Airfix Bedford QLT and Bedford QLD Trucks - 1:76

[Paul A H]

Bedford QLT and Bedford QLD Trucks

1:76 Airfix

 

 

Bedford Vehicles created the QL 3-ton truck to equip the British Army following the loss of hundreds of vehicles during the Dunkirk evacuation. Developed in just 16 weeks, over 52,000 examples were produced between 1941 and the end of the War. The truck was powered by a 3½ litre petrol engine and was good for a top speed of 38 mph. The rugged designed of the vehicles, combined with 4-wheel drive and 8 forward gear ratios, gave the Bedford truck excellent terrain crossing ability. The Bedford QLT variant was a troop carrier, while the QLD was a general cargo version. The T version differed from the D version by virtue of an stretched wheelbase and relocated fuel tanks, modifications which enabling it to carry up to 29 soldiers at a time.

 

 

 

As you might have noticed, this kit is a carbon copy of the kit first released by Airfix back in 2011, not all that long after their acquisition by Hornby. The kit is one of the last to be tooled in 1:76 scale, with more recent offerings such as the Willys Jeep and the bomber resupply set being designed for the almost universal 1:72 scale. Not one but two kits are packed into Airfix’s familiar bright red box. To make things easier for the builder, all of the parts for the QLD are supplied on one sprue and all the parts for the slightly larger and more complex QLT on the other two sprues. The only sprue shared between the different versions hold the transparent parts. All of the mouldings are crisp and clean and no flash is present. The only sink marks I could find were on the sides of the engine, which won’t be particularly visible anyway. There are quite a few ejector pin marks present on some of the parts, but most of the ones that will be visible will also be easy enough to clean up. Moulded detail is very good and each truck features a full interior as well as an engine, drive train, fuel tank and suspension.

 

As is the case with the sprues, the assembly instructions are separated into two halves. In each case construction begins with the engine, chassis and running gear before moving on to the cab interior. There is a lot of detailed packed into these stages of construction, so it's just as well the sprue attachment points are quite fine on this particular kit; it certainly doesn’t look as though any of the smaller components will be damaged when being removed from the sprues. Unlike some small-scale kits of this type, the transparent components are supplied as injection moulded parts rather than a clear plastic sheet from which shapes for the windows must be cut. This makes the model much easier to put together and the transparent parts are suitably thin and clear. The wheels deserve a special mention at this point, firstly because the tyres are beautifully moulded and have a subtle bulge/flat spot for extra realism and secondly because the wheel hubs are moulded as separate parts to the tyres, which will help greatly with painting.

 

 

 

 

 

An optional canvas cover is supplied for use with the QLD version. The fabric texture and fasteners are really nicely rendered. Construction of the QLT version is pretty much identical to the QLD up to the point where the seats are installed in the load carrying area. Again, a canvas cover is supplied, but this time the sides are rolled up so that the interior detail can be shown off. A Bren Gun and a rather neat model of a bicycle are also supplied to add a little extra interest to this version. A full colour painting diagram is provided, with both schemes (one for each vehicle) for khaki drab and black camouflaged vehicles with ochre canvas covers. A nice touch is the decal sheet, which includes a range of regimental badges for the trucks – for the Guards Armoured Division, 11th Armoured Division, 3rd Infantry Division and the 51st Highland Division. Unit/company badges and bridge weight indicators are also included on the sheet.

 

 

Conclusion

 

This was a really nice release from Airfix last time around and it remains so eight years later. Hopefully its reemergence indicates that it sold reasonably well the first time around. Both kits have all the detail you could wish for and both should build up nicely, either as models in their own right or as the basis for any number of dioramas. Recommended.

 

 

Review sample courtesy of 

[Graham Boak]

It isn't a carbon copy, as the original had no steering wheel, no GS body, flattened springs and undersized tyres.  It has a similar breakdown of parts for the cab and chassis, but is a considerable improvement overall.

[Paul A H]

13 hours ago, Graham Boak said:

It isn't a carbon copy, as the original had no steering wheel, no GS body, flattened springs and undersized tyres.  It has a similar breakdown of parts for the cab and chassis, but is a considerable improvement overall.

Graham, are we talking about the same kit? The sprues in this kit look identical to the 2011 release and have the same codes. I can't see that Airfix have made any revisions. The 2011 kit certainly had steering wheels provided as well.

[Graham Boak]

You are right in that I was indeed thinking of the much earlier kit, and you do make it quite clear that you mean the 2011 release.  I therefore apologise for leaping to an unwarranted conclusion.

 

In my defence I can only claim bemusement that a simple rerelease requires such comment.  Times change: as an older modeller I am used to kits being released unchanged over decades.