1:35 LRDG F30 Wireless Truck

LRDG Ford F30 radio truck (1:35, Thunder Model)

An injection-molded plastic kit in 1:35 scale from Thunder Model. The model captures the Canadian Ford F30 truck adapted for the British desert unit LRDG as a radio truck (wireless truck) — a signals vehicle with a covered rear body and internal radio equipment, not a vehicle with a gun. The package contains a chassis with a detailed engine and suspension, the internal radio equipment, map boards, benches and the frame for the canvas tarpaulin with a photo-etched structure. The kit is supplied unassembled and unpainted.

The real subject

The LRDG (Long Range Desert Group) was a British reconnaissance and raiding unit deployed in the desert of North Africa in the Second World War. The radio trucks were the nerve center of every patrol, because they kept contact with headquarters and between the vehicles over long distances. The Ford F30 had all-wheel drive, a stronger eight-cylinder engine of around 95 hp and a larger load area than the lighter vehicles, but it was taller and harder to camouflage.

Building and painting tips

First assemble and paint the chassis, the engine and the internal radio equipment, and only then close the covered rear body, because a finished interior is harder to reach. Glue the parts with liquid cement for plastic and the fine photo-etch with super glue. Apply a primer and paint with an airbrush in desert sand shades. Bring out the canvas tarpaulin on its frame with a light dry brush and a wash, and dust the underside and the wheels with dust pigments. The radio equipment and the maps are a rewarding detail for a desert diorama.

Who the model is for

• For fans of the British desert war and of the LRDG
• For modelers interested in less common signals and radio vehicles
• For makers of desert dioramas with a command post
• For intermediate to advanced builders

The model is supplied unassembled and unpainted. Glue, paints and accessories are not included in the package, unless stated otherwise.