Finished Reviews Armour

“…The opposite problem was stated in the review for the fit of the now glued together completed spoke sets fitting into the rim of the wheel. In the review, it was said that the spokes just fell through. Well, mine didn’t. Again, liquid poly was used to ease the spoke sets into place and then drops of superglue were run in from the sharp tip of a cocktail stick. After doing both heels, I finally started breathing again. Close up in the pictures they still look heavier than the spokes would be but as I look over to where the wheels Blue Taced on my desk, they look just right…” Graham Thompson, Reviewer

Read the full review here

“This astonishing resin multi-media kit will cost you around £250 (GBP) and Julian takes you through the whole awesome build to create a masterpiece of armour scale modelling.” Geoff Coughlin

Read the full review here

“My main intention for this kit was to make it a quick build, no frills and then concentrate on the painting. Up to now I have not done any armour with a camouflage pattern and, as I have a couple of good builds on the shortlist, I wanted to get some practice with the technique of freehand camouflage airbrushing and weathering on a desert finish….” Graham Thompson, Reviewer 

Read the full review here

“Well this is an unusual subject which goes together very well, it’s a little tricky in places but the end product is well worth the time to build. Once finished it’s a cracking kit.

Would I say go out and buy one? Well if you enjoy building modern armour then yes add one to your collection and enjoy.” Neil Pepper, Reviewer 

Read the full review here

“The kit has been a pleasure to build but I have lost count of the number of times I have re glued the wheels and the wing mirrors on. Nicely true to scale but very delicate.

This is a very nice kit and with the missile variant available in the same quality, it just calls out for the pair to be built for a diorama.” Graham Thompson, Reviewer 

Read the full review here

You may well have seen the other three Volumes in this Step-by-Step Finishing German Armour Series that we have had the opportunity to review here at SMN – see the Book Review area (link). And very impressive these guides are too at their incredibly reasonable price of just $1.95. Being Internet-based too, I’m really pleased to see that someone else is embracing the technology and providing choice to scale modellers, so they can just pay for what they want, rather than lots of stuff that doesn’t really appeal.

Glenn has kindly given us permission to publish one of his great guides here, giving you an unrivalled opportunity to see the approach he has taken and the kind of quality that you can expect when you visit his site and view the other titles in the series.
Download the full review here

“Well I guess this old kit is showing its age but I have enjoyed the build and painting very much. For a kit that at today’s prices is cheap, I would say it’s great value for money (just a quick word for the people at Tamiya… why don’t you redo some of these old kits in 1:48 as well). 

Would I recommend this kit, why of course I would, this is a kit you can pick up, do it from the box or you could detail it to a very high standard or even somewhere in between, it’s up to you so go and get one for the grey army.” Neil Pepper, reviewer.
Read the full review here

So here’s the deal. I reckon that it’s possible to just have fun in modelling. To build a good model, not get bogged down in researching the detail – the worry of the perfect model and yes just have fun like it used to be when we started. So I thought let’s give it a try. I put the idea to Geoff who promptly stole it and said we can call it the Weekend Warriors! ™……you have 24 hours to build a model of your choice. Yes he is that hard!
Anyway I had a Tamiya Challenger 2 in the loft and decided that was going to be the project for the project………….well you know what I mean!
Read the full review here 

“Well what can you say other than it’s another lovely little kit from Tamiya. I would say it’s worth getting even if it sits in your grey army for a couple of years because it’s a nice easy kit that you can have a bit of fun with on a rainy day (not that we get many of them – ha) Would I buy another one? Well I already have.” Neil Pepper, reviewer
Read the full review here 

“All in all a very nice kit and it builds very well. I guess you could buy some after market parts for it and maybe some better figures but if you are looking for a bit of fun then go for it. Either way buy one and enjoy.” Neil Pepper, reviewer – September 2011
Read the full review here 

“The build of the tank is straightforward with some filler and the crew figures are also very nice but seam lines need cleaning off but nothing major. I enjoyed the build and for a nationality I normally overlook, in favour of the Black Cross outfit, thought this little tank deserved more than a flat piece of ground to sit on and so was born this vignette.” Bill Curtis, reviewer
Read the full review here

There is something about this vehicle I love, its brutish lines and sheer size must have given the crews and overwhelming sense of superiority. In kit form Tamiya have done the usual magnificent job. It’s highly detailed although it does suffer in areas where plastic just can’t cope. To get round this I decided to use Eduard’s photo etch for the King Tiger (they don’t do a set for this vehicle, yet). This is a very comprehensive set, I was intending just to use just the mesh engine screens but the whole thing screams finesse so I had to use most of it, even if it did send me doolaly at times!
Read the full review here 

“Well it’s a nice little kit which you would expect from Tamiya. The barrel was amazing (highly recommended). It’s been fun to build and paint, which to me is the main thing.
Would I recommend this kit? Yes I would and for the expenditure of a few pounds you can make it even better than it is straight from the box.” Neil Pepper, August 2011
Read the full review here 

Well what can I say but a stunning kit from Tamiya. The extras from Blackdog are just great and I will be using them more in the future so please keep them coming you lovely people at Blackdog. 

As for the people at Tamiya, I hope there are loads more 1:48 AFVs to come as I just love the way they build and look when finished, so more please.
Read the full review here

“What do I think? Well if you want to build something with very little cost and a lot of fun, you can’t go far wrong with this kit. There are parts you could improve (or Tamiya could) i.e. a new figure and machine guns, but I would still recommend this kit.” Reviewer: Neil Pepper
Read the full review here 

“When I set out to build this, I was so full of enthusiasm for a kit that I had wanted to build when I was at school, and so glad that I have finally been able to get it, that the little problems and inaccuracies were largely forgiven during the build. It has pushed me to invent techniques and procedures that I have never done before, and create bits and pieces that I would never have bothered to attempt, and in doing so made me a far better modeller, well in my eyes anyway.
I can see some people who read this maybe thinking,”But you’ve not used any etched brass, or an airbrush, or anything remotely aftermarket, and its hardly going to be accurate is it?” This would all be true, and I can’t explain why, but it’s the most enjoyable 10-11 months modelling that I have ever done.” Reviewer: David Smith
Read the full review here 

“This is a much shorter than normal Feature Article but as Keith has taken the trouble of sending in some great text and more than a couple of images for his project, I wanted to offer the full package, albeit much shorter than our usual full build articles and reviews.” Editor: Geoff Coughlin
Read the full review here 

This is a great little kit by Tristar that should be given serious consideration if you are planning to make a Panzer 38t. It comes at a much lower price than the Dragon kit and has a very good level of detail. For those who like to do interiors Tristar also make an interior for this kit. I would consider making another one or even an earlier version that Tristar also make.
Read the full review here 

“I liked the build as it was very straightforward and as it was never built had a free rein with the colour scheme. The part I found that was hard was the tracks as mentioned were too short. On thinking about this, I wonder if the material was affected by the pigment fixer. My advice would be check before applying anything to them. A cloth tape measure around the wheels is a good way of checking this out. 

Would I build one again, the answer is yes it was fun and taught me to plan better in the future whilst being a simple kit which is good for both the novice and more experienced modeller alike.”
Read the full review here