Page 49 - Tamiya Model Magazine - Issue 292 (February 2020)

New Releases Kit Reviews

A selection of the latest full kits in plastic, resin, metal and more!

ELECTRIC MOTOR EPS; EXTRUDED PLASTIC SECTION, F; FABRIC, IM; INJECTION MOULDED (PLASTIC), ITL; INDIVIDUAL TRACK LINKS, LC; LIQUID CEMENT, LCC; LASER CUT CARD,
MASKS, PE; PHOTO ETCH, PEBM; PHOTO-ETCHED BADGES/MIRRORS, PMP; PRE-ASSEMBLED METAL PARTS), PS; PAPER STRIP, R; RESIN, SVT; SOFT VINYL TYRES (OR TUBING),

DRAGON, HONG KONG
PZ.KPFW.III (3.7CM.) (T) AUSF.F ‘OPERATION DRAGON, HONG KONG
SEELÖWE’ M132 ARMORED FLAMETHROWER
www.hobbyco.net www.hobbyco.net
SCALE:฀1:35฀•฀MATERIALS:฀IM,฀PE,฀SVT,฀WS฀•฀ITEM฀NO.6877 SCALE:฀1:35฀•฀MATERIALS:฀IM,฀PE,฀SVT,฀WS฀•฀ITEM฀NO.3621
Operation Sealion was the planned German invasion of Britain The Zippo version of the M113
in 1940, which was abandoned after the Luftwaffe failed to get APC was developed in 1962, and
air superiority in the Battle of after trials began to be deployed
Britain. In preparation for the from 1964. Altogether around
invasion, the Germans tried 350 were built, and the type saw
to develop ‘diving’ (Tauch) service in Vietnam where it was
tanks, able to approach the used to clear dense vegetation
coastline submerged. These and enemy bunkers in the difficult
were successful, but when the conditions of that conflict. The
invasion was called off, the kit takes the standard M113, and
tanks were not used in this way. requires minor surgery, explained
With modification, they were in Step 1 of the instructions,
used to cross the River Bug on after which the assembly is
the Eastern Front. This kit is straightforward. The kit provides
sensational, based on the new the four flame fuel cells which
ausf.E/F kits from Dragon, but fit inside the hull, and allows the
with additional parts for making modeller to pose the hatches or
the test diving vehicle. The box ramp open to display the interior.
actually contains all of the parts The other significant part of the
for making a normal tank, should Zippo version is of course the
you wish to do so. Many parts flamethrower turret with coaxial
for the diving tank are moulded machine gun, which replaces the
in soft vinyl, which allows for normal cupola. This is very well
the air hose to be positioned represented, and is the signature
as desired – and even extended part of this model. The kit comes
if you want to put the tank with very sharply moulded link-
underwater! As with all of the and-length tracks with separate
new Smart Kit releases from rubber track pads, which can
Dragon, this release is based on make assembly and painting so
newly mastered moulds which much easier. The kit comes with
are extremely accurate and soft plastic bedding and stowage,
detailed, and for simplicity the but these parts are very crude
tracks are one-piece DS soft and poorly detailed, quite unlike
plastic, which many builders the superb quality of the rest
prefer. On my sample, there is of the kit. These stowage items
rather too much ‘flash’ on the would be best placed inside the
tracks, and they may annoy some hull! There are decals for three
modellers. The decals are for vehicles – a trials version and
one vehicle used in the trials, and two in Vietnam. All are similar in
include the depth markings for appearance, but the final result will
the marker post. CLS be spectacular, particularly when
weathered in Vietnam mud! CLS
A sensational subject, very
striking and original, with A very accurate kit, crisply
bonus Guderian figure. moulded, showing an
Tracks are not quite as unusual M113 variant
outstanding as the rest of Soft vinyl stowage items
the kit. lack detail and precision

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