In Box Review of Academy 1/35th Scale
U.S. M3A1 "Stuart" Light Tank
Kit no. 1398
By Ray Mehlberger
Out of production
Copyright 2002
Available at 1001 Hobbies for $30.59 and 2 places overseas on the web.
Available in the 2012 boxing (kit no. 13269) at Section 8 Hobbies for $27.20 or at Mega Hobby for $29.75 or at Kit Linx for $27.99 or at Sprue Bros for $25.99 and 6 places overseas on the web.
By Ray Mehlberger
Out of production
Copyright 2002
Available at 1001 Hobbies for $30.59 and 2 places overseas on the web.
Available in the 2012 boxing (kit no. 13269) at Section 8 Hobbies for $27.20 or at Mega Hobby for $29.75 or at Kit Linx for $27.99 or at Sprue Bros for $25.99 and 6 places overseas on the web.
HISTORY:
The M3 Stuart, officially Light Tank, M3, was an American light tank of World War II. An improved version entered service as M5.
It was supplied to British and other Commonwealth forces under lend-lease prior to the entry of the U.S. into the war. Thereafter, it was used by U.S. and Allied forces until the end of the war.
The British service name "Stuart" came from the American Civil War Confederate general J. E. B. Stuart and was used for both the M3 and the derivative M5 Light Tank.
In U.S. use, the tanks were officially known as "Light Tank M3" and "Light Tank M5". Stuarts were the first American-crewed tanks in World War II to engage the enemy in tank versus tank combat.
The Stuart was also the light tank counterpart of the M3 Lee, which was a medium tank.
SPECIFICATIONS:
Type: Light tank
Place of origin: United States
In service: 1941-present
Wars: world War II, First Indochina War, Hukbalahap Rebellion, Indonesian National Revolution, Chinese Civil War, Korean War, First Kashmir War, Portuguese Colonial War, 1959 Cuban Revolution, Football War, Nicaraguan Revolution
Designer: U.S. Army Ordnance Department
Manufacturer: American Car and Foundry Company, Cadillac division of General Motors, General Motors, Massey-Harris
Produced: 1941–1944
No. built: 22,744 M3 and M5
The M3 Stuart, officially Light Tank, M3, was an American light tank of World War II. An improved version entered service as M5.
It was supplied to British and other Commonwealth forces under lend-lease prior to the entry of the U.S. into the war. Thereafter, it was used by U.S. and Allied forces until the end of the war.
The British service name "Stuart" came from the American Civil War Confederate general J. E. B. Stuart and was used for both the M3 and the derivative M5 Light Tank.
In U.S. use, the tanks were officially known as "Light Tank M3" and "Light Tank M5". Stuarts were the first American-crewed tanks in World War II to engage the enemy in tank versus tank combat.
The Stuart was also the light tank counterpart of the M3 Lee, which was a medium tank.
SPECIFICATIONS:
Type: Light tank
Place of origin: United States
In service: 1941-present
Wars: world War II, First Indochina War, Hukbalahap Rebellion, Indonesian National Revolution, Chinese Civil War, Korean War, First Kashmir War, Portuguese Colonial War, 1959 Cuban Revolution, Football War, Nicaraguan Revolution
Designer: U.S. Army Ordnance Department
Manufacturer: American Car and Foundry Company, Cadillac division of General Motors, General Motors, Massey-Harris
Produced: 1941–1944
No. built: 22,744 M3 and M5
THE KIT:
Academy is a 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 M3A1 "Stuart" and a "Sherman" tank cruising by a knocked-out German Pz.Kpfw. IV in a cloud of dust.
The "Stuart" is overall olive-drab, with a yellow bar around the turret with a yellow star with 3 olive-drab stripes through its left peak and olive-drab number 16 on it.
It has a white number 34 on the front of its right fender, a yellow bar with a circle above it on front of the right machine gun box, yellow "TIGER" followed by a small yellow serial no. 8535F, followed by a U.S. flag over a grey U.S.A. on its side.
Academy is a 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 M3A1 "Stuart" and a "Sherman" tank cruising by a knocked-out German Pz.Kpfw. IV in a cloud of dust.
The "Stuart" is overall olive-drab, with a yellow bar around the turret with a yellow star with 3 olive-drab stripes through its left peak and olive-drab number 16 on it.
It has a white number 34 on the front of its right fender, a yellow bar with a circle above it on front of the right machine gun box, yellow "TIGER" followed by a small yellow serial no. 8535F, followed by a U.S. flag over a grey U.S.A. on its side.
One side panel has 5 photos of the completed models and a brief description of the kit contents.
The other side panel has a photo of the completed model in the box cover scheme and a side profile of the model. There are kit descriptions in 10 languages too.
WHAT'S IN THE BOX:
This kit contains 5 olive-drab tees, loose olive-drab hull roof and hull tub, 4 black trees, vinyl rubber-band type treads, a length of white string, 2 decal sheets in 5 sealed clear cello bags,the 2 instructions, a color kit catalog, Fine Scale Modelers Magazine subscription blank and a yellow sheet of WARNINGS about the kit in Korean and English.
This kit contains 5 olive-drab tees, loose olive-drab hull roof and hull tub, 4 black trees, vinyl rubber-band type treads, a length of white string, 2 decal sheets in 5 sealed clear cello bags,the 2 instructions, a color kit catalog, Fine Scale Modelers Magazine subscription blank and a yellow sheet of WARNINGS about the kit in Korean and English.
The first instructions is the assembly ones. It consists of 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 M3A1 "Stuart" and international assembly symbol explanations in 4 languages, including English.
Page 2 begins with READ THIS BEFORE YOU BEGIN instructions over the 1st assembly step.
Page 3 through 8 gives a balance of a grand total of 8 assembly steps.
The second instructions is a single-sheet, the same size as the assembly instructions and printed on both sides.
The face side is a painting and marking guide, with a 3-view illustration at the top, over four side views of M3A1s.
The 3-view at the top is the box art scheme (already described above).
It was with the U.S. Army, 3rd Battalion, 1st Armored Division, Tunisia, December 1942.
The first side view is overall olive-drab, with a red square with a white 3 on it on the turret sides and "PAIN IN THE ASS" in white with a illustration of a seated naked gal on the side of the hull.
It was with the USMC, 3rd Marine Tank Battalion, Bouganville, November 1943.
The second M3A1 side view is overall olive-drab, with a white square with a red 5 on it the side of the turret, "THE PAY OFF" in white and another seated naked gal illustrated on the sides of the hull.
It was with the same tank unit as the second one above.
The third M3A1 side panel is also overall olive-drab, with a red star on the sides of the turret. It has a white Soviet patriotic slogan on its side, over white USA and serial no. W307216.
I haven't a clue what that slogan says?
It was with the Soviet Army, unit and location unidentified, 1943.
The fourth M3A1 side panel again is overall olive-drab, with a large white 58-2 over grey USA and serial no. W-407637 on its side. This tank also was with the Soviet Army.
The reverse side of the sheet has the parts trees illustrations, over a suggested paint color listing and Academy's address in Seoul, South Korea, their telephone and Fax numbers, the kit's copyright date of 2002 and the kit was made in Korea.
Trees are alphabetized.
There is no letter A tree.
Green 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.
Page 1 begins with a black and white repeat of the box art, over the history of the M3A1 "Stuart" and international assembly symbol explanations in 4 languages, including English.
Page 2 begins with READ THIS BEFORE YOU BEGIN instructions over the 1st assembly step.
Page 3 through 8 gives a balance of a grand total of 8 assembly steps.
The second instructions is a single-sheet, the same size as the assembly instructions and printed on both sides.
The face side is a painting and marking guide, with a 3-view illustration at the top, over four side views of M3A1s.
The 3-view at the top is the box art scheme (already described above).
It was with the U.S. Army, 3rd Battalion, 1st Armored Division, Tunisia, December 1942.
The first side view is overall olive-drab, with a red square with a white 3 on it on the turret sides and "PAIN IN THE ASS" in white with a illustration of a seated naked gal on the side of the hull.
It was with the USMC, 3rd Marine Tank Battalion, Bouganville, November 1943.
The second M3A1 side view is overall olive-drab, with a white square with a red 5 on it the side of the turret, "THE PAY OFF" in white and another seated naked gal illustrated on the sides of the hull.
It was with the same tank unit as the second one above.
The third M3A1 side panel is also overall olive-drab, with a red star on the sides of the turret. It has a white Soviet patriotic slogan on its side, over white USA and serial no. W307216.
I haven't a clue what that slogan says?
It was with the Soviet Army, unit and location unidentified, 1943.
The fourth M3A1 side panel again is overall olive-drab, with a large white 58-2 over grey USA and serial no. W-407637 on its side. This tank also was with the Soviet Army.
The reverse side of the sheet has the parts trees illustrations, over a suggested paint color listing and Academy's address in Seoul, South Korea, their telephone and Fax numbers, the kit's copyright date of 2002 and the kit was made in Korea.
Trees are alphabetized.
There is no letter A tree.
Green 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.
Green letter C tree holds: the hull rear wall, fenders, air-intake louvered-panels etc. (40 parts)
Green 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 Green letter J tree. It holds: bogies, road wheels, idler wheels, drive sprockets etc. (65 parts) 5 parts are excess.
The hull roof and tub.
The one piece turret top.
The two runs of vinyl rubber-band type tracks are next.
There are 2 decal sheets. A large and a small one. The small one is a correction sheet just holding 2 red stars that were left off when Academy printed the large sheet. These complete the kit contents.
There are no crew figures in the kit.
Detail is very good.
Highly recommended.
Detail is very good.
Highly recommended.