Hi,

I've been away from armour modelling for a while. One subject that I want to do is a 1/35th scale M113A1 APC, circa 1970. So, what's the consensus as to the best kit on the market today? TIA for any information!

Academy. A new tool M-113 would be most welcome though...

Jim

It has it's issues but the Nam Versions gives you lots of spares

But as Jim says, the Academy kit is tops. The other two are the old Tamiya kit and the Italeri kit.

RobG

They make a lot of crappy kits but their M113 series is half way decent. Your other choices are the old Tamiya kit, and the Italeri kit. Academy's kit seems to be based heavily on the Tamiya one, but is more accurate for the most part and better detailed. Tamiya's kit is "okay" but definitely needs some detail help and has the wrong engine. Tamiya's tracks are very poor... Italeri's kit is not "bad" but is rather sparsely detailed. I did get a couple Italeri kits in Revell boxes extremely cheap, though, and for external models or to use conversion kits, it worked out okay.

Thanks for the input, guys. One question: I'll be doing a Canadian M113A1, 1969. The Academy Vietnam version is the only 113A1 in the series (that I could find) and it's recommended. But the image shows some noticeable changes to what I want: the trim vane and what appear to be stowage boxes on the front fenders are two. Are these add-on parts with the earlier standard A1 parts included in the kit, or is this a dedicated Vietnam subject without the earlier parts?

They are seperate parts. I believe all are seperate add on items!

Internally the fuel cell is incorrect but easily fixed (one could get a resin replacement), the turrets offered are misshapen, and details could be finer but it is a good starting point.

Regards,

Saúl García

Hi Saul! Hi Folks!

"the fuel cell is incorrect"

What is wrong with Academy fuel cell?

Confuzed on this one.
Sgt, Scouts out!

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Academy item is the grey one and the Mouse House replacement part is white resin.
The following text is from this web site:
http://www.mheaust.com.au/MHE/Resin/MA/mousearmour.htm

"MA301 M113 accuraised fuel tank (2).
The fuel tank in the Academy M113A1/A2 kits is significantly longer that it should be. Tamiya has included an integral fuel tank in all of its M113 variants. The integral fuel tank was replaced by a strapped in version to get over fuel tank leakage problems. So, if you are building all but the earliest M113s you need an accurate fuel tank. 2 per packet.

The dimensions for this fuel tank is based on Australian M113A1 fuel tanks."

Regards,

Saúl García

Hi Gary! Hi Folks!

"But the image shows some noticeable changes to what I want: the trim vane and what appear to be stowage boxes on the front fenders are two."

If your are talking about parts W6, W15, and W116 on page 9 of kit 1389 those are NOT part of the "A1" upgrade.

Those three items are floation pads which are part of a mine plate kit. The pods are used to counter the weight of the steel plate. If your vehicle doesn't have a mine plate, then it doen't need those three parts.

If your driver and TC hatchs are going to be open, you need to add the rubber crash pads that every kit marker has missed.

Spot report!
Sgt, Scouts out!

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I am not aure about their M113 kit but I know their M163 and M901 kits (to accomodate the different rear roof plates)have a two piece upper hull (sperated right behind the drivers hatch) and the join makes for some pretty tricky and careful sanding work to make correct.

I don't recall a multi part roof. Their kit would be my third choice for an M113 on the other hand I got some cheap ($10) and used, for example, the Academy flame thrower turret on one.

I have both the Italeri M901 ITV and M113A1 kits in front of me. Both are 80% the same kit but in different colors (ITV is tan, 113 is green). The only difference is the "C" sprue with version-specific parts.

The C sprue on the PC version contains a fairly decent interior, NATO style whoopie light, a choice between US and West German machine guns, and West German smoke grenade launchers for the front of the hull.

The C sprue on the ITV has the TOW hammerhead and includes optional external fuel cells like they were trying to give the option of making a FIST-V without giving you all the modifications necessary to do so properly. They also forget to include the commander's M60 for the cupola, but there is a mount spot for it. There's no interior to the M901 either.

The ITV version does give the A2 style diesel exhaust pipe.

RobG

Hi David! Hi Folks!

"Tamiya's kit is "okay" but definitely needs some detail help and has the wrong engine"

That engine is correct for the version Tamiya's kit is based on. The orginial 113s had mo-gas engines.
The main upgrade for the "A1" was the switch to a diesel engine. One could use the Tamiya kit for a Vietnam era "A1" if you leave the engine access panels and hatchs closed and replace the fuel cell.
There where many "A1"s that where upgraded mo-gas around for a number of years after the "A1" version
started reaching the field. The only thing that was different was the engine and the fuel cell.

Spot Report!
Sgt, Scouts out!


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IIRC, the kits (all of them) the fuel cell is too short! Millimis did some NICE interior M113 upgrades and I wish I had purchased some of them before they went OOB!!!!!

Wrong. The fuel cells out of the kits are too long, not short.

Proper size one is available from Mouse (House) Armour:
http://www.mheaust.com.au/MHE/Resin/MA/mousearmour.htm You can see the size difference between the kit one.

Jim

Hi Folks!

Thanks! I was looking at the part and it looked OK, but then I had the feeling something was not right.

Sgt, Scouts Out!

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