Military Model Scene

Title: Luchs

Author: Peter Blume

Publisher: Tankograd

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This is number 5077 in their Militarfahrzeug Specials series from Tankograd. A 72-page soft-cover monograph on the large 8-wheeled armoured car in Bundeswehr service. Originally designed in the 1960s, when German industry began to work on their own military vehicles, having been using foreign built designs after WW2. The Luchs owed a good deal to the German AFV experience of WW2 with this new 8-wheeled armoured car design, though amphibious and considerably bigger. It served from 1975 through to 2008.

The opening section looks at the Development history and that is followed by the Technical Description, which examines it section by section. Hull, engine, gear box, amphibious drive, turret and more, all are detailed.  These two parts are mostly text, and as we get throughout the book, everything is provided in both German and English languages. This leads us into the main photo sections, with the first being the Sparpanzer 2 A0/A1 along with a set of 5-view 1/35 scale drawings for it. Next comes the start of the modernisation programmes that started in the mid-1980s, leading to the Sparpanzer 2 A2 Luchs,  More scale drawings, this time for the A2 version and the photos in this section show us detailed references both inside and out. Even the empty engine compartment and the engine itself outside on a stand. The following section illustrate the Luchs 'In Service' where we see it with the standard 3-colour camouflage, plus winter camouflage, heavily weathered examples (covered in mud) and with extra camouflage netting.  Next comes a set of illustrated organisational charts. The final section of photos deal with the Luchs on Overseas Missions, particularly as part of IFOR in the Balkans.

Another super 'Special' from Tankograd. A fine reference for the military vehicle enthusiast while for the modeller (and there are good kits of the Luchs in both 1/72 and 1/35) I can't imagine a better one for all the colour and detail you will find in here.

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Thanks to UK stockists Bookworld for my example.

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Robin