I have a number of Osprey’s “How-To” Masterclass books in my library and have benefited from and enjoyed every one of them. This latest volume by Alex Clark is no exception. “Small-Scale Armour Modelling” (yes, I know, it’s not spelled correctly in US English) is a wonderful look at the world of small-scale armor - my favorite modeling subject.

This book (like the Osprey Steve Zaloga armor Masterclass book I reviewed earlier this year) is presented in a hardcover format with a spiral-type wire binding. I really like this feature because it allows you to use the book as a handy desk reference while working, since it stays open to the page you need without having to crack the binding to keep it open. The page stock is nice and heavy and the printing quality is top-notch, with full-color photography used throughout to illustrate many of the how-to ideas in the book.

The book is presented in eight concise and easy to read chapters. They are as follows:

The summer issue of AFV Modeler lives up to its pedigree as a world-class modeling magazine. The cover article is a riff on Luftwaffe ’46. Using what I believe is the Dragon Panther II kit, Miguel Jimenez (MIG products founder) describes his flight of fancy – the Americans and Germans unite at the end of the war to battle the Communist menace using German equipment. The bulk of the article is devoted to giving the tank its marvelous finish. Using color modulation and the hairspray technique, the author gets a fantastic result using advanced finishing techniques.

The next article features Denes Benedick’s diorama. Set in the last days of the 1940 French campaign, the Bronco A13 Mk. II and Adler Kfz. armored car builds a very nice diorama depicting the British First Armored Division on the offensive.

These sets of masks are for the use in painting the model without painting the clear glass windows and lamps. The masks are made of a vinyl type of material and are different from the yellow “Tamiya” type of tape. Because they are of this vinyl type of material, they are much stiffer, but do allow you to place them fairly easily. However, it became a task to remove them without popping the glass out. There is a two part mask for the windshield that allows for a depiction of a dirty windshield that has been wiped clean by the windshield wipers. This worked very well and does make the weathering process easier.

History Brief:

Vickers-Armstrongs privately designed the Valentine. Based on the A-10 Cruiser tank it was submitted to the War Office on Feb 10 1938. The development team matched the lower weight of a cruiser tank to the suspension and transmission of the A10 heavy cruiser, with the superior armor of an infantry tank. The new design was easier to produce and cost less than the older Matilda tanks. The first Valentines used a gasoline engine with conventional steering. The Mark II used a diesel version of the engine while the Mark IV and later variants GMC diesels.

As most of you armor modelers know, Griffon Model has been making photo-etch accessories for just about every aspect of Military Modeling for quite a long time and is regarded as one of the leading manufacturers of photo etch and other aftermarket products. Their name is among the best in the business.

This particular sample is the 3.7cm Ammo Shell Cases (spent shells) for the 3.7cm Flak in 1/35 scale. These are obviously made for adding that extra degree of detail that we modelers strive for to enhance our personal masterpieces.

This package contains sixteen spent shell casings made of brass with that extra margin of detail which shows the engraved circles inherent to this specific type of shell. They are approximately 3/8” long and the machining is amazing. Needless to say, there are no instructions included.