Hasegawa has been re-boxing some kits from different manufactures lately and that is not a bad thing at all. That way you get a chance to acquire a kit that otherwise would be out of production or be difficult to find.

This boxing of Hasegawa is actually a re-box of the ICM Lagg-3. Down to the point that the packing bags are of the resalable kind (ICM standard) and there is even a sticker in the bag that says “Made in Ukraine”.

The Finnish Air Force during War World Two was perhaps the most eclectic Air Force of them all. They not only pressed into service any airframe they could get their hands on, they also had airplanes from almost any country in their inventory: American, British, Italian, German, French, and even Russian!

This kit is typical of ICM, with a little bit of a pebble texture in their plastic and low part count.

History

Billed as the low priced car that's most like the high priced cars…the 1941 Plymouth offered Big 3 buyers an attractive, soundly engineered and thoroughly modern automobile. The Special Deluxe Four Passenger Coupe is a prime example of Chrysler Corporations emphasis on low priced luxury. Priced at $925 it featured a longer wheelbase that its competitors for a big car ride; front stabilizer bar; safety rim wheels; oil bath air cleaners, aircraft type shock absorbers; and a smooth running 201.3 cubic inch L head six cylinder engine with Chryslers famous Floating Power mountings. Introduced in 1928, Plymouth built a solid reputation for comfort and value, playing down performance until the horsepower race of the 1050s. With growing collector interest in prewar Chrysler products, the 1941 Plymouth has become a highly desirable milestone Mayflower.

I remember assembling my first Tamiya Panther kit back when I was in college; a wee bit before the Paleozoic. That was in the heady days when a typical tank model could be thrown together over a weekend. What they lacked in detail was more than made up for by expeditiousness.

My last encounter with the Panther D was with Italeri’s release, which I made some years ago. This kit had poorly rendered wheels and other shortcomings, but was still an enjoyable build. This latest release from Tamiya, however, eliminates these shortcomings and offers what may well be the definitive Panther D.