OKB Grigorov specializes in resin, photoetch and turned metal barrel conversions for armor. One of their latest releases is the Turret for Pz.VI Tiger H2.

This aftermarket set includes parts in grey resin, photoetch while gun barrel is made of turned metal. As you can see from the pictures, the casting of the parts is pretty good, without any bubbles in the resin, although with some small flash in some areas.

Overall, this set is well done and will require minimum cleaning of the parts for assembly. This would make for quite an interesting conversion and it is meant to be a “drop-in” replacement, without having to modify parts of the original kit.

I went ahead and assembled this turret - even if I don’t have a donor kit. The overall fit of the parts is fantastic. The only thing you need to be aware of is to properly clean the minimal “flash” around the hatch openings so the hatch covers, or the gun muzzle, would fit.

Armor builders have long used photo etch parts to get realistic thickness of parts. So why wouldn’t they want the same in the smaller scales? With Tamiya revitalizing the 1/48th scale armor market it was just a natural fit. The latest is the Soviet T-55 and Hauler has you covered.

Inside of a resealable package are two light grey resin pour blocks that feature new ammo boxes and some lights. These are way too small to produce accurately in injection plastic. In addition to the resin pieces are THREE frets of brass photo etch. To say that this set is comprehensive is an understatement. There isn’t a part of the basic kit that isn’t touched by the photo etch. You will need a magnifier to use some of these parts. The finesse is exceptional. Besides grills, there are latches and supports for the fuel drums, which are beautifully rendered. The turret and driver’s hatch get the PE touch inside and out.

A variant of the iconic Panzer IV, the Sturmpanzer IV Brummbär (SdKfz 166, Sturmgeschütz IV für 15cm StuH 43) was a German self-propelled assault gun. Work on the design began in 1942 with a goal of creating a vehicle well suited for the demands of urban warfare. The gun was based on the PzKpfw IV Ausf. E and F and, later, Ausf. G. Initially, the vehicle carried 15 cm StuH 43 howitzer, which was later replaced by a 15 cm StuH 23/1 L/12 weapon. The Brummbär went into production in 1943 and its first use was in Operation Citadel around the Kursk salient. Eventually, units equipped with this assault gun defended the Anzio and Normandy landings and participated in the Warsaw Uprising.

In total, 300 vehicles were built during the war, with 4 remaining survivors. The drawings in this publication are based on the vehicle at the Kubinka Tank Museum near Moscow.

Prolific ICM is back again with another new offering – this time it is in the form of a re-purposed, French FCM 36-based Tank Destroyer, designated the Marder I. This diminutive vehicle is actually (physically) larger than its other ‘Marder I’-designated cousins, the Lorraine and Hotchkiss-based vehicles. ICM’s kit sports a single piece barrel with a two-part muzzle brake and poly/nylon track that comes in four pieces. A nice, three-piece exhaust is rendered at the rear, and enough 75mm plastic rounds are included to fill two ammunition racks in the fighting compartment.

ICM is not only producing a lot of new kits these days, but they have also introduced a line of acrylic paints, a few of which were used in this build. A separate IPMS review of these paints can be found here.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Bradley Fighting Vehicle (BFV) is a tracked fighting vehicle platform of the United States manufactured by BAE Systems Land & Armaments, formerly United Defense. It was named after U.S. General Omar Bradley.

The Bradley is designed to transport infantry or scouts with armor protection, while providing covering fire to suppress enemy troops and armored vehicles. The several Bradley variants include the M2 Bradley infantry fighting vehicle and the M3 Bradley cavalry fighting vehicle. The M2 holds a crew of three (a commander, a gunner, and a driver) along with six fully equipped soldiers. The M3 mainly conducts scout missions and carries two scout troopers in addition to the regular crew of three, with space for additional BGM-71 TOW missiles.