Military vehicles vol.24: Sd.KFZ173 Jagdpanther

Subject:	Jagdpanther SD.KFZ 173
Scale:	1/72
Manufacturer:	Revell
Price	US$20,00 plus shipping
Construction:	Out-of-the box construction
Extras:	none
Paints:	This is my Jagdpanther in 1/72 scale from Revell. Overall an excellent kit. Detail is very nice considering the small scale. The link and length tracks are well molded and it sure look much more authentic then the vinyl ones found in other models. There are parts to build an early or late version of the vehicle and the color schemes are almost endless. All you need to do is choose one of several camouflages that you find in military books or in the internet and have fun with this model. I liked the way it turned out.

Military vehicles vol.23: KV2

Subject:	KV2
Scale:	1/48
Manufacturer:	Hobbyboss
Price	US$20,00 plus shipping
Construction:	Out-of-the box construction
Extras:	none
Paints:	This is the KV2 Heavy Russian tank by Hobbyboss. Overall a really  nice kit, with good detail and some photo etched parts to increase the value of the model. Fit is ok, but some difficulties were found around the hoof top and the front part of the main body. Also, there were some mistakes on the instruction and in the provision of parts. The hoof top has two large hatches the can be seen on the pictures bellow. However, the front hole doesn't have a hatch neither a suitable part to close it. I used plastic sheet to cover the mistake, something that some beginners may found not easy to do. Painting was done with Tamiya acrylics and most weathering was accomplished with AK washes. Decals were nice as usual from Hobbyboss. I hope you like it. This is may first 1/48 scale military vehicle and i found the size very interesting.

1) The sprues:

2)The finished kit:

Walkaround vol.29: Sd.Kfz.173 Jagdpanther

Subject: Sd.Kfz.173 Jagdpanther

Location: Musée des Blindés, Saumur, France
Comments: The Jagdpanther (German: "hunting panther"), Sd.Kfz. 173, was a tank destroyer built by Nazi Germany during World War II based on the chassis of the Panther tank. It entered service in 1944 during the later stages of the war on the Eastern and Western Fronts. The Jagdpanther combined the 8.8 cm Pak 43 cannon, similar to the main gun of the Tiger II, and the armor and suspension of the Panther chassis. A total of 415 Jagdpanthers were produced from January 1944 by three manufacturers. MIAG in Braunschweig produced 270 from January 1944 until the end of the war. Maschinenfabrik Niedersachsen-Hannover (MNH) produced 112 from November 1944. Maschinenbau und Bahnbedarf (MBA) in Potsdam produced 37 vehicles from December 1944. Planned production had been 150 a month, but the disruption to German manufacturing had made this impossible. Jagdpanther equipped heavy antitank battalions (schwere Panzerjäger-Abteilungen) and served mainly on the Eastern Front. In the West, they were first encountered in very small numbers late in the Battle of Normandy, where the German 654 schwere Panzerjäger-Abteilung ("654th Heavy Antitank Battalion") deployed about 12 Jagdpanthers against British units. Later, significant numbers were concentrated in the West for the Ardennes Offensive.

Military vehicles vol.22: M4A3E8 Sherman

Subject:	M4A3E8 Sherman
Scale:	1/72
Manufacturer:	Hasegawa
Price	US$25,00 plus shipping
Construction:	Out-of-the box construction
Extras:	none
Paints:	This is Hasegawa's M4A3E8 easy eight Sherman tank in 1/72 scale. Overall an excellent kit. Fit is great with nice details right out of the box. However, there are several comments that the model is a little bit out of scale. I does look large when compared to other 1/72 scale tanks, but i found it irrelevant. Painting was done with tamiya acrylics as usual. Weathering was done with some oil washes and a few MIG and AK finishing products. I hope you enjoy the finished kit!

Military aircraft vol.98: Fokker E3

Subject:	Fokker E3
Scale:	1/48
Manufacturer:	Eduard
Price	US$ 20,00 plus shipping
Description	Injected plastic model with waterslide decals, photoetched metal parts, and metal cast engine
Comments	This is Eduard's old 1/48 scale Fokker E3 finished as Ernst Udet machine back in 1916. Overall it is a nice kit if you consider the fact that was a limited run kit, with excellent photo etched parts produced back in 1994. However, if you compare it with the new release of the same model also from Eduard, the advantages of the new molds are obvious and the old one can be considered a collectors item.  The poor plastic parts are not a major problem due to the quality of the photoetched parts and decals. It is not an easy kit, but most modelers can get a nice final result with patience and a few handy tools. I hope you like. I continue on my way to build more World War I Fokkers!