Reviews of products for scale military vehicle models.

Review Author
Michael Novosad
Published on
December 15, 2023
Company
ICM
Scale
n/a
MSRP
$10.99

Brief History - from Wikipedia

The first Kozak vehicle (also known as Kozak-1) first appeared on August 24, 2009 at the Independence Day of Ukraine military parade in Kyiv. Only two vehicles were manufactured prior to March 2014.

The third vehicle (also known as "Kozak-2014") was built in November 2014 and was intended to be a proof of concept to address a growing requirement for a mobile MRAP. In March 2015 the vehicle was armed with the NSV machine gun.

Another variant, the Kozak-2, was built in 2015 and armed with an anti-tank guided missile system. In May 2015 the vehicle appeared at the 169th Training Centre.

Book Author(s)
Ben Skipper
Review Author
Ron Bell
Published on
December 7, 2023
Company
Pen and Sword Books Ltd
MSRP
$28.95

This is a brief overview of this rather expansive operation offered in their Battle Craft series of books. It is in paperback format with heavy stock glossy pages with many illustrations inserted among the text. It starts with brief biographies of the primary commanders on both sides and then has a basic order of battle of the units involved down to the divisional level. Next is a section on some of the vehicles present during the campaign. The choices are a bit odd, however. For the Allies, the Cromwell tank is chosen. This vehicle, while present, could hardly be said to have played a major role in the campaign, that distinction for the Allies going to the ubiquitous Sherman. For the Germans, the Panther tank is the subject and while a genuine threat to all Allied armor, it was in the minority on this battlefield being outnumbered by various types of self-propelled assault guns.

Review Author
Dana Mathes
Published on
December 6, 2023
Company
AOA Decals
Scale
1:35
MSRP
$6.50

The Company

AOA is a relatively new decal manufacturer that has become known for their aircraft decal sets (several popular scales). Their product offering has placed special emphasis on Vietnam-era US naval aircraft. AOA’s products are available from the larger distributors such as Sprue Brothers, Hannants, BNB, etc. This product is their first offering for an armor model subject.

The Subject

This decal set’s subject is rather unique: 1/35 M1A2 SEP V2 Abrams in a 2018 NATO training competition configuration. The Strong Europe Tank Challenge (SETC) was an annual, multinational tank platoon competition held from 2016 to 2018 at the Grafenwöhr Training Area, Germany, and hosted by the U.S. Army Europe and the German Army. At the SETC, crews from NATO and non-NATO partners competed in defensive and offensive operations (see Wikipedia).

Book Author(s)
Thomas Anderson
Review Author
Orlando Reyes
Published on
December 3, 2023
Company
Peko Publishing
MSRP
$54.95

The book covers the history of the unit from its creation through the end of the war, and is divided into an Introduction and six sections, as well as a glossary of terms on page 2. The book refers to the unit designed first as StuGA.Abt.203 and later named StuGBrig.203. Book information was gathered from Russian archives as well as those located in Freiburg, Alexandria and Podolsk. The first chapter deals with the establishment of the unit and how they were trained. The second chapter deals with their transfer to the east. Many of the pictures in this chapter deal with the type of equipment used by the unit. These included both AFV's as well as soft skinned vehicles.

Book Author(s)
Dennis Oliver
Review Author
Allan Murrell
Published on
December 3, 2023
Company
Casemate Publishers
MSRP
$29.95

This is no 38 in the Tank Craft series which details tanks and also covers model kits and accessories to build the tanks covered in the book. This book covers the Panther German Army Tank on the Italian Front 1944 to 1945. The Panzerkampfwagen V Panther was a great tank and was better that most allied. It was very successful on most fronts except Italy where the terrain was a hindrance to the performance of this tank.

I found this book contains so much detailed information and pictures of the Panther and its variants. The Profile pictures are a particular favorite and has given me a few great ideas of the color schemes for when I build my many Kits.

The chapter on the different model builds and kits are of great interest and will provide a good resource when modeling this tank.

Review Author
Phillip Cavender
Published on
November 29, 2023
Company
AFV Club
Scale
1:35
MSRP
$79.95

Introduction

The M59 is a heavy towed howitzer from the World War II era with its origins in the United States. Initially developed after World War I as the 155mm Gun M1 due to the limited heavy gun capabilities identified in the U.S., it underwent redesignation as the M59 after World War II. However, it continues to be commonly referred to by its popular nickname, "Long Tom." Functioning as a gun, the M59 was specifically designed for a long-range and flat trajectory, distinguishing it from traditional howitzers that typically have shorter ranges and much higher trajectories.

AFV Club is a well-known plastic model company based in Taiwan that specializes in producing high-quality scale model kits, particularly focusing on armored fighting vehicles (AFVs) and military-related subjects. The company has gained a reputation for its attention to detail, accuracy, and innovative model kits that cater to the needs of both casual model builders and serious hobbyists.

Book Author(s)
Didier Andres
Review Author
Andy Taylor
Published on
November 28, 2023
Company
Casemate Publishers
MSRP
$39.95

Noted author and defense consultant, Steven Zaloga, is well known to armor modelers the world over. He wrote this about the Ford M8 armored car,

The M8 light armored car is a 6×6 armored car produced by the Ford Motor Company during World War II. It was used from 1943 by United States and British forces in Europe and the Pacific until the end of the war. The vehicle was widely exported and as of 2006 still remained in service with some countries.

Author Didier Andres’ book “U.S. Army Ford M8 and M20 Armored Cars”, is a detailed, fascinating and photographic insight into the Ford M8 and M20 armored cars in the European Theater in WWII. The book is complete with extensive photographs, technical details and specifications, and detailed illustrations, composing the following five chapters:

  • Chapter 1. The Genesis of Light Armored Cars

    • 1914-18

    • 1928-34

Review Author
Damon Blair
Published on
November 22, 2023
Company
ICM
Scale
1/35
MSRP
$56.99

The Model T Ford was one of the most produced vehicles of the pre-WWI and WWI eras. The basic frame was highly adaptable to numerous roles. One of the more important roles was that of ambulances, especially for the war effort. 4,362 Model T ambulances were shipped to Europe, with most serving in France.

This model, in 1/35th scale, is manufactured by ICM and contains 88 parts total, with 9 crystal-clear parts. The parts are crisply molded as well, and I was surprised that the wheels and spokes didn’t have any flash, and the mold lines are straight down the middle of the tires. A word of caution: There are quite a few tiny parts in this kit that can easily be eaten by the notorious Carpet Monster!