1:72 Austin Mk IV WWI British Armoured Car

Master Box 1:72 Austin Mk.IV - British armored car (WWI)

A plastic kit of the British Austin armored car in the Mk.IV version of the First World War period, in 1:72 scale from the Ukrainian manufacturer Master Box. The model captures the characteristic twin-turret car with machine gun armament. It is a later production batch of the Austin type - please tell it apart from the earlier Mk.III configuration.

The real subject

Austin armored cars were among the most widespread British armored vehicles of the First World War. Their hallmark was a pair of machine gun turrets set on the hull. On the later batches, which include the Mk.IV, the turrets were arranged diagonally, offset from one another, so as to narrow the silhouette of the car and improve the ability to fire forward and to the rear; the cars also received a rear driving position and further design changes. Austins were committed in large numbers above all on the Eastern Front and afterwards in the fighting of the Russian Civil War.

Building and painting tips

Clean up the small parts of the wheels, the turrets and the machine guns carefully. Paint the interior and the wheels before you close the hull. For First World War vehicles a matte single-color or period camouflage coat sprayed with an airbrush works well, with rivets and edges picked out with a dry brush, washes into the recesses and pigments for the mud of rutted roads - typical of that era. Scuffed paint on the edges can be suggested with fine stippling.

Who the model is for

• For collectors of First World War armor in 1:72.
• For lovers of early armored cars.
• For builders of dioramas of the Eastern Front and the Russian Civil War.
• For modelers who want to tell the Austin Mk.IV apart from the Mk.III batch.

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