Tom Moon

IPMS Number
43192

Reviews By Author

Box Top

German Tank Destroyer Sd Kfz 173 Jagdpanther Ausf G1

Published:
Company: Meng Model

This is kit comprised of about 600 styrene parts of which 508 are the track pieces, 2 frets of photo etched parts, an abundant set of poly caps and a set of braded wire for the tow cables. Not listed, but in the box was a metal barrel. It appears that it would replace part C13.

The instructions include 4 different finishes, so you need to choose which one you want to make and then review the instruction to see which set you need to follow. I chose option 3 and then when thru the instruction crossing out the other options so only option 3 was showing.

The 4 options are as follows:

  1. #212 sPzJgAbt 654 Battle of the Ruhr, March 1945
  2. #01 Headquarters, sPzJgAbt 559 Western France 1944
  3. #314 sPzJgAbt 654, Normandy, France 1944
  4. #?… more

Kit contents

Japanese Battleship Mikasa (1905) Armament

Published:
Company: Master Model

This set of replacement barrels for the 1/200 scale Mikasa. It includes 4 305mm (12”), 14 152mm (6”), 20 76mm (3”) and 12 47mm (1.85” Hotchkiss Guns). The 305mm and 152mm barrels are machined from aluminum and the other 2 are machined from brass. The 305mm barrels include brass trunnions.

These are designed for Merit International IJN Pre-Dreadnought Battleship Mikasa.

The 305mm is a straight replacement. The machining is quite good, and the only difference is that the plastic piece has what appears to be a cover on the end of the barrel while the metal barrel is bored out to depict the barrel in action.

The rest of the barrels requires surgery to remove part of the old barrel and drilling out a locating hole for the replacement barrel to slip into.

Here… more

Box Art

Pz.Kpfw.IV Ausf D

Published:
Company: Dragon Models

This is a plastic only kit comprised of about 62 styrene parts, no photo etched parts fret, and a standard set of instructions, they need to be reviewed carefully before gluing any parts together.

  • Step 1. This step builds the rear plate, the front deck and attaches the drive sprocket. The only change I would make is to not attach the idler wheels. Since Dragon has devised a way of creating the tracks, road wheels and return rolls into one piece per side, it now requires you to mount the tracks directly and they are tight.
  • Step 2. This step adds the fenders and mounts the one-piece track. Dragon has come up with a solution to solve the track problem. Tracks in 1/72 scale have been the bane of modelers for years. This solution appears to have that problem licked… more

Box Art

German Field Kitchen

Published:
Company: Riich Models

This is a multimedia kit comprised of 110+ styrene parts, one photo etched parts fret, and a standard set of instructions. They need to be reviewed very carefully before gluing any parts together.

  • Step 1. This builds the basic stove box. Make sure you paint the tub (part B43) before you add the stove top to the frame. If you are going to display the model without a base you will need to add some lead “nose” weights to the front of the stove to offset the weight of the cook on the rear step to keep it from tilting backwards. If you are going to glue the kit down on a base, you don’t need to add any “nose” weights
  • Step 2. This step adds some of the stove doors and the transport frame.
  • Step 3. This step continues to add the transport frame axle and brake… more

Front cover

M10/Achilles - A Visual History of the U.S. Army’s WWII Tank Destroyer

Published:
Book Author(s): David Doyle
Company: The Ampersand Publishing Group

The book, "M10/Achilles, A Visual History of the U.S. Army’s WWII Tank Destroyer" by David Doyle, starts with a short introduction that details the start of US Army WW II Tank Destroyer strategy and then a brief history from the early war period thru the end of the war.

The book is divided into 2 sections, the M10 and the Achilles.

Each section has both black and white photos from the war years, and color photos from the surviving museum examples. Most of the photos are well done and in good focus. Some of the wartime photos are little grainy, but give a good idea of the M10/Achilles in action.

The color photos are a mix of wide shots and detail close-ups. These close-ups are very well done and will help the modeler get the details done accurately.

The… more

Box Top

Sd Kfz 171 Panther Ausf A Early Production

Published:
Company: Dragon Models

This is a single media kit comprised of 85+ styrene parts, DS tracks, no photo etched parts fret, and a standard set of instructions, they need to be reviewed very carefully before gluing any parts together.

  • Step 1. This step builds the road wheels. The road wheel arms are molded in place on the hull. However, it does not allow for articulated road wheels for diorama purposes, unless you do a lot of work to remove them and rebuild them in a different configuration. For the road wheels Dragon has come up with a solution to the dozens of wheels that are interleaved and cause great problems getting them installed and lined up. Instead of individual parts, there are 3 sets of wheels linked together by a small loop that is completely hidden when the wheels are installed. You… more

Cover

Operation Agreement - Jewish Commandos and the Raid on Tobruk

Published:
Book Author(s): John Sadler
Company: Osprey Publishing

The book is divided into 10 chapters with an introduction, index, a Bibliography and Glossary of Abbreviations:

  1. Lions of Judah
  2. War without Hate
  3. Swings of the Pendulum
  4. Fit only for War
  5. Operation Topsy
  6. Across the sea and sands
  7. The ‘Desperate Gamble’
  8. Defeat
  9. Retribution
  10. ‘A Most Inglorious Episode’

The book goes thru the history of the creation of the SIG (Special Interrogation Group) as formed by Jewish refugees from the Nazi regime. It then builds on the operations of the LRDG and SAS. Then it brings forth the North Africa Desert war from the beginning up to the time of the Raid on Tobruk. This was necessary to give the reader the background of why such a risky operation… more

Box Art

Churchill Mk. III AVRE Combat Engine

Published:
Company: Dragon Models

This is a multimedia kit comprised of 70+ styrene parts, DS tracks, no photo etched parts fret, and a standard set of instructions, they need to be reviewed very carefully before gluing any parts together.

  • Step 1. This builds the turret, there is an aiming device, part A10, and the antenna guard A9 that need to be held out and placed on the model late in the build, as they will be easy to break off during handling.
  • Step 2. This the build of the hull and the running gear. There is an error in the parts for the drive sprockets, A25 should be A28 and conversely A28 should be listed as A25
  • Step 3. This step attaches the tracks and the upper hull to the main hull. There is an armored air filter guard, part A16 and A15 which showed a have locating pins in… more

Box Art

Panzerkampfwagen Mk IV, 744(E) (A13) & UE Fuel Tank Trailer

Published:
Company: Bronco Models

This kit is a representation of the British Army’s A13 Cruiser Tank that was captured by the Germans and placed in service for the Russian Campaign.

This is a multimedia kit but the use of the Photo-Etch is required, there are no optional plastic parts. Please be aware that some of the plastic parts are very, very small and will take a steady hand to get them off of the sprue without damage. And when they are off the sprue these minuscule parts do their very best to hide or get lost in the carpet or even on the work table.

Step 1 This step builds the chassis and includes the springs for the axels.

Step 2 This step builds the wheels drive sprocket and idler wheels, my particular sample had a short shot on some of the wheels. Bronco was very quick to replace those… more

Box Art

The Parthenon

Published:
Company: Italeri

The best way to start this model is to clip all the parts and mark them with the call out number as not all the columns are the same. Some are taller and others are shaped differently. Then clean up all the molding lines and paint these parts. The painting is problematic as they call out some colors like Marble and ask you to mix the following colors Flat Skin Tone Warm, Flat light flesh and flat white. There are no percentages and then to top it off they say the Pentelic marble is an impeccable white with uniform, weak yellow coloration along with a photo of what the real marble looks like. I just painted the base a general white with a subdued dark wash to show the seams and slight textured surface of the base.

Speaking of the base, my sample was warped. I tried to use hot… more