1:48 Jeep with rocket launcher for Tamiya 32552, 43 resin parts

Rocket-armed jeep in 1:48 scale, a set of 43 resin castings

Forty-three castings is a respectable figure for an accessory set and the scope of the work matches it: a light cross-country car becomes a vehicle with rocket armament on the bed. The car itself is not part of the delivery; the set is fitted onto an already built chassis and body. It is cast by the Black Dog brand. The set is intended for the Tamiya 32552 kit.

The real subject

During the Second World War, Allied units tried to get a salvo of fire onto even the lightest chassis they had at hand. A light all-wheel-drive cross-country car could carry a launching frame with several rockets and could change position quickly with it, which with salvo fire decides whether the crew survives. These were both improvisations by field workshops and introduced installations, so the fittings differed from one piece to another.

Tips for working it

It pays to start dry: put the parts together without glue and find out how much room the frame takes up on the bed. Only then work out the order of assembly, because once the launcher is seated you will no longer get to the floor of the car. Thin resin components crack easily, so separate them from the casting blocks by cutting, not by snapping. Let the finished assembly cure properly before painting.

Who the set is for

• Those looking for an unusual version of a well-known little vehicle
• Modelers with experience of a larger number of small castings
• Dioramas with a firing position or a column on the move
• Collections of Allied vehicles in 1:48 scale

The set is an accessory to a vehicle that you obtain separately; paints and glues are not in it.