If you are looking to add something unique to your collection of 1/35 scale German military vehicles, or to spice up your next diorama, you may want to consider the bicycle that was recently released by Master Box Limited. Although it is a challenging build, those modelers with photo etch parts experience will be able to turn out one of the implements used by the German Army throughout World War 2 that does not get a lot of press.

At the end of WWII, The United States Army began to consider new directions for future Military Aircraft guns. The higher speeds of jet powered aircraft meant that achieving an effective number of hits would be extremely difficult without a much higher volume of fire. While captured German designs (principally the Mauser MG 213C) showed the potential of the single-barrel revolver cannon, the practical rate of fire of such a design was still limited by ammunition feed and barrel wear concerns. The Army wanted something better, combining extremely high rate of fire with exceptional reliability.

This is a new one to me; a Russian subject produced by an Irish company and manufactured by a Chinese company. Corporate politics are beyond me.

In any case, what we’re dealing with here is a conversion of the ubiquitous and trusty little World War 2 Komsomolets artillery tractor into a tank hunter, mounting a hugely oversize 57mm gun. Apparently only about 100 of these were made and used in the defense of Moscow. I’ve always been a big fan of little tanks, and this one certainly fits the bill. Never having made a model from Mirror Models, I was interested in the challenge and wanted to see what this was made of.