SX2150 Truck (GHQ)

Good Day to Everyone!

I am back! This month, I am digging into my Modern Military Stash.

It has definitely been a long while since I last featured my own Modern Military Collectibles. Let alone it being from GHQ.

But today, I shall be showing you my completed SX2150 Army Truck that is the primary transport carrier for the People's Liberation Army. I have also completed my Modern Chinese Infantrymen minus basing. With Joshua's Powerful Macro lenses, I was able to capture some nice shot.

It definitely is a pain to paint micro details on miniatures or model kits of such scale. Therefore, I do hope you will go easy on my paint job on these GHQ stuff and I also do hope you will enjoy!

 

SX2150 Army Truck

Side view of the FORMER Main Troop Army Truck of the PLA

The SX2150 made by Shaanxi Automobile Works, a.k.a Shaanxi Automobile Corporation Limited has recently been replaced or are int he midst of being replaced by the SX2150 "K" Variant and the SX2190

The Largest Infantry Force in the World, The PLA has been modernising itself in recent times.

I have painted them in their modern colours. Here we see a Mortar Section firing.

 Section Movement.

Firing on the move.

 Heavy Weaponry Squad

I have been itching to do more GHQ stuff and Modern Military Model Kits but time is not on my side. Hopefully, I can have a regular schedule on making more model kits and featuring them here.

Furthermore, I am intending to come up with an imaginary Modern World which involves aspects of Modern Warfare, Politics and Economies.

It is still in the infancy stage but I do hope to see it materialize soon enough.

Till then,

I thank you all for your continual support!

Cheers!

Kirov Battlecruiser

Hi and we are back to Modern Military!

Today I shall be featuring my biggest completed Modern Warship to date. It is also the Biggest Cruiser or Battlecruiser in the World. Previously, I have shown the GHQ Micronaut 1/2400 scale version of it. This time round, I give you the Kirov Class Battlecruiser that is 1/700 or more than 3 times bigger than the last one shown.

 Kirov cruiser on the Sea

 The Ship is huge. It is so big that I do not have any diorama set or background that could be use in conjunction with taking the full picture of the Battlecruiser.

 Pyotr Veliky Kirov Class Cruiser

With a little bit of imagination, I used a blue cloth and some haphazard photo-editing to showcase this model in its full glory with some semblance of a diorama.

 Back Side of Pyotr Veliky

Acquiring this Model Kit from a local hobby store a long while back, I never really had the time to actually build it. Eventually, I got a local painting service to do the honors and help assemble and paint this Giant. I did contribute to doing some major a touch up and extra paint on certain details of the ship.

Side view of the Behemoth

The Model Kit is from Dragon which still produces the best Modern Warships in the market. The model truly showcase the naval power of Russia.

The Icon of Russian Naval Military Power

Speaking of Russian Naval Power, it is quite known that the Russians have been flexing their military might with recent events in Ukraine. The conflict between Pro-Ukraine and Pro-Russian groups have been an issue that is laden with complexities. Over the months, even with the supplemental knowledge given by news reports, it is hard to tell whether majority of the populace in contested regions are for annexation to Russia or more believe in a United Ukraine.

Anyone has any theories and views on this matter? One thing is quite clear. In the most unlikely event that Ukraine were to go into an all out war with Russia, they would be out manned, out gun and most definitely out matched. However, guerrilla warfare in urban areas would tip the advantage slightly back to Ukraine. Fortunately, the situation does not look to escalate to that point.

In any case, I do hope you readers enjoy the post and like the model kit pictures. There are more in picture of the Kirov class battle cruiser in the album here. Lastly, stay tune for more Modern Military Models to come!

Cheers!

F-2 Mitsubishi (1/700)

It is yet another fine day for some Modern Military!

This year, I will be featuring lots of "mini" model pieces. In order to challenge the limit of how detailed and skillful I can paint, I shall be doing lots of 1/700 modern aircraft. Today, I shall be featuring the first of many. It is the F-2 Mitsubishi, also known as the Japanese F-16 Fighting Falcon.

F-2 Mitsubishi patrolling Japan's airspace

Taken from the Takara 1/700 Micro Ship of the World Kongo Destroyer Series, this is by far the smallest ready-made model piece I have ever seen. The imprinted number on the plane is insanely detailed and it also showcase how quality is top notch in Japan.

  Impeccable detailed one-piece model of the F-2 by Takara

For my pictures, I have Josh to thank for loaning me his Macro Lens. Josh's Lens help showcase the minute detail put in by Takara on the F-2. I only hope that my 1/700 Modern Planes I am doing now would be as good as this.

The F-2 Mitsubishi approaches

Developed from the F-16 Block 40, the F-2 Mitsubishi was a controversial program as its unit cost (inclusive of development cost) was about four times higher than procuring the Block 52 F-16 based on its unit cost minus the development cost.

Another controversy was the licensing cost required by the Japanese Government to pay the Americans for producing the F-2. Despite these issues, the JASDF ordered 94 to be built, inclusive of 4 protoypes. Currently, there are 89 F-2 in active service as 5 were scrapped due to damage sustained in the 2011 Tohoku Earthquake and Tsunami.

A 1 pound coin is rather huge compared to this little size F-2

It is note worthy to know that the F-2 differs from the F-16 in a few things. The F-2 has a larger tailplane and air intake. It also has a three-piece cockpit canopy and a 25% larger wing area. Last of all, it is made out of composite material use to reduce overall weight and radar signatures. With the ability to carry four ASM-1 or ASM-2 anti-ship missles, 4 AAM and additional fuel tanks, it definitely packs more of a punch than the F-16A. 

The F-2 is a 4.5 generation fighter and has seen its fair share of action over the Sea of Japan. On two separate occasions in 2013, F-2 Mitsubishi were scrambled to warn Russian Air Force aircraft to leave Japan's Airspace. In spite of the F-2 accolades, the dawn of the F-35 is approaching. As such, it is only logical for the Japanese Government to make a decision not to continue production of the F-2. 

Hope you guys have a thing for Miniature stuff because there will be more coming your way. You can view all the F-2 pictures in Toyconstruct's facebook album here.

Till next time,

Happy Modelling!

The M2A3 Bradley

Oh dear me, how time has got the better of us all.

Almost a third of the year has passed and I have only finished cleaning all my collectibles and their respective compartments. (Well, I do have huge collections of various stuff)

Regardless, I am behind time on doing many models and miniatures but will try my best to finish all on time. At the moment, working to concurrently complete the 1/700 Modern US fighter jets and some M-ATV as you may have noticed on the sidebar on project I am working on. Furthermore, as mentioned before, I am intending to post more this year compared to before.

I will most definitely put up lots more stuff this year with many new surprises for Toyconstruct.

For now, I shall be featuring one of the main categories of this blog. And it would be none other than the Modern Military Section. Ironically, this would be the first Modern Military post for the year. What with the MarvelHero madness for the start of the year, we have been focusing more on Action Figures. Nevertheless, I shall be showcasing some pictures of the M2A3 Bradley by Dragon Armor.

 The M2A3 IFV. Capable of carrying 6 Men and Packing firepower to rip through squads of infantrymen.

In service since 1981, this mean machine is already in its early 30s. The newest of the M2 version of the Bradley would be the M2A3. Dragon Armor has provided a detailed 1/72 collectible complete with up armor that makes the M2A3 look really impressive.

Nothing speaks America and Freedom like an M2A3 rolling down the Desert Road with an Eagle in the background.

 Did you know that M2 Bradleys had fire port with which Infantry could fire from. All within the protection and confines of the vehicle. However, with the commonality of the M2A3 putting up extra armour kits, these fire ports are often covered up. In any case, 6 fireports were reduced to two from the older version of the M2 to the M2A3. On the perspective of  reviewing the M2A3 model, it would be vital to note that unlike my previous showcase of Dragon Armour, The Challenger II Tank shown in 2011, this M2A3 is made from plastic.

Dragon Armour is pretty good with 1/72 Ready Made Models

 Despite being different material from the Challenger II, the quality and detail have not been compromised. The vehicle looks like a beau.

Named after General Omar Bradley, this war machine main armament is its 25mm M242 chain gun.

 While no matched for the Main Battle Tank in armour or firepower, the Bradley still can hold its own with its TOW anti-tank missiles.

 The IFV still remains relevant in Modern Urban Warfare. Providing fire support and troop transport, the M2A3 is a vehicle to be reckon with.

Alert on the Highway

Like the M1 Abram, the M2 Bradley caught my eye in one of the first RTS games I had played when I was a primary school kid. The game was none other than Command and Conquer. Dubbed as the light tank under the link here, it was the main armour of choice for the mid game missions under the Brotherhood of Nod.

Ahh the good old days.. I am not sure if i have said this before, but what made me get more involved in Modern Military would be the great influence that the Original Westwood Command & Conquer had on me. In any case, after I delve more into Modern Military, it became more clear to me that the light tank was a wrong classification to the M2A3 and Infantry Fighting Vehicle was a more suitable term.

Hope you guys like the pictures and there are more of the Dragon Armour M2A3 in our Toyconstruct Facebook Page as shown in this album here.

Do let me know if CnC had any influence into you getting into Military Model Kits and Modern Warfare.

Till Next time, 

Thanks for your viewership and support! 

Type 98G Tanks (GHQ)

Hi all!

Finally after quite sometime, I am back with some modern military stuff that I have finally completed. After being on and off in terms of painting and assembling, I have finally finished my Type 98G Tanks from GHQ.

Type 98Gs rolling by a countryside town

While I have had my fair share of painting GHQ modern warships, the Type 98s are my first paintjob and assembly of Micro Armor. Taking much guidance from GHQ forums, I magnetized the tanks turret so that it can rotate rather than it being in a fix position permanently.

Macro Shot shows the mighty detail the GHQ puts into its miniatures.

The Type 98 was seen in the October 1 1999 National Day Military Parade and it was the modern generation Main battle Tank developed by the Chinese. The Type 98 served as a prototype for the Chinese to modernize their tank force. The current Type 99 or ZTZ-99 are the by-products of the Type 98 design. Initially, the Type 98 had 4 crew which was reduce to 3 due to the addition of an autoloader in the Type 98G. 

The type 98G is also capable of traveling at speeds of up to 50mph and is armed with a 125mm smoothbore gun which is able to fire APFSDS, HEAT and HE-Frag rounds. This tank caught my eye a few years back when I was playing Battlefield 2. I love how they introduced the Chinese as a new powerplay nation in Modern Warfare. The Type 98 was the MBT of choice for the Chinese side.

A line of Type 98Gs on standby.

In terms of the paint job of these GHQ Micro Armor Type 98 Tanks, I started with a black primer followed by primary basic color  of a customized mixed of catachan green (citadel paint), reflective green (vallejo) and snot green (citadel). I did the stripes using a customised blend of khaki, snakebite leather and white. I used chainmail silver (citadel) for the tracks and black wash the tank followed by agrax earthshade wash for the tracks to make it look a little weathered. Lastly, I layered the tank with lighter shade of the primary colour to make the whole piece standout.

The Chinese Machine has arrive!

There were a few obstacles I had faced doing these tanks. Firstly, getting the right mix of wash and layering was not an easy task. Furthermore, adding the fine detail like the red star and numbering was no easy task. Please do let me know if there is anything I can work on with these guys.

Recently, I have acquired from GHQ the new ZTZ-99 or Type 99 tank. As such, I will be applying my experience from painting these guys onto painting the Type 99. Similar to the Type 98, the Type 99 is featured in the new Battlefield 4 (Man, time passes so fast, I totally missed out on Battlefield 3. Then again, there is just so much to do.)

 

Single Player Trailer

 

China Faction is Back!

It is going to take me quite a while before I can get a good sizeable Chinese, US and Russian Force using GHQ Micro armor to simulate a Battlefield 2, 3, or 4 moment. Till then, I will promise to continue to feature more GHQ stuff.

Need the time to paint!

So stay tune and give me your feedback!

Cheers!

Call of Duty - Campaign Memories

Hey Everyone!

Unless you're living under a rock, you must have heard of the Call of Duty series, the FPS giant that has become the "FIFA" or "Madden" of FPSes...always leading in sales, and always updated every year. October 29th, 2013 will mark the 10th anniversary of CoD's first release, and its latest title "Ghosts" will be hitting shelves soon. Looking back, the series has indeed come a long way since its 3D accelerated WWII roots. I was crazy about the first CoD, and I fondly remember playing the single player demo repeatedly due to its engaging D-Day mission.

Just some thoughts on Ghosts: I am disappointed that the campaign is about some South American coalition invading the United States, using hacked satellites to wreck destruction throughout the world, a plotline that is too cheesy for me. The plot sounds awfully similar to Cobra's attempt to world domination in GI Joe: Retaliation, doesn't it? What I was expecting was a game that featured Ghost from the Modern Warfare storyline, even if his backstory was covered in a comic book. Of course, there's always a possibility that Ghost isn't dead...and it's pretty obvious that Ghost will somehow be involved.

I just completed CoD 2 and stated the single player campaign for BF3. Yes, my backlog of games is approaching ancient history. Strangely, playing both games in close proximity has given me a clues on the formula behind CoD's success as a single player game, which might partially explain CoD's enduring "Apple-like" appeal in the FPS genre.

Even if BF3 far surpasses CoD 2 in terms of graphics, the older game's campaign was a much more enjoyable experience for me. BF3 is a functional shooter, it plays just as it was made to and its destructible environment adds variety to the game. Of course BF3's campaign was thrown in as an "extra" to its multiplayer, but its comparison to CoD will be inevitable. (Also, there are other FPSes that are well-known for their campaigns, such as Halo, Resistance, and Killzone.)

However, the main difference between the campaigns of BF3 and CoD 2 lies in presentation and panache. BF3's story is a meandering mess of backflashes, you get dumped into the campaign without any context, and I couldn't care less about its protagonist. In CoD 2, the missions are presented in a sensible fashion, you get moments to take in the settings (like the long truck ride in North Africa), the briefing videos provide context, and your friendly AI help in making you feel part of a team. In short, CoD 2 made me feel like I was fighting alongside comrades, but BF3's campaign made me feel just playing on a computer.

Do note that I've only played Infinity Ward's entries in the CoD series, so I can't really state the same for the Sledgehammer ones. From what I've experienced, it appears that the developers have used a consistent formula in the making of their campaigns, which includes character development of its main characters, dramatic twists in the storyline, a slight nod to realism, moments that let the player soak in the locales, and providing proper context to each of its missions (videos, briefings, small talk etc). While CoD's storylines are not the pinnacle of literature, they consistently deliver a solid and exhilarating experience for players.

In light of the impending release of Ghosts, I'd like to share top memorable moments I've had while playing the various CoD campaigns. Do let me know what are yours!

Memorable CoD Moments (IW)

Call of Duty: Stalingrad

You begin the mission as a pitiful private in the USSR army, and all you're given to storm the formidable MG42 nests is just a clip of rifle rounds, and when I first played that I thought it was a bug! Also, if the Germans didn't get you and you faced the wrong direction...your friendly neighborhood Commisar will be ready to kill you for "defeatism."

Call of Duty 2: El Daba (End of the Beginning)

The "demo" mission for CoD2 started off with an incredible scene. You're sitting in a truck within a British convoy, taking in the sights of the Egyptian desert, a calm moment before jumping into the hell the Germans have prepared for you.

Modern Warfare: Shooting Zakhaev (One Shot, One Kill)

Cpt Price is perhaps the most popular character of the CoD series, and what can get better than playing as him? While the mission ended up as a failure, it made me feel like a total badass: infiltrating enemy lines, shooting Zakhaev's arm off, taking a Havoc down, and surviving long enough to escape.

Modern Warfare 2: Prisoner #627

I should have seen this moment coming, but I was surprised out of my pants when Cpt Price (previously assumed dead/MIA) punches you to the ground when you breach a wall. Normally, you'd expect to be in full control of the situation, taking cronies by surprise, but this time...not just someone beat you to the punch, and it's none other than Cpt Price!

Modern Warfare 3: Down the Rabbit Hole

I hate to leave friends behind, and this one did hit me...you've played with Team Metal under Sandman throughout the campaign and you've got to leave them behind. While the theme of sacrifice may be cliched in a military settings, it takes on a different feeling when you identify with those you leave behind.

And most difficult mission? Mile High Club in CoD4, easily.



As CoD reaches its 10th birthday soon, it still remains one of the juggernauts of the FPS scene, rising from its single player campaign to blossoming as a multiplayer game. The series will always have its detractors, but it is undeniable that their single player campaigns consistently deliver awesome experiences.

1/700 Micro World Ships of The World Aimless Aegis Sengoku Ver.

Good day all,

Today I bring you another toyconstruct posts on my modern military collection featuring the Kongo Class Japanese Aegis Destroyer, Isokaze. While it is out of production, Takara has produced many interesting Japanese Self Defense Force models and collectibles. Among them is the 1/700 Micro World Ships of the World Collection. One of them featuring a three part section that when combined, gives the entire structure of the Kongo Class Destroyer.

Isokaze, the featured (Fictional) Kongo Class Destroyer from Takara Ships of the World Collection

Like many other products from Japan, Takara provides really high quality ready made collectibles like this Kongo Class Destroyer. Based on 1/700 Modern Naval ships from Aoshima and Pit-Road, I know that Japanese Model kits are of high quality and detail. However, I was surprise to find that the detail in this ready made version of the Kongo Class is really amazing. From the paint job to the parts that were already assembled, it looked great from all angles.

Isokase's Front section

The reason why this collectible came in three parts was due to the fact that Takara intended this display to not just be of the ship but to show a cross section view of the various section and the internal compartments that make this Aegis Destroyer function.

Cut away part of the Front section of Isokaze.

The cool part of this collectible would be to see the cutaway part of each section of the Ship. I really admire how Takara goes into the details of painting and sculpting the various internal rooms within the ship. From the above picture, you can see that the mid level part of the front section has the radar room and you can even see a cross section of other rooms and the bridge too.

The really awesome thing about this collectible is that it is a 3D display of the Warship like how some of these military books showing cross sections of the Tanks and Ships in their books as shown below.

 

Mid Section

In my opinion, this Kongo Class Destroyer has features that are similar to the Sdkfz 181 Tiger I collectible that Joshua featured in his post. And I believe that this collectible could also be quite appealing to the younger age modellers and hobbyist who are into modern military
stuff as it is easy to assemble and build.

Cut outs from the Mid Section.

As seen in the picture above, the mid section even has cut outs showing the internal parts of the side of the ship. Among these parts is the Aegis radar near the top left corner of this particular ship section. What really amazes me even more is that even the miscellaneous rooms are being sculpted to provide an accurate internal structure of the ship.

Back Section

Front Cut Away of the Back Section

While I do not know every room compartment in the Isokaze, I can deduce from the back section lowest compartment would be the engine room that drives the Ship's propellers. Furthermore, while the Isokaze is a fictional ship name, everything else is based on the actual JMSDF Kongo-class Destroyer.

The Isokaze's VLS Launcher with its array of missiles.

The Japanese Self Defense Naval Flag on the Isokaze

 Aside from showing various miscellaneous compartments in the back section of the ship, we can see the internals of the VLS launcher with its array of missiles. We are also able to get a view of other weaponry like the CIWS and the Mk 46 torpedo tubes. It is noteworthy to know that the Isokaze is a Kongo-class Destroyer which is also essentially an Arleigh Burke Flight I modification.  This modification resulting from the transfer of technology and design between the US and Japan is but one of the many defense collaboration between the US and Japan. Japan's Self Defense Force have been acquiring US weaponry since the days after World War 2 and it is no big wonder that Japan has a strong Asian ally to the US.

As such, matters of each nation do affect the other nation to a significant extent. In recent years, this ties have been drawn to attention due to the Diaoyu/Senkaku Islands. There have been rising tension in Sino-Japanese relation due to the dispute over whether the island belongs to Japan or China. While this dispute is between the People's Republic of China, Republic of China (Taiwan) and Japan, the two Chinese states have recognize that the islands are part of Taiwan as part of Toucheng Township in Yilian County of their respective divisions. In escalation to what has been mentioned, naval activities between the Chinese Navy and Japans Maritime Defense Force have been frequent around the islands and this has made the US nervous due to not wanting to get embroiled in a conflict with China.

Diaoyu/Senkaku Islands: Nothing really special until the discovery of oil reserves.

However, for all the naval tactics and maneuvers made by fisherman boats and Japanese Coast Guard, many do view this as more of a political play from both sides rather than a possible escalation to war. What is your point of view? And, if naval battle does ensue, will the Kongo Class Destroyer prove deadly against a growing modernized People's Republic of China Navy? 

A NTD Analysis on the Diaoyu/Senkaku Island Dispute.

The New Tang Dynasty Television provided an in-depth analysis on this conflict and an interesting point of view. This News Station is based in New York City and its aim is to provide truthful and uncensored news in and out of China. While I dare not say it is unbiased in its news reports and opinions due to its "liberal" feel, it could help us discuss on the possibilities of this conflict and perhaps hypothesize a possible modern naval battle scenario.

So let me know your opinions on the collectible and the conflict. Other than that, Stay tune for more features on Modern Military Collectibles and other stuff!