In Box Review of Academy 1/35th Scale
British M3 Stuart "Honey" Light Tank
Kit no. 1399
By Ray Mehlberger
Out of production
Copyright 2002
Available in a later 2010 boxing at Section 8 Hobbies for $27.20 or at Kit Linx for $27.99 or at Mega Hobby for $29.75 or at Sprue Bros. for $25.99 and at 5 locations at over-seas on the web.
Available at the same 4 U.S. hobby shops listed above in the later 2012 boxing (kit no. 13269) for the same prices shown and at 6 locations at over- seas on the web.
By Ray Mehlberger
Out of production
Copyright 2002
Available in a later 2010 boxing at Section 8 Hobbies for $27.20 or at Kit Linx for $27.99 or at Mega Hobby for $29.75 or at Sprue Bros. for $25.99 and at 5 locations at over-seas on the web.
Available at the same 4 U.S. hobby shops listed above in the later 2012 boxing (kit no. 13269) for the same prices shown and at 6 locations at over- seas on the web.
HISTORY:
The British named the M3 "General Stuart" upon receipt of the tank under the Lend-Lease program in June of 1941. The tank's ability to "shoot and scoot" as well as keeping the crew safe from small arms fire, earned an affectionate nickname of "Honey" by its operators.
The British cavalry men liked this tank since it can travel 10 to 20 mph faster than their own or enemy tanks, and for its ease of maintenance.
The M3s were designed to replace the outdated M2s. The M3 incorporated a thicker armor, lengthened hull, and a trailer idler wheel to act as another road wheel to decrease ground pressure and improve weight distribution.
The M3 turret had three pistol ports and shortened recoil mechanism. It was also equipped with a 37mm M6 gun, which was adequate early in the war, but by 1942, the German counterparts far surpassed the range of the M3.
The narrow width of the M3 could not accommodate a larger gun. The M3A1, the Stuart III, was powered by a Continental W-970-9A 7-cylinder radial gas 250 hp. engine, but by mid 1941, the Stuart IVs came off the production lines with Guiberson T-1020 air cooled radial diesel engines.
The British named the M3 "General Stuart" upon receipt of the tank under the Lend-Lease program in June of 1941. The tank's ability to "shoot and scoot" as well as keeping the crew safe from small arms fire, earned an affectionate nickname of "Honey" by its operators.
The British cavalry men liked this tank since it can travel 10 to 20 mph faster than their own or enemy tanks, and for its ease of maintenance.
The M3s were designed to replace the outdated M2s. The M3 incorporated a thicker armor, lengthened hull, and a trailer idler wheel to act as another road wheel to decrease ground pressure and improve weight distribution.
The M3 turret had three pistol ports and shortened recoil mechanism. It was also equipped with a 37mm M6 gun, which was adequate early in the war, but by 1942, the German counterparts far surpassed the range of the M3.
The narrow width of the M3 could not accommodate a larger gun. The M3A1, the Stuart III, was powered by a Continental W-970-9A 7-cylinder radial gas 250 hp. engine, but by mid 1941, the Stuart IVs came off the production lines with Guiberson T-1020 air cooled radial diesel engines.
THE KIT:
Academy is an old prolific model company based in Seoul, South Korea. They manufacture all manner of model subjects in the popular scales.
This kit comes in a shrink-wrapped tray and lid type box.
The box art shows a M3 Stuart in the foreground, with a second M3 behind it and 4 Grant tanks in the background moving across the desert and raising dust.
All the tanks have the commanders looking out of the top of the turrets. They all wear berets. All the tanks have long antenna poles with pennants on them. The Grants are all overall sand color.
The M3 in the foreground is in a base of sand with medium-grey bands on it. It has a white "BELLMAN" on the side of the turret, a black rectangle with white serial no. T28035 on the sides of the hull, a red square on the front of the left front fender with a white B4 on it and a red square on the left front fender with a red desert rat on it. The front end of the side of the fender has vertical white, red, white stripes.
One side panel begins with features of the kit: fully detailed interior & exterior, movable gun elevation & various accessories, accurately reproduced British, U.S. & Japanese captured version markings, can be made in a choice of flexible & individual tracks.
This is followed by a small color side view of a M3 that is the box art color scheme, with the vertical white, red, white stripes again on the side of the turret with black 0 0 on it. These double zeros are not on the decal sheet or on the box art illustration.
This is followed by 5 color walk-around type photos of the model made up in the box art scheme.
Academy is an old prolific model company based in Seoul, South Korea. They manufacture all manner of model subjects in the popular scales.
This kit comes in a shrink-wrapped tray and lid type box.
The box art shows a M3 Stuart in the foreground, with a second M3 behind it and 4 Grant tanks in the background moving across the desert and raising dust.
All the tanks have the commanders looking out of the top of the turrets. They all wear berets. All the tanks have long antenna poles with pennants on them. The Grants are all overall sand color.
The M3 in the foreground is in a base of sand with medium-grey bands on it. It has a white "BELLMAN" on the side of the turret, a black rectangle with white serial no. T28035 on the sides of the hull, a red square on the front of the left front fender with a white B4 on it and a red square on the left front fender with a red desert rat on it. The front end of the side of the fender has vertical white, red, white stripes.
One side panel begins with features of the kit: fully detailed interior & exterior, movable gun elevation & various accessories, accurately reproduced British, U.S. & Japanese captured version markings, can be made in a choice of flexible & individual tracks.
This is followed by a small color side view of a M3 that is the box art color scheme, with the vertical white, red, white stripes again on the side of the turret with black 0 0 on it. These double zeros are not on the decal sheet or on the box art illustration.
This is followed by 5 color walk-around type photos of the model made up in the box art scheme.
The other side panel begins with a small color overall view of the M3 in the box art scheme, again showing those erroneous double zeros. This is followed by features of the kit: contains one unassembled model kit and easy to follow pictorial instructions, paint and cement required to complete model as pictured on box. Kit suitable for ages 10 to adult. Scale 1/35. This is in 10 languages, including English. Each language is labeled with a color illustration of the flag of the country that speaks that language.
Copyright of this kit is given as 2002 and kit was made in Korea.
Copyright of this kit is given as 2002 and kit was made in Korea.
WHAT'S IN THE BOX:
This kit holds 5 tan trees, 4 black trees, the decal sheet and vinyl rubber-band type treads, and 2 instructions.
The main instructions is a single-sheet that accordion-folds out into 8 pages in 8 1/4" x 11 3/4" page format.
Page 1 begins with a black and white repeat of the box art, over the history of the M3 Stuart and international assembly symbol explanations in multiple languages, including English.
Page 2 begins with READ THIS BEFORE YOU BEGIN instructions over the first assembly step.
Page 3 through 7 gives a grand total of 7 assembly steps.
Page 8 is the parts trees illustrations, over a suggested paint color listing and Academy's street address in Seoul, South Korea, their telephone and FAX numbers. Copyright of the kit is 2002. Kit was made in Korea.
Second instruction is the same size as the main instructions, printed on both sides. It is a painting and marking guide with 4 steps on it.
This kit holds 5 tan trees, 4 black trees, the decal sheet and vinyl rubber-band type treads, and 2 instructions.
The main instructions is a single-sheet that accordion-folds out into 8 pages in 8 1/4" x 11 3/4" page format.
Page 1 begins with a black and white repeat of the box art, over the history of the M3 Stuart and international assembly symbol explanations in multiple languages, including English.
Page 2 begins with READ THIS BEFORE YOU BEGIN instructions over the first assembly step.
Page 3 through 7 gives a grand total of 7 assembly steps.
Page 8 is the parts trees illustrations, over a suggested paint color listing and Academy's street address in Seoul, South Korea, their telephone and FAX numbers. Copyright of the kit is 2002. Kit was made in Korea.
Second instruction is the same size as the main instructions, printed on both sides. It is a painting and marking guide with 4 steps on it.
The face side has steps 1 & 2 as 4-views of the M3.
The first one is the box art scheme. Again it shows the erroneous double zeros.
It was nicknamed "BELLMAN" and with the 8th King's Royal Irish Hussars, 7th Armoured Division, Bir-Hakeem, Libya, May 1942.
The second one is in the same box art scheme, but without the "BELLMAN" on the sides of its turret. It has a black rectangle on the sides of the fenders with white serial no. T-28078 on it.
It was with the 8th King's Royal Irish Hussars, 7th Armoured Division, Sodo Rezegh, Libya, November 1941.
The reverse side of the sheet gives steps 3 & 4.
Step 3 is a M3 as a 4-view it is overall olive drab, with a white bar around the turret with a white star on it and another white star on top of the turret.
It was with the 80th Armored Regiment, the Armored Force School, U.S. Army, Fort Knox, Kentucky, June 1943.
Step 4 is a M3 that is overall olive-drab with a small red star on the sides of the turret, a large white serial no. 9883 on the sides of the hull, followed by the Japanese rising sun flag.
It is a M3 that was captured and used by the Imperial Japanese Army, 3rd Chutai, 7th Sensh Rentai, Manila, Philippines, May 1943.
Bottom of page has a suggested paint color listing, Academy's web address, street address in Seoul, South Korea, their telephone and FAX numbers, copyright 2002 and kit made in Korea repeated.
The first one is the box art scheme. Again it shows the erroneous double zeros.
It was nicknamed "BELLMAN" and with the 8th King's Royal Irish Hussars, 7th Armoured Division, Bir-Hakeem, Libya, May 1942.
The second one is in the same box art scheme, but without the "BELLMAN" on the sides of its turret. It has a black rectangle on the sides of the fenders with white serial no. T-28078 on it.
It was with the 8th King's Royal Irish Hussars, 7th Armoured Division, Sodo Rezegh, Libya, November 1941.
The reverse side of the sheet gives steps 3 & 4.
Step 3 is a M3 as a 4-view it is overall olive drab, with a white bar around the turret with a white star on it and another white star on top of the turret.
It was with the 80th Armored Regiment, the Armored Force School, U.S. Army, Fort Knox, Kentucky, June 1943.
Step 4 is a M3 that is overall olive-drab with a small red star on the sides of the turret, a large white serial no. 9883 on the sides of the hull, followed by the Japanese rising sun flag.
It is a M3 that was captured and used by the Imperial Japanese Army, 3rd Chutai, 7th Sensh Rentai, Manila, Philippines, May 1943.
Bottom of page has a suggested paint color listing, Academy's web address, street address in Seoul, South Korea, their telephone and FAX numbers, copyright 2002 and kit made in Korea repeated.
Tan letter A tree holds the turret parts (29 parts)
Tan letter B tree holds: fender skirts, machine guns, hull nose panel, main gun, slotted vision flaps etc. (89 parts) Two parts are listed as being excess on the parts trees illustrations. Meaning they are not needed to complete the kit.
Tan letter C tree holds: the hull rear wall, fenders, air intake, louvered panels etc. (40 parts)
Tan letter D tree holds: tools, more machine guns, tow loops, wood crate etc. (49 parts) 23 parts are excess.
Lettering jumps to the 2 identical black letter G trees. They each hold individual track pads (68 per tree)
There are 2 identical black letter H trees. They each holds the track connectors (144 per tree)
Lettering jumps to the tan letter J tree. It holds: bogies, road wheels, idler wheels, drive sprockets etc. (65 parts) 5 parts are excess.
The tan hull roof and tub complete the tan parts.
The two runs of vinyl rubber-band type tracks are next.
There is a zip-locked type bag in the kit with black road wheels, idler wheels and drive sprockets in it. This puzzles me, because some of these items are missing off the letter J tan tree. I think, years ago, that parts were lost off one tree and I got replacements for them someplace.
The decal sheet completes the kit's contents.
There are no crew figures included.
Detail is very nice. Highly recommended.
Detail is very nice. Highly recommended.