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Calling this finished now AFV Club 1/35 scale gun truck with some extra armour added from plasticard. Decals are from Star (I know, this does not depict the actual Bounty Hunter truck). Figures are from Paracel and are excellent, ordered direct from them in Vietnam and arrived quickly and safely. Paint is Life Color, Tamiya and Vallejo acrylics and weathered using Mig Ammo mud effects pack and oil washes. Base is just made from a drawer front and foam board. All comments welcome

Hello I finished the diorama in September of last year. The Kit is Italeri with the C.M.R engine detail set and Eduard photoetch set added. Various other munitions and stowage sets were used over the course of the project. The build article was in issue 81 of Airfix scale model world magazine.

US Armoured Gun Truck for Italeri 1:35 Eduard [36254] Comprising of three sheets of relief etched brass this set for the new Italeri M923 Armoured gun truck is well up to Eduards usual standards. They provide a host of detail parts to really take the model to the next level. Unfortunately the instructions also live up to their reputation in being cramped and certainly not the easiest to read. As usual the modeller will need to provide styrene or brass rod for some of the assemblies and some of the kits details need to be removed before the new brass items are fitted. It’s probably best for the modeller to go through the instructions and removing all these parts at the beginning to improve the flow of the build. Construction starts with the fitting of a new top and lid for the smaller of the main storage boxes. To the lid a new jerry can bracket and straps are attached. The larger box is fitted with a new support bracket, top fitting, padlock and handles. To each inner wheel there are new flange fittings attached, similar fittings are also fitted to the faces of the drive shaft couplings. The fuel tank is assembled with new straps, supports and what looks like an armoured shelf surrounding the filler cap. The exhaust stack is given a new heat shield which will need to be carefully curved to fit whilst the spare wheel mount at its associated jib are provided with new support brackets, hook slide and wheel restraining bracket/ramp. Moving forward, the hood/bonnet is fitted with new hinges and brackets, whilst the headlights a provided with new surrounds, there is a new radiator face and grille. The rear face of the cab is also fitted with new brackets and a new vent cover. Inside the cab, new instrument cluster, facia, switch panel and passenger grab handle are included, along with replacement clutch, brake ad accelerator pedals. The drivers and passenger seats are fitted with new supports and the windscreen has all of its styrene furniture replaced, including items such as wipers, hinges and supports. The cab doors also receive new handles, window winders and wing mirrors. To the rear of the truck there are complete replacements for the rear mudguards and supports, plus numerous catches for the rear and side cargo bed panels. Naturally, being a gun truck it only seems sensible to have the gun details updated. The two 50 cal machine guns are each fitted out with new barrel handles, perforated covers, fore and aft iron sights, firing handles and fittings, new mountings and replacement ammo box support bracket s, ammo boxes and a short length of ammunition. The pintle mounted gun on the truck bed is also fitted with a new gun shield and support brackets. Conclusion Given that the Italeri Armoured Gun Truck kit is already pretty well detailed out of the box this set isn’t that complicated. With very few complex bends or folds it should be useable by all but the newest modellers and would be a good introduction to the art of using etched brass. The details contained in the set do help to improve the somewhat clunky look that of the styrene parts and will help make a good looking model into a great one. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of