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Maquette 1/35 FAI-M Russian Armored Car

By Ray Mehlberger

KIT NO. MQ-3562  MSRP: $17.95 GREAT MODEL's PRICE: $15.25

HISTORY: (From the instruction sheet)

The FAI-M was produced by Izorsky Zavod in 1939. It was a modernized light armoured car "FAI" on the new chassis of the GAZ-M1 car, in place of the old GAZ-A. The FAI-M took part in combat near the Halkin-Goi River (Mongolia) and in this first part of the Great Patriotic War (WWII) in the USSR as a reconnaissance and liaison car.

PERFORMANCES:

Combat weight: 200 kg. 
Armor: 6 mm 
Armament: one 7.62 mm DT machine-gun with 1,323 rounds 
Crew: 2 
Engine: GAZ-M rated at 50 h.p.
Radius of action: on roads-315 km.
Radius of action: cross-country - 250 km.
Max speed: 90 km/h.

WHAT'S IN THE BOX?:

The kit comes in a lid and tray type box.

The box art shows a FAI-M that is driving across a grassy field, firing its machine-gun, with a wood and the front of a German truck in the background.

The box contains four trees of styrene parts. These are loose and not in any cello bags. There is an instruction sheet and no decals or figures.

One large tree is molded in dark green and the second large tree is molded in black. The remaining two trees are molded in chalk white.

There are NO part numbers molded into any of the trees next to the parts. Therefore, the parts tree drawings will have to be constantly refered to for assembly of this kit.

The first large - black - tree of parts is called out as letter "A" on the parts tree drawings. It holds the vehicle's frame, leaf springs, axles, drive shaft, exhaust system, engine parts, steering wheel, tow hooks, radiator, front bumper etc. (43 parts)

The second large - green - tree of parts is called out as letter "B" on the parts tree drawings. It holds the vehicle's floor and fenders part, seats, spare tire, gas tank, and vision flaps. These are the ONLY parts on this tree to be used for this version. Twenty-five other parts are excess/not used as per the parts tree drawings where they are "X'd" out. So only 15 are used.

The first of the small chalk white trees of parts is called out as letter "C" on the parts tree drawings. It holds the turret parts, fire wall, hood top and front, spare tire mounting plate, and armored vision flaps. The parts on this tree that are replacing ones on the large green tree are much thinner than the green ones. (14 parts here)

The final, small chalk white tree of parts, is called out at letter "D" tree on the parts tree drawings. It holds the vehicle's sides, rear, doors, and front plate. Again, these parts are thinner than the ones they replace from the green tree. (6 parts).

The instructions are a single 8 1/2" x 11" sheet, printed on both sides. The front of this sheet begins with a history of the vehicle in Russian and English. This is followed by the parts tree drawings and then the first two assembly steps. The back side of this sheet gives us the remaining five assembly steps, for a total of seven steps.

Some carving on the side panels of the kit is needed to make them fit snug to the rear fenders. This is called out in assembly step #5 and the dimensions (in millimeters) is given there as to what to remove.

The engine is quite complete in detail. Only some wiring and hoses would be needed to really detail it out. However, the interior detail is sparce...with only the steering wheel, gear shift lever, and seats given. The most noticable omission is NO dash board! So, if you KNOW what was actually in there, add it!

A color symbol guide is included in assembly step #7. However, no paint schemes are shown...other than telling us to paint the vehicle green externally, and white inside. (hoo-hum) As mentioned earlier, NO decals are provided...and...apparently the vehicles usually sported nil, or next to nil markings.

Conclusion

This armored car will fit nicely into any Soviet armor collection and will fill the niche of representing an early war vehicle for them on your model shelf.

The doors and hatches can be positioned open if need be, but as I already said, more detail would be needed inside.

I intend to at least put a patriotic slogan on the side of this model from an after-market decal sheet I have. I just cannot bring myself to leaving it over-all green and naked of any markings.

Highly recommended.

I bought this kit from Great Models.