Review Author
Michael Novosad
Published on
October 18, 2010
Company
Dragon Models
Scale
1/35
MSRP
$59.95

History and Performance

The Panzerkampfwagen III was one of the workhorses of the German army during World War II. The development order was issued in 1935 for a full-tracked vehicle in the 15 ton class. The Ausf. A model was manufactured in 1937 and was armed with a 3.7 cm main gun. Ten of these vehicles were produced but were withdrawn from service in 1940 due to insufficient armor and poor suspension. Several other variants were manufactured in subsequent years with armament increased to include 5.0 cm and ultimately 7.5 cm main guns. There was also a model equipped with a flame thrower. The Panzerkampfwagen III saw service on all fronts during the war, but the improvements in armament and armor never quite matching its opponents.

Review Author
Scott Hollingshead
Published on
October 18, 2010
Company
Dragon Models
Scale
1/72
MSRP
$19.99

Let me begin this review as I did a previous one by stating that if you like 1/72 scale armor, you are going to love this kit, as Dragon has once again set the standard for others to follow. Included in this kit is not only a welded hull 251 Ausf.C half-track, but also a very well molded 3.7cm PaK 35/36 gun. The level of detail in the kit is right on par with their 1/35 scale kits, but will take up much less space on a shelf.


The German Sd.Kfz. 251/1 Ausf.C was a personnel carrier developed in the mid-1930’s to support the quick delivery of troops and their equipment into battle. Early vehicles sported a riveted hull, which, were later welded to ease construction, as depicted in this kit. Powered by a Maybach 4 liter, six-cylinder engine, the 17,000-pound vehicle could move at speeds of up to 32.5 mph for as far as 186 miles. This particular variant carried two MG-34 machine guns mounted forward and aft for offensive and defensive armament.

Review Author
Greg Wise
Published on
October 18, 2010
Company
Eduard
Scale
1/48
MSRP
$24.95

Ok, the boys from Eduard have another offering for this famous French kite. In this newest boxing we find 78 plastic parts; a photoetch fret; an express mask, and a beautiful set of decals. These cover the six options which include French, RFC and Italian services. I will omit a history lesson and go on to the build.

The construction is straightforward; my only gripe is that part A25 is too long and the instruction sheet seems vague in regards to it. Right or wrong, I just cut off the nub it left and sanded the bottom side flush. Everything else was smooth sailing adding the photoetch bits along the way. I added the decals early on in the build simply for the ease of doing them while the areas were still accessible.

I really enjoy the Eduard kits and consider them to be outstanding in fit and detail. I finished the build completely out of box without adding any embellishments for the review.

Review Author
Andy Renshaw
Published on
October 18, 2010
Company
Aires Hobby Models
Scale
1/32
MSRP
$109.99

The F-8 Crusader has always been one of my favorite aircraft. I personally tend to model in 1/48 scale, however when the opportunity came up to review Aires 1/32 detail set for the Trumpeter F-8E/H, I could not resist. The set showed up, and I found an F-8 kit with a few other goodies shortly after, so I was all set.

Aires has always been a leader in the realm of aftermarket resin sets. I am used to their 1/48 line and the level of detail found on those, but was blown away with their treatment in 1/32. First, the set is large, and comes in a sturdy cardboard box with lid and clear picture of the contents. Opening the box you are greeted with several bags of large resin parts, a small photo-etch fret, and instructions.

The main areas covered by this set are:

Review Author
Les Walden
Published on
October 18, 2010
Company
Model Art
MSRP
$12.98

This is a very nice slick covered magazine, but if you want to read it, you better know Japanese. It contains a lot of visual information for the modeler. All the pictures are clear and high resolution, even the multitude of advertisements. This issue deals mainly with aircraft with some auto, armor and ship articles.

This edition’s articles are: