IPMS Number
27087
Andrew Birkbeck
Reviews By Author
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The Rolls-Royce Armoured CarPublished: August 14, 2012 At the outset of the First World War, motorized weaponry was still in its infancy. The machines of today’s modern military had not yet been invented: the tank, the armored personnel carrier, self propelled field artillery. Among the very first Allied armored cars, the very best were built atop chassis produced by Rolls-Royce, with the very first Rolls-Royce armored car being a privately owned… more |
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Russian Heavy Tank JS-2 Model 1944Published: August 7, 2012 The yearly new releases in Tamiya’s 1/48th scale Military Vehicle range are getting fewer and fewer in number compared to when the range was launched seven or eight years ago, but when they do turn up, they are well worth the wait. The latest in the range is the massive JS-2 Heavy Tank, produced as a counter to the German military’s Tiger 1 heavy tank. Heavily armored and with a potent 122mm… more |
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Russian Main Battle Tank T-90Published: February 3, 2020 I will start this review by stating that I have little knowledge of the workings of modern main battle tanks, but I do find them “really cool looking” and so jumped at the chance to build this new offering from Zvezda of Russia. With the turret and main hull festooned with blocks of ERA (Explosive Reactive Armor), carrying a massive 125mm smooth bore main gun, and the turret looking like… more |
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M4 Sherman Tank: (Haynes) Owners' Workshop ManualPublished: June 20, 2012 Anyone who has ever worked on his own car, either tinkering with a modern Honda Civic or Dodge Grand Caravan or a classic automobile like a 1960s Mini Cooper or Ford Mustang, will know the series of repair manuals under the Haynes brand name. Over the past few years, the Haynes title has begun producing a series of books covering aviation and military vehicle topics, including the title in… more |
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Jagdpanzer 38 Hetzer Walk AroundPublished: May 24, 2012 Yet another in the long established series of military vehicle monographs from Squadron Signal Publications under their “Walk Around” range, this particular title covers the Jagdpanzer 38 Hetzer. The book is in softback (card cover) format, 80 pages in length, with the glossy paper pages measuring 11 x 8 inches. The same title is also available in a hardback format, should you wish to spend… more |
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Henschel 33 D1 TruckPublished: April 20, 2021 When I think of “Blitzkrieg,” I usually think of grey Panzers sweeping across the Polish, French, or Russian countryside, followed in hot pursuit by armored half tracks. The concept of Blitzkrieg required mechanized movement of weapons, men, and supplies. And, while the Germans used more horses than vehicles in the invasion of Russia in 1941, they did have mechanized transport in an attempt to… more |
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T17E2 Staghound AA Armored CarPublished: April 3, 2012 Eight or so years ago, Tamiya resurrected 1/48th scale for military vehicles models. There is now a new player in the game: Bronco Models of Hong Kong. Bronco has recently launched three sister kits into this niche market: the T17E2 Staghound armored cars, each with a different turret layout. The kit under review here is the anti-aircraft version. And all I can say is WOW, what a fantastic kit… more |
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Model Art Modeling Magazine, #834, December 2011Published: January 3, 2012 For those unfamiliar with this magazine, it is to my mind one of the finest general purpose modeling magazines in the world today. It is filled with high quality articles covering the whole gamut of plastic modeling, from aircraft, armor, and ships to sci-fi and figures. The models appearing in these articles are very well built, well photographed, and in color, and the magazine is printed on… more |
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Heavy Uniform Personnel Vehicle Type 40Published: October 26, 2011 When I first received this model kit for review, the title that Dragon Models gave it, “Heavy Uniform Personnel Vehicle Type 40” had me confused. It clearly looked to me like the Auto Union/Horch 4x4 Type 1a produced by Tamiya in 1/35th scale way back in the 1970’s. And sure enough, this is what the kit turned out to be! And to be fair to Dragon, the vehicle was indeed a “heavy” (as… more |
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Type 97 "Chi-Ha" Tank, Late Production, Saipan 1944Published: October 25, 2011 Over the years, model companies haven’t exactly been falling over each other to produce WW2 Japanese military vehicles in the smaller scales: 1/72nd or 1/76th. Hasegawa produced a couple of trucks in their 72nd scale series many years ago, while Airfix produced a Type 97 “Chi-Ha” decades ago in 76th scale. For the time the Airfix kit wasn’t a bad… more |