1:72 20L fuel canister – USA / Canada

A five-gallon fuel container for 1:72

The most widespread volume of field canister comes to you in ten pieces at once. Firma49 has printed the body and the handles so that even in 1:72 they keep a legible structure, which final shading then brings out. Ten pieces are enough to fill the racks and still leave some for a pile beside the vehicle.

The history of the real subject

A twenty-liter container corresponds to five gallons and became the standard for resupply in the field. The plastic form gradually replaced sheet metal canisters, because it does not rust through, weighs less and on being dropped is more likely to bounce than to crack. The three handles on the top edge make it possible to carry the container in one hand and to pass it between two people, which is valued in a chain when refueling.

Painting recommendations

Fuel containers tend to be in the color of the vehicle, but they are often set apart by lettering or a stripe, so that the crew does not confuse the contents. Work therefore with restrained contrast: a base a shade darker than the hull, a lighter hint on the edges and a dark tone in the pressed recesses. Road dirt on the lower part will give the scene its truth.

The set will please

• builders of wheeled and tracked equipment in a small scale
• makers of convoys and resupply scenes
• modelers who want to fill the empty racks on a cargo bed
• collectors looking for a quick lift for a finished model
• those who combine fuel and water containers in one scene

The finish is deliberately missing, so that everyone can choose the shade according to their own scene.