German Main Battle Tank Leopard 1A3/A4

Published: March 9, 2014
Company: Meng Model

We have not had a new kit of the Leopard 1 series of tanks in decades, so it was good to see the up and coming firm of Meng Models taking on the task of giving the modeler a state of the art kit to add to their collection of late 20^th century MBT’s. So how did they do??

What’s In The Box

• 13 sprues of green plastic parts
• 6 sprues of brown plastic parts for… more

French FT-17 Light Tank (Cast Turret)

Published: March 8, 2014
Company: Meng Model

The 100^th Anniversary of the tank going into combat takes place in September 2016, and as this anniversary draws closer I have become fascinated with these first creaking, clattering vehicles of death; part of the first modern industrial war in history. And while the British Army’s rhomboid shaped monsters that took part in that engagement at Flers-Courcelette during the Battle of… more

French Char 2C Super Heavy Tank

Published: February 10, 2020
Company: Meng Model

Following on from their superb yet diminutive FT-17 WW1 French tank, Meng Models of China provides the modeling public with a colossus of a tank model, the French Char 2C. Like the FT-17, the Char 2C was born during the years of battle in World War One, but came too late in the piece to see combat. Before the prototype was even completed, an order was placed for 300 of these gargantuan beasts… more

JGSDF Type 90 Main Battle Tank Workable Tracks w/ Rubber Pad

Published: February 10, 2020
Company: Raupen Modell, Japan

Raupen Modell is a new firm whose first releases center on providing workable track sets for the 1/35th scale Tamiya JGSDF Type 90 Main Battle Tank. The accessory kit under review in this article covers the set that includes rubber pads for the metal tracks. A second, lower priced set covers tracks without the rubber pads.

The kit’s contents come in a stout plain white cardboard box… more

Building the Wingnut Wings Fokker D.VII

Published: December 10, 2013
Book Author(s): Ray Rimell
Company: Albatros Productions, Ltd.

Anyone who has peaked inside the box of a WingNut Wings 1/32nd WW1 aircraft kit knows the potential joys that await the builder of such a kit. If you are at all familiar with WW1 aircraft modeling, you will undoubtedly have heard of Ray Rimell’s Albatros Productions Ltd., publishers of Windsock International modeling magazine and Windsock Datafiles etc. So imagine my delight when IPMS USA gave… more

D9R Armored Bulldozer

Published: December 10, 2013
Company: Meng Model

Ever since I was a young lad, and would pass construction and road works sites while out driving or walking with my Father, I have loved bulldozers. Big, yellow and Caterpillar! Yet whenever I went to try and build a model of one, I always struck out. The only kit I could ever find of a Caterpillar product in injection plastic was a 1/25th scale kit, which was either too expensive for me as a… more

Japanese Army Infantry, Peleliu 1944

Published: November 26, 2013
Company: Dragon Models

Within the past year, Dragon Models has issued a brilliantly executed model of the Imperial Japanese Army’s Type 95 Light Tank “Ha-Go,” arguably the most important Japanese tank of Pacific War (review at http://web.ipmsusa3.org/content/type-95-light-tank-ha-go-early-producti…). Unfortunately, figures to go… more

Universal Carrier Mk.1 w/Crew

Published: August 20, 2013
Company: Riich Models

I will start this review with a simple statement: this is one of the most complex, highly detailed, and simply wonderful models I have ever had the pleasure to encounter. It has 13 sprues of plastic parts with exquisitely fine details. Additionally, there are three frets of photo etch brass parts, 32 metal springs, 8 tiny metal shafts, and a length of metal chain. The small set of decals… more

Pz.Kpfw. 35(t)

Published: February 10, 2020
Company: Academy Models

In the mid 1930’s, the nation of Czechoslovakia had one of the most sophisticated military arms manufacturing industries in Europe. Upon the German annexation of the Czech territories known as the Sudetenland in 1938, and the occupation of the entire country in 1939, the Czech armament factories fell into the hands of German forces. Two main tanks originated from these factories, known as the… more

Kharkov 1942: The Wehrmacht Strikes Back

Published: July 11, 2013
Book Author(s): Robert Forczyk
Company: Osprey Publishing

Through their intelligence gathering operations in the Spring of 1942, the Soviet Military Command became aware that Hitler and the Wehrmacht were planning a forthcoming summer offensive. In order to disrupt the Germans, Stalin ordered Soviet forces, under the command of Marshal Timoshenko, to prepare and launch a campaign to disrupt German plans. The area chosen was the Kharkov sector, the… more