Kit Review: Alliance Modelworks 1/35 scale Set No. LW35048; 1:35 Allied WWI= I Vehicle Tie-Downs and Tool Buckles; 288 items in etched brass; retail pri= ce US$12.00 (available from Alliance Modelworks, 1001 Hunter Lane, Lake Sai= nt Louis, MO 63367 or via
Disadvantages: requires skill in molding and shaping some parts
Rating: Highly Recommended
Recommendation: For anyone modeling US WWII (and some later) vehicles
Etched brass has rapidly become a staple of armor modeling, but some sets = can border on the ridiculous. As a result, picking the best combination of = items to offer is a difficult task. Pick too many =93nitnoy=94 parts and th= ey remain on the fret, with the added problem that the modeler will not rep= urchase items from the company. Too few or too high a price, and again the = modeler will pass it by. Pick the right combination, and you will have a cu= stomer for a long time.=20
Alliance Modelworks is a new company to me - they apparently have concentr= ated on ship modeling in 1/700 and 1/350 scales prior to now - but were at = the 2012 IPMS USA Nationals with a full display of their products.=20
While I freely admit to not being a big etched brass user, there are certa= in things that brass does do better than plastic and where it comes in hand= y. This set covers most of those bases and provides a great general purpose= set for US military vehicles, primarily WWII but also applicable to the pr= esent day in some cases.=20
The set provides a large variety of general purpose items: 48 straps, 76 s= trap-and-buckle sets (WWII leather style), four jerry can holder sets, four= shovel attachment straps, four pick (mattock) mounts, and other items. The= y also provide 120 tie-down loops which are etched using the attachment fre= e method and are fixed onto a plastic backing that holds them in place unti= l needed.=20
Overall this set looks to be far more usable than some from other companie= s which are too involved, and the general range of products (such as etched= mesh and grille sheets) is very usable as well.=20 =20 Cookie Sewell