One thing I always tell people about the model-building hobby is how blessed I feel about the people I have met who are now my good friends. At the 2025 IPMS-USA National Convention, I made another new friend. I had the wonderful pleasure of meeting Lieutenant Colonel Dusty Finley, Retired, who hailed all the way from Alaska. He served as the Deputy Chief of Staff for the 11^th Airborne Division (Arctic) of the U.S. Army. During our conversation, he told me about a book he was writing and I was thrilled when he told me he would mail me a copy. I received it, and from start to finish, I was enthralled. I have even been telling my friends new things I learned as a result of reading it.

This is author José Daniel Fernández Dugarte’s second volume of the 1992 coup d'état attempts in Venezuela, focusing on events of the February 1992 coup that were set up in the first volume, and the subsequent November coup that ultimately failed. The original manuscript was too large for the @War series, so the editors decided to break it into two volumes. Both volumes are essential to telling this complex story. This volume starts right where the first volume ends and outlines the rest of the first coup, the aftermath, then the second coup just nine months later, its aftermath, and the path of power for Hugo Chávez. Please read the first volume before attempting the second volume.

Background

The Panzerspähwagen (Funk) P204(f) was a German command radio-equipped armored car based on the captured French Panhard 178. Command variants of the P204(f) used FuG 10 or FuG 11 radios, and the large Hochantenne (elevated) frame antenna, with some vehicles also fitted with a right-side telescopic mast. The Germans converted the P204(f) into a Funk vehicle by removing the APX3 turret and installing a fixed or open-topped armored box.

Panhard was a major French designer of armored cars, known for reliable and fast vehicles like the AMD 35 and later AML series. The 178 was one of the most advanced pre-war designs, so when Germany captured over 400 of them in 1940, they quickly put them to work in reconnaissance and security roles. The Germans redesignated it as the P204(f) and found its roomy hull ideal for converting into a communications and command vehicle.

Historical and Reference Notes

There are any number of articles about the Abrams tanks, as it was used widely in the Gulf wars and is still being refitted and continually upgraded in the US Army and the US Marine Corps (though the USMC has now traded theirs and discontinued their use of tanks). It was a significant improvement to the M60 series tanks which it replaced This is the culmination of years of research and started in the early 90’s to build over 4600 Chobham armored Abrams tanks (with approximately half of them now in storage). These heavy tanks have almost all been upgraded in several packages each of which have some unique design qualities (including the M1A1, M1A2 SEPv2, and the most advanced M1A2 SEPv3). There are also a total 10,000 Abrams that have been produced worldwide. They range in weights over 147,200 pounds (66.8 tons) and can weigh up to and over 170,000 with added armor and protection details.

The most notable Bf-109F-0/F-1 is Adolph Galland’s machine in which he delivered lobsters to a birthday party for Theo Osterkamp. It was one of the earliest Friedrichs. Besides the lobsters the one thing that was unique about this aircraft was the squared off intake for the aircraft. Not the same as the Emil type, but entirely different. I’ve never seen it available before in 1/32nd scale. Werner’s Wings has it in 1/48 but not 32^nd scale.

The Hasegawa 1/32nd scale Bf-109F is a very good kit. I’ve built a few of them. This easy conversion piece is a welcomed addition to the 109 line of accessories.

Contained in the usual resealable packaging is a single piece of light grey resin that is flawlessly cast on a single mounting block. Removal is simple as using a saw blade and carefully removing it. Then it is a drop fit for the engine air intake on the kit. No fuss, no muss.