MIN35067
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Miniart 1:35 - Dingo MK IB British Armoured Car w/Crew - Plastic Model Kit #35067
The Dingo was a British light two-man armoured car, relatively low and wide enough to have the required stability for fast off-road rides. Its initial armour was thin, just enough to stand against infantry ordnance. At the Army’s request, it was thickened, reaching 30mm (1.18 in) on the front nose and glacis. Deflecting armoured sloped panels were welded all around the central framework. The front driving compartment had four opening hatches. The engine was the regular Daimler 6-cyl 2.5 l 55 hp (41 kW), fed by a 300 l (79.25 gal) gasoline reserve (two tanks), which gave an incredibly long range for its small size. The transmission consisted of a pre-selector gearbox, fluid flywheel, five forward gears and five reverse gears, allowing steering with all four wheels. This feature gave the Dingo a very tight turning radius, only 7m (23 ft), but the system was tricky to master for inexperienced drivers, so a more conventional design with front-wheel steering was chosen.
During the course of wartime production, it appeared that the flat bottom plate, which allowed the crossing of uneven ground, was highly vulnerable to mines. The rubber tires were of the run-flat semi-solid type, so no spares were carried, but their toughness was compensated by the massive vertical coil springs, to give a smooth ride. There was a swiveling seat next to the driver, for a machine-gun servant/radio operator, equipped with a N°19 wireless radio set. The base armament was a removable cal. 0.303 (7.7 mm) Bren gun, with a dozen spare magazines. This armament could be swapped over for a heavier Boys antitank rifle (cal 0.55 in/14 mm). This gave the vehicle, which was fast and well-protected, with a good engine and low profile, a real advantage against all sorts of light vehicles, making it perfectly suited for reconnaissance and liaison missions.
The Dingo was produced from 1939 to 1945, and remained virtually unaltered. The Mark IB was the third variant of the series. It had a reverse cooling air flow and new armoured grilles for the radiator, allowing better ventilation. The bulk of these vehicles served in the Libyan desert.
This kit represents a British Dingo MK IB armoured car and three British crew-members: a driver, an observer and an officer. All three figures are dressed in British desert uniforms and armed with holstered revolvers. The officer has a pair of binoculars, a water bottle and a map case.
The kit contains 218 parts.
Includes parts for one armoured car and three figures.
Box: 345mm x 240mm x 60mm
Decals options:
- British Army, 7 Armoured Division, 1 Field Squadron Royal Engineers F 47483, World War II, Libya 1942, Sand with dark-earth stripes
- Canadian Army, 1 Canadian Army Tank Brigade, Calgary Reg Hunter, Operation Jubilee, Diepe, August 1942, Dark green, dark earth, black
- British Army, 7 Armoured Division, 4 Armoured Brigade, 5 Battalion F19370, World War II, Libya 1942, Sand
You can download instruction sheets here.
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Academy 1:35 - Flakpanzer IV Wirbelwind (Replaces ACA01333) - Plastic Figure Model Kit #13236
The Flakpanzer IV "Wirbelwind" (Whirlwind in English) was a self-propelled anti-aircraft gun designed by the Germans on the basis of the Panzer IV tank. Its development was launched in 1944 when Nazi troops suffered great losses from Allied Air Forces.
The Flakpanzer IV featured an open-top turret fitted with four 2 cm Flak 38 anti-aircraft guns. It was nicknamed "Keksdose" ("Biscuit Tin") because of the turret shape which reminded of a nine-sided polygon.
On the battlefield 2 cm shells turned out insufficient against aircraft, however in general the gun performed well against infantry troops as well as trucks and armoured cars. Later the Flakpanzer IV was replaced with the Flakpanzer IV Ostwind (East Wind), a version more powerful against air targets.
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Academy 1:35 - M3 Stuart "Honey" British version (Replaces ACA01399) - Plastic Model Kit #13270
The M3 Stuart was an American light tank that had been delivered to British forces by the US Government during WWII, before the Americans officially entered the war. Subsequently it was deployed by the Allies until the capitulation of Germany.
"Stuart" was a nickname given in reference to James Stuart, an American Confederate States Army general of the Civil War. When a British tankman saw the tank for the first time, he remarked "She's a honey". That name stuck and in British service the M3 was often referred to as "Honey".
Compared to the previous Light Tank M2, the Stuart had an improved suspension, better gun recoil mechanism and thicker armour, unusual for a light tank. The vehicle was armed with a 37mm M5 gun (which was later replaced with a longer M6 version) and a several Browning machine guns. The tank production lasted from 1941 to 1943.
In 1941 the British army had 700 Stuart tanks in service, 170 of which were deployed in Operation Crusader in North Africa. Though Stuarts surpassed most of the Axis tanks in many respects, the operation was unsuccessful due to the poor tactics of British troops.
In the following years the British usually avoided using Stuarts in tank-to tank fights, deploying them mostly in reconnaissance operations. In some cases the turret was removed for the sake of lighter weight and better mobility (such versions were known as "Stuart Recce"), some other units were transformed to either armoured personnel carriers ("Stuart Kangaroo") or command vehicles ("Stuart Command"). The M3 served with the British army till the end of the war, though in smaller numbers than those used by the Americans.
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Academy 1:35 - M36/M36B2 US Army "Battle of the Bulge" - Plastic Figure Model Kit #13501
The American tank destroyer M36 was designed in 1943 when the US Army needed a powerful vehicle to combat German Panther and Tiger tanks. This new tank was nicknamed "Jackson" in reference to the Confederate General of the Civil War, Stonewall Jackson. The M36's turret mounted the 90 mm gun M3 allowing the tank to nail down any known German tanks at 1000 to 2500m range depending on the armour thickness. However, due to its open-top turret the tank was vulnerable to shell fragments and snipers. Field modifications, particularly additional roof iron plating, were hastily performed by the crews. Later on folding panels were developed for protection against shell fragments, these were adopted by the M36B2.
Kit details:
- Can be built as M36 or M36B2
- 90mm main gun
- .50 caliber machine gun
- Over 600 plastic parts
- Photo-etched parts included
- Detailed driver's station
- Detailed hull interior with crew and ammo stowage
- Detailed turret interior including stowage and gun breech
The following markings are provided:
- M36, US Army 82nd Airborne Div, Belgium, 1944
- M36, US Army 703rd TD, Belgium, 1944
- M36, US Army 2nd Cavalry, Germany 1945
- M36B2, ROK Army, 53rd Tank Company, 1953
- M36B2, France Régiment Blindé Colonial d'Extrême-Orient, Tonkin, 1951
- M36B2, France Régiment Blindé Colonial d'Extrême-Orient, Tonkin, 1953
Download the manual here
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Academy 1:35 - M4A3 76mm US Army "Battle of the Bulge" - Plastic Figure Model Kit #13500
The Medium Tank M4 Sherman was commonly used by the United States and other Western Allies during WWII. The tank was produced in large numbers, with thousands distributed through the Lend-Lease program to the British Commonwealth and Soviet Union. The British called the M4 'Sherman' after the American Civil War General William Tecumseh Sherman.
During the Second World War, about 19,247 Sherman tanks were issued to the US Army and about 1,114 to the US Marine Corps. Moreover, the U.S. supplied 17,184 tanks to Great Britain, some of which went to the Canadians and the Free Poles. The Soviet Union received 4,102 vehicles and an estimated 812 were transferred to China. These tanks were distributed to the respective countries' allied nations.
The M4A3 was a sub-type of the Sherman tank. It featured a welded hull and was powered by a Ford GAA engine. Its armament consisted of a 76mm cannon and a 12.7mm machine gun. This variant was mainly deployed by the US Army with only a few units sent to France and Nicaragua. A number of these tanks took part at the Battle of Bulge in December 1944.
Check out a step by step video of building this kit here
Download the manual here
Kit details:
- Engine deck, VVSS suspention (late version) and accessories newly tooled
- Main canon and 12.7mm machine gun accurately reproduced
- T48 duckbill tracks included
- Photo-etched parts and 6 marking options included