S-model M22 inbox review

Quick M22 Locust preview

Model: M22 Locust
Manufactory: S-model
Scale: 1/72
Material: styrene and PE
Kit number: PS720022
Parts: 1 sprue with 22(21)+ 2 frets with 16 PE for both kits
2 kits in the box

guns both Little John and the normal 37mm

                Real               1/72               kit
Scale: length 3,94m      54,7mm        54,3mm
           width  2,16m      30mm           30mm
           height   1.85m      25,7mm        24,7mm
so overall pretty close but a bit too small

Good parts:

• only late M22 in plastic at the moment (there is a resin early M22 see below)
• easy build 
• 2 in a box
• 2 guns, 37mm and 37mm with Little John options in 1 sprue but only the 37mm on the other sprue the Little John was snipped off, others had no Little John adapters at all so beware if you want it buy it for that option
• mine came with double the PE frets

 Bad parts:

• details are a bit soft at places
• some pieces got stress marks, looks like some parts got bend but all parts are complete with no damage I guess it was a demolding or boxing problems as the box was pristine
• strength bars between the wheels are flat PE pieces but has too be a round bar
• the 1 piece running gear is a bit basic, like all S-Model kits, but still better then the Planet kit with the solid idler and space between the track teeth is filled up, this will be a pain to fix but can be done with a Dremel tool and small burr 

See also
Planet M22 review

greetings Mondria

Modelcollect AU72195 - BLF-100 review

Modelcollect AU72195 - BLF-100 is a new kit in Modelcollects Fist of War range.
The BLF-100 is a 2 legged walker with 2 options for arms, the kits folder claims it to be 2 20mm machine guns or 75mm cannon and you get 4 walkers with enough guns for to model all 4 with the same guns or mixed them up.

Overall the model looks somewhat like the ED209 from Robocop something I like.
     

Box

Folder

Decals with 2 blocked out

All sprues, you will get 4 of each

The 20mm machine gun looks like to the MG151 pod as used on Focke-Wulf Fw 190 but the barrels more like 20mm Kwk 38 barrels, no idea where the ammo would go couple of cylinders on top and bottom would fix that, the 75mm cannon arm looks very small for a 75mm gun and the barrel thickness is less then of the 50mm Pak 38 but the barrel is much shorter, looks like it has a magazine for a couple of rounds under need the gun arm which could fit 2-3 rounds max.

20mm guns

75mm gun

The legs have some good details on them with plenty of nuts and bolts, it could use better ankles and sadly it can only be posed 1 way, it would be cool if it could be posed in a walking mode it is a walker after all, it looks like it could be possible to cut the lower legs and repose them without much trouble.

back of the legs shows bad fit

That leave the upper body, compared to the legs its a bit bare, at the front there is the cockpit and at the back would be the engine, the box art shows some grills on the top but there are none, there could be more detail on the back as well, but the cupola is the worse part it as no view ports or periscopes, there is a bump on the front but nothing more, on mine I will replace it and something a bit like the drivers view port of the Panzer IV on the front and slits or flaps on the side. There is a plate on the nose this could be a hatch or add on armor.

some mold lines but not hard to fix

"cupola"could use some more details

2 machine guns or hydrologic cylinders?

I left of the schurtzen over the hips and lower back as it would block some of the detail and make it harder to paint later on.

The kits goes together well but there are gaps on some parts.
Overall a bit of a mixed bag some parts are good some not so much but with some extra detail it would make it a nice little kit.
As it is a fantasy model all options are open and it would be easy to replace 1 of the weapon arms and do a arm or a rocket launcher.


Bought with my own pocket money
Greetings and thanks for watching
Mondria

M22 Locust preview

Quick M22 Locust preview

Model:M22 Locust (early)
Manufactory: Planet
Scale: 1/72
Material: resin
Kit number: MV103
Parts: 18

nice sturdy box

front and back info sheet with decals

inside clear instructions

parts sealed in bags

parts

hull, fender is nice and thin but a bit warped

hull, fender cracked on my kit, nothing to hard to fix

Only a couple of air bubbles in the sand shield (easy to fix) and in the rear engine deck (bit harder to fix) but overall well cast

running gear molded with the side plate, flash between the wheels will be easy to remove but the idler will be very hard to fix

tiny turret, maybe even a bit to small?

rest of the parts

          
                Real               1/72               kit
Scale: length 3,94m      54,7mm        55mm
           width  2,16m      30mm           32mm
           hight   1.85m      25,7mm        26mm
so overall pretty close but a bit too large.

Good parts:

• As far as I know this is the only 1/72 M22 Locust. (update now also a plastic M22 see below)
• low part count
• hardly any flash 
• well cast 
• good instructions 
• has decals

Bad parts:

• solid idler
• missing head light guards
• missing the strengthening bar between the bogies
• broken and warped vendors will be hard to fix

See also
S-model M22

Greetings Mondria