Renault UE "Stuka zu Fuss" Mirage Hobby 1/35 tank german

Hello all,
                 I show you here this combo build, built by my father, airbrushed by me, some mud finishings by my brother. First proper airbrushed model kit we make, without needing any major brush correction. The airbrush is either tricky to use, or we bought the wrong one  . Seems almost impossible to airbrush fine lines slowly. Anyway, I guess practice makes perfect, if one has the patience for it.

This is a very tricky kit, one of those that there is hardly any piece bigger than a coin, and the unbuilt model is a bunch of micro sprues. One of those kits that it would have been probably forever in the stash if it wasn't for the lockdown  . As the tracks ended up looking rough, we opted for mudding the tracks, come to think, the first really mud cladden kit we build. Small hatches open and close, rockets and cases are removable.

The kit is made for France 1944, and the soldier is a random german bought in a lot.
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25 Pounder Field Gun Airfix 1:76 Built Model (01305)

Here is my take on this little classic model. Got it in a random parts lot, and so built it without instructions nor cannon (I have them, but already built) . I went for a unusual two brown camo, and I must say I am very satisfied of the final result.

The improvements were adding front glass, adding a proper bumper, and added lights. I made all wheels to turn properly, making it feel like a little Dinky toy.

Hasegawa G.M.C. CCKW-353 Gasoline Tank Truck 1/72 USA Army General Motors Company

My first Hasegawa review, the M3 Grant.

Let's see the boxes;

BOX ART >> As usual, with the second everything is brighter, and it loses a bit of character. Although the image is sharper, the resulting colours are wrong, the green becomes too pale and makes it look strange.

THE KIT - 6.5 >>

An old kit (first released in the 1970s) which still looks good to this day. Instructions are clear, it doesn't have too many pieces (59), can be built quickly, and it doesn't have any super small or super-complicated pieces. One of those models you enjoy making.

As normally with Hasegawa, you get nice metal axles, that gives the model a sensation of die-cast once built (beware, as they are too long and they will have to be cut). This is something that all model kits should have in my opinion, a good and functional model kit is doubly  good.

The bad? well, the chassis is slightly warped, so you will have to heat it slightly, or leave it under a big weight overnight to try and correct it.

Perhaps the most notable setback of this model is that the engine seems too big in comparison with the wheels and the overall body, and it is also a bit more square than the real thing. I maybe like it better as the model is, but I can understand who says "that's an odd looking GMC!".

EXTRAS - 7.0 >>

A  driver and two crewmen are good extras, maybe some petrol cans/barrels would have been nice (such as Hasegawa gives with the Isuzu truck (plus a small wagon), but it seems that only their fellow Japanese get such treatment :) ).

POSSIBILITIES - 2.0 >>

If you have bought the tanker version, I'll assume you don't want to reconvert it into a normal GMC or other GMC types, so we'll stick to this version, which leaves two choices, hence the 2.0 score. Besides green, you can paint it yellow.

Although it is not the same version, it is just to give you an idea of how it would look more or less.

PRICE/VALUE RATIO - 6.5 >>

You shouldn't have problems in getting it for around 10 GBP shipped, maybe less in retail stores or getting it in a eBay auction.

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HISTORICAL IMPORTANCE - 7.0 >>

"The historical importance score is determined by how many were built, and how much operational service they had, and how much influence they had on the conflicts they were involved in"

Tanks and airplanes need petrol, so both for wargaming possibilities and diorama, it is a useful piece. Not the most important vehicle in WW2 but a necessary one.

WARGAMING - 8.5 >>

Lovely for wargamers. Probably very handy if the wargaming rules requires logisitics representation, and very sturdy.

OVERALL - 7.5 >> 

This model kit serves nicely it's purpose, and even if it is not the most fully detailed GMC on the market, it is the only tanker version. 

In one phrase; Get it when you start to get bored with the typical things.

                 IMAGES OF FINISHED JOBS

Comparison with the GMC dumper.

Model kit made by myself.

Official build by Hasegawa.

HäT 1806 PRUSSIAN MUSKETEERS set 8083 Early Napoleonic figures miniatures 1/72 soldiers army

Here comes my first proper Napoleonic review, the Prussian Musketeers.

This is how the box looks ;

Typical Hät box where you are shown one man with very realistic finish. Not my favourite box, but in this case, one man depicts all the set except the commander, so it is fine. As with most modern HaT sets, it is not a set you'll buy for the exciting artwork.

This is what the sprues look like;

SCULPTING - 7.0 out of 10

The sculpting itself is good, everything is sharp, clearly defined, which helps a lot when it comes to painting. But, (there's always a but), the proportions of this soldiers are sort of grotesque, like a cartoon. They have big heads and big feet. In some more than others. The firing man is quite correct, whilst the man in formation is probably the worst. 

This makes  them look a bit strange when compared with other figures. One of the problems with HaT is  the many styles used. With variety of styles you can make  a lot of people happy, but when you have a big collection of soldiers you cannot but think "are these HaT figures the same species as those others?". 

Luckily, this could be worse (like in Strelets) and you can still blend them a bit with more normal figures.

HISTORICAL ACCURACY - 10 out of 10

I am not a expert on the subject, I  just have a passion for history, with more interest in ancient times and WW2. This represents the bulk of the Prussian Army in 1806, and by what I've researched it is completely 100 % accurate. 

In my humble opinion, all post-1700 sets should have 10 or 9 out of 10 historical accuracy. There are plenty of contemporaneous sources of information, and with a good research, error should be nearly impossible. HaT in this case have done  their homework well. The only thing you could say is that not all men would have carried all their original equipment in perfect condition, but this is fine for representing some regiments at the start of the battle.

ARMY REPRESENTATION - 4.5

"The army representation score is the potential of the soldiers to be used for other purposes different to the one originally intended"

With some small modifications, you could transform them into other armies of the same period, like Saxony infantry, but in general there weren't too many armies that wore this type of hat.

FUNNESS - 5.0

"I feel that many reviews are oblivious to this point - there are fantastic figures, which you can´t say anything against, but they are just too "correct", maybe too static, and so just boring. So I feel that this is an important consideration on deciding if you buy this set"

I must say it; this is a rather dull and boring set. Ok, they represent a much needed army that covers important events and battles, but they have few poses (only 8), and of these 8, 4 of them are marching or standing there with the rifle up! I had to look twice to see the difference between some of the marching poses. This is inadequate both for wargaming and diorama making.

Some men having lost their hats, half injured, or fighting for their lives in much more dramatic poses, are really required. 





WARGAMING VALUE - 5.5

As this sets covers an important era, they are needed for the wargamer, but you are missing a unique leader, and you must make your own standard bearer, musician, etc. You should have also been given  some more men actually fighting and firing.

If there was an alternative from any other manufacturer such as Italeri, Zvezda, etc, they would be much better.



PRICE-VALUE RATIO - 7.5 

"The price value ratio of this soldiers will vary between every shop you go to, and the best I can do is judge by their average price on eBay"

You can find them on eBay for a quite good price, and also in retail shops for more or less the same. 





PAINTING AND GLUEING - 6.0

They are made with a hard and shiny plastic, a bit slippery to paint but ok to glue. 



OVERALL VALORATION - 7.5

This is a regular set, quite dull, without much to say against or in favour. If Zvezda or Italeri decided to take this subject, they would with all probability beat the HaT product by far, but as this seems unlikely, if you like to cover this era and represent these battles you'll have to get them.


PAINTED EXAMPLES
"Your figures could appear here if you want! just send me a email with the pictures to tam_cob@hotmail.com and I´ll gladly include them"

These figures have been painted by myself.

Thanks to sociocoop's permission, I can show you these excellently painted figures;

Thanks for reading, and see you in the next battle!