Kit Review: DML 1/35 scale ?39-?45 Series Kit No. 6682; SAS Vehicle Cre ws North Africa 1942; 94 parts in grey styrene; pre-order price US$19.95 vi a Dragon USA Online
Advantages: provides seven (mostly) figures for use with the SAS Jeep kits
Disadvantages: no painting directions, B&W instructions
Rating: Highly Recommended
Recommendation: for all North Africa fans
As noted with the three preceding SAS vehicle (Jeep) kits, Lieutenant Colo nel David Sterling is one of the legendary figures to arise from British op erations in North Africa and his Special Air Service (SAS) forces were long noted for their long range operations. One of the iconic photos of those o perations has him standing next to a patrol led by a Lieutenant McDonald in a modified Willys MB jeep.
As before, note that once again because of the Chrysler Corporation demand for royalties for using the name ?Jeep? this kit cannot call it that. While these are raider jeep crews, they are simply called ?SAS Vehicle Cr ews? for that reason.
This kit provides a figure of Stirling and six ?mix and match? figures which basically replicate those that come in each of the previous jeep kit s. While this may disappoint some, anyone who wants to either provide a cre w to a Tamiya LRDG Chevy truck or other desert vehicle, or any other compan y?s jeep or SAS vehicle conversion, can now pick them up for a very reaso nable price.
Each figure comes in eight parts: head, torso, arms, legs and a two piece ?burnoose? headgear with a separate skirt and crown. Stirling comes in seven parts with a one-piece toggle coat and head, cap, arms and legs.
No painting instructions are included which is a bit of shame, as the figu res deserve better treatment by DML. The box art has to suffice ? and wit h this kit DML has managed to get at least three box art paintings out of o ne Ron Volstad original! All of them look the part and match up well with photos, but the navy-styl e duffle coat on Stirling appears to be about 3" shorter than those in the photos and the box art. In those it comes down to the center of his knees a nd here it is just above the knee.
Overall while this may not help out anyone with the kits - getting six rep eat figures just to get the Stirling figure is a bit expensive - they do pr ovide good quality figures for any other combination of desert vehicles use d by the SAS.
Thanks to Freddie Leung for the review sample.
Cookie Sewell