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ICM has done it again with a great combination kit with three early World War II armored vehicles. This boxing Wehrmacht Armored Vehicles (DS3524 – Diorama Set) has three complete kits: Sd.Kfz. 247 Ausf B, Panzerspähwagen P 204(f), and Sd.Kfz. 251/1 Ausf A. From the ICM webpage for the Wehrmacht Armored Vehicles boxed set:
Carrera-Revell has re-released its Lamborghini Countach LP500S Model Kit in 2024. It’s 1:24 scale in a European boxing as kit #07730.
Rare for the times, the Lamborghini Countach debuted in 1974 sporting a striking angular wedge shape, a huge rear wing and innovative scissor doors that made it an icon of the 80s supercar set. The LP500S version came with a 4.8-liter V-12 engine and a top speed 182 mph. It literally looked like a jet plane on wheels. Shod with Pirelli P7 tires and Campagnolo cast magnesium wheels, it looks awesome just standing still! There were 321 built from 1982 to 1985. If you can find one for sale these days, it will carry a price tag of around $600,000!
The Waffen SS at Kharkov by Afiero offers a detailed and nuanced examination of the Waffen-SS’s role in the Battle of Kharkov, one of the key engagements on the Eastern Front during World War II. Through a combination of meticulously researched historical accounts and vivid battle descriptions, Afiero provides readers with an in-depth understanding of the SS units’ strategies, tactics, and actions, as well as the broader context of the conflict.
Kharkov, located in Ukraine, was the site of several significant battles during the war. The German forces, including the infamous Waffen-SS, faced off against the Soviet Red Army in a brutal struggle for control. Afiero’s book delves into the military operations, offering insight into the complexities of urban warfare, supply issues, and the harsh conditions the soldiers faced on both sides. It goes beyond just a tactical account, touching on the personal and psychological experiences of the soldiers who fought there.
Yahu Models has provided the IPMS reviewer corps a 1/72nd scale instrument panel for the J2M3 Raiden that will fit the Hasegawa, A-Model, and Sword kits.
The instrument panel detail set is enclosed in a plastic bag with one photoetched instrument panel already assembled and one PE etched sheet for cockpit side panels. The parts come packaged in an individual Ziploc bag and cardboard backing which also has instructions printed on it.
Overall, this is a nice detail set to upgrade your J2M3 Raiden instrument panel. The close-up picture shows off the very small detail printed on the PE parts and the fidelity at such a small size is amazing.
I want to thank Yahu Models for providing the J2M3 Raiden instrument panel set and IPMS/USA for allowing me the opportunity to review.
Highly recommend!
From the Publisher:
On 10 May 1940, the Wehrmacht launched its assault on the West. One element of the West’s response was the dispatch of RAF Bomber Command ‘heavy’ bombers at night over German industrial centers. These raids had only limited effectiveness, but the inability of the Luftwaffe to chase down RAF bombers at night so annoyed Wolfgang Falck that it swiftly resulted in the creation of a credible night fighter force.
Initial trials had been flown with Bf 110s at dusk in Denmark on April 1. Nachtjagd Division was founded in the summer of 1940. Its first few months were chaotic, with constant reorganizations of units, and reassignment of aircraft, but soon enough the night fighter arm was achieving steady victories—and losing crews at a similarly steady rate.
