exether_mega wrote:Any chance to have a review of the M16 and Pioneer Hanomag ? What's good or bad ? Also, any more pics ?
phil
OK, here's my review for the Pak-40, Stuka zu Fuss, and M-16 (I sold the Pioneerwagen that I found to another boardmember). I apologise in advance if some of my technical descriptions lack the proper terminology...
The Pak-40 comes in the standard German Panzer gray color with mud weathering on the wheels and front shield. The front shield has a removable shovel. The piece is exceptionally well detailed including all hand cranks, gears, wheel detail, etc. The barrel recoils and the breach opens so that a shell can be partially inserted. The barrek can also elevate and the gunsight also moves when in sync with the barrel. The support arms can lock together for towing and have a hitch. The gun can be towed by the SDK-251 Hannomag quite easily. The support legs are well detailed with moveable positioning handles, carrying handles and removable sighting rods.
The Pak-40 also comes with 3 crates and 9 shells that go in the crates. A figure (BoB2 style German open-coat infantry) is included with all the accessories. My only complaint with this piece is that the breach can be a little stiff to open, otherwise it is actually my favorite piece in the new armor assortment! Here's a couple shots of my Pak-40 in action. It is in a sort of "diorama box" I made to move it around easily while in displayed fashion:
The Stuka zu Fuss is a neat modification to make to the XD SDK-251 hannomag! The vehicle itself required little modification. There are four rocket rack pieces, (rear, 2 middle & front) consisting of the replicated metal supports and the wood frames. They sort of hang on the side of the hanomag on little niches carved onto the top of the vehicle siding. Thus they are loose and can fall off easily. The Wurfram (sp?) rockets are removable and come in the 32cm napalm and 28cm explosive variants. The larger rockets are mounted in the rear racks. The cover over the driver's seat is removable and does not have the front MG. The hooks for the Panzershrek weapon and spare wheel on the origional hanomag have been removed and filled in. The interior is exactly the same as the standard XD SDK-251.
The accessories included were the box, briefcase, and jerry-can from the origional hanomag. No figure was included. My only complaints with the vehicle are minor: no front MG and no figure. Other than that, this is a really neat hannomag variant with a great ambush paintscheme. Here's a couple action shots of the Stuka zu Fuss, showing the vehicle in a diorama and a detail shot of the rockets:
Now for the M-16. This is a rather ingenious piece of engineering by 21c in that they took an existing mould (the M3 Halftrack) and extensively modified it into a new vehicle. The front is still basically the same with the opening engine, stowage, and movable armor shields for the windows. The bumber has been changed from the roller to large frame with tow winch. The driver's position is still largely the same save that the .50 MG mount has been removed.
The bed has been extensively modified with new seats and of course the quad .50 MG turret. The bed has been nicely detailed with extra ammo canisters. The new modifications were simply attached over the floor of the existing M3 halftrack mould. The turret is a well-executed piece of engineering and is as complex as the turret on the XD Avenger. It rotates and the guns elevate. The interior is detailed with the turret motor, battery, seat and controls and there is a gunsight for the gunner. The ammo cans are not removable. A figure will fit in the turret, though its a very tight squeeze and you have to remove the lower portion of the legs (and watch you don't break the turret as you get the figure in!)
The vehicle comes with the rear stowage accessories as on the origional halftrack as well as the mines, but does not include a figure. My biggest complaints with the M-16 concern the turret rotation and lack of figure. It is very difficult to turn the turret a complete 360 degrees as the ammo canisters protrude just a little too much. Either shortening those by a few milimeters or having simply razed the base a little would have avoided this. All in all, however, it is a really cool modification of an existing vehicle and is quite origional and very well detailed. Here's some action shots of that vehicle as well, including one detailing the interior:
...and see? These pieces are all the way across the country now! If only items would move that fast going east to west
See, items always move across the country when they show up in the west, less so the other way!
Thanks for the info! I will have to hit all the area WMs tomorrow, good thing it's payday! I hope I can snag at least one, the one of each deal kinda stinks.
