Military Model Scene
Robin Buckland's
Polish 100mm 14/19 Howitzer in 1/72...
...a kit from First to Fight models
Another recent kit from Polish manufacturer First to Fight, adding to their range of 1/72 injection moulded kits from the early period of WW2. This was the standard artillery piece of the Polish army in 1939, a licence built copy of a gun used by Austria Hungary during WW1. Germany captured many of them after they took over both Czechoslovakia and Poland and used them as a second line weapon in defence lines.
The kit is not difficult to build though the assembly instructions on the back of the box are quite small and not brilliantly clear. I got at least one piece the wrong way round, but better luck next time. The main axle is one part with the gun shield supports. I misinterpreted the instruction diagram and fitted it back to front. By the time I noticed it was too late to correct it, so in the pictures of the below you will see it is wrong. I still include it here to help prevent others making my mistake. I did get another and did it correctly, and this is in the photos as well. It does assemble easily enough and the fit of parts was good. I did like to see that though there is no gun crew, there are a couple of open ammunition boxes and a couple of individual rounds of ammunition. No transfers and just an overall green colour.
The kit comes along with a magazine which has archive photos and details of the vehicle history, though it is all in Polish. There is also a colour illustration showing colours and markings. Built up it look good, and offers good value for money.
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I painted mine in overall Polish Green from a very useful set of acrylic paints by Hataka, especially for early war Polish vehicles. The steel rims of the carriage wheels were also painted in gunmetal.
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The First to Fight kits are imported to the UK by Tiger Hobbies Ltd, where I bought my example.
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Robin
Box art
Assembly and colour guide
Kit parts
Magazine
The built model, though with one error (my own) in the build as noted in the text.
The built model, though with one error (my own) in the build as noted in the text.
Now a correctly built model
Now a correctly built model
Now a correctly built model
Now a correctly built model
Built and painted
Built and painted