Reviews of products for scale military vehicle models.

Review Author
Doug Cole
Published on
May 2, 2023
Company
Hauler
Scale
1/72
MSRP
$9.52

The Item

If you want to bring your M20 Armored Utility Car model kit to the next level, this excellent photo etch detail set is just the thing for you. This extensive PE sheet has most of the appliqués that can be added to the kit to provide a fully detailed rendering of the M20 vehicle.

PE parts generally require certain tools to bend/and manipulate the parts for a good fit. You’ll find those at online and local hobby shops. Adhesion can be done in a variety of ways including thin cements, paint, or even floor polish, depending on the part’s requirements. This set comes with instructions and the parts are correspondingly numbered on the fret tree.

All-in-all this set will definitely enhance the appearance of your armored car.

Review Author
Doug Cole
Published on
May 2, 2023
Company
Hauler
Scale
1/72
MSRP
$14.33

The Item

If you want to bring your “Jimmy” truck model kit to the next level, this excellent photoetch detail set is just the thing for you. This extensive PE sheet set has most of the appliqués that can be added to the kit to provide a fully detailed rendering of the GMC CCW/CCKW 353 Truck.

PE parts generally require certain tools to bend/and manipulate the parts for a good fit. You’ll find those at online and local hobby shops. Adhesion can be done in a variety of ways including thin cements, paint, or even floor polish, depending on the part’s requirements. This set comes with instructions and the parts are correspondingly numbered on the fret tree.

All-in-all this set will definitely enhance the appearance of your “Deuce-and-a-Half” truck.

Review Author
Doug Cole
Published on
May 2, 2023
Company
Hauler Brengun
Scale
1/72
MSRP
$8.58

The Item

If you want to bring your Amphibious Assault Vehicle-7A1model kit to the next level, this excellent photo etch detail set is just the thing for you. This extensive PE sheet has most of the appliqués that can be added to the kit to provide a fully detailed rendering of the AAV-7A1 vehicle.

PE parts generally require certain tools to bend/and manipulate the parts for a good fit. You’ll find those at online and local hobby shops. Adhesion can be done in a variety of ways including thin cements, paint, or even floor polish, depending on the part’s requirements. This set comes with instructions and the parts are correspondingly numbered on the fret tree.

All-in-all this set will definitely enhance the appearance of your AAV-7A1 truck.

Review Author
Doug Cole
Published on
April 30, 2023
Company
Hauler
Scale
1/72
MSRP
$12.10

The Subject

The Studebaker US6 (G630) was a series of 2+1⁄2-ton 6×6 and 5-ton 6×4 trucks manufactured by the Studebaker Corporation and REO Motor Car Company during World War II. The basic cargo version was designed to transport a 2+1⁄2-short-ton (5,000 lb; 2,300 kg) cargo load over any type of terrain in any weather. Most of these were exported to the Soviet Union under Lend-Lease by the USA during World War II, since the competing GMC 6×6 CCKW design proved to be more suitable for Western Front conditions. (Source - Wikipedia)

The Item

If you want to bring your Studebaker US-6 Cargo Truck model kit to the next level, this excellent photoetch detail set is just the thing for you. This extensive PE sheet has most of the appliqués that can be added to the kit to provide a fully detailed rendering of the Studebaker vehicle.

Book Author(s)
Dennis Oliver
Review Author
Andy Taylor
Published on
April 21, 2023
Company
Pen & Sword
MSRP
$29.95

From Dennis Oliver’s Introduction,

"The American-build M4 Medium Tank, christened Sherman by the British, served in every theater of war from North Africa, Sicily and Italy to north-western Europe and finally in the Far East. From late 1942 it was arguably the most important armoured vehicle in Britain’s arsenal, with the possible exception of the Churchill. Field Marshal Montgomery, the overall commander of the British and Commonwealth units fighting in the Mediterranean and later in Normandy, considered the Sherman to be a universal tank, capable of both close infantry support and mobile warfare."

Review Author
Mr. Paul Dunham
Published on
April 17, 2023
Company
Tamiya
Scale
1/35
MSRP
$51.00

Tamiya’s new ‘Panzer IV/70(A)’ kit depicts a late war German ‘stopgap’ design attempting to mount a high-velocity L/70 75mm anti-tank gun on a minimally modified Panzer IV chassis. The resulting vehicle had a taller profile than most other turretless Panzer IV and III types. Since this is a late-war vehicle, the lack of zimmerit is appropriate.

Review Author
Steve Zajac
Published on
March 28, 2023
Company
Tamiya
Scale
1/48
MSRP
$21.50

I've previously built two of the 48th scale Tamiya tanks: the M-10 Tank Destroyer and the M1A2 Abrams, and they are great for a non-armor buff like me, both in size (not too big for the display cabinet) and part count (low to moderate, can be built in a week or two).

The M8 Howitzer Motor Carriage was a variation of the Stuart M5 light tank, powered by twin Cadillac V-8s with a 75mm M3 howitzer. Production yielded 1788 units from early 1942 to January 1944, and M8s served in Italy, Western Europe and the Pacific theater.

You get decals for two tanks: 106th Cavalry Reconnaissance Group, operating in Germany February 1945, and 758th Tank Battalion, Fifth Army operating in Italy, April 1945.

Book Author(s)
Jon Diamond
Review Author
Andy Taylor
Published on
March 14, 2023
Company
Pen and Sword Books Ltd
MSRP
$34.95

The Battles of El Alamein were critical in the fight for North Africa and had the potential to change the course of the war. The German war machine was at the zenith of its power, with Britain and Russia absorbing defeats as they fell back on their lines. When the opportunity to review this book was presented, I jumped on it for several reasons: the history of this crucial campaign, the Images of War series’ reputation and Jon Diamond as the author. It promised to be a powerful book – and it delivered!

Review Author
Ben Morton
Published on
February 22, 2023
Company
Brengun
Scale
1/144
MSRP
$20.00

Hot on the heels of Brengun's 1/144th scale BDRM-2 scout car (item # 144061 ) comes the anti-aircraft version of the base vehicle. With addition of some optional parts the vehicle is equipped with the launcher for the Strela-1 missiles and additional ready rounds that mount the outside of the vehicle. Following on the previous release (the basic BRDM-2) Brengun also includes some photoetch for rear details (propulsion cover and rear stowage lockers), rear taillights, headlamp protectors for the front and a chassis mounted rear view mirror.

Putting this all together begins by removing the resin pouring stubs from the appropriate components. The tires are cast as single parts and benefit from drilling out the mounting dimples to achieve a better fit on the axle stubs integral to the main chassis. All the resin bits cleaned up without any bother. There is nice detail on all resin parts particularly on the rear deck, launcher, and the tread pattern on the tires.

Review Author
Andy Taylor
Published on
February 12, 2023
Company
ICM
Scale
1/35
MSRP
$60.00

The Unimog 404, also called the Unimog S and Unimog 404S, was developed by Mercedes Benz from 1955 to 1980. Unimog (taken from UNIversal Motor Gerät, or universal power unit) is a small, capable, 1.5 ton offroad truck that reached a production number of 36,000 for the German military during the Cold War. The Unimog 404 could be driven in either 2x4 or 4x4 mode, being at home in the outdoors or cruising up to 60 km/hr on paved surfaces. The Unimog has a folding canvas roof with a frame and canvas cover for the cargo area. Despite its German origins, the first Unimog 404s were produced for the French Army who wanted the spare wheel moved from the cargo bed to an undercarriage location on a newly designed down swept frame to provide more space for troops and cargo.