The Kit

This is Kinetic Models’ first armor kit, a 1/35 replica of the M-ATV (MRAP-All Terrain Vehicle). The M-ATV was first developed by Oshkosh in 2009 in response to the U.S. Military’s urgent request for a HUMMV replacement. It was designed to provide an equal level of protection as larger MRAPs, yet possess extreme mobility and durability to meet the treacherous terrain conditions in Afghanistan. Included in the top-opening box are 11 tan plastic sprues, 1 sprue with clear parts, 1 PE fret, 1 sprue of vinyl parts, 5 vinyl tires, 1 small decal sheet, and a 32-page instruction sheet that includes a sprue map, painting guide,30 building steps, decal guide, and two pages of black & white detail photos.

As a Battle of Britain aficionado and avid reader of stories of the exploits of Allied pilots flying Hawker Hurricanes (and Spitfires of course!) on the Western Front and in the Mediterranean Theater of Operations, it was with keen interest that I delved into this story of the Hurricane on the Eastern Front ― a story with which I was totally unfamiliar. Thus, it was much to my surprise that I learned that the Hurricane was the most numerous Western Allied fighter aircraft serving in the Soviet Union’s army and naval air force units on the expansive Soviet-German front in 1942. Having suffered significant attrition of fighter aircraft during the start of Operation Barbarossa in June 1941, Soviet Premier Josef Stalin appealed to British Prime Minister Sir Winston Churchill for replacement aircraft.

I had been kicking around the idea of purchasing some sets of white metal landing gear from Scale Aircraft Conversions for a while to go with some of the kits that I have in my stash. The idea of being able to put a heavier model on sturdy gear is very appealing to me. So when the opportunity presented itself, I figured that I would give it a shot.

What you get with the replacement landing gear is one full set of main landing gear (right and left) and a tail wheel produced in white metal.