Armour Modelling No.101

MR. SUMITOMO TAKAHIRO built a superb diorama of Russian tank out of the 1:35 scale Stalin Heavy Tank JS-2 kit released from Tamiya. He describes the construction in detail. While the kit of the JS-2 was assembled simply, its construction was completed very tight similarly to other Tamiya kits. It is the remarkable specialty of Tamiya products as well as the proportion he says. Though the kit provides enough parts to complete the model, he added details to the model using other parts. The casting marks are emphasized by tapping down the putty. The lights cords are added. The damage marks are added to the fenders and spare tanks. The tracks are of Modelkasten instead of the kit for he set the diorama scene as the tank was passing through on the bumpy earth. He set the diorama scene as " the JS-2 tank of Polish Army runs up the muddy slope " and tried to make a scene which tank crew carefully looked into the lumbers laid under the tank. It was the first time for him to build such a sloped and twisted earth. It was very hard work he said. The loped earth was built by piling up the drainboard-like thin board strips, on which woodfolmo was heaped up. After dry, a garden soil was spread over them. To fix those garden soils, the woodworking bond dissolved in water was sprayed heavily over them with atomizer.

Download from (depositfiles.com) or (hotfile.com)

Armour Modelling No.102

This Fi 156 Storch is the same machine which appears on page 31 of "Storch in Action", and on page 193 of "Recon for Rommel". It is mentioned in the latter book that Git. von Rintelen, Military Attaché in Rome, used this machine. The plane was most likely of General Rommel as seen here, followed by his la(operational general staff officer) Obstlt.i.G. Westphal in January/February 1942. And, it is very interesting to note that this Storch has the insignia of "African Continent" on the both sides of the nose (see both books mentioned above) in Schwarzgrun/Dunkelgrun painted off by Italian sand yellow or German Sandgelb. The painter(s) should be witty. PK men with a movie camera follow a Fi 156 Storch starting to take off during the operation "Barbarossa" during the Summer 1941 on the northern sector of the Soviet Union. The Storch coded "CF+MF" in black belonged to Befehlshaber(commander) of 4.Panzer-Gruppe, Generaloberst Hoepner who is in the cockpit. The insignia of white "Pegasus" on the nose represents the career of the General as Cavalry, and it is his flying machine. The camouflage paint is likely only RLM70 Schwarzgrun on upper and side surfaces, and RLM 65 Hellblau on under surface. The movie film from this scene appears in Wochenschau dated 6. August 1941.

Download from (depositfiles.com) or (hotfile.com)

Scale Aviation Modeller International 2004 09

This is a very welcome kit in my opinion, as I know of only one other in l/72nd. previous to this by an American company (Aviation Usk - Ed), Special Hobby has done a commendable job on the tooling of this kit with finely recessed panel lines and surface detail. All the main plastic parts are in the familiar dark grey with resin components making up the smaller finely detailed areas for the cockpit and undercarriage bays, for example. The nice clear canopy is vac-formed and two are supplied as a safety measure. This appears to be quite common in all kits from the Czech Republic. These take on the regular format of a nine-page pamphlet style with parts breakdown, a seven-stage assembly sequence and three pages of colour scheme diagrams showing clearly the options possible. Humbrol paint numbers are quoted and each stage flags up the colours called for. All the diagrams are very clear and straightforward to follow thus ensuring a correctly assembled model at the end. One thing I noted was the absence of the wingtip mounted pitot tube. It is shown on the plan views within the colour scheme drawings and the there is a hole for it to be mounted in the actual parts, but no part for the pitot tube!

Download from (depositfiles.com) or (hotfile.com)

Scale Aviation Modeller International 2003 05

The box comes fronted by a painting of the Cornell that I think is worthy of putting in a frame. Inside, a plastic bag contains a small sprue of light grey injection moulded parts. These are the main parts of the model and also include bits to build the earlier, open cockpit M.62. Panel lines and other details are well represented, but there is lots of flash and attachment points which intrude into parts. Careful separation and preparation will be called for. There is quite a comprehensive etched sheet, by MPM, containing mostly interior detail for both the student's and instructor's cockpits. There are excellent lap straps and shoulder harness together with rudder bars and pedals, trim wheels and throttle controls. There is a small mirror for the forward cockpit and an elaborate platform device, which I imagine is to mount a mirror or periscope for the rear cockpit. Exterior features on the etched sheet include a propeller retention ring, radiator exhaust cowl and three small ground-handling handles. Quite a few of these components require forming or folding up from two dimensions into three.

Download from (depositfiles.com) or (hotfile.com)