Mirror Models has released a full plastic kit of the Artillery Tractor T-20, which saw service with the Finnish, German and Russian and Romanian Armies (Decals provided for the first 3 armies).

This kit has over 450 plastic parts and it includes some small PE details. The tracks are of the “individual link” style. I don’t think they will “click” to each other; rather glue should be used in each link.

The kit includes a complete engine, engine bay, firewall and transmission. There is no “hull”, it is built from individual pieces, and so careful alignment there will be needed. Once the engine and engine bay plus basic hull is completed, assembly moves into the interior, with nicely detailed seats for the artillery gun crew.

History

Here is a little history about farm horse drawn wagons. Four-wheeled vehicles have many names – one for heavy loads is most commonly called a wagon.

Wagons can be pulled by donkeys, ponies or mules and other smaller animals are occasionally used, such as large dogs, llamas and goats. Heavy wagons, carts and agricultural implements can also be pulled by other large draught animals such as oxen, water buffalo, yaks or even camels and elephants.

Vehicles pulled by a pair (or by a team of several pairs) have a pole which attaches between the wheel pair.

Kit

The kit is produced by HauleraulerHauler, a European company who in partnership with Brengun produce a wide range of kits. They produce construction kits, universal kits, photoetch parts in a variety scales to accentuate other manufactured kits. The box artwork shows a photo of an assembled farm horse drawn wagon.

Dana Bell has proven over and over again to be one of the best authors when it comes down to aircraft details. This book is yet another testament to that.

This volume covers the “raised canopy” version of the Corsair, or the definitive WWII version of the Corsair: the -1A, -1C and -1D, plus the British and New Zealand versions as well.

The first few pages of the book have a short (too short if I might say) description of the raised canopy airframes, their main systems and differences with the birdcage and within the A/C/D versions.

It also includes a list of every serial number, changes to the airframes within each serial number ranges and manufacturers. This list could be the ultimate source of information for the modeler that wants to ensure his/her model will be an exact replica of a given tail number.

This kit includes resin and photoetch parts to replace the base kit engines on the Revell Monogram B-17F/G kits. The Brassin engines have extremely fine detail, go together well, but require experience with resin and photoetch pieces. The engines add fantastic detail to the base kits and are a challenging but rewarding build.

This kit is the iconic Wright R-1820 Cyclone 9 American radial engine developed by Curtiss-Wright, and widely used on aircraft in the 1930s through 1950s. These kit engines are replacements for the parts supplied with the Revell Monogram B-17F/G aircraft kits.

Thanks to Aires for providing their excellent aftermarket parts for IPMS USA to review, and to IPMS leadership for providing it to me to review.

Once more Aires improves an already great kit; in this case, the 1/32 Italeri F-104G receives an upgrade in the form of improved speed brakes.

A grand total of eight parts are provided: two speed brakes (or speed boards, or air brakes, depending on your background), two fuselage wells to place them in, two actuating rods, and two brace frame assemblies.

In the side by side comparison, Italeri has provided an acceptable speed brake well and boards. Aires has taken the kit parts, and raised the detail bar. There are rivets incorporated in the well, the frames are more delicate, and the speed brakes themselves appear to be a bit more delicate.