Rounded Sherman

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 chaneged 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 51mm thick while the turret front was between 64 mm to 76 mm, The front upper hull was angled at 56 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.

Progressively thicker armour was added to later models and once in combat, crews often add improvised additional protection, using sandbags, wire mesh, spare track links and even wood. The sandbag armour was fairly effective on the sloped frontal armour where it gave extra protection against HEAT warheads (but not AP rounds). In 1944 however, General George S. Patton banned the use of sandbag armour as it was alleged that the sandbags were generally ineffective while the weight added extra burden on the tank. Research also showed that the M4 was prone to catch fire when hit by the enemy, caused by the explosion of ammunition stowed in the sponson above the tracks. This unwelcome trait gave the M4 grim nicknames such as Tommycooker by the Germans and Ronson by the British. A partial remedy was found by welding 25 mm thick additional armour plate to the sides containing the ammunition stowage while later models moved the ammo racks to the hull floor with water jackets surrounding the main ammo stowage. The tanks with the water jackets were known as 'wet stowage' (suffixed 'W') while the earlier stowage was known as 'dry'.

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, giving it at least a parity with L/48-armed Panzer IVs. The main armament was backed by two Browning M1919 machien 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 crewmembers had a periscope to allow 360 view of the outside. On early versions, direct vision slits was provided to the driver and his assistant. Despite the inclusion of bulletproof glass and hinged covers, the slits were removed from later models due to bullet splashes.

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 distinctive was the M4A1 with a fully cast, rounded hull. Other distinguishing features were the inverted U-shaped backplate and the rear hull panel similar to the M3. Early M4A1s can also be distinguished by the return rollers being placed on top of the bogies (also like the M3) - it was changed with the more well-known style in Summer 1942. Originally there was only one turret hatch but another one over the loader's position was introduced in December 1943. The early M4A1s were armed with a shorter (L/31) M2 75 mm gun, which was later replaced with the L/40 M3 gun. Late version of the M4A1 was armed with the more powerful M1/M1A1 76 mm gun.

The Sherman was originally issued in small numbers to familiarise the US Armored Divisions. However, following the fall of Tobruk to the Germans and with Egypt and the Suez Canal threatened by further German advance, a decision was made to deliver Shermans to the British. The British received the M4A1 version (called Sherman II) and saw first combat during the Second Battle of El Alamein in October 1942. American Shermans saw their first combat a month later during Operation Torch. 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. As individual tanks, the Sherman is 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.

The Kit

Dragon's Kit No. 6404 of the 1/35 ''39-'45 Series' is another entry in that company's new generation of Sherman tanks. Released in 2008, the kit was made up of 305 gray and 22 clear parts, a small fret of PE part, two lengths of one-piece tracks, a length of braided metal wire plus the usual decal and instruction sheets. The breakdown of the parts are similar with the earlier release of 'El Alamein Sherman' (that is, Sherman II/M4A1 used by the British during the Battle of El Alamein) but with the British-specific parts such as stowage bins dropped. The plastic parts are what we would expect from Dragon: well-executed. This specific boxing represented an early production M4A1 with direct vision slits for the driver and his assistant and with the early VVSS system (aka 'M3 type'). The tracks are of the DS100 soft styrene type and are most welcome by me after the tedious experience gluing the three-part tracks for my Firefly kit. The PE set was restricted to just light guards, vent covers, tool  tie downs and straps and fender tips. Decals provide markings for two vehicles: 'Hannibal', H Company, 66th Armored Regiment, 2nd Armored Division, Operation Husky, Sicily 1943 and 'Honky Tonk', H Company, 1st Armored Regiment, 1st Armored Division, Sidi Bou Zid, Tunisia 1943.

Construction

I started the building process with the suspension. The six sets of vertical volute suspension system (VVSS) took some time although the build was not as complicated as certain other companies' VVSS. It was also simpler as this particular kit is of an early model M4A1 with M3-style suspension (without the guide skid). Well in any case, despite the larger number of parts per suspension, it wasn't as tedious as having to cut, clean assemnle and paint 16 road wheels of a Panzer IV (and its derivatives)! After finishing the VVSS, they were set aside and I turned my attention to the lower hull. The rear panel and the transmission cover were cemented on the main body. Since the running gear would be mounted by this time, I painted them and the lower hull first. I must also mention that the cast texture on the transmission cover (and also the turret was very nice) and so I don't have to enhance them like I did on my Firefly model.

The upper hull, like the rest of the kit, was well done but still sporting the recessed weld beads. I reminded myself to place stretched sprue on the panel lines, flood them with Tamiya Extra Thin cement and turn them into raised weld beads but end up realising I have not done so only after decal. This was then followed by the rest of the fixtures and fittings on the hull except the pioneer tools. The upper hull was the cemented to the lower half. As the tracks were of the one-piece DS 100 style, they were left off at this time. The turret was next on the line and there wasn't much of a problem here, and as usual, the interior was devoid of any details. The turret has a convincing cast texture and I left the as it is  There are two types of gun barrel included in the kit; I chose the 'straight' one. The gun mantlet was completed first before being cemented to the turret shell. The rest of the turret assembly was straightforward with no problems. No M2 heavy machine gun was included (and the Sherman somehwat looked a litte bare without it).

Painting And Decalling

You can paint WW2-era US Army vehicles any colour you like, as long as it's Olive Drab. For this kit I used Tamiya's XF-62 Olive Drab. As all of the Army vehicles were painted a base of Olive Drab, I took a pause and decide which markings to use. Both are attractive ('Hannibal' is of two-colour scheme while 'Honky Tonk' has large American flag of both sides) but 'Honky Tonk' got the nod as it was more 'vibrant' (haha) with large US flags on both flanks. The kit however does not include the yellow band round the turret so it has to be painted. A brown filter was applied. The decals were then applied with no problems even on the rather irregular cast texture (helped by Mr Mark Softer of course). and then followed by the usual wash. The rubber part of the tracks was painted XF-69 NATO Black while the metal prortions were painted a 50/50 mix of XF-69 and XF-64 Red Brown.  The tools' handles were simply painted XF-59 Desert Yellow with the metal parts in Steel (what else?)

Finishing

The kit comes without any accessories (the tools and tow cable are standard issue so they don't count!) So I rummaged through my stash and came up with two ration boxes (the crew must be very fond of tomato juice!), two jerricans, a 75mm ammo crate, a duffel bag and a generic canvas roll; all coming from Tamiya and Academy vehicle accessories sets. And yes, I do think that just two ropes won't hold the stowage on bumpy desert surface but I got tired by this time of this build. While handling the model, it somehow managed to slip through my hands - no major casualties here except the co-axial MG barrel broke and were nowhere to be seen (I'm sure it will resurface in the next month, if not ever) so I have to cut off a barrel from Academy's M1919 MG from the same tank accessories set mentioned above and stick it in place as replacement. The model then received an overall thin cover of XF-57 Buff while the lower reaches of the hull received an additional layer of Mig Productions Iraqi Dust pigment.

Conclusion

What else can I say about Dragon kits? The parts fit well while the 'Smart Kit' concept means a less involved build (with less PE parts). The styrene track simplify the build further and at the same time having very acceptable details plus the 'live' nature of the (actual) tank's tracks means that there is no need to replicate track sag on the model. Dragon also appeared to have the Sherman as its own as nearly all variants of the Shermans have been kitted by them!

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.

турбинный таик!

Historical Background

The T-80 series of Soviet and its successor states' MBTs can trace its origins to turbine-powered tanks proposals designed by one A. Ch. Starostienko for Leningrad Kirovsky Zavod (LKZ) in 1949. The tanks were never built because of very poor quality turbine engines of the time. In 1955, two prototypes were built at the same plant utilising 1,000 hp turbine engines by a team led by one G.A. Oglobin. Two years later, a team led by Josef Kotin constructed two prototypes of Obyekt 278 heavy tank, which were hybrids of the IS-7 and T-10 tanks, powered the GTD-1 turbine engine. Although weighing 53 tons and armed with a 130mm gun, the tank can reach a top speed of 57 km/h. It's range was poor however, due to high fuel consumption. The project was not resumed, not because of economic considerations, but also because of the death of Stalin in 1953 precluded any further work on heavy tanks.

In 1963, the Malyshev Factory in Kharkov, designed a variant of the T-64 tank dubbed the T-64T, powered by 700-hp GTD-3TL turbine engine and was tested until 1965. At the same time, the Uralvagonzavod factory created Obyekt 167T tank, powered by an upgraded (801 hp) GTD-3T turbine. In 1969, another team from LKZ, led by Nikolai Popov, designed a turbine-powered tank designated Obyekt 219 SP1, using the new GTD-1000T multi-fuel gas turbine developed at KB-3 of the LKZ since 1968. It was later renamed T-64T. The increased weight and dynamic characteristics of the more powerful engine than previously used required a complete redesign of the drivetrain and tracks. This resulted in Obyekt 219 SP2 with larger road wheels and return rollers while the road wheels was increased to six (from five previously). The turret was modified to use the same compartment, the 2A46 125mm gun and the autoloader as the T-64A tank. In 1976, Obyekt 219 SP2 was accepted for service as the T-80.

The T-80 has a similar layout with the T-64 with the driver at the front centre of the low, highly sloped hull. The two-man turret has the commander located to the right and the gunner to the left. Apart from welded steel RHA and laminate armour, the sides and the lower hull of the T-80 were protected by rubber flaps and skirts against infantry anti-tank weapons. Power from the engine was transmitted through a manual transmission system with five forward and one reverse gears. The hydropneumatic suspension of the T-64 was replaced with the conventional torsion bar system. The 125mm 2A46 gun was similar to the one arming the T-64 and was loaded using the Korzina automatic loader. While reliable, the system took between 7.1 to 19.5 seconds to load, depending on the initial position of the ammunition carousel.

In 1978, the improved T-80B was introduced. This model featured a new turret, laser rangefinder, fire-control system and a new autoloader. This allowed the B model to fire 9M112 Kobra (NATO AT-8 Songster) anti-tank missiles (and later supplanted by the 9M119 Refleks / AT-11 Sniper missile). In 1980, a new SG-1000 engine rated at 1,100 hp was fitted. In 1982, the B variant received a new gun and in 1985, fittings for explosive reactive armour (ERA) blocks were received. In the same year, Kontakt-1 ERA blocks were fitted to the T-80B, resulting in the T-80BV. The smoke grenade launchers were relocated to the sides of the turret to make way for the ERA bricks. On the front of the turret, the ERA blocks are joined to form a shallow chevron. ERA is also fitted to the front roof of the turret to protect against top-attack weapons such as the Swedish RBS-56 BILL and the BGM-71F version of the TOW missile. While giving additional protection against HEAT rounds, the Kontakt-1 ERA was not effective against APDS and APFSDS rounds. Further development resulted in the T-80U series. Ukraine pursued further development of the T-80, resulting in the diesel-powered T-80UD and the T-84.

Between 1986 through 1987, 2,256 T-80/T-80B/T-80BV were stationed in East Germany and by the time of the break-up of the Soviet Union in 1991, 4,839 T-80s of all variants were operated by the Soviet Army. Their high speed and powerful armament led concerns in the NATO, leading towards the increase of the development of attack helicopters and anti-tank guided weapons. However, instead of leading the Soviet drive to the Bay of Biscay, they were first deployed during the political and economic turmoil in Russia in the early 1990s. They were first deployed in August 1991 during the attempted coup by hard-line communists and their allied military commanders against Mikhail Gorbachev. T-80UDs of the 4th Guards Kantemirovskaya Tank Division drove onto the streets of Moscow but the crews' refusal to fire on the crowds and the parliament resulted in the failure of the coup. In 1993, during the Russian constitutional crisis, T-80UDs of the same Division was called upon by president Boris Yeltsin. Six tanks of the 12th Guards Tank Regiment took positions on the bridge opposite the Moscow White House and fired on it.

The true test for the T-80 only came during the First Chechen War. However, they were used in the effort to capture Grozny, a task unsuitable for MBTs and suffered accordingly. The tank crews were inexperienced, whereas the Chechens were mostly veterans of the Soviet war in Afghanistan. The T-80s used in the campaign were either baseline T-80B models without ERA blocks or having their ERA blocks empty. Furthermore RPG shots were aimed at the weakest part of the armour. Some tanks suffered catastrophic explosions when the ready rounds in the vertical carousel exploded after contacting the molten jet stream from a HEAT warhead. The T-80 performed so poorly, in that General-Lieutenant A. Galkin, the Head of Armour Directorate, convinced the Ministry of Defence never to procure gas-turbine tanks. In all 225 tanks were destroyed. But the Russians learnt the lesson and the T-80s only gave support to infantry from a safe distance during the Second Chechen War. Nevertheless, the high operating cost of the T-80 precluded its use in subsequent conflicts.

Unlike the T-64, the T-80 was exported to a number of countries, including South Korea (as payment for Soviet-era debt), Egypt, Cyprus, Pakistan and Yemen.  

The Kit

As part of Trumpeter's wave of Soviet/Russian AFV kits, the T-80BV was released together with the baseline T-80B in 2013. The parts were laid across 27 plastic sprues (including 1 clear), two PE frets, the turret shell, the lower hull, a length of braided copper wire plus a decal sheet. No turned metal barrel was included. The parts look well-moulded and based on my experience with the T-64, should have a good fit. Unlike the T-64 however, Trumpeter provided certain parts in plastic as an alternative to PE parts. The turret frontal ERA blocks, a scourge on the already less accurate Dragon kit of the 1990s are of multi-part assembly. While more involved, they should be of better placement. There are a few errors in the instructions and instead of adding an errata sheet, Trumpeter sticked on the revised instuctions where approrpiate. Decals provide markings for four vehicles, all without description:

1. 410, Green (probably during the Soviet era);

2. 41, Green, Tan, Black (current, usually seen during parades)

3. 703, Green, Sand, Grey (probably during the withdrawal of the former GSFG)

4. 210, Green, Black, Grey (current)

Construction

As usual, construction started at the lower hull. The first step is concerned with wheel assembly but I skipped them and go straight for the lower hull. At a first glance, the lower hull featured a lot of detailing and as work commenced it sure involved quite a lot of work: the shock absorber alone consists of five plastic and one brass PE parts, and there are six of them. To save time, I used plastic alternatives instead of PE parts where applicable. Small details on the entrenching blade were left off as they would be hidden by the dust flap. And talking about the latter, Trumpeter provided them in plastic and vinyl. Also, the return rollers were not cleaned up as they would also be hidden behind the RPG skirting. The suspension arms, although having positive alignment tab, were quite loose and I managed NOT to line up the wheels properly. As per my usual style, the lower hull and the wheels were painted at this time (with the wheels still on the sprue). The paint were touched-up after the wheels had come off the sprue. Also, only the outside wheels have their seam lines cleaned up.

Work on the upper hull started by drilling 28 holes into the front glacis plate. This was followed by adding small details onto the plate and once done, the ERA blocks. The holes drilled to fit most of the blocks were symmetrical so you have to make sure the orientation of the blocks before cementing them (I got the main block (part M15), the other way round initially). The completed upper hull was then cemented to the lower hull pan. The engine deck was next. Nothing unusual here except that the mesh for the air intakes were of separate panels, creating extra work. Before proceeding any further, the tracks were assembled and painted. The guide teeth were separate so I add them to the link before joining them together. Again, I got lazy and left the upper run of the track altogether. The fenders were then assembled. Trumpeter provided an option for the mud flaps - styrene or vinyl. I chose the former as the vinyl alternative in my example were deformed. The ERA blocks for the side skirts were of the 'minimal', rather than the 'full option' variety.  

Work on the turret can now commence. As with the T-64, the turret shell was completed first, together with the barrel for the co-axial machinegun. The right-hand side ERA bricks were tackled first. These consist of five pairs of blocks with separate bottoms (presumably to avoid sink marks) with a PE part in between so that the bricks be propped up at the proper angle. They are marked I to V and I found it easier if one worked backwards i.e. V to I. Because of my sloppy handling the wedges aren't really straight. The left-hand ERA wedges were less tedious as most of the were moulded as one and as most would be hidden and just for structural integrity, only the outermost and the middle PE spacers were put in place. The rest of the left cheek ERA bricks are still separate however but they went on easier. The barrel is a two-piece affair with hard-to clean seam lines. Also, like the T-64, there are two mantlet covers, this time I use the raised one. The boxes mounted on the snorkel were placed at roughly 45-degree angle as many photos show them in this position or fully horizontal and not vertical as in the kit instructions. Certain other items were left aside at this time to facilitate painting.

Painting and Decalling

To simplify things and also as a throwback to the Cold War days, my T-80BV was painted green overall. The Trumpeter instructions once again mislabelled 'Light Green' as 'XF-20' (which was Medium Grey). For the green, I used Vallejo Air 71.017 4BO Green. The tracks were painted Vallejo Anthracite Grey and washed with Tamiya XF-72 JGSDF Brown. The RPG skirting was painted Tamiya XF-85 Rubber Grey. Although many photos show the unditching log being painted the same colour as the vehicle, I painted it using wood-y colours using XF-55 Deck Tan as base and afterwards, XF-64 was drybrushed onto it. The mantlet cover and the spent case container were painted XF-49 Khaki. Decaling was very simple as there were only five pieces. Each of the split two-digit number on the right-hand side of the turret shared a single carrier film so it's best to cut the film to avoid it bridging the gap between the ERA bricks on which they are located.

Finishing

I started by adding the dust skirt on the lower front hull. Like the mud flaps, Trumpeter provided two types of the skirt and this time I chose the vinyl alternative. The braided copper wire was then cut to recommended length but then I realised that 110mm was too long - it was too late as the wire has already been superglued to the cable ends. The unditching log was then secured to its place, followed by the external fuel tanks.The rest of 'things around the turret' were then added and the joint scar retouched. The commander's cupola is a mini-kit and was assembled and painted separately with the basic cupola and the NSVT mount being cemented together before the rest of the assembly. One comment here: the commander's sight is solid plastic and I have to use gloss blue/black to simulate glass. The model was then given the usual wash treatment. The whole of the model was then given a thin coat of XF-57 Buff (double coating for the lower extremities). Afterwards a rather thin application of Vallejo Thick Mud was applied to the running gear and lower hull and was then washed with AK Interactive Earth Wash, finishing the build.

Conclusion

I had the old Dragon T-80BV (marketed as T-80 with ERA) years ago and comparing the experience of building the two kits, it goes without much dliberaration that the newer Trumpeter kit was hands down the winner. Sure, there is no such thing as a perfect kit but I have a way much better experience in building this kit. The only 'downside' (if one decides to call it) was the mass of parts needed to assemble (although not as bad as some other companies' or even Trumpeter's other kits), besides I cheated! One particular thing though - the suspension arm should be absolutely be made having a proper fit as it was quite tough to line them up straight and level. A bit more caution should also be exercised when assembling the right-hand side turret ERA blocks as they might not be symmetrical at the end of assembly. Otherwise the kit is very nice.

Gallic Spitfire

Historical Background

On 15 June 1936, the French Air Ministry promulgated the specifications for a new fighter aircraft. It called for an aircraft with a speed of 500 km/h at 4,000 meters, climb to 8,000 meters in less than 15 minutes and with take-off and landing runs not exceeding 400 meters. It was to be armed with two 7.5mm machineguns and one Hispano-Suiza HS.9 20mm cannon, or two such cannons. The private design firm led by Emile Dewoitine, whose D.513 design was rejected by the Armee de l'Aire in favour of Morane-Saulnier's M.S.406, responded by using a design utilizing the latest construction techniques and the most powerful engine at the time, the 890 hp Hispano-Suiza 12Y-21 liquid-cooled engine. The original design was rejected after the specifications were uprated. The Dewoitine concern revised their design but the nationalisation of the French armaments industry in 1937 and continued changes in the manufacturing programs delayed the work on the aircraft, designated D.520. On 3 April 1938, the Air Ministry rewarded contract No. 513/8 to SNCAM (the state-owned consortium of which Dewoitine is now part of). 

The prototype eventually flew for the first time on 2 October 1938 but only reached 480 km/h while suffering from dangerously high engine temperatures. Further modifications, including changing to a newer -29 engine, three-bladed variable-pitch propeller and incorporating exhaust ejectors, finally allowed the prototype to reach its design speed. Two further prototypes include a larger tail, sliding canopy and longer undercarriage legs. They were also armed with a Hispano-Suiza HS.9 cannon in an engine mount and fired through the propeller spinner and two MAC 1934 7.5mm machine guns (one under each wing) were also fitted. A small tailwheel instead of a skid was fitted to the third prototype. Flight tests were successfully undertaken, resulting in a contract issued in March 1939 for 200 machines, powered by the -31 (later -45) version of the 12Y engine. A contract for additional 600 machine was issued in June but was later reduced to 510 in the following month.

The outbreak of war in September 1939 resulted in a new contract which brought the total order to 1,280 while the Aéronautique Navale ordered another 120. The first production D.520 flew in October 1939. The production aircraft have the rear fuselage extended by 51cm, redesigned engine cowling panels, the curved, one-piece windscreen replaced with one containing an optically flat panel and armour plate behind the pilot's seat. The production-standard armament consist of an engine-mounted Hispano Suiza H.S 404 20mm cannon and four MAC 1934 M39 7.5mm machineguns in the wings. Despite the improvements, the first batch of 520s failed acceptance tests due to insufficient top speed and troublesome cooling. Redesigned compressor intakes and modified cooling pipes improved the latter while propulsive exhaust pipes cured the former. As a result, the type was not declared combat ready until April 1940.

As the aircraft was not operationally ready until the stated time, Group de Chasse I/3, the first unit receiving the D.520, only used them for training. By 10 May 1940, 228 were manufactured but the Air Force only accepted 75, with the rest being sent back to the factory to be retrofitted. Only GC I/3 was fully equipped and on 13 May, they clashed with the Luftwaffe, shooting down one He 111 bomber and three Hs 126 observation aircraft without loss. The rapid fall of France meant that only four more groupes de chasse and three naval escadrilles equipped with the type before France's capitulation. Of the eight units, only GC I/3, II/6 and II/7 and AC1 saw action. Against the Luftwaffe and Regia Aeronautica, the Dewoitines claimed 114 kills (plus 39 probables) while losing 85. By the time of the armistice in June 1940, 437 D.520s had been built with 351 delivered. 165 were evacuated to North Africa while another three escaped to Britain. In April 1941, German authorities allowed the Vichy government to resume production of 1,000 aircraft. As part of the agreement, 550 D.520s were ordered to replace all single-seat fighters in service. The Vichy D.520s were in action against the Allies during the Syrian campaign in June-July 1941 and also against Operation Torch in November 1942.  The aircraft was also used by the Luftwaffe and the Regia Aeronautica.

The Kit

Rather surprisingly (as French WW2 aircraft were rarely kitted by the mainstream manufacturers), Tamiya came up with the kit of the D.520 in 1996 as part of their 1/48 renaissance in the 1990s. There were just 45 parts in dark grey sprue and 5 more in clear styrene. Although obviously some compromises had to be made to ease construction, the level of detail is adequate for the average modeller. Some options are available such as separate canopies and positionable radiator shutter and flaps. There is also an option for a different radio aerial but you have to check your references first before using the alternate aerial. The particular kit used here was the 2011 re-release with new decals and the addition of a Citroen Traction 11CV (to avoid licensing fees, it was simply dubbed 'staff car'). Actually I don't do car models (except for that single 1/24 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X) especially in 1/48 but perhaps it could be used as an introductory kit for my son. The alternate radio aerial is now shown to be used for two of the marking options available in the kit. Speaking of which, they are:

1. Adjudant Chef  Bouton, GC II/3 Dauphine, 2 Escadrille , June 1940
2. Adjudant Chef Denis Ponteins, GC II/7, 3 Escadriile, June 1940
3. Sous Leutenant Pierre Le Gloan, GC III/6, 5 Escadrille, Spring 1942

The decals are quite thick however but the red in the French roundel has been corrected (the red was more burgundy in the earlier release). As a matter of interest, the original Tamiya kit also include markings for Le Gloan's earlier plane, aircraft No.277.

Construction

As usual with aircraft kits, work started at the cockpit. And as per my usual style, the parts were painted while still on the tree. The interior was not painted XF-24 Dark Grey as suggested by Tamiya but a custom mix of XF-17 Navy Blue and XF-8 Flat Blue which may or may not match the dark blue of the real aircraft. The seat back was painted XF-49 Khaki while the seat cushion was painted a mix of XF-10 Flat Brown and XF-64 Red Brown (to imitate the colour of leather). There should be an opening at the top corners of the seat, between the frame and the canvas seat back. It should be drilled out but I left them as they were. The instrument panel was painted Flat Black as per the instructions. The decals were then applied on the instrument panel and they fit nicely over the raised detail, especially after receiving a dash of Mr Mark Softer. The completed cockpit was then sandwiched betwen the two fuselage halves

Although Tamiya instructed the modeller to cement the exhaust manifolds at this time, I left them off as it might complicate matters during painting. The wing halves were cemented with no problems encountered. Some care had to be taken when fitting the wing to the fuselage to avoid gaps, especially towards the rear (a tiny gap did appear at the rear joint but easily filled with super glue). The flaps, which can be positioned in the down or up positions (cut off the tabs if you want them in the 'up' position) were left off at this time as I wanted them in the 'down' position. The tailplanes fit without any issues. The lower nose fairing however did not fit well, resulting in gaps at the wheel well and on one side of the fuselage. The radiator fairing was assembled, the grilles painted first with Mr Color Silver and then cemented to the fuselage. Finally the nose was cemented. I couldn't find the supplied poly cap; thankfully I still have leftovers from previous Tamiya kits and found one which matched the slot.

Painting and Decalling

Before painting can be done, the choice of markings has to be made beforehand. All three are interesting but I was quickly drawn by the Armee de l'Aire de Armistice's garish red and yellow stripes on Leutnant Le Gloan's plane. I was also intrigued by the story of the pilot, who fought for both the Allies and the Axis. He joined the service in 1931 and at the outbreak of war, he served in GC III/6, flying Morane-Saulnier M.S.406 fighters. He shot down his first victory, a Dornier Do 17P on 23 November 1939. He shot down three more enemy aircraft (another Do 17P and two Heinkel He 111) before the squadron re-equipped with D.520s and moved to Southern France. On  13 June, Le Gloan shot down two Italian BR.20 bombers, achieving 'ace' status. Two days later he shot down four Italian CR.42 fighters and another BR.20. GC III/6 was later withdrawn to Algiers and following the fall of France, the unit became subordinated to the Vichy government.

In May 1941, the squadron was transferred to Syria. On 8 June 1941, he shot down his first Allied fighter, a Hawker Hurricane. By 5 July, he had claimed five Hurricanes and a Gloster Gladiator and thus can claim a unique record of becoming an ace for both sides. GC III/6 was then withdrawn back to Algiers. Following Operation Torch, French forces in North Africa returned to the Allied fold. GC III/6 the re-equiped with P-39 Airacobras and it was in this aircraft that Le Gloan met his end on 11 September 1943. The engine of the Airacobra malfunctioned at Le Gloan tried to make a wheels-up emergency landing. However being used to external tank-less French fighters, he probably forgot the drop tank of the aircraft which should be jettisoned before landing. The remaining fuel in the tank exploded, destroying the aircraft and killing Le Gloan instantly. He was just 33.

The model was painted according to Tamiya's instructions. The lower parts were painted a mix of 2 parts XF-25 Light Sea Grey and 1 part XF-2 Flat White. The grey portion of the upper parts were painted an equal mix of XF-25 and XF-23 Light Blue (the original release of the kit has a mix of 1 part XF-18 Medium Blue and 3 parts XF-53 Medium Grey). The green was a mixture of 2 parts XF-49 Khaki and 1 part XF-5 Flat Green while brown was straight XF-10 Flat Brown. The yellow nose cowl, spinner and rear fuselage present a challenge as with white, yellow is not an easy colour to apply and require several layers to make it opaque. I originally wanted to have a richer, deeper yellow by adding a bit of red but I decided to go for straight XF-3 Flat Yellow. The decals were then applied. They are quite thick and a number of decals broke over raised details. The decals for the tail required some cutting to position it accurately. The fuselage chevron tricolor stripe and the bottom red stripe were made as a single piece of decal. This may cause problem during application and I therefore cut it into three pieces for an easier handling. And as I was half-asleep by the time I did it, I read the instructions wrongly and have the upper left wing ID stripe at a shallower angle than it should be. By the time I realised the error, the decal can no longer be moved. Stupid boy!

Finishing

With a kit this simple, there wasn't really much to do at this stage. The landing gear however needed some trimming to the fairing and to the top of the gear itself so they can fit properly into the well. The aerials at the top and the bottom of the fuselage was cemented and so while the flaps were then permanently cemented into place. The torn areas of the decals were touched up using Tamiya paints (X-14 Sky Blue, XF-2 Flat White and a mix of X-7 Red and XF-3 Flat Yellow). The model then received panel line enhancement using AK Interactive Paneliner solution with thicker application being done on the borders of the control surfaces. The exhaust manifolds were painted Burnt Iron and afterwards Tamiya Weathering master 'Rust' was applied onto them. Tamiya Weathering Master 'Soot' was then applied on the fuselage to represent exhaust deposits and also propellant residue near the gun openings. Finally, an overcoat of Flat Clear was sprayed, finishing the build.

Conclusion

Tamiya's kit of the 'French Spitfire' is another prime example of Tamiya philosophy of having simple to build yet having great details (OK not that great but highly acceptable, except maybe for the cockpit and the landing gear). Even though a few problems arose during construction, in general the parts were very well-moulded and engineered. The subject matter is also welcomed as like French early war armour, there aren't that many choices and types kitted by mainstream manufacturers. As for the Citroen, it went into my to-be-build stash.