ET Model M1132 Stryker ESV Update Set (for AFV Club) 1:35

[Mike]

M1132 Stryker ESV Update Set (for AFV Club)
1:35 ET Model

This is a highly detailed Photo-etch (PE) and styrene update kit (and it does deserve the term "kit") from our friends at ET Model, which arrives in their usual thick polythene package with all the large frets taped to black backing card, and smaller parts sub-bagged to protect them from damage, and from damaging other parts. Inside the two bags that are held together with the green header card, there is a LOT of brass. Four cards hold five frets of PE, while three smaller frets nestle in a ziplok bag with ten x 10cm 0.6mm diameter ABS rod. In the rearmost bag the light green instruction booklet takes the form of three pages of double-sided A4, walking you through the process from start to finish. The first item of note is a minor mistake on the instructions, which state that a length of wire and three mini-springs are included in the package. They aren't, and aren't used in the build, but there is a tiny fret of PE that isn't noted, so someone hasn't cut & pasted things together quite right.

ET Model's instructions take the same format no matter what you are building, with sub-assemblies built up in their own lettered or numerically annotated step to be brought together later in the construction phase. Once you get that straight, they become much easier to follow. In the set you get highly detailed parts to upgrade or completely replace the following parts of the model:

• Upgraded Steering rack
• Replacement Trapezoid stowage boxes with working hinges
• Replacement suspension covers
• Replacement twin stowage "shelves" on the rear of the vehicle
• Replacement locking mechanism and protective panels on the rear door
• Upgraded light clusters
• Replacement highly detailed winch guides
• Upgraded wing mirrors and horn assembly
• Replacement side stowage boxes with highly detailed new parts on both sides
• Replacement pioneer tool stowage rack with tie-downs
• Upgraded crew access hatches with handles, locking mechanisms and interior detail
• Upgraded remote gun mount
• Replacement ammo box for the remote gun station
• Upgraded remote weapon, with Mk.19 grenade launcher or M2 derivative .50cal machine gun
• Replacement brackets on the vehicle roof
• Replacement wire-cutter upstands on driver's deck and main deck

These assemblies are all highly detailed, and where upgrade is the chosen route, you will often need to remove substantial parts of the original to accomplish the task, but it is always worth the effort. The side stowage racks are works of art in themselves, and this is where substantial sections of the ABS rod are used, bent to templates printed on the instructions for your ease. You could replace these with brass rod if you are doing any soldering, but ET are to be applauded for including these small parts, where a great many don't. A huge quantity of tie-down lugs are added to the top of each of the large stowage racks, which will take a fair amount of time to finish, and is best done toward the end to avoid damage to the delicate parts.


Conclusion
This is a high quality set that will give your Stryker a comprehensive lift in the detail department, as well as replacing simplified or over-scale parts with more representative parts, thereby increasing realism both in detail and scale. The resulting model will be light-years ahead of the original, which is already pretty nice. Check out their pictures of the finished model here.

Very highly recommended.

Review Sample courtesy of