1:35 LVT A4 accessories set

1:35 LVT A4 accessories set - a Black Dog accessory set

This is not a vehicle kit but an accessory set in 1:35 from Black Dog, meant for a model of the American LVT A4 amphibious tracked vehicle. Accessory sets of this type are there so that a finished model does not look empty and so that it stands apart from an ordinary build straight out of the box. They work just as well on a model on its own as in a larger diorama scene.

The real subject

The LVT A4 belongs to the family of American amphibious tracked vehicles known as the Landing Vehicle Tracked, which came about for landings on Pacific beaches. Unlike the transport versions, this fire support variant carried an open turret with a howitzer and was meant to support the infantry in the first waves of a landing, when ordinary artillery support was not yet available. The machines could get through the surf zone and over the coral reefs that stopped conventional landing craft, and they were committed in the hardest fighting of the Pacific theater. A typical feature was the paddle-type track shoes, which doubled as propulsion in the water.

How to work with the accessories

The general rule for accessories is this: whatever is added to the model should be set apart in color. Textile and wooden surfaces will take a different shade and a different degree of gloss than the metal hull, or the scene will merge into a single surface. On Pacific vehicles it pays to weather with faded color, salt staining and water marks rather than with thick mud. Try the arrangement out dry in advance and go by period photographs.

Who the set is for

• Modelers who build American amphibious vehicles in 1:35
• Builders of dioramas on the theme of the Pacific landings
• Anyone after a higher level of detail on a finished model
• Collectors of Black Dog accessories