Eduard 1/35 AAVP-7A1 Interior
By Rob Folden
History
The United States Marine Corps' Amphibious Assault Vehicle Personnel (AAVP) 7A1 came about in 1972 as a replacement for the Landing Vehicle Tracked Personnel (LVTP) 5, also known as the Vietnam Battle Bus. The Marines found the Bus to be too large and impractical for the modern battlefield, and thus the "7" was born. Originally designated the LVT(P)7, the Marines Corp changed the designation to AAV(P) in 1984. The AAVP-7A1 has seen action in both Iraq Wars, as well as the Afghanistan War. Operating from US Navy/Marine Corps Assault Ships (LHA, LPH, LPD, LKA, LSD), the AAVP-7A1 allows Marines to quickly disembark the ship's well deck and make their way towards land, virtually undetected. Once on land, the AAVP-7A1 can quickly transport the Marines around the battlefield, while providing both protection and fire support.
Models
Until recently, the only offerings for the AAVP-7 were from Tamiya and Academy. Both were decent kits, but lacked interiors. Hobby Fan eventually released a resin interior for the Tamiya kit, however it was rather expensive. In 2009, Hobby Boss released a new line of AAVP-7 kits, all featuring a full interior. Finally, an affordable Marine AAV with an interior.
In response to the new Hobby Boss line of AAVPs, Eduard released an excellent line of detail sets. Set number 36080 is for the interior of the vehicle. The set contains two frets of very well detailed photo-etched brass parts. Details are provided for everything from ammo can storage, to seat belts, and all the various instrument panels. Also included is a small set of colored gauges and LCD screens that get framed by the PE parts. The printing of the gauges is very clear, and the detail of the PE parts is excellent.
Conclusion
I would highly recommend this set to everyone who picks up a new Hobby Boss AAVP-7 kit. It will definitely enhance the interior of the model, and same some detailing time with the gauges and computer screens. I would like to thank Eduard for providing the review set, and Internet Modeler for allowing me to review it. Semper Fi and Happy Modeling!
