The wealth of ready made diecast style models now is simply amazing. Especially in the 1/72 scale range (and I’m including 1/76 and 1/87 in that statement). I’ve not paid much attention to the scene in recent years, but just recently have been looking at it again, especially with a view to getting back into playing some Crossfire again. One of the semi-recent arrivals is PMA (Precision Model Art) and they are producing some highly detailed models that feature interior detail (such as engines and such). They do a range of very nice historical WW2 German models that include a V-2 Rocket (in 4 variants), 8.8cm FlaK, and several Sd.Kfz 8 Half-Track variants; including one of which is my favourite the 8.8 cm Flak 18 (Sfl.) auf Zugkraftwagen 12t (Sd.Kfz. 8) on the DB9 chassis. They also have some nice vehicle crew sets, German Kubelwagens & Motorcycles, and a nice LRDG Chevrolet Truck.
Ten of these improvised Tank-Hunters were built in 1939 on armoured Sd.Kfz 8 chassis and they served in a special Panzerjager Company (of Panzerjäger-Abteilung 8) in Poland 1939, France and the Low Countries in 1940, and Operation Barbarossa in Russia 1941; and then continued operating in Russia as the independent Panzerjäger-Kompanie 601 about January 1942, and in April 1942 then became Kompanie 3, Panzerjäger-Abteilung 559. The last 3 vehicles were still operating the following year until reported all lost by March 1943. I couldn’t resist getting one of these and it looks to be a very nice model (Read more on the Sd.Kfz 8 and variants at Wikipedia).
As mentioned PMA also do a V-2 Rocket, in 4 different variants/colour schemes, so I couldn’t resist getting one as it’ll make a great objective or terrain feature in Crossfire games!
On a final note about PMA they also do some diorama sets, including a nice 88mm gun emplacement, but also this series called “Malinava Counterattack“; if you buy all 6 diorama’s they fit together to create the scene as illustrated below:
Another recent arrival is Model Collect, and while a lot of their models are fanciful ‘what-ifs’ (like the E50, E75 & E100 Tanks, E100 SPGs and SP V1 Rockets) they do do a very nice V-1 Rocket set (2 variants with 1944 & 1945 colour schemes), some heavy German FlaK (12.8cm variants) and some nice flat-bed railway cars (along with some nice ‘ultra-modern’ Russian MBTs & BMPs, mobile coast defence guns, and US & Soviet medium missiles). Again I couldn’t resist a V-1 model as a potential objective/terrain feature for Crossfire games set in late 1944 post-Normandy Breakout!
Here are some pic’s of Model Collect’s other more useful WW2 models:
Model Collect also do a range of plastic kitsets of various WW2 and Modern AFVs.