The October publication of Model Art Modeling Magazine focuses on 1/35 scale German World War II armored reconnaissance vehicles. The magazine also includes new kit reviews, modeling tips, and new kit and item releases. As is typical for Model Art, the magazine measures 182mm by 258mm (about 7 and 1/8 by 10 and 1/8 inches), and is printed on thick, glossy paper. The production quality is high with these magazines, and just over half of it is printed in color with black and white pages interspersed throughout of the issue. Just in case this is the first review of a Model Art magazine that you are reading, understand that the entire magazine is printed in Japanese with only an occasional English subtitle for those of us who are monolingual, or are just unable to read Japanese text.

This issue begins with some advertisements preceding the Table of Contents, which are found on Page 4 as well as a full-page photograph of a Panzer II Luchs and the main topic for this issue being across on page 5. Page six then begins the first article, which is a series of color drawings showing reconnaissance vehicles in action as well as their development from 1932 through 1944. On page eight there is a four-page article on 1/35 scale armored reconnaissance vehicle kits that are available today. Taska’s 1/35 Pz.Lpfw.II Ausf. L Luchs, late version, is covered in a four-page article that begins on page twelve, and this is followed by the Hobby Boss 1/35 VK1602 Leopard. Pages nineteen through twenty-one are on German uniforms and consist of color drawings by the author of the article.

The next article is on the conversion of a Tamiya Sd.Kfz. 231 heavy armored car from a Sd.Kfz. 232. Page twenty-seven then contains color walk around photographs of a real Sd.Kfz. 231. Cyber hobby’s Sd.Kfz. 234 Puma is the next vehicle, and covers six pages of this issue, and this is followed by the Bronco models Sd.Kfz. 221, and Tristar’s Sd.Kfz.222 (mid-version). Pages forty and forty-one contain color and black and white photographs of the Sd.Kfz.221 and 222. Page forty-two begins eight pages of article continuations for the Taska Luchs, Hobby Boss VK 1602, Sd.Kfz.231 conversion, and Tristar Puma, in which all of the photos are black and white.

On page fifty, the magazine departs from the reconnaissance vehicles, and finds a review on the 1/700 scale waterline kits of a Japanese Coast Guard cutter and some other small vessels as well as a helicopter. Unfortunately, I was unable to make out any of the kit manufacturers for the vessels in this article. There are two pages of coverage of a show in Japan on pages fifty-four and five.

New kit reviews start on page fifty-eight and include the Hasegawa 1/72 scale Junkers Ju188A with Torpedo, Aoshima’s 1/700 scale Light Cruiser Katori, the Hobby Boss 1/48 scale Yak-38/38M Forger A, and Trumpeter’s 1/35 scale Russian ASU-85 model 1956 Airborne Self-Propelled Gun.

There is an article titles “Modeling JASDF” and features a 1/48 scale Piaseki H-21B that spans four pages, and this is followed by an article on RAF 3V bombers featuring the Vickers Valiant BK Mk.1, Avro Vulcan B.2, and Handley Page Victer K Mk.2. The Vulcan is first, and is the 1/200 scale release by Cyber Hobby, the Valiant is an Airfix offering in 1/72 scale, and the Victer is the 1/72 scale kit by Revell Germany. At the end of the model coverage, there is a two-page article on the bombers, including four black and white photographs of the real planes.

The “S. Kitazawa’s Neo Historic 1980’s Garage” article is on the Fujimi Skyline 2000GT-E-L (C210) in 1/24 scale. The issue then moves in to several short review articles on various kits, detail parts, decals, and tools; completing with some advertisements. All in all, the issue is entertaining for the modeler, and will be especially well liked by the folks interested in German reconnaissance vehicles of the Second World War.

Similar to my previous reviews of Model Art, I do feel that this is a quality magazine, and fans of German reconnaissance vehicles will thoroughly enjoy the first forty-nine pages of this issue. Although the magazine is written entirely in Japanese, the great photography and drawings will benefit any model enthusiast, and there is a little something for everyone again in this issue. I personally enjoy seeing what the model builders in Japan are doing, and the techniques, tools, and parts that they are utilizing.

My thanks to the folks at Model Art and Dragon Models USA for making this issue available for review by the IPMS-USA review corps, and thanks to you for taking the time to read it.