The F-14 Tomcat will likely be the greatest fleet defender known by my generation. Although retired now, the F-14 was ready from the start to carry an array of weapons including the AIM-9 Sidewinder, AIM-7 Sparrow, AIM-54 Phoenix (the ultimate missile of the US arsenal, which is also now retired), various bombs, and an internal 20mm Vulcan cannon. The 64 foot, 1.5 inch long wings could be swept to 38 feet, 2.5 inches or overswept for storage to 33 feet 3.5 inches. The plane was 62 feet, 8 inches long and 16 feet tall weighing 40,104 pounds empty, and 74,349 pounds at maximum takeoff weight. Powered by a pair of Pratt & Whitney TF-30-P414A turbofans (with 20,900 pounds of thrust each), the F-14A never reached its full potential, as the D-model would later with General Electric F110-GE-400 turbofan engines (with 23,500 pounds of thrust each).

The yearly new releases in Tamiya’s 1/48th scale Military Vehicle range are getting fewer and fewer in number compared to when the range was launched seven or eight years ago, but when they do turn up, they are well worth the wait. The latest in the range is the massive JS-2 Heavy Tank, produced as a counter to the German military’s Tiger 1 heavy tank. Heavily armored and with a potent 122mm main gun, this beast proved very effective both in battling the heavier German armored vehicles as well as being used in the “breakthrough” role in the mid- to late-war battles on the Eastern Front.

History – The GAZ Model 1943 Cargo Truck was based on the original GAZ-AA and, due to material shortages caused by the war, incorporated several metal and miscellaneous components changes. The vehicle was equipped with a more powerful 50 HP engine, simplified cab, the right headlamp was omitted, and brakes were fitted to the rear wheels only. Wood doors were added to the cab to improve driver comfort during the harsh winters.

Gorkovsky Avtomobilny Zavod (GAZ, aka Gorky Automobile Plant) manufactured 138,600 GAZ-MM trucks.