David Dodge
Reviews By Author
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StuG.III Ausf.G, Part 2Published:
IntroductionThe Sturmgeschutz III was the second most produced German armored combat vehicle after the Sd. Kfz 251 halftrack. It was the most produced fully tracked armored vehicle. It was built on a modified Panzer III chassis replacing the turret with an armored fixed superstructure mounting a more powerful gun. Initially intended as a mobile assault gun for direct fire support for infantry The StuG III was continually modified and was later employed as a tank destroyer BackgroundGallery Models is not a widely known brand and it was apparently acquired by MRC. The StuG III is their newest release and the tooling looks different from what I have seen of photos the Takom 1/16 StuG kit. The BuildLower Hull and SuspensionThe… more |
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StuG.III Ausf.G, Part 1Published:
Opening the BoxWow was it Christmas or what? This is a smaller armored vehicle in the big picture of things, but there is no doubt it is a big kit, and it is stuffed with sprues. The box is 22” by 13 ¾” by 5 5/8 “. Nope it is not going to fit in the mailbox. There is a single hull piece with 141 sprues (95 of which are the 190 Track blocks in a separate bag bundled in the hull along with the track components), So a rough sprue parts count drives this number up to over 1,105 individual parts. Also included are the Side skirts, clear parts and the copper tow cable and PE parts. Also included is an optional metal gun barrel. So, if you thought because it’s bigger means less parts your build experience will be just like a well contented 1/35 kit. Nope not a snap-tite kit… more |
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IDF M60A1 Magach 6bPublished:
IntroThe IDF M60A1 Magach6b by AFV Club is another one of their M60 series of vehicles including the M60A1, M60A3, M60A2Early& Late version and the M728 CEV as well as several foreign subjects based on the M60 series of tanks. The M60A1 Magach 6b is the version of the Magach 6 that was upgraded with Explosive Reactive Armor tiles. This kit includes sprues from the common components of the hull and turret and running gear. The Magach 6b specific components are included to model the vehicle. BackgroundIn 1971, the IDF (Israeli Defense Force), procured 150 M60A1 Tanks from the United States in part to replace the slower British Centurions. They named them Magach 6 and the M48A5’s (Magach5) were deployed to the open terrain of the Sinai Peninsula. This… more |
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M60A2 Early Type AF35238Published:
IntroThe M60A2 early type by AFV Club is another one of their M60 series of vehicles including the M60A1, M60A3, M60A2Early and later and the M728 CEV as well as several Foreign subjects based on the M60 series of tanks. The M60A2 early includes sprues from the common components of the hull and turret and running gear. M60A2 specific components are included to model the right vehicle. In this case the Gun barrel with the bore evacuator and the M60A2 turret and assemblies. BackgroundThe ARCOVE report published in January 1958 recommended a major effort be directed toward the development by 1965 of a guided missile weapon system for future main battle tanks. Thus set in motion the development of the Combat Vehicle Weapons System Shillelagh (CVWS) which… more |
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North American P-51D MustangPublished:
This is one of The New Airfix 1:48 scale Releases on the Heels of their 1/72 scale release. Compared to Legacy Airfix, this kit is cleanly molded with great detail and amazing fit. There are some different Approaches to the moldings and how the kit fits together I will highlight those in the Review. Some will complain about the panel lines. But that is opinion and they can be filled and sanded. BackgroundWe can thank North American Aviation for proposing to the British a more modern aircraft design. The Brits wanted someone to build P40s. The prototype appeared 102 days after contract signing. Initially fitted with an Allison engine, it suffered from poor high altitude performance. Once fitted with the Rolls Royce Merlin Engine the design came into its own as a world… more |
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M109A3/M185A3 Shop VanPublished:
IntroAFV Club released this kit in the fall of last year. This is a variant of their M35x series of 2.5-ton trucks of which the M49A2c 1200 Gallon Fuel truck and the venerable M35A2/3 “Deuce and a half” truck were released. BackgroundThe M35 series of vehicles were derived from the classic CCKW truck from WWII. The CCKW vehicles were ubiquitous and were given great credit for winning the war on the logistics front. The M35 was a dual rear wheeled variant of the single wheel 6x6 M34 (which had better off road mobility), and was principally designed for on-road use. It was produced initially in the early 1950’s by Rio Motors and was first deployed with a gasoline engine, and in the late 50’s, with a 427 cubic inch straight 6 multi-fuel engine. This could… more |
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IDF Magach 3 w/ERAPublished:
IntroThis kit was introduced in February of 2017. It is a follow-on to Dragon releases of the Magach 1 and 2 and 3. It is listed under the 6 Day war series. The kit includes the newer parts to add the ERA tiles but also includes the earlier parts to build the earlier Magach versions. Parts like the 90mm gun, back deck and grill doors and mantlet. Research should be done to identify the appropriate versions of parts included so you back-rev the kit with the correct parts. BackgroundOperationally the Magach with ERA was not used during the 6 Day War. The Magach 3 was retrofitted after the 6 Day War, to the newer M48A3 standard. This included the newer 105mm M68 cannon, the 750HP V12 air cooled diesel and other improvements. ERA tiles were not invented until… more |
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T14 Armata - Object 148Published:
IntroPanda released this kit late last year and it competes with the Takom and Zvesda Armata Kits. The kit is molded in medium green plastic and the track components are molded in a dark tan plastic. There is one sprue of clear parts, a PE fret and decals. With a length of tow cable. BackgroundThe T14 Armata is Russia’s latest Main Battle Tank that first appeared in public practices for the 2015 Moscow Victory Day Parade. This was a shock to NATO and Western Forces as the advanced design was unknown at that time. The T14 is derived from the Armata Universal Combat Platform. The tank weighs 48 metric tons and is 11 feet wide and 11 feet tall and 29 feet long. This is a big tank. It is armed with a 125mm main gun and a 12.7mm machine gun mounted in a… more |
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Befehls Panther Ausf. GPublished:
Dragon has recently released the Befehls (Command) version of the Panther Aufs. G. This kit is a fairly extensively equipped with many parts trees, clear, photoetch, and wire cables. Though externally identifiable at distance as a Panther, there are subtle details closeup that identify this as a special version of the venerable combat variant. Germany has a history of command versions of many of their combat vehicles, primarily equipped with extra radios and operators for long range and multi-command and control networks. This kit brings into the fold another variant of one of those vehicles. BackgroundThe Panther version of the Panzerbefelswagen was primarily derived from vehicles returned for repair or refit. From May 43 to Feb 45 up to 329 Panther Aufs. A and Aufs… more |
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German Panzer I: A Visual History of the German Army’s WWII Early Light TankPublished:
Ampersand’s latest book continues to expand on their Visual History format follows the same look as David Doyle’s “USS California”. Ampersand got their start in 1993 when Pat Stansell distributed a free issue of Military Miniatures in Review at the IPMS Nationals in Atlanta. Ampersand joined forces with HobbyLink Japan in 2008, and have continued to expand their military AFV publications ever since. True to the Visual History Series name, the focus of this book in on the visual, detailing the development and service history of the German Panzer I. After World War I, Germany was banned from the manufacture or even utilization of any armored combat vehicles, so the Panzer I was developed in secret. This permitted manufacturers to stay up with the rest of the world and… more |