Scale: 1/35
One of the most eagerly awaited models of 2021 was Gecko Models’ Scimitar Mk. 2 CVR(T) TES(H) Operation Herrick, Afghanistan (ref. 35GM0051), the most ambitious release of Gecko’s excellent range of vehicles, figures and accessories related to the British Army’s operations in Hellmand Province. The Chinese energy crisis and other supplyrelated issues arising from the global pandemic delayed the release of the kit, but it now seems that the Scimitar Mk. 2 is imminent. Gecko have released some sprue shots and photographs of a built-up test shot and it looks very good. The slat armour, designed to defeat RPG attacks, is always a key component of these kits and it’s difficult to produce it accurately in scale in plastic, but Gecko looks to have made a good job and with some careful additional thinning they will look as good as any photoetch (and a lot easier to assemble). The tracks are link-and-length, which will delight some and infuriate others, but again look very good replicas. A clear sprue is included, as is an extensive sheet of photoetch. The weakest part of the kit, at least on the test sprue, looks to be the 30mm Rarden cannon, but there are aftermarket options available and, of course, AFV Club’s FV107 Scimitar comes with a metal barrel. There are four marking options provided with the kit: two from the 9th/12th Royal Lancers (Prince of Wales’s) and two from 1st The Queen’s Dragoon Guards. Personally, I can’t wait to get my hands on this kit, and I’m sure it will very popular when it is finally released. Our thanks to Rubin at Gecko Models for the project information.