Achilles' Tracks

Historical Background

After studying the German Blitzkrieg of 1939-1941, the US Army incorporated the idea of tank destroyers - fast, lightly armoured vehicles with high velocity anti-tank guns to deal with the armoured spearheads of the blitzkrieg. The result was the M10 Gun Motor Carriage based on the M4 Sherman tank but with thinner armour in order to comply with the high speed requirement. At the same time the British were examining the design for a low-silhouette tank destroyer with a 360-degree rotating turret mounting the hard-hitting Ordnance QF 17-pounder gun with armour able to resist 50 mm rounds at 800 yards. However, with the British resources and industry working at full capacity, together with the availability of Lend-Lease, the project was cancelled and they received the M10, nicknamed Wolverine in British service. The British received their first Wolverines in 1943 and found the M1 3-in anti-tank gun arming them gave better performance than the Ordnance QF 6-pounder anti-tank gun and equal to the 7.5-cm KwK 40 gun arming the Panzer IV and Sturmgeschutz III.

The British however still wanted to mount the 17-pounder gun but the main problem is how to mount the gun onto the existing vehicles. However, the initial batches of the British M10 had an easily modified mounting to facilitate the replacement of the M7 gun with the newer M1. The mounting also allowed the British to eventually mount the 17-pounder gun. But for later batches of M10s, only the T71 type can be converted while the T70 can only mount the lighter M1. The M10-based conversions were nicknamed Achilles Ic while M10A1-based conversions were called Achilles IIc. The 17-pounder was able to penetrate 131 mm of armour at 1,000 meters at 30 degree angle of penetration using APCBC rounds. The limited-availability APDS round can penetrate 192 mm at the same range and angle of attack. By comparison, the same APCBC rounds fired from the American 3-in gun can only penetrate 88 mm of armour while the very limited HVAP round can only penetrate 127 mm of armour. All these numbers show the clear superiority of the 17-pounder gun. Because of its length, the 17-pounder gun of the Achilles was fitted with a counterweight, giving it a distinctive appearance compared to the M10.

In practice, the British used the Achilles as a mobile anti-tank gun, able to reinforce an infantry attack and engage counterattacking enemy forces, while waiting for the slower towed 17-pounders be brought into position. This was actually in line with the original American concept of the tank destroyer. The Achilles was usually used in an offensive manner in support of Churchill tank-equipped units, which was not supported by the Sherman Firefly or the Challenger tank. The Achilles equipped the units of the Royal Artillery and Royal Canadian Artillery in Armoured Divisions or Corps Anti-Tank Regiments. The most successful action taken by the Achilles was during Operation Charnwood, when Achilleses and towed 17-pounders of the 245th Battery, 62nd Anti-Tank Regiment of the Royal Artillery stopped an attack by a mixed force of Panzer IV and Panther tanks of the 12th SS-Panzer Division Hitlerjugend, destroying thirteen panzers while losing four of their number.

The British received 1,650 M10s during the war, of which 1,100 were converted into Achilles standard. It was planned that 1,000 would be converted in time for Operation Overlord but eventually only 124 had been converted by 6 June 1944. Losses among Achilles-equipped unit at the time meant that replacements were often regular M10s, much to the crews' dismay. The numbers however picked up by the end of 1944 finally reaching the figure stated beforehand. 

The Kit

Two years after the release of the M10, AFV Club released the 'Anglified' version - the Achilles. The majority of the parts in this kit are the same with the ones in the M10 kit. The Achilles kit added a new sprue containing British-specific parts such as the gun mantlet, British-style fire extinguishers, British No.19 radio, spare track-link mounts, three Sten Guns with alternate metal stocks and six 17-pounder rounds for the ready-round racks. A new turned aluminium barrel is also included. Decals provide markings for six vehicles:

1. 93rd Anti-Tank Regiment, Royal Artillery, 5 Corps Italy 1944

2. 1st Army Corps, Normandy 1944

3. 75th Anti-Tank Regiment, Royal Artillery, 11th Armoured Division, Belgium 1944-45

4. 4th Anti-Tank Regiment, Royal Canadian Artillery, Netherlands 1945

5. 21st Anti-Tank Regiment, Royal Artillery, Guards Armoured Division, Netherlands 1944

6. 1st Anti-Tank Regiment, 1st Polish Armoured Division, Netherlands 1944

While other reviewers didn't mention it,  the decals in my kit were badly printed, with the Guards Armoured Division insignia and all of the arms of service insignias out of register. 

Construction

Since the Achilles, like the original M10 is an open-topped vehicle, construction started at the interior. Not much however is included (and as I have never seen the actual interior, it's rather moot actually). What were there however was nicely detailed. There are seats for the driver and his assistant but no control columns were included. The instrument panel was painted and drybrushed (although I shouldn't bother, really). The ammo rack on the sponson is there but unlike the M10, rounds were not provided. The beautifully-detailed transmission were next. After assembly, it was cemented to the transmission cover and the whole thing was mated to the main hull. The interior then received a rather heavy dark wash. Moving on to the suspension, AFV Club's VVSS suspension has a bit more breakdown than other companies' allowing more articulation especially for dioramas (which I don't need). It was quite tedious but strangely enough, after all the effort making the suspension articulate, they have the wheels with hollow backs.....The rear plate and all the fittings was then fitted to the hull, although I left the exhaust for the time being.

Before doing anything else to the upper hull, the faint raised circles marking the locations of the applique armour bosses were sanded off (unless you're doing the Canadian version).  Like the M10 kit, the driver and co-driver's hatches can be made moveable but I also decided to cement them shut as there were no sitting figures to fit there nor there were interior to speak of. The rear plate was then cemented but the tools placed there were left off until after painting has been done. The fit was was quite bad and needed putty to fill the gap. It should be noted that there is a difference for the location of the tools between the Canadian version and the rest of the options in the kit The grouser rack were then cemented to the hull. Again the location is different on the Canadian option. At the front of the hull, AFV Club gave options for the placement of the radio aerial and the right-hand side light (either on the same location as on the M10 or on the front plate for the former and either on the edge of the front plate or on top of the right headlight for the latter). The empty ammo racks on the sponson were partially filled with ammo from Bronco - just to have something in it.

On to the turret then. The turret is basically a carry-over from the M10 kit. However the upper rear panel is a straight piece of plastic which need to be folded to fit on the lower half (fit is a bit of a misnomer here). Also, instead of generic ammunition style (or using ammo from the M10), AFV Club provided 'proper' 17 pounder ammunition for the turret ready racks. I did not use them however. Instead I used the even better items from Bronco. They are however larger than the kit ammo but fortunately, they fit into the kit ammo racks (except for the topmost, right-side rack). A Sten Gun with alternative butts was also provided. The instructions have the magazine in place but I don't think the gun was stowed as such, so the magazines were left off. The real difference of the turret is at the front with a different mantlet and the gun (of course) and the differently-shaped counterweights on the rear of the turret. The M2 heavy machine gun was left off the this time to ease handling of the turret. And, to ease painting (more or less) the interior parts were painted before they were assembled, with touching-up of the paint took place after construction.

Painting and Decalling

Allied vehicles are pretty straightforward to paint by (usually) having just one colour. In the interest of accuracy, the Achilles should be painted SCC15 (British) Olive Drab. Since I usually paint using Tamiya stuff and Tamiya does not have this colour, they need to mixed using Tamiya paints. I However ran out of some of the paint, and so I painted it 'straight' XF-62 Olive Drab. The majority of marking options in the kit have plain schemes and to add a bit more variety to my collection, I decided to finish my model in the Guards Armoured Division markings. The camouflage pattern was painted using Tamiya XF-69 NATO Black. The decals were applied next. They settled without any problems but you can't help noticing the rather obvious mis-register (is there such a word?) of the decals especially the arms of service marking. The model then received a wash using stuff from AK Interactive.

Finishing

I didn't mention it early on but the tracks were fitted onto the running gear before the upper hull was cemented to the lower half. The tracks were painted XF-64 Red Brown as base while the track pads were painted XF-69 NATO Black. It was earlier decided that turret opening is wide enough for some parts to be left off and so only at this time the ammo pieces were put in place, together with the aforementioned Sten. AFV Club did not include stowage so I added some from my stash and from Bronco's 17-Pounder Ammunition Set and British Field Accessories Set. The turret and upper hull received a thin layer of XF-57 Buff to stimulate dust. The Buff layer for the hulls was streaked down to simulate rain marks. The marks were enhanced here and there using AK Interactive Weathering Pencil. The lower hull received mud applications using Vallejo Splash Mud, Ammo Dark Mud and AK Interactive Earth Effects. 

Conclusion

While the amount of detail is pretty good for the outside, I believe that interior is simplified and is something that is not so good for an open-topped vehicle. The fit is also not very good especially for the turret walls and the rear hull plate which require putty. The decals is one of the worst for a mainstream kit with out-of-register printings. And, apparently, like their M10 kit, the turret is rather inaccurate although I don't have any means to verify the claim. Anyway it does look like an Achilles's turret so there. It is nevertheless a very buildable kit and recommended to all. Of course, if you want to have an easier build, there' always the newer Tamiya kit of the same vehicle!

"Kucing Laut"

Historical Background

In the 1960s, the British Army issued a requirement for improved helicopters. As the French Army also had the same requirements, Westland Helicopters and Aerospatiale signed an agreement in early 1967 to jointly develop the helicopter for their countries' armed forces. While Aerospatiale became the design leader for the large helicopter (eventually emerged as the Puma) and the 'small' helicopter (which became the Gazelle), Westland took up the development of the medium helicopter, initially known as WG.13 (and later as the Lynx). The first prototype of the Lynx flew on 21 March 1971. In 1972 a Lynx broke the world speed record over 15 km and 25 km by flying at 321.74 km/h and then set a new record for 100 km closed circuit by flying at 318.504 km/h. The British Army put an order for more than 100 Lynx AH.1 to perform various roles including transport, armed escort, anti-tank, reconnaissance and evacuation. Deliveries began in 1977

Meanwhile, the Royal Navy found that the Westland Wasp inadequate and had a strong interest in the Lynx. Therefore a navalised variant was developed as Lynx HAS.2. While the naval HAS.2 retained the twin Rolls-Royce Gem turboshaft engine of the Army Lynx, it differed by having fixed tricycle landing gear, foldable main rotor and tailboom, deck capture and and restraint system, emergency floating system and a bigger nose containng a Ferranti Seaspray radar. The colloquially-named Sea Lynx first flew on 10 February 1976 and officially entered service in 1981. The HAS.2 was then upgraded to HAS.3 with the addition of a towed magnetic anomaly detector, uprated transmission, Gem Mk 204 engines and Orange Crop ESM. In 1984, an enhanced version called Lynx-3 was proposed but was not pursued with due to insufficient orders. However in the early 1990s, Westland incorporated some of the Lynx-3 technology into a less radical design called the Super Lynx. This variant featured BERP rotor blades, new tail rotoer (derived from WG.30 design), a new under-nose 360-degree coverage radar, Gem 42 engines and optional EO turret in the nose. Royal Navy Lynx HAS.3s upgraded to Super Lynx standard were known as HMA.8. The Super Lynx was also offered to prospective clients as upgrades to their existing fleet or as new-build craft.

In order to fulfil maritime patrol, anti-submarine, anti-surface and SAR duties, the Royal Malaysian Navy placed an order for six Super Lynx Series 300 in September 1999. These would also complement the then newly-delivered Lekiu-class frigates. The RMN Mk.100 Super Lynx is powered by a pair of LHTEC CTS800-4N turboshaft engines rated at 1,563 shaft horsepower. It also incorporated an all-new glass cockpit with active LCD displays and new avionics. Half of the fleet is equipped with EO sensor on the nose. The pilots are also provided with NVGs for night-time operations. Anti-submarine weaponry consists of two A-244/S lightweight torpedo while anti shipping vessel weapons consists of up to four (but usually just one or two) BAe Sea Skua missiles. Pintle-mounted FN MAG 7.62 mm or FN M3M 12.7 mm machine gun may also be be fitted. The Lynxes are grouped into No.501 Squadron and was land-based at KD Rajawali.

The Kit

Hobby Boss came up with a bunch of Sea Lynxes in 2009. The HAS.2 version was the first release, followed by HAS.3, Super Lynx, Sea Lynx Mk.88 and Sea Lynx Mk.90. For this build, I chose kit No. 87239 (Lynx Mk 88). All the kits generally have nicely engraved and raised details although most details for the cabin interior is missing save for some equipment boxes and jump seats (which I think were usually not installed in the naval Lynx). The model is also missing the pedestal-mounted winch for SAR work. The nose is separate so that modelers can chose either to have the radar nose of the one with the EO sensor dome. There are also two styles of main gear fairing so chose according to your reference. For external ordnance, two styles of torpedoes (a pair each) and a pair of Sea Skua missiles are included. Decals provide markings for two Bundesmarine birds.

I however intended to build a RMN bird and so have purchased a conversion set from Naza Model Works. This set includes a new engine fairing, exhausts, the aforementioned winch, a new instrument panel, central console and also a small decal sheet.

Construction

As usual, the construction steps started with the interior of the aircraft. However, this time I started by sawing off all the resin replacement parts off their pour stubs and hacking away portions off the main fuselage halves. The NMA conversion kit did not actually show the areas to be removed but their FB page shows a post of the conversion part being dry-fitted to the basic kit and that indirectly shows which area of the original kit to be removed. Only then did I continue with the interior. There wasn't much to do here as the kit's interior is quite sparse (there wasn't even the collective stick!). The troop seats can be left off as the Super Lynx (at least in those in Malaysian service) were rarely used as troop transports. I just add the seat behind the pilot for the cabin interior. The holes on the cockpit floor were then puttied in. However, the base for the rotor shaft cannot be used as the replacement engine housing is too thick at the opening for the rotor shaft and cannot be drilled through easily. 

Next, the replacement engine fairing is put in place. But before that, holes for the exhaust were cut out (the resin is thin over the openings). The resin wafer covering the air intakes can be left on (and painted black later on) or removed although the latter option means they open into nothingness (not really a problem actually). Since I cut badly, extra putty were needed to cover the gaps between the fuselage and the engine housing. There are two types of sponsons provided and the one similar to RMN Lynxes' were used. However the chosen sponsons lacked some detail such as tie down eyelets. As RMN Lynxes have both radar and EO noses, decision has to be made here and it was, more or less, dictated by the provided decal sheet. The latter only provide markings for M501-1, -3 and -5 which have EO sensor on the nose

Although the conversion kit includes the winch assembly, I didn't use it as I have the cabin doors closed. The ESM antennas on the rear of the fuselage was not fitted on RMN Lynxes and the holes were puttied in. The blobs on the mount were removed and transplanted to rear of the sponsons. Obliterated cabin door railings were restored using styrene strips (one looks rather OK, the other, quite bad!). To ease handling while painting and decalling, the landing gears, weapons pylon and the rotors were left off at this time. Oh yeah, one more thing, part of the landing gear sponson is actually covered in canvas, so I have to mask, apply putty and sand before painting.

Painting and Decalling

I have to confess: despite my year of dabbling in scale modelling, I still can't correctly identify which colour to be used without being told which is which. In this case, I'm not sure whether the helicopter is painted in medium Sea Grey or Dark Sea Grey (despite being in front of it). Fortunately, there is a photo of the pre-delivery M501-1 in front of a Royal Navy Merlin. I know for sure that RN's Merlins were painted MSG (the instructions for an aftermarket decal sheet said so(!)) and as the Lynx looks darker than the Merlin....then it must be painted in DSG then. The area around the engine intakes, the anti-glare panel and the ESM antennas were painted Flat Black. For markings, both inbox and the conversion kit were used with the inbox decals providing most of the stencils. However, there are some 'misses' with the in-box decals. First, the port 'rescue' arrow has a different orientation than the one on the real aircraft. Secondly, a number of decals are missing from the decal sheet - there are only two decals for the kick-in steps and there is only one stripe decal for the Sea Skua missile.

Decal application went without a hitch, except for a warning sign on the starboard engine casing; the carrier film was quite stiff and somehow unable to stick to the surface. I replaced it with paint but being unable to replicate the stencil, I just painted dots to replace the alphabets...haha. Having looked into my spares box for suitable replacements, the port 'rescue' arrow had to be placed into wrong position. Another inaccurate decals are the 'Step' markers on the main wheel sponsons. And finally I decided to paint the warning stripes on the tail rotor rather than using the decals. 

Finishing

I started by adding the EO dome and the missile rack. Speaking of the latter, Hobby Boss instructed you to use Parts D5 and D6 which somehow look dubious and not used on RMN Lynxes and I believe is for the carriage of two missiles each. I decided to replace it with Parts F3 and F4 as the missile pylon can fit onto it. Test fitting however showed that the missile would be lower than the landing gear. This required further modification by removing the upper part of the pylon. On the real aircraft, there is a cable running through the antenna blades at the bottom of the tail but I decided not to add them. The main landing gears were canted outboard a bit as the real aircraft is usually seen as such (unless the wheels are chocked). The panel lines were then applied with AK Interactive Paneliner. The missiles were cemented to the pylons and the rotors were put in place.  After that the whole model was sprayed with Mr Color Semi-Gloss Top Coat, the masks removed, finishing the build.

Conclusion

Hobby Boss's Lynx is a fairly nice representation of the real thing in 1/72 scale. The outside surfaces are fairly detailed although the interior, especially the main cabin is very sparse although with all doors closed, it wasn't a problem. The decal is also quite disappointing as Hobby Boss missed quite a number of the more prominent ones especially for the kick-in steps. As for the conversion set, NMA has come up with another excellent conversion set for Malaysian armed forces'birds. My complaint against the set was just the lack of cabin machine gun mount. Although the Lynx kits from Hobby Boss are modular, and basically the same among the HMA.8, Super Lynx and Lynx Marks 88 and 90, I finally realise why NMA recommended the Mk 90 as the basic kit for the conversion - the Mk 90 kit 'essential information' decals are more appropriate for a RMN Super Lynx!  

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.

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.

Spitfire Part III : Most Numerous Of Them All

Historical Background

In 1931, Reginald J. Mitchell, the aeronautical engineer for Supermarine Aviation Works (Vickers) Ltd (later Vickers-Armstrong (Aircraft) Ltd) began working on a monoplane aircraft designed Type 300. The proposal was submitted to the British Air Ministry in July 1934 but was not accepted. Mitchell then revised the design, incorporating a faired, enclosed cockpit, oxygen-breathing apparatus, smaller, thinner wings and a new engine, Rolls-Royce PV-XII inline engine, soon to be known as the Merlin. In November 1934, detailed design work for the improved Type 300 was begun and in January 1935, the Air Ministry formalised the contract with Vickers-Armstrong and Specification F10/35 was issued around the aircraft. In April 1935, the original two 7.7mm Vickers machine guns in each wing was increased to four upon recommendation by Squadron Leader Ralph Sorley of the Operational Requirement section at the Air Ministry.

On 5 March 1936, the prototype, registered K5054 flew for the first time. The subsequent test flights found that the aircraft was good, but suffered from over-sensitive rudder and with a top speed of just 330mph. The latter was cured by using a better-shaped propeller, allowing K5054 to reach 348mph during its delivery flight to the Aeroplane & Armament Experimental Establishment at Boscombe Down in mid-May 1936. Based on raw reports by test pilots, the Air Ministry placed an order for 310 aircraft on 3 June 1936. The aircraft was named 'Spitfire' by Vickers-Armstrong's chairman, Sir Robert McLean after the affectionate name he gave to his spirited elder daughter, Annie Penrose. The name was actually opposed by the Air Ministry and Mitchell himself, who favoured the name 'Shrew' but eventually Sir Robert's choice prevail. The first production Spitfire however only left the production line at Woolston, Southampton in mid-1938,as the Supermarine factory was working at full capacity producing Walrus amphibians and Stanraer flying-boats.

The Spitfire's fuselage was of streamlined, semi-monocoque design. The skins were secured by rivets: flush headed where uninterrupted airflow was required, and dome-headed elsewhere. But the most distinctive part of the Spitfire was its elliptical wings. The shape was chosen as it offered the best compromise between thinness (to avoid creating excessive drag) and the need to house a retractable undercarriage and armament and its ammunition. The wing tips were detachable, allowing it to be fitted with extended wingtips for the high-altitude fighter role (such as the Mark VI and VII) or fitted with fairings to create the 'clipped wing' versions for low-altitude work. Armament was eight .303 Browning machine guns, four in each wing. While they worked perfectly at low altitudes, they tended to freeze higher up, especially the outer two guns. The problem was not solved until 1938 when Supermarine added hot air ducts from the engine radiators to gun bays. Fabric patches were also doped on the gun ports to protect them from the cold, moisture and dirt until they were fired. Despite their numbers, the .303 machine guns were really too light to destroy enemy aircraft, especially larger bomber-type aircraft. Power for the Spitfire was provided by a Rolls-Royce Merlin V12 inline engine delivering 1,030 hp at 5,500 ft (Merlin II) or 1,310 hp at 9,000 ft (Merlin III). Subsequent variants of the Spitfire were fitted with more powerful versions of the Merlin and were then replaced with a Rolls-Royce Griffon for the later marks.

In late 1940, the RAF predicted the start of a new high-altitude bombing campaign by the Luftwaffe using pressurised Junkers Ju 86P bombers. As the high-altitude variant (the Mk VI) would take some time to be developed, an emergency measure was needed. Thus the Mark V was conceived. The Mk V was basically a Mk. I powered by a Merlin 45 engine incorporating a single-stage  supercharger. Power was rated at 1,440 hp at take-off. Improvements to the carburettor allowed the Mk V to make zero g maneuvers without any problems with the fuel flow which plagued the Mk. I.  Several Mk. Vs were converted Marks I and II airframes and they started joining line squadrons in early 1941. The Mk. VB with Merlin 45 and 'B' wing (one Hispano 20mm cannon replacing two inner .303 machineguns in each wing while retaining the outer two .303s) was the main production version. The round section exhaust stacks were replaced with the 'fishtail' type, allowing marginal increase in thrust. 

With the receding threat of invasion, the RAF decided to go on the offensive (or as Air Vice-Marshal Trafford Leigh-Mallory put it 'leaning forward into France'). The new policy entailed fighter sweeps (called 'Rhubarbs') and bomber escort missions ('Circuses') over France and other occupied territories. The Spitfires used for these missions found themselves having the same tactical disadvantages as the Bf 109 units faced during the Battle of Britain, namely their rather short range. The 'F' versions now equipping Jagdwaffe units on the Channel coast have performance closely matching the Mark V of the Spitfire. The introduction of the Fw 190 gave further shocks to the RAF, being 25-30 mph faster while having better acceleration and rate of climb and not to mention more powerful armament, making the Fw 190 the highest scoring Spitfire killers. This hastened the introduction of the 'interim' Mark IX but in the meantime, some Mark Vs received 'clipped' wingtips (being the first Spitfire variant to have this option). The clipped wingtips allowed a greater rate of roll and airspeed at low altitudes.

The Kit

Hot on the heels of their Spitfire Mk.I, Tamiya came up with VB variant in 1994. The parts are spread among two light grey and one clear sprues and feature nicely engraved details. The clear parts include both armoured and non-armoured windscreens and two styles of the sliding portion of the canopy. The one problem I see with the kit engineering is that the cannon barrels were moulded together with the upper wings, increasing the risk of breakage. The wingtips are separate allowing modellers to chose between the normal and the clipped wingtips. While cockpit details are reasonable, there are no seat belts included, not even in decal form. Also, while the separate cockpit door (to depict it in the open position) has better details than the one moulded with the fuselage. The decal sheet includes the wing leading edge ID strip together with the machinegun muzzle patches (separate patches for the third option as it does not have the ID strip). Three marking options were provided:
1. SN-M/EN821, No.243 Squadron
2. SZ-X/BL479, No.316 Squadron*
3. AGM, Fighter Command, Wing Commander A.G Malan

*No.316 was a Polish Squadron (with squadron ID 'SZ'). Most if not all aircraft in the unit featured the Polish checkerboard pattern on the nose while this particular aircraft did not. It was actually the personal mount of Group Captain M.W.S. Robinson, Station Commander of RAF Northolt where No.316 was stationed at the time.

Construction

Before assembling the cockpit interior, I first painted the parts and the cockpit sidewalls British Interior Green using XF-71 Cockpit Green. Yes, it's a Japanese colour but to my eyes it looks similar to British Cockpit Green. The details were painted X-18 Semi-Gloss Black with instrument dials in XF-2 Flat White. Although Tamiya has the modeller paint the seat in the same green (with the cushion in X-18), photos show that the seat is actually red brown in colour (it was made of bakelite) and the cushion looks like Buff. hey were therefore painted XF-64 and XF-57 respectively. The pilot's office was then assembled and the scars were cleaned up and retouched. Things on the cockpit sidewalls were cemented and the fuselage halves were mated. As Tamiya expected the included pilot figure be used by everyone, no seat belts, even in the shape of decals, were included. The cockpit assembly and a bulkhead was then inserted from below. Although the tailwheel are to be inserted at this time according to the instructions, I chose not to. The tailplanes were then cemented onto the fuselage.

Rather than continuing with canopy assembly and exhaust manifolds as per the instructions, I jumped to wing assembly first. The two separate upper wing halves were cemented to the one-piece lower half. Decision has to be made here as to whether to finish the model as a regular or a clipped-wing variant. Fit was again excellent. The engine radiator, oil cooler and carburettor intake were then cemented. There is a bit of a fit problem however with the carburettor intake inlet and the main body. The wing assembly was then mated to the fuselage. Oops! I almost forgot - the wing reinforcement ribs on each upper wings need to be removed (they were museum additions). The lower nose cowling was then cemented into place, finishing the initial build.

Painting and Decalling

The camouflage pattern for all three marking schemes are the same so that simplify things. The Medium Sea Grey, Ocean Grey and Dark Green colours were done using Tamiya XF-83, XF-82 and XF-81 respectively. Only then I have to make up my mind as to which markings to do. With the clipped-wing option out of the picture (as I used the original rounded wing tips), that left me with either the anonymous No.243 Squadron machine or the one belonging to ace 'Sailor' Malan. It was rather obvious that I would choose Malan's plane. Adolph Gysbert 'Sailor' Malan was a South African who joined the RAF in 1935 and was confirmed as a pilot in 1937. he was posted to No.74 Squadron at RAF Hornchurch.At the outbreak of war, Malan was involved in the so-called Battle of Barking Creek, a 'blue-on-blue' incident on 6 September 1939. As leader of 'A' Flight which attacked the unfortunate Hurricanes of No.56 Squadron, Malan denied responsibility and instead blamed pilys under his command. The court eventually dismissed the case and acquitted all pilots involved.  

During Operation Dynamo, No.74 was one of the squadrons giving cover to the evacuation and on 28 June 1940, Malan was awarded a DFC, having achieved the ace status. On 5 July he rose to the rank of Flight Lieutenant and on 8 August, he was promoted to acting Squadron Leader and took charge of No.74 Squadron. It was around this time that Malan and other senior pilots decided to abandon the RAF's 'vic' formation and adopted the looser finger-four formation. On 13 August, he was awarded a Bar to his DFC. Malan commanded No.74 with strict discipline and also reluctant to hand out decorations. Apart from being a force to change the RAF's tactical fighter formation, Malan also developed a set of simple rules for fighter and was disseminated throughout Fighter Command.On 24 December he received a DSO and in July 1941 received a Bar to the Order. On 10 March 1941, he was appointed as the leader of the Biggin Hill Wing - one of the first persons so appointed. He was rested from active fighter duties in August of the same year by which he has amassed 27 solo kills, 7 shared kills, 2 unconfirmed, 3 probables and 16 damaged, becoming the highest scoring RAF pilot at that time. He was transferred to reserve on 6 January 1942.

After tours to the United States and the Central Gunnery School, Malan was promoted to temporary Wing Commander on 1 September 1942. He was later appointed as the station commander for Biggin Hill and receiving promotion to war substantive Wing Commander on 1 July 1943. Malan however was keen to fly on combat operations, often ignoring the standing order for station commanders not to risk getting shot down. In October 1943, he became the CO for 19 Fighter Wing of the RAF Second Tactical Air Force. Later he became the commander of No.145 (Free French) Squadron and led a section of the squadron during the afternoon of 6 June 1944 over the Normandy beaches. Malan resigned his commission in the RAF on 5 April 1946 while retaining the rank of Group Captain. He returned to South Africa and joined the anti-apartheid movement. Malan passed away on 17 September 1963 of Parkinson's Disease.

Although no specific time was mentioned, I believed the markings in the Tamiya kit is for during his tenure as Biggin Hill Wing commander (or maybe later, when he was the Biggin Hill base commander as this option lack the wing leading edge ID strip and the armoured windscreen as base commanders were not expected to fly combat missions). The decals are fairly thick, causing visible bumps where the wing roundels overlap the walkway decals. I think that the fin flashes were too wide and need trimming to fit properly (which I did). I also believe that the instructions for the starboard wing walkway is wrong as it doesn't show the chordwise strip (the decal is on the sheet by the way) while the lengthwise strip goes all the way to the wing root (it was cut to the appropriate length before application). All decals then received an AK Interactive Decal Softener treatment. Ak Interactive Paneliner was the applied to the panel lines.

Finishing

The rest of the parts can now be cemented onto the model. I started by assembling the landing gear and then cementing them onto the model and was followed by the tailwheel to allow the model to stand on its own. This was followed by the exhausts, aerial, pitot and ID lights on the top and the bottom of the fuselage. The gunsight was cemented into place before the canopy was added. Speaking of the canopy, Malan's plane used the 'regular' rather than the armoured windscreen (probably for the reasons I mentioned above). As luck would have it, my old friend Murphy came back for a visit during this build - I managed to smear the windscreen with cement! While it can be sanded back, I left it as it was as a lesson to myself. Finally, the propeller assembly was fitted. A final coating of Flat Clear finishes the build.

Conclusion

Another 'easy' Tamiya Spitfire kit to build, just like their Mark I. Almost everything falls in place together with no fuss. Some modellers point out the inaccuracies of this kit (and also the Mark I) such as the fuselage being 'fat' around the cockpit and also a bit short. The wing is too wide at the middle and some issues with the wing curves. To my eyes the model still looks like a Spitfire V. Short of shooting a shrinking ray at an actual Spitfire, these mistakes which virtually all kits have, would still be around  and most of us would still be happy (save a small percentage who suffered from acute and incurable level of AMS).