1:48 M5A1 Stuart Late (British Stuart MK.VI) Conversion set 1/48 / for Tamiya kit

M5A1 Stuart Late 1:48, a conversion set to the British Stuart Mk.VI

This set from the Czech maker Special Hobby serves for converting a plastic kit of the M5A1 light tank to the British Stuart Mk.VI in its late form. It is not a model of the tank: the package holds no complete hull or running gear parts but cast parts that replace or supplement the plastic parts of the kit. The conversion is intended for the M5A1 kit from Tamiya and assumes that the modeler will cut some of the original parts away and replace them.

The real subject

The M5A1 was an American light tank of the Second World War, derived from the M3 type and powered by a pair of Cadillac automobile engines with an automatic transmission. It carried a 37 mm gun and machine gun armament; the late batches can be recognized by the modified turret with a lengthened rear. The British army took the tanks on as part of deliveries and designated them Stuart Mk.VI. In service they were used mainly as a reconnaissance and liaison vehicle, with British units often stowing their equipment differently.

Building tips

First wash the castings with warm water and dish soap and rid them of mold release agent. Cut the casting blocks off with a fine-toothed saw, on thin parts preferably in stages; resin cracks when it is bent. Level the faces where the conversion sits against the kit plastic on abrasive paper laid on glass, as only then will the seam not stay open. It is glued with cyanoacrylate, and on larger contact faces use the thicker version, which gives time to align the part. Lay down a primer before painting, which will unify metal, resin and plastic. Grade the weathering on a light tank: dust and mud on the lower hull and the running gear, finer scuffs on the edges of the fenders and on the places where the crew climbed aboard.

Who the set is for

• modelers building British armor of the Second World War in 1:48 scale
• anyone interested in the differences between American and British service of the same type
• builders with experience of cutting and gluing cast parts
• collectors who want a variant in the display case that does not come out of a box

The set is an accessory for a plastic kit, which it does not contain. Paints, glue and other accessories are not included in the package, unless stated otherwise.