"I Love Kits" - a new offshoot of the Trumpeter / Hobbyboss brands, has taken the banner for a new bunch of regularly released kits that the other two companies have not yet produced. We have news on four of their new kits of September with sprue shots, colours, marking choices and other information in our preview...
Preview: A September selection from I Love Kits
M3A1 Medium Tank
Kit Number #63516
1/35th scale
Price: $52 USD
The M3 Lee, officially Medium Tank, M3, was an American medium tank used during World War II. In Britain, the tank was called by two names based on the turret configuration and crew size.
Markings & decals included in this kit
Tanks employing US pattern turrets were called the "Lee", named after Confederate general Robert E. Lee. Variants using British pattern turrets were known as "Grant," named after Union general Ulysses S. Grant.
The sprues of the kit.
Kit Features:
This is an injection-plastic military vehicle model kit.
Number of parts: more than 630
Copper wire included
Clear parts for transparencies are provided
The body is moulded with slide moulds
Crawler tracks are connected and assemble type
Photo-etched parts included
German Rhm.-Borsig Waffentrager
Kit Number #63523
1/35th scale
Price: $52 USD
This is a Paper Panzer from the "World of Tanks" game - not a real tank... It was said this was developed by the Rheinmetall-Borsig company and designed as a special artillery carrier. The vehicle was designed to carry an artillery system as well as to fire from the chassis. The vehicle utilized the suspension of the Hetzer tank destroyer. Development continued from the end of 1942 through to the middle of 1944. However, the project was discontinued in favour of the Ardelt project because of its complicated design, high cost, and excessive weight.
Markings & decals included in this kit
The Rheinmetall-Borsig Waffenträger, nicknamed "the Wafflecock (by Skiiiiill)", is the first of the Waffenträger (Support Weapon) class tank destroyers available to the player. It has exceptionally good camouflage value in its tier. Unlike most tank destroyers, its gun is mounted on a turret, making it quite versatile on the battlefield. Its first gun, 128 mm gun, has high penetration, accuracy, and rate of fire, whereas the 15 cm gun sports higher damage at the cost of lower penetration, accuracy, and rate of fire. To balance, the Rheinmetall-Borsig has minimal armour - even less than its predecessors - and is somewhat sluggish like the Sturer Emil. Like its predecessors, it performs best taking a position far behind the front line to deliver support fire to enemy tanks being fought by teammates upfront.
The sprues of the kit.
Kit Features:
Number of parts: more than 970
Body is moulded with slide moulds
Tracks are connected and assemble type
Photo-etched parts included
M923A2 Military Cargo Truck
The M939 Truck is a 5-ton 6×6 U.S. military heavy truck. The basic cargo versions were designed to transport a 10,000 lb (4,500 kg) cargo load over all terrain in all weather. Designed in the late 1970s to replace the M39 and M809 series of trucks, it has been in service ever since.
Markings & decals included in this kit
The M939 evolved into its own family of cargo trucks, prime movers, and recovery vehicles, with about 32,000 in all produced. The M923 (M925 w/winch) had a body with drop sides so it could be loaded from the side by forklifts.
The sprues of the kit.
Kit Features:
Number of parts: more than 350
Metal spring with brass wire included
The cab is moulded in one piece with slide moulds
Transparent parts for windows and lights are provided
Masks for the transparencies are included
Reproduction of details such as engine and suspension
Tires are made of soft vinyl.
photo-etched parts and metal cable is included
ROYAL NAVY BATTLESHIP HMS HOOD 1941 "TOP GRADE KIT"
The third and last HOOD was the mighty battle cruiser, which was laid down in 1915 as a class of four, and finally completed until 1920. Certainly, she was the most powerful warship of her day and her displacement of 41,200 tons made far and away from the heaviest capital ship in the world for Twenty years.
Markings & decals included in this kit
In September 1940, Hood spent the winter of 1940-41 on patrols in the northern waters around Iceland watching over any attempted break out by German heavy units. She was thus still employed in May 1941 when Bismarck and Prince Eugen got through the Patrols. Hood and the brand new battleship the Prince of Wales were dispatched to intercept and destroy the German Ships before they broke loose on the British Convoy routes. 24 May 1941, the firing was opened at 05.52 at a range of 25,000 yards and Hood and the Prince of Wales were steering towards Bismarck to close the range.
A base for this kit to sit on and a nameplate is included
The German ship at once replied very accurately and on the third salvo she hit Hood close to the main mast setting her on fire. At 05.55 the British ships began to turn broadside on to the Germans to enable all guns to open fire. As they did so Bismarck fifth salvo struck Hood with devastating effect. A thousand feet high explosion tore her apart and she split in two, sinking in less than two minutes. There were only three survivors from her crew of 1,415.
The sprues of the kit.
Number of parts: more than 490
Total length when assembled: approx. 374mm
Includes Photo-etch parts, metal parts,
A wooden deck is included
You can find out more about I Love Kits models on their Website