1:35 Stalwart - Weather Hoods (for Airfix Kits)

A cover over the cab of a British amphibious truck

The crews of Stalwarts protected the glazed parts of the cab with canvas hoods on exercises and in hard service alike. They shielded the glass against flying stones and the mechanical battering of river crossings, through the winter they cut down misting inside, and when the vehicle was parked up they kept the cab dry. In period photographs of the British Army of the Rhine they are seen very often, and they give a model the instantly recognizable look of a machine parked up away from combat readiness.

How the set fits into the build

The hoods are made as solid parts on which the sag of the fabric, the folded hems and the rows of stitching are all modeled. It is exactly these soft transitions that tend to be simplified on injection molded parts, so the replacement shows on a finished model at first glance. They are fitted in place of the original glazing, which at the same time takes care of one of the more tedious steps of the build: you do not have to mask and paint the window frames.

Painting is straightforward: the base shade of the canvas is applied evenly, the depth of the folds is then brought out with a darker glaze and the edges of the hems with a light brightening. A dusty cast on the lower part of the hood will tie the accessory in well with the rest of the vehicle. The set is sized for 1:35 scale and counts on the shape of the cab according to the Airfix kit.

The narrative dimension of such an accessory is interesting too. Covered glass suggests that the vehicle is resting between two tasks, and in combination with open doors or the crew's kit set aside, a scene arises that has a story even without a single figure.