AFRICA CORPS SOLDIERS AND INSIGNIA FROM TAMIYA

SMN report

A useful release for 1:35 scale military fans is this group of five World War II Africa Corps infantrymen. The figures include an officer, NCO, rifleman, machine-gunner and loader. As usual with Tamiya, detail is precise and plentiful, with uniforms that feature goggles, boots, helmets and other equipment.

1:20 SCALE WOLF WR1 RACING CAR FROM TAMIYA

SMN report

Racing car enthusiasts are well catered for with this neat built-up 1:20 scale black-and-gold Wolf WR1, a racing car that the South African Jody Scheckter drove to victory in the 1977 Argentina Grand Prix. Experts of the time reckoned it was something of a lucky first outing for the car - Scheckter started in 10th place, but had to pass only three cars, as the other six retired during the race. But lucky or not that first time, the Wolf-Scheckter combo proved a winner, with victories at two other F1 races in 1977, Scheckter coming second in the World Championship, going on to be outright champ in 1979.

SUPER PERSHING - THE FIRST ALLIED TANK TO BEAT THE GERMAN KING TIGER

SMN report on the Tamiya T26-E4

As World War II was drawing to an end, the M26 Pershing was coming into service in Europe, and was the first US tank that could take on powerful German armour such as the Tiger I and Panther on reasonably even terms. Tamiya’s 1:35 scale kit represents the T26-E4, a developed version of the Pershing, armed with a long-barrel 90mm main gun with enough power to throw armour-piercing shells punching through the front plate of even the ultimate German tank, the King Tiger.

ACADEMY ONTOS TANK-KILLER KIT TO 1:35 SCALE

SMN reports
The ROK (Republic of Korea) kit maker Academy is on something of a roll at the moment - company representatives were delighted to collect 2010 Modell des Jahres (Model of the Year) awards at the recent Nuremberg Toy Fair for their quite superb 1:35 scale Merkava tank and 1:72 scale M977 cargo truck.

And now Academy has a new-release 1:35 kit of the somewhat less-known M50A1 Ontos tank-killer. This was a small tracked vehicle in service from 1959-1965, and used with some success in the Vietnam War, by the US Marine Corps for fire support. Armament was a central machine gun, surrounded by six 106 mm (4.2 in) recoilless rifles, three on each side. Like all weapon systems, the Ontos (from a Greek word meaning ‘thing’) had some weaknesses, not least being the fact that the crew had to reload the rifles from outside, leaving themselves vulnerable to enemy fire. Still, the Ontos was light enough to be airlifted by cargo planes and CH-53 helicopters, making it a highly mobile weapon.

Academy’s kit is loaded with detail - a pair of crew figures are included, plus rounds of ammunition ready for loading. As you might expect, photo-etched parts are supplied, including light guards and engine exhaust protective mesh. Decals are nicely printed and the wide tracks are particularly handsome, with the unique tread pattern captured nicely.

As you can see from the Ontos on display at the National Museum of the Marine Corps (bottom pic), a ‘used’ example looks very different from the ‘factory-fresh’ Academy offering, so there’s plenty of room in this kit for detailing, weathering, damaging, and kit-bashing in general. All in all, an unusual and interesting addition to any 1:35 scale AFV collection.

Pictures courtesy Academy, US Marine Corps.

Visit the USMC Museum here.

The Ontos will be available from model stores and online suppliers shortly. Meantime there’s a range of Academy kits at Amazon that include such tasty items as the 1/35 M1A1 Abrams "Iraq 2003"

INCOMING! ITALERI 1:48 SCALE ARMOUR HEADING OUR WAY

At last 1:48 seems to be the scale of choice for new AFV plastic kit offerings. Tamiya already have a mouthwatering range of military subjects, even if it’s not terribly large.

And now Italeri is launching a range of new-tool 1:48 scale vehicles. The first two are due soon, and are both World War II subjects.

The armoured car is an Italian Autoblinda AB 41, in production from 1941, hence the number. The utilitarian looks belied its usefulness (though the four-wheel-steer system caused problems) and some were fitted with metal wheels to speed along Italian rail tracks. After Italy surrendered in 1943, German forces confiscated some 57 AB 41s and built 120 more. And one of these is the subject of this kit, complete with Iron Cross markings.

The Kfz 305 truck is a soft-top three-tonner that was used in virtually every Axis combat arena, and Italeri’s kit features a metal chassis frame, which should give the finished model a nice heft. Decals are included but, sad to say, the stern-looking driver figure shown on the box top is not part of the kit. Shame on your Italeri for that omission, but let’s hope there’ll be 1:48 scale figures out soon. The larger scale 1:35 figures made to match Italeri’s superb S100 Schnellboot are excellent, so there’ll be no problem in sculpting a new set of troops - let’s hope the marketing bods reckon they’re a goer.

Four-view drawing courtesy Giovanni Paulli

These vehicles will be in model stores and online suppliers soon. Meantime, feast your eyes on a range of Italeri stuff, including the S100 Schnellboot here.

Italeri also produces a smaller AB 41, to 1:72 scale here.