The Product

The kit arrived in Dragon’s standard smaller box common for a kit of this size. All the parts were well protected in the typical Dragon poly bags. Also included was the standard instruction sheet, a photo-etch fret and a small decal sheet. The kit features 2 crew figures, newly tooled condenser w/modified engine grille, Vickers K machine guns, jerrycans w/photo-etch details and photo-etch sand channels.

Bronco has joined the list of manufacturers that have released a kit of the venerable “Jeep”. I believe Heller was the first, then Italeri, then Tamiya (twice) and Dragon. This (by first looks alone) is the New Standard! Bronco of course calls it a, “U.S. GPW ¼ ton 4x4 Utility Truck” but it is a “Jeep”! The title was probably changed for fear of copyright infringement attorneys. The box art states this kit represents a 1942 Model and I have no idea of the differences between a 1942 version and other versions. However, the rear panel does have the “Ford” logo stamped on it and only about the first 1000 or so vehicles produced had this. At some point, the War Department had “Ford” and “Willys” remove the embossed trademark stamping. The same “Ford” logo is also stamped onto the tires. I have found out that the Ford version was called GPW, or "G-Government Vehicle, P-80 inch wheelbase, W-Willys Pattern".

Summary

Tamiya has enhanced their venerable T-55A Main Battle Tank kit yet again with all the parts needed to convert it into an Israeli Tiran 5, which is not surprising when you consider the mileage they got out of the same kit last year when they released the T-55 Iraqi “Enigma”. One thing is for sure – the kit these new versions are based on is one of the finest armor models ever produced by Tamiya. I never get tired of building these tanks, so keep them coming!

The Tiran 5 was used by the Israeli Defense Force (IDF) from the late 1960s until the mid-1980s. Constantly modified throughout its service life, many were fitted with the 105mm M68 gun. Even after it was retired from IDF service, the Tiran 5 continued to see action in various guises in a number of countries around the world.

History Brief

The Otter Light Reconnaissance Car was developed by General Motors Canada to meet the demand for a light armored car. The design followed the layout of the British Humber Mark III LRC. The Otter was based on the Chevrolet C15 Canadian Military Pattern truck chassis and used many standard GM components. The armament consisted of a hull-mounted Boys anti-tank rifle and a Bren light machine gun in a small open-topped turret. Although it used a more powerful engine than the Humber, it was larger and heavier; overall performance was less than the Humber but still acceptable. Between 1942 and 1945, 1761 units were produced in Oshawa, Ontario, although fewer than 1,000 were delivered overseas. The Otter served with Canadian units in the Italian Campaign and Northwest European operations. It was also employed by the British Army and the RAF. Some RAF regiment vehicles used aircraft armament such as 20mm cannon and 0.303 Browning machine guns.

The Tiger II "Königstiger" (Bengal Tiger) was the most powerful combat tank produced and deployed during World War II. Up to the end of the war, the Allies did not introduce anything that could effectively counter it on the battlefield. The Tiger II combined a powerful and effective gun with thick, sloped armor that was virtually impervious to any Allied tank or anti-tank gun. The Tiger II was armed with a long-barreled 88mm L/71 gun and had 150mm frontal armor and 80mm side armor. Front and side plates were sloped and interlocked, which created a strong defense against Allied firepower. This tank was known as the King Tiger and Royal Tiger.