MiniArt Marston Mat Landing Strip w/Barrels (49019) 1:48

[Mike]

Marston Mat Landing Strip w/Barrels (49019)

1:48 MiniArt via Creative Models Ltd

 

 

During WWII, temporary airfields were quickly created near the battlefront on flat ground by the linking together of stamped steel planking that had their transport weight reduced by punching out holes in the centres where it wouldn’t weaken the structure.  These were known as Perforated Steel Planking (PSP) or Pierced Steel Planking, and were used commonly in all theatres of war, reducing mud and slurry build-ups, and providing a flat and tough surface for aircraft to land, take-off and taxy, plus a roadway for other vehicles to avoid creating ruts in the surface.  The holes however led to an element of dust and debris being kicked up, which is known in aviation as Foreign Object Debris or FOD, so the design was later changed to reduce the possibility of rocks, dust and soil penetrating the planking.  By the time of the Vietnam War, the M8A1 design had been formalised and was used to great effect.  It was lightened by the use of corrugations to provide more strength using less material, and was capable of supporting the larger, heavier jet aircraft that were more prevalent by then.

 

 

The Kit

This rebox of MiniArt’s recent backdrop kit with added 55 gallon drums arrives in a top-opening box with a painting of the subject and a greyscale P-47 on the top, and inside is a large styrene Marston Mat textured base, plus three sprues of barrels and a small decal sheet. 

 

 

 

 

The base is 316mm x 227mm x 9mm deep, and the barrels are of two styles, one with two ribs either side of the centreline, the other with many more ribs in the top and bottom areas.  You can build six of each type, and parts are included to create a hand-cranked pump that consists of a dip-tube with winding handle, and the applicator, which you should join with some wire from your own stock to reproduce the tubing.  There are three of these, one per sprue.  The barrels are formed into a cylinder from two halves, then have the end caps inserted, and if you intend to use the pumps, you should drill out the caps that are moulded into the top to admit the dip-tube.

 

 

Markings

The mat was stamped from sheet metal, and then dipped in an anti-corrosion coating to protect it from short-term rusting, which it usually achieved, save for areas that became exposed due to wear, impact or other damage, with the majority reached the job site with an oily steel colour over the majority of its surface.  In action it was seldom used for long enough to become seriously corroded, but if used for extended lengths of time beyond the original intention, it took on a dense rust colour after many years exposed to the elements.  Most of the time during WWII it was usually seen as either its original colour or would take on the colour of the substrate on which it was laid, as the lightening holes would allow some material to pass through, which was addressed in later variants.

 

 

 

The barrels are shown on the instructions in various shades of olive drab, and the included decals will give you the opportunity to depict oil or fuel drums, as you see fit.  The paint chart gives codes for Vallejo, Mr Color, AK RealColor, Mission Models, AMMO, Tamiya, plus colour swatches and generic names for completeness to assist you.

 

 

Conclusion

A quick, easy base with accessories for your model, and it’s clear that MiniArt had their own brand-new P-47 Thunderbolt kit in 1:48 in mind during the design phase and judging by the box art, so if you haven’t got one yet, you really should correct that.  That said, you could display any WWII Allied fighter-sized model on the base just as easily.

 

Highly recommended.

 

Currently available with a handsome discount at time of writing

 

Review sample courtesy of