1:72 VAB 4X4

Heller VAB 4x4 (1:72)

An injection-molded plastic kit of the French VAB (Vehicule de l'Avant Blinde) wheeled armored personnel carrier in the 4x4 configuration in 1:72 scale from Heller. It is a cleanly shaped kit of modern French equipment that was long missing in this scale. The model is supplied as a classic kit to be glued and painted.

The real subject

The VAB is a wheeled armored personnel carrier of the French Army taken into service in the second half of the 1970s, where it still forms one of the backbone units today. It was produced in 4x4 as well as 6x6 versions, it is amphibious and it stands out for mobility across country. It was fielded on a number of foreign missions, among them in the Persian Gulf. It serves to carry infantry and as the basis for a great many specialized bodies.

Building and painting tips

Cut the parts from the sprues and glue them with liquid modeling cement for plastic. With wheeled vehicles, give attention to seating the axles and the wheels correctly so that the model stands level. Apply a primer before painting, ideally with an airbrush. Bring out the armor with a wash into the recesses and a dry brush along the edges; finish the dust and mud effects on the chassis with pigments.

Who the model is for

• Collectors of modern French and wheeled armored vehicles
• Modelers with experience of building armor kits in 1:72
• Makers of dioramas from missions of the late twentieth century
• Anyone interested in rarer small-scale subjects

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