PLAMO MANUAL, No. 801 is the latest in a series of modeling manuals from ModelArt. Previous manuals have addressed, among other topics, planes, cars, ships and airbrushing. The subject of this review is a manual on modeling armor.

The manual comes in a convenient size, 7-1/4” X 10”. It consists of 112 picture- packed pages and is bound in a high gloss paper backing. The pages are also of high gloss paper. The photographs are excellent quality, bright, crisp, and each is very focused on its topic. Thepictures in the articles speak for themselves.

The down side of this publication for me is that 99.5% of it is in Japanese. However, because the manual is so well organized, and the material is presented in such a logical manner it is easy to follow.

The first article in the book is the detailed construction of Tamyia’s 1/35 Type 74 Tank - Winter Version. The photographs show not only the construction, but also the detailing, painting and finishing. Following the build are several pages of actual Type 74 photographs depicting the details that really made the model pop.

Two articles share some modeling hints and tips. These include work on wheels; track links; the upper hull including some excellent shots of making zimmerit and weld lines; and camouflage painting and figure painting.

The last thing I should mention is that there appears to be minor product and tool reviews in the front and back of the manual. Surprisingly, there is very little advertising in the entire book that I could tell.

The quality of this publication is excellent and it contains a lot of information. Part of that information is transmitted to the reader via the photographs. However, the captions contain a wealth of knowledge that will not be understood by most modelers. Because of the Japanese text, this manual may not be for everyone. For those armor modelers willing to rely on the excellent photography, this manual will be a good choice.

I would like to thank Model Art and Dragon, USA, for submitting it for review and IPMS for allowing me to review.