Monday, December 21

2021 is already looking up - with three new releases from Takom...

The hits keep on coming fro everyone this year - but we have good news about 2021 already with three pretty cool looking new kits in different areas of interest from Takom. See what we know about tooth of the kits in our preview...

New year - three new kits from Takom in January

SA-N7 & Sa-N-12 2 in 1
From Takom
Kit No #2136
1/35th scale 
The model elevates & traverses
Two marking choices are included in the box base is included
Photo-etch parts are included
SA-N-7 (Surface to air-Navy-7) is a medium and short-range air defense missile system widely equipped on non-air defense surface ships of the Soviet (Russian) Navy. It has a certain area. Air defense capability. The SA-N-7 Gadfly/Smerch SAM system entered service with the commissioning of the lead ship of the Sovremenny class ships of the Russian Navy on 25 December 1980, although state acceptance tests were completed only in 1983. The system was given the NATO designation SA-N-7 'Gadfly' and the export version, Shtil (Calm), was extensively marketed being purchased by India for the Delhi-class destroyers, entering service in November 1997. It has since been exported in Sovremenny class ships to China. It entered service with the Russian Navy in 1983. Its export version is the Shtil. 
The Sovremenny class, Soviet designation Project 956 Sarych (buzzard), is a class of anti-ship and anti-aircraft guided-missile destroyers of the Soviet and later Russian Navy. The ships are named after qualities, with "Sovremenny" translating as "modern" or "contemporary".

An SA-N-7 Gadfly/Smerch SAM on a 9K-90 Uragan launcher aboard the Bespokoynyy.
On the Sovremenny Class destroyer two Shtil surface-to-air missile systems are installed, each on the raised deck behind the twin-barrelled 130 mm guns. Shtil is the export name of the SA-N-7, NATO reporting name Gadfly. (From the 9th ship onwards, the same launcher is used for SA-17 Grizzly/SA-N-12 Yezh.) The system uses the ship's three-dimensional circular scan radar for target tracking. Up to three missiles can be aimed simultaneously. The range is up to 30 km (19 mi) against targets with speeds up to 830 metres per second (2,700 ft/s). The ship carries 48 Shtil missiles.

SA-N-7 surface-to-air missile aboard a Sovremenny Class destroyer project 956.
Later production models of the  the Sovremenny Class destroyer feature longer range 3M82 Moskit missiles and newer Yezh (SA-N-12 Grizzly) air defense systems.



Wiesel A1 TOW
From Takom
Kit No #1011
1/16th scale 
All hatches on the tank can be made into an open or closed state
Tracks & suspension is workable (if that's your thing)
clear parts included
A figure is included with this kit.
Photo-etch parts are included
Three marking choices included in the box...

In 1982 the West German airborne units adopted a Wiesel 1 air-portable armoured vehicle. This armoured vehicle was designed by Porsche. This small armoured vehicle could be used for various roles. However, there were two most common versions of in service with the German army - the reconnaissance and fire support vehicle, armed with a 20 mm cannon and anti-tank missile carrier armed with a TOW anti-tank missile launcher. The Wiesel 1 was produced from 1990 until 1992-1993. A total of 210 of these missile carriers were obtained by the German army.
Protection of the Wiesel is rather limited due to its lightweight of less than 3 t. Its armour provides protection for the crew only against small arms fire and artillery shell splinters. This vehicle also lacks an NBC protection system.
This missile carrier is equipped with a TOW anti-tank guided missiles launcher and uses wire-guided missiles. This weapon has semi-automatic guidance. It requires a gunner to keep the target in the line of sight until the missile impacts. The launcher is equipped with AN/TAS-4A  thermal imager which is used for day and night firing.


M60A3 w/ M9 Bulldozer
From Takom
Kit No #2137
1/35th scale 
All hatches on the tank can be made into an open or closed state
one-piece tracks are included in this kit
Photo-etch parts are included
clear parts included
Four marking choices included in the box
The M60A3 production designation was given stabilization and a thermal sleeve for its M68 105mm main gun, a ballistics computer for accurized engagement, a thermal sight at the gunner's position, improved coaxial machine gun functionality, an air filtration system, revised searchlight function, an improved powerplant and improved Raytheon laser rangefinder. This M60 form became the most advanced American MBT in service during the early 1980s. Additionally, the M60A3 featured external smoke dischargers along the turret sides as well as an internal smoke generation system supplied through the engine's operation (many Soviet tanks utilized this feature as well). 
The improvements certainly brought the M60 family line closer to the capabilities of the newest Soviet battlefield threat of the time - the T-72 Main Battle Tank - and, in some ways, still compared favourably to the more modern M1 Abrams beginning to take hold in the US inventory. The M60A3 soldiered on for the US military until 1997. Those M60A3 production forms labelled as "M60A3 TTS" marked them as "Tank Thermal Sight" - noting their use of the AN/VSG-2 thermal system.
The M9 bulldozer installed on the M60-series tank increased the vehicle weight by 8,900 lb (4,037 kg) and decrease its angle of approach from 34° to 19°. This was a temporary installation on the tank and was used for demolition, rod and foliage clearing and other heavy moving work. They are popular with modellers who appreciate weathering and wear challenges on a large main battle tank like this...

That is all we know about these two new releases for now. You can see more about Takom's kits on their website or on their Facebook page



Photo-etch included