In Box Review of Mirage 1/35th Scale
Renault UE Tracteur, sWg. R.40/28 cm Wk Spr.
Series 5
Kit no. 35518
By Ray Mehlberger
MSRP: 31.90 zlotys from Poland or 8.86 euro from Europe.
I paid $15.98 for my kit
Kit no. 35518
By Ray Mehlberger
MSRP: 31.90 zlotys from Poland or 8.86 euro from Europe.
I paid $15.98 for my kit
HISTORY:
The Renault UE Chenillette was a light tracked armoured carrier and prime mover produced by France between 1932 and 1940.
In 1930 the French Infantry decided to develop a light armoured vehicle able to tow and supply small cannon and mortars. In 1931 the Renault company was given the contract for production of its Renault UE, combined with the Renault UK trailer. In 1937, from a number of competitors, the Renault UE2 was chosen as an improved type for large-scale production.
Of both types combined over five thousand were built, including licence production in Romania, and they were part of the standard equipment of all French infantry divisions. Most Renault UE vehicles in French service were unarmed; those in 1940 captured by Germany were used for a variety of purposes, including being armed with machine-guns, antitank-guns and rocket artillery.
SPECIFICATIONS:
Type: Prime mover
Place of origin: France
Service history:
Used by: France
Nazi Germany
Thailand
Romania
Taiwan Republic of China Iron Guard
Production history:
Designer: Renault
Manufacturer: Renault, AMX, Berliet, Fouga, Malaxa
Produced 1932 - March 1941
No. built: 5,168 France, 126 Romania
Variants: UE 2
Weight: 2.64 t (5,800 lb)
Length: 2.80 m (9 ft 2 in)
Width: 1.74 m (5 ft 9 in)
Height: 1.25 m (4 ft 1 in)
Crew: two
Armor: 9 mm (0.35 in)
Main armament: 7.5 mm MAC for the last UE 2 production run
Engine: Renault 85 of 38 hp (28 kW)
Payload capacity: 350 kg (770 lb) in cargo bin; 950 kg (2,090 lb) with trailer
Suspension: leaf spring
Ground clearance: 30 cm (12 in)
Fuel capacity: 56 L (12 imp gal)
Operational range: 100 km (62 mi)
Speed: 30 km/h (19 mph)
HISTORY:
The Renault UE Chenillette was a light tracked armoured carrier and prime mover produced by France between 1932 and 1940.
In 1930 the French Infantry decided to develop a light armoured vehicle able to tow and supply small cannon and mortars. In 1931 the Renault company was given the contract for production of its Renault UE, combined with the Renault UK trailer. In 1937, from a number of competitors, the Renault UE2 was chosen as an improved type for large-scale production.
Of both types combined over five thousand were built, including licence production in Romania, and they were part of the standard equipment of all French infantry divisions. Most Renault UE vehicles in French service were unarmed; those in 1940 captured by Germany were used for a variety of purposes, including being armed with machine-guns, antitank-guns and rocket artillery.
SPECIFICATIONS:
Type: Prime mover
Place of origin: France
Service history:
Used by: France
Nazi Germany
Thailand
Romania
Taiwan Republic of China Iron Guard
Production history:
Designer: Renault
Manufacturer: Renault, AMX, Berliet, Fouga, Malaxa
Produced 1932 - March 1941
No. built: 5,168 France, 126 Romania
Variants: UE 2
Weight: 2.64 t (5,800 lb)
Length: 2.80 m (9 ft 2 in)
Width: 1.74 m (5 ft 9 in)
Height: 1.25 m (4 ft 1 in)
Crew: two
Armor: 9 mm (0.35 in)
Main armament: 7.5 mm MAC for the last UE 2 production run
Engine: Renault 85 of 38 hp (28 kW)
Payload capacity: 350 kg (770 lb) in cargo bin; 950 kg (2,090 lb) with trailer
Suspension: leaf spring
Ground clearance: 30 cm (12 in)
Fuel capacity: 56 L (12 imp gal)
Operational range: 100 km (62 mi)
Speed: 30 km/h (19 mph)
THE KIT:
This kit came in a end opening type box that was not shrink-wrapped. It was held shut with strips of scotch tape. I am no fan of this type of box. Invariably, parts or the decal sheet find their way past one of the end flaps to become lost forever. Give me a tray and lid type box any day of the week.
The box is very oversized with large voids inside.
Mirage is a model company based in Warsaw, Poland.
The box art shows a captured UE in German service with a rocket launcher mounted on it. It is posed with a group of 6 German officers having a discussion behind it. The UE is in overall Panzer grey with no markings.
One side panel of the box says the kit is suitable for ages 6 to adult. It contains decals and instructions for assembly, but paints and plastic adhesive are not included. This is said in Polish, English and German. Mirage's street address, FAX and telephone numbers are provided and the kit was made in Poland. This is followed by a small repeat of the box art.
The other side panel just has another small repeat of the box art on it.
The bottom of the box has 2 color profiles of the UE. Both are in a overall base of sand yellow.
One has a wave pattern of dark green and red brown over the yellow.
It is a UE that was in France in 1944 in the region of Dieppe.
The second one has a blotch pattern of the dark green and red brown over the yellow.
It is with the 21st Panzer Division in France, 1944.
Also illustrated is the rockets. One is light tan with a black exhuast nozzle and a yellow war head.
the other one is overall panzer grey with a white war head.
This kit came in a end opening type box that was not shrink-wrapped. It was held shut with strips of scotch tape. I am no fan of this type of box. Invariably, parts or the decal sheet find their way past one of the end flaps to become lost forever. Give me a tray and lid type box any day of the week.
The box is very oversized with large voids inside.
Mirage is a model company based in Warsaw, Poland.
The box art shows a captured UE in German service with a rocket launcher mounted on it. It is posed with a group of 6 German officers having a discussion behind it. The UE is in overall Panzer grey with no markings.
One side panel of the box says the kit is suitable for ages 6 to adult. It contains decals and instructions for assembly, but paints and plastic adhesive are not included. This is said in Polish, English and German. Mirage's street address, FAX and telephone numbers are provided and the kit was made in Poland. This is followed by a small repeat of the box art.
The other side panel just has another small repeat of the box art on it.
The bottom of the box has 2 color profiles of the UE. Both are in a overall base of sand yellow.
One has a wave pattern of dark green and red brown over the yellow.
It is a UE that was in France in 1944 in the region of Dieppe.
The second one has a blotch pattern of the dark green and red brown over the yellow.
It is with the 21st Panzer Division in France, 1944.
Also illustrated is the rockets. One is light tan with a black exhuast nozzle and a yellow war head.
the other one is overall panzer grey with a white war head.
WHAT'S IN THE BOX:
This kit contains 4 chalk white trees and 4 very pale grey trees in 2 sealed cello bags, the decal sheet and the instructions.
The instructions consist of an unbound booklet of 6 pages in 7" x 9 3/4" page format.
Page 1 of the instructions begins with a black and white repeat of the box art, over the history of the UE in Polish and Mirage's FAX and telephone number.
The top of page 2 has international assembly symbol explanations over the first 6 assembly steps.
Pages 3 through 6 give a grand total of 15 assembly steps.
There are no parts trees illustrations in the instructions.
However, the parts trees are alphabetized and parts numbered on the trees.
There are 2 identical medium sized chalk-white letter A parts trees. They each hold: link and length type tracks, road wheels, return rollers, drive sprockets, dome part, tow hooks, suspension parts etc. (57 parts each)
WHAT'S IN THE BOX:
This kit contains 4 chalk white trees and 4 very pale grey trees in 2 sealed cello bags, the decal sheet and the instructions.
The instructions consist of an unbound booklet of 6 pages in 7" x 9 3/4" page format.
Page 1 of the instructions begins with a black and white repeat of the box art, over the history of the UE in Polish and Mirage's FAX and telephone number.
The top of page 2 has international assembly symbol explanations over the first 6 assembly steps.
Pages 3 through 6 give a grand total of 15 assembly steps.
There are no parts trees illustrations in the instructions.
However, the parts trees are alphabetized and parts numbered on the trees.
There are 2 identical medium sized chalk-white letter A parts trees. They each hold: link and length type tracks, road wheels, return rollers, drive sprockets, dome part, tow hooks, suspension parts etc. (57 parts each)
The large chalk white letter B tree holds: the hull bottom, sides, rear wall and top, cargo area floor and wall sections, louvered muffler guard, tool box, exhaust pipe, shovel etc. (30 parts)
The small chalk white tree holds a MG32 machine gun, its bipod and ammo drum (3 parts)
There are 2 identical very light grey large letter C trees. They each hold rocket halves and launch crate parts (41 parts each)
There are 2 identical very light grey medium sized letter E trees. They each hold the launch crate support frame parts etc. (8 parts each)
There are no crew figures included in this kit.
There are no crew figures included in this kit.
The decal sheet holds white stencil marks that go on the rockets.
This is a very detailed small vehicle. It is also no for the beginner modeler due to all the small parts and not a weekend project.
Highly recommended.
I purchased my kit for $15.95 at my local hobby shop years ago in the late 90's. It has a copyright date of 1998 and Mirage has done several variations of the UE as kits which I have 3 of.
This subject was of great interest to me, because a friend of mine who was a great collector of military stuff, actually bought a real Renault UE at an auction near Aberdeen Proving Ground in Maryland. He hauled it back to Iowa and was going to get it running again. He died of his diabetes before that happened. His wife and daughter sold the house and office, which were both raised to the ground and moved away. I haven't a clue what has happened to the UE or any of the other vehicles my friend had collected.
Highly recommended.
I purchased my kit for $15.95 at my local hobby shop years ago in the late 90's. It has a copyright date of 1998 and Mirage has done several variations of the UE as kits which I have 3 of.
This subject was of great interest to me, because a friend of mine who was a great collector of military stuff, actually bought a real Renault UE at an auction near Aberdeen Proving Ground in Maryland. He hauled it back to Iowa and was going to get it running again. He died of his diabetes before that happened. His wife and daughter sold the house and office, which were both raised to the ground and moved away. I haven't a clue what has happened to the UE or any of the other vehicles my friend had collected.