1:35 AUSTIN ARMOURED CAR 1918 PATTERN. IRELAND 1919-21. BRITISH SERVICE. INTERIOR KIT

Austin armored car 1918 pattern, service in Ireland 1:35 (MiniArt, interior edition)

An injection-molded plastic kit of the British Austin armored car in the 1918 pattern in 1:35 scale from MiniArt. It captures the vehicles used in Ireland in the period from 1919 to 1921. It is a demanding interior kit with a detailed four-cylinder engine, gearbox, steering and braking systems and the armament in both turrets; the hatches and doors can be built open or closed. The box contains photo-etched parts and several marking options.

The real subject

The Austin armored car of the 1918 pattern was a British wheeled armored vehicle of the First World War and the interwar period. It was notable for its two separate turrets side by side, each with a machine gun, and for its four-cylinder gasoline engine. Vehicles of this type were used among other places in Ireland during the turbulent years from 1919 to 1921, when they served British forces including police units. In Irish conditions they tended to be fitted with Hotchkiss machine guns.

Building and painting tips

Make use of the full interior: finish and paint the engine, the gearbox and the inside of the hull before you close it up, and the hatches can be left open for a view inside. Use liquid cement for plastic and glue the photo-etched parts with cyanoacrylate. Apply a primer before painting and spray with an airbrush. The character of an older vehicle is brought out by washes in the recessed detail and pigments for dust and mud effects.

Who the model is for

• Experienced modelers interested in early armored cars
• Collectors of British vehicles of the First World War and the interwar period in 1:35 scale
• Anyone interested in the history of Ireland around 1919 to 1921
• Creators of dioramas with open hatches and a visible interior

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