In 1948, one of the many problems facing the new Jewish state of Israel was a total absence of armoured fighting vehicles, and the restrictions applied to nations who had tanks, but were refused the ability to sell them outside of their own countries, made the situation for Israel almost hopeless in obtaining any. They managed to get some derelict Sherman tanks that were going to be scrapped and a few armoured cars, but the number obtained was insufficient for the creation of a viable force. It was these conditions that eventually led to the to the development of today's impressive Merkava line.

Following the cease fire of the 1948 war, several dozen Sherman tanks, of all types were purchased from all over the world and standardized on a production line set up in Israel, and designated the M-50 Sherman. Later, they were able to purchase the British Centurion tank which went on the same production line for rebuild to their own specifications. The country was still dependent upon other countries products for their armour needs, and often, due to situations beyond the control of Israel, they were denied shipments of requested items. The production line was receiving requests for modifications of M48 Patton tanks as well as Soviet T54 and T55's. Following the six day war, General Israel Tal felt an urgent need for self-sufficiency in major weapons such as aircraft and tanks, due to the serious cutbacks in re-supply from leading nations. He became obsessed by the idea of building tanks in Israel, and although backed by some military experts, he was regarded with some suspicion and doubt by many others. Here, with feverish ardour and imagination General Tal started the venture which in nine years produced the remarkable Merkava.

The Merkava is manned by a crew of four and its main armament is the 105mm M64 L71A tank gun, with secondary armament of a 7.62mm co-axial machine gun located in a vertical armoured slit in the turret and two additional LMG's on the commanders hatch and the loaders hatch, these are used for close-in combat and against low-flying aircraft. The driver is located to left of the power pack and can enter the rear compartment by lowering his seat back. The fighting compartment extends the whole width of the hull and is air-conditioned for crew comfort in the desert environments it was designed to operated in. Engine is a Teledyne Continental AVDS-1790 V-12 Diesel which produces 900hp.

Operating in the Southern deserts, the Merkava crews enjoy hitherto undreamed of comforts. Cooled water from a container installed at the rear provides water for drinking through a special pipe into the turret. In hot weather this is an absolutely vital necessity, making all the difference in the fighting capability of the crew. With the troop carrying capability, via the large rear door, the Merkava is truly one of the most modern and versatile armoured systems in the world and was extensively proven in the field of combat against the highly touted T-72 Soviet armour used in the recent Lebanon conflict.

Academy 13312 1/48 K9 Self-Propelled Artillery MCP Plastic Model Kit

1/35 Scale unassembled plastic Model Kit requiring Paint and Glue to complete. The "General Stuart" M3 light tank was considered one of the best light tanks of World War II. Thoroughly reliable, quick and maneuverable, with longer range, it was well liked by its crew. The M3A1s were produced by the American Car Foundry between May 1942 and February 1943

Fully detailed interior and exterior. Movable gun elevation. Various accessories. Two types of tracks are provided: Flexible continuous tracks, Individually molded track sections, Waterslide decals, Detailed pictorial instructions.

Specifications:
- This is a plastic Model Kit, which comes unassembled and unpainted
- So glue, model paints and other basic modelling tools are additionally required

The T-62 tank has many similarities to the T54/55, both in external shape and mechanism. It made its first official appearance in the victory parade to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the victory over Germany on May 9th 1965.

The King Tiger was the heaviest production tank of World War 2. With its powerful long barreled 88mm gun it was capable of destroying a Sherman tank from a 3,500 m distance. The King Tigers were issued to the army in February, 1944, and were first used in combat already in May, in battles near Minsk. Two companies equipped with these formidable machines participated in the Battle of Normandy, during the D-Day. The King Tiger operated by the experienced crew was the most dangerous enemy for any tank.

No glue required

The German heavy tank 'Tiger' had been manufactured during only two years - since August of 1942 till August 1944, but it stayed unforgettable in the story of the World War II. Almost impenetrable front armor in combination with excellent sight and powerful long range 88mm gun KwK 36 made 'Tiger' the most dangerous opponent when fighting at long distance, because enemy's tanks were not able to fire effectively at such range.

No glue required

The M-41 type tank was greatly improved since its first model appeared

in the Korean War and because of its light weight and compactness in

size, this type tanks were placed mainly with the mechanized cavalry

regiment of the U.S. Mechanized Division, as light tanks available for

air transportation.

1/35 Scale unassembled plastic Model Kit requiring Paint and Glue to complete. The Sd.Kfz.182 Konigstiger would be the last tank series to reach production and combat operations before the end of the war. The design was an evolutionary development of the Tiger I featuring thicker armor than the Tiger I while also incorporating the sloped surfaces of the Panther series for more effective protection. The main gun was the 8.8 cm KwK 43 L/71 which provided the already formidable 88mm projectile with even greater muzzle velocity.

Specifications:
- This is a plastic Model Kit, which comes unassembled and unpainted
- So glue, model paints and other basic modelling tools are additionally required

The M4 Sherman medium tank was the primary tank used by the United States during World War II. It has been produced in a significant number of units ant it formed the backbone of United Stated armoured forces during at those time. it has been produced in several variants and versions The production of the M4A3E8 versions started at the end of 1944. The M4A3E8, adopting the nickname Easy Eight, took several technical improvements enhancing the Sherman operational effectiveness. The 76mm M1 high velocity gun had been flanked by a new horizontal volute spring suspension (HVSS) system able to ensure a better driving condition and to guarantee a higher speed. The “Easy Eight” participated to the final stages of World War II and took active part in the Korean War.

The later models of the Pzkpw IV series have become the best known and

the most fequently modelled variants. These were the tanks that took

part in all the bit tank battles of World War II and formed the

backbone of Hitlers Panzer divisions.

This is an all-new kit designed by Tamiya's top designers which

recreates the "Easy Eight" variant of the legendary Sherman medium

tank. The M4A3E8 was known fondly as the “Easy Eight” by its crews,

thanks to the relatively smooth drive afforded by its Horizontal Volute

Spring Suspension (HVSS). Another distinguishing feature was its 76mm

gun. Some of the 2,500 examples produced were in time to appear in the

Battle of the Bulge (Dec. 1944-Jan. 1945), and others even served in

the Korean War years after the Allied WWII triumph. Movie buffs will no

doubt also recall that the "Easy Eight" was the star of the 2014 hit

film "Fury."

At the beginning of the WWII on 01 September 1939 the Wehrmacht was equipped with 11.200 anti-tank guns 3,7 cm Pak 35/36 that could effectively fight Polish and Soviet light tanks of the early period with their light anti bullet armor, however it couldn't penetrate medium tanks such as British Matilda and Russian T-34 and KVs which resulted in the nickname Door Knocker by the Germans. The Pak 35/36 was used on all fronts during WWII, proven by the fact that in March 1945 the Wehrmacht had still 216 units of this gun in combat service with other 670 guns stored in arsenals.

Named after a General of the Northern States army during the American civil war, the M4 Sherman was the largest mass-produced tank used by the U.S. Army in World War II. Reliable and maneuverable, the Shermans were also quite technologically advanced. The diesel version of the M4A2 was supplied to all lend-lease countries (Soviet Union, UK and France) from 1943 onwards and became the most important tank of foreign production used by the Red Army. The main armament was the 75mm US- gun M3 L/37,5. Soviet tankers called this tank "emcha" (Russian transliteration of M4). During World War II, the Red Army received more than 2000 tanks. The M4A2(75) was also in service with the US-Marine Corps in the Pacific campaign.

Plastic Model Construction Kit requiring paint and glue for assembly.