ACADEMY 1/35 A.F.V. MINIATURE ACCESSORIES |  |
Coming to us armor modelers from Academy of Taiwan is a new armor equipment set. This set is kind of unique, in that it has both Allied and German equipment in it. Usually, we just get one or the other exclusively in a box of this kind of gear.
The kit comes in a small, end-opening type box. On one side of the box is color box art of the Allied supplies and on the back of the box is the German stuff. These drawings are some of the color guides supplied. The colors are not called out but following what the artist used will be sufficient. All illustrations are labeled in both English and Chinese. There is also two tiny photographs, on the back of the box, of the kit parts assembled and painted - but they are too small to be of much use.
Inside the box is a single cello bag containing three light tan trees of parts and a length of black vinyl tubing. The tubing is to be used for the hose on the 50 gallon fuel drum's hand cranked pump. It is nice that Academy supplied this and didn't leave the modeler to scronge for something to replicate that detail.
Tree letter "A" contains one wooden shipping crate for Allied 75mm ammo, one wooden shipping crate for Allied 76mm ammo, one Allied tentpack & field pack combination, two Allied 75mm HE rounds, two Allied 75mm APC rounds, two Allied 76mm HE rounds, two Allied 76mm APC rounds and their shipping tubes, one Allied cleaning rod set in its rack, one Allied long crow bar, one Allied pick axe with seperate handle and head, one Allied axe, one Allied sledge hammer, and one Allied engine crank handle. (32 parts)
Tree letter "B" contains one set of Allied ruck sacks, one Allied 50cal machine-gun, one Allied single tent pack, one Allied 50cal ammo can (to mount on the gun), three additional Allied 50cal ammo cans, three Allied 30cal ammo cans (however, there is no 30cal machine-gun in the kit), four Allied jerry can spouts, two Allied shovels, one each Allied 30cal & 50cal folded tripod, and two Allied jerry cans and their separate handles. (40 parts)
Tree letter "C" contains three German wooden ammo crate bottoms for 75mm ammo used on Pz.Kpw. IV's and the crate's lids, three German wooden ammo crate bottoms for 88mm ammo used on Tigers and their lids, three German jerry cans (one early war pattern and two late war pattern) with separate spout and handle pieces, one hand held oil dispenser (can be used for either German or Allied), 1 each 50 gallon drum (again, could be used for either Allied or German) with its hand cranked pump, nozzle, and barrel ends, six rounds each of German 75mm ammo used on Panthers, six more German 75mm rounds used on Pz.Kpw IVs, and six rounds of 88mm used on Tigers, two German rectangular metal oil cans, and and German back pack.
There is a small 4 3/4" x 5" instruction sheet, printed on the front and the back in English and Chinese. It shows how to assemble the wooden crates, the 50 gallon fuel drum with its pump and hose, the Allied 50cal machine gun, the jerry cans, the individual Allied ammo cans, the Allied ammo shipping tubes and the Allied machine gun folded tripods. Colors are called out in each of the assembly drawings plus we are referred to the box art for anything more.
Conclusion
This is a very comprehensive kit. It should be welcomed by armor modelers as it will help beef out both Allied or German vehicles that need a few more doo-dads on them to dolly them up. Although this kit has a 1996 copywrite date on it, it is new to me.
Highly recommended.
I bought this kit at the local hobby shop.
