Back To Front Hunter

Historical Background

Early in World War 2, the British Army was keen to upgrade their anti-tank capabilities. This was realised by the introduction of the 6-pounder anti-tank gun. The authorities however realised that this weapon would soon be outclassed by better German panzers and as a result,  the even more powerful 17-pounder gun was put into service. Entering service as a towed artillery piece, it was a heavy and cumbersome weapon to be moved around quickly. Therefore, a decision was made in the middle of 1942 to mount the weapon on a tracked chassis. Initially, it was proposed that the Bishop self-propelled howitzer be used as a basis. It came to nothing as the Bishop used the Crusader cruiser tank chassis which lacked adequate armour. In the end, the Valentine tank was chosen as although it was an obsolescent design, it was still in production and also quite large to accommodate the large 17-pounder gun.

With the chassis chosen, work on the project can begin. By March 1943, two pilot vehicles were completed; and since the hull of the Valentine was not big enough to support the gun in a revolving turret, the gun was mounted on a simple, low and open-topped armoured box. One of the pilot vehicles however has its gun mounted facing to the rear. For the next two months the two prototypes were put through their paces and eventually the unorthodox rear-facing mount was chosen because it made the overall length of the vehicle shorter and apparently held a tactical advantage of firing at a pursuing enemy while the vehicle is being driven away. To speed up assembly, the new vehicle, dubbed the Archer (or formally as the SP 17-pounder, Valentine), used as much components as existing Valentine tanks.

In general the Archer resembled the German panzerjagers by having a fixed casemate. It was sloped, open-topped (exposing the crew to the elements and battlefields hazards such as exploding bombs and shells) and multi-faceted . The gun shield is separate and allowed a traverse of 11° and elevation between -7.5° to +15°. 39 rounds of 17-pounder ammo were carried. While the rear-facing armament also confer some balance, the breech recoiled quite close to the driver's head who either had to exit the vehicle immediately upon reaching firing position (to avoid risking decapitation) or remain in place so that the vehicle can be re-sited at a moment's notice. Crew consisted of four persons (driver, commander, gunner and loader).

Although the prototype was ready in April 1943 and trials began immediately, production was slow to start due to issues that needed to be addressed. A total of 800 vehicles was ordered but the in only entered service in October 1944. By that time other 17-pounder armed vehicles such as the Achilles, Sherman Firefly and the Challenger have entered service and the order was reduced to 655 vehicles. As the Archer was designated a self-propelled gun, it was operated by the Royal Artillery (along with the Achilles). As the Allies were on the offensive by that time in the war, the Archer was more used to provide fire support and secure the flanks against counterattacks. The Archer remained in use with the British Army of the Rhine (BAOR) until mid-1950s. Some 200 were sold to Egypt post-war and saw action during the Suez Crisis in 1956.

The Kit

While the basic Valentine tank in 1/35 has been offered by various kit manufacturers over the years, its derivatives such as the Archer did not receive the same kind of attention. Accurate Armour of Scotland came up with a resin kit in 1996 and was followed by an unlicensed plastic copy by Maquette of Russia in 2002. Bronco came up with their kit in 2011. While welcome, this is one of those high-hundreds parts kits with tiny PE parts galore which are not to everyone's taste. Last year, Tamiya came up with their version of the Archer. Expected to be based on Tamiya's own Valentine kit, the Archer only shares the link-and-length track with the Valentine while the rest of the parts are entirely new. Unusually for Tamiya, all the wheels are to be cemented in place instead of the use of poly caps. The small decal shet provide markings for two Archers : a Canadian from the 3rd Canadian Infantry Division, North-West Europe and a Polish gun from the 2nd Polish Corps in Italy.

Construction

While construction for most AFV kits were started at the suspension or driving parts, the Archer kit starts with the lower hull. This was however of the separate panels variety and not Tamiya's usual 'tub' style. The driver's compartment was built up and painted although I didn't add any weathering for the more obscured areas. The separate hull panels were matched up and there was no risk of an asymmetrical hull as the parts fit snugly.  Some basic parts for the fighting compartment were next - they mainly consists of ammo racks, panelling and the engine firewall. The suspension was next. They are pretty straightforward (after all, it's simpler in construction). However, do take note the orientation of the bogies on the hull as you might mix them up. The link-and-length tracks is easy to install but you have to take not the placement of the single-piece upper run. Also, the I found that the track run is one link less than required in the diagram.

Construction then moved back to the fighting compartment. The upper hull was first affixed to the lower hull and then the gun carriage was assembled. The carriage was designed so that it is glued to the floor of the compartment while the upper part is clicked into place so that it can swivel like the real thing. Other stuff in the lower half of the fighting compartment was assembled and was the entire lower  half was painted. The splinter shields were then cleaned up, painted first and the stuff set on tthem were cemented afterwards. Some weathering on the interior was also done at this time. A decision also has to be made here as marking option A has a tube affixed on the front (or was it rear?) splinter shield. To avoid mishandlings, the aerial base (Part D38) was left off at this time.

Finally, construction moved back to the exterior. However there aren't much to do at this juncture - just the gun barrel, some storage boxes and the exhaust. The last-mentioned was assembled but not fixed to the hull at this time. The gun is a one-pieve affair with two-piece muzzle break. The joint between the muzzle half definitely needed clean-up while the barrel needed a light sanding to remove the quite visible mould seams. The gun shield/mantlet is a two-piece assembly and to ease matching it to the gun carriage, the top half (Part B3) was left off. Once the glue has cured, Part B3 can be added.

Painting and Decalling

Tamiya have you paint the model XF-61 Dark Green but I believe the actual colour is SCC 15 Olive Drab. I used Mark Starmer's formula for it. However, due to lack od a certain paint in my stock, I have to revert to his older mix of  5 parts XF-61, 2 parts XF-62 and 2 parts XF-3. And, as mentioned before, the interior parts were painted while still on the sprue and were then touched-up after assembly. The tracks were painted a base of Ak Interactive Track Base and were then washed with an application of AK Interactive track wash. The exhaust were given a base of Mr. Color Burnt Iron, a random application of XF-64 Red Brown and and a final layer of Tamiya Weathering master Rust. As for markings, I chose the Canadian option. The decals went on without any problems. Afterwards, the model received a basic wash.

Finishing

Post-painting, the weren't much to do at this point as most of the parts were already affixed in place. The exhaust were assembled and added to the model - the portions have quite a tight fit and a bit fiddly during assembly. The towing cables and the v-shaped thingie were put in place and that's about it. I however decided not to add the figures (just their helmets though) but instead I added flimsies from the Bronco British Field Accessories Set and a couple of ammunition boxes from Bronco 17-Pounder Ammunition Set. Further weathering work was done on the lower hull - mainly adding mud from Vallejo and Wilder and adding Fresh Mud Wash from AK Interactive. Weathering Pencils, also from AK Interactive were also used to add dirt and rain streaks on the model. A length of guitar string was used to replicate the radio aerial. There should be two of them but I just made one. A final coat of Flat Clear finishes the build.

Conclusion

There aren't many model kit manufacturers offering the Archer and I am grateful that Tamiya was one of those who did. Although there are omissions and some parts were simplified, what was there in the box is perfectly adequate, especially for casual or new modellers. Now, on the heels of their M10 and Achilles kits, I hope Tamiya will come up with a model of the M36 tank destroyer.

Easy Eight

Historical Background

The US Army followed the events in Europe 1939-1940 and decided that their current medium tank the M2, was obsolete to face contemporary battlefield challenges and designed the M3 Medium Tank (later nicknamed Lee/Grant). The M3 was a stop-gap measure, with the main 75 mm gun in a right-side sponson with limited field of fire. In late August 1940, the Ordnance Department submitted characteristics for a new design to replace the M3. Development of the prototype was delayed to allow the M3 design to be finished and enter production. On 18 April 1941, the Ordnance Department chose the simplest design, called the T6. It was basically a modified M3 hull and chassis and mounted a fully-rotating turret armed with the M3 75 mm gun. The design borrowed many features from existing tank design such as the vertical volute spring suspension, rubberised track links and the usage of Continental R975 radial engine. The T6 prototype was completed on 2 September 1941 and production commenced in the next month.

The production M4s were kept as close as possible to the M3, including the tracks, suspension and transmission. The hull upper hull however was changed to cast type and the side entry door was eliminated. The lower hull was made of large welded parts with the bogies bolted to the hull to ease maintenance and repair. The upper hull was cast for the M4A1 version and welded for the rest of the variants (plus the cast front and welded rear 'composite hull' M4). The M4 was powered by a Continental R975 air-cooled radial petrol engine rated at 400 hp. 660 liters of petrol was carried, allowing a range of 195 km. Later versions was powered by Ford V8 petrol or General Motors diesel engine. The frontal armour was 51 mm thick while the turret front was between 64 mm to 76 mm, The front upper hull was angled at 56 degrees with the lower half rounded, making the armour effective against most early war anti-tank weapons. Even so, the early versions had shot traps, located just in front of the driver and co-driver's positions.

The M4, nicknamed Sherman (after General William Tecumseh Sherman) was originally armed with a L/40 M3 75 mm gun. The standard M61 round fired by this gun can penetrate 87 mm of RHA at 100 meters and 70 mm at 1,000 meters, sufficient to destroy Panzer IIIs and IVs. After protracted development, the Sherman was later armed with a more powerful M1/M1A2 76 mm gun, in a new T23 turret, giving it at least a parity with L/48-armed Panzer IVs. The main armament was backed by two Browning M1919 machine guns; one co-axial with  with the main gun and another in the hull. 60 rounds was provided for the main gun with the machine guns shared 4,750 rounds between them. For anti-aircraft and further anti-infantry/soft-skin capability, a Browning M2 12.7 mm machine gun can be mounted on the roof.  The Sherman was manned by a crew of five: commander, gunner, loader, driver and assistant driver/hull gunner. Each of the crew members had a periscope to allow 360-degree view of the outside.

Production began at the Lima Locomotive Works, Lima, Ohio with all the first production tanks going to the British Army. By the end of the war, ten other production lines were opened, delivering some 48,000 M4s. The Sherman was produced in a  number of variants but the most produced ,a nd the preferred model by the US Army was the M4A3. The M4A3 was basically the same with the M4 but was powered by a Ford GAA V-8 engine. The early M4A3s were armed with a shorter (L/31) M2 75 mm gun, which was later replaced with the L/40 M3 gun. Late versions of the M4A3 was armed with the more powerful M1/M1A1 76 mm gun. Work was also done to improve the Sherman's ride qualities and  this resulted in the finalization of the Horizontal Volute-Spring Suspension or HVSS.  Wider track was also included with the HVSS system. While this resulted in a heavier and wider vehicle, the ground pressure is reduced. The HVSS was applied to the late M4A3 variant and resulted in the M4A3(76)W HVSS or M4A3E8. The latter designation, coupled with the easier ride of the HVSS gave rise to the 'Easy Eight' nickname for this variant. A total of 2,617 M4A3E8 were built between by Detroit Tank Arsenal between August 1944 and April 1944.

The Sherman was originally issued in small numbers to familiarise the US Armored Divisions. American Shermans saw their first combat during Operation Torch in November 1942. The M4A1 (and the original M4) were the prime variants used by the US Army until the introduction of the M4A3 with a more powerful (500 hp) engine. The Easy Eight saw their first action during The Battle Of The Bulge. As individual tanks, the Sherman was inferior to the German tanks such as the Panther being weakly armed (at least for the early version) and thinly armoured. As a type however, it was superior to the German panzers, being reliable, easy to maintain and more mobile than the ponderous Tigers. Easy Eight were retained by the US Army post-World War 2 and saw combat again during the Korean War.

The Kit

In the 1970s, Tamiya came up with their kit of the Easy Eight and it is suffice to say that it is a collector's item. Although Tamiya released a number of new mould 'mainstream' M4A3s in the late 90s and the early Noughties, the M4A3E8 remain unkitted by them. In 2014, they released the re-boxed Asuka kit and eventually, in 2015, they released their own kit of the Easy Eight. This kit is packed inside a rather small (for a 1/35 WW2-era medium tank kit) box. Opening up the box, there are just six olive-colored sprues, one clear sprue, lower hull, turret shell, a pair of band-style rubber tracks, decals, poly caps and the instruction sheet. Obviously many parts, especially the HVSS were simplified, but the existing details are sufficient for many modellers. The relevant parts also has convincing cast texture moulded. Being a Tamiya kit, I don't expect any complications during construction. The decal sheet markings for two Easy Eights (the difference between the two is that one of them sports a blacked-out Allied Star).

Construction

Instead of a single hull pan, Tamiya has the lower hull as a multi-part assembly. The left and right side pieces have a further sub-piece which need to be cemented first. The joint between the side pieces and the bottom piece is reinforced by part P2. Apparently the engine bulkhead, Tamiya moulded holes in it for the non-existant engine (although they may be useful for those who wants more details for their model). The rear hull panel were next. No problem here but Tamiya apparently forgot to include the engine access door in their instructions. The part is however easily identified on the sprue. Moving to the transmission cover, I lost Part L9 to the Carpet Monster and have to fashion a replacement (badly!) using scrap plastic. The exhaust deflectors were assembled but I couldn't orient them in place. I'm not sure myself, but I think that the position for R17 and R18 should be swapped (either that or I somehow got it wrong while trying to insert it in place!). In the end, I just cut off the tabs and glued the deflector in place.

As mentioned before, the HVSS suspension is one of the items simplified in the Tamiya kit. While this means no articulation and lesser details, it makes up for a quick and hassle-free build. The main suspension unit consists of just four parts per bogie (not including the wheels and the mount). They were quickly assembled but for a short while was set aside as I wanted to do some weathering on the lower hull. The tracks were painted beforehand using AK Interactive Track Primer, followed by the same company's Track Wash. The tracks were later drybrushed silver. The ends can be joined together using regular hobby cement but I stick to using cyanoarcyclate glue. The tracks for my kit is a bit warped at the ends but it was easily rectified by cement. They fit without problem and the orientat

The upper hull is designed so that it can be attached to the lower without cement. Tamiya did this by using a clip at the front and a large pin which slots into a poly cap arrangement at the rear. The hull sponson, which was hollow in previous Tamiya (in-house) Sherman kits is closed by the fenders. The latter is also made stable with a spacer. Holes for the lifting lugs at the front hull were the drilled. And just to get the repetitive out of the way, the fender braces were cemented first. Since I intended to have the crew hatches shut, the periscopes were left off. While the front lifting lugs were moulded 'whole', the rear pair were moulded in half, and were to be cemented to stubs on the rear deck. Most of the fittings on the upper hull were then cemented but I temporarily left the pioneer tools and spare track links off to ease painting. The rear hull rack, while assembled, was also left off at this time. The upper hull was then attached to the lower hull. I applied a bit of Tamiya Thin Cement to close the few tiny gaps along the joint.

Painting and Decalling

There is just one colour used for US World War 2 era vehicles. This time I used Vallejo Air 743 Olive Drab. I was thinking of adding a brown filter after the initial paint layer has dried but apparently (according to Tamiya), late-war OD have a more greenish hue than the OD used earlier. So I ditched the brown filter. Wash solution from AK Interactive was then used to visually raise the details. The tools were also painted while still on the sprue although I used sand yellow to paint the wooden handles. Once dried, brown wash was used to make them look more like wood. Afterwards, it was time for the decals. As mentioned before, the markings selection is very bland with just two anonymous Easy Eights from the 4th and the 5th Armoured Divisions. While the majority of M4A3E8s at the time were indeed devoid of personalised markings, I wonder why didn't Tamiya pick the ones with those markings. I tried to make it look more interesting by using markings from the 4th AD with the blacked out US stars on the turret. With just four pieces of decals, this process took less than 10 minutes! 

Finishing

I brown-washed a pair of wood piece and placed them on the front of the hull (the bracket of this purpose has already been moulded in place). The model then received the usual wash and I tried the streaking method for this model. The running gear and the tracks received a rather thick pasting of Vallejo Dark Mud. Parts where the muddy boots of the crew stepped on the tank were splattered with a light mud solution. Afterwards, tank supplies using parts from Academy, Tamiya, Hero and the stash were placed on the relevant parts of the model. To hang the stuff on the turret, I cemented a length of plastic rod on the right side of the turret. I then robbed the metal tow cable from my broken Dragon M4A3(76) and placed it on the model. The commander's machine gun and the gun cradle were replaced with spares from Dragon's Sherman Firefly The original kit's cradle was cut and replaced. Since the I chose the markings for a tank in Bastogne during the Battle Of The Bulge,, I think I wanted to add some 'snow'. Using a mixture of water and white glue as adhesive, I sprinkled (and also mixing it with the aforementioned adhesive) sodium bicarbonate on the tracks, road wheels and at various points on the model.

Conclusion

If you want to punish yourself build an intricate kit with all the bells, whistles and screws, this model is not for you. The Tamiya kit is geared towards the more casual crowd (or those seeking relief after building 1,000+ parts kits). Anyway, admittedly mre simplified than its rivals, the Tamiya kit of E8 does have sharp and nice enough details. The letdown in this kit (to my viewpoint) is the rather uninspired markings chosen. This was can however be an advantage: being rather nondescript, you can work to your heart's content with regards to additional items you want to add to the model.

Smart Tank

Historical Background

Even though the Type 90 MBT was still coming off the production line in the 1990s, the Japanese Ground Self-Defense Force decided to update its armoured force to better prepare for 21st-century warfare. After considering buying tanks from abroad (which were too heavy and too large for Japanese terrain) and after assessing the upgrade potential of the Type 90 (and even the earlier, and obsolescent, Type 74), the JGSDF decided that the Type 90 lacked internal space to upgrade their C4I capabilities. Therefore, in 1996, the Technical Research and Development Institute (TRDI) of the Japanese Ministry of Defense began the development of a new tank, under project name TK-X / MBT-X, with Mitsubishi Heavy Industries being appointed to build prototypes. The plan was expected to begin production by 2010-2011 and the prototype made its debut on 13 February 2008 at TRDI's facility in Sagimihara. The Ministry of Defense was impressed with the prototype and a contract was signed in 2010. Following Japanese military tradition, the TK-X/MBT-X was given designation Type 10 after the year of its introduction.

Although the main requirement for the Type 10 seems to be enhancement of C4I capabilities, the initial focus of the project was its weaponry and ammunition. While the Type 90 was armed with a licence-built Rheinmetall 120mm gun, the Type 10 was armed with a 120mm weapon indigenously developed by Japan Steel Works. While it can fire all NATO-standard 120mm rounds, a special Type 10 APFSDS was developed and can only be fired by the Type 10. As with the Type 90, the gun was fitted with a bustle-loaded autoloader, reducing the crew to three. 44-calibres long, the gun can be upgraded to 50- or 55-caliber length. Secondary armament consist of a co-axial Type 74 7.62mm machine gun and a 12.7mm M2HB heavy machine gun which can be remotely controlled from within the turret. The main armour plate is steel but apparently modular applique ceramic and steel composite armour plates is an option according to mission profile and weight requirements.

The Type 10 is lighter than the Type 90 (44 tonnes v. 50 tonnes) allowing the Type 10 to be deployed all around Japan (the Type 90 can only be deployed in Hokkaido as most bridges and roads in the rest of the Home Islands were unable to support the weight of the Type 90). The tank was powered by a water-cooled V-8 diesel engine rated at 1,200 hp. Power was transmitted via CVT gearbox allowing the MBT to move at around 70 km/h. As with its predecessors, the Type 10 was also equipped with a hydropneumatic active suspension allowing it to adjust the ride height, tilt sideways and or adjust the height of the front and rear of the tank. The C4I system can be used to share information among the tanks and also to integrate with the infantry. The advanced systems meant a hefty price tag for the Type 10 (also known as Type 0 Hitomaru) : ¥954 million (US$8.4 million) per vehicle for the initial 13 units and ¥700 million (US$6.5 million) for the rest of the order.

The first delivery of the new tank took place in 2010 and formally entered service in 2012 and current production target was 80 units and could be as high as 600 as older vehicles were retired. In January 2014 the Turkish government expressed in purchasing the Type 10's powerpack for the indigenous  Altay MBT. The deal fell through just three months later, mainly due to Japan's stringent arms export laws.

The Kit

Tamiya was pretty quick off the mark by releasing this kit roughly a year after the real tank entered service. Still conforming to the Tamiya philosophy, the kit comprised of just 205 parts spread among six dark green plastic sprues, two lengths off well-detailed vinyl tracks, a sheet of die-cut clear acetate, a sheet of vinyl mesh plus the usual poly caps and a small decal sheet. The real tank had a smooth exterior with little bumps and bulges usually seen on modern tanks and this also helped in keeping the number of parts low. Simple it may be but existing surface features are very well rendered, except for the tie-downs which are moulded-on., while the vinyl mesh is also a bit of a throwback to the last century.The small decal sheet provide markings for three vehicles:
1. Armored Division, JGSDF Fuji School
2. 2nd Company, 1st Armored School Unit
3. 1st Tank Company, Tank School Unit, Fuji School Brigade

Construction

As the usual practice wth vehicle models, construction started with the lower hull. The suspension arms were installed in the usual way. The idler arm is however quite unique. There were five slots for the 'pimple' on the tab to slide into. Tamiya's instructions have you slot it into the middle, 'neutral' position. The real Type 10 has adjustable suspension so I strongly think that a modeler can replicate his model 'kneeling' by varying the tab's position and by removing the 'pimple' on the suspension arms as needed. I skipped the assembly of the road wheels and went straight to assembling the rear hull panel. The lower hull were set aside at this time and I continue with the upper hull. The front upper hull is a multi-part assembly and I found the fit was not perfect between parts D19 and D22 (but the again, as usual, it could just be me). The provided mesh was cut to act as light guards and I found that it was quite stiff and I resorted to using superglue to bond it to the plastic surface. The clear bits for the episcopes are of semi-cut style (they are of the appropriate width but have to be cut into proper height) and are apparently from Tamiya's earlier Type 90 kit. The side walls and the skirtings were set aside at the moment.

The upper and lower hull hales were then cemented together. There is some gap at the front which was puttied over (the clean-up would be easier if the towing hook are not cemented early on). The lower hull was then painted a base colour of JGSDF Dark Green. I got lazy and painted only the visible areas of the lower hull and the running gears! The tracks were painted Vallejo Anthracite Grey which was then given an AK Interactive Track Wash. Although polystyrene cement can be used on modern Tamiya belt-style tracks, I stick to superglue to get them together. After the tracks were put in place the side skirtings cemented into place and they fit perfectly.

Turret construction started with the gun barrel. It was quite disappointing  because the seam running its length (my bad). I assembled the smoke grenade dischargers in a reverse order from the instructions as I think it was easier that way. The environment sensor at the turret rear is supposed to be moveable after assembly but I find it difficult to handle during the process and end up cementing it in the 'up' poisition. Both the gunner's and commander's sight were finished in closed position. The gun mantlet was assembled and the use of poly caps allow it to remain moveable after assembly. The turret shell consists of multiple parts yet it was easy to assemble without the danger of it askew. At this time I decided to only use the commander's figure so the gunner's hatch is cemented shut. The commander's cupola need some careful assembly as one need to note the location of the locating tabs and in relation, the location for the uh, thingies (upon which the heavy MG is mounted) on the cupola. The turret bustle rack was last. It was quite straightforward work and since the mesh was applied on flat surfaces, its stiffness was not a problem. I however deviated from the instructions by cutting the mesh parallel to the mesh pattern instead of diagonally across it. 

Painting & Decalling

Apparently all Type 10s have similar camouflage patterns and that kind of simply things (in one way). The model was given an overall coat of JGSDF Dark Green (Tamiya XF-73) and was then followed by the camouflage pattern of JGSDF Brown (Tamiya XF-72). The rubber skirting and fenders were painted Tamiya XF-85 Rubber Black while the 'canvas' parts (mantlet cover and spent casing container) were painted XF-49 Khaki. As for markings, I decided not to use the 'school' markings provided with the kit and instead used decals from a little-known Japanese company named Twilight Model. In fact I have never heard of them until they opened a booth at last year's MALCOM. The small-ish sheet provide markings for Type 10s from the 8th and 1st Tank Battalions. Further information were in Japanese characters so there were no further details I can gleaned off. I chose the 8th as their tanks feature a tiger's head insignia which is a bit more colourful than the the 1st Battalion's. The decals were thin and having good register.

Finishing

There aren't much to do at this stage with this kit. The pioneer tools and the tow cable were cemented into place. The model then received the usual wash process. The large stowage basket at the rear were left bare as these tanks have never been seen with stowage (plus I don't have any JGSDF accessories in stock). As they were also fairly new weathering was basically not done save for the usual mud / dust at the lower hull. The dried mud was made by using Aqualine 'Brown Mud' from Wilder Weathering Products while the darker mud was made using Vallejo Dark Mud. The radio aerial stubs were cut and replaced with plastic rods. Only the commander's figure was used and after studying the instructions and photos, I realise that the instructions have the colour callout mixed-up - it has XF-64 Red Brown as the main colour. Anyway, since my brushes aren't fine enough, the flecktarn pattern were not as intricate as it should be...but I think good enough from full-scale 6 feet away!

Conclusion

What else can be expected from a Tamiya kit? The build was straightforward, the details, including the non-slip patches were excellent and great fit all around. Probably the only negative points with the kot is the rather stiff (and having to cut them into shape) mesh for the stowage rack and the two-piece plastic barrel.  

Supersonic Hun

Historical Background

In early 1949, with the wealth of captured German aerodynamics data, North American Aviation began researching for sustained Mach 1 flight. In January 1951 while its subsonic F-86 fighters were clashing successfully with the MiG-15 over Korea, North American Aviation handed an unsolicited proposal to the USAF for a supersonic day fighter named Sabre 45 because of its 45° wing sweep and being an evolution of the Sabre. The aircraft would be powered by a Pratt & Whitney J57 turbojet which provided the best performance among the early jet engines. In July 1951, the mock-up was inspected and after over a hundred modifications were made, it was accepted as the F-100 on 30 November 1951. In January 1952, the USAF ordered 23 prototypes (YF-100) followed by 23 F-100A models in February and another 250 in August.

Like the F-86, the F-100 has a nose-mounted air intake although thinner and more oval than the original Sabre. The wing of course has more sweep angle than the F-86 and it was also thinner. Decision was also made to move the ailerons inboard, allowing the Super Sabre to have a better rate of roll. Internal armament consists of four Pontiac M39E 20-mm cannons while external ordnance can range from unguided rockets to tactical nuclear weapons. The pre-production YF-100A first flew on 25 May 1953, seven month ahead of schedule, while the first production F-100A was first flown on 9 October of the same year. Test pilots however noted lack of stability at high speeds leading to inertia coupling. Although officially entering service on 17 September 1954 with the 479th Fighter Wing, the USAF declared that it was not ready for large-scale deployment due to deficiencies in the design. By November 1954, there were six major accidents including one on 12 October 1954 which killed North American's chief test pilot, George Welch.

The accidents forced the USAF to ground the entire fleet until February 1955. Because of the still existing problems, the A model was taken out of service beginning in 1958 with the last aircraft leaving active service in 1961. During that time another 47 'A' models were lost to attrition. The F-100A's place was taken by the 'C' model, which was built to satisfy Tactical Air Command's need for a fighter-bomber. The F-100C has longer wings to improve roll but otherwise similar to the F-100A and having all its problems. The inertia coupling was partially solved when the fleet was fitted with yaw and pitch dampers. To allow carriage of weapons and extra fuel, six hardpoints were made available underneath the wings. However not all F-100Cs can carry conventional munitions and like the A model, it suffered from attrition, losing 85 by the time the variant was retired in 1970.

The final single-seat version, the F-100D, became a dedicated ground attack machine with secondary air-to-air fighter capability. Key features of this variant include autopilot, in-flight refueling, ECM equipment and Sidewinder capability. To further address the dangerous flight characteristics, the wing span was extended by 66 cm and the tail area increased by 27%. 65 of the D model were modified to fire the AGM-12 Bullpup missile. As a type, the F-100 received numerous modification programmes during its service life. Many were concerned with the structure, electronics and to improve ease of maintenance. One of them was the replacement of the afterburner can with the one from retired F-102 Delta Daggers.

The F-100 saw combat service during the United States' involvement in Vietnam. Six Super Sabres were deployed to Don Muang air base in Thailand on 16 April 1961, acting as the vanguard for the type's involvement in the conflict until withdrawn in 1971. The Super Sabres mainly acted as fighter-bombers giving close support to ground troops and anti-MiG escort while two-seat F-100F model acted as Forward Air Controllers and performing the first anti-radar, Wild Weasel missions. By the end of their deployment on 31 July 1971, Super Sabres have logged 360,283 combat sorties : just four wings of F-100s have clocked a larger number of combat sorties than their WW2 predecessor, the P-51. Despite being used as escort fighters flying into North Vietnam early in the war, the F-100s recorded no MiG kills, save for one 'probable' on 4 April 1965.  No F-100s were shot down by enemy fighters but 242 were lost through other causes (186 by AA, seven from sapper attcks and 45 in operational incidents).

The F-100 was also used by Turkey, France, Denmark and Taiwan. The last-named received ex-USAF F-100As which were retrofitted with D model vertical tails. A number was lost during reconnaissance missions over China. The Super Sabres of the Armee de l'Air was used during the Algerian War of Independence.

The Kit

The Tamiya kit was released in 2001 following the original Italeri release in 1998. It was originally thought to be a straight re-release of the earlier, 1980s-vintage ESCI kit. Close inspection revealed that while the Italeri kit may indeed a re-release, there are some difference between it and the earlier ESCI kit. as follows:

1. An extra, non-existent frame on the canopy

2. Shorter (275- US gallon) fuel tanks

3. More detailed landing gear parts

4. Raised details for the instrument panel

5. Better-detailed ejection seat(s)

6. External ordnance

The kit engineering is fairly simple but it featured nicely engraved panel lines. Two types of exhaust nozzles were included - standard and the F-102 type. However the air intake is fairly shallow and ended at the cockpit. The decal sheet feature markings for three aircraft - each from USAF, Armee de l'Air and the Danish Air Force.

Construction

As nearly always with aircraft model kits, construction started at the cockpit. Also, as usual I painted the parts while still on the sprue - Gunze Aqueous H317 for the majority of the cockpit and seat, Tamiya XF-1 for the instrument and side panels and  the sidewalls white for the switches and dials. While having more details than the original ESCI kit, they were quite pitiful compared to other kits in the scale. Before joining the fuselage halves together, a ballast of 20 grams was placed at the nose (I just crammed plasticine in the nose halves until it feels 'right'). The wing parts were assembled; no problems here really, but the wing fences were a bit loose in their slots. As the intake trunking was non-existent, the 'bulkhead' was painted black before the intake was cemented to the fuselage. The intake-fuselage joint was not smooth and I had to sand the area for a seamless joint. Another area with bad fit was the lower tray on the fuselage (with two troughs for the two of the cannons) - I still wonder why do they have to make that area separate. As the canopy is a one-piece affair and a couple of decals go on both the canopy and the fuselage, it was attached and masked off. However, like the lower tray mentioned above, the canopy-fuselage fit was not great.

Painting and Decalling

I decided to finish the kit as a Hun from the 353rd TFS, 354th TFW (based at Myrtle Beach, Florida) 1958. Tamiya's instructions have you paint the interior compartment silver but I am of the opinion that they were actually painted US Interior Green. So I made a mix of 2 parts XF-5 Flat Green to one part XF-3 Flat Yellow paint the interior accordingly. The unpainted rear fuselage (on the real aircraft) was painted a mix of Gunze 8 Silver and 61 Burnt Iron while the exhaust was painted straight Burnt Iron. After masking, the rest of the fuselage was painted Tamiya TS-30 Silver Leaf (although with hindsightI think TS-17 Gloss Aluminium would be more appropriate). Afterwards the decals were applied. No problems here as Italeri's in-house decal are pretty good. Inside faces of landing gear bay covers and the airbrake were painted Gunze Silver 8. Tamiya Weathering master 'Soot' was used on the exposed metal area of the fuselage to simulate heat weathering (maybe other shades or colours were more appropriate but that's what I have in my arsenal).The decals were the treated to the usual decal solution application.

Finishing

I forgot to mention that I tried to remove that extra frame on the canopy. While it was removed without a hitch, the clean-up process went awry in the sense that I could not get the canopy clear again - not sure why but I guess my sandpaper were not fine enough (just down to 1500 grit only). Anyway, lesson learnt - try find finer grade of sandpaper and more importantly, do on scrap plastic before committing yourself. As usual, the landing gears were added first to allow the model to stand on its 'feet'. As for 'things under the wings', I decided to substitute the M117 bomb and rocket pods with a pair of AGM-12 Bullpup and a pair of Mk 81 bombs. Both are from Hasegawa weapons sets. The Bullpup has raised mould parting lines while the bombs have a pair of ejector pin marks, all of which needed cleaning up. Flat clear was sprayed onto the bombs while the Bullpups received a semi-gloss coat. Although many photos show USAF Super Sabres have their speed brakes raised while on the ground, I have them lowered for added visual interest. Some paint touch-ups were needed after removing the masks.There was no locating hole on the wing surface for the refuelling probe so I have to cut off the locating tab and just use Mark I Eyeball to place the aforementioned probe.

Conclusion

Although rather old, the Tamiya/Italeri/ESCI F-100 kit is still a good model. The glitches in the kit are rather minor and any reasonably competent modeler can sort them out (and count me out for that). Coupled with a rather low price (I got mine for RM36.00 which I think is half the price of of Hrumpeter's Hun) it was indeed a bargain.

21st Century Desert Rat

Historical Background

The British FV4034 Challenger 2 was built and designed by the Vickers Defence Systems plc as a successor to the Challenger 1 MBT. The design was originally a Vickers private venture in 1986. Following the issue of a Staff Requirement for a next-generation MBT, Vickers submitted its Challenger 2 proposal to the British Ministry Of Defence (MoD), following the issue of a Staff Requirement for a next-generation tank. In January 1989, Vickers received a £90 million contract for a demonstrator vehicle. The demo phase ended in September 1990 with the tank meeting 11 key criteria for the design. This was followed by a competition from other designs, including General Dynamics' M1A2 Abrams and Leopard 2 (Improved) from Krauss-Maffei. Finally in June 1991, the Challenger 2 was declared the winner and orders for 127 MBTs and 13 driver training vehicles were placed. A further order for 259 MBTs and 9 driver training vehicles was placed in 1994. Production began in 1993 at Elswick, Tyne and Wear and Barnbow, Leeds with the first tanks delivered in July 1994.

The main armament of the Challenger 2 was the 120mm/L55 L30A1 rifled tank gun, the successor to the L11 gun arming the Challenger 1 and Chieftain. Unique among currently operating Western-designed tanks, the Challenger 2 retained the rifled barrel as the British Army continued to use the High Explosive Squash Head (HESH) rounds in addition to armour-piercing APFSDS rounds. The HESH rounds have a longer range than APFSDS and are more effective against buildings and soft-skinned vehicles. The Challenger 2 can carry up to 49 120mm rounds, usually a mix of L27A1/CHARM 3 APFSDS, L31 HESH and L34 white phosphorus rounds. The ammunition have separately bagged charge, ensuring a lower risk of ammunition explosion. The Challenger 2 was also armed with a co-axially mounted L94A1 (Hughes EX-34) 7.62mm chain gun, mounted to the left of the main armament, and a 7.62mm L37A2 GPMG mounted on a pintle on the loader's hatch ring. 4,200 rounds of 7.62 x 51mm NATO rounds were carried for the machine guns. Fire control unit was from Computing Devices Co. utilising two 32-bit processors with MIL STD1553B databus. The commander was provided with a panoramic SAGEM VS 580-10 panoramic sight allowing 360 vision in addition to the eight periscopes on the commander's station. The gunner's and commander's sight were also served by the Thales Thermal Observation and Gunnery Sight II (TOGS II), providing night vision.

For protection, Challenger 2 was clad in second generation Chobham armour known as 'Dorchester'. Details are classified but it was said that it was more than double the strength of steel. Additional explosive reactive armour blocks and bar armour can be fitted as necessary. The Challenger 2 is powered by a Perkins 26.6 liter CV12 diesel engine delivering 1,200 hp. Maximum speed was 60km/h (road) and 40km/h cross-country. Range was 450 km (road) and 250 km (cross-country). Crew was four as the British Army felt that usage of automatic loader reduces battlefield survivability (as the autoloader is actually slower than human reflexes). And unique to the British Army, the Challenger 2, like other  British Army tanks and AFVs since the Centurion, was equipped with a boiling vessel, allowing the crew to brew up tea or to re-heat their field rations within the safety of the vehicle. In 2014, some of the surviving 227 Challenger 2s are to be upgraded to Challenger Life Extension Programme (CLEP) standard. The Challenger 2 chassis was also used as the basis for other combat support vehicles such as the Titan armoured bridgelayer, Trojan Armoured Vehicle Royal Engineers (AVRE) combat engineering vehicle and Challenger Armoured Repair and Recovery Vehicle (CRARRV) armoured recovery vehicle. Although Vickers developed an export version designated Challenger 2E, it did not find overseas customers. The only export customer was Oman, which bought 38.

Challenger 2 entered service in 1998 with the 2nd Royal Tank Regiment (RTR) in Germany. Besides the 2nd RTR, it serves with the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards, the Royal Dragoon Guards, the Queen's Royal Hussars, the King's Royal Hussars and a squadron of the 1st RTR. The tank was used during peacekeeping missions such as around the Balkans but its first combat use was in 2003 during Operation Telic in Iraq. 120 Challenger 2s of the 7th Armoured Brigade, 1st Armoured Division were in action around Basra, mainly fighting against old T-55s. No Challengers were lost to enemy fire although one Challenger 2 of the Queen's Royal Lancers was destroyed in a blue-on-blue incident, being mistaken for an Iraqi tank by another Challenger from the 2nd RTR. In another incident, a Challenger was attacked by insurgents armed with machine guns and RPGs. The driver's sight was damaged and while backing away, more sights were damaged and the tank threw its track in the ditch. Now a stationary target, it was hit by 14 RPG rounds and a MILAN missile. However the most serious damage was done to the sights and it was back in action just six hours after repairs have been completed. In another incident, a Challenger 2 survived being hit by 70 RPG projectiles.  A further 'Chally 2' was damaged by RPG-29 in August 2006 and another one by IEDs in April 2007.      

The Kit

Hot on the heels of their M1A2 Abrams, Tamiya released the other main combatant during the 2003 invasion of Iraq - the British FV4034 Challenger 2 tank. The 'Desertised' in the kit title reflects the application of the full-length skirting to combat the dust of the Iraqi desert. The kit consists of 345 parts moulded in light tan plastic and 17 in clear. The quality of the moulding and detail was as usually expected of Tamiya. Also included were a small clear sheet for the commander's cupola periscopes, a sheet of thin white plastic for the turret front CIP, a length of twine for the towing cable and copper wire for the cable reel. The kit is basically based on Tamiya's earlier Challenger 1 and Challenger 1 Mk.3 kits but with suitable changes to depict a Challenger 2; the Chally 2 kit also boasted a greater level of detail on parts supposedly similar on the real Challengers 1 and 2. While many parts are well-moulded and have excellent detail, Tamiya missed the non-slip coating texture on the relevant surfaces. Also engine grill cover was not included and have to be bought separately. Decals provide markings for three Challenger 2s serving in Iraq.

Construction

As usual with AFV model kits, construction started at the bottom of the vehicle. However, Tamiya's instructions is slightly unusual by having the modeller attach the skirt mountings first. The idler mounts were not cemented to the hull but secured using the provided 1.5mm screws which allow adjustments to be made during track fitting. All the wheels were the painted while still on the sprue trees and was then cut and the scar retouched. Also out of the ordinary is the way the road wheels are placed: usually the arms were cemented to the hull first and the followed by the wheels. The Chally kit have them the other way round. The instructions also specifically orders the modeller to place the wheels rear to front. As I was not going to tempt fate, I dutifully followed the instructions! The rear panel was next where all the fittings there were cemented to it. The exceptions at his time were the rear lights brush guards and the jerry can rack. The latter was assembled but would be separate from the rear panel for the time being. The same was done to the external fuel tanks and the cable reel.

I figured that the upper hull cannot be finished without being joined to the lower half. The hull area behind the wheels (and the wheels themselves of course) were painted and the track joined. Although plastic cement can be used, I stick to cyano glue to loop the tracks. After the tracks have been fitted, the upper hull shell was slotted into place - poly caps secured the forward part of the joint. The ROMOR applique armour panels were then assembled and cemented into place. Almost all other fittings on the hull, like stowage boxes, exhausts, gun travel lock, mudguards and headlight mountings were then cemented. As the side mirrors were moulded in the stowed position, they were also cemented at this time. The fire extinguishers were not cemented at this tome to facilitate painting. Also, there are no engine grille covers provided with the kit - they are only available separately.

Work on the turret started with the assembly of the gun mantlet / TOGS fairing. The cover for the sight and an opening on the right-hand side can be posed in the opened position but I chose to have it closed. The barrel halves were joined together and as usual care has to be taken to avoid visible seams. By the way, the barrel look a bit anaemic to my eyes. It was then joined to the mantlet and set aside for a while. The turret shell was then assembled with two of the antenna bases being cemented from below the roof. The poly cap to secure the Commander's panoramic sight was also inserted. But before the turret was assembled, holes were drilled into the relevant panels in order to accommodate the CIP panels later on. While most of the clear parts were made of clear styrene, the vision blocks need to be cut from the supplied sheet of clear acetate using the template provided..sheesh! The smaller bits on the turret like the commander's sight and the loader's machine gun were assembled but set aside at this time the others were cemented. The hatches were left off as I intended to use the figures.

And now, a lesson in planning your builds : plan beforehand and only make small adjustments as you go along, not major ones unless it was unforeseen. I was referring to my decision to add the anti-slip coating sported on Challengers which Tamiya did not provide. At the start of the build, I was trying to look for methods to re-create the coating, specifically using Rust-Oleum textured paint whuch have the best texture. Unfortunately none of the local hardware stores have them and I proceeded with the build. And then I remembered I have a bottle of Tamiya Grit Effect Diorama Texture Paint. After browsing the internet, looking for ways to apply it as anti-slip coating, I summoned my courage and dived in. The effect is rather coarse and may be more suitable for the Merkava. I tried 'watering' it down by diluting the thick paint with acrylic thinner and then applying it in thin layers. The coarser bits were sanded down. As this was my first attempt, results were mixed - the turret looked rather OK while the those on the hull were coarser, resembling the coating on the Merkava. And as many of the smaller (and uncoated) parts were already on the model, clean-up work need to be done. Thankfully they can be easily scraped off using a hobby knife and/or removed using thinner.

Painting and Decalling

The Tamiya instructions call for TS-46 Light Sand as the overall colour. I felt however that that particular colour is more suited towards American vehicles and that the British modern desert colour has a more yellowish tinge to it. As it was named Light Stone, I was thinking of using the mixture used for my Grant Mk. I. The problem is that photos show bewildering shades depending on the lighting conditions but most of the time showing a darker shade than the WW2-era Light Stone. After again searching the internet, modellers mention that a more suitable mixture, taken from Osprey's Modelling The Challenger 1 and 2 book, is 3 parts XF-59 Desert Yellow to 1 part XF-3 Flat Yellow. I duly used this mixture although I added a bit more XF-2 Flat White. Even so, it still show different hues under different lighting conditions (maybe the modeller got it right then). The dust skirting was painted XF-57 Buff as many photos show them having a different colour from the vehicle itself.

As for the markings, Tamiya provided decals for three vehicles, all from the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards (Carabiniers and Greys), 7th Armoured Brigade. I am a sucker for the more colourful markings so naturally I'm attracted to Option A (Tank No.1, 2nd Troop, B Company) with a small St. Andrew's flag on either side of the turret and a Union Jack atop the TOGS. However I was more interested in the plainer, but with a lion (or is it a griffin?) crouchant of the B option (HQ Squadron, Command Troop). The model was then given a red brown pin wash to highlight details. Although many real Chally 2s suffer from flaking paints (which some modellers replicate) I decided not to add any.

Finishing

To tell the truth there aren't many things to do by this time, and mainly it was concerned with further weathering. The loader's machine gun mount was assembled and finally put in place and followed by the towing cables. Things at the rear of the hull such as the external fuel tanks and the jerry can rack were then cemented onto the model. The crew figures were painted but I deviated a bit by painting the disruptive pattern in XF-49 Khaki instead of XF-52 Flat Earth. Also, while looking at photographs, the crew helmets are mostly in a lighter colour (some are even wearing the infantry Mark 6 / Mark 7 helmets). The loader's helmet was painted XF-57 with the earphones in X-18 while the commander's helmet remain in X-18. Photographs also show that Challys carry their camouflage / thermal blanket in a U-shaped roll along the sides and the front upper glacis plate. I'm interested in adding this feature although knowing the rate I work, the putty might harden before I can add the surface features. 

After examining more photos, some show the roll being placed on the glacis plate atop the ROMOR bricks. This would have a smaller footprint, easing handling. I kneaded some two-part putty and then adding strips of Tamiya tapes and lengths of sewing threads. The still-soft putty was then pressed on the model. This resulted in elongated 'dough', the excess of which was cut. The placement was not not centred but I guess tank crews don't bother much if the roll is straight or not under combat conditions! Surface features were then added using a toothpick, a hobby knife and a nail file. Not sure about the colour of the roll, I painted it a mixture of XF-57 Buff and XF-49 Khaki. A water carton was placed between the loader's and commander's hatches while a ration carton was placed on the glacis plate (it is of the 10-person pack for infantry squads and not really suitable for a 4-person tank but what the heck). Guitar strings were cut and were then superglued to simulate radio aerials. Sand-coloured pigment powder was then applied to the lower hull and tracks.

Conclusion

After rather disappointing releases of American vehicles in the post-Cold War era (the M1A2 using the 1980s-vintage M1 kit as base and the M113A2 using the ancient 1970s M113), Tamiya released a wonderful kit of the Challenger 2. Although the lower hull is still based on their earlier Challenger 1 kit, most of the parts are new and well-moulded (case in point are the applique side armours - on the real vehicles, they are similar for both Challengers but the one in the Chally 2 kit has more detail than the earlier release). The only shortcomings with this kit are concerned with the lack of anti-slip surface and the engine deck grilles. Yet they still do not detract from the fact that this Chally is a very good kit.