Trumpeter 1/35 JGSDF Type 96 WAPC "B"
By Brian Medina
Overview
The Type 96 WAPC is
There are two versions of the Type 96, a model “A” and “B”, with the major difference being what type of armament it is equipped with.
Trumpeter’s latest release, the Type 96 “B”, is a follow up to their “A” release from a few years back. This release is essentially the same kit as the “A” boxing with the exception being the “B” version includes the .50 caliber machine gun copula as opposed to the 40mm grenade launcher indicative of the “A” model.The Kit
Packed into Trumpeter’s usual sturdy top opening cardboard box, you’ll find over 410 pieces.
Five gray plastic sprues, one clear parts sprue, upper and lower hull halves, one fret of photoetch with 9 pieces, an extensive decal sheet, a length of fine chain, and finally 8 rubber tires. The instruction book is Trumpeter’s standard bifold, visual diagram format, with a full page sprue diagram inside the front cover. There is also a full color, 2-sided paint and markings guide in the kit which shows the basic paint scheme and on the flip side, shows a multitude of markings options available on the decal sheet. The sprues are completely free of flash, and mold halve alignment is excellent on all parts and as such, the mold half seam lines are very fine through out. Surface detail is well defined. Sprue attachment points do seem a bit oversized on some of the smaller parts however.Construction begins with the lower hull suspension components and is carried out over the first five steps. The Type 96 has a total of 8 tires, of which the four front wheels are steerable. There doesn’t appear to be an option for posing the wheels turned, but it looks like a few minor cuts here and there would make it pretty easy to do. We shall find out!
Step 1 in the instructions deals with most of the very small suspension components that will need to be placed on the hull prior to the larger pieces going on in step 2. A few issues caught my attention in step 2. First, there is an option to use parts A1 or A29 which appear to be shock absorbers. Both are the same length, but one is molded as compressed, and the other extended. Seems like kind of a silly option, as it will barely be visible once in place and there doesn't appear to be any other "option" parts to coincide with one shock or the other. The other issue is part A21, a cylinder which fits over a peg on rear suspension parts A5, but there is no notch for positive placement of A21. Checking references here would be your best bet, short of relying on the placement indicated in the instructions. Wheel assemblies consist of three parts - a front wheel half, a rear wheel center and the rear wheel ring. Once assembled (and painted) they are simply pushed into the very well detailed rubber tires.Next the build moves on to the upper hull subassemblies. Each of the larger doors or hatches are molded separately. This allows you to pose them open should you choose to, however there are no interior parts included, so scratch building or aftermarket (if available) would be needed. Speaking of hatches, another time consuming and tricky part of the build lies on top of the hatches and a few other spots---the chains. Each hatch has a 15mm chain attached to it by way of part A34, essentially a 98% circle, with just enough missing from it to loop the chain end through. Once the chain has been “thread”, you can close the loop with a tiny drop of CA glue to keep the chains on the loops. A bit tedious, but the payoff is having great looking chains right on top where everyone can see them.
After attaching all the “fiddly bits”, and there’s LOTS of them, the next step is to assemble the .50 caliber and copula that set this version apart from Trumpeter's previous release of this vehicle. By the way, if you’re unsure whether you’d like to build an “A” model or “B” model, all the parts to build an “A” are included in the kit still, so you have the option to build either version. The .50 caliber and copula are on the new sprue in the kit, the “E” sprue. The four part .50 is nicely detailed, comes with a choice of two types of multi-piece ammo boxes, and will look great assembled on top of the vehicle. Finally, the upper hull is attached to the lower hull, though I may opt to attach it before adding on all the fiddly bits. Assembly finishes up with putting together the two headlight-mirror modules on the each side of the front of the vehicle.Paint and markings options OOB are limited to one camouflage scheme. Type 96 “B” models were the only version sent to serve in Iraq, and they were all painted in one color OD, so if you plan to build a vehicle deployed to Iraq, you will only need one color for the exterior and references. Pictures of the Type 96 in theatre are in quite short supply however.
Conclusion
This kit looks like it should be a fairly quick and easy build, especially with all the time saved by being a wheeled vehicle vs. a track vehicle. Good, clean parts, with plenty of great surface detail will supply the builder with a great addition to their collection. This kit should appeal to fans of AFV’s, modern Japanese armor, OIF/OEF vehicles, or even just the average armor fan.
Watch for my upcoming build review on this vehicle. My thanks to Stevens International and Internet Modeler for the opportunity to build and review this model!