Warmaster BM-30 Smerch and SA-6 Gainful

Recently I was able to pick up a couple of the new Warmaster 1/72 diecast models so I thought I'd do a quick post to show them off.

First up the BM-30 Smerch, otherwise known as the 9A52-2 Smerch.  Here's a link to its entry on Wikipedia.  Whilst it's actually a little bit late for me and I really should be looking to field the BM-27 - but I haven't been impressed with the BM-27s I've seen online and I've not seen any BM-27s (in the flesh so to speak) in Australia - so I picked up the available BM-30 instead.

Here's what it looks like:

And here's what I'd like it to look like:

I'm not sure when or if I'll re-paint it - as it's not likely to make it to a table top anytime soon.  This is likley to remain an off-table asset - hence my not being to bothered about it not being a BM-27!  I actually don't mind the paint scheme - I just think they went a little overboard with the tyre weathering - especially when you consider they label it "Victory Parade Moscow 2011".  I verymuch doubt the Russians would allow a Multple Rocket Launcher with such muddy tires to take part in a Victory Day parade!

So onto the SA-6 Gainful or 2K12 "Kub".  Here's alink to its entry on Wikipedia and on the Air Power Australia website.  (I've recently added the excellent Air Power Australia link to my useful websites section).

I've been after one of these for a while.  Again I'm not sure how useful it really is by itself - as a battery would have four missile TELs and they would be linked to a couple of radar TEL.  Anyway - here it is:

And here's what I'd like it to look like:

This one is labeled Libya 1987 - and it looks like it's been painted in a late WW2 German 3 tone camouflage pattern...  I'm not sure but it looks like it's going to be very painful to re-paint - the missle erector doesn't move - and the missiles don't come off - so I think I may have to try and take the whole thing apart to take it from 1945 to 1986!

But still - I'm very happy to have both of these in the collection.  I feel like I need one more SAM system - a SA-9 Gaskin - before I can call my Soviet SAM set complete.

That's all for now

Richard