Renault FT-17

The Renault FT-17 was a French light tank whose development began in 1916. Its revolutionary design — featuring a fully rotating turret, a rear-mounted engine and a crew compartment at the front — laid the foundation for the basic layout of tanks that followed. The FT-17 was inexpensive, simple and well suited to mass production.

The light tank weighed 6.5 tonnes without armament or crew. Its four-cylinder petrol engine produced 39 hp and gave the vehicle a top speed of up to 8 km/h on good roads. The armor was up to 22 mm thick and the armament consisted of either a 37 mm gun or a 8mm Hotchkiss machine gun. The tank was crewed by two men.

The Renault FT-17 saw extensive service during World War I and remained in service with the armed forces of numerous countries after the war. During the Estonian War of Independence, Estonia ordered 12 light tanks from France. However, before these could be delivered, two Renaults loaned by Finland to the Northwestern Army were made available for use by the Estonians. The first tanks ordered from France arrived in Estonia only in February 1920 and therefore did not see action during the War of Independence. After the war, they were assigned to the Auto-Tank Division, which was reorganized as the Auto-Tank Regiment in 1928. The Renault light tanks remained in Estonian service until 1940, when Estonia was annexed by the Soviet Union, the Estonian armed forces were disbanded and the tanks were incorporated into the Red Army.

The model depicts a Renault light tank sporting tactical number 61, serving with the Estonian Defence Forces during the maneuvers at Otepää in 1925.

More about the model and its construction can be found at this link

Model: 1:35, RPM RPM35061 Char Mitrailleur FT-17
+ ABER-35807 FT-17 Renault - vol.1 - basic set
+ Friulmodel ATL-73 metal track for Renault FT-17
+ Tamiya 35240 German soldiers with bicycles
+ Voyager Model PE 35256 WWII German Bicycle
+ Legend LF0108 "Dear Mom" (WWII German Soldiers)
+ Legend LF0009 "German POW" (WWII)
+ Hornet HBH10, 5 heads wearing British style Officer's caps

Panzer I Ausf.A

Germany began developing the Panzer I light tank in 1932, when the Waffenamt issued a requirement for a light tank armed with machine guns. The competition was won by Krupp's prototype, which was given the codename LaS (Landwirtschaftlicher Schlepper – “agricultural tractor”). In July 1934, it entered series production as the LaS Krupp, and in 1935 it was redesignated the Panzerkampfwagen I. A total of 833 Panzer I Ausf.A vehicles were produced by June 1936.

The Panzer I Ausf.A laid the foundation for the conventional layout of German tanks of the period, with the engine located at the rear of the welded hull and the drive sprockets at the front. The crew compartment was located in the center and accommodated two crew members. The driver sat on the left, while the gunner/radio-operator/commander occupied the turret on the right. The four-cylinder Krupp boxer engine produced 57 hp and gave the 5.4-tonne vehicle a top speed of 37 km/h. The manually traversed turret was armed with two 7.92mm MG13 machine guns, with a combined rate of fire of 680 rounds per minute.

The Panzer I first saw combat during the Spanish Civil War in 1936. Until 1939, it was the main tank of the German Panzerwaffe, accounting for 46% of its tank inventory. It was used extensively during the invasions of Poland, France and Norway. The Panzer I was an inexpensive, fast and maneuverable vehicle, but its weak armor and armament meant that it was primarily suited to the infantry-support role and offered protection only against small-arms fire. When used as intended, however, it could still be a reasonably effective combat vehicle. In early 1942, the Panzer I was withdrawn from frontline service and subsequently used by police units and in anti-partisan operations.

The model depicts a Pz.Abt. z.b.V. 40, 3rd Company Panzer I Ausf.A in Norway in June 1940.

More about the model and its construction can be found at this link

Model: 1:35, Tristar 35028s Panzer I Ausf A Limited Clear Edition

+ Friulmodel ATL-20 metal track for Panzer I, Opel Maultier
+ 2x Adlers Nest ANM-35019B MG13K barrel 'blue steel' finish
+ Legend LF0108 "Dear Mom" (WWII German Soldiers)
+ THRB-05-S Scale hardware 0,5 UNM Threaded Hex Bolt

BMW R75

BMW motorcycles, like those of its rival Zündapp, were widely used by the Wehrmacht throughout the war on all fronts.

Both manufacturers began developing motorcycles with improved off-road capabilities for military use in parallel in the early 1940s. It soon became apparent that the design proposed by Zündapp had somewhat better characteristics than its BMW counterpart. However, in response to the army's ever-growing demand, motorcycle production was standardized, resulting in the BMW R75 and Zündapp KS 750, which shared up to 70% of their components.

The motorcycle was equipped with a spacious sidecar fitted with an MG34 machine gun. Its 746 cc two-cylinder boxer engine produced 26 horsepower. Two-wheel drive, including a driven sidecar wheel, low-range gears, a lockable differential, and wide tires gave the motorcycle excellent off-road capability while also providing good performance. The 670 kg vehicle could reach a top speed of up to 92 km/h.

Production of the BMW R75 continued until 1944, when the BMW factory in Eisenach was severely damaged by bombing. By that time, approximately 16,500 motorcycles had been produced. A further 98 motorcycles were assembled in 1946 as part of war reparations for the Soviet Union.

Model: 1:35 Lion Roar L3510 WWII German Motorcycle R75 with sidecar