Brickmania Blog

“Easy Eight” was the nickname for the final World War II production model of the famous American Sherman Tank. It’s official designation is the M4A3E8(76)W which denotes the following features: Welded steel hull, Ford GAA V8 gasoline engine, horizontal volute spring suspension, 23-inch wide tracks, 76mm main gun in a T-23 turret, and “wet” ammunition stowage. While never designed to battle heavy German armor, this model was far more capable than the original Sherman tanks rolled out just three years earlier. The “Easy Eight” was the only Sherman to remain in American service following World War II and it would see further action on the Korean Peninsula supporting UN forces. The “Easy Eight” was also the basis of the famous Israeli “Super Shermans” which saw action well into the 1970’s. More than 49,000 Sherman Tanks were built during World War II. Many thousands were distributed to the Allies through the Lend-Lease program.

Additional information about this Brickmania custom Lego® kit:

The Easy Eight kit has the following features:

• Fully articulated triple-wide LEGO tracks
• Four opening crew hatches on turret and hull
• Fully rotating turret with posable main gun
• Custom-printed WW2 US Tanker minifig with Armored Division sleeve patch
• M2HB and M1919 machine guns from BrickArms
• Sturdy construction for active play
• 1/35 scale to match other Brickmania models.
• Includes 713 genuine new-condition LEGO, Brickmania and BrickArms elements
• Comes with a signed and numbered certificate of authenticity
• Intermediate Skill Level (4-6 years of experience with LEGO is recommended)

All Brickmania model kits are made of new-condition elements from LEGO and BrickArms. This model comes disassembled, includes printed building instructions, and comes packaged in a sealed box. This is a limited edition kit and production may be discontinued at any time.

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About the Yak-9:

The Normandie-Niemen Regiment was a fighter squadron of the French Air Force during WWII. It served on the Eastern Front, and is one of only 3 Western Allied countries to see combat there. Additionally, the Normandie-Nieman was the only Western Allied group to fight with the Soviets until the end of the war in Europe. The unit was formed in mid-1943 when a group of French fighter pilots was sent to aid the Soviet forces on the Eastern Front. Charles de Gaulle (leader of the French Resistance) felt it was important that Frenchmen serve on all fronts of the war.

One of the Planes they used was the Yakolev Yak-9, a single engine fighter aircraft. It was meant to be a lighter version of the Yak-7, while maintaining the same armament. The Yak-9 first saw deployment in late 1942. It’s lighter build, paired with a lowered rear fuselage decking and all-around vision canopy, gave it a higher level of flexibility that the previous models lacked. The Yak-9 was the most mass-produced Soviet fighter of all time. During its production run from 1942 to 1948, over 16,700 were built. The Yak-9 was the first Soviet aircraft to shoot down the formidable Messerschmitt Me 262 jet.

The Normandie-Niemen Regiment used the Yak-9D variant, which sported a 20mm ShVAK cannon with a capacity for 120 rounds, and a 12.7mm UBS machine gun, with 200 rounds. It’s 1,180 hp Klimov M-105 PF V-12 liquid-cooled piston engine would push top speeds of 371 mph at cruising height. It could travel as far as 845 miles with a top altitude of 30,000 feet.

Additional information about this Brickmania custom Lego® kit:

The Yak-9 has the following features:

• 1 Soviet pilot custom minifig with LEGO® and BrickArms accessories
• High quality sticker sheet
• Retractible landing gear
• 1/35 scale to match other Brickmania models
• Includes 388 genuine new-condition LEGO® and BrickArms elements
• Intermediate Skill Level (2-4 years’ of experience with LEGO is recommended)

All Brickmania model kits are made of new-condition LEGO bricks. This model comes disassembled and includes completed printed building instructions and comes packaged in a sealed box. This is a limited edition kit and production may be discontinued at any time.

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The ZiS-3 76mm Field Gun (Officially designated M1942 Divisional Gun) was the most common medium artillery piece used by the Soviet Union during the Great Patriotic War. Due to the innovated addition of the massive muzzle brake, pre-war 76mm gun barrels could be mated to the light weight ZiS-2 anti-tank gun carriage. This created a compact, mobile, inexpensive, versatile and easy to produce artillery piece that was called, “A masterpiece of artillery systems design.” by Joseph Stalin. The ZiS-3 gun was the main armament used for the Su-76 self-propelled gun. Most ZiS-3 guns were withdrawn from the Red Army after World War II and were later supplied to satellite states. The ZiS-3 was used by communist forces in both the Korean and Vietnam wars.

Additional information about this Brickmania custom Lego® kit:

• Gun is poseable with a good degree of elevation
• Lower gun shield folds up and tails fold in for transportation
• 1/35 scale matches other Brickmania models
• The over-all color scheme of this model is dark gray
• Includes 74 LEGO elements.

This Brickmania model kit is made from genuine unused LEGO bricks and is shipped disassembled. Also included are full-color printed building instructions and is packaged in a sealed polybag. All Brickmania building kits are limited production and may be discontinued at any time.

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About BM-13N Katyusha – Rocket Launcher:

The Katyusha rocket launchers were a series of multiple rocket artillery built and used by the Soviets in WWII.  This type of artillery was used to deliver explosives to a target area more quickly than conventional artillery, but suffered from lower accuracy and a longer reload time. While relatively fragile when compared to traditional artillery, they were inexpensive, easy to produce and usable on any chassis, usually ordinary trucks.  This high mobility gave the Katyushas an additional advantage: the ability to strike and move before being located and hit with counter-fire.  They were incredibly effective in saturation bombardment, and particularly feared by German soldiers. A battery of four BM-13 launchers could fire a salvo in 7–10 seconds that delivered over 4 tons of high explosives over a 4,300,000 sq ft impact zone, making its power roughly equivalent to that of 72 guns. With an efficient crew, the launchers could redeploy to a new location immediately after firing, denying the enemy the opportunity for retaliation fire. Katyusha batteries were often massed in very large numbers to create a shock effect on enemy forces. The weapon’s disadvantage was the long time it took to reload a launcher, in contrast to conventional guns which could sustain a continuous low rate of fire. This kit is modelled after the BM-13, mounted on Studebaker trucks.  The BM-13 utilized M-13 132mm rockets, and was often mounted on the ZIS-6 truck, an improvised vehicle mount or towed trailer or sled. The M-13s had a max range of 9,560 yards. The scream of the warheads being launched prompted the Germans to nickname the Katyushas “Stalins Organ”. All in all, the Katyusha’s were an incredibly effective “Shock and Awe” weapon.

Additional information about this Brickmania custom Lego® kit:

The BM-13N Katyusha – Rocket Launcher has the following features:

• 1 Russian mid-war minifigure with BrickArms PPsH
• Opening hood
• Printed tile with site
• Working steering
• Working stabilizers
• Crank raises missile rail bed
• 8 working flick-missile rockets!

All Brickmania model kits are made of new-condition LEGO bricks. This model comes disassembled and includes completed printed building instructions and comes packaged in a sealed box. This is a limited edition kit and production may be discontinued at any time.

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The Nebelwerfer, which means “Smoke Thrower”, was a rocket launcher used by the Nebeltruppen. The launcher was portable, packing up to be towed behind a vehicle, with a range of 6,900 metres (7,500 yd) and its 6 barrels could be fired simultaneously. The Nebeltruppen functioned like the US Army’s Chemical Corps, using launchers to throw smoke, poison gas, and explosive weapons into enemy territory. Almost five and a half million 15 cm rockets and six thousand launchers were manufactured over the course of the war. The American soldiers in Sicily named the gun the “Screaming Mimi”, referencing the loud scream-like quality of the incoming artillery.

(Kit includes Nebelwerfer 41 only, Minifigure Sold Separately, Additional LEGO Elements for display only)

Additional information about this Brickmania custom Lego® kit:

• 1/35 scale matches other Brickmania models
• The over-all color scheme of this model is dark gray
• Includes 59 LEGO elements.

This Brickmania model kit is made from genuine unused LEGO bricks and is shipped disassembled. Also included are full-color printed building instructions and is packaged in a sealed box. All Brickmania building kits are limited production and may be discontinued at any time.

Slideshow:

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