1:72 WC-23 1/2 ton 4x4 Command Reconnaisanse

The WC-23 command reconnaissance car in 1:72 scale

A kit of a light American all-wheel-drive vehicle from the beginning of the Second World War. It is a type that appears far less often in the modeling market than the later and better known three-quarter-ton vehicles of the same family, even though it was these early half-ton machines that served in the first years of the war and are characteristic of 1941 and 1942. The manufacturer is the Ukrainian brand ACE, which has long devoted itself to little-covered subjects in small scale.

The real subject

The WC-23 belonged to the family of light trucks the US Army introduced before entering the war. The body was open and four-door, with a canvas top and side curtains, so the vehicle looked more like a cross-country passenger car than a truck. The purpose was to create a mobile command post: inside there were usually map tables and space for a radio set, and on some vehicles a machine gun mount as well. The half-ton vehicles were the predecessor of the later, more robust machines of the same series.

Building and painting tips

In 1:72 scale the parts are small, so work over a mat and apply the glue with a point. Finish and paint the frame, the chassis and the interior before you close the body up, because on an open vehicle the inside is clearly visible. Paint the canvas top in a different tone from the sheet metal and bring out the texture with a dry brush. Keep the weathering restrained; in this scale a heavy wash floods detail rather than bringing it out.

Who the model is for

• For modelers of American equipment in small scale.
• For builders of dioramas from the early part of the Second World War.
• For collectors of light command and signals vehicles.

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