1:35 CV3/35 Ansaldo Conversion Set

The real subject

The CV3/35, later designated the L3/35, is an Italian tankette built by Ansaldo. It is a small tracked machine with a crew of two and machine gun armament, and its armor protected it only against small-arms fire. The Italian army put it into service from the second half of the 1930s, and it remained in use through the Second World War; a whole range of special-purpose variants grew out of it over time.

What a conversion set does

A conversion set is meant to rebuild a finished kit into a version of the machine other than the one the kit itself offers. It therefore replaces selected parts and adds new ones. Which particular version the set matches, and which kit in 1:35 scale it will fit, cannot be told from the name; this is given in the manufacturer's instructions enclosed with the set.

Building and painting tips

• Read the instructions through before you start: a conversion changes the order of the steps compared with the kit.
• Cut the surplus material off with a sharp blade a little away from the part and sand the remainder off.
• Assemble the parts dry first and true the mating surfaces up as needed.
• Wash and degrease everything before painting, otherwise the coat will not hold.
• Use super glue, which holds on resin as well as on plastic.
• Fill and sand the seams between the new and the original parts before you apply the primer.

Who it is for

The set is for modelers who build Italian vehicles in 1:35 scale and want a version on the shelf that the ordinary kit does not offer. It assumes experience with reworking a kit, because a conversion cannot be done without truing up and filling. Conversion sets are usually supplied without the base kit, paints and glue; check the scope of the delivery, unless stated otherwise.