivered a well-detailed and easy to build model of an iconic vehicle with their new 1:48 scale Elefant.

I was particularly pleased when I heard that The Tank Workshop were planning a Ferdinand conversion.

If you are a scale student of the Battle of Kursk, or if you just don’t like applying zimmerit, Tank Workshop’s Ferdinand backdate will be welcome indeed! ■

The streaky camouflage pattern on the lower half was quite noticeably different from the casemate.

I masked off the upper areas while I painted the hull.

The messy mottle on the casemate has been applied here.

MIG Productions’ Neutral Wash was mixed with Mineral Turpentine in a 50/50 ratio and applied to the whole vehicle.

In the end I thought that the first attempt at camouflage was a bit insipid. I sprayed a heavier coat of green over the original paint job. A thin acrylic wash has also been applied here.

Details painted, flat coat on and weathering applied. The model is ready for its crew.

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The heads and the Commander’s torso were prepared with a coat of Tamiya Fine White Primer straight from the spray can.

The other bodies were sprayed with Tamiya Grey Primer.

The base coat for the heads was Tamiya XF-15 Flat Flesh.

The heads and the Commander’s arms received a wash comprising Rowney Georgian Oil Paint 221 Burnt Sienna; Winsor & Newton 34 Raw Sienna heavily thinned with Mineral Turpentine.

Base colours have been brush painted onto the uniforms here.

The six Vallejo colours used for the crew uniforms and highlights.

The completed figures after highlights, detail painting and a final coat of AK Interactive Ultra Varnish Matte.

The crew figures lend a nice sense of proportion to the vehicle.

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KIT REVIEW

Dragon King Tiger late production with new pattern tracks Ardennes 1944 • Kit no 6232

This is a great conversion for a high quality kit.

The simple cross decals were sourced from a Kagero sheet included with a Panzer III book.

Modelspec Tamiya 1:48 German Heavy Tank Destroyer Elefant Kit No. 32589 Accessories Used: Tank Workshop Item No. TWS 48124 – Ferdinand Conversion (TAM) Figures With Attitude – StuG Crew Figures Tools and Modelling Products: Tamiya Epoxy Putty Smooth Surface Kneadatite Two-Part Epoxy Putty Tamiya Extra Thin Liquid Cement Revell Contacta Plastic Glue Selleys Super Glue Tamiya Surfacer Irwin Clamps (various sizes) Mission Models Micro Chisel

Chipping was applied with a sponge.

Paints and Finishing Products: Vehicle: Tamiya Spray Can - Grey Primer.

Mission Models – MMP-011 Dunkelgelb RAL 7028; MMP-019 Dunkelgelb Late 1944 RAL 7028; Thinner 2 Fl. Oz.; Polyurethane Mix Addative 2 Fl. Oz. Tamiya Acrylic – X-23 Clear Blue; XF-1 Flat Black; XF-64 Red Brown; XF-59 Desert Yellow; XF-67 NATO Green.

MIG Productions P222 Neutral Wash Maru Easy Mud Item No. 21101 – Mud Standard Light Winsor & Newton Oil Paint – 35 Raw Umber Alclad II Klear Kote Lacquer - Flat Figures: Uniforms - (Vallejo Panzer Aces acrylics) – 333 Germ. Tkcr. (Black); 337 Highlight Ger. (Black); 995 German Grey. (Vallejo Model Color) 847 Dark Sand; 950 Black.

Flesh - Base Coat: Tamiya XF-15 Flat Flesh Wash: Rowney Georgian Oil Paint 221 Burnt Sienna; Winsor & Newton 34 Raw Sienna.

Flesh Highlights: Vallejo Model Colour 341 Flesh Base; Vallejo Model Colour 342 Highlights AK Interactive Ultra Varnish Matte ✓ (Base Tamiya Kit): Good detail; superb fit; easy build; fast and easy link-and-length tracks. ✗ Nothing worth mentioning.

Available from Tamiya kits are distributed in the UK by The Hobby Company Limited www.hobbyco.net Thanks to Tank Workshop for the conversion sample www.tankworkshop.com

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The weathering on the tracks and running gear is Maru Easy Mud Item No. 21101 – Mud Standard Light plus some thinned Raw Umber oil paint.

Scratches were added using a brown Prismacolor pencil.

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KIT PREVIEW

Dragon MIM-104F Patriot SAM System PAC-3 M901 Launching Station • Kit No. 3563

Graham Tetley offers his opinion on Dragon’s big new 1:35 MIM104F Patriot SAM System.

Lovely tread detail but shame about the mould seam.

AMERICAN PATRIOT

P

atriot is an acronym that stands for ‘Phased Array Tracking Radar to Intercept On Target’. It first came to popular attention during the First Persian Gulf War with it’s employment to counter Iraqi SCUD missiles.

There have been several upgrades to the system over the years and this kit represents the MM-104F PAC 3 version. This current system uses 4 missiles per canister, which means a total of 16 missiles per launcher.

It is expected that continuing upgrades will see the Patriot remain in service for the next 20 to 25 years or longer.

Dragon’s ‘Black Label’ series has been met with quite a lukewarm reception so I was filled with trepidation when the Editor offered me this to review.

This new Black Label kit represents the trailer mounted M901 surface to air missile launcher station and includes the launch trailer and associated equipment mounted on the trailer.

Also including are the launcher assembly and the missiles in their containers with options to show them launching. This is misleading in my view, in that the box does not include the radar trailer shown on the box art.

In the box you will find just under 500 plastic parts, 4 DS tyres and some wire for the handrails. There is no etch in the kit which is a real disappointment as you will find out. Eduard have a set though (ref. 36347) that addresses these omissions if you so wish.

The model comes in a very big box and contains 15 sprues worth of parts although many of these are duplicates. Moulding quality is very good throughout and there is no flash or any other moulding imperfections at all. Detail ranges from very good to very simplified so here are my highs & lows:

• The first thing that struck me is that the many walkways present on this kit have been moulded solid. Dragon has done a very good job of representing the tread plate detail but it should all be hollow. This is where the Eduard etched set would pay dividends.

• There is no plumbing provided or even any diagrams showing you how to add all of the various cabling that abounds on the real thing. The box art shows you some, but a Google search will reveal many pictures showing how and where this is plumbed up.

• Dragon provides us with some braided metal wire for the walkway handrails but this wire is very inflexible. It is supposed to go through the provided plastic supports but will easily break these. I recommend replacing it with more flexible wire or kite string.

• There is some very fine detailing on the sides of the tyre walls.

• The way that the trailer legs have been moulded is very commendable. You can position them extended or stowed and a bit of drilling & pinning would see them fully workable.

• I really like the fine printing that Cartograf has managed to reproduce on the decals.

You will be amazed at what is readable when you zoom in.

We start with the main chassis rails which are straight & true,

Decals...

and once constructed you add all of the walkways, wheel fenders and other bits. The tyres are in DS Plastic and have some lovely detail on them but a hefty mould seam to remove around the middle of the tyre. The launcher and it’s various control boxes are easy to put together and a lot of the construction will be taken up by the 16 missile boxes. You can display a missile flying out of one of the boxes if you wish.

The instructions come in 15 steps although some have many sub-assemblies. For a Dragon kit the instructions are quite clear and (so far) blooper-free. There are only two marking options provided, one for a US unit in Iraq, 2003, and the other for a Japanese Army unit.

This is a simple and straightforward kit that anyone with a little building experience could tackle and for that Dragon have to be congratulated. Detail purists will bemoan the lack of etch or anything to replicate the plumbing and whilst it isn’t a dealbreaker for me it is something that Dragon could have easily provided in the package. We now know that Dragon are releasing this with the HEMMT Tractor unit and that is a kit that I would like to see! I would say that this deserves an 8/10 from me. ■

Dragon kits are distributed in the UK by The Hobby Company Limited www.hobbyco.net

These are the solid walkways.

Cleanly moulded launcher base parts.

Close-up of the wheel hubs.

One of the four missiles.

...and the teeny tiny writing!

Kit instructions with parts breakdown.

Peek-a Boo!

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KIT REVIEW

Italeri 1:48 Sikorsky H-34G.III/ UH-34J • Kit No. 2712

Andy King checks out a 1:48 scale H-34 Search and Rescue helicopter from Italeri.

SEARCH AND RESCUE T he Sikorsky H-34 first entered service in 1954 with the US Navy and roles included anti-submarine warfare (ASW), Search and Rescue (SAR), utility transport etc.

The helicopter was used by a number of countries in military and civilian roles, examples of which were still flying in New York until the early 1990s.

This particular kit depicts the H-34G Search and Rescue version used by the German Navy in 1973 and a US Navy UH-34.

In the box are just four sprues in grey styrene, a single clear sprue, a sheet of plastic mesh, a sheet of etch metal and quite a large decal sheet.

All parts are exhibiting flash to some degree and although pin marks are confined to internal areas these will be seen on the fuselage sides should you wish to have the cabin door open. The transparencies are a bit on the thick side and the windscreen on my example has a couple of blemishes in it (one looks to be an air bubble) and these will be impossible to remove.

The kit’s photo-etched fret.

The model features (in my humble opinion) a nicely done riveted surface finish on the fuselage and will look well after painting and weathering, one thing to note is that the engine access panel on the starboard side is too far forward and needs filling and re-scribing further back. The winch needs repositioning too as it is too low and would foul the cabin door.

The rotor blades have the characteristic sag moulded in but to be very picky here the sag should start nearer the rotor head, not a huge problem though as the rotor blades can be reshaped after dipping in hot water.

Cockpit and cabin detail is okay but the cockpit seats need some work to make them look like the actual items and a few details are missing plus as stated above there are pin-marks in the cabin walls that will need filling.

It’s nice to see the addition of etched metal for the various grills around the nose and tail although you still need some for the end of the rear rotor gear box housing as the mesh is moulded in the plastic

Decal sheet.

One of the separate nose halves.

The engine vent.

and looks poor. The indents either side in the tail where etched parts (9PE) fit could do with opening up as this is actually quite see through. With the addition of some extra detail inside the tail this would just add a bit more to your model. For the grill above the main transmission you have the option of either gluing plastic mesh to part 18A and trying to cut it out when dry OR use the more sane option of fitting the supplied etch (1PE).

Markings for this model are for a H-34 G.III as used by Marinefliegergruppe 5, KielHoltenau during 1973 in an overall grey scheme with dayglo orange panels and a UH-34J based at NAS Ellyson Field, Pensacola, Florida during 1968 in a very fetching overall orange scheme with a yellow tail band. Decals are printed by Cartograf and are in perfect register, all the warning data stencils are legible too.

I must admit I like the look of this one as that US Navy orange scheme certainly stands out. The kit is not without its faults but Italeri does provide a good base to start from and with the addition of some extra work and aftermarket goodies this will be a real eyecatcher. I have seen some real beauties built from the Westland Wessex version so this one is definitely a keeper. ■

Moulded detail on the cabin floor.

Nice detail in the cockpit…

…but the seats need a bit of extra work.

Recessed panel and rivet detail.

Thanks to The Hobby Company Limited for the sample www.hobbyco.net

The large windscreen part.

Suitably droopy rotor blade.

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FEATURE ARTICLE

Thunder Model 1:35 Case VAI Tractor • Kit No. 35001

CALL TO F

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O F ARMS Kamil Feliks Sztarbala transforms a poster into three dimensions with the help of Thunder Model’s new 1:35 scale Case VAI Tractor.

I

n the last few years, agricultural vehicles and heavy machines are becoming increasingly popular subjects amongst model kit manufacturers. As moulding technology seems to have more or less reached its peak, and its advantages are available to anyone who has enough funds to enter the market, newly founded companies have no choice other than to try to attract potential customers by releasing something more original than yet another Sherman or Panther kit. What’s more, the heavy equipment offers a large variety of paint jobs which are usually much more colourful than the typical green or sandy finishes of military vehicles. From the modeller’s point of view, this opens a new area for adaptation and further development of previously mastered painting and weathering techniques.

In these circumstances it isn’t surprising that a new Chinese company, Thunder Model, has selected a tractor for the subject of their debut 1:35 scale release. However, in order to appeal to a broader group of modellers, they’ve modelled the Case VAI, a small civilian tractor which was ‘enlisted’ during World War II. Both the attractive illustration created by the famous Polish artist Arkadiusz Wróbel, and an overall nice design of the box encourage us to make a quick inspection of its contents. Inside we find two plastic sprues, rubber tyres, a tiny photo-etched fret, and an only slightly larger decal sheet.

At first sight, the parts appear to be quite nicely detailed, and the details themselves are precisely and finely moulded. You won’t find any flash or sink marks, and the inconvenient placement of ejector pin marks does not affect this kit either.

The monochrome assembly guide is easily readable. The painting and decaling instructions are provided on a separate colour sheet. We may choose between a military (olive drab overall) and civilian (red overall) livery.

The photo-etched fret contains some very necessary details, but neither too much or too little.

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FEATURE ARTICLE

Thunder Model 1:35 Case VAI Tractor • Kit No. 35001

CONSTRUCTION The kit may be built out of the box in one evening. This process would be slightly extended if we choose to make a few necessary upgrades.

In fact, there isn’t really much room for improvement.

The overall fit of the parts turned out to be very good. Once the glue had cured, I only had to slightly level In most cases, it was enough to connect the various the surface with a fine metal file. elements and apply a little Deluxe Materials ‘Plastic Magic’ thin cement into the joint areas.

With the main subassemblies fitted together, I could focus on some detailing. My first step was to add the vee-belt that had been made from lengths of 0.1mm styrene strip. Such a thin material may be easily bend into the desired shape, but in order to make the whole piece more rigid, I had to use two layers of the strip, applied one over another.

Next, I reproduced the spark plugs by inserting lengths of ~0.6mm plastic tubing into the previously drilled apertures.

I then connected the thicker wire with the ignition coil, whilst the remaining ones were inserted into the spark plugs. Of course, in each case I had to determine the required length of the wire, and subsequently cut off the excess.

The separate bolt heads intended for detailing the universal joint of the torque tube, had been moulded on one of the sprues. As I was not satisfied with their finesse, I punched their replacements from some 0.25mm styrene sheet, using my RP Toolz ‘Hexagonal Punch and Die Tool Set’.

Using Roket Rapid cyano from Deluxe Materials, I glued lengths of 0.3mm and 0.5mm lead wire onto the distributor.

This allowed me to attach the remaining parts of the engine, including the main fuel tank. Only the exhaust was left separate, as it would interfere with work during the subsequent stage.

In accordance with the original VAI tractor parts catalogues, which are available online, I scratch-built the missing details of the electrical and fuel systems. As the battery would not be visible in the finished kit, I fixed the wires to a simple piece of styrene that had been glued to the rear wall of the main fuel tank.

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Afterwards, I proceeded with the front axle construction. To enhance the fit of the steering knuckle, I had to add some tiny plastic discs that had been punched from some 0.25mm styrene sheet. To this end, I used the ‘Punch and Die Tool Set’ from RP Toolz.

To avoid damaging the very thin parts that build up the steering mechanism, I removed them from the sprues with a razor blade.

The fragile front axle subassembly had to be put aside for a while, until the cement had fully cured.

Next, I glued a correctly shaped piece of 0.5mm styrene sheet to the sanded surface, and drilled a few holes in the former. The resulting detail represents a mounting frame for the auxiliary equipment or counterweight.

Meanwhile I dealt with the bumper. I first sanded its front side flush.

The photo-etched foot rests were given their correct shape using the 5.5" Bending Tool from The Small Shop, which is very handy for bending the thin edges of photo-etched parts.

The bending tool was also used as the holder during the soldering process.

Once you finish the soldering, it is very important to remove the flux remnants, otherwise they will lessen the paint adhesion.

Even though the ejector pin marks located on the inner surface of the fenders would eventually be covered by the wheels, I removed them with a milling bit.

The fenders and foot rests were then fixed to the kit.

As the towing hitch was moulded as a single piece, I had to emphasize the division between its components, using a ‘Mr. Scriber-Narrow Type’ tool from Mr.Paint.

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FEATURE ARTICLE

The engine hood, grille and side sheets went together without any problems.

Thunder Model 1:35 Case VAI Tractor • Kit No. 35001

Instead of the photo-etched part and decal supplied with the kit, I used an aftermarket instrument panel from Yahu Models, mainly due to the much better print quality and more accurate shape of the latter.

To ensure correct alignment of the photo-etched panel, I also softened the edge of the plastic part where the former would have to be bent.

As I chose to finish my tractor as a civilian machine, I thought that adding the head lights and tail light would be a nice touch. For this purpose, I browsed my spare part stash and selected two resin oxygen tanks, originally intended for a 1:72 scale B-24 kit.

Their size and shape made them perfect to use as the base for building the lamp covers.

To mount the Yahu panel with the instrument faces glued from underneath, I had to cut an aperture in the rear engine cover.

I started by drilling a series of holes, that had been located around the edges of the area that had to be cut off.

This allowed me to install the instrument panel.

I cut off their end parts, milled out their interiors and then glued tiny tin balls inside them, in order to represent the bulbs. The support brackets were made from lengths of 0.75mm styrene rod.

Finally, I had to deal with the wheels. The rear ones were affected by the …and later smoothed the surface with sandpaper, that had been glued recessed ejector pin marks. Although these most likely wouldn’t be visible to a flat piece of wood, in order to ensure that the entire surface of in the finished kit, I just couldn’t leave them untouched. I therefore filled the sanded part would be even. the recesses with ‘Roket Rapid’ cyano from Deluxe Materials…

Using a scalpel and a metal file, I worked on the aperture, creating its final shape.

Afterwards, I drilled out the missing holes in the grille, which were most likely omitted due to technological reasons.

The finished lamp assemblies were attached to the kit. I subsequently supplemented them with some wiring that had been created from lengths of 0.3mm lead wire.

I also modified the grips that help to mount the wheel onto the axle, by gluing shims made from 0.1mm styrene strip, between the jaws.

Without this, the apertures would be smaller than the diameter of the rear axle.

The tyres provided with the kit were made of rubber, which Next, I roughened their surface with fine sandpaper. is not a user-friendly material to work with. Fortunately, these were not seriously affected by flash. I could remove it easily with a very sharp scalpel blade.

As usual, many parts and sub-assemblies were left separate for the painting process.

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PAINTWORK As I had mentioned earlier, I decided to finish my tractor as a civilian vehicle.

My choice was determined by the poster that became the main inspiration for this project. In accordance with this vignette idea, I had to paint the vehicle in red overall, and be rather subtle in creating any wear and tear.

Before the kit could have any paint applied, it was necessary to mask the instrument faces. For this purpose, I used small discs that had been cut from Oramask foil. To make them easily removable, I glued tiny lengths of styrene rod to their surface. The data plate was masked with Tamiya tape.

The first step of the painting phase was to prime the entire kit with AK-Interactive AK757 ‘Black Primer and Microfiller’. This ensures that I will be able to observe any assembly errors, as well as any adhesive and sanding marks which may still possibly exist.

Next, I applied an undercoat of Tamiya XF-64 ‘Red Brown’.

This was followed by airbrushing a few thin layers of AK-Interactive AK088 ‘Worn Effect Fluid’. Before it had fully dried, I poured some salt crystals of different size here and there.

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FEATURE ARTICLE

Thunder Model 1:35 Case VAI Tractor • Kit No. 35001

Afterwards, I sprayed a basecoat of Tamiya XF-7 ‘Red’ in such way that the red brown undercoat still showed through it in various corners.

Initial highlights were painted with a heavily thinned mixture of the base colour, gradually adding Tamiya X-6 ‘Orange’.

To create the illusionary illumination of the curved edges and details, I used Tamiya XF-15 ‘Flat Flesh’, which had been heavily diluted with Mr.Thinner from Mr.Hobby.

At this stage, I removed the salt, and subsequently applied slightly thinned Vallejo Game Ink 72.091 ‘Sepia’ over all surfaces. This fluid did not only accentuate the details, but also acted as a filter.

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The edges, and such details as the grille ribs, were emphasized by dry brushing them with AK-Interactive AK3012 ‘Light Flesh’.

I then brush painted the details with various vinyl-based acrylics from AK-Interactive and Vallejo.

The final colour of the vehicle was obtained by applying a transparent layer of Ammo MIG A.MIG-093 ‘Crystal Red’, diluted with its dedicated thinner.

I thought that painting the wheels in two colours will enhance the overall appearance of the kit. To this end, I first masked the middle portions of the wheels with Abteilung 502 ABT115 ‘Liquid Mask’ and Tamiya tape…

After priming them with Mr.Paint MRP-085 ‘Fine Surface Primer Black’ I airbrushed a layer of AK-Interactive AK476 ‘Steel’…

…and added highlights by spraying a lighter metallic tone, ie. AK481 ‘Polished Aluminium’, from above.

The last touch was to add the lamp lenses. I started by scribing a series of parallel lines on a piece of 0.5mm clear styrene sheet.

Next, I masked the surfaces around the front wheel caps with Tamiya tape, and gave them a red finish in the same manner as previously employed for painting the tractor.

Wheel detail was accentuated with water-based TSC208 ‘Smoke’ from LifeColor’s Tensocrom range.

Afterwards, I punched three discs of 3mm diameter from the scribed part of the sheet and installed them within the lamp assemblies, using a clear gloss varnish as the adhesive.

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FEATURE ARTICLE

Thunder Model 1:35 Case VAI Tractor • Kit No. 35001

WEATHERING

My first step was to airbrush a misted application of AK-Interactive AK082 ‘Engine Grime’ over the lower areas of the vehicle, especially around the engine.

The excess enamel was immediately removed by tapping the surface with a dry cotton bud.

Next, I sprayed a mist of AK-Interactive AK2033 ‘Aircraft Engine & Turbines Wash’ over those areas where oily stains usually appear on real tractors…

…and created the final shape of the stains using a fine brush that had been dampened with white spirit.

I also added some greasy leaks here and there. These were To create the heat discolouration effect on the exhaust pipe, I used reproduced with AK-Interactive’s AK2019 ‘Aircraft Engine Oil’ and Tamiya ‘Weathering Master D’.

AK075 ‘Wash for NATO Camo Vehicles’, that had been mixed in different ratios, and applied over surfaces dampened with white spirit.

The exhaust system was finished with a few rusty tones from the LifeColor CS10 ‘Dust & Rust’ set, that had been applied using the wet-on-wet technique.

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I then focused on the wheels. I started the process by speckling the The enamels were further distributed by rolling a cotton bud, that front wheels with A.MIG-1750 ‘Dry Earth’ and A.MiG-1751 ‘Dry Steppe’ had been previously dampened with white spirit, over the surfaces of from Ammo MIG’s ‘Splashes & Mud Texture’ range. the tyres.

The drive wheels received a similar treatment…

I also used an old paint brush to apply small amounts of A.MIG-1704 ‘Heavy Earth’.

…which was also applied to the inner sides of the fenders.

Once the enamels had fully dried, I mounted the wheels on the axles.

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FEATURE ARTICLE

Thunder Model 1:35 Case VAI Tractor • Kit No. 35001

FIGURE My main inspiration for this project was the recruitment poster of The Women’s Land Army, which was formed as part of the United States Crop Corps.

Worth noting is that the artist who created the poster, didn’t put a big emphasis on researching the subject. In fact, the blue overalls worn by the female driver he had painted, have nothing common with the uniforms used by the ‘Land Girls’. However, a woman dressed in blue, driving a striking red tractor, certainly makes a very attractive visual impression. The only problem was that I had to sculpt this distinctive driver on my own.

Next, I formed the basic shape of the torso, and attached the head.

The head was made from a mixture of Magic Sculp and Greenstuff epoxy putties. At this stage, I didn’t add the headscarf, although I created the hair that would protrude from it.

Using a scalpel and some metal files, I reworked the lower leg pieces that were sourced from an old resin figure. These were now connected with lengths of steel wire, forming a skeleton over which I built up the very basic shapes of the upper leg portions and pelvis.

The use of resin for the lower parts of the legs allowed me to bend the latter slightly when heated with hot air. This was helpful during the process of adjusting the mannequin to the tractor.

Afterwards, I added the arms and hands. To prevent damaging the extended fingers in the course of my work, I strengthened them with thin steel wire.

With the mannequin fitted to the vehicle, I fixed the pose by sealing all the ‘joints’ with dense cyano in order to stiffen them.

I subsequently sculpted further parts of the figure, namely the trousers, neck and chest.

The headscarf could be created only after finishing the top part of the uniform.

As I intended to cast this female driver in resin, at this stage I had to separate the arms from the rest of the figure.

Once I’d removed them, I had to ensure that the particular elements would still fit together.

The last details to be added, were the buttons. To this end, I glued lengths of 0.7mm styrene rod into the previously drilled holes, and then cut the rod to the required length.

The finished master figure was cast in resin by a friend of mine. The castings will be soon commercially available directly from me, via KFS-Miniatures.

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Next, I dealt with the face and other exposed parts of the body. For this purpose, I used a variety of skin colours from the Vallejo 74.101 ‘Fairy Flesh Set’. I applied the base tones with an airbrush, and finished the job with fine brushes.

The shoes were brush painted with three acrylics from the AK-Interactive AK3030 ‘Leather and Buckles’ set.

To paint the headscarf, I used three tones from Vallejo’s Game Color range, ie. 72.010 ‘Bloody Red’ as the basecoat, 72.141 ‘Heavy Red’ for the shadows, and 72.131 ‘Rust’ for the highlights.

Finally, I had to finish the uniform. I applied a basecoat of Vallejo 72.143 ‘Heavy Blue’…

…and subsequently added the highlights and shadows with various blue tones from the AK-Interactive AK3150 ‘Blue Uniform Colors’ set.

The paintwork was sealed with a layer of flat varnish.

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FEATURE ARTICLE

Thunder Model 1:35 Case VAI Tractor • Kit No. 35001

BASE The boxed structure intended for the base was constructed from pieces of 4mm-thick balsa wood, and filled with styrodur foam. I then stained the box sides with many layers of an acrylic varnish so as to prevent any dirt or physical damage during the further stages of work.

The top part of the base was shaped in such a way that it became slightly sloped. Next, I spread a thin layer of Vallejo 26.218 ‘Dark Earth’ acrylic paste over the entire surface.

The actual ground was mixed from Ammo MIG’s A.MIG1704 ‘Heavy Earth’ and A.MIG-1701 ‘Thick Soil’ enamels, potting soil, and AK-Interactive AK118 ‘Gravel & Sand Fixer’.

The latter worked as a thinner.

The mixture was distributed and initially formed with an old brush.

Whilst the surface was still wet, I additionally poured a small amount of potting soil over it and applied the enamel products from Ammo MIG’s ‘Splashes & Mud Texture’ range, that had previously been used for dirtying the wheels of the tractor.

The track marks could be imprinted only before the ground had fully dried, so I had to act fast. I started by marking the final position of the vehicle.

The marks made by the front wheels were imprinted using a metal ruler with quite thick edges whilst for creating the short drive wheel marks, I imprinted… the drive wheels.

Once the ground had fully dried, I attached the model using twopart epoxy adhesive. The figure was added in the same manner.

Afterwards, I printed a variety of recruitment posters of different sizes, in order to determine the best possible configuration of their placement on the side wall of the base.

I finally posed the chosen poster in such a manner that it balanced the overall composition of the base and a rather low vehicle, both dominated by the highly-sitting figure. The side walls of the base were then sealed with another layer of satin varnish.

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be built out of “theTheboxkitinmay one evening... ”

Modelspec Thunder Model 1:35 scale U.S. Army Tractor Case VAI – Kit No. 35001 Accessories Used: Yahu Models 1:35 scale U.S. Tractor Case VAI Instrument Panel – Kit No. YML3502 KFS-Miniatures 1:35 Female Tractor Driver – Kit No. 35-004 Tools and Modelling Products: Deluxe Materials Plastic Magic thin cement Deluxe Materials Roket Rapid cyano Styrene sheet, strip and rod Lead and steel wire Magic Sculp & Greenstuff epoxy putties Mr.Scriber-Narrow Type tool RP Toolz Hexagonal Punch and Die Tool Set RP Toolz Punch and Die Tool Set The Small Shop 5.5” Photo-Etch Bending Tool Tamiya masking tape Abteilung 502 ABT115 Liquid Mask Styrodur foam Balsa wood Potting soil Vallejo 26.218 Dark Earth acrylic paste Paints and Finishing Products: Paints: - Tamiya (acrylic) - Mr.Hobby - AK-Interactive - Vallejo - LifeColor - Ammo of Mig Jimenez Mr.Paint and AK-Interactive primers Talens White Spirit Tamiya Weathering Master D set AK-Interactive weathering products: - AK075 Wash for NATO camo vehicles - AK118 Gravel & Sand Fixer - AK082 Engine Grime - AK088 Worn Effects Fluid - AK2019 Aircraft Engine Oil - AK2033 Aircraft Engine & Turbines Wash Ammo MIG weathering products: - A.MIG-1701 Thick Soil - A.MIG-1704 Heavy Earth - A.MiG-1750 Dry Earth - A.MiG-1751 Dry Steppe ✓ Fast build; well detailed; clear instructions. ✗ Some extra detailing would be helpful.

Available from Thunder Models are available online and from specialist hobby shops worldwide.

Rating

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1:48 Scale – A round-up of the latest news and releases

COMPETITIONS ARE THEY IMPORTANT? I

don’t enter competitions any more. I used to, but not anymore. Why, you may ask?

It’s not because I’m better than anybody else (I’m not and I know it). It’s not because I don’t like competition (I actually enjoy being in competitions). It’s not because I need some wooden and plastic trophy (I have enough of those - they’re in a box under the house somewhere). It’s not because I seek fame and fortune (the train has already left the station on that one and I’m still standing there with my bags on the platform). So why don’t I do it anymore?

For me, it’s a personal choice. I have my models published in a magazine. Yep, it might sound crazy but the mere fact that my models are published in a magazine is all the self-satisfaction that I need.

I’m also old enough to say, you know what? It’s okay if you disagree with my decision and I happy for you to do so.

But for me it’s a personal choice.

Which leads me to my main point. Are competitions important? Of course they are. They motivate the competitors to lift their modelling to a higher standard. Competition is an important

factor in gauging your building and painting styles against others. They are also a good meeting point for like-minded individuals and let’s face it, you really don’t discuss models with anyone other than other plastic modellers!

I’ll throw another contentious idea into the mix. I like First, Second and Third awards in competition.

Yep, I know in this day and age everybody expects to be a winner, but honestly, I’m a little tired of the gold, silver and bronze standard. Yeah, I know that’s going to upset a few people but honestly, somebody has to win. That’s life.

Imagine if the Olympics was run that way. I can just see it now. Okay, well done guys, you’ve all reached a standard, pat on the back, here’s a gold medal for all of you! But who won?

Pushing yourself to be number one can be a good thing sometimes. So yes, competition is important. It’s also important to be a humble winner and a good loser, but I’ll leave that topic for another column...

Until Next Time Luke Pitt

ARMORY

1:48 SCALE BTR-60 WEIGHTED WHEELS FOR THE MIKROMIR KIT ITEM NO. AR AC4801

When I reviewed the Mikromir kit of the BTR-60 a few months back, I made mention its only real vice was the wheels that, for me, were almost impossible to fix.

The tyres were made from vinyl that ruled out any modification.

Well, Armory has now come to the rescue. What they have produced here is as good if not better than any 1:48 scale aftermarket wheel set I have ever seen. The wheels themselves are provided in three parts. A front hub and inner retaining ring together with the tyre itself. The front hub and inner retaining ring display outstanding detail while the tyre itself has subtle (and in scale) ribs on the sidewalls together with an outstanding (and accurate) tread pattern. To top all of this off each wheel has a flat spot on the bottom of the tyre itself.

Generally when wheels of this type are provided as multi part affairs the hub is either too small or too large to fit into the tyre itself. Not so with these, the hub and inner retaining ring fit like a glove into the tyre.

The wheels are flawless in their execution. I suggest you go out and buy these if the subject choice appeals to you.

This update is simply that good. Thanks to Armory Group for providing the review sample; they can be contacted on the following web site: www.armorymodels.com Highly Recommended.

Luke Pitt

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Luke Pitt explores the wonderful world of 1:48 scale models and after market.

ONIRLA MINIATURES 1:48 SCALE WWII GERMAN CAVALRY

In my mind, the most important thing when purchasing a figure is the pose. It has to be natural and in some ways cool to look at.

Second is facial detail and lastly uniform detail.

This new figure from Onirla miniatures ticks all these boxes and more. The kit is a mixed media release with the horse being offered in a single white metal casting. The pose of the horse is very natural and very well done.

The figure is resin cast comes in six very well cast pieces. The fit of rider to horse is perfect and the uniform details are done to a very high standard.

I am impressed with this figure. It has a striking pose and would be an outstanding standalone piece or the centrepiece for any 1:48 scale diorama.

Our thanks go out to Onirla miniatures for providing the review sample. They can be contacted on the following web address www.onirlaminiatures.com Highly Recommended.

Luke Pitt

HAULER

1:48 SCALE BTR-60 PB UPDATE ITEM NO. HLX48375

Our friends at Hauler continue to offer 1:48 scale modellers sensible updates for all the newer releases.

This month, and in keeping with the BTR-60 theme, it’s time to review their 1:48 scale photo etch update.

One medium size fret is offered and it includes almost all of the exterior fittings that are either out of scale or impossible to reproduce in plastic.

What is included is the inner and outer engine screens, muffler guards, gun fittings, periscope updates, tool clamps and a raft of other smaller fittings to the outside if the vehicle.

Unlike some photo-etch sets out there, all of these pieces can and should be used.

The Mikromir kit is good kit straight from the box but this and the previously mentioned wheel set will take the kit to the next level.

Both of these updates are well worth the asking price.

Our thanks go out to Hauler for providing the review samples. They can be contacted on the following web site www.hauler.cz Highly Recommended.

Luke Pitt

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DOOLITTLEMEDIA.COM

The Modeller’s Guide

Superdetailing, Painting and Weathering

Aircraft of WWII, with airfield accessories, ordnance and diorama

Aleksandar Počuč

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SCALE MODELLING: A LOVE STORY READY TO ASSEMBLE TOOLS AND MATERIALS TECHNIQUES BUILDING THE AIRCRAFT ■ SPITFIRE MK. IXC ■ P-47D THUNDERBOLT ■ JU-87D ‘STUKA’ MAKING A DIORAMA

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Contact Details - for companies featured in MMI...

ACCURATE ARMOUR/ ARMOUR DISTRIBUTION

Units 15-16 Kingston Industrial Estate, Port Glasgow, Inverclyde, PA14 5DG Scotland.

Tel; 01475 743 955 Fax; 01475 743746 www.accurate-armour.com

ADALBERTUS

Iberyjska 7/49, 02-764 , Warsaw,Poland adalbertus@adalbertus.com.pl www.adalbertus.com.pl

THE AIRBRUSH COMPANY Ltd

Unit 7 Marlborough Road, Lancing Business Park, Lancing, West Sussex, BN15 8UF. Tel; 08700 660 445 www.airbrushes.com

ALCLAD II LACQUER

5 St Georges Close, Bacton, Norfolk. NR12 0LL Tel; 01962 65216 Fax; 01692 652334

ALPINE, ROYAL MODEL, ARTISAN MORI, YOSCI; SMARTMODELLING No.7 Gordons Way, Oxted, Surrey RH8 0LN. UK Tel; 01883 734746 smartmodelling@smart7.fsworld.co.uk

AMPERSAND PUBLISHING (via Historex Agents in UK)

235 NE 6th Avenue #4 Delray Beach, Florida 33483-5543, USA Tel; 561-266 9686 Fax; 561-266-9786

ARCHER

(Historex in UK)

PO Box 1277 Youngsville, NC 27596-1277, USA www.archertransfers.co

BADGER AIR-BRUSH COMPANY 9128W Belmont Ave, Franklin Park, IL 60131 Tel; 847/678-3104 www.badgerairbrush.com email info@badgerairbrush.com (In the UK from www.shesto.co.uk)

BISON DECALS

Available from www.hannants.co.uk and www.pdi-model-supplies.com

DELUXE MATERIALS www.deluxematerials.co.uk info@deluxematerials.com Tel; 01529 455 0340

DRAGON MODELS

(The Hobby Company in UK)

Dragon Models Ltd, Kong Nam Ind. Building B1-10F, 603-609 Castle Peak Road, Tsuen Wan NT, Hong Kong Fax; (HK) 4110587 www.dragonmodelsltd.com (For 1:6 Action Figures, please contact Amerang in UK)

ECHELON FINE DETAILS

Available from; wwwaccurate-armour.com & http://pachome1.pacific.net.sg/~kriegsketten/

FRIENDSHIP MODELS

12 Delta Drive, Musselburgh, East Lothian, EH21 8HR Tel; 0131 665 0866 Mobile; 07877166225 www.friendshipmodels.com

GREAT NORTH ROADS

CAMMETT

(Lifecolour, Scale Caliber)

Unit 5 Greenfield Industrial Estate, Forest Road, Hay on Wye, Powys, HR3 5FA Tel; 01497 822757 Email; cammettco@btinternet.com www.cammett.co.uk

CLASSIC PUBLICATIONS

Midland Counties Publications, 4 Watling Drive, Sketchley Lane Industrial Estate, Hinckley, Leics UK. LE10 1YF Tel; 01455 233 747, Fax; 01455 233 737 midlandbooks@compuserve.com www.classic-publications.com

CREATIVE MODELS LTD

(Mig Productions, Vallejo, Accurate Miniatures)

Unit 6-10, Honeysome Industrial Estate, Honeysome Road, Chatteris, Cambridgeshire. PE16 6TG Tel; 01354 760022 www.creativemodels.co.uk info@creativemodels.co.uk

DARTMOOR MILITARY MODELS Haylis cottage, Budlake, Broadclyst Exeter, EX5 3LJ, England Tel; 01392 881271 www.dartmoormilitarymodels.com

www.etchmate.com www.missionmodels.com Tel; 818 842 1885 Fax; 818 842 1886 info@missionmodels.com, sales@missionmodels.com, orders@missionmodels.com

THE ARMORY; M&MODELS

9329 S. Cicero Ave, Oak Lawn, IL 60453, USA http://home.earthlink.net/~mmodels/

MODEL WHOLESALE UK LTD Tel; 01892 533036 www.modelwholesaleuk.com

ORDNANCE MODELS

Harbour Road, Oulton Broad, Lowestoft, Suffolk, NR32 2LZ, Tel; 01502 517444 Fax; 01502 500521 www.hannants.co.uk sales@hannants.co.uk

HISTOREX AGENTS

Wellington House, 157 Snargate Street, Dover, Kent, CT17 9BZ, UK Tel; 01304 206720 Fax; 01304 204528. www.historex-agents.co.uk sales@historex-agents.co.uk

HOBBYLINK JAPAN

Sano-shi, Kurohakama-cho 162-1, Tochigi 327-0813, Japan www.hlj.com

HUSSAR PRODUCTIONS, CANADA www.airconnection.on.ca

ICM

Via Hannants in UK

(ETCHMATE, GRABHANDLER, MICRO CHISEL)

HANNANTS

BOOKWORLD WHOLESALE

CALIBRE 35

MISSION MODELS

MONROE PERDU

BLAST MODELS

Unit 10 Hodfar Road, Sandy Lane Ind Est Stourport, Worcs, DY13 9QB Tel; 01299 823330 Fax; 01299 829970 info@bookworldws.co.uk

9 Rannoch St., Battlefield, Glasgow G44 4DF, Scotland Tel/Fax; 0141 633 1400 milicastmodels@hotmail.com www.milicast.com

9a Marcombe Road, Torquay, South Devon, TQ2 6LL Tel; 01803 400436 www.greatnorthroads.co.uk email svfarrugia@yahoo.co.uk

IAN ALLAN

Via AFV Modeller or www.blast-models.com

MILICAST MODEL CO.,

www.ianallanpublishing.com Mail Order Dept 01455 254450 Kiev 02099, Ukraine, Borispolskaya 9 building 64.

Tel/fax; (+38044) 369-54-12 export@icm.com.ua www.icm.com.ua

ITALERI

(The Hobby Company in UK)

Via Pradazzo, 6, I-40012 Calderara Di Reno, Bologna, Italy, Tel; 051 726037 www.italeri.com

JUST BASES

21 Graham Road, Paignton TQ3 1BB Tel; 01803 558520 www.just-bases.co.uk

JUST KITS

4 High Street, Botley, Southampton, SO30 2EA Tel; 01489 781177 www.justkitsandmodels.co.uk

MDC

Model Design Construction, Victoria Place, Victoria Road, Ripley, Derbyshire DE5 3FW Fax; 01773 513344 orders@modeldesignconstruction.com www.modeldesignconstruction.com

MODELING ARTISAN MORI

http://www3.ocn.ne.jp/~m.a.mori/index_eng.html

MIG PRODUCTIONS (Creative Models in UK)

C/ Santiago Rusinol 7, Pral 2a, 08750 Molins de Rei, Barcelona, Spain www.migproductions.com

Monroe Perdu Designs, 3168 Renee Court, Simi Valley, CA 93065, USA. www.monroeperdu.com Via; www.steelmodels.com

PACIFIC COAST MODELS Tel; 001 707 538 4850 info@pacmodels.com www.pacmodels.com

PANZERWRECKS

PO Box 164, Heathfield, Sussex TN21 8WA, UK www.panzerwrecks.com

PARAGRAFIX

104 County Street, Suite 101 Attleboro MA 02703 USA Tel: +1 508.431.9800 M-F 9am to 4pm EST http://www.paragrafix.biz pgms@paragrafix.biz

PLUS MODEL

(Creative Models in UK)

SCHIFFER BOOKS

Schiffer Publishing, 4880 Lower Valley Rd, Atglen, PA, 19310 USA www.schifferbooks.com

SCHIFFER BOOKS in UK

Bushwood Books, No.6 Marksbury Avenue, Kew Gardens, Surrey TW9 4JF, UK. Tel; 020 8392 8585, 020 8392 9876, email; info@bushwodbooks.co.uk

SCHUMO KITS

www.schumo-kits.com

SDV MODEL www.sdvmodel.cz

SIMPLE 2 TRADE

No 2 Hollywood Lane, Hollywood, Birmingham, B47 5PP Tel; 0121 474 3030 www.simple2trade.com

SMARTMODELLING

(Swash, Tasca, Gap, Yosci, Royal Model)

No.7 Gordons Way, Oxted, Surrey RH8 0LN UK Tel; 01883 734746 smartmodelling@smart7.fsworld.co.uk

SQUADRON

1115 Crowley Drive, Carrollton, TX 75006-1312 U.S.A

SWANN-MORTON

Owlerton Green, Sheffield, S6 2BJ Tel; +44 (0)114 234 4231 Fax; +44 (0)114 231 4966 General: info@swann-morton.com www.craftknives.com

TAMIYA JAPAN

Tamiya, Inc., 3-7 Ondawara Suruga-ku, Shizuoka 422-8610 JAPAN www.tamiya.com

TAMIYA UK;

THE HOBBY COMPANY LIMITED Garforth Place, Knowlhill, Milton Keynes, MK5 8PG, UK Tel; 01908 605686 Fax; 01908 605666 enquiries@hobbyco.net www.hobbyco.net

Jizni 56, 370 10 C. Budejovice, Czech Republic. plusmodel@plusmodel.cz www.plusmodel.cz

TRUMPETER

POCKETBOND

VERLINDEN PRODUCTIONS

(Trumpeter & AFV Club in UK)

Bachmann Europe PLC Moat Way, Barwell, Leics, LE9 8EY Tel; 01455 841756 info@pocketbond.co.uk

PSP MODELS LTD (Mission Models in USA)

Unit 19B, Applin’s Farm, Farrington, Dorset DT11 8RA, UK Tel/Fax; 01747 811 817 www.psp-models.com

QUICKBOOST

www.quickboost.net

REVELL GmbH & Co. KG Orchard Mews, 18C High Street, Tring, Herts, HP23 5AH Tel; +44 (0) 1442 890285 www.revell.eu

SB MODELS

UK distributor for Model Victoria and Royal Model

P.O. Box 114, Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria, LA13 0WY. Tel/Fax; 01229 430 749 sales@sbmodels.fsnet.co.uk www.sbmodels.net

SBLC

PO Box 794, Cheltenham GL52 3ZW, UK RICHARDSBLC@aol.com

SBX MODEL SHOP

Norwich Road, Ipswich. IP1 5DN Tel; 01473 464311 www.sbxmodelshop.co.uk

www.trumpeter-china.com Pocketbond in the UK (Historex in UK)

811 Lone Star Drive, O’Fallon, Missouri 63366, USA www.verlinden-productions.com

VALLEJO

(Creative Models in UK)

Acrylicos Vallejo, SL Apartado 337 - 08800 Vilanova i la Geltrú, Barcelona, Spain Tel; (34) 93 893 60 12 Fax; (34) 93 893 11 54 www.acrylicosvallejo.com

VLS CORPORATION (LSA in UK)

(TRAKZ, WINGZ, CUSTOM DIORAMICS, WARRIORS); Lincoln County Industrial Park, 1011 Industrial Court, Moscow Mills, Missouri 63362, USA www.modelmecca.com

WHITE ENSIGN MODELS (Toms Model Works)

8532 Lamar Drive, Huntington Beach, CA 92647, USA Tomsmodelworks@aol.com www.whiteensignmodels.com

WWII PRODUCTIONS, AUSTRALIA 12 Prince Street, Waratah, 2298, NSW, Australia Tel; +61 (0)2 4967 3205 Fax; +61 (0)2 4967 3207 ww2prod@optusnet.com.au

ZVEZDA

(The Hobby Company in UK)

Promishlennaia Str.,2, Lobnya, Moscow Region, 141730 Russia office@zvezda.org.ru www.zvezda.org.ru

SCHATTON BARRELS

Industriestrasse 6, 94347 Ascha, Germany Fax; 09961 910 7826

■ Please mention ‘Model Military International’ if you make contact with any of the companies listed above - thanks!

64 Model Military International - April 2017

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Next Issue On sale 6th April 2017

ISSUE No.132 April 2017, Published March 2nd 2017

GREY WARRIOR

Brett Avants builds Panda’s big 1:16 scale Panzer 38(t), and includes a tutorial on painting Panzer Grey.

Editor;

Brett Green

Group Editor;

Marcus Nicholls

Publisher;

Alan Harman

Graphic Design;

Alex Hall

Advertising Manager;

Sean Leslie

Office Manager;

Paula Gray

Administration Manager; Hannah McLaurie Administration Assistant; Julie Lane MMI Website;

Doolittle Media Web Team

Printed by; Henry Stone Ltd, Oxfordshire Distributed by; Seymour Distribution 2 East Poultry Avenue, London, EC1A 9PT Tel; 020 7429 4000

NEW SAMURAI PART 3

Brett Green paints and crews-up Tamiya’s 1:35 scale Type 10 JGSDF Tank.

Newstrade; Select Publisher Services 3 East Avenue, Bournemouth, BH3 7BW Tel; 01202 586848 Email; tim@selectps.com Model Military International is published on the first Thursday of each month by; Doolittle Media, Doolittle Mill, Doolittle Lane, Totternhoe, Bedfordshire, LU6 1QX UK www.modelmilitary.com Tel; +44 (0)1525 222573 Fax; +44 (0)1525 222574 Editorial enquiries; Email; editor@modelmilitary.com Advertising enquiries; Tel; +44 (0)1525 222573 Email; sean@doolittlemedia.com

FOR YOUR SAFETY Don’t forget, when using solvents such as glues, paints, thinners and cleaning agents, always ventilate your work area thoroughly and wear a face mask.

When using power tools, side cutters or any tool that can suddenly break or create highspeed airborne particles, wear approved eye protectors with hard, clear lenses. Please always model in safety!

...and much more!

Due to many influencing factors, we cannot guarantee the appearance of the above projects, but we’ll try our best!

Reproduction in part of any text, photograph, or illustration without written consent from the publisher is strictly prohibited. While due care is taken to ensure the contents of Model Military International is accurate, the publishers and printers can not accept responsibility for errors and omissions.

Advertisements are accepted for publication in Model Military International only on Doolittle Media’s standard terms of acceptance of advertising, copies of which are available from the advertising department. Please write to the address above. All advertising, circulation and subscription enquiries should also be directed to the UK address above.

MORRIS MENAGERIE Jose Brito places Mirror Models’ 1:35 scale Morris C8 Quad MK III, N.º 5 Body in a diorama setting.

Subscription rates are; 1 year (12 issues); £44 UK £56 Europe £69 Worldwide (Airmail) Binders; £8.50 plus postage (UK £2.45, Euro £4.45, World £6.45) For all orders, please call; (UK) +44(0)1525 222573 or visit www.modelmilitary.com Back Issues; Back Issues are available at the current cover price. See the latest back issues advert or visit www.modelmilitary.com The paper used in this magazine is manufactured at the Leipa Georg Mill and is 100% recycled using de-inked pulp. The mill conforms fully with the requirements of both FSC and PEFC and carries the full accreditations for their environmental policies.

DRANG NACH ARNHEM

© Doolittle Media 2017

The paper used on this title is from sustainable forestry

Order online now at; www.modelmilitary.com

Subscription enquiries; Tel; +44 (0)1525 222573 Fax; +44 (0)1525 222574 Email; enquiries@doolittlemedia.com

Pawel Rzymski builds the Dragon Premium 1:35 Porsche King Tiger and places it on a Trumpeter rail car.

April 2017 - Model Military International 65

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The Last Post...

Unique road wheel arrangement

Marking options.

DRAGON 1:72 PANTHER AUSF. A EARLY PRODUCTION • KIT NO. 7499

A LITTLE GEM

DS Track detail.

Graham Tetley is impressed with Dragon’s latest small-scale Panther.

T

he Panther was a German medium tank deployed during World War II on the Eastern and Western Fronts in Europe from mid-1943 to its end in 1945. It had the ordnance inventory designation of Sd.Kfz. 171. Until 27 February 1944, it was designated the Panzerkampfwagen V Panther when Hitler ordered that the Roman numeral “V” be deleted. Contemporary English language reports sometimes refer to it as the Mark V. The Panther was intended to counter the Soviet T-34 and to replace the Panzer III and Panzer IV. Nevertheless, it served alongside the Panzer IV and the heavier Tiger I until the end of the war. It is considered one of the best tanks of World War II for its excellent firepower and protection. Its reliability was less impressive.

The Panther was a compromise. While having essentially the same engine as the Tiger I, it had more efficient frontal hull armour, better gun penetration, was lighter and faster, and could traverse rough terrain better than the Tiger I. The trade-off was weaker side armour, which made it vulnerable to flanking fire.

The Panther proved to be effective in open country and long range engagements, but did not provide enough high explosive firepower against infantry.

The Panther was far cheaper to produce than the Tiger I, and only slightly more expensive than the Panzer IV. Key elements of the Panther design, such as its armour, transmission, and final drive, were simplifications made to improve production rates and address raw material shortages. The overall design remained somewhat over-engineered.

The Panther was rushed into combat at the Battle of Kursk despite numerous unresolved technical problems, leading to high losses due to mechanical failure. Most design flaws were rectified in the German retreat, though the bombing of production plants, increasing shortages of high quality alloys for critical components, shortage of fuel and training space, and the declining quality of crews all impacted the Type’s effectiveness.*

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As someone who cut his modelling teeth on Matchbox, Airfix and Nitto kits this new 1:72 scale Dragon one shows just how far moulding technology has come in the past (cough splutter) years!

We have here five sprues of plastic parts, two runs of DS Tracks and a small decal sheet.

The kit contains the exact same sprues as the earlier Ausf. D version but includes a new sprue that only contains two parts – one for the front turret with the correct armour fillet and a periscope for the turret top. With 86 plastic parts, of which 10 are unused, this will be a quick and easy build.

Construction start with the lower hull and this comes as a single tub with the wheel mounts moulded in situ. The three inner sets of road wheels are come as one piece and are all joined together but, once assembled, you have to look hard to notice this. You could separate them if you wanted. The road wheels themselves are nicely detailed and have the extra bolts around the rims for this version. The rear plate has the stowage bins moulded onto it but Dragon has done a good job with it all.

Turning to the upper hull, the tools come moulded as one piece but detail is good.

Whilst we get spare track hangers no track links are provided to hang on them which is a disappointment. The gun travel lock only comes in the ‘up’ position so be prepared for some surgery if you want it lowered.

The turret is equally east to put together and very reasonably detailed. Although moulded integrally with the barrel, the muzzle brake is pin-sharp and as good as it gets in this scale.

The DS tracks are cleanly moulded and fit problems can be hidden behind the side skirts.

I should add that some minor modification (filling, drilling and sanding) is needed to some of the parts but this is nothing too taxing. Also, a test fit of the major parts reveals no need for filler at all.

I like it. This is a lovely little model that will result in a pleasing and accurate build.

Highly recommended. ■ * Historical summary via Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panther_tank

Not bad for 1:72 scale.

Turret close-up.

One piece tool arrangement.

All that’s missing are the etched grilles.

Only two parts are new for this kit.

10/02/2017 10:17

D6854 Sign Up to our Newsletter on www.hobbyco.net Find us on facebook search Plastic Kit UK

p 67 Dragon 132.indd 1

Dragon Kits are distributed in the UK by The Hobby Company Limited, Knowlhill, Milton Keynes, MK5 8PG See the full Dragon range at www.hobbyco.net Dragon models are available from all good model shops

09/02/2017 16:02