INCOMING - HOT STUFF FROM ITALERI

There's a good variety of kits coming from Italeri this month, ranging from World War II AFVs to pan-Euro highway trucks.


First off is the German Sd.Kfz.251 Flammpanzerwagen flome-throwing half-track, a hold-in-your-hand sized model of this widely-used Wehrmacht AFV. The kit may well please aircraft modellers, as it's to 1:72 scale. Pleasingly, Italeri includes two figures.

To standard 1:35 military scale is the 'upgraded mould' Pz.Kpfw.VI Tiger 1 tank, a mid-war version from 1943.   Components for two versions are supplied, as are detailed tracks, decals for four tanks, and a photo-etch sheet.

This brand-new tool model car kit is really interesting, featuring the Fiat 508 Balilla, a popular Italian car produced in the 1930s. This Italeri version is the military 508CM Coloniale model, used by Mussolini's forces as a staff car. Italeri includes original Italian markings, and a set of iron crosses, suitable for the period when German forces ran Italy.

For diorama fans, Italeri has two useful accessory set, both to 1:72 scale. The Urban Accessories set would fit perfectly in a 1930s-40s period model, while the PSP Pierced Steel Planking set suits virtually any temporary airstrip setting. Both kits are new moulds.

Coming into the jet age, Italeri has a 1:48 scale upgrade kit of the Nesher/Dagger, based on the Dassault Mirage fighter-bomber. Decals are included for six variants, from Argentina and Belgium to France and Israel.

Staying in the mid-jet age era, here's a 1:72 scale model of Ed Heinemann's classic naval design, the A-4 Skyhawk. This is the humpback OA-4M two-seater, in US Marine Corps markings. The real thing was tiny - it didn't need folding wings aboard an aircraft carrier - and so is the model, with a wingspan of just 116mm (4.4in).

Down to earth, but up in scale is the 1:24 scale Scania Streamline 143H 10-wheel medium truck. Just one minor complaint here - the supplied decals and colour scheme are not wildly exciting, so there's plenty of scope to research something with a bit more oomph.

  

Plenty of Italeri stuff here, including the excellent new 1:72 scale Short Sunderland flying boat.

  

2012 INCOMING - CHINESE COMBAT HELICOPTER FROM CHINA

SMN report:

Next up from Dragon is this interesting 1:144 scale ‘Warbird Series’ kit of the PLA WZ-10 attack helicopter, the Chinese answer to Western types like the famed US-built Boeing AH-64 Apache. In layout, the WZ-10 is pretty standard, with a stepped tandem cockpit seating two crew: gunner in front, pilot behind. Flight controls are dualled to act as mutual backup, and the cockpit sides and bottom are protected by composite armour, as are the engines and fuselage fuel tank.

Stealth capability

As for the kit, the general shape looks pretty accurate, not that there have been too many decent pictures released of this Chinese combat machine. The sloping sides reflect at least a token attempt to deflect radar waves, giving the WZ-10 some stealth capability.

Landing gear choice

It’s a new-tool kit, so we can expect the fit and finish to be on a par with Dragon’s other recent kits - in other words, pretty good. According to Dragon, the landing gear can be assembled in ‘landing or flying’ modes. To the best of our knowledge, the WZ-10 does not have retractable wheels, so we’re guessing that this means with oleos extended in flight mode, or compressed in weight-bearing landing position.

Sensors and more

The real thing has a six-blade main rotor, and Dragon has reproduced this nicely, together with an assortment of nose-mounted sensors and combat ordnance hanging under the stub wings either side.

Summation

As you can see from Dragon’s test-shot builds, this is a neat little model, and one that would look good when displayed next to more familiar Western helos, such as the Westland Lynx or Eurocopter Tiger. It’s pretty tiny at 1:144 scale though, and we’d really like Dragon to consider releasing a more detailed version in one or more bigger scales.

Visit Dragon here.

The WZ-10 is coming soon, meantime more Dragon stuff is available here.

Pic of WZ-10 in flight, courtesy 'B747SPNKG'.