maxdecal Posted November 17, 2012 Posted November 17, 2012 Hi All, Anyone seen the 1/35 scale AFV Club or Bronco Bofors 40mmm AA gun british version? I usually build aircraft so I don't know much about these weapons. Is it the same kit in two different boxes or did both companies come out with their own moulds? Any reviews greatly appreciated. Regards, Joe
Lothian man Posted November 26, 2012 Posted November 26, 2012 (edited) There is (or at least last year or two was) no good single book on the Bofors other than the old Terry Gander book (now v. expensive on the 2/hand market). To simplify ... WW2 Bofors came in different versions, both gun and carriage, even ignoring the American production (and Polish, Swedish ...). The main difference in the British production runs was that the earlier carriages were of rivetted construction with rectangular-section outriggers and the later ones were simplified with round-section outriggers. Bronco do a kit of each overall pattern (the later one labelled as 'Canadian', but I think it can be made as a British one as well without problems). AFV Club do the earlier one only, so far. They are quite different kits. The rather simplified Italeri 1/35 kit is of the US mass production version - welded carriage with rectangular outriggers - quite different (tho' the Brits used some in the Med especially). If I recall rightly, there is one of the earlier rivetted carriage type in the displays at the National Museum branch in Collins Barracks in Dublin. I seem to recall however that the new book by Ralph Rizzo also shows the later variant in use with the Irish. The individual guns also varied in 1. sights - iron ring sights or Heath-Robinson style "Stiffkey (pron. Stewkey) Sights" 2. shields or no shields 3. with or without the electrical drive for remote power control by centralised directors for each battery, including the twin motors on the gun mounting Certainly the Bronco kit of the later variant has those options. Given the likelihood of updating and the creation of anomalous combinations, it's a matter of picking a photo and working from that, I suppose... See www.perthmilitarymodelling.com for a very good lowdown on the two Bronco kits (and a problem with the first mouldings of the earlier variant kit and how to get replacements - the moulds have been corrected, good for Bronco). I have the Bronco kit of the later version and like it very much indeed. I also have the AFV Club kit, which is of the earlier version with rivetted carriage etc, but have not made it yet. It looks very nice indeed. It has shields in 2 patterns, Stiffkey sight (and with what look like the ring back sights to allow the older fixed version to be knocked up, but don't quote me on that yet), and optional manual/remote power control. Until someone does a detailed comparison, the only other obvious practical modelling difference is perhaps that the AFV club kit has flexible dark plastic tyres whereas the Bronco one has hard polystyrene (and done extremely well). AFV also give you a metal barrel and wooden and metal ammo boxes as well as the same pattern of metal boxes given in the Bronco kit. Both have spare barrel boxes. Any news on your Irish AFV decals please by the way? I have a R-R just waiting, not to mention a Churchill, and some of the other photos in the Rizzio books are also very tempting ... Edited November 26, 2012 by Lothian man
maxdecal Posted November 27, 2012 Author Posted November 27, 2012 Hi Lothian, many thanks for your comprehensive reply. It looks like the Bronco kit might be the way to got o do an Irish Army Bofors. I'll drop down to the Colins Barracks museum to take a closer look at their Bofors. there is alos one in the Museum at Baldonnel. Still busy with a few projects but the Irish Army number plates will be out first quarter 2013. Best regards, Joe
Lothian man Posted December 3, 2012 Posted December 3, 2012 (edited) Glad to have helped (I hope). By the way, just seen reviews of the AFV Club kit on missing-lynx and the Bronco kit on armorama.com - worth a look. I've rechecked my AFV Club kit and it does not seem possible after all to build an early (non-Stiffkey) sight from this kit - so as it comes it seems only possible to make a reworked, late-war service, gun on early carriage from this kit. The Bronco kit seems more flexible in this regard. And when I said earlier that the individual guns varied in sights, power control, shields, etc., I mean generally - I can't say offhand what the options in Irish service were off the top of my head. Edited December 3, 2012 by Lothian man
Shermaniac Posted December 30, 2012 Posted December 30, 2012 Oh, definitely the Bronco one for me every time. For some reason whenever I start an AFV Club kit I get bogged down - perhaps it's the challenge I get from the Bronco kits, or they just seem better value, I don't know. As for the Italeri one, I think it was the one that Esci was to do back in the day when their 'Seaforth Highlanders (Bofors Crew?) came out - but never did.
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