Zvezda 1/35 M3 Armored Scout Car
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The M3
 In
the late 1930s the armored scout car came into its own. The M3 was derived
from its predecessor the M2A1. The White Motor Company manufactured it.
Like the other variants of this scout car it had a track in the inside
edge of the fighting compartment. This would allow the .50 cal and .30
cal machine gun to completely traverse the vehicle giving a complete field
of fire. This four-wheel drive vehicle could carry up to eight men at
a top speed of 65 mph. Power came from a 96hp gasoline engine. It weighed
almost 10,000 lbs with armor plate from ¼ to ½ inches in
thickness. This was one of many mass produced vehicles that were sent
to other countries during WW II by the Lend-Lease act.
The Kit
 The
box art is very well done as a reference when you get ready to paint and
apply decals for a US M3 scout car. When I first looked at this kit it
looked very familiar to me. It has the striking resemblance to the old
Peerless Max kit, which Testor's eventually purchased along with other
molds from that defunct kit maker. As far as I know it is the only injection
mold of this scout car. My first impression of Zvezda's turn at this mold
is a positive one. The old mold has held up rather well. The four sprues
are molded in an olive drab color. There are some sinkholes in a few small
parts and minor flash residue that will require some cleanup. Zvezda seems
to have used a softer styrene for this kit. This is good in that small
parts may bend but not break when mishandled. The kit even comes with
a clear front  windshield
glass insert. There are 21 sub-assemblies to complete this kit. The suspension
and exterior details being the most time-consuming assemblies. Add some
brake lines using some small gauge wire when doing the suspension. Replace
the headlight (part 88 X2) with MV lenses. That would really enhance the
appearance of this model. I suggest after you dry-brush the detailed suspension
that you display this model on a mirrored surface. That way everyone can
marvel at the level of detail offered in this kit. Don't forget to dry-brush
the exterior as well. The only thing I see lacking in this kit is there
is no engine to speak of, only an oil pan from the bottom. That would
really set this M3 off the level of detail. With the open compartment
there is no limit to the accessories you can stuff in this space whether
it is soldiers or miscellaneous stowage. Instead of having rubber tires
like car kits  do
you get four styrene tires, with hubs, split in halves. The detail is
so good that you can read the lettering off the tire itself. Some dry
brushing with oil paints will make those details pop out. The kit instructions
are multi-lingual (Russian, English, German, French, etc.). There are
no use symbols to assist you in assembly so be careful what you glue together.
There is a Model Master color reference to use when painting this model.
You can choose between three M3 markings (U.S., French and German). Unfortunately,
there are no unit markings with the decals. Which brings me to the decal
sheet. The quality is excellent in that the decal film is very thin and
the printing of the markings is fine. Positioning of the decals should
be easy due to the M3's flat angular surface. Due to the amount of small
parts and assemblies an experienced modeler would find this an enjoyable
challenge to build.
Conclusion
 As
with their other kits, Zvezda has created a fine line of quality models
kits at a very reasonable price. From a visual inspection I give this
kit two thumbs up but they can thank Testor's (and Peerless Max) for use
of this mold. You won't be disappointed adding this M3 armored scout car
to your collection.
I would like to thank Squadron
for the review kit.
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