1:5 Stowage set for 17pdr “Achilles”

Stowage and equipment for the Achilles in 1:35 scale

An accessory set for a model of the tank destroyer known by the nickname Achilles, which carried the 17pdr gun, in 1:35 scale. The set adds stowage and equipment to the vehicle, that is what turns a kit in factory condition into a machine in the field.

Why stowage changes a model

A vehicle without stowage looks like a product, a vehicle with stowage like a machine somebody works with. The stowage also breaks up the large bare faces of the armor, gives the model color where there would otherwise be only one shade, and tells the viewer where the front and the rear are. Lay the arrangement out dry, then, and keep to what makes sense: a crew tied things where they could reach and where they did not get in the way of the turret traverse or of serving the gun.

The real subject

The designation 17pdr is the British habit of naming guns by the weight of the shell in pounds, so it is not a caliber. During the Second World War this gun was among the most effective Allied antitank weapons, and the British Army rearmed with it even the American tank destroyers it received. The name Achilles is the nickname of a machine modified in that way.

Building and painting tips

• The parts are not polystyrene and are glued with super glue.
• Cut the excess material off a little way from the part with a sharp blade and sand the rest down.
• Wash and degrease the parts before painting.
• Paint the stowage on its own, away from the model, and glue it on when finished.

Terms of supply

This is an accessory to a kit, not a model of the vehicle. Paints, glue and tools are not part of the delivery, unless stated otherwise. The exact contents of the package are given in the manufacturer's instructions.