In Box Review of Max 1/35th Scale
Armored Cavalry Scout Car
U.S. Army WWII, White M3A1
Kit no. 3507-900
By Ray Mehlberger
OUT OF PRODUCTION ($7.79 back in the 1960’S)
By Ray Mehlberger
OUT OF PRODUCTION ($7.79 back in the 1960’S)
HISTORY:
The M3 Scout Car was an armored car in U.S. service during World War II. It was also known as the White Scout Car, after its manufacturer, the White Motor Company. It was used in various roles including patrol, scouting, command vehicle, ambulance and gun tractor.
Design of the vehicle began at the White Motor Company, based in Cleveland, in 1937. It had .25 in (6.4 mm) face-hardened armor, full-time four-wheel drive (with no way to disengage it), four-speed manual constant-mesh (non-synchromesh) transmission (with one reverse gear) and two-speed transfer case, leaf spring suspension,[1] manual steering, and (unusual for the period) vacuum-assisted (power) brakes. The wheelbase was 131 in (3.3 m), tread 65.25 in (1.657 m). The wheels were 8.5 in (220 mm) wide, 20 in (510 mm) diameter, and used standard 12-ply military non-directional tires. Fuel capacity was 30 US gal (110 l).
The original order was for 64 units, all of which were given to the 7th Cavalry Brigade. Eventually the Army decided to adopt an improved version, designated M3A1. The new version had a longer and wider hull. In front of the bumper an unditching roller was mounted. The M3A1 could carry up to seven infantry and provide fire support with three machine guns - one .50 caliber (12.7 mm) and two .30 caliber (7.62 mm) - mounted on a skate rail around the hull.
Production of the M3A1 started in 1940 and lasted until 1944, with 20,918 vehicles built
The design influenced the later U.S. halftrack designs such as the M3 halftrack and the post-World War II Soviet BTR-40. The early M2 halftrack copied the armor layout as well as the skate rail machine gun
The M3 Scout Car was an armored car in U.S. service during World War II. It was also known as the White Scout Car, after its manufacturer, the White Motor Company. It was used in various roles including patrol, scouting, command vehicle, ambulance and gun tractor.
Design of the vehicle began at the White Motor Company, based in Cleveland, in 1937. It had .25 in (6.4 mm) face-hardened armor, full-time four-wheel drive (with no way to disengage it), four-speed manual constant-mesh (non-synchromesh) transmission (with one reverse gear) and two-speed transfer case, leaf spring suspension,[1] manual steering, and (unusual for the period) vacuum-assisted (power) brakes. The wheelbase was 131 in (3.3 m), tread 65.25 in (1.657 m). The wheels were 8.5 in (220 mm) wide, 20 in (510 mm) diameter, and used standard 12-ply military non-directional tires. Fuel capacity was 30 US gal (110 l).
The original order was for 64 units, all of which were given to the 7th Cavalry Brigade. Eventually the Army decided to adopt an improved version, designated M3A1. The new version had a longer and wider hull. In front of the bumper an unditching roller was mounted. The M3A1 could carry up to seven infantry and provide fire support with three machine guns - one .50 caliber (12.7 mm) and two .30 caliber (7.62 mm) - mounted on a skate rail around the hull.
Production of the M3A1 started in 1940 and lasted until 1944, with 20,918 vehicles built
The design influenced the later U.S. halftrack designs such as the M3 halftrack and the post-World War II Soviet BTR-40. The early M2 halftrack copied the armor layout as well as the skate rail machine gun
THE KIT:
Max (sometimes called Peerless-Max) was a model company based in Japan that went out of business. Peerless was a importer of their kits based in Philadelphia, PA. Both Max and Peerless went out of business.
This kit first appeared under the Max label in the 1960’s as kit no,. 3507. Then it was sold under the Airfix label as kit no. 07360-0 in 1975 in the same box art but with some new parts. Peerless-Max sold it that year also under the original 3507 kit no. and box art. Again in 1975 it was sold under just the Peerless name, with the same kit no. and box art as the original 1960’s kit. Italeri boxed it with a new box art only as kit no. 231 in the 1980’s. Tomy also sold it in the 1960’s box art as kit no 18 also in the 1980’s, Testor-Italeri did it in the 1980’s as kit no. 800 with yet another new box art. Finally, Zvezda released the kit 3 times. They gave the kit a new box art that they used twice in the 1990’s as kit no. 3519 for both releases. The third time Zvezda gave it another new box art as kit no. 3581 in 2004.
So this kit may be still found on the internet under one of those many brands??
This kit came in a shrink-warpped tray and lid type box. The tray is very sturdy.
The box art shows a M3A1 in overall olive-drab. It is crossing a grassy field It has a white star on the sides of the fighting compartment and a white serial no. U.S.A. 60107 on the sides of the hood. A white HQ-1 is on the right front bumper. Three crew members are shown in the fighting compartment. One is looking through binoculars. The other two are each manning a machine gun. One is on the .50 cal and the other on the 30 cal.
One side panel of the box has 3 color illustrations of M3A1’s. One is in Soviet markings with a white Russian slogan on the side. The second one is a front view with a square plate on the right that the top half of it is black and the bottom half is red. There is a white feather on the black top and a white number 88 on the bottom red. Each end of the bumper is white. I believe this is a British vehicle shown here. The final illustration is a U.S. vehicle with a white star on the engine grill louvers. On the left bumper is a white 3A-15Cav and on the right bumper is a white B12.
On the other side panel there is a cartoon of 2 G.I.’s grinning from ear to ear, followed by four color box arts of other AFV kits that Max marketed. Kit no. 3503 a ¾ ton weapons carrier “BEEP”, Kit no. 3504 a ¾ ton M6 37 mm anti-tank gun carrier, Kit no. 3505 a ¾ ton command and reconnaissance truck and Kit no. 3506 a 1 ½ ton personnel carrier. MADE IN JAPAN appears here also.
Max (sometimes called Peerless-Max) was a model company based in Japan that went out of business. Peerless was a importer of their kits based in Philadelphia, PA. Both Max and Peerless went out of business.
This kit first appeared under the Max label in the 1960’s as kit no,. 3507. Then it was sold under the Airfix label as kit no. 07360-0 in 1975 in the same box art but with some new parts. Peerless-Max sold it that year also under the original 3507 kit no. and box art. Again in 1975 it was sold under just the Peerless name, with the same kit no. and box art as the original 1960’s kit. Italeri boxed it with a new box art only as kit no. 231 in the 1980’s. Tomy also sold it in the 1960’s box art as kit no 18 also in the 1980’s, Testor-Italeri did it in the 1980’s as kit no. 800 with yet another new box art. Finally, Zvezda released the kit 3 times. They gave the kit a new box art that they used twice in the 1990’s as kit no. 3519 for both releases. The third time Zvezda gave it another new box art as kit no. 3581 in 2004.
So this kit may be still found on the internet under one of those many brands??
This kit came in a shrink-warpped tray and lid type box. The tray is very sturdy.
The box art shows a M3A1 in overall olive-drab. It is crossing a grassy field It has a white star on the sides of the fighting compartment and a white serial no. U.S.A. 60107 on the sides of the hood. A white HQ-1 is on the right front bumper. Three crew members are shown in the fighting compartment. One is looking through binoculars. The other two are each manning a machine gun. One is on the .50 cal and the other on the 30 cal.
One side panel of the box has 3 color illustrations of M3A1’s. One is in Soviet markings with a white Russian slogan on the side. The second one is a front view with a square plate on the right that the top half of it is black and the bottom half is red. There is a white feather on the black top and a white number 88 on the bottom red. Each end of the bumper is white. I believe this is a British vehicle shown here. The final illustration is a U.S. vehicle with a white star on the engine grill louvers. On the left bumper is a white 3A-15Cav and on the right bumper is a white B12.
On the other side panel there is a cartoon of 2 G.I.’s grinning from ear to ear, followed by four color box arts of other AFV kits that Max marketed. Kit no. 3503 a ¾ ton weapons carrier “BEEP”, Kit no. 3504 a ¾ ton M6 37 mm anti-tank gun carrier, Kit no. 3505 a ¾ ton command and reconnaissance truck and Kit no. 3506 a 1 ½ ton personnel carrier. MADE IN JAPAN appears here also.
WHAT’S IN THE BOX:
The kit contains 4 dark-green trees of parts, a clear parts tree and the decal sheet in 2 stapled-shut cello bags. The decal sheet, instructions and a sheet of the history of the M3A1 complete the kits contents.
The instructions consist of a single sheet that accordion-folds out into 8 pages in 8” x 11 ¼” page format.
Page 1 begins with a black and white photo of 2 of this model made up. One is withoug the canvas top and is in U.S. Army markings. The serial no,. in white U.S.A. 60107 is on the sides of the hood. There is a white star on the hood top and sides of the fighting compartment.
The second model shown is made up in British markings. It is all buttoned up with its armor. It has the white serial no. F34165 on the sides of the hood.
This is followed by Japanese text and 2 black and white actual photos of M3A1’s at the bottom of the page.
Page 2 begins with parts trees illustrations, followed by the individual names of the parts in Japanese only.
Page 3 through 7 give a grand total of 6 assembly steps.
Page 8 has two 3-views for painting and marking schemes. Markings with arrows from each point to the 3-views to where they should go on the truck. There are 3 choices of marks for a U.S. one and 1 each choice for a Canadian Army, a New Zealand Army and a Soviet Army M3A1. Text is all in Japanese here too.
The single sheet that is the history of the M3A1 is folded in the middle to create 4 pages that are also in 8” x 11 ¼” page format. It is in all Japanese and has 11 black and white wartime photos in it of the M3A1 and variants.
A modeler friend of mine Xeroxed his English instructions for this kit and mailed me a copy. However, they are very poor quality and not much good. They are very faded in areas to become unreadable and also edges of the illustrations were off the edges of the copies..groan.
Dark-green letter A tree holds: the hood top and side panels, radiator, grill frame and louvers, head light guards, windshield frame, seats, steering wheel, ammo cases, tools, two .50 cal machine guns, one .30 cal machine gun and their mounts, tow hooks, dash board, front roller, winshield armor plate etc. (86 parts)
The kit contains 4 dark-green trees of parts, a clear parts tree and the decal sheet in 2 stapled-shut cello bags. The decal sheet, instructions and a sheet of the history of the M3A1 complete the kits contents.
The instructions consist of a single sheet that accordion-folds out into 8 pages in 8” x 11 ¼” page format.
Page 1 begins with a black and white photo of 2 of this model made up. One is withoug the canvas top and is in U.S. Army markings. The serial no,. in white U.S.A. 60107 is on the sides of the hood. There is a white star on the hood top and sides of the fighting compartment.
The second model shown is made up in British markings. It is all buttoned up with its armor. It has the white serial no. F34165 on the sides of the hood.
This is followed by Japanese text and 2 black and white actual photos of M3A1’s at the bottom of the page.
Page 2 begins with parts trees illustrations, followed by the individual names of the parts in Japanese only.
Page 3 through 7 give a grand total of 6 assembly steps.
Page 8 has two 3-views for painting and marking schemes. Markings with arrows from each point to the 3-views to where they should go on the truck. There are 3 choices of marks for a U.S. one and 1 each choice for a Canadian Army, a New Zealand Army and a Soviet Army M3A1. Text is all in Japanese here too.
The single sheet that is the history of the M3A1 is folded in the middle to create 4 pages that are also in 8” x 11 ¼” page format. It is in all Japanese and has 11 black and white wartime photos in it of the M3A1 and variants.
A modeler friend of mine Xeroxed his English instructions for this kit and mailed me a copy. However, they are very poor quality and not much good. They are very faded in areas to become unreadable and also edges of the illustrations were off the edges of the copies..groan.
Dark-green letter A tree holds: the hood top and side panels, radiator, grill frame and louvers, head light guards, windshield frame, seats, steering wheel, ammo cases, tools, two .50 cal machine guns, one .30 cal machine gun and their mounts, tow hooks, dash board, front roller, winshield armor plate etc. (86 parts)
Dark-green letter B tree holds: wheels, figures (divided into separate full bodies, arms and helmets), door top armor panels, rear canvas roof panel, rolled tarps etc. (46 parts)
Dark-green letter C tree holds: the frame with front fenders and running boards attached, leaf springs, fighting compartment seats, muffler with tail pipe etc. (70 parts)
Dark-green Letter D holds: the crew compartment interior, side walls, canvas and weapons skate rails. (7 parts)
The clear parts tree just holds the windshield pane.
The decal sheet completes the kits parts.
This model will make up into a neat truck. I recommend it to modelers of average building skills.
Kit courtesy of my wallet years ago,
Kit courtesy of my wallet years ago,