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bookCanadian EROC
Buffalo, Cougar & RG-31

Modeler Photo Assistant MPA 002
Anthony Sewards & Miloslav Hraban

Real Model, Prague, Czech Republic

64 pages soft cover, all colour

Review by Terry Ashley


The second book in the Modeler Photo Assistant series from Realmodel continues the theme of Canadian vehicles deployed in Afghanistan with this volume covering the six wheeled EROC Buffalo, Cougar and the four wheeled RG-31.

The landscape soft cover book has 64 pages all in colour with English text kept to a bare minimum with just the photo captions with the photos taking up all available space. The photos are large enough to show the details very well with overall vehicle shots mostly one to a page with the more intimate details having 2, 3 or 4 photos per page.

Most of the photos are taken at base with many fully laden with personal gear and equipment as well as some undergoing repair and include a lot more close-up walk-around detail shots than volume one, just the thing for modellers.

Pages 2 to 15 covers the large Buffalo advanced mine resistant vehicle equipped with an extendable robotic arm and video cameras allowing the crew to operate from the relative safety of the protected cabin.

11 of the pages have just one photo per page giving all around views of the vehicle that provide plenty of detail with 4 pages having 3 photos per page with close-up shots of items such as the aerials, cab exterior and wheels.

Strangely there are no close-ups of the robotic arm other than the vehicle mount but the views in the overall shots still provide some general shots of the arm.

Pages 16 to 33 deals with the Cougar with again some one photo per page overall shots and numerous close-up walk around shots 3 and 4 photos per page. There include details of the cab and body exterior that covers everything from the front lights/bumper bar, engine compartment including overhead views of the large intake louvers to the cab doors and large exhaust running the length of the roof.

Other shots include the wheels and hubs, the distinctive T-style antenna mounts and the armoured shields added around the top weapons station on some vehicles.

The final section from pages 34 to 60 covers the 4WD RG-31 multi-purpose mine-protected armoured personnel carrier (APC) which can be fitted with a RWS usually armed with a 7.62mm C-6 machine gun.

The first shot is an interesting comparison of the Canadian RG-31 and US RG-33 with the rest of the section only on the RG-31. Again there are several one per page photos with all around shots giving good overall details of the vehicle as well as a series of detailed close-up walk-around shots covering all aspects of the RG-31.

There are many excellent close-ups of the body exterior including the doors, windows, head and tail lights, storage compartments and wheels.

The underside of the vehicle is also covered well with detailed shots of the suspension, axles and drive shafts that provide excellent details you don't normally seen.

Moving to the roof there are shots of the roof hatches plus four excellent close-up shots of the RWS and the T-style antenna mountings.

Page 61 has four shots of the 3/4 tom trailer often towed by the RG-31 with shots from various angles showing some good details.

The final three pages have shots of a US RG-33 and US Buffalo that again provide a good comparison with the equivalent Canadian vehicles.

Conclusion:

This is an excellent reference on the Buffalo, Cougar and RG-31 in Canadian service with the photos allowing the features of the three vehicles to be seen as well as providing excellent close-up shots of the smaller details.

As well as the many detailed shots the photos also show the unit markings with some of the close-ups shots also showing the smaller stencilling.

The book will be very useful for anyone wanting more detail on these vehciles featured but if you are after in depth technical data you won't find it here as the book is aimed squarely at modellers as the series name suggest.

An indispensible reference for anyone building the Cromwell Cougar or the Vajra Miniatures Buffalo resin kits.

Highly recommended

Sample pages
book

Thanks to Miloslav from Real Model for the review copy.




Page created September 14, 2009