The magazine under review is M Hobby No 1 -2001 published by Ex print Publications, PO Box 26, Moscow, 121552 Russia. It is published on high quality A4 paper in portrait style and in Russian only and has no English text at all in its 50 pages. The Editor Alexander Egorov sent my copy to me many thanks to him for this.

It is split into the usual sections of:

• New kits and releases, which are mainly all Aircraft and in 1/72 scale. The Armour is very interesting this time as it has the following kits due for release this year.
• 1/72 scale Armour kits due for release are T-26 in several versions, PARM-1, VW type 60, BMP-1, BMP-1A, BMP-2, and a BRDM-1.
• The 1/35 scale kits are as follows ZIS-5B, ZIS-44, ZIS 42, BA-3, PT-76,BTR-70, 2SZ, 122mm D-30, BT-2, BT-5,T-34 1940, T34 Flame thrower, ZIS-4 and 57mm Antitank gun,
• A review article on the newly released BA 6 kits in 1/35 scale.
• An article on how to make alterations to the clothing worn on 1/35scale figure it looks like a type of Milliput being used.
• An article on the build up of a MIG 31 kit in colour pity there is no scale plans with it.
• A black and white photomontage of the KB-14 No 1 all original factory photographs which look as if they were taken on the test firing ranges.
• An article on the URAL -377 series of modern trucks plus a full set of 1/35 scale plans spread over two pages.
• An article on the Russian torpedo boats G-5 with two full pages of plans in 1/72 scale and a bonus is the hull planking profile chart. More about this in the comments section.
• A full colour photomontage on the SU-27 Fighter, more about this article in comments section.
• Sepia set of photographs and colours illustrations to Russian Soldiers in 1980 in Afghanistan.
• Lastly two pages of colour photographs on the preserved BA-6 from Kubinka Museum again see comments.

Comments: I served my time as an apprentice Electrician in the shipyards, and I saw many of these plans and planking chart in the Moulding Loft. These are a real bonus to ship modellers as they give the true profile of the hull and any complex contours involved.

The article on the SU-27 fighter has in the background wonderful information about the boarding ladders and the towing dollies and how they are attached to the aircraft. Great info for the scratch builders and photo etch makers. A very good close up of the twin exhausts and the range of colours on the vanes, an aircraft model makers dream.

Now at last the plans on the BA-6 Armoured car are making more sense as the photographs show the underneath of the chassis and I am able to clarify several items that have given me problems with scratch building before now. The author is to be congratulated on a job well done.

So in conclusion no extra pages but a bumper issue well worth the cover price just for one article alone but with 5 for armour related subjects. It has to rank as being one of the very best editions published so far.

An other one to add to the growing collection of quality articles on Armour ESP Russian WW2.

Go out and order your copy now and sit and enjoy it and you will use it many times over for research.

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