1:35 AUSTIN ARMOURED CAR 1918 PATTERN. BRITISH SERVICE DUNSTERFORCE

The real subject

The Austin Armoured Cars were built during the First World War by the British carmaker of the same name and are among the best known machines of their kind. Their identifying feature is the pair of separate rotating machine gun turrets on the roof of the fighting compartment, which let the crew fire to both sides at once, and the tall angular armored box assembled from plates joined by rivets. The 1918 Pattern designation refers to the late production form from the end of the war. The Dunsterforce epithet carries the name of the British expeditionary group that operated in Persia and the Caspian Sea region in 1918 and was named after its commander.

What the kit offers

A model in 1:35 scale, that is in the size in which most military equipment is built and for which the most figures and diorama accessories are available. The kit is supplied unassembled and unpainted.

• The Austin Armoured Car in the 1918 Pattern form
• 1:35 scale
• Two separate machine gun turrets on a tall armored body
• A subject from the First World War period and just after it

Building and painting tips

You will make the build easier by painting the body and both turrets before you join them; the inner edges are hard to reach afterward. Fill the seams left by gluing the armor plates and sand them carefully, so that the rows of rivets that give the vehicle its character stay visible. The uniform expanse of the sides asks to be picked out: a dark wash around the rivets and the panel gaps, lightening in the middle of the plates, and dusty lower areas with wear from the wheels on the fenders.

Who it is for

For modelers interested in First World War equipment and early armored cars, and for builders of dioramas. Paints and glue are not included in the package, unless stated otherwise.