Review Topic: Armor
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Trumpeter 1/35 scale T-64 Model 1972
The T-64 was the Formula 1 of Soviet tanks in the late 1960s. It had the largest cannon mounted in a medium tank, and it was equipped with an auto-loader. Trumpeter’s 1/35 scale plastic model kit features a detailed hull and turret with posable hatches, and soft, gluable plastic to replicate canvas coverings for the…
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Tamiya 1/35 scale Elefant
Tamiya has released a brand-new 1/35 scale plastic model kit of the Elefant. Typical of Tamiya’s kits, it features excellent detail molded in tan plastic. The upper fighting compartment is a single, beautifully formed piece, and the styrene link-and-length tracks definitely live up to Tamiya’s standards. In addition to the instruction booklet, Tamiya includes a…
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Trumpeter 1/35 scale Italian Puma 4 x 4 AFV
This is a review of the Trumpeter 1/35 scale Italian Puma 4 x 4 AFV plastic model kit. Opening the box, I was delighted to see just nine sprues of parts, two frets of photoetched brass, four vinyl tires, and a nice decal sheet. Surface detail is well-molded throughout. Instructions are presented in 12 steps…
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Roden 1/35 scale KrAZ-214B
This is a review of the Roden 1/35 scale KrAZ-214B Soviet truck plastic model kit. The truck served as a postwar hauler in military and civilian applications for more than 50 years. The truck’s cab and bed are molded in light green styrene, while the motor, frame, and suspension are black. Clear plastic parts are…
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Meng Models Merkava Mk.IIID
FSM reviews the 1/35 scale plastic armor kit Meng Model’s 1/35 scale Merkava Mk.IIID plastic model kit is molded in gray-green plastic. The parts show good detail, with crisp recessed lines, sharp bolts (especially around the add-on armor), and well-textured mold seams. The stowage rack rails and grab handles are scale thin.
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HobbyBoss 1/35 scale Hungarian 38M Toldi I
HobbyBoss has produced the first plastic model kit of the T38M Toldi tank in 1/35 scale. It is molded in light yellow styrene with the individual track links provided in light brown styrene. A sheet of photoetched metal is also included. The overall detail is good, but I had to deepen shallow panel lines so…
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AFV Club 1/35 scale M42 Duster
AFV Club’s 1/35 scale M42 Duster is the first all-new plastic model kit of this subject since Tamiya’s release in the early ’70s. Cleanly molded in dark-olive plastic, it features turned-metal gun barrels, metal recoil springs, vinyl one-piece tracks, and photoetched-metal gunsights.
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Takom 1/16 scale Renault FT-17 light tank
Following a current trend toward larger scales in plastic models, new manufacturer Takom debuts with a 1/16 scale Renault FT-17 French light tank. Entering World War I in 1917, it was the first production model with its main armament in a fully rotating turret. Many countries used or copied it (the United States built it…
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Academy 1/35 scale Hetzer
Academy’s new 1/35 scale plastic model kit of a German Hetzer is sure to draw comparisons with the several others available from other companies. Molded in dark yellow, the overall detail is simplified, with some parts on the thick side. What makes the kit especially interesting is the scribed masking material for the camouflage pattern.
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Zvezda 1/35 scale Russian T-90
Zvezda’s 1/35 scale Russian T-90 plastic model kit features crisp molding, posable hatches, and vision ports. Markings cover two vehicle paint schemes.