Professional Documents
Culture Documents
TALIBAN’S
TERRIBLE
TWIN
Euro Miniature Expo model show • Tamiya Matilda II • Hobbyboss DANA • references • and more…
Repurposing an old
Dragon BTR-70 to
Taliban SPAAG spec
AFV edition
4 NEWS
28 Military model product news
8 RETURN TO FOLKESTONE!
MiM report from the reborn Euro Militaire: ‘Euro Miniature Expo’
24 ORDNANCE DEPOT
New and recent accessory sets and modelling materials
26 BATTLE OF NORMANDY
PANZERS VORE! Knocked-out Pz.IVs in central-Normandy
36 41 ON TRACK IN 1:24
Fancy a 1:24 Kettenkrad for your display cabinet?
50 BATTLE OF NORMANDY
A US convoy passes through Cherbourg with the help of MPs
52 A MUDDY RETREAT
Mission Model’s accurate acrylic paint colours on Dragon’s
Jagdpanzer IV
59 A FINE FINNISH
Takom’s excellent Marksman 35mm AA turret on a T-55AM hull
62 BOOK REVIEWS
Military model-related book reviews
66 SIGN OFF
Tamiya’s 77th Pachi model photo contest
52
AFV Edition 3
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RETURN TO T
he demise in 2016 of the world-famous 'Euro
Militaire' model show was met with varying
degrees of consternation from military modellers
and figure painters/sculptors around the globe.
Over several decades, the show had established itself
as the premier event of its type and attracted the very
FOLKESTONE!
best talent from the modelling hobby.
Thanks to a great deal of hard work and dedication,
Richard Wharton from Oakwood Studios (www.
oakwood-studios.co.uk) and Steve Kirtley of SK
Miniatures (www.skminiatures.co.uk) have brought back
the show – now named Euro Miniature Expo – to the
same location and time of year and it was heartening
to see it happen. MiM was present of course and we
grabbed some photos of models that caught our eye.
MiM reports from the reborn Euro Militaire: Over the next few pages you can see just a fraction
of the masterpieces that were exhibited, amongst them
'Euro Miniature Expo 2017' some extraordinary examples of modelling skill. •
AFV Edition 9
WWW.TIGERHOBBIES.CO.UK
AFV Edition 11
AFV Edition 13
I N T H E D U M P S
DANA
Scra tc h m o d R o b ta lks us through h
e weathering
is
c h to e x tr e m
approa
AFV Edition 17
Following the kit instructions, the author assembled the rest of the model with
the exception of parts that would have been removed from the vehicle. One side
of the turret was left off because the author wanted to show the nice gun that is
included in the kit. Some scratchbuilt details were added to the framed floor plate
THE BUILD
The kit used for this article if the Hobbyboss 1:35
release of the DANA and was planned to be 'out
of the box' without any aftermarket additions. The
plan was to depict a DANA that has been retired
from service and had been left to rust somewhere
in a field or in the woods. An internet search
showed Russian vehicles left in columns in wooded
areas. The assembly of the model was stock,
except for the scratchbuilt items such as wiring and
hoses around and under the gun.
This was done mainly to have some added
detail in that area since I had planned to have the
one side cabin removed, just for added interest.
There are some fit issues with this kit and also
ejector pin marks as well as large sprue gates that
needed careful cleaning. I decided to also leave off
some parts such as tools as these may have been
removed by the crew or civilians. With the build
part complete the model was prepped for primer
and paint. I broke the model down into four sub-
assemblies; the gun and platform, the side cabin
and the lower chassis and main structure.
For the base colour the author used
several colours from the AMMO by
PAINTING Mig range of acrylic paints
This is where the fun part begins, but first a couple
of coats of primer were applied to form a uniform
surface for the paints to be applied to. For the
chassis I used black acrylic primer from Vallejo
and grey for the upper areas. The black primer
was chosen mainly as a base and pre-shade for
the dark colour that the chassis on these vehicles
were painted. The upper part of the vehicle would
be painted in a light greenish-grey colour, so the
grey makes a perfect base for the green. Once the
primer had dried and cured for a couple of days
it was time to apply the base colours and here I
chose several colours from the AMMO by Mig
range of paints to get a light base colour I was
happy with. With this dry I then switched to the
Vallejo range of products for the rest of the painting
and weathering.
Vallejo thinner. The same colours were used to lightened base colour and the mapping technique, these in corners and edges where dust and dirt
highlight and create shadow areas. This thinned or just rust chipping with no prior mapping. would have accumulated.
paint was then sprayed in light coats over the The rust chipping was first applied with a middle Now onto the rust weathering; yes different
model to create a sort of filter and blend the shifts brown rust colour as a base to work from. I like to forms of rust, stains and streaking is and should be
in colour tone. start some of the chipping early in the painting and considered a part of weathering since it all has to
Why didn’t I just use the Vallejo paints from the weathering stages and then more as the weathering do with 'mother nature' and the effects she has on
start? The main reason was that I wanted to see progresses. This not only will vary the chipping and metal and painted surfaces. I wanted to keep the
what the new AMMO paints were like. The paints colours but will give that layered effect, dimension. actual dirt and dust weathering very light in order
are good but I was not too happy that they dried to focus more on the rust weathering, and here is
with a satin sheen, even after shaking the bottles WEATHERING where the fading of the paint adds to the realism of
really well. With all the paint fully cured after I consider the previous work already done as a rust weathering.
two days of drying it was time for 'filters' (colour- form of weathering since it involves altering the Using various rust colours and browns I added
washes) in the form of acrylic wash from Vallejo base colour by applying colour-washes and filters, yet more rust chipping and larger rusty, corroded
Air and Model Color paints. Since all the paints but decided for this article I will consider what areas where it would be most likely to oxidise
and the washes are acrylics there was no problem has been done already as a norm since nearly all the most and reference photos of military and
mixing and thinning the two. I applied the filters modellers apply a wash and filter as part of the civilian vehicles come in very handy for this type
the same way one would use oils or enamels for a base colour application. of weathering. When doing rust I like to bounce
filter. Once dry, which did not take long, I started Since this vehicle has been stationary for some around the model and not work one area only
with some dark washes to create more shadow time and not in active service there would not be before going on. This allows me to come back to
effects. I then repeated the filters but only to small much in the way of dirt and mud on it, although previous work and add a different shade of rust to
areas that I wanted to light or alter the base colour. the chassis could and perhaps would still be dirty. create a texture or dimensional effect.
Basically I use acrylics in a similar fashion as the I decided to only do some light dust and build up The rust staining was done with thinned acrylic
'oil paint rendering' (OPR) technique developed by in areas and focus more on the effects of the sun rust colours and washes and again I moved around
my friend Mike Rinaldi. and weather that would fade the base colour of from one area to another, applying various bright
In between applying filters, washes and my the vehicle. For this I use thinned acrylics as a filter rust stains and streaking, blending these with a
version of the OPR technique, I also started with and layer by layer I either lightened or darkened large flat brush dampened with water. For streaking
some chipping. This was done with a fine-tipped the horizontal surfaces. Using brown earth colours I used different rust colours ranging from a very
paint brush and most of the chipping started with a thinned to a wash and filter consistency I applied dark for the chipping and old rust, to a colour
The following three photos show how the chipping and a variation of the mapping technique were used. The author either applies the rust chip first, or the mapping. With the lightened base colour mapping applied,
a water-dampened brush was used to blend this colour to the base colour, avoiding a stark contrast between the two
AFV Edition 19
Here we can see the extensive use of mapping and chipping on the cab front and roof The rear of the Dana got the same treatment as the rest on the vehicle. The empty fuel can racks were
weathered with a dark brown-black to show an accumulation of dirt, dust and fuel
CONCLUSION
Overall this was a fun model to build. The kits is
loaded with parts and a good amount of photo-etch
too. The detail is fantastic and you get a lot for your
money. The large surface areas and panels are what
motivated me to build the model in order to experiment
with new rust staining and streaking techniques. •
AFV Edition 21
Some views of the rear of the Dana including the engine compartment access hatches and the weathering and rust effects
The open gun area is finished off with dead leaves to add to the feeling of abandonment and neglect
RED ZEBRA, UK
Red Zebra is a British company producing
some superb diorama accessories in resin
and ceramic and they are perfect for modern-
era scenes. The ‘Damaged Jersey Barriers’
are cast from dental plaster and sport some
extremely well executed chips and dents and
the pack includes a piece of copper wire to
HAULER, CZECH REPUBLIC
form the lifting points. ‘Old Concrete Blocks’ Tamiya’s recently released 1:48
provide an alternative roadblock type for Elefant tank destroyer is the
street-scenes, again incorporating dings and recipient of a set of track guards
scrapes in their surfaces. ‘Concrete Rubble’ in photo-etched brass, which will
and ‘Reinforced Concrete Rubble’ are very allow the modeller to add some
novel ideas, providing a collection of whole of their own ‘battle damage’ to
and broken bricks, breeze-blocks, shattered this part of the model. The guards
concrete floor, shards of masonry in many come with non-slip pattern plus all
sizes right down to grit. Also in the packs are necessary brackets. Also for the
pieces of twisted metal and wire to represent little Elefant, there’s a ‘basic’ detail
. Very handy and imaginative products. set that provides tool brackets,
Also new is a set of various pots, storage exhaust grille and deflector,
jars and rolled-up mats in resin for a middle periscope shrouds and other useful
eastern diorama, again, very well sculpted bits; just enough to add some
and detailed. sparkle to this kit.
1:34 Middle East Accessories 1:48 German tank-destroyer
1:35 Damaged Jersey Barriers Elefant fenders (HLX48382)
1:35 Old Concrete Blocks 1:48 German tank-destroyer
1:35 Concrete Rubble Elefant Basic (HLX48381)
TO BUY?
DEF Model; www.defmodel.com
Eduard; www.creativemodels.co.uk
Hauler; www.hauler.cz
Only
£14.95
plus p&p
PANZERS VORE!
Knocked-out Pz.IVs in central-Normandy
AFV Edition 27
T
o this question, I would answer a defiant 'no',
for although these models require somewhat
stringent plastic surgery, new wheels, severe
'Dremelling' and fine detail finishing, they
are a grand basis for scratchbuilt conversions that
one would be reluctant to inflict on the increasingly
New gun shields were made
expensive new releases appearing among
from scrap plastic
Trumpeter’s ranks almost daily. Some of these
conversions involve major adaptations to a vehicle's
hull with new superstructures such as the conversion
of the standard BMP-1 to any of the Czech AMBS-
style ambulances or command vehicles or for
that matter to a specialised armoured recovery
vehicle such as the Brem2. Other conversions that
are available to the modeller with an interest in
third-world modelling are a series of 'flak-wagons'
throughout the developing world in countries
such as Iraq, Libya, Afghanistan, Chechnya and
Lebanon. A wide range of vehicles, whether it be
the American M113, Russian MT-LB, BMP-1 and
a motley collection of pick-up trucks and Unimogs
have had an assortment of heavy duty machine
guns and anti-aircraft guns such as the ZSU-23 x2
or KPV14 x4 mounted either to the rear or in place
of the turrets.
These mobile flak-guns have proved to be
extremely effective in putting down thunderous fire
in urban fighting against insurgents and snipers.
When in need, use anything you
Many of these improvised flak-wagons have seen can find! The author up-cycled
the addition of light armoured bodies or housings some food packaging to form
being constructed around the seating area of the the gun shields
anti-aircraft operator, as protection from counter-fire
and snipers. Occasionally, one these such vehicles
will catch this modeller's eye for the sheer ingenuity
of its construction and for the transformational
quality of the build. While I was extremely taken
with Lebanese Army M113s mounting ZSU-23s with
home made armour – including bullet-proof glass
and metal sheeting reinforced with empty recoilless
rifle casings – it was an Afghan BTR-70 flak-wagon
that caught my imagination at this particular point.
Having examined two images taken in
Afghanistan of this particular vehicle I noticed
that this late-model BTR-70 utilised a number of
BMP-1 rear roof hatches. The Afghan Taliban and
Mujahideen before them proved not only a difficult
and tenacious enemy but a resourceful recycler of
enemy equipment to meet their own requirements.
In the mountainous terrain of the Afghan hills to
the arid deserts plains, the medium calibre anti-
aircraft gun is an extremely effective long range
heavy-hitter.
AFV Edition 29
The author mated the Dragon BTR-70 hubcap with an ICM Ural truck
road tyre, then had it cast in resin
CONSTRUCTION
The construction of this particular BTR-70 goes
back some time and started with me producing a
simple replacement resin wheel-set for Dragon's
BTR-70, the original kit tyres being notorious for
seeping rubber and splitting. To this end, I mated
the Dragon BTR-70 hubcap with an ICM Ural truck
road tyre, which Steve Weed of Celtic Works
very generously cast for me. I then began altering
Dragon’s somewhat inaccurate BTR-70. Being
The turret has been
committed as I was to converting the vehicle as temporarily placed on its
the basis for the Afghan flak-wagon, I was happy mount to check for fit
to chop and alter its various inaccuracies. This
was greatly helped by the release of Trumpeter's
BTR-70, which allowed for comparison of the more
glaring inaccuracies.
On closer examination of the photographs, I
noted that this Flak conversion was based on a late
model BTR-70 with commonality with the BTR-80 in
areas, such as the large frontal swim vein – which
differs from the early model in having fewer ribs
and a somewhat altered form – chunky triangular
light guards and a number of small light fittings
attached to the front of the vehicle.
For the actual Flak gun itself, I proceeded to
adapt and detail Eastern Express's somewhat
simplified offering of the ZSU-23 which can be
found in their GAZ 66 truck kit. On seeing this,
my good pal Mick Jordan tut-tutted, exclaiming
“You can’t use that!” and presented me with a
rather excellent Meng-manufactured ZSU-23 which
is included in one of their Middle East pick-up
truck series.
Meng’s ZSU-23 leaves little to be desired and
The ZSU turret completely
is a gem of a kit in its own right. Not to be left changes the look of the
out, Alan Callan then stepped into the breach with Soviet era BTR-70
the generous offer of a number of Zvezda BMP-1
roof hatch kits. He had four spare and I had the with. These consisted of the right and left upper addition was two large cylindrical tanks that the
remaining two required to construct the Flak gun sections of the Russian-made D30 122mm gun, the Afghans had attached to the rear of the engine
operator’s armoured cab. These had their hinges blast-shields from which can be found mounted on deck. These could be compressed air tanks to
and lock-bolt removed and super-glued together many of these artillery pieces. I scratchbuilt these help start the engines in cold weather, possibly
and reinforced as in real life with a strip of etched two armour sections, as Skif's plastic rendition suggesting a change of engines by the Taliban. Not
metal at the base and a length of wire at the top. and a resin variant I had available to me were being very mechanically-minded, I'll leave that to
At this point, I examined closely the front gun both too thick. Having assembled and constructed others to work out.
shields visible in the second image I had to work the armoured cab around the flak-wagon, the last
AFV Edition 31
Localised colour washes help to define the moulded detail and highlight different structures; Wilder pre-mixed colour washes were invaluable here. www.airbrushes.com
More pigment powders were applied, washing them in with paint thinners Metalising the most worn edges of the hull can be easily done with an HB pencil
AFV Edition 33
MANNING UP
The last part of the project involved adding a crew
or owner to the flak-wagon. To this end, I took a
Wilder Afghan figure and chopped his seated legs
and arms off and added an RPD machine gun
over his shoulders. I then painted him to the best
of my ability with a combination of oil paints and
acrylics. This was a project aided by my good
friends Mick Jordan and Alan Callan but also by
my buddy Stan Spooner, who urged me to finally
finish it. As far as AA gun conversions go, my next
one will have to be a Ukrainian MT-LB with ZSU
23mm followed by a PSP M113 with KPV14.5 x4.
Until then, happy modelling folks! •
O M E A W A LT Z I N G
WHO'LL C
MATI L D A W I T H U S . . ?
In 2009, Tamiya
marked the milestone
of their 300th release
with an all-new, 1:35
Matilda II. Here, Vitor
Costa describes his
approach to building
this superb little kit
B
ack in 1973, Tamiya released their original
1:35 kit of the British Matilda II and thirty-six
years later, it was replaced with a newly-
tooled model, manufactured to more accurate,
modern standards. In the box, in the usual yellow/
sand plastic we find five sprues carrying 387 parts,
plus ten polycaps, a length of nylon cord for the
tow rope, a waterslide decal sheet and a sixteen-
page instruction booklet. From the decal sheet, four
options can be built:
- 42nd Royal Tank Regiment, 1st Army Tank
Brigade, North Africa, 1941.
- 32nd Army Tank Brigade, Libya, 1941,
- 49th Royal Tank Regiment, 35th Army Tank
Brigade, England, 1942.
- 49th Royal Tank Regiment, 35th Army Tank
Brigade, England 1942.
AFV Edition 37
Masking up for the final colours in the tricky Caunter camouflage scheme is underway Points of extreme paint-wear were recreated with dark brown paints, applied with a fine brush
The top of the 2-Pdr gun barrel was given some particularly convincing paint-wear ‘Dust-washes’ made with pigments suspended in thinners can create realistic dust accumulations
PAINTING
There is a lot of misinformation about the real
Matilda colours but with the help of the AK
Interactive 'British Desert Colours – The Caunter Graphite from an artist’s
Scheme' (AK4030) paint set it all became much stick is being rubbed on with
easier. With four available options the choice fell a stump to form areas where
the paint has worn through
on option No.2; 32nd Army Tank Brigade, Libya, to the steel of the hull
1941, painted with one of the many available
Caunter Scheme options used by the British by
that time. After the primer coat, the first colour to the Matilda. All those characteristic details and Mark Setter and Mr. Mark Softer they were really
be applied was the BSC No.64 Portland Stone the very angled hull make the masking process easy to apply. The transparent look would vanish
(AK4031) followed by the BSC No.61 Light Stone really complicated to accomplish. But the final look once all the weathering process were complete.
(AK4034). The BSC No.34 Slate (AK4033) was compensates for all that extra work. Some chipping effects were applied at this time,
the darkest and last one to be used. using acrylic colours to create the effect.
All the colours were pre-lightened to counteract DECALS Time to apply a colour-wash of dark brown
the darkening effect of the weathering process. The kit decals are very well printed with vivid enamel paints, further enhancing the details of the
The horizontal areas, which are the most exposed colours and all in a correct register but they are a kit. I applied a pin (localised) colour-wash of the
to the sun were lightened further to simulate this little bit transparent, making it possible to see the mixture and once dry, the excess was removed
characteristic effect. The Caunter Scheme is not boundaries of the camouflage colours beneath. with white spirit using a flat brush. The final satin
a complicated camouflage to execute, but this Only five decals were needed to represent this varnish coat was then applied, protecting all the
doesn’t apply when the subject to be painted is version and with the help of Mr. Gunze Decals work done so far.
The one-piece flexible tracks are perfectly adequate for this model An RMG cable set was used for the Matilda’s hawsers RMG’s cast resin end-loops look very convincing
AFV Edition 39
AVAILABILITY;
Tamiya models and accessories are widely
available from good model shops and online.
UK import and distribution by The Hobby
Company Limited; www.hobbyco.net
ON TRACK IN 1:24
Fancy a 1:24 Kettenkrad for your display cabinet?
T
he Kettenkrad is a well known oddity of a military The kit is extensively detailed, coming with a replica
vehicle, kitted many times over the years by of the Opel engine and all the driver's controls, of
numerous manufacturers in pretty much all the major which there are quite a few. The decal sheet offers a
modelling scales. Studio27 are best known for their large number of license plates for both Wehrmacht and
full resin and metal kits of competition cars, as well as Luftwaffe deployment, as well as dials, NSU logos,
accessories and decals, so when they launched this 1:24 divisional markings and data panels. Fox Models have
kit of the Kettenkrad under the new 'Fox Models' name, taken a very different approach to this model than most
we were (pleasantly) surprised. As with the company's military modellers might be familiar with, but once the
model cars, this comes in the form of a cast resin main parts have been prepared (there's minimal clean-up,
structure with white metal used for the smaller parts such even with the cast metal parts), assembly can proceed,
as suspension, tracks, front fork and internal detailing. using cyanoacrylate and/or epoxy glues. Fancy a
The Sd.Anh.1 trailer is formed entirely from cast metal, Kettenkraftrad in scale larger than 1:35, but nowhere
with flexible resin used for the tyres. near as vast as Italeri/Esci's 1:9 kit? This one is for you,
A well stocked photo-etched brass fret provides if you have deep enough pockets for the £160 asking
sheet metal components, louvred engine covers, grilles, price. (www.hlj.com) •
internal items and other small parts. The tracks come
as individual links that are simply crimped together to
AVAILABILITY;
form a continuous loop, a straightforward solution to a
Fox Models kits are available from www.foxmodels.net
potentially fiddly operation.
AFV Edition 41
AVAILABILITY;
HP-BH price, £259. Iwata airbrushes, equipment, materials and
spares are available to purchase from The Airbrush Company.
www.airbrushes.com
Mod
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Get Creative!
HOBBYBOSS, VALLEJO, MODEL MASTER, MINIART, MASTER BOX, AK
INTERACTIVE, MIG PRODUCTIONS, PLUS MODEL AND MANY MORE...
Unit 6-10, Honeysome Ind Est., Honeysome Road, Chatteris, Cambs. PE16 6TG
www.creativemodels.co.uk Tel: +44(0)1354 760022
ON THE ROAD TO
RECOVERY
The M31 Tank Recovery
T
he T2 TRV later referred to as the Two different versions of the M31s
M31 came into being in 1942, after TRVs were to see main production; the
Vehicle – or TRV – is one of a number of other recovery tractors
had been tried and tested. Based
M3A3-based M31 B1 consisting of an
all welded hull with diesel engine and the
those Cinderellas vehicles on the M3 Lee medium tank, the M31
did away with the lower 75mm main
M3A5-based M31 B2 riveted hull with
petrol engine. The large crane could rotate
of the Second World War. gun, the 37mm gun from the turret and
the Browning .30cal from the cupola. In
360 degrees and with the aid of a pair of
boom jacks could lift up to 30,000 lbs of
Zack Sex brings us a timely their place were two dummy guns to fool weight. Whilst this was handy for lifting
AFV Edition 45
E A detail shot of the lower righthand side hull and steel chevron tracks. Tow
cables would normally be attached to the front lugs or U-shaped tow hooks
F Top shot of the T2/M31 upper hull and turret showing it in ARV
configuration. Of note are the empty sheet-metal stowage boxes attached to
the front
G Detail study of the Lee upper turret, its armament removed to house the
boom or crane pivot mount
H Top shot of the rear engine deck and A-frame assembly of the lifting boom.
This unit had a 30,000-pound capacity when used in conjunction with two rear
mounted boom jacks or stiff legs
AFV Edition 47
M O
L Detailed study of the lower Gar Wood crane or boom P Detailed study of the Lee commander’s cupola and
assembly. Its lattice struts and steel cable in evidence plated over gun section from where the Gar Wood
winch cable operates
M Interesting shot of the extremely dusty and rusty
engine deck area showing where the engine and deck Q Top shot of the righthand side upper hull crew hatch
grills have been removed and replaced with square looking towards the rear. Of note is the fume extractor
mesh, presumably by IDF maintenance crew fan housing one three, two on the and one on the
turret retained from the Lee tank
N The lefthand side stowage locker on rear of the
M31 ARV is a simple sheet metal affair, as is the R Interesting shot of the M31 ARV, showing the later
corresponding right hand example. It is not uncommon Sherman bogies attached to this M31 hull, not normally
to see spare tracks attached to the front and back found these vehicles as are the later solid steel wheels.
sections of these In the background we can make out the M31 successor
in the form of a HVSS M32 ARV
O Top shot of the right hand side upper hull crew
hatch and stowage box positioned above the original
M3 Lee main gun cupola
AFV Edition 49
STRAIGHT AHEAD, BU D
A US convoy passes through Cherbourg, with the help of MPs and their newly ac
AFV Edition 51
W
ith the failed offensive in the Ardennes,
Hitler had lost most of the armour he
required for the defence of Germany.
The next natural defence barrier was
the River Rhine, the last defence of The Ruhr and
a great psychological barrier to both sides. The
main assault was to be made in the north by the
British and Canadians over the Ruhr, but by a
stroke of luck, the Americans were first across
the Rhine when they captured the Rail Bridge
at Remagen, on the 7th March 1945. The
result made German in critical situation and all
defence attempt became useless.
On the same day, The US 3rd Armored
Division, 104th Division and 8th Division started
to clear the last German resistance of Cologne
and surrounding area and reached the Rhine
too. The German forces were split. The remnants
of the LVIII. Panzerkorps, along with contingents
of the 3rd Panzergrenadier-Division which had
fallen back southward away from Cologne,
formed a last-ditch defence across an eastward
bend of the Rhine. A Jagdpanzer IV L70/(V)
from 3rd Panzergrenadier Division with some
infantries retreated in the Muddy field and try to
reach the German defensive line...
AFV Edition 53
MODEL ASSEMBLY
There have been a few predecessors to Dragon’s wasn't an easy job, since the kit was in production tracks when in place on the completed model, so I
JgdPz IV/70(V). Monogram, Tamiya and the for only ten months. happily used the kit-supplied ‘Magic Tracks’.
1990’s Dragon’s first effort were all fine kits for Having taken a look through the sprues I could The gun assembly was added now, again a
their time and we were happy with the results. find no major complaints, everything was pretty delicate matter. I wanted to fit a turned metal
But it has all changed now and even the smallest much perfect, so I started assembling the chassis barrel (Lion Roar), but this turned out to be a bit of
inaccuracy sees today’s manufacturers crucified by according to the instructions. Once assembled, I a nightmare as it wasn’t produced with the new
the internet 'experts'. Well, Dragon have done a replaced the fenders with Lion Roar's PE upgrade Dragon kit in mind. I wanted to keep the excellent
fine job with their second edition JgdPz IV/70 (V). set and also improved some weld seams. This kit mantlet and the fit between the plastic and the
Of course, Tamiya also released their new version is important for the prominent seams seen on gun was less than perfect. Once done, and with the
L70/(V) in 2015. It offers easy assembly and a the angled 80mm front plates as well as for the gun still moveable, I added the superstructure’s roof
very nice result without any additional aftermarket, smaller ones at the rear. All the smaller gaps at the plate and other details. Be careful here: be sparing
however, in my opinion, I still like the Dragon one joints were filled with some liquefied filler. Unlike with the glue and don’t allow it to melt into the
because it has more detail and also easy to add PE the normal production series, all eight wheels on upper hull. A small groove around the roof plate
upgrade sets (eg; no need to cut the side-fenders both sides are standard rubber-tyred wheels and should remain visible. The rear armour with engine
from the upper hull). For that reason I decided to didn't use any steel wheels in L70/(V)S from the deck was then added. Again there was not much to
look for and detail-up this late-war Jagdpanzer. It 3rd Panzergrenadier Division. I prefer to paint the add in the way of detail.
Multi-colour pre-shadowing
Base coat
Camouflage layer
AFV Edition 55
areas as one would with a filter. Moreover, this can model in a logical way. Dark colour chips using mud application on the lower hull, I created the
keep the base colour intact. I tried to reproduce a Dunkelgelb RAL7028 (MMP-011) mixed with soil build-up with some textured paint on the tracks
general dirty appearance for the weathering with Gelbbraun RAL8020 (MMP-010) were then applied before the actual paint. After spraying Tamiya
dust accumulations in some areas and dirty steaks in the places where abrasion would occur. Stage Acrylic XF-57 Buff over the tracks, I used AMMO
and stains on all the surfaces. 3 consisted of red primer chips. Maybe some enamel track wash to form a first layer of colour-
After allowing the washes and filters to dry for people think why the need to apply Red Primer? wash. Then I applied the same weathering method
one day, I started to paint some simulated paint It's because most paint damage did not reach the over the lower hull, into the tracks. Graphite and
damage with four stages of chips; 1. Light colour metal, sometimes just scratching off the surface metallic pigment was applied to the contact areas
chips. 2. Dark colour chips. 3. Red primer chips colours; Red Oxide German WW2 RAL3009 of the tracks and wheels and black pigment was
4. Metal colour chips. The first light colour was (MMP-013) is perfect for a red primer effect. Lastly used on the wheels rolling areas with an old
a mix of MMP-019 and a bit of white, plus AV I used black acrylic mixed some dark brown to paintbrush. And the Jagdpanzer IV was done!
858 Ice Yellow, imitating the more superficial depict the metallic chips. Mission Models' paints worked extremely well and
chips and scratches, placed across on the entire In the final stage, I painted the tracks. Like the I'll be using them again. •
AFV Edition 57
AVAILABILITY;
Dragon models and accessories are widely
available from good model shops and
online. UK import and distribution by The
Hobby Company Limited; www.hobbyco.net
A FINE FINNISH
Takom have placed their excellent Marksman
35mm AA turret on the T-55AM hull, creating
the deadly ItPsv 90 SPAAG
T
he 'Marksman' is a British anti-aircraft and the tracks come as glueable individual links.
weapon system developed by Marconi, The turret looks like a quick build sub-assembly
consisting of a turret, a Marconi Series 400 with well executed Oerlikon guns. A fabulously
radar and two Swiss 35mm Oerlikon auto- weird-looking subject and one that will turn heads
cannons. (Wikipedia). In this variant, we have the on a model-show display table. Great detail
SPAAG turret mounted on a T-55AM tank hull and everywhere, but that hard-edge Finnish camouflage
it is also used on the Leopard 2A4 chassis. Takom might be a challenge! •
have taken their superb T-55 kit parts and mated
them with their Marksman mouldings which first
AVAILABILITY;
appeared in the Chieftain Marksman kit. Together,
Takom models and materials are widely
they make an extremely unusual-looking machine
available from good model shops and online.
and in Finnish Army splinter camouflage, it's rather
www.pocketbond.co.uk
spectacular. The detail on the tank parts is stunning
AFV Edition 59
T
he M3 Lee US Medium Tank is an eternally popular
modelling subject, with modellers up-detailing the
Tamiya and other kits with aftermarket sets and new
tracks. An all-new kit of the vehicle is long overdue and
now we have exactly that, courtesy of Takom. This is an all-
new production that uses no parts from previous Lee models.
In the nicely chunky box we have ten runners of grey
polystyrene plus a lower hull and upper turret, a section of
clear plastic for the headlamp lenses, a small photo-etched
brass fret carrying the headlight brush-guards, engine grille
plus other small fittings and a waterslide decals sheet. Four
markings-options are provided; a Lend-Lease vehicle in the
Soviet Union, US 2nd Armored Division, 1942 and two
tanks of an unknown training unit at the Desert Warfare
A MEDIUM,
Center, USA, 1942. All are overall olive-drab schemes but
the markings themselves are quite colourful.
The model depicts the early version of the tank with
riveted hull and straight-sided turret; Takom are also
releasing the M3 Grant with the larger turret and side-skirts.
WELL DONE
The Lee's hull is a bath-tub design to which individually
moulded rear panels and transmission covers are added.
For extra detail and outline accuracy, the final-drive covers
are individual parts and each have foundry marks on their
inward-facing surfaces; not the first time this has been done,
but an extremely nice touch anyway. The suspension bogies
are broken down into seventeen parts each (including road-
Takom's all-new 1:35 M3 Lee has arrived. wheels) which is a fairly high parts-count but it's done in
a sensible manner that offers the best detail with minimal
Here's our first look inside the box.. assembly complication.
AVAILABILITY;
Takom models and materials are widely available from
good model shops and online. www.pocketbond.com Great detail is seen everyhwere; from the lower hull, above, to the upper hull’s individual panels
AFV Edition 61
Tamiya offer the charismatic ‘Boxer’ truck by Krupp in both 1:35 and
1:48 forms and the former (in a couple of incarnations) has been
a staple of many a diorama over the years since its release back
in 1978. If you are building this kit, you might want some ideas of
how it looked in service during WW2 and this new title from US
publisher Sabot provides photos in heaps, showing this attractive,
droop-nosed vehicle in a plethora of locations from muddy roads in
the east to snow-covered forests and cobbled streets. This is purely a
photo reference manual with no captions or text, so the reader must
draw their own conclusions as to the locations, but the large and good
quality imagery more than make up for that, and you’ll find plenty of
inspiration when you build your Protze kit
Tamiya’s 1:35 and 1:48 M10 Tank Destroyers are fantastic kits,
packed with detail but easy to build. If, like many modellers, you
want to add extra detailing to the exterior and interior of your model
and also want some ideas on where the crew stowage was kept, this
book fits the bill perfectly. In the generous 130+ soft-backed pages
you will find hundreds of top quality photos of the vehicle, both in
WW2 settings plus museum walk-arounds. For the up-detailing stages
of the build, there are decent shots of the interior (visible on models)
and engine bay and the black and white wartime shots offer further
inspiration for dioramas.
When the bulk of US armoured forces left Iraq, a large quantity of American
hardware was left behind, in the hands if the Iraqi Army. This included 140
M1A1 SA Abrams tanks, whose new crews were trained on the deployment and
maintenance of these formidable beasts. This new sixty-eight page book from
Sabot provides detailed a photo-report on these tanks in use, with some fantastic
close-ups that show the rather crusty states they have fallen into. Very usefully, the
photographer has closed-in on the IA insignia, showing how some were painted
on with stencils and how others were large vinyl stickers which are seen scratched
and peeling off. Colour profiles are provided to show where the markings were
positioned and as a big bonus, a decals sheet in 1:35 (by Cartograf) is also
provided, carrying all you need to convert your M1A1 model. Excellent!
The Puma is a spectacularly ugly Israeli heavy armoured personal carrier and as is so
often the case, an unlovely subject makes for a great-looking model. This is certainly the
case with this machine, based on the Centurion hull and chassis but looking nothing at
all like the base vehicle, with mine rollers/bulldozer blade and IDF-style side skirts all but
concealing its origins as a front-line British Cold War MBT. This eighty-four page (including
covers) production provides a wealth of information on the beast in the form of high-quality
colour photographs, supplemented with occasional sketches that show the fitment of the
aforementioned frontal equipment. The photos are super-clear and will be a great help to
anyone modelling this machine in miniature.
AFV Edition 63
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Military Illustrated Modeller
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BEUTE-STUG!
A JSU-152 in German hands
Issue 82 - AFV Edition
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PACHI 77! T
amiya have been running the ‘Pachi’ model photo competition
for many years, and in recent times it has evolved from film
to digital photography. This year’s contest saw the largest
number of entries for ten years, including a large number of
high quality efforts from those still in their teens. Here are just three
Tamiya’s model photo competition examples of the photos entered; a full report can be found in the
January issue of MiM’s sister title, Tamiya Model Magazine. •
gets better and better See you again next time!
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through PayPal and this may appear on your bank statement
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