Andy Taylor

IPMS Number
46437

Reviews By Author

Czech Arms Exports Casemate

Czechoslovak Arms Exports to the Middle East Volume 4 - Iran, Iraq, Yemen Arab Republic and the People's Democratic Republic of Yemen 1948-1989

Published:
Book Author(s): Martin Smisek
Illustrators: David Bocquelet and Tom Cooper; photo credits to the author, DoD, and Aero Vodochody
Company: Helion & Company

This is the fourth book in Martin Smisek’s Czechoslovak Arms Exports to the Middle East series. The previous three volumes were previously competently and eloquently reviewed by Paul R. Brown of the IPMS/USA Review Corps:

Cover Image

Weapons of the Battle of the Bulge From the Photographic Archives of the US Army Signal Corps

Published:
Book Author(s): Darren Neely
Company: Pen & Sword

Author Darren Neely in his book’s Introduction,

The Battle of the Bulge continues to inspire and draw the interest of the military history community. Yet, and partly due to the success of Band of Brothers, when people hear the words “Battle of the Bulge”, they immediately think of paratroopers holding Bastogne and then Patton’s tanks riding to the rescue. The fighting in the Ardennes was so much more than that and involved hundreds of thousands of soldiers on each side. In addition, it is forgotten that British and Canadians fought in the Bulge as well on the Northern shoulder. The Bulge battles are well known for the tanks of both sides trudging through the snow but like many engagements of World War II, it was fought and won by the soldier with the rifle, a… more

Package

"Quietly came, quietly went…" - Special Operations Forces of Ukraine

Published:
Company: ICM

From the ICM website -

The modern Special Operations Forces (SOF) of the Armed Forces of Ukraine were created in 2016 on the basis of existing units and subunits, most of which already had some combat experience. As of the summer of 2023, the Ukrainian Special Operations Forces are based on two special purpose regiments – a special purpose maritime center, a special operations center and several other units. Their main tasks include in-depth reconnaissance, combat raids behind enemy lines, search and evacuation of captives or hostages, and anti-terrorist activities.

The selection process for Special Forces units is very rigorous, with only 10% of all candidates passing the… more

Acrylic Paints

Acrylic Paint Set for Armed Forces of Ukraine

Published:
Company: ICM

ICM continues to announce new models despite the ongoing Russian initiated war in Ukraine. While most subjects released by ICM are welcome, the current conflict subjects are even more relevant and timely. The Acrylic Paint Set for Armed Forces of Ukraine (Camouflage Uniform) is designed to be used with ICM figure sets No. 35752 (“Quietly came, quietly went…” Special Operations Forces of Ukraine) and No. 35754 (“Always the first” Air Assault Troops of the Armed Forces of Ukraine). This paint set is designed for the Multicam, not the Ukrainian pixel, camouflage.

The Acrylic Paint Set for Armed Forces of Ukraine consists of six 12ml paint bottles, that are surprisingly not dropper top, but rather are wide mouthed. The colors include:

  • Off White (No. 1028)
  • more

Package

British Tank Destroyer FV4005 Stage II

Published:
Company: AFV Club

According to Tank Encylopedia’s ‘The Online Tank Museum’ -

In the late 1940s, the British War Office (WO) was concerned that – after the debut of the IS-3 in 1945 – the Soviet Union would continue to develop heavily armored tanks. As such, the War Office filed a requirement for the development of a gun capable of defeating a 60-degree sloped plate, 6 inches (152 mm) thick, at up to 2,000 yards (1,830 meters), and a suitable vehicle to carry it.

This requirement led to the development of the ‘Ordnance, Quick-Firing, 183 mm, Tank, L4 Gun’, the largest purpose-built anti-tank gun to have ever been created. It was intended that this gun would be mounted on a new ‘Heavy Gun Tank’ based on the FV200 series chassis. This was designated the ‘Tank, Heavy No. 2, 183… more

Package

WWII German Tank Tools PE

Published:
Company: Brengun

Manufactured by Jan Sobotka, this 2022 new tool package comes with one PE fret (measuring 1 ¼” x 1 1/16 ”) containing two pry bars, three wire cutters, four wrenches, eight axes (four with closed tool clamps), eight hammers (four with closed tool clamps), two each of two sets of German towing hooks, seven shovels (two with closed tool clamps), two (what I believe to be) track tensioners, and four MG 34/42 MGs). This outstanding set is incredibly detailed for its miniscule size. This PE set will bring your German vehicle to the next level.

Tools are ubiquitous on military vehicles in the field. To say these are tiny is an understatement, but they are very well detailed and will make micro panzers pop (if you can see them).

As you can see from the photos, the PE fret is… more

Package

Fiat G.50 (Mark I Kit) Detail Set

Published:
Company: Brengun

For anyone hardy enough to tackle a WWII Fiat G.50 fighter plane in 1/144 scale, this PE set is for you. Measuring in at 1 ¼”x 1 9/16”, there are extra PE details for the cockpit (including the seat), engine and landing gear; there is also a small piece of film to be used on the interior of the cockpit door. This PE set is made for the Italian G.50, specifically the Mark I Models kits (of which there are three).

As this PE set is for an Italian fighter plane, it could also be described as “piccino”, “minuscolo”, or “minuto”, no matter how it is described, it is tiny and the whole fret could be lost in a deep shag carpet. To really appreciate the detail, take a look at the completed PE in the model on the Brengun webpage (… more

Product

Unimog S 404 German Military Radio Truck

Published:
Company: ICM

This is the third of four of ICM’s Unimog 404, Kit No, 35137 Military Radio Truck. Other variants in the series include the German Military Truck (Kit No. 35135 is the standard cargo version), the “Koffer” (Kit No. 35136) and Military Ambulance “Krankenwagen” (Kit No.35138). As I previously reviewed the standard, first kit, I was eager to review this third kit as a later version of this ubiquitous Unimog 404.

The Unimog 404, also called the Unimog S and Unimog 404S, was developed by Mercedes Benz from 1955 to 1980. Unimog (taken from UNIversal Motor Gerät, or universal power unit) is a… more

Product

Polish Land Forces K2GF

Published:
Company: Academy Models

The South Korean K2 Black Panther MBT (Main Battle Tank), produced by Hyundai Rotem, was designed to meet the Republic of Korea’s Army requirement for a three-dimensional, high speed maneuver, based on network-centric warfare. The first tanks were available in 2014. While this at first looks like a shrunken down M1 Abrams, it is a new tank design unto itself. This state-of-the-art tank features an autoloader with a sophisticated 120mm main gun system (to include smart top-attack munitions), Automatic Target Detection and Tracking System (ATDTS), network-centric warfare capabilities and operability, and both active and passive protection systems.

What makes the tank unique is South Korea’s ability to rapidly produce the K2 for domestic and export use. Turkey was the first nation… more

Painting Wargaming Figures book cover

Allied Forces in Blitzkrieg Europe, 1939–1940 British, French, Belgian, Dutch and Polish Forces

Published:
Book Author(s): Andy Singleton
Company: Pen & Sword

I was excited to review a Pen & Sword book on allied forces during the Blitzkrieg, thinking it would be part of the amazing Images of War series.

When I received "Allied Forces in Blitzkrieg Europe, 1939–1940; British, French, Belgian, Dutch and Polish Forces", I was a little surprised to find out that it is part of their Painting Wargaming Figures series. Author Andy Singleton gives a brief overview of the allied forces, then delves into painting the figures of the five major allied armies facing the German blitzkrieg. Since I want to become a (much) better figure painter, this book really spoke to me.

It provides a fascinating and remarkable insight into painting early WWII wargaming figures (15mm, 20mm and 28mm). The author gives a concise,… more