1:144 Beaverette Mk.III

The real subject

The Beaverette was a British light armored car from the beginning of the Second World War. It was built as an emergency measure on the chassis of civilian passenger cars, which were given an angular body of steel plate backed by thick wooden planks. The vehicles served mainly for home defense, for patrol duty and for guarding airfields, and reached fighting in the field only exceptionally.

The Mk.III version

Against the first batches the Mk.III has a shorter body and a closed superstructure with an armored roof, so the crew was covered from above as well. Some of the vehicles carried a small rotating turret with a machine gun on top. The silhouette is unmistakable thanks to the tall, narrow body.

Building and painting

In 1:144 scale it is a small item that suits aircraft of the same scale, airfield aprons and small dioramas. Separate the parts with a sharp blade a little away from the part and sand the remainder back carefully, so that the thin edges do not suffer. Before painting, wash and degrease the whole thing and lay down a base coat. The suitable glue and the building procedure are given in the manufacturer's instructions.

British vehicles of the day most often carried dark green and khaki shades. Dry brushing and a fine accent on the edges will help even a model this small to look three-dimensional, while exaggerated shading would distort the scale. Leave small lettering and markings merely suggested, as precise drawing looks unnatural on so small an area.

Terms of supply

The package holds the parts for building the model. The paints, the glue and a base are not included, unless stated otherwise.