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Scale Kit No. 6458; Bofors AA Gun with servants |
Bofors AA Gun with servants
Reviewed by Cookie Sewell
Summary
Stock Number and Description |
Italeri 1/35 Scale Kit No. 6458; Bofors AA
Gun with servants |
Scale: |
1/35 |
Media and Contents: |
149 parts in olive drab styrene |
Price: |
estimated price US $45.00 |
Review Type: |
First Look |
Advantages: |
First kit of this famous weapon in styrene;
made to order for detail parts, upgrades and conversions to other
nations weapons |
Disadvantages: |
Very basic model limits options, some parts
not included; crew rather static and simplistic; overpriced for the
value received |
Recommendation: |
Recommended for "Duck Hunters" and
dioramists |
Dragon's 1/35 scale M4 Mortar Carrier will be available online from Mission Models
FirstLook
It is always a surprise to me when totally obscure weapons get
kitted whereas some of the most influential ones in history are
ignored. Therefore it's no surprise I was amazed that it took nearly
40 years from the beginning of modern 1/35 scale armor kits for a
full kit of a 40mm Bofors gun to be offered.
The Bofors 40mm automatic antiaircraft gun is one such weapon which
ranks up there with the US M2 (nee M1921) 0.50" caliber machine gun
– "Ma Deuce." Designed in 1928, the gun entered production and
service with the Swedish military in 1930, but by the beginning of
World War II was in service with 18 countries and in production in
11 more, with some unlicensed close copies also made in the USSR.
Produced in both 37mm and 40mm
calibers, the Bofors was probably the most widely fielded light
antiaircraft gun of the war, and even today serves in further
developed models. Using the longer 70 caliber barrel, radar guidance
with laser rangefinding, and even "trick" ammunition the 40mm is
still lethal to low-flying aircraft, cruise missiles and UAVs. They
are still in production today in the PRC.
The US originally was not a user of the Bofors, but its own 37mm gun
turned out to be a dud, so the US did adopt the more powerful and
reliable Bofors 40mm as the M1 in April 1941. Nearly 35,000 were
eventually built and they served on far after the war, as well as
provided the basis for conversions of M15 AA halftracks to single
40mm mounts, and the tracked M19 and M42 series AA guns used paired
40mm Bofors guns. A much upgraded version of the twin mount was even
fitted to the ill-fated Sergeant York in the early 1980s.
The Bofors is one of those simple yet enduring designs, and is
capable of firing up to 120 rounds per minute with a vertical
ceiling of 7200 meters in its WWII version. Feed is provided by
four-round clips, but the crew size varies based on the user
country. It takes a crew of two onboard the mount (pointer and
gunner) to operate the weapon as one man controls traverse and the
other elevation and firing. Both are equipped with simple fixed
format "predictor" sights with rings to suggest lead against the
target.
Needless to say, when Italeri released its stunning PT Boat kit many
modelers were excited to see a 40mm Bofors gun on the rear mount of
the boat and a few hardy souls were even tempted to buy that kit
just for the gun assembly. Italeri then announced that it would be
releasing a complete Bofors with crew later in 2007, and the kit has
now been released.
As Aberdeen recently refurbished their M1 Bofors and returned it to
the North Lawn for display, I shot a number of photos of it to
compare with this kit. The photos show that Italeri did a pretty
good job of getting the basics of the gun right, and apparently most
of their research right. The kit and the APG gun mounts do not
match, but this appears to be due to Italeri doing an M2 carriage
with the early elevation equipment and the APG gun using an M2A1
which used modified elevation gear to get faster on-target
performance in tracking. (Hint: if you want to do an M2A1 carriage,
use the APG one as a prototype; all of the postwar ones seem to have
been upgraded to this version and it is like the APG gun was the
prototype.)
There are some nice touches in the kit, such as a case containing a
spare barrel and flash hider; like most high volume weapons, these
guns tended to get "shot out" very quickly and barrels were
frequently changed.
Unlike many recent kits from other companies, Italeri also shows how
to set the model in both firing position with jacks down and wheels
rotated up (the bogies are fixed to the carriage) and to set up the
model in travel mode.
Those are the good points. The model is a bit simplified – case in
point being that the entire bottom of the carriage is open – but the
good news is that while a lot of small details are missing or
skimped on the ones provided appear to be accurate, so it is a case
of adding to rather than cutting away and correcting. The model
comes with the correct combat wheels and rims and not the early
commercial type ones, using the traditional split halves which leave
only a minor seam to sand off.
The crew unfortunately uses an old manufacturer's trick of
duplication, so you get "twins" for the spotter and gunner and
"twin" loaders. They are in basic fatigues which are pretty
nondescript and with helmets and canteens; rifles are also provided
as extras. Three four-round clips of ammo are provided with the gun;
one key part missing is the weather cover for the feed at the rear
of the weapon, which was used to keep water and debris out of the
feed tracks for the ammunition when the gun was not in use or in
travel (the APG gun's cover is welded in place.) This is a simple
sheet metal cover with welded on strap handles on either side, but
it should have been provided in the kit.
No decals are provided and the finishing instructions are pretty
basic – flat olive drab with black tires.
Most of the research on this kit that I used came either from
"shooting down" the APG Bofors as it sits today or the excellent
1986 book "The 40mm Bofors Gun" from Terry Gander.
Overall the kit is pretty decent and can be used as the basis for a
really nicely done Bofors gun, or the key component into an "M15
Special" or other nations' weapons. But the price is very, very high
for value received, and even from the most expensive of the Asian
companies a gun and crew would only run about $34. Such a high cost,
knowing you will have to get some etched metal or other bits to
really make it shine, may defer many potential buyers from the kit.
Sprue Breakdown
A 33 Gun, main carriage components
B 58x2 Wheels, two crew figures, details
Thanks to
Bob Lewen of MRC for the review sample.
Text and Images by
Cookie Sewell
Page Created 11 August, 2007
Page Last Updated
11 August, 2007
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