Reviews of products for scale military vehicle models.

Review Author
Dave Morrissette
Published on
March 11, 2024
Company
Trumpeter
Scale
1/35
MSRP
$119.99

The 9P149 is a tank destroyer of Soviet origin and in this example, it is a vehicle carrying radio guided anti-tank system designated 9K114 Shturm which uses the 9M114 Kokon (Cocoon) missile. Same missile as used by the Mi-24 helicopter.

The kit comes in standard gray plastic in 15 gray sprues, two clear sprues, decals and 2 photoetch frets. Total is 790 parts many of which are very tiny as the entire vehicle is a about a scale foot long. There is an entire interior which covers the driver compartment, engine and transmission. You will decide how far you want to build the interior if you don’t decide to open the hatches. The interior is really nice but I didn’t find many references no color call outs on the instructions.

Review Author
Eric Christianson
Published on
March 11, 2024
Company
Vargas Scale Models
Scale
1/35
MSRP
$64.50

I have been building 3D-printed resin kits from Vargas Models for almost two years now, and these are just getting better and better. If you are unfamiliar with this small but prolific company, Vargas Models specializes in unusual 3-D printed, limited-run armor models, and is now offering the M2A4 Light tank,the fourth variant of the M2 light tank family (formally Light Tank, M2), that served in the U.S. Army during the interwar period. A few of these vehicles went in with the Marines at Guadalcanal early in the war – it is one of these that this particular offering depicts.

Book Author(s)
Ralph Riccio, Mario Pieri, Daniele
Guglielmi
Review Author
Pablo Bauleo
Published on
March 3, 2024
Company
Helion & Company
MSRP
$59.95

Casemate Publishing is distributing a Helion & Company published book on the topic of Italian Soft-Skinned Vehicles of the Second War World. The publication has two volumes. This review covers Volume 2.

The book is broken down in the following sections

  • Medium and Heavy Trucks
  • Artillery Tractors
  • Special Purpose Vehicles
  • Trailers

Plus three appendices:

  • Camouflage and Markings
  • Italian Vehicles Manufacturers
  • Vehicles produced in Italy while under German Control (1943-45)

While information on the Italian Navy, Italian Air Force and Italian Armored Units is not that difficult to come by, information on their soft-skinned/support/ancillary vehicles is harder to find. But this publication fills that gap well.

Book Author(s)
Wen Jiang Chung
Review Author
Andy Taylor
Published on
February 23, 2024
Company
Helion & Company
MSRP
$29.95

This is the fourth book in the War in Ukraine series (currently at five volumes). The first two volumes were reviewed by Orlando Reyes of the IPMS/USA Review Corps:

Review Author
Michael Reeves
Published on
February 19, 2024
Company
ICM
Scale
1:35
MSRP
$65.00

Based on the original 2014 Lastkraftwagen 3,5 t AHN German Army Truck kit, this kit adds a field kitchen and loads of accessories to kit it out. Field kitchens were used to provide hot meals to Wehrmacht soldiers in the field- either directly into the soldiers’ pots or into special large thermoses for delivery to units a bit farther away. They were often pulled by horses or towed behind vehicles- but this particular version was served out of the back of the truck. Soldiers’ humor gave the field kitchens the name ‘Gulaschkanone’ (‘Goulash Cannon’) for what was often served out of them.

The kit comes in ICM’s typical box art cover that slips over the front closing hinged cardboard box. Inside are nine sprues of gray styrene, a clear sprue, seven vinyl tires, and a decal sheet featuring two schemes and labels for the kitchen equipment and supplies.

Book Author(s)
Ralph Ricco, Mario Pier and Danielle Guglielmi
Review Author
Allan Murrell
Published on
February 16, 2024
Company
Helion & Company
MSRP
$59.95

The book was written by Ralph Ricco, Mario Pier and Danielle Guglielmi and is the first volume in a series on an area not covered very well before.

This volume covers military vehicles from 1920’s until the end of WW2 within the types of Motorcycles, Cars, and Light Trucks. The book has so many great pictures and technical drawings. The details covered are very in-depth even including tire types and treads.

Every vehicle is covered as to its development and service history, technical description, and full specifications. There are also a few color profile pictures in the center of the book.

There are so many vehicles that I was not aware of and gives a lot of ideas for kits for the future.

I must admit I was amazed at the content of the photos.

I highly recommend this book!

Thanks go to Helion & Company for providing this book to review and IPMS USA for allowing me to review it for them.

Review Author
Bob LaBouy
Published on
February 16, 2024
Company
ICM
Scale
1:35
MSRP
$65.00

A Very Brief History the Krankenpanzerwagen

The Krankenpanzerwagen is another lesser-known version of the Sd.Kfz. 251 and as such a lightly armored semi-tracked vehicle—in plain English, it’s an ambulance.

From the manufacturer’s webpage, this is how ICM describes this vehicle:

Sd.Kfz.251/8 Ausf.A WWII German Ambulance

Review Author
Mr. Paul Dunham
Published on
February 13, 2024
Company
ICM
Scale
1/35
MSRP
$50.00

Although not as famous as the U.S. Army’s GMC CCKW ‘Deuce-and-a-half’ the Studebaker US6 trucks were historically important trucks in their own right. Over 200,000 were built by Studebaker and Reo, with the vast majority of these trucks provided as ‘Lend-Lease’ to the Soviet Union and other allies. Although not ‘standard’ in the U.S. Army, many trucks were used by the U.S. Army Corps of engineers and transportation units in building and using supply routes such as the Alaska-Canada Highway, the Ledo Road from India to China, and the Persian Corridor from the Persian Gulf to the Soviet Union. (Tankograd Technical Manual Series #6037 and Wikipedia).

Review Author
Andy Taylor
Published on
February 10, 2024
Company
Hauler
Scale
1:72
MSRP
$9.40

Tools are ubiquitous with armored vehicles, especially tanks. For those braille scale modelers who wish to have separate tools and brackets, this is the set for you for to replace the molded-on tools that come on a majority of the German armor models.

The tools are very tiny and well detailed.The instructions are simple, which is great as this set is an eye exam and will test your patience as you assemble the PE. Fortunately, Hauler recognizes the very real carpet monster and provides extra PE parts.Once assembled, the following PE parts become spares:

  • No 1. Straps - 8
  • No. 2. Axe Head Bracket -1
  • No. 3. Square Shovel Bracket - 1
  • No. 4. Bracket - 2 (not used)
  • No. 5. Wire Cutter bracket - 1
  • No. 6. Round tip shovel bracket – 1