The LVT-(A) 1 was part of a series of US Marine Corps. and Navy amphibious assault vehicles developed during WW2. The idea for the military vehicles came from an original, civilian design by Donald Roebling, who designed his Alligator as a rescue vehicle for use in areas inaccessible to standard cars or trucks, such as swampland. LVT stood for Landing Vehicle, Tracked, and the main contractor during WW2 was FMC: Farm Machinery Corp. As well as the standard open topped tracked landing craft designed to bring troops and cargo ashore, there were also vehicles such as the LVT-(A) 1 which came completely enclosed, and armed with turrets. The LVT-(A) 1 (“A” for Armor) had the turret and gun of the M3 Stuart light tank, and the vehicle was also powered by an M3 Stuart engine. Just over 500 (A) 1’s were produced during the War, with a total of just over 18,000 LVT’s of all varieties eventually rolling off the assembly lines.

Eduard has put together a bunch of German Radios in 1/35 scale which are very detailed, right down to the tiniest handles and each radio can be made to sit alone as is or have straps supplied to each unit so that it can be attached to a figure to make the figure appear to be actually carrying the radio. Small headphones which attach to each radio by a wire (which you will have to supply) add even more realism. Eduard has painted them in such a way as to depict them as being “well handled”. The detail is so precise and clear which meets their usual standards. There are nine radios all together (some are doubles) and each one is better than the next. Everything is included to make different variations on each one, so the variations are limitless.

My oh My!!! By definition that men are visual creatures……I am men!!! I LOVE getting reference books that are FULL of pictures of vehicles. Save the reading and writing for another form of model builder. Give me a picture, obscure or basic, and I am a very happy camper. Squadron’s new series of walk arounds have not been a disappointment. They contain numerous pictures of preserved and restored vehicles. Some contain a few line drawings and color plates while come have a minimum of in actions shots as well. How can you go wrong with that? You can’t.

When people discuss World War II armor certain tanks come to mind for the main combatants. For the United States it would be the Sherman tank, for the Soviet Union it would be the T-34 tank and for Germany the Tiger tank would come to symbolize that country’s armor might. The fame of the Tiger tank far exceeded the number produced or fielded. Certainly, for the average GI Joe the Tiger tank invoked a feeling of trepidation, so much that any German tank they met became the dreaded Tiger tank.

Zenith Press has produced a book that is a fine collection of articles written by experts of the Tank Museum at Bovington.

Covering the Tiger tank in general this book also covers in detail the restoration and return to operation of the Tiger tank “131” that resides at the Tank Museum. We have ten chapters of information to process so let’s begin.

Dragon’s 1/72 scale line of Armor Pro models has become the standard by which all 1/72 armor kits are gauged. Dragon’s detail in such a small scale, including photo-etched detail, is what makes modelers flock to the local hobby shops to get the latest in the Armor Pro series.

Dragon’s newest addition to this series is the Sd.Kfz 222 Leichte Panzerspahwagen. Dragon has released this little WWII German Armored scout car in a 1+1 pack, similar to their 1/72 Humvee series. The box contains two complete kits, photo-etched parts, decals, and a single instruction sheet with color paint guides. The molding is clean with crisp detail and Dragon has done their best to hide injector marks and sprue attachment points.