This kit represents a Sd Kfz 7/2 Halftrack to mount the 3.7cm Flak 43 in the bed. The AA gun basically was just picked up and placed in the bed of the truck. The truck bed was slightly modified to add mounting points and for the sides to be lowered into a fighting condition. This gave the crew more space to maneuver the gun as it was firing. These sides did not provide any protection for the crew. The halftrack has an armored cab and armored radiator shield.

There are Magic Tracks for the tracks and if you are careful they will moveable and will allow for a good representation of the track sag. There is one sprue of clear plastic, one small fret of photo etched parts and one large fret of Photo etched parts that make up the Flak gun shield. Be warned, there are no plastic equivalent parts for the gun shield.

This book covers the development, specifications and history of the first Soviet jet fighters. It is a massive tome that provides a great deal of detailed information on its subjects. The authors are certainly the current experts in the field of Soviet/Russian aircraft and after reading this book it is easy to see why.

I had really wanted to review this book as I have in my possession an ultra rare 1/48 Russian resin kit of the Mig-9 by Airkits. Since material on the Mig-9 and other early Soviet jets has been few and far in between, this is a welcome addition!

The book is broken down into 5 chapters by manufacturer. The order of their presentation is by their importance to the Soviet Union both in development and usage. The order of coverage is Mikoyan Migs, Yakovlev, Lavochkin, Sukhoi and jets of Semyon Alekseyev.

This book just changed my “image” of the Apaches as an undisciplined and unsophisticated group of fighters. The Apaches begin training new warriors at an early age and in addition to the obvious physical toughness there is considerable effort to develop mental toughness, obedience and agility. Of particular interest is the Apache concept of risk versus reward. Raids and wars are very carefully planned to consider all tactical and strategic options as well as contingencies and exit routes in case of problems. For a raid or war to be successful the primary goal is to greatly reduce the chance that a warrior to be killed since that reflects badly on the leader and places a burden on the tribe to care for the lost warrior’s family.