Review Process

This is a box stock build with no aftermarket products used during the assembly process. From Part 1, we move on to painting and final assembly.

Surface primer was applied using Mr. Surfacer 1500 White, which was heavily thinned with Mr. Surfacer Leveling Thinner. A 4:1 mixing ratio allowed for a lighter coat of primer while not filling in some of the shallow recessed details. After a day of drying, the underside was airbrushed with Tamiya XF-2 White with a little gray added to make it an off-white color. The upper surfaces were then painted Tamiya XF-80 Royal Light Gray, which, in my opinion, looks like Light Gull Gray (FS16440). The aft exhaust area was then masked and airbrushed with Alclad Steel. To add the vertical striations, I cut Tamiya tape into thin strips, masked, and airbrushed Alclad Aluminum. This is much easier to do if the exhaust is not installed per the instructions (See Part 1 for more clarification).

ICM has released a new 1/72^nd scale WWII US Marston Mat (aka PSP, Perforated Steel Plate). The molded plastic has great recessed detail and all you need to do is apply the paint.

In the Box

The base is made from injected light gray styrene, and the molded detail quality is very fine for 1/72^nd scale. Size is 2.5 X 5 inches (63.5 X 127 mm). Four plates of the mat are included. If glued side-by-side, a mat of 10 X 5 inches can be obtained.

The parts are wrapped in a single plastic bag and encased in a very sturdy cardboard box. A slipcover fits over the box and has a painted close-up of what the mat should look like. The instructions are for a 1/35^th scale Marston Mat set but you get the general idea but at smaller scale. The painting instructions list only one color for the mat, Gun Metal (ICM 1027), and a clear coat if so desired.

ICM has been releasing quality kits, figure sets, and recently paints to support their vast library of releases. Today we see the second of a set dedicated to Wargaming paints. These are water based acrylic paints that can be brushed as is or airbrushed after thinning with either distilled water or ICM brand thinner. They come in screw top bottles that are wide mouth and not dropper bottles, so I used my handy pipette to dole out smaller quantities for testing.

What’s Inside the Box

This set includes six 12mL plastic bottles featuring the following colors:

The UH 60 Blackhawk line has become a staple of military forces around the world. It’s hard to think of a mission this helicopter doesn’t perform including troop carrier, rescue, special ops, electronic warfare, maritime patrol and anti-submarine duties. This release from ICM covers the first version of the Blackhawk the UH 60A troop carrier which entered service with the United States Army in 1979. Having built several ICM kits, this one lives up to the standard that they’ve established with finely molded details, excellent fit and reasonably good references in the instruction sheet and on the box. Decals are provided for three versions, a Blackhawk serving with US Army in Afghanistan in 2005, another serving with the Kentucky National Guard in 2009 and the subject of this build that served with the Montana National Guard 2013. The instructions are typical of ICM kits, very thorough with a parts diagram showing all the runners, including the parts that are not used.

This book does a lot to dispel some of the myths of the “easy” German invasion of Poland. While it does so, it is also not the focus of the book, but rather the nascent Waffen-SS evolving into a military arm of the Nazi war machine. Author Massimiliano Afiero writes,

In September 1939, the Waffen-SS was effectively only three regiments plus several hodgepodge units. Poland would be its baptism of fire: during the campaign, SS combat units participated in operations attached to formations of the Heer. Still considered more parade troops than frontline soldiers, they did not prove a decisive factor in the fighting, but the campaign was important for their transformation into real fighting units.