Well the DML people kinda got it wrong, because the box top says “Typ 40”, where the boxart and the parts depict the earlier version (Typ 1a). It has the spare wheels exposed on the vehicle body sides, while the Typ 40 has flat side walls, as the spare wheels are located inside the vehicle body.
The kit contains 91 parts, including
88 plastic parts
2 photoetched parts on 1 fret
1 clear part for the windshield
The Dragon team has simply included one of the vehicles found in the Horch 1+1 combo (kit 7378) and added a towed 20mm AA gun.
There are 54 parts used for the Horch “jeep”. 50 of those are located on sprue B.
The AT-T (Russian “Artilleriyskiy Tyagach – Tyazholiy”, Artillery Tractor – Heavy) was developed in the late 1940s using elements of the T-54 MBT (notably the running gear).
The main purpose of the vehicle was to tow heavy artillery pieces like the KS-30 130mm AA gun, the S-23 180mm gun and the B-4 203mm howitzer, so the machine got a 415HP version of the famous B-2 V-12 tank diesel. The standard 5-roadwheel chassis was used for a number of recovery and engineering vehicles. Extended versions (7 roadwheels) include the P-40 „Long Track” mobile radar, and an entire family of polar expedition vehicles.
One of the earlier kits of the mighty Raptor, Italeri’s offering has often been accused of representing the YF-22 which it totally isn’t. In case the Italian company made a scale model of the prototype this kit is NOT it – the fuselage shape shows well in the images below.
Sprue A has most of the smaller details, as well as the armament on it. Nothing spectacular here, but those separate weapon-bay doors are designed with them posed open in mind. And whether you pose the bays closed or not – use all the parts to increase the strength of the model – after all it’s some 23 cm long and you don’t want it twisted.
This tiny, but important tank, is the third venture of OKB Grigorov into the “complete AFV kits” world. The set is completely made up of resin castings (23 parts) and etched metal (two frets with a total of 32 parts). It represents the later variety of the T-60: the road wheels and the idler are identical and maximum armor thickness reached 35mm.
To protect “the precious” the company has placed it in a small, sturdy box – everything carefully packed in bubble wrap.
Inside the T-60’s box
You can see that resin castings and the etched frets are in separate zip-lock bags to prevent loss, bending and scratching.
This Revell kit represents the main NATO version of recce Phantoms in 1/72. It’s the first of the Phantom kind in my collection, but certainly not the last one. My issue is set to depict eiher a commemorative all-black scheme for the disbandment of AG52 (Recce Group 52), or a regular AG51 “Immelman” bird, painted in the “Norm 83” pattern of three greens.
The attractive scheme is achieved using the decals below. The main artwork for the aircraft bottom has been pre-cut by Revell to match the various gear covers when open.
It is out and the world will never be the same. This blog has now also changed and I need to remove the “Braille scale” from the title… The definitive 21 so far – and not just in the Quarter scale.
Eduard 1/48 MiG-21 MF – box top
I am certainly not THAT mucher of a sucker for 21s to have ordered the special edition from Eduard, the Profipack will do (heh-heh). The box is literally packed with details on total of 8 sprues, 2 photoetched frets, two resin UB-16 FFAR pods, an express mask, as well as two decal sheets of monstrous proportions. Each of the 6 color options is represented in detail within the magazine-sized booklet.
This aircraft is – to me at least – at the top of the evolution pyramid amongst single-engined piston fighters. Years of design honing and fine-tuning have resulted in this series of the fastest, most maneuverable, most heavily-armed, the highest-flying and the most technologically advanced aircraft to date (1945). I was happy to get the kit and am more than willing to build it at first opportunity.
And it is rather good I have to say. First released in 1992 it features 90 parts according to my counting (78 in grey plastic, 2 transparent and 10 PE). Beyond the actual Ta-152 airframe parts there is a detailed engine bay (with engine and cannon), which could be posed open. Some have gone so far in criticizing the kit as to call it “over-engineered”, and hail the Aoshima H-0 and H-1 sets (which are based off the Dragon offering) as a better solution due to the small number of parts (about half the DML count) and lower price. I personally wouldn’t replace my kit for the Japanese one, and the pics below will tell you why.
The Nachtigall (Nightingale) is a radar-equipped variant of the Ar-234 jet bomber. It is armed with an underslung pod with two 20mm cannon, holding 200 rounds per gun.
Well, this is what the kit basically is – an armed bomber. So sprue A holds completely uneventluf stuff – common parts like fuselage, horizontal stabilizers, undercarriage, and even recce cameras intended for the bomber.
Sprue A
Sprue B has the wings, engines, and cockpit section – the whole nose is a separate unit to allow for construction of various versions. Each Jumo engine is made up by two halves, an inlet with integrally molded compressor face, and an exhaust “egg” – much similar to the Revell’s Me-262 (or vice-versa?).
A member of the “Golden Wings” series from the early 90s this kit represents a Luft ’46 aircraft. Me-1101’s partially completed prototype was captured by US forces at the end of WW2. It later flew in The States as Bell X-5, the first aircraft with variable wing geometry. The radar-and-missiles equipped night fighter you see below must only have been a paper-only project…
Me-1101 Nachjager, Dragon 5014 – box top
The original aircraft did not feature a T-tail, it might as well have been a Dragon invention. Anyway – liked the look of the thing and when opportunity came I snatched the kit off EvilBay. It arrived in excellent condition and revealed a curious packaging pattern – all sprue bags and the decals placed in a big bag stapled to the side.
After so much waiting the new Mi-24 by Zvezda is finally in my hands. Probably one of the most awaited models in the 72nd scale, this impressive offering has no less than 284 parts and allows you to build the most accurate “Crocodile” in the scale to date.
One of the perks you get with the kit is the complete engine/gearbox setup that allows you to build your Hind all opened up (you’d still need to make the compartment plumbing yourself or wait for Eduard’s go at it though). Pick a V version with the YakB-12,7 Gatling gun, or a GSh-23-2 armed VP. Hang some serious firepower under the wings, pop the two pilots in the cockpits and let it rip!
