Kit Review: Royal Model 1/35 Scale Diorama Accessories: Kit No. 331, M3A1 Stuart; 238 parts (227 in etched metal, 11 in light gray resin); price $28.00 Kit No. 342, M3A3 Stuart; 204 parts (202 in etched metal, 2 in gray resin); price $24.00
Advantages: amazingly detailed upgrade parts are hard to surpass for level of replication provided
Disadvantages: many modelers may be frustrated by incredibly small parts used to build up assemblies; sets are not correction kits
Rating: Highly Recommended
Recommendation: For all Stuart modelers who want to create a "show-stopper!"
F I R S T L O O K
There are some companies who produce "correction" kits for known or notorious "dog pound" quality models; some who produce correction kits for kits that do not need correcting, but tell you that they do anyway; and companies which produce detail enhancement kits that do not correct flaws but do provide the ability to add an amazing level of detail to an existing kit. Royal Models, imported by Chesapeake Model Designs, is one of the latter.
These two kits are for enhancing the level of detail found in two recent and popular kits, the Academy M3A1 and the AFV Club M3A3. As noted, they do not correct any problems found in the kits. The M3A3 is a gorgeous kit, and these parts will make it even cleaner and nicer. But in the case of the M3A1, and as readers of the AMPS "Boresight" are aware, the Academy alas is not an M3A1, being instead a very late production M3 with "horseshoe" turret. Nevertheless, Royal Model provides a plethora of detail improvements for the kit, including one-piece air cleaners and better looking one-piece "drop" tanks for the sides of the hull.
All of this is provided on five resin pour plugs and two frets of metal. Included as the metal parts are 44 individual tie-downs ? which Steve Zaloga and others have shown how to make a "press" to bend to the correct shape for use ? as well as much better detailed parts for viewer bases, rear fenders, 5 perforated .30 caliber barrel jackets, a new "rocker" cradle for the AA .30 caliber, and a number of minor fittings and the complete kit for attaching the pioneer tools and OVM to the hull.
The M3A3 kit provides only two resin parts, British externally mounted fire extinguisher bodies, and then three frets of metal to cover the rest of the bits. These include a complete new rear hull stowage bin with mesh extension, engine deck grille, rear exhaust grille, new grouser racks, 3 .30 caliber barrel jackets and the same rocker cradle for the AA mount, and other enhancements. This kit apparently can be used for either the US (e.g. Chinese and French) versions or the Commonwealth version, and includes sufficient parts for both.
The kits provide sufficient parts to answer any modeler's detailing desires, but in the case of some of the parts some modelers will not use them as they are too small to use neatly. This is not a dig at Royal Model, but in order to get the requisite thinness in scale, and at the same time provide the necessary level of detail, it often means that bolt heads have to be provided as additional parts. A 3/8" hex nut in 1/35 scale is around 0.010" in circumference, and is a nearly impossible part to pick up let alone install. (This is part of the reason for the extremely large number of parts.)
Also few modelers are going to want to go through the trouble of using four parts (strap, buckle and two tie-downs) to install a single tool bracket on the engine deck. It also entails having to chip or strip off a great deal of surface detail, which many modelers are somewhat apprehensive about due to nicks and gouges.
There are a lot of good bits which are easier to use, such as safety chains and pin savers which many modelers will happily use, but these can be used in one shot and require little to no extra work or preparation. The same goes with the nicely designed grilles and gratings.
Both kits come with one page photo directions, but some parts are fuzzy and do not give the modeler a good idea of what exactly he needs to do in order to mount the part. Still, they do show the model section by section and call out part numbers, which is far better than some competitors in this area.
Suffice it to say this is a great set for the master modeler, and the advanced modeler will find enough good bits to make it a worthwhile purchase. But it may be frustrating to newer modelers as it is very involved and requires a good deal of skill to use it best and get the most out of it.
Thanks to Bill Miley of CMD for the review samples.
Cookie Sewell AMPS