Comrade Marshal, You Don't Have To Stick That Gun On A Pig!

Historical Background

In the mid-1950s, Soviet military commanders realised that the 100 mm gun of the T-54/55 was incapable of penetrating the frontal armour of Western tanks such as the M48 and the Centurion. While a 100 mm HEAT round could be the answer, such rounds are less accurate than an APDS round due to low velocity. Therefore a bigger gun, which allows a higher muzzle velocity was needed. A 115 mm smoothbore D-54T gun was integrated into the T-55 but the trial failed as the higher recoil of the gun require a bigger turret and turret ring to absorb it. This in turn require a larger hull. At the Uralvaganzavod (UVZ) factory in Nizhny Tagil, engineer Leonid Kartsev was working on a design dubbed Ob'yekt 140. However due to its complicated construction, it was deemed too expensive for series production and the project was terminated. Some features of Ob'yekt 140 however were incorporated into Ob'yekt 155 (which became the T-55).

At the end of 1958, Kartsev revisited Ob'yekt 140. He added cartridge case ejector and mounted it onto a modified T-55 chassis. The hull modifications include a redesigned central hull and re-arranged torsion bar suspension and was known as Ob'yekt 165. In the meantime, faced with the Royal Ordnance L7 105 mm gun, attempts were made to recaliber the D-54TS 100 mm tank gun. The modifications include the removal of the rifling, producing a new 115 mm caliber, reducing the profile of the ammunition chamber, eliminating the muzzle brake and adding bore evacuator at the middle of the gun. In effect, this is the world's first smoothbore tank gun Known as U-5TS 'Molot' Rapira, the gun was fitted onto Ob'yekt 140 and Ob'yekt 165 and received the new designation Obyekt 166. Although the U-5TS is less accurate than the D-54TS, the higher muzzle velocity and greater range more than makes up its inadequacy. With the failure of Morozov's Ob'yekt 430 and intelligence reports on the US M60 and the new British Chieftain tank, Marshal Vasily Chuikov, the Commander-in-Chief of Soviet Army's Ground Forces demanded that the production of Ob'yekt 166 be started immediately. Production of the T-62, as Ob'yekt 166 was now called, began in July 1961. 

The T-62 is basically a stretched T-55 with the conventional layout for a tank. The wheels are still mounted on  the same five torsion bar suspension but there are uneven gaps between the roadwheels, with larger gaps between the last three pair of wheels. The T-62 is powered by a water-cooled diesel engine developing 581 hp at 2,000 rpm. This is the same engine as the T-55 and as the T-62 is heavier, power-to-weight ratio is lower than the earlier tank. Fuel capacity is 960 liters which can be boosted to 1,360 liters with the addition of two 200-liter jettisonable fuel tank at the rear. Operational off-road range was 320 km - 450 km. Maximum off-road speed is 40 km/h. The frontal armour is thicker than the T-55 (102 mm for hull front and 242 mm on turret front) although thinner for the roof and lower side armour. As mentioned, the main armament is the 115 mm 'Molot' Rapira smoothbore cannon firing APFSDS, HEAT and HE rounds. The gun is fitted with a two-axis 'Meteor' stabiliser and can be elevated or depressed between +16 to -6.The gun is manually loaded and gets automatically reset to +3.5 after firing. An automatic cartridge ejector then ejects the empty cartridge through a hatch at the rear of the turret. A 7.62 mm PKT machine gun is mounted co-axial with the main gun while a DShK 12.7 mm heavy machine gun can be mounted on the loader's hatch.

In July 1961, the T-55 was partially replaced at the production lines at Uralvagonzavod (Nizhny Tagil), Malyshev Factory (Kharkov) and at Factory No.183 at Omsk. More than 20,000 T-62s were built by the production ended in 1975. Unlike the T-55 however, the T-62 did not enjoy the same export success. In the Warsaw Pact, only Bulgaria purchased the tank while only a handful of other Soviet client states bought the tank. Apparently the higher cost (more than twice the T-55), while only slightly better than the T-55, puts many prospective customers off. Furthermore, in 1968, a 100 mm HVAPDS round capable of penetrating Western tank armour was developed. This made the T-55 gun almost as effective as the T-62, undercutting the T-62's selling point of a bigger, more powerful gun. Elsewhere, only North Korea produced the T-62 under licence and since the early 1990s, the Second Machine Industry Bureau have designed a derivative of the T-62, known as the Chonma-Ho series. Nevertheless the T-62 saw service in a number of countries including Egypt, Syria, Angola, Cuba, Iraq, Libya, Ethiopia, Yemen and Mongolia.

The T-62 saw combat for the first time during the 1969 Sino-Soviet border conflict where tank No.545 was disabled by projectile fired by a Type 56 RPG. The tank was captured by the Chinese, studied and became the basis for their Type 69. Egypt and Syria used their T-62s quite effectively against Israeli M48 and Centurion tanks during the 1973 Yom Kippur War. Large numbers were nevertheless captured by the Israelis at the end of the war and were put into Isareli service as the Tiran-3 while modified T-62s were given the designation Tiran-6. A  number of these captured T-62s were sent to West Germany and the USA where they were examined and were used to help develop the Rheinmetall 120 mm gun. Iraqi T-62s also performed well against Iranian tanks and took part in Battle of Dezful where 214 Iranian tanks were destroyed in exchange for 45 Iraqi T-62s. I Africa T-62s were used by the Libyans during the Toyota War of 1987 where they were bested against Chadian forces equipped with MILAN ATGWs and Panhard AML-90 armoured cars. Angolan T-62s were also defeated by South African Eland and Ratel-90 AFVs. T-62s also equipped Ethiopian and Cuban forces during the Ogaden War. The T-62 also equipped Soviet forces during the Soviet-Afghan War in the 1980s.

The Kit

In 1/35 scale, modellers only have Tamiya's 1979-vintage kit of the T-62 (labelled 'T-62A' by Tamiya; misnamed because T-62A is the limited production version of Ob'yekt 165). The Tamiya kit suffer from a number of rather glaring inaccuracies especially with regards to dimension and the general shape of the turret. However since 2009, Trumpeter has come to the rescue with a new-tool T-62. Starting with Model 1962, the Trumpeter version of the T-62 is not perfect but it was way better than the vintage Tamiya kit. The Trumpeter kit I use for this build is the 2015 'Model 1975' (on the real T-62 Model 1975, this particular version is the T-62 Model 1972 with a KTD-1 or KTD-2 laser rangefinder mounted over the main gun). The kit reflected this by adding parts for the laser rangefinder and also adding sprues for figures. The kit parts are spread among ten light grey sprues, seven brown (the tracks), a lower hull, five black sprues (four for the tyres plus one for sidearms), one clear sprue, one rubbery, DS Styrene-like sprue for crew helmets, three sheets of brass PE, a turned aluminium barrel, a length of braided copper wire plus a small decal sheet.

Construction

As usual, construction started at the lower regions. Trumpeter has you assemble the road wheels first but I decided to do the lower hull instead. As mentioned elsewhere, some modifications were needed to ensure an accurate rear hull. I'm however quite satisfied with the status quo and cemented the rear hull plate to the lower hull as instructed. There are two options for the lower front plate - one plain, the other with mountings for the mine-clearing device moulded onto it. I chose the latter as it is more visually interesting. After dry-fitting the upper hull plate to the lower hull pan, I decided that it wouldn't interfere with the track-link assembly process later on and therefore I moved to the upper hull. The relevant holes drilled first (some are actually pre-drilled) and the driver's periscopes were cemented in place. The turret guard rails were also cemented at this time but their fit is slightly off. Most of the fittings on the front upper glacis plate were then cemented into place. The engine deck assembled without a hitch although I did not use the PE engine screen as the covers (Parts E1, H2 and H3) completely obscure them.

Now comes my love-hate part of building armour models : the driving gear, specifically the tracks. I find pre-painting and assembling them tedious. Nevertheless assembling the road wheels did not take long as the are only 10 road wheel pairs. Still, Trumpeter did not include poly caps to secure the wheels (including the idler) in place and they need to be glued to the suspension arms. The sprocket fits well in place and can still be rotated despite not having poly caps. Trumpeter dd not specify how many links were needed to complete the track run although I found that you need 91-93 by counting the links in the illustration. I however, follow a fellow modeller's advice of  'as many as it takes', especially considering that the T-62 has 'dead' tracks. Speaking of dead tracks, it was quite hard to achieve a convincing sag as the tracks are not workable. However they are still better than the rubber band type. Some weathering work was done on the upper run of the track before the fenders were put in place. I was thinking of adding fuel lines for the fender-mounted tanks but scrapped the idea as I have run out of brass  (and even plastic) rods.

For the turret, like the the earlier parts of the build, Trumpeter has you build up the sub-assemblies and this time I stick to the instructions. Afterwards, various holes were drilled into the turret shell. Some of the holes need to be drilled from the outside, no problems really but the locations were not cleanly marked. Then Parts L4, B46, B56 and G9 were cemented into place they location would be inaccessible once the lower part of the turret is in place. The various fittings and the earlier turret sub-assemblies where then cemented to the turret. The tie-downs to the right of the ammo ejector port were placed a bit further than the one in instructions, according to photos of the real T-62. For the thingie at the back of the turret (loader's machine travel bracket?), I used the plastic instead of the PE assembly. To ease painting, the KTD box was left off at this time. I used the turned metal barrel while the covered mantlet was used. (Note: the parts number for the mantlet was reversed in the instructions). Part B22 however did not fit the metal barrel at all and I had to make a small cut at the 6 o'clock position to make it fit.

Painting and Decalling

The tracks were painted AK Interactive Track Primer while still on the sprue. After they were assembled, an application of the same company's Track Wash was used. As for the main colour, Trumpeter  still has Tamiya's XF-20 Medium Grey as 'Light Green'. Anyway, the actual colour for post-World War 2 Soviet tanks is named 'Zashchitniy Zeleno'. I do not have this particular colour and had to look for alternatives. My usual choice of Tamiya XF-65 Field Grey has run out some time before (and my usual hobby shop did not stock that particular colour). Browsing the internet, I found that XF-67 NATO Green can also be used for post-war Soviet tanks. I do have this colour but I chuckled at the irony of using a paint named "NATO Green' on a Soviet tank model! Anyway after the base paint has cured, a lighter layer of the green was applied to raised and ópen' areas. The decals were applied next. Although Trumpeter a 'number jungle', I just used '720' as in the instruction as it has already pre-arranged on the decal sheet. I also added the tactical markings although it was not mentioned in the instructions.

Finishing

Not much was actually done at this time. I just cemented the AA MG on the loader's hatch, gun cleaning rod onto the engine deck, the spare ammo boxes on the right-hand side of the turret and the log and the spare track on the rear lower hull panel. The model then received the usual wash using stuff from AK Interactive. The same stuff was also used to create the streaking effect. The model then received an overall layer of 'dust', which was created using highly diluted Tamiya XF-57 Buff. The lower hull and the running gear then received sprinklings and dabbings of WWP Aqualine Brown Mud to represent dried mud on the model. A bit of variation to the weathering was done using AK Interactive Earth Effects Wash. The commander's hatch was glued in the open position (earlier on) as I wanted to have a figure in it. I chose the one with the right hand against the headphone. The guy is just given a basic painting step as I am not good in painting figures. The model then received an overall coating of Flat Clear to finish the build.

Conclusion

Trumpeter's 1/35 kit is a very nice scale rendition of the T-62. Sure, it has some shortcomings especially the angle of the rear plate against the engine and the angled loader's hatch (it should perpendicular with the commander's hatch), but it was way better than the old Tamiya T-62. I don't have the rest of the T-62s in the series although I believe they all share the same problems. Nevertheless they are not deal breakers and can be safely ignored by the out-of-the box crowd (the straight rear plate is more or less hidden/disguised by the external fuel tanks and the log).

Cobraaaa!!!!

Historical Background

The emergence of the helicopter, specifically of  Bell's UH-1 Iroquois or Huey, made the theory of air cavalry practical. In Vietnam, the Huey fleet carried troops across the country, to fight at the ground and the time of their own choosing, rather than the enemy's. However, these unarmed Hueys were vulnerable to ground fire especially when they are nearing the landing zones. Without support from nearby artillery or other ground troops, the only way to pacify the landing zones was from the air, using an aircraft, preferably another, armed, helicopter that can closely escort the transport choppers and loiter over the battlefield. Originally the Army used UH-1s fitted with machine guns and rocket launchers, but was needed was a dedicated helicopter gunship Bell has been investigating such concept since the 1950s and in 1962 had revealed a mockup of what they called D-255 Iroquois Warrior concept. The D-255 was a purpose-built attack helicopter based on the UH-1B but with a slender fuselage and the two crew sitting in tandem. It was to be armed with a turret-mounted 40mm grenade launcher in the nose, a 20 mm belly-mounted gun pod and stub wings to mount rockets or anti-tank missiles.

The Army was interested and awarded a proof-of-concept contract to Bell in December 1962. Bell modified a regular Bell Model 47 (UH-13 Sioux) into Model 207 Sioux Scout which had the hallmarks of a modern attack helicopter with sleek fuselage, tandem cockpit, chin-mounted turret and stub wings for weapons. Although impressed, the Army decided that the Model 207 was too small, underpowered and generally not suitable for practical use. Instead the Army launched the Advanced Aerial Fire Support System (AAFSS) which resulted in the large and fast Lockheed AH-56 Cheyenne. It proved to be too sophisticated and was eventually cancelled in 1972. Although Model 207 was rejected by the Army, Bell persisted with their idea of a smaller and lighter helicopter gunship. Bell mated the T53 turboshaft engine, the transmission and the rotor system of the UH-1C, adding to the latter a Stability Control Augmentation System with the design philosophy of the Sioux Scout and produced the Model 209.

With the war escalating in Vietnam and the AAFSS programme stuck in technical difficulties and political bickering, the US Army asked Boeing-Vertol, Sikorsky, Kaman, Piasecki and Bell for an interim gunship design. In April 1966, Bell's Model 209 won the evaluation and a first production contract for 110 airframes were signed. Bell added 'Cobra' to the UH-1's nickname of 'Huey' becoming Model 209 HueyCobra - the name adopted by the Army for its production AH-1G. For production some modifications was made, including the adoption of simple landing skids instead of retractable undercarriage, a new wide-blade rotor and plexiglass, instead of armoured glass canopy. The first HueyCobras were delivered in June 1967 and saw extensive service during the Vietnam War, taking over the role of assault helicopter from the 'snake' Huey gunships.

The Cobra has a slim fuselage, designed to present as small a profile as possible against enemy ground fire. Due to the slimmer shape and lighter weight, the Cobra is twice as fast as the Hueys it escorted. The original variants were powered by a single Lycoming T53-L-11 turboshaft engine rated at 1,100 hp allowing it a speed of 277 km/h. The crew seating arrangement, which has since become the virtual standard for attack helicopters, placed the pilot at the rear seat, which is slightly elevated behind the co-pilot/gunner. The gunner also a full set of flight controls. The weapons turret under the nose were originally used to mount two 7.62 mm miniguns or two 40 mm grenade launchers or one of each weapon. Later versions of the Cobra mounts the M197 20 mm three-barrel cannon in the turret. The stub wings can carry up to 1,360 kg of various weapons but usually consist of folding fin aerial rocket tubes, gun pods or, later, anti-tank guided weapons.

Originally not equipped to fire anti-tank guided weapons, the Cobra was fitted with the M65 TOW/Cobra system complete with M65 Telescopic Sight Unit and M73 reflex Sight, creating the AH-1Q variant in 1973. The AH-1S is an upgraded -1Q variant with 1,800 hp Lycoming T53-l-703 turboshaft. The -1S was followed by the -1P with glass cockpit, improved low-altitude performance and composite rotor assembly. The AH-1E introduced the three-barrel M197 cannon while the AH-1F introduced laser rangefinder, infra-red countermeasure equipment, digital flight systems and heads-up display. Prior to 1988, all the S,P,E,Q and F Cobras were simply known as various variants of the AH-1S. Apart from the Vietnam War, US Army Cobras took part during Operation Just Cause in Panama in 1989, Operation Desert Shield / Desert Storm in 1990/1991 and Operation Restore Hope in Somalia in 1993 and Operation Uphold Democracy in Haiti in 1994. 300 Cobras were lost due to enemy action and accidents during the Vietnam War with a further three during Desert Storm. The Cobra was phased out and replaced by the AH-64 Apache in US Army service beginning in 1990 and fully retired from service in 2001. Retired machines were passed to allied nations and also the USDA Forest Service. The Cobra was exported and used by the armed forces of Israel, Japan, Jordan, Turkey and Pakistan.       

The Kit

Hasegawa came out with a 1/72 kit of the single-engine Cobra in 1997 when they released the JGSDF version of the AH-1S. The US version was released in 2000 while the one I use in this build is a 2015 reboxing of the 2000 kit. And, according to online reviews, this is the most accurate version of the -1S (at least for the 1/72 version). The parts are spread among five dark olive drab sprues, one clear sprue and a small decal sheet. The parts are well moulded and have engraved panel lines. Some are marked as 'Not for use' as probably they are only relevant to the JGSDF version. Details are acceptable for 1/72 scale and from casual viewing, it looks like it's going to be a simple, straightforward build. It also includes two crew figures. The decals provide markings for just one helicopter : a snake from the 7th Cavalry, US Army.

Construction

Almost inevitably with flying machine models, even the rotary winged ones, construction started with the cockpit. And as per my usual practice, the relevant parts were painted while on the sprue. There were just two paints needed for the cockpit - flat and gloss black. The parts were then removed from the sprue and the resulting scars were then touched up. The parts were then assembled, the crew fifures however were not used. The provided decals were then used to represent the instrument panels on the cockpit sides. Before the fuselage halves were cemented together, holes were drilled or puttied over where needed and the cockpit sides were painted Black. Afterwards, the completed cockpit plus the bottom of the fuselage (Part A4) were inserted into one of the cockpit halves and the whole fuselage was cemented together. The tail skid was however left off at this time.

Next up were some of the external features. The tail fins were first and some care were needed here to avoid gaps. The stub wings were next. The halves were mated together, sanded and then cemented to the fuselage. The pylons for the FFAR pods were also added at this time although the TOW missile assembly was left off. The last sub-assembly I added to the model at this time was the sight at the nose. In order to ease handling during painting and decalling, the landing skids were left off. Although the tail rotor, the M197 cannon and the exhaust were assembled, they were set aside at his time.

Painting and Decalling

Hasegawa has you paint the model entirely in Olive Drab. However, based on my readings during my AH-64 Apache build, US Army helicopters are painted Helo Drab instead of Olive Drab. For modellers, only Model Master has this particular paint in their range. I'm not going to wait for several more weeks in order for newly-ordered paint to arrive. So decided to use the next best alternative : Tamiya's XF-51 Khaki Drab. While it does not exactly match Helo Drab, looking at photos on the internet shows that Helo Drab can assume shades from OD to Dark Grey but I think XF-51 is just about the shade of the 'original' Helo Drab. The FFAR pods and the TOW tubes however were painted US Olive Drab. The M197 cannon was painted black and then I decided to use my newly acquired AK Interactive weathering pencil 'Gun Metal'. The pencil works as the usual pencil-watercolour combo. The graphite(?) is moistened and then applied over the parts....and voila, metallic-looking parts! The narrow sealing tape however was not painted as I doubt my ability to cleanly mask and paint such a narrow line.

The decals were then applied in the usual manner and was then given the Mr. Mark Softer treatment.

Finishing

Finishing at this stage means permanently attaching the remaining sub-assemblies. I started with the weapons first. By the way, the kit FFAR pods were replaced with the ones from the Italeri weapons kit as the latter has the 'rocket heads' (for what its worth) poking from the tubes, whilst the kit ones are more or less 'empty'. Once the skids were attached, I found that the model was not very stable and usually went tail-heavy. However once the main rotor was put in place, it no longer has that nose-up attitude. The cannon assembly and the canopy howere were quite a tight fit and the cannon nearly broke apart when I try to insert it into its slot. The canopy needed a bit of sanding to get it into place; however the finished still has quite a noticeable gap. The model received a coat of Gunze Flat Coat and the masks were then removed, finishing the build.

Conclusion

Hasegawa's 1/72 Cobra is an easy kit to build and without any real shortcomings. The details are convincing enough especially in 1/72 although those who wants more detail can easily add them.

American Badass

Historical Background

In the late 1960s, the United States and West Germany co-operated to develop a new 'joint' main battle tank. Known as MBT-70, the programme was very ambitious and incorporated various innovations. The programme ultimately failed and cancelled by the Congress in November 1971. In its place, a new design, the XM803 was initiated but being more expensive while only having the same performance the M60, it was cancelled in December of the same year. The funds were reallocated into a new project, the XM815. The XM815 reused most of the XM803 features, but simpler and therefore less expensive. The XM815 was then redesigned XM1 and given the name Abrams after General Creighton Abrams, who become the US Army Chief of Staff in June 1972 and was considered the equal of, if not better than, the legendary Patton.

In June 1973, contracts to build the prototypes were given to Chrysler and Detroit Diesel. These were delivered in February 1976. Armed with the ubiquitous M68 gun (the licence-built Royal Ordnance L7 105mm gun), the prototypes were not only compared to each other but also the West German Leopard 2. Chrysler's prototype was powered bya turbine engine it was this design that was selected for production. Initial production was set up at the Lima Army Modification Centre in Lima, Ohio in 1979. Eleven Full-Scale Engineering Development (FSID) vehicles, still designated XM1, were produced in 1979 before the first full-production Abrams rolled out in the next year (the first FSID XM1 was given the nickname 'Thunderbolt' after General Abrams' personal mount during World War 2). In 1982, after around 1,000 M1 have been built, Chrysler was bought by General Dynamics Land Systems (GDLS). 

The M1's hull is made of solid RHA with the parts welded together. The hull front has downward-sloped 'beak' while the engine deck is raised to accommodate the turbine engine. The Abrams also incorporated composite armour inspired by the British Chobham armour. This gave the frontal turret armour of the baseline M1 an effective thickness of 350mm against APFSDS rounds and 700mm against HEAT rounds. In 1988, armour protection was improved by adding classified layers of depleted uranium and other undisclosed material. Introduced into the M1A1 model, the added material increased the effective frontal armor to 600mm against APFSDS and 1,300mm against HEAT. Interior protection against spalling is provided by a layer of kevlar. To further protect the crew from ammunition cook-off, fuel and ammo are stored in armoured compartments with blowout panels. The Abrams is also equipped with halon firefighting system and small hand-held fire extinguishers are also carried. Some Abrams, mostly seen in the USMC, are equipped AN/VLQ-6 Missile Countermeasure System that can impede the guidance system of ATGWs. 

As mentioned before, the original M1 was armed with the M68A1 105mm gun. It was getting outclassed by the then new Soviet tanks - the T-64 and T-72 by the mid-1980s . To combat newer armour technology and to increase effective range, a newer, larger gun was needed. The German Rheinmetall L/44 120mm smoothbore gun was selected to arm the M1A1 and M1A2 variants. Built under licence by Watervliet Arsenal, it entered service as M256A1. Able to fire various type of rounds as with its predecessor, the highlight of the gun was the M829 series of APFSDS rounds which were developed specifically to address the threat posed by the aforementioned Soviet-designed tanks. Secondary weapons consist of an M2 12.7mm heavy machine gun in front of the commander's hatch and two M240 7.62mm machine guns - one in front of the loader's hatch and another mounted co-axial with the main gun. 42 rounds of 120mm, 900 rounds of 12.7mm and 10,000 rounds for the 7.62mm machine guns were carried.

At the heart of the Abrams is the 1,500 hp  Lycoming (later Honeywell) AGT 1500 multi-fuel gas turbine capable of delivering 1,500 shaft horsepower. The power waqs transmitted by a six-speed (four forward, two reverse) Allison X-1100-3B hydro-kinetic automatic transmission. The Abrams is able to reach 97 km/h on road but with the engine governor in place, is limited to 72 km/h - this is mainly to prevent damage to the drivetrain and shock injuries to the crew. The multi-fuel nature of the powerplant means it can accept diesel, kerosene, petrol and jet fuel JP-4 and JP-8. For logistical reasons, JP-8 is preferred by the US military. While highly reliable, the engine is a notorious fuel guzzler, consuming 6.3 liters per mile. The engine however is quieter than a diesel and for this it received the nickname 'Whispering Death' during its first REFORGER exercise. 

The Abrams received a number of improvement packages with the most significant in the late 1990s with the introduction of the M1A2. The A2 includes improved fire control system, the commander's independent thermal viewer, weapons station, position navigation equipment and digital datalinks. Systems Improvement version One (SEPv1) provide digital maps, Linux communications and improved air conditioning. SEPv2 added Common Remotely Operated Weapons Station (CROWS / CROWS II) color displays, better interfaces, a new operating system, improved armour and upgraded transmission. To improve survivability in urban environments, the TUSK (Tank Urban Survival Kit) was initiated. Upgrades include reactive armour blocks on the tank sides and slat armour to the rear to protect against RPGs and other shaped-charge explosives. A Kongsberg RWS replaced the original, exposed commander's 12.7mm MG while a Transparent Armor Gun Shield with thermal sight was added to the loader's M240 MG. An exterior telephone allows accompanying infantry to communicate with the tank commander. The TUSK package is field-installable and 505 units were delivered by General Dynamics Land Systems. 

The Abrams entered combat during Operation desert Storm in February 1991 where it proved superior to T-55s, T-62s, Type 59s and export-version T-72s of the Iraqi Army. The long firing range of its gun outranged the Iraqi tanks, a decisive advantage in armoured warfare. Nine Abrams were destroyed during the campaign - seven through friendly fire while the other two were deliberately destroyed to prevent capture after receiving critical damage. None resulted in fatalities. Further combat took place in 2003 during Operation Iraqi Freedom. To prevent (or at least reduce) incidents of friendly fire, the Abrmas (and indeed all of the Coalition's vehicles) were fitted with Combat Identification Panels. However, as of 2005, casualties was higher with at least 80 Abrams suffered damage, 17 of them beyond repair. The majority of the damage was caused by IEDs. In operations against the Daesh in 2014, about 1/3 of 140 M1A1s of the Iraqi Army were damaged or destroyed; some were captured by the opposition. 

Today the US Army operates some 1,174 M1A2 and M1A2SEPs and 4,293 M1A1s (including variants), the USMC operates 403 M1A1while Australia have 59 M1A1 AIM, Egypt (1,200), Iraq (140), Kuwait (218) and Saudi Arabia (440). All the export tanks lack the depleted uranium layer in their armour. 

The Kit

In 2016, Meng Models joined the ranks of 1/35 Abrams model kit producers when they issued their    version of the M1A2. The second kit depicting the TUSK modifications (the first was Tamiya), the kit alllows one to build a TUSK-modified Abrams straight from the box. The box has the same footprint as the rest in the T-Rex series but deeper than usual to fit the eight sand-coloured sprues, three clear sprues, four dark brown sprues, two sheets of PE, a bunch of poly caps plus the usual decal sheet and instruction booklet. The parts are very well-moulded and have great details. There are a lot of ejector towers on the reverse side of many of the parts though  The individual-link track looks more complex to assemble than anything I have done before and should provide me with a new challenge! The kit allows two styles of TUSK: the 'straight-edge' TUSK-I or the scalloped TUSK-II ERA plates and decision has to be made early as to which markings to choose. Speaking of which, four were provided:

1. 1st Battalion, 22nd Infantry Regiment, Iraq 2008 (TUSK II)
2. E Troop, 2nd Squadron, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment, Iraq 2011 (TUSK I)    

3. 3rd Squadron, 2nd Armored Cavalry Regiment, Iraq 2011 (TUSK I)
4. 'Ghetto Blaster II', 68th Armored Regiment,1st Brigade, 4th Infantry Division, Iraq (TUSK I)

Construction

As usual with land vehicle kits, work started at the bottom of the hull. The foremost pair of torsion bars are of multi-part assembly and are workaable so careful application of cement is a must especially between C20/C31, C37/C38, C32/C64 and C39/C63 as the contact area is very small and to avoid accidentally gluing C29 and C36. The mud scraper was not added as it would mean extra work removing the bolt heads on the mount. The torsion bars are of the typical Meng style which can flex over diorama terrain. While the instructions have you place the wheels next, I skipped that part at this time and add the hull top first. But before the roof can be mated to the hull, the ejector towers on the reverse side of the roof have to be removed else it won't fit at all to the hull. Holes and notchess also need to be opened on the upper hull before fixing the roof and the hull together. The notches require filling as I cut them a bit too large. The engine exhaust grille is a multi-part assembly and can be posed open (when one have an aftermarket engine set that is)

Next up is assembly of the running gear. Really no problems here except for that bit of hate-love relationship I have with tank running gear in general (lots of wheels!!). Anyway, it was straightforward except that a number of the inner wheels have flash on the outside face and needed some clean-up. The tracks, as mentioned before, is a multi-part affair, and meng as usual, provided a jig to help with the assembly. I however took a totally different route. I took the DS rubber track from my Dragon M1A2 SEP (long story about why I dismantled the earlier kit). The DS is overly long for the Meng kit but a dry run shows that the excess length can be hidden behind the skirting plus, the track fit Meng's sprocket teeth. The side ERA blocks fit nicely in place although the side skirts needed a bit of 'persuasion' towards the rear of the hull.

Work on the turret was started by drilling a number of holes into the roof and also the bottom half of the turret. The position of the holes were clearly marked with indentations and arrows and 'M1A2' embossed in the plastic. The trunnion was then assembled and I noticed that despite being designed to be totally hidden by the mantlet, there are details embosssed on the trunnion. The gun was then assembled. The PE part X is meant to remain moveable and so the instructions has you taping (instead of cementing/supergluing) it to Part  D40. I eventually decided to superglue it in place after deciding to set the gun at a certain elevation. And just to be different from previous builds, the gunner's sight protective doors were posed open. meng provided different styles of armoured cables on the turret roof and the instructions need to be followed as to which version is needed for the tank you're building.

The Commander's cupola is basically a model-within-a model construction and was made separately. The periscopes (Part J1) were very tight fit and I have to sand the sides down a bit so that they are easier to fit in place. The cupola itself is a two-piece construct and there are two styles to choose (they are the same, just the way they were moulded). I however assembled just the basic cupola at this time. The shields and screens were assembled but was kept separate until after painting. The loader's shield has a gap between the panels and needed some puttying. The right-hand panel also seemed to out-of-position too, despite my effort to rectify it.

Painting and Decaling

Before the tracks were fitted onto the model, it was painted first. It was painted overall XF-1 Flat Black and after the paint has cured, the 'metal' parts of it were treated with AK Interactive Track Wash. It was then aside. I don't have the exact colour to match the modern US Sand colour so I select the next best available in my arsenal - AK Interactive AK4006 Buff Light Shade. To my eyes it looks fair enough although it is more yellow-ish and has less grey than the actual colour! Unfortunately seepage happened at one of the loader's armoured glass panel and it cannot be cleaned off as it seeped between the two already-joined clear panels! The hubs of the main wheels were painted Tamiya X-19 Smoke as these are actually translucent, which allows monitoring of the lubricating fluid inside. The whole model then received a wash using AK Interactive OIF and OEF Vehicle Wash. The periscopes / vision blocks were painted a mixture of clear colours to obtain the purplish sheen usually seen but mine ended up mainly reddish. For markings, I chose 'Ghetto Blaster II' as it was more eye-catching than the rest.

Finishing

I started by fully assembling the commander's and loader's shields and putting them in place. This was followed by the Counter Sniper / Anti-Material Mount on the mantlet. The 'grenades' for the smoke discharger were painted and then fitted in place - I used the longer ones as they were a bit easier to handle. Then accessories were added to the model using parts from the kit itself, the spares box and also Meng's own Modern US Military Individual Load-Carrying Equipment Set and Equipment For Modern US Military Vehicles set. The model did not receive much weathering (read paint chipping) as the paint on the real tank is seldom seen as such (besides, its supposed to be resistant against corrosive chemicals, what more against boot scrapes). The aerials were then put in place. Sice Meng only provides aerial bases only, the rods were made using guitar strings and for the rightmost aerial, I use the one from my Dragon M1 kit. The kit then received  a spray of flat clear. My clear parts masking however is bad and many of the armored glass panels were 'frosted' as a result. The model then recieved an overall 'dust' coverage using thinned Tamiya Buff. The lower parts of the model were then were liberally covered with MiG Production Iraqi Dust pigments. Once dried, the excess were brushed off.

Conclusion

Modellers have a number of choices to build an Abrams in 1/35. Although another Abrams may be seen to be superfluous, Meng's M1A2 TUSK is very much welcome. The details were quite sharp and yet not as complicated as other brands'. Well, I do cheated somewhat by using the tracks from my Dragon kit! It was a fun build and anyone with even those with little experience building tank kits will have no problem with this kit (the multi-part tracks may be a different matter).

Killer Of The Executor

Fictional / Real-World Background

The RZ-1 A-Wing Interceptor was manufactured by Kuat Systems Engineering, based on the R-22 interceptor, which in turn was inspired by the Delta-7 Aethersprite light interceptor. Although the R-22 passed maneuverability and speed tests, the Galactic Empire, which suceeded the Galactic Republic did not approve of its mass production. However, the monarch of Tammuz-an purchased a number of the R-22 prototypes for planetary defence. Because of its resemblance to a Tammuz-an ceremonial weapon, it was dubbed 'Spearhead'. Around  10 years after the end of the Clone Wars, several cells of what would become the Alliance to Restore The Republic managed to acquire  a number of Spearheads. A network of mechanics called Underground Engineers work on these highly customizable fighters. The frame of the R-22 was retained but the weapons were updated, new technology was installed and a pair of Novaldex J-77 engines replaced the original powerplants. The resulting craft was dubbed the RZ-1 'A-Wing' interceptor.

Because of the nature the Rebel Alliance operates, they have to use any readily available materials from the Alliance's Ordnance and Supply Command in order to build the new fighter. The earliest batch of RZ-1s was hand-built and sometimes using second-hand equipment. Not only this slowed down the rate of production; together with its complicated systems and general lack of quality control, it also aggrieved maintenance. The A-Wing was basically a cockpit attached to two engines.Its Novaldex J-77 Event Horizon engines were one of the most powerful engines available. The twin stabilizer wings require careful controls, else it could make a small turn ending as a massive spinout. Armament comprised of two Borstel RG-9 laser cannons and two Dymek HM-6 concussion missile launchers (6 missiles per launcher). The laser cannons can be rotated 60 up and down and can even be made to make a full 360-degree rotation. However the craft lack an astromech droid to manage the systems so the feature was rarely used, if ever.

A fast and powerful strike fighter, the wedge-shaped, 9.6 meter-long fighter came equipped with a hyperdrive. It was ideal for missions that require speed such as hit-and-run raids, surgical strikes on capital ships and intelligence gathering. Essentially a flying cockpit, the A-Wing require precision manipulation of the control surfaces without assistance from an astromech droid. Therefore only the best pilots could pilot an A-Wing without losing control. A capable pilot could emerge from hyperspace, engage the fighter's powerful sensor suite, streak around the objective and vanish back into hyperspace before the enemy can get its fighters aloft.The jammer however not powerful enough to fool larger vessels' systems and instead it became a homing beacon for the larger vessels' targeting systems. The wedge-shaped nose, apart from housing primary sensors, also acted as heat shield for atmospheric entry. It can be also used as a ram in a desperate, last-ditch effort to destroy enemy targets.

The A-Wing's finest hour came during the Battle of Endor. Grouped under Green Squadron, the A-Wings took part in the attack on the second Death Star. Two of the fighters followed General carlrissian into the incomplete battle station but broke off to draw away TIEs from the Millenium Falcon. One of the A-Wings, piloted by Arvel Crynyd (Green Leader) crashed into the bridge of the Super Star Destroyer Executor, which leads to the latter's destruction. The A-Wing proved to be aresilient design, and in its RZ-2 variant, is used by the Resistance in its struggle against the First Order, 30 years after the Battle of Endor.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Created as 'A-Fighter' by Ralph MacQuarrie for Star Wars Episode VI : Return Of The Jedi, the new fighter originally has blue trimmings but was changed to red after considering the limits of contemporary blue-screen technology. The original Legends backstrory has them designed by General jan Dodonna and Walex Blissex in the aftermath of the Battle of yavin. The backstory was ret-conned following the release of the Star Wars Rebels TV series which explained the existence (prior to Endor) of the A-Wing as being one of the fighter types (the other being the B-Wing) used solely by the Phoenix Squadron of the Rebel Alliance while the Rebel cell under general Dodonna operates X-Wings and Y-Wings. Only during the Battle of Endor that these cells operate together, showing all types of fighters on-screen.

The Kit

Bandai hit the ground running when they were granted the licence to produce Star Wars model kits. The A-Wing was released in 2016 and featured all the hallmarks of the brand. The parts are spread among five sprues with Sprue A featuring multicoloured plastics well-known to Gundam (and now Star Wars) builders. Sprue B contains the main fuselage parts, The Black Sprue C has the cockpit parts (and also a mysterious flat pilot figure). Sprue D contains parts for the display stand, and intersetingly, a Death Star turbolaser turret tower while Sprue D has the 'laser beams'. The breakdown of the parts and by colour means that the model can be build without painting. This however only applies if you want to build Green leader's A-Wing and other references are needed if you want to build generic or other A-Wings  Rounding up the package are the usual choice of stickers or waterslide decals for markings.

Construction

As usual with things that fly (be it real-world or fiction), work started at the cockpit. And as per my usual style too, the parts were painted while still on the sprue and Vallejo Air Anthracite Grey was used. Details representing dials on the side panels were painted Flat White. The main 'instrument panel' was finished using the waterslide decal. The pilot figure was left off at this moment. Moving on to the fuselage, I found that you have to place B16, B17, C13 and C14 to the corresponding site opposite of the ones shown in the instructions, otherwise the upper half won't fit into the lower half of the fuselage. The cokpit module was then inserted (yes, no need gluing, the pegs fit snugly into place). Thge rest of the fuselage parts were then fitted,a gain without cement and without any problems. The sole exception was the wedge-shaped nose, as there is quite a bit of a gap between it and the fuselage. The canopy was also left off at this time.

The engine nacelles were next and take note that the tails are canted inwards and so it the arts are not interchangeable. But before doing anything else, the clear 'thruster port' inside the nacelle was painted Clear Yellow (the instructions say nothing about painting this particular part, mind). As for the rear fuselage panel, I cemented the four small nozzles in place as I feel that push-fit is not sturdy enough to handle the stresses of full flight maneuvers in combat (ahem). The nacelle-rear panel combination was then fitted to the fuselage just to see how it looks and was then removed to facilitate painting. The parts for closed landing gear doors were used as I do not intend to display the A-Wing on the ground, although the opened doors and the gears themselves get a place in my spares box. The cannons were assembled but set aside at this time. The model was then set aside for painting.

Painting And Decalling

As mentioned before, the very breakdown of the parts allow the model to be finished unpainted and (basically) still looks the part. Anyway, the white areas were painted Vallejo Gloss White which tone was 'warmed' up by adding a bit of Desert Tan. The red parts were painted Vallejo German Red Brown Primer which I think is spot on.The grey patches on the fuselage can be replicated using the provided decals (or alternatively, the stickers) but I chose to paint them.The darker patches were painted Tamiya XF-83 Medium Sea Grey while the lighter ones were painted XF-19 Sky Grey. Although originally leaving it in the main fuselage colour, the missile troughs were then painted XF-1 Flat Black. The main body of the cannons were also painted Flat Black with the barrels painted white. The muzzles have the same colour as the main trim of the fuselage. Again, decals and stickers were provided but I chose to paint the parts. The few decals were then placed on the models as per the usual routine.

Finishing

The model was first given a wash using stuff from AK Interactive. Excess fluid was removed by wiping it off in the direction of the 'airflow'. I originally wanted to add a bit more weathering effects (like panel fading and discolorisation) but decided that what I have is enough. The engine-nacelle assembly was then pushed into place and as tested before, did not need cement to make it stay in place. The now-painted pilot figure is placed into the cockpit and the canopy installed. There are two types of canopy that be used. Again, to ease painting, i used the one with the separate front frame. Both styles have separate rear frame and this latter item is quite a tight fit to get it into place. The model was then placed upon the provided display stand. I however did not use the Death Star turbolaser tower. That item is placed into storage and hopefully used in a future Y-Wing or X-Wing build. The whole assembly was then given a final spray of Flat Clear. 

Conclusion

The A-Wing is a neat little model. It actually builds up very quickly, in fact in effect, the basic assembly took only around an hour (although in practice, it was spread over a few days, in order to paint certain parts early on, waiting for the paint to dry, you know the drill). For a 1/72 scale kit, the detail is very nice and I obviously look forward to more Star Wars kits from Bandai (so many models, so little time! Excuses...excuses!)