Tank History

A bit of research on Wikipedia reveals that the British Mark I tank entered service in August 1916, becoming the world’s first combat tank. It was developed during World War I to combat the trenches and machine guns that dominated the battlefields of the Western Front. Despite the primitive nature of the first “tank,” a designation chosen to maintain secrecy, it was able to deal successfully with the various tasks found on the battlefields: small-arms fire, fortified enemy positions, challenging terrain, and the need to carry supplies. The Mark I’s first combat usage was on September 15, 1916, during the Battle of Flers-Courcelette, part of the Somme Offensive.

The AN-2 "Annushka" bi-plane (NATO designation “Colt”) is a throwback from a very earlier age, not only because it is a biplane, but because of the larger Shvetsov Ash-62 9 cylinder radial engine that powers it. On the right side of the plane is a single large exhaust pipe that belches fire and smoke when in operation. The pipe on the real AN-2 comes out from the engine at a shallow angle of incidence and then makes a radius bend outward to carry the exhaust away from the fuselage.

This latest weapons set from Aerobonus contains all the parts necessary to represent eight 3-inch aircraft rockets and the launch rails used with them on a variety of British aircraft. The set includes eight rocket bodies, along with four different 8-piece sets of warheads (for a total of 32 warheads). Also included is a photoetch set with clips to attach the rockets to the rails, individual rocket fins (32 of them) and a photoetch alignment tool to help set the fins properly in place. A comprehensive decal sheet completes the package.

Once the choice of warheads is made, assembly of the rockets is pretty straightforward. Be mindful, the resin is somewhat brittle; and around the insert holes in the rocket bodies, where the warheads fit, it is thin. The ends were already broken on two of the rockets in my set, and I chipped a third one assembling a tight fitting warhead. I had to re-sculpt the tubes with putty.