Kit Review: AFV Club 1/35 scale Kit No. AF35189; Bofors & M42 40mm Gun Ammu nition and Accessory Set; 156 parts in olive drab plastic
Advantages: great way to complete a Duster or set up a towed 40mm diorama
Disadvantages: no major problems noted
Rating: Highly Recommended
Recommendation: for all 40mm and Duster fans
When the Swedish Bofors company created its light antiaircraft gun in 1934 in near partnership with the German Krupps firm, it is doubtful that anyon e would know how wildly successful it would become and how it is still in u se nearly 80 years later in both 37mm and 40mm calibers. While it has under gone some serious upgrades and improvements - today including laser rangefi nding, radar tracking and in some cases AHEAD ?smart? projectiles - it is still one of the most popular light antiaircraft and anti-material weapo ns in the world.
The US and Commonwealth made wide use of it in WWII for both ground and sh ipboard installations, and at the end of the war the US was fielding self-p ropelled twin 40mm versions on a Chaffee light tank chassis. Later, that ea rly M19 weapons systems evolved into the more sophisticated M42 ?Duster ? on the Walker Bulldog light tank chassis. Even an amphibious version wa s trialed along with more advanced systems like the ill-fated M247 Sergeant York.
AFV Club has been releasing kits of both the M42 (early and late versions) and the Bofors towed mount in US and Commonwealth versions. This handy lit tle kit permits fans of either weapon to properly upgrade it or use one in a nicely accessoried diorama.
The kit comes with 24 four-round clips of 40mm ammunition, all of which ar e identical and will only be differentiated by painting as to type and user . It also provides four British style 24-round crates, eight US cans, eight US crates and eight British crates. The US wooden crates have separate li fting handle ropes. Three empty clips are included on each sprue, but all o f the four-round clips are complete.
Anyone modeling a Vietnam-era Duster will appreciate this, as most crews s tored lots of extra ammo on their vehicles and this kit provides 96 rounds ready to go. It will require some judicious use of a razor saw to separate the clips so they can be wedged over the sides of the gun tub (where most u nits carried ?ready? rounds) and the cans and crates should look good s trapped down. Ditto the towed guns, as the crates and other cans can be lai d around a gun along with ready clips laid out on canvas for firing.
Overall this a great accessory and one which should go with each 40mm or D uster kit.
Thanks to Tony Chin of Merit for the review sample.
Cookie Sewell