1:35 B-TYPE MILITARY OMNIBUS

B-Type military omnibus (1:35, MiniArt)

An injection-molded plastic kit of the London double-decker B-Type bus in its army form of the First World War, in 1:35 scale from MiniArt. The model captures the vehicle with its wooden body, a detailed engine and the interior of both decks. The kit contains photo-etched parts and a fine wood texture; it offers decals for several options. The exact contents of the box are stated by the manufacturer.

The real subject

Buses of the B type were among the typical London double-deckers of the years before the First World War. The British army requisitioned large numbers of these buses and committed them on the Western Front to carry soldiers to the rear areas and to the front lines, for example around the Somme and Ypres. The vehicles often kept their civilian look and merely received protective boarding over the windows. They became a symbol of improvised military transport in the trench war.

Building and painting tips

Cut the parts from the sprues and glue them with thin cement for plastic, and the fine photo-etch with cyanoacrylate glue. First assemble and paint the chassis, the engine and the interior, and only then finish the body. Bring out the wood texture with oils and filters for a faithful look of the planked boarding. After the base color from an airbrush, pick out the details with a wash and add mud and dust to the chassis with pigments. It is a fairly complex kit suited rather to more advanced modelers.

Who the model is for

• Collectors of First World War vehicles
• Modelers of historical vehicles and buses in 1:35
• Builders of dioramas of the rear areas of the First World War
• Anyone interested in a build with a detailed interior and wood

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