In Box Review of Italaerei 1/35th Scale
Fiat-Ansaldo M13/40 Italian Tank
Kit no. 212
By Ray Mehlberger
Out of production
Copyright 1973
Available in the 2011 boxing as kit no. 6489, from either Kit Linx for $41.59 or at Sprue Bros. for $46.49 or at 3 locations overseas on the web.
By Ray Mehlberger
Out of production
Copyright 1973
Available in the 2011 boxing as kit no. 6489, from either Kit Linx for $41.59 or at Sprue Bros. for $46.49 or at 3 locations overseas on the web.
HISTORY:
The side panels have the history of the tank on them in French, German, English and Italian.
The side panels have the history of the tank on them in French, German, English and Italian.
WHAT'S IN THE BOX:
This kit contains 3 tan parts trees and black vinyl tracks in a sealed clear cello bag.
The box art shows a M13/40 posed against an all-white background, similar to how Tamiya brand also does the majority of their box arts.
The tank is overall sand with a green squiggle pattern. It has a white license plate on its nose with serial no. RoEto3019 on it. There is a white number "2" over a red rectangle with two white vertical bars on it on the sides of the turret.
The tank commander is standing in the upper turret hatch and manning a flexible machine gun. He wears a black leather jacket and helmet with a pair of goggles strung around the helmet.
This kit contains 3 tan parts trees and black vinyl tracks in a sealed clear cello bag.
The box art shows a M13/40 posed against an all-white background, similar to how Tamiya brand also does the majority of their box arts.
The tank is overall sand with a green squiggle pattern. It has a white license plate on its nose with serial no. RoEto3019 on it. There is a white number "2" over a red rectangle with two white vertical bars on it on the sides of the turret.
The tank commander is standing in the upper turret hatch and manning a flexible machine gun. He wears a black leather jacket and helmet with a pair of goggles strung around the helmet.
WHAT'S IN THE BOX:
This kit contains 3 tan trees and black vinyl tracks in a sealed clear cello bag, the decal sheet and the instructions.
The instructions consists of a single-sheet that accordion-folds out into 8 pages in 12" x 7" page format. Folded twice more to fit the box.
Page 1 begins with a black and white photo of the model made up. It is overall tan with a white number "1" over a red triangle with 3 vertical stripes on it. The white license plate on the front is obscured by the tow cable and unreadable. Below this is the history of the tank in Italian, French and English.
Page 2 begins with general instructions in 4 languages, including English, over the parts trees illustrations.
Trees are not alphabetized. They are illustrated in the instructions and do have part number tabs next to the parts on the trees.
Page 3 through 5 gives a grand total of 5 assembly steps.
There is a black and white photo of the model made up alternately as a turret-less command tank with white license plate no. RoEto3671 on the nose and a blue triangle with one vertical white stripe on it on the sides of the turret.
Starting from the M13/40 tank, a command tank M40 was also developed for use by self-propelled artillery units. Each battery had a command tank and usually 4 Samoventi's.
Another black and white photo is of another view of the tank shown at the top of page 1
Pages 6 through 8 are the painting instructions, showing three 4-views of the M13/40.
The 1st one is in a base of sand yellow with large blotches of dark-green and dark-brown.
The 2nd one is overall sand yellow with narrow squiggles of dark-green pattern.
The 3rd one is overall sand yellow.
For either of the first 2 schemes you can opt for one of three different Italian markings. The 3rd one gets markings for a captured British tank with white "Kangaroo" markings on the sides of the turret.
The bottom of page 8 has a black and white photo of a bogie on an actual M13/40 in a museum and painting instructions for the tank commander figure.
Further at the bottom is the history of the tank in German.
The 1st tan tree holds: the hull tub, top panels, front, rear and fender and hatches etc. (12 parts)
This kit contains 3 tan trees and black vinyl tracks in a sealed clear cello bag, the decal sheet and the instructions.
The instructions consists of a single-sheet that accordion-folds out into 8 pages in 12" x 7" page format. Folded twice more to fit the box.
Page 1 begins with a black and white photo of the model made up. It is overall tan with a white number "1" over a red triangle with 3 vertical stripes on it. The white license plate on the front is obscured by the tow cable and unreadable. Below this is the history of the tank in Italian, French and English.
Page 2 begins with general instructions in 4 languages, including English, over the parts trees illustrations.
Trees are not alphabetized. They are illustrated in the instructions and do have part number tabs next to the parts on the trees.
Page 3 through 5 gives a grand total of 5 assembly steps.
There is a black and white photo of the model made up alternately as a turret-less command tank with white license plate no. RoEto3671 on the nose and a blue triangle with one vertical white stripe on it on the sides of the turret.
Starting from the M13/40 tank, a command tank M40 was also developed for use by self-propelled artillery units. Each battery had a command tank and usually 4 Samoventi's.
Another black and white photo is of another view of the tank shown at the top of page 1
Pages 6 through 8 are the painting instructions, showing three 4-views of the M13/40.
The 1st one is in a base of sand yellow with large blotches of dark-green and dark-brown.
The 2nd one is overall sand yellow with narrow squiggles of dark-green pattern.
The 3rd one is overall sand yellow.
For either of the first 2 schemes you can opt for one of three different Italian markings. The 3rd one gets markings for a captured British tank with white "Kangaroo" markings on the sides of the turret.
The bottom of page 8 has a black and white photo of a bogie on an actual M13/40 in a museum and painting instructions for the tank commander figure.
Further at the bottom is the history of the tank in German.
The 1st tan tree holds: the hull tub, top panels, front, rear and fender and hatches etc. (12 parts)
The 2nd tan tree holds: the drive sprockets, road wheels, idler wheels, return rollers, bogies, tow cable, exhaust, commander figure (divided into full body with separate arms) and leaf springs, tools etc. (116 parts)
The 3rd tan tree holds the turret parts and the flexible machine gun (21 parts)
Next is the black vinyl tracks. There are 2 lengths and 4 spare individual links.
The decal sheet completes the kit's contents.
Great detail and highly recommended.