One-Oh-Four
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AMX-30 Family
Photosniper 16
Written by M.P. Robinson, color profiles by Slawomir Zajaczkowski
Published by Oficyna Wydawnicza KAGERO
Vailable from www.shop.kagero.pl for €19,86
What is it?
It's an 95-page softcover book that describes the specialist vehicles that were designed and produced on the lower hull/running gear of the AMX-30 main battle tank. The AMX-30 tank itself is not subject matter in this book. Therefore, "AMX-30 Derivatives", would have been a title that better describes the contents.
What is in it?
As mentioned above, on the basis of the AMX-30 MBT, quite a few specialist vehicles were designed and produced, the best known at the moment is the Au-F-1 155mm Self-propelled howitzer because Meng produced a brand new model of that vehicle in 2013. I'll look closer on the subject of the Au-F1 in the book last.
AMX-30D Char de Depannage
The AMX-30D is the recovery vehicle based on the MBT chassis. It's got a high superstructure with a crane, a dozer blade and all sorts of tools and equipmment on the hull sides.
AMX-30 Bitube 30mm DCA
This chapter describes how the chassis of the AMX-30 was used to build an effective anti-aircraft tank. The Bitube 30mm DCA turret was used on the light AMX-13 chassis before the AMX-30 was developed but it really was a haul for the little tank (of lieutenat Grueber...), especially when radar was added. The guns were two 30mm Hispano-Suiza HS831 belt-fed guns capable of a combined firing-rate of 600 rounds per minute.
AMX-30R Roland-1 and AMX-30R Roland-2
This is the guided-missile SAM variant. Roland-1 is fit for clear weather operations while Roland-2 is an all-weather missile system.
AMX-30 Pluton
This was a French Short Range Ballistic Missile system, employing a 20-megaton missile with a range of 17 - 120km.
Engineer vehicles
One that is discussed but was never produced is the AMX-30H bridgelayer. Another was the EBG, the Engin Blindé du Génie, a vehicle based on the powertrain of the AMX-30B2. This vehicle was fitted with a dozer blade, a hydraulic arm that could be fitted with pincers, Rotary cutters or drills. A small turret contained a 142mm hollow-charge bomb-thrower and four anti-tank min throwers. The last type is the AMX-30B2 DT or Déminage Téléguidée or the remote-controlled mine clearing vehicle.
CN 155 Au-F1
Or Canon 155 Automoteur-F1. This part describes the design, production and operations of the different variants of the self-propelled 155mm howitzer on AMX-30 chassis. From the earliest Saudi and Iraqi systems to the French Au-F1 H, Au-F1T, Au-F1TM and ultimately the Au-F1 TA. The differences between these versions are well described, I concluded that the Meng kit is Au-F1TM from the photos and the text...
Presentation
Apart from guiding us through the AMX-30 derivatives, the book also contains numerous photos of the different variants on 14 Juillet-parades, exercises or deployments to the Balkans. What is very nice from a modelling perspective is the inclusion of a walk around of an Au-F1TM. The outside is well catered for but what increases the value very much for me is the inclusion of photos of the inside of the turret and the ammunition racks since the Meng kit offers these inside details too!
The package is rounded out with some very nice profiles of Au-F1's and Roland's.
What do we think?
The book in itself is very readable and interesting but the extra text and photos (operational & walk around) on the Au-F1 gives it also very good value to modellers.
Highly Recommended!
We like to thank Kagero for supplying the review sample.
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Why not combining the build of this kit with Meng's M2/3 Bradley with interior? Nice to see them built up side-by-side. Would give a nice insight in how good the Tamiya still is and also how far injection moulding has advanced since the first Tamiya Bradley was introduced in 1985(!)....
BTW, you were issued in 1970? Seriously??? Then in the future I'll expect a little more respect, you little brat!
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Wow!!! That really looks cool!!!
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Kaga, 1920-1942, The Japanese Aircraft Carrier
Written by Miroslaw Skwiot and Adam Jarski
Hardcover Series 95001
Published by Oficyna Wydawnicza KAGERO
Available from www.shop.kagero.pl for €27,95
What is it?
This book is a hardcover publication of 142 pages that deals in English with the history and the technical details of the IJN Kaga from the earliest plans/policies of the Imperial Japanese Navy to build battleships that could rival those of Great Britain and the United Staes in 1916 to the sinking of the aircraft carrier Kaga during the Battle of Midway in 1942.
How are the history and the technical details of the ship presented in the book?
Well, very thoroughly, as a matter of fact. There are four major parts that make up the book, namely:
Battleship Kaga.
In this chapter the thinking of the IJN about it's assets is highlighted, the different designs that stemmed from the experiences the British and Germans had at the Battle of Jutland, 1916, as wel as the power that the Japanese wanted to project through their navy. This part also highlights what effects the Washington Naval Treaty had on the Imperial Japanese Navy and it described how the IJN came to select the Kaga for conversion to aircraft carrier as that almost didn't happen...
Aircraft Carrier "Kaga"
This chapter highlights the difficulties the IJN encountered when designing and choosing the different possible concepts and solutions for an aircraft carrier, also looking at the choices the Royal Navy and the U.S. Navy made with their early aircraft carriers.
Technical Description
This chapter goes quite into the details and discusses the finer technical points of the hull, flight decks, elevators, superstructure, armour and fire protection, defensive armament, offensive armament (yes indeed, the aircraft and their bombs and torpedoes!), the fire control systems, propulsion and the crew. Keep in mind that the carrier started out as a carrier with 3 flight decks and was reconstructed to the more familiar 1 flight deck. This reconstruction is also described.
Operations
This chapter details thae operations that "Kaga" was involved in, from the early operations in Chinese waters, through Pearl Harbor, the American raid against the Marshall Islands, attacks against Port Darwin and Tjilatjap to the final ops during the Battle of Midway until the sinking.
What do we think?
It is a very thorough book on the history and technical details of the ship. For the modeller it has some value as the way the IJN went about arming and flying their aircraft off the carrier are described as the philosophy of keeping spare aircraft ready for operations opposed to the use of spare parts to repair damaged aircraft. The description of the various bombs and torpedoes can be of use to aircraft modellers as well as ship modellers. If you're only interested in how the ship looked because you are building Fujimi's (to be released) kit of the Kaga, then this book is not for you. In that case you'd better invest in Super Drawings in 3D 16031 "The Japanese Aircraft Carrier Kaga" from the same publisher.
At the end of the book there are some very nice computer generated profiles included of the Kaga. There are however also some "half" 3D -graphics from the above mentioned book included as some kind of advert. I applaud the inclusion of those graphics but to have a half flight deck to look at is not as I would like to see it....
Highly recommended for those interested in the history and the technical details inside the ship.
I'd like to thank Kagero for supplying the book for review.
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Since we are breathlessly awaiting the HKM Lancaster I have decided to re-open the walk-around I shot of the RAF Hendon Lancaster B.1 in November 2013.
You can find the walk around here: http://forum.largescalemodeller.com/topic/1687-lancaster-b1-r5868-raf-museum-hendon/
Cheers,
Erik.
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You're right Nick, but the only thing you'll ever see of those barrels is the extreme end of the muzzle. The rest is tucked away in the gun fairings. At least in the bubble-top Typhoon...
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Wow! That looks super, Jim!
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Saturday March 28th, a group of us from IPMS the Netherlands invaded Germany to visit Euro Model Expo 2015, held in the Westmünsterlandhalle in the small town of Heiden. The weather started out quite nice but it didn't take long for the rain to make an appearance, oh well, all the nice stuff was inside, anyway!
ALL the nice stuff inside?! Before entering the venue one passed a mobile Biergarten (beer with NORMAL alcohol 5 and in GLASS glasses, to be drunk WITHOUT a problem OUTSIDE on the PUBLIC road/space! Just to make our U.S. and U.K. brethren a bit jealous!!..
). The partytent housed the catering area where you could get coffee and tea, a selection of sweet pies and rolls with ham, cheese and such. Behind that was the Imbiss (snack-bar) kitchen where french fries (chips) were made and a choice of Bratwurst, Currywurst and Steack was to be had. It tasted good but also swamped the catering area with a heavy blanket of grill-smoke and -smell! 
Two views of the main hall. Here you could find the traders and the clubstands. The clubs were from Germany, the U.K., Belgium and the Netherlands. What did catch my attention was that a lot of traders had exactly the same products in stock, the (almost) "latest & greatest". I did miss the stuff that was fairly recent but not completely new. A possibility for clubs/individuals to sell second-hand kits and aftermarket would be welcome! Although I know how the organization of the event has to struggle with the available space! All in all it was a very nicely rounded out offering of things to look at, to buy or to talk about with other modelers!
Well, the most inspirational model I saw at the show was the "in progress" 1/700 USS Lexington project by master modeler Marijn van Gils of the Belgian club KMK. Keep in mind that the (scratch-built) figures are about 2,5mm tall, the Wildcats about 12,5mm long and the accompanying USS Hammann is about 15cm long!
A close second for me was the Zukei-Mura Horten Ho 229 built by Andr'e Kliebisch, also from KMK.
Other models that caught my eye:
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Wow! I'll echo what the guys above said!
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Wow, Dave!!!! And to think I'm still in the basic construction stage of my Sherman...... I feel (a bit) shamed!
Gorgeous result BTW!!
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Somehow I haven't looked in for some time... My mistake! Inspirational!!!!
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Which one, the original or also the OAW from last year?
Ah, I see, it's only the original boxing. With the OAW boxing you have the exact same alternatives when using aftermarket decals...! Phew.....!
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Wow!! That is GREAT work, Artro!! And very good photos too, the background is very convincing! I really like the garden set!! Did you scratch build that or is it a diorama set?
I do have to agree with Beychevelle that the mug does look a tad too modern... But to be honest, I didn't notice the mug as a whole until he mentioned it, I was too pre-occupied with the Tiffie and contemplating how such a garden set would look in my own back yard!
Super work! Cheers,
Erik.
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Nice cars!!
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So I guess you now have some redundant Profimodeller Do 335B-2 parts sitting idly in your modelling workshop... ?
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"If you wish you could do some polishing and dipping in future (or similar)." Look at the clear parts carefully. I believe they are already Future'd by the manufacturer, having seen those parts on Huub's kit.
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Hi Doug, welcome!! Wow, what a great gallery!! I hope you will take us with you through Work In Progress-updates of your current and future projects!!
Cheers,
Erik.
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Consider using 2-part epoxy glue instead of CA. It gives you more time to position the parts and gives a less brittle bond. Be sure to get a glue that dries HARD, though, there are those that stay a bit flexible. You won't like it when cleaning up the joints....
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Grumman F6F Hellcat
Volume I
SMI Library #09
Kagero
By Tomasz Szlagor & Leszek A. Wieliczko
You can get the book at www.kagero.eu for €15,67
This product line focuses on a specific aircraft or even a specific aircraft in specific surroundings with lots of photos, a set of decals and artwork of the subject of those decals.
The book contains 96 pages, 135 photos, 4 profiles and 4 decal options in 1/72, 1/48 and 1/32.
I have a bit ambivalent feelings about this book. Don't get me wrong; the highlights are a lot of very nice photos that are printed quite large on the pages. The decals also look superb, being printed by Cartograf and some very attractive colour profiles.
I think the publishers wanted the book be too much different things. There is some bilingual English/Polish text under "Introduction" that races through the design, production and operational history of the type. Surprisingly, one of the few colour pages contains an advertisement for the Kagero shop.... I'd rather have seen something F6F related in that space...
The next page is indeed F6F-related but of very suspect useability; 5 smallish colour photos of an static display F6F warbird on an airshow under the rather grandiose title: "Grumman F6F Hellcat In Detail".
I would have been very happy if the publishers had chosen this book to be a photo book where the photos and profiles with captions would have told the tale of the Hellcat because the large photos, decals and profiles are very much worth your while!
Conditionally Recommended because of the above mentioned drawbacks.
I'd like to thank Kagero for the review sample of the book.
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Ah, I'll be attending too. I'll be bringing my Nikon D800 +Nikkor 80-400 AF-S!
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Noice, Wacky! Will you be present at Assen in September?
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Ey Andy, great progress on the Mossie!!
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Turned out great, Mike!!
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BF 109E Undercarriage legs - Colour choice anyone?
in Modelling Discussion
Posted
I personally would go for RLM02 U/C legs, inner doors and gear bays. But that's just me.