Well,considering the aging releases by ESCI, Airfix and Hasegawa the Braille scale world has been aching for a modern kit of this important machine for quite some time. Well – here’s DML’s attempt.
The kit contains 70 parts:
68 in grey plastic
2 runs of DS track
Oh I hear your cries about NO PE parts, but rest assured – this is a non-issue with the kit.
There are two main hull components, cast as separate parts – the upper one represents the top deck and the fenders, and lower part is the slide-molded hull tub.
Hull tub bottom – a look from front to backHull tub bottom – aft end
It is interesting to note that there are fuel can racks at the aft end of the fenders, and Dragon has included two pairs of British-style 2 gallon cans to be posed there should the modeler so desire.
It’s finally done. After the splattering nozzle my masterful hobby-time organizational skills delayed this pic set.
Tracks: as most of them is rubber – Revell 78 was used to mimicking the areas. Glued over the wheels (sand center + 78 again for the rubber bandages) with Loctite gel. Inserted Q-tips to provide the sag – worked like a charm!
Cupola vision blocks were done the following way:
– the recesses were brushpainted Tamiya XF-11;
– Revell enamel transparent blue was mixed with their own gloss cote and painted over the XF-11;
Alright, it’s been a while since I started this kit, and the source of the delay has been the overspray due to cracked airbrush nozzle. While waiting for a replacement I replaced most of the detail on the top.
I removed the antiskid plates (don’t ask – don’t tell) and re-did the antislip coating only. Few of the original plastic handholds are still in use, most were replaced with wire – as were the DML PE parts, since most were too flimsy and two-dimensional. I also added the rope tie-downs at the 4 corners.
There has always been something magnetic about this US amphibious vehicle. When the kit was recently presented to me I decided it deserves some attention, as it’s a whole bunch of firsts in a single package. Let’s see…
Kit box top
Spue A has the cupola (actually two – one of each pre- and post modernization), armament and smoke grenade launchers, the front fenders, and the old suspension. Two options are presented for the in-the-water propulsion system – propeller boxes can be shown opened or closed with two pairs of separate details. You can make up the relative sizes of the parts – the grid on the cutting mat is 1 cm square.
