As usual, I look to Wikipedia for some insight into the operation of Wild Weasels (as well as the entire F-4 family of aircraft), at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/McDonnell_Douglas_F-4_Phantom_II
This is my second Arma Hobby kit to build, and I continue to be impressed. The detail – from the cockpit to the panel lines and access hatches – is tremendous. In fact, for 1/72 scale, it is almost a case of over-engineering! It took me about as long to build the cockpit and close the fuselage as it did to finish, paint and weather the aircraft!
The box and instructions include colored art for four different aircraft, accompanied by nicely printed decals that performed well. Because of some of the differences between the aircraft depicted in the decals, and the fact that many of the sprues are evidently intended to allow the building of other P-39 versions, I would recommend after you select your aircraft, run through the instructions carefully and determine which parts to include. There are places where you are required to fill in some engraved access hatches and inlets for the depicted N version, if you want to be technically accurate.
I have to tell you that I bet there will be a couple jealous reviewers out there after they see this ship, wishing they had jumped on the review opportunity! The quality of this kit is really worth it, and it was an exciting ship to build based on the detail level and the overall engineering. Trumpeter has thought through a number of significant elements that make the build feel easier. For instance, thoughtful orientation of sprue gates such that almost no marring occurs on visible surfaces, and error proofing orientation by using 2 different sized alignment pins on parts. You’ll find top-notch photo-etch in the kit, easy to nip off the sprue and not so hardened that it breaks if you bend it the wrong way the first time and have to reverse the bend. Lastly you’ll have to decide if you want to go the H-39 route with the provided twin mount turrets, or the World of Wargaming triple mounts.
ICM has provided this V3000S German Truck from World War Two. It had a payload of 3t tons and was assembled in the Ford Plant in Cologne from 1941 to 1945. This version “Einheitsfahrerhaus” was produced from 1943 with a cab made from Pressed wood to simplify production and reduce cost due to material shortages. It was used in every German WWII theater of war.
The detail quality is excellent, although there is a lot of flash, seam lines and pin marks to remove and improve.
I decided to paint the assemblies as I was building the kit, the paints are good, but you do need to experiment with the thinning mix and thinner you use. I would recommend Water or if you have it the Hataka thinner as these were best with the ICM paints.
Assembly stages 1 to 27 are the main Chassis and engine etc. The only issues to be aware of are as follows.
Originating from a USMC requirement for a close support aircraft, The OV10-A, a North American Aviation design, won a production contract in 1964. Performance highlights included short takeoff using a high-lift wing configuration and trailing beam landing gear to allow rough field operations. The central boom could hold paratroopers while sponsons carried 4 machine guns and hard points for weapons and a fuel tank. The operational version had 10 feet added to the wingspan. The cockpit canopy featured bulged side panels to allow downward vision to the pilot and observer. These aircraft were used in the Forward Air Control (FAC) role in Southeast Asia all the way through the war in Iraq. In 1995 the last Broncos were retired by the USMC.
Once again, ICM has come out with another excellent diorama set. The 8 cm Grantawerfer 34 was the standard infantry mortar throughout World War II and was noted for its accuracy and rapid rate of fire.
Inside the box you will find three gray sprues sealed in plastic. Tree A contains finely molded figure parts. Sprue W1 contains weapons and gear. The third sprue is identifiable only with numbered parts for the grenade launcher, rifles, ammo boxes, etc. The parts are all flash free and are very nicely detailed.
A double-sided glossy assembly guide is provided. Color callouts are easy to spot – red capital letters inside of red boxes -- and they correspond to Revell and Tamiya paints. In addition to color callouts, weapon and gear placements are indicated. The full color figure illustrations only show one view, i.e., right-side view, front view, etc. You will need to do research on your own to get gear placement truly accurate.
WOW, I’ve always loved the Platz kits and was I surprised to find 2 kits in the box! Initially, I was thinking about what a hard choice it would be to decide on wheels up or down. Not with this kit :D So, I love the box art for the 40th Anniversary livery and decided that had to be the in-flight version and the low-vis aircraft would be parked.
Two things stand out, the way parts are designed to fit together and the detail. Engraved panel lines were clear everywhere except the nose of both aircraft. Some sanding and a fine scriber will clear this up. Parts are practically a snap fit I noted. A unique element in a kit this small is that both retracted and extended gear doors. No cutting and trimming to get a set to fit. And the ordnance! Wait till you check out the detail on those little sidewinders.
ICM is known for their production of detailed kits of various genres of military and civilian subjects. Even with the current events taking place in their home country Ukraine, the company continues to provide new offerings for modelers of nearly any interest. One of their latest releases is this 1/144 scale Kriegsfischkutter. I appreciated the detail available as well as the relatively compact size of the completed model. Modelers with some experience handling very small parts should enjoy this representation of a unique subject.
The A-20 G of this kit was built by Douglas under the company designation DB-7. 7478 were built, with nearly a third of them going to the Soviets. It served in many theaters, operated by the English, French, Americans, and Soviets. It had a crew of three, with its first flight being January 23, 1939 and being retired by the Brazilian Air Force in the late 1950s. A P-70 night fighter variant was built as a stop-gap until the P-61 Black Widow became available. The A-20G had a top speed of 317mph, and a cruise speed of 280mph. It was powered by two Wright R-2600 engines with three-bladed Hamilton standard propellers and had a wing span a little over 61 feet with a length of almost 48 feet.
I’ve always had a soft spot in my heart for the Civil War era, as this is the period in history that my father taught at the university. ICM has really delivered in this area, offering no less than four different infantry figure sets, each with a superb sprue of associated equipment, making it very easy to convert these figures as you choose.
ICM has now taken this a step further in introducing a full set of all four kits along with their associated gear for a total of sixteen figures and four equipment sprues. As you might guess, this is a real boon for figure modelers and certainly guarantees a good number of modeling nights in the garage for this particular enthusiast.
