The Kit

This is Kinetic Models’ first armor kit, a 1/35 replica of the M-ATV (MRAP-All Terrain Vehicle). The M-ATV was first developed by Oshkosh in 2009 in response to the U.S. Military’s urgent request for a HUMMV replacement. It was designed to provide an equal level of protection as larger MRAPs, yet possess extreme mobility and durability to meet the treacherous terrain conditions in Afghanistan. Included in the top-opening box are 11 tan plastic sprues, 1 sprue with clear parts, 1 PE fret, 1 sprue of vinyl parts, 5 vinyl tires, 1 small decal sheet, and a 32-page instruction sheet that includes a sprue map, painting guide,30 building steps, decal guide, and two pages of black & white detail photos.

The Greens have written a detailed, very readable account of the Panther tank (Panzerkampfwagen V, Ausfuhrüng D). Michael Green has first-hand knowledge of the Panther, as he was a member of the team that restored a Panther A, now part of the late Jacques Littlefield's collection in Portola Valley, CA. I'm not an armor buff myself but found the book easy to read and understand. The book is well written, and both armor buffs and modelers can each take away all the detail or general info they desire. The book provides color photos of restored tanks' interior and exteriors, and WWII black & white photos of operating and knocked-out tanks. Best of all, the Greens provide first-hand accounts of the Panther's effectiveness in battle from official British and US reports, as well as eyewitness accounts of the Panther in battle.

Background:

This is another of Master’s growing list of pitot tubes for specific 1/72 scale aircraft. This set continues in the tradition of excellent, quality products from this company. Master’s MiG-23MLD set includes a turned-metal pitot tube and photo etched brass vortex generators. These vortex generators direct air flow when the aircraft is at high angles of attack. If they are placed correctly, this might hold true for your model also. As you can see from the photos, these pieces are much more convincing than the pitot tube supplied in the kit. My only caution would be about gluing the photo etched parts to the sides of the brass pitot tube. I think a little patience will be required since there isn’t much surface area to work with.

This is another quality issue from Model Art Modeling Magazine. The text is in Japanese, with very little English. The pictures are top notch, so it does make it easy to follow along.

In the October issue, they do a series of questions and answers to what appears to be some common modeling questions. They use a series of new model releases to accomplish this. These include the 1/72nd Tamiya A6M5 Zero, 1/48th Hasegawa Ki-44 Tojo prototype, the 1/32nd Zoukei-Mura P-51D, Sankei 1/144th Alert Hanger (this appears to be in a pre-cut heavy cardstock), 1/48th Trumpeter Supermarine Spiteful, and the 1/48th Tamiya Sturmovik.

There is an article about each of the above models, and each one has a Q&A section. Topics range from different aftermarket seatbelts, how to reproduce rivets with straight pins, marking lights, panel line washes, and aerial antennas using EZ line.

This 1/35 scale set of 22 posters in waterproof ink is a must for diorama builders invading/defending The Fatherland. These posters measure ¾ x 1” and are a great addition to dioramas. The colors are bright and the lines are sharp and crisp. The only thing that I see to be a problem is the instructions. They simply read, “cut out poster and attach to diorama subject with adhesive. May be moistened, crumpled or burned to simulate weathering.” The word” burned” scares me. Just be careful not to overburn them, you may not have a poster to mount.

My thanks to Archer Fine Transfers and IPMS for the opportunity to review this item.