1. Home
  2. By Year and Month
  3. By Year and Month

March 2017

Product is made to look like a VHS tape, with wear and stickers like found in an '80s video rental shop

Tales from the Apocalypse: The Truck Driver
Review Author
Mike Lamm
Published on
March 26, 2017
Company
Gecco
Scale
1/16
MSRP
$24.95

The Truck Driver is the second in a series of kits called Tales of the Apocalypse. The title for this kit is “Day 1, 11:50am on freeway”, and the figure represents an unfortunate truck driver who died in a horrific crash after his body was propelled through the windshield head first! Although his body is smashed and torn from the impact of the crash, his reanimated corpse is now stalking his prey. Let this be a lesson to make sure you always wear your seat belt.

This series of 1/16 scale plastic figures from Gecco represent the victims and survivors of the first day of the Apocalypse. Gecco is probably better known for their lines of vinyl action figures depicting various characters from video games, or the resin science fiction busts and figures. However, these new offerings are very nicely done.

Kit image

British Mk.VI Crusader Mk.III - Cruiser Tank
Review Author
Tim Wilding
Published on
March 27, 2017
Company
Tamiya
Scale
1/35
MSRP
$53.00

The Crusader Mk. III came into British service in the second half of 1942 during the Tunisian Campaign in North Africa. They were used for about a year until replaced with the M4, then they were converted to AA or reconnaissance tanks. This Tamiya kit is part of their Italeri series where they take older Italeri molds, correct errors, add details and pack them in new boxes with some extra Tamiya goodies. This Italeri kit first hit the market in 1976. Tamiya has taken these old molds and added turret and hull weld seam. They also corrected the front fenders by taking a molded-in step out of them, updated the moldings on the turret tool box, added details to the underside of the hatches, hollowed out the spotlight and included a thin, plastic lens. Two Tamiya figures are included from their Churchill Mk. VII kit, # 35210, from 1996, and a sprue from the British Infantry on Patrol weapons, kit #35223, from 1999.

Box art

IJA Type 4 Light Tank “Ke-Nu”

Review Author
David Wrinkle
Published on
February 3, 2020
Company
Dragon Models
Scale
1/35
MSRP
$59.99

The IJA Type 4 “Ke-Nu” was designed and built during 1944 utilizing two existing IJA tank components. The designers mated surplus Type 97 Chi-Ha turrets left over from the Type 97 modernization program with obsolete Type 95 Ha-go tank chassis. In total 100 tanks were produced with this recipe. According to the Dragon Models website, this kit utilizes a brand new Type 97 Chi-Ha turret & antenna ring mated with the hull parts from their Type 95 Ha-Go hull. Dragon included updated glacis plate and upper hull parts to accurately represent the Ke-Nu. I hope to see Dragon produce a Type 97 sometime in the near future now that they have the Type 97 turret tooled.

Box Art

Kawasaki Ki-61-Id Hien (Tony)
Review Author
Greg Wise
Published on
February 3, 2020
Company
Tamiya
Scale
1/48
MSRP
$52.00

History Brief

Allied code named "TONY", the Kawasaki Ki-61-Id Hien was officially adopted by the Imperial Japanese Army in 1943. It was different than its Japanese aircraft contemporaries, mainly because of its liquid-cooled Ha-40 engine in a slender fuselage with a long thin wing. Needless to say, it was and still remains an extremely attractive aircraft. Our subject featured an elongated nose to accommodate two 20mm cannons, plus it had 12.7mm wing mounted machine guns. With a production run of 1,360 units, it was the most produced Hien variant.

The Product

My sample arrived in the standard Tamiya box featuring attractive cover art. Inside I found an all new tool kit featuring a superb, highly accurate rendering. All parts are well packaged and free of flash and ejector marks.

The highlights according to Tamiya include;

Box Art

F-14A/B Tomcat "Jolly Rogers" (2 kits) Limited Edition
Review Author
Jarrod Booth
Published on
March 31, 2017
Company
Hasegawa
Scale
1/72
MSRP
$129.99

The F-14 Tomcat is well known as a formidable, and versatile Fighter aircraft. It served faithfully, and saw action from 1974, until its retirement from the US Navy following its last deployment in 2006. Iran is the only other operator of the F14 Tomcat and is still in service.

In this package are two complete kits, and include decals for VF-84 Jolly Rogers aboard USS Nimitz in 1978, and VFA-103 Jolly Rogers aboard USS John F. Kennedy in 2004.

The large sturdy box features two nice color photos of each aircraft, and I referred to them several times while building and painting. All the grey plastic sprues for one aircraft and a photo etch fret are contained in one plastic bag. The clear parts are bagged separately. The main canopy in both bags had come loose, but no damage was found. Two squadron patches are included. These look fantastic displayed next to the finished models.

Product card

FFAR Rockets
Review Author
Rob Booth
Published on
March 31, 2017
Company
Eduard
Scale
1/72
MSRP
$7.95

Chances are, if you model aircraft in any of the major scales you are well familiar with Eduard. Their product range varies from simple photo-etched enhancement frets to multi-media kits, conversion sets, and accessories which are amongst the finest in the hobby. Their products may be purchased online through www.eduard.com. I have built a few of their kits, and have used many of their accessories over the years. I am even a card-carrying member of the Bunny Fighter Club, which provided me a carrot-themed 1/48 Mig-21 and allows me a modest discount when buying direct. Check the website, and it will make sense.