Build Review of Italeri 1/35th Scale
Autoblinda AB 41, Pz.Sp.Wg. AB 41 201 (I)
Kit no. 6442
By Ray Mehlberger
Copyright: 2005
Out of production.
Available at one location overseas on the web.
By Ray Mehlberger
Copyright: 2005
Out of production.
Available at one location overseas on the web.
HISTORY:
The Autoblindo 40, 41 and 43 (abbreviated AB 40, 41 and 43) were Italian armoured cars produced by Fiat-Ansaldo and which saw service mainly during World War II. Most Aurobindo were armed with a 20 mm Breda 35 autocannon and a coaxial 8 mm machine gun in a turret similar to the one fitted to the Fiat L6/40, and another hull mounted rear-facing 8mm machine gun.
SPECIFICATIONS:
Type: Armoured car
Place of origin: Kingdom of Italy
In service: 1941–1945
Used by: Kingdom of Italy, Nazi Germany, Italian Social Republic, Italy
Wars: World War II
Designed: 1940
Manufacturer: Fiat-Ansaldo
Produced: 1941–1944?
No. built: 600-700 (AB40: 24 units later partly modernized / AB41: about 600 units / AB43: about 70 units) [1]
Variants: AS 42 "Camionetta Sahariana", SPA-Viberti AS.42
Mass: 7.518 tonnes
Length: 5.21 m (17 ft 1 in)
Width : 1.93 m (6 ft 4 in)
Height: 2.48 m (8 ft 2 in)
Crew: 4 (forward driver, rear driver, gunner and commander)
Armour: 18 mm maximum
Main armament: AB 40: 2 × 8 mm Breda mod. 38 machine guns, AB 41: 1 × 20mm Breda mod. 35 autocannon with 456 rounds, AB 43: 1 × 47 mm Cannone da 47/32 M35 anti-tank gun with 63 rounds
Secondary armament: 2 × 8 mm Breda mod. 38 machine guns (one in rear hull, one coaxial with main gun) with 1,992 rounds
Engine: AB 40, 41: SPA I6 petrol of 88 hp (AB 40) and 120 hp (AB 41)
Ground clearance: 40 cm (16 in)
Operational range: 400 km (250 mi)
Maximum speed: 78 km/h (48 mph) on road
The Autoblindo 40, 41 and 43 (abbreviated AB 40, 41 and 43) were Italian armoured cars produced by Fiat-Ansaldo and which saw service mainly during World War II. Most Aurobindo were armed with a 20 mm Breda 35 autocannon and a coaxial 8 mm machine gun in a turret similar to the one fitted to the Fiat L6/40, and another hull mounted rear-facing 8mm machine gun.
SPECIFICATIONS:
Type: Armoured car
Place of origin: Kingdom of Italy
In service: 1941–1945
Used by: Kingdom of Italy, Nazi Germany, Italian Social Republic, Italy
Wars: World War II
Designed: 1940
Manufacturer: Fiat-Ansaldo
Produced: 1941–1944?
No. built: 600-700 (AB40: 24 units later partly modernized / AB41: about 600 units / AB43: about 70 units) [1]
Variants: AS 42 "Camionetta Sahariana", SPA-Viberti AS.42
Mass: 7.518 tonnes
Length: 5.21 m (17 ft 1 in)
Width : 1.93 m (6 ft 4 in)
Height: 2.48 m (8 ft 2 in)
Crew: 4 (forward driver, rear driver, gunner and commander)
Armour: 18 mm maximum
Main armament: AB 40: 2 × 8 mm Breda mod. 38 machine guns, AB 41: 1 × 20mm Breda mod. 35 autocannon with 456 rounds, AB 43: 1 × 47 mm Cannone da 47/32 M35 anti-tank gun with 63 rounds
Secondary armament: 2 × 8 mm Breda mod. 38 machine guns (one in rear hull, one coaxial with main gun) with 1,992 rounds
Engine: AB 40, 41: SPA I6 petrol of 88 hp (AB 40) and 120 hp (AB 41)
Ground clearance: 40 cm (16 in)
Operational range: 400 km (250 mi)
Maximum speed: 78 km/h (48 mph) on road
THE KIT:
Italeri is an old prolific plastic model kit manufacturer, based in Italy. They make all manner of plastic model kit subjects in the popular scales.
The kit comes in a shrink-wrapped tray and lid type box.
The box art shows a color illustration of an AB-41 that is on a gravel-field by some hills.
It is in a camouflage of a base of sand-yellow with dark-green blotch pattern.
It has a white tactical marking on the front of each of the front fenders, black and white German crosses on the sides and the nose. A white license plate with black WH-1811219 on the front.
The commander is standing in the upper turret hatch. He wears a field-gray uniform with a cloth billed hat.
One side panel of the box begins with Italari's web and street addresses in Italy, followed by one-paragraph histories of the AB-41 in six languages, including English.
Italeri is an old prolific plastic model kit manufacturer, based in Italy. They make all manner of plastic model kit subjects in the popular scales.
The kit comes in a shrink-wrapped tray and lid type box.
The box art shows a color illustration of an AB-41 that is on a gravel-field by some hills.
It is in a camouflage of a base of sand-yellow with dark-green blotch pattern.
It has a white tactical marking on the front of each of the front fenders, black and white German crosses on the sides and the nose. A white license plate with black WH-1811219 on the front.
The commander is standing in the upper turret hatch. He wears a field-gray uniform with a cloth billed hat.
One side panel of the box begins with Italari's web and street addresses in Italy, followed by one-paragraph histories of the AB-41 in six languages, including English.
The other side panel repeats the addresses, followed by a listing of features of the kit in the multiple languages. Copyright of the kit is 2005, followed by a paint color listing and 2 color walk-around type photos of the model made up in the box art scheme.
WHAT’S IN THE BOX:
This kit holds 4 tan parts trees, black rubber tires and the decal sheet in 2 sealed clear cello bags.
There is a BONUS seated figure in the kit, who is divided into separate body, leather helmet and arms.
I have added a set of clear headlight lenses by MV Products brand to the kit.
The instructions consist of a single-sheet that accordion-folds out into 10 pages in 7 ¾” x 13” page format.
Page 1 gives one-paragraph histories of the AB-41 in English, Italian, German, French, Spanish and Nederlandish.
The bottom of page 1 has ATTENTION about the model in multiple languages, including English.
Page 2 shows 3 parts trees and the rubber tires illustrations over a paint listing.
Page 3 has the 4th part tree illustration at the top.The bottom of page 3 on through to page 9 gives a grand total of 14 assembly steps.
Page 10 has IMPORTANT INFORMATION about the kit in 20 languages, including English. Over a customer assistance coupon.
There is a second sheet, printed in color on both sides, that is a painting and marking guide.
The face side shoes two 4-views.
The first one is of the box art scheme (already described above) However, it further shows a small skeletal white German cross on the rear of the AB-41 and a repeat of the tactical marks.
It was with the German Army, Aufkl. Aby. 236, 162nd (Turkische), Infantry Division, Italy, early 1944.
The second one is in a camouflage of sand, with a dark-green wave pattern. It just has a black and white German cross on the front of the turret.
It was with the German Army 1./Elite-Polizei Rgt. Bolzano, Italy, summer, 1944.
This kit holds 4 tan parts trees, black rubber tires and the decal sheet in 2 sealed clear cello bags.
There is a BONUS seated figure in the kit, who is divided into separate body, leather helmet and arms.
I have added a set of clear headlight lenses by MV Products brand to the kit.
The instructions consist of a single-sheet that accordion-folds out into 10 pages in 7 ¾” x 13” page format.
Page 1 gives one-paragraph histories of the AB-41 in English, Italian, German, French, Spanish and Nederlandish.
The bottom of page 1 has ATTENTION about the model in multiple languages, including English.
Page 2 shows 3 parts trees and the rubber tires illustrations over a paint listing.
Page 3 has the 4th part tree illustration at the top.The bottom of page 3 on through to page 9 gives a grand total of 14 assembly steps.
Page 10 has IMPORTANT INFORMATION about the kit in 20 languages, including English. Over a customer assistance coupon.
There is a second sheet, printed in color on both sides, that is a painting and marking guide.
The face side shoes two 4-views.
The first one is of the box art scheme (already described above) However, it further shows a small skeletal white German cross on the rear of the AB-41 and a repeat of the tactical marks.
It was with the German Army, Aufkl. Aby. 236, 162nd (Turkische), Infantry Division, Italy, early 1944.
The second one is in a camouflage of sand, with a dark-green wave pattern. It just has a black and white German cross on the front of the turret.
It was with the German Army 1./Elite-Polizei Rgt. Bolzano, Italy, summer, 1944.
The reverse side of the sheet shows three more 4-views of AB-41s.
The first one is in the same camouflage as the second one on the face side.
It has a small black 1 over a red, white, red flag on the front of the turret. A white license plate with black no. RoEto 686 B on its front and rear.
It was with Regio Esercito, unknown unit, Sicily, 1943.
The second one is in a camouflage of a base of dark-green with tan dots. It has a blue rectangle with 3 white vertical stripes across it, on the sides of the turret, with a small blue 3 above it.
It too was with the Regio Esercito , Lancien di Montebello Rgt., Rome, September 1943.
The first one is in the same camouflage as the second one on the face side.
It has a small black 1 over a red, white, red flag on the front of the turret. A white license plate with black no. RoEto 686 B on its front and rear.
It was with Regio Esercito, unknown unit, Sicily, 1943.
The second one is in a camouflage of a base of dark-green with tan dots. It has a blue rectangle with 3 white vertical stripes across it, on the sides of the turret, with a small blue 3 above it.
It too was with the Regio Esercito , Lancien di Montebello Rgt., Rome, September 1943.
The third one is overall olive-drab. It has a black insignia of a letter M with an axe across it and GNR at the bottom.
It was with Repubblica Sociale, Gruppo corazzato Leonessa, Torino, Italy, early 1945.
The trees are alphabetized.
Tan letter A tree is co-joined to D tree and holds: the chassis and turret parts etc. (21 parts)
It was with Repubblica Sociale, Gruppo corazzato Leonessa, Torino, Italy, early 1945.
The trees are alphabetized.
Tan letter A tree is co-joined to D tree and holds: the chassis and turret parts etc. (21 parts)
There are 2 identical tan letter B trees. The hold: wheel rims, drive shafts, jerry cans, shovel etc. (40 parts ea.)
Tan letter C tree holds: the sides, top, air intake, gun etc. (41 parts)
The black rubber tires are letter E (6 tires)
The decal sheet completes the kit contents.
I have got this model all assembled but the turret and painting and marking it. Probably will choose the box art scheme.
I found ejector pin marks all over the two part numbers 7A, that needed cleaning up.
Holes had to be enlarged to get the two part numbers 10A to fit into the chassis part. As I went on I found that all the holes needed enlargement. Side doors had push out cups on the insides of them that needed filling.
Otherwise very nice detail. Hope to get it all done soon.
I found ejector pin marks all over the two part numbers 7A, that needed cleaning up.
Holes had to be enlarged to get the two part numbers 10A to fit into the chassis part. As I went on I found that all the holes needed enlargement. Side doors had push out cups on the insides of them that needed filling.
Otherwise very nice detail. Hope to get it all done soon.
The turret and main gun assembled.
The assembled hull.
There are several parts I still need to add and the wheels are assembled.
I have a set of MV Lenses I can add to the headlights.
Recommended. Most is done.