In Box Review of Italeri 1/35th Scale
U.S. LVT-4 Water Buffalo
Kit no. 379
By Ray Mehlberger
Copyright: 2000
Available 2 places overseas on the web,
By Ray Mehlberger
Copyright: 2000
Available 2 places overseas on the web,
HISTORY:
The Amphibious Vehicle, Tracked (LVT) is an amphibious warfare vehicle and amphibious landing craft, introduced by the United States Navy and United States Marine Corps. (The USN and USMC use "L" to designate Amphibious vessels, also called "L class.") The United States Army, Canadian Army and British Army used several LVT models during World War II, and referred to those vehicles as "Landing Vehicle, Tracked."
Originally intended solely as cargo carriers for ship to shore operations, they evolved into assault troop and fire support vehicles. The types were known as amphtrac, "amtrak", "amtrac", etc. (portmanteaus of "amphibious tractor"), and "alligator" or "gator."
SPECIFICATIONS:
Type: Amphibious vehicle
Place of origin: United States
Manufacturer: Borg-Warner, Food Machinery Corporation, Graham-Paige, Roebling, St. Louis Car Company
Produced: July 1941 – August 1945
No. built: 18,616 of all variants, LVT-1...7,225, LVT-2...2,960, LVT(A)-2..450, LVT-3...2,962, LVT-4..8,348,
LVT-4(A)-1..509, LVT(A)-4..1,890, LVT(A)-5..269
Specifications (LVT-4)
Mass: 36,400 lb (16,500 kg)
Length: 26 ft 1 in (7.95 m)
Width: 10 ft 8 in (3.25 m)
Height: 8 ft 2 in (2.49 m)
Crew: 2–3
Passengers: Up to 24
Armor: 1⁄4 to 1⁄2 inch (6.4 to 12.7 mm) if added
Main armament: 2 × pintle-mounted 0.50 in Browning M2HB machine guns
Secondary armament: 2 × pintle-mounted .30-06 Browning M1919A4 machine guns, Various small infantry arms (when carrying assault troops)
Engine: Continental W670-9A; 7 cylinder, 4 stroke, air-cooled gasoline radial aircraft engine of 250 hp (190 kW)
Power/weight: 15.2 hp/t
Payload capacity: 9,000 lb (4,100 kg) if unarmored
Transmission: Spicer manual transmission, 5 forward and 1 reverse gears
Suspension: Rubber torsilastic
Fuel capacity: 140 US gallons (530 l)
Operational range: 150 mi (240 km) on road, 75 mi (121 km) in water
Maximum speed: 20 mph (32 km/h) on land, 7.5 mph (12.1 km/h) in water
The Amphibious Vehicle, Tracked (LVT) is an amphibious warfare vehicle and amphibious landing craft, introduced by the United States Navy and United States Marine Corps. (The USN and USMC use "L" to designate Amphibious vessels, also called "L class.") The United States Army, Canadian Army and British Army used several LVT models during World War II, and referred to those vehicles as "Landing Vehicle, Tracked."
Originally intended solely as cargo carriers for ship to shore operations, they evolved into assault troop and fire support vehicles. The types were known as amphtrac, "amtrak", "amtrac", etc. (portmanteaus of "amphibious tractor"), and "alligator" or "gator."
SPECIFICATIONS:
Type: Amphibious vehicle
Place of origin: United States
Manufacturer: Borg-Warner, Food Machinery Corporation, Graham-Paige, Roebling, St. Louis Car Company
Produced: July 1941 – August 1945
No. built: 18,616 of all variants, LVT-1...7,225, LVT-2...2,960, LVT(A)-2..450, LVT-3...2,962, LVT-4..8,348,
LVT-4(A)-1..509, LVT(A)-4..1,890, LVT(A)-5..269
Specifications (LVT-4)
Mass: 36,400 lb (16,500 kg)
Length: 26 ft 1 in (7.95 m)
Width: 10 ft 8 in (3.25 m)
Height: 8 ft 2 in (2.49 m)
Crew: 2–3
Passengers: Up to 24
Armor: 1⁄4 to 1⁄2 inch (6.4 to 12.7 mm) if added
Main armament: 2 × pintle-mounted 0.50 in Browning M2HB machine guns
Secondary armament: 2 × pintle-mounted .30-06 Browning M1919A4 machine guns, Various small infantry arms (when carrying assault troops)
Engine: Continental W670-9A; 7 cylinder, 4 stroke, air-cooled gasoline radial aircraft engine of 250 hp (190 kW)
Power/weight: 15.2 hp/t
Payload capacity: 9,000 lb (4,100 kg) if unarmored
Transmission: Spicer manual transmission, 5 forward and 1 reverse gears
Suspension: Rubber torsilastic
Fuel capacity: 140 US gallons (530 l)
Operational range: 150 mi (240 km) on road, 75 mi (121 km) in water
Maximum speed: 20 mph (32 km/h) on land, 7.5 mph (12.1 km/h) in water
THE KIT:
Italeri is an old prolific model company based in Italy. They manufacture all manner of model subjects in the popular scales.
This kit comes in a shrink-wrapped tray and lid type box.
The cover art shows an LVT-4 parked on a beach with its tail gate lowered and un-manned.
It is overall olive-drab, with a large white star atop its hood and on the sides of its hull. It has a small white A16 on the right side of its nose and a white nickname “Sid”, hand-written and high on its side.
One side panel of the box shows 8 single paragraph histories of the LVT-4, in English, German, French, Italian, Spanish, Nederlands, Swedish and Finnish languages. Each language is labeled with a color illustration of the flag of the country that speaks the language.
At the bottom edge it says the kit makes up to be 227mm long (almost 9”).
Italeri is an old prolific model company based in Italy. They manufacture all manner of model subjects in the popular scales.
This kit comes in a shrink-wrapped tray and lid type box.
The cover art shows an LVT-4 parked on a beach with its tail gate lowered and un-manned.
It is overall olive-drab, with a large white star atop its hood and on the sides of its hull. It has a small white A16 on the right side of its nose and a white nickname “Sid”, hand-written and high on its side.
One side panel of the box shows 8 single paragraph histories of the LVT-4, in English, German, French, Italian, Spanish, Nederlands, Swedish and Finnish languages. Each language is labeled with a color illustration of the flag of the country that speaks the language.
At the bottom edge it says the kit makes up to be 227mm long (almost 9”).
The other side panel shows 4 more history paragraphs in Portuguese, Polish, Japanese and Chinese. Each language with flags, Followed by short suggested list of Model Master brand hobby paint colors, over the 2000 copyright date for this kit.
Kit is for modelers aged 10 and older. In 5 languages, including English. kIt made in Italy and Italari's street address there is provided. Not suitable for children under 3 years because of small parts. In multiple languages, including English.
Kit is for modelers aged 10 and older. In 5 languages, including English. kIt made in Italy and Italari's street address there is provided. Not suitable for children under 3 years because of small parts. In multiple languages, including English.
WHAT’S IN THE BOX:
The kit holds 3 olive-drab plastic trees, 2 trees of steel colored vinyl tracks, a length of string and the decal sheet.
Nothing is cello bagged.
The instructions consist of a single-sheet that accordion-folds out into 10 pages in 7 ¾” x 13” page formation.
Page 1 of the instructions has 12 one-paragraph histories of the LVT-4 in that many languages, including English.
Page 2 begins with ATTENTIONS about the kit in 11 languages, including English, over assistance request coupons in 6 languages, including English and International assembly symbol explanations in 5 languages, including English.
Page 3 is the parts-trees illustrations.
Page 4 through to the top of page 8 gives a grand total of 11 assembly steps.
The bottom of page 8 is a painting and marking guide that shows a 3-view. It is overall olive-drab with a small white star on its nose with either white A10 or 4A on the left side of its nose and either 973503 or 5A on the right to choose from. Large white star atop the hood and on the sides and the choice to use the hand written name SID on its side.
It was with the U.S. Marines, 1944.
Page 9 is another painting and marking guide. It shows two 4 views of the LVT-4.
The first one is overall olive-drab. With a black rectangle with a French tricolor on it and white serial no. IC-99521 on its nose and sides and rear. Another small black rectangle with white NAM on it on its sides also. A black square with a white flower on it on the front of each fender-fronts.
It was with the French Army, 1956.
The second one is also overall olive-drab. With an Italian tri-color on the left side of the rear and a white square with black serial no. Ei-10 over 4475 on the right. These two marks reversed on the front
The bottom of page 9 has the decal application instructions in 9 languages, including English.
Page 10 gives IMPORTANT INFORMATION about the kit in 20 languages, including English.
Trees are alphabetized.
Olive-drab letter A tree holds: the outer hull side walls, road wheels, drive sprockets, return rollers, idler wheels, hull bottom, fenders and machine guns etc. (88 parts) Two parts are shaded out in the line drawings. Meaning they are excess and not needed to complete the model.
The kit holds 3 olive-drab plastic trees, 2 trees of steel colored vinyl tracks, a length of string and the decal sheet.
Nothing is cello bagged.
The instructions consist of a single-sheet that accordion-folds out into 10 pages in 7 ¾” x 13” page formation.
Page 1 of the instructions has 12 one-paragraph histories of the LVT-4 in that many languages, including English.
Page 2 begins with ATTENTIONS about the kit in 11 languages, including English, over assistance request coupons in 6 languages, including English and International assembly symbol explanations in 5 languages, including English.
Page 3 is the parts-trees illustrations.
Page 4 through to the top of page 8 gives a grand total of 11 assembly steps.
The bottom of page 8 is a painting and marking guide that shows a 3-view. It is overall olive-drab with a small white star on its nose with either white A10 or 4A on the left side of its nose and either 973503 or 5A on the right to choose from. Large white star atop the hood and on the sides and the choice to use the hand written name SID on its side.
It was with the U.S. Marines, 1944.
Page 9 is another painting and marking guide. It shows two 4 views of the LVT-4.
The first one is overall olive-drab. With a black rectangle with a French tricolor on it and white serial no. IC-99521 on its nose and sides and rear. Another small black rectangle with white NAM on it on its sides also. A black square with a white flower on it on the front of each fender-fronts.
It was with the French Army, 1956.
The second one is also overall olive-drab. With an Italian tri-color on the left side of the rear and a white square with black serial no. Ei-10 over 4475 on the right. These two marks reversed on the front
The bottom of page 9 has the decal application instructions in 9 languages, including English.
Page 10 gives IMPORTANT INFORMATION about the kit in 20 languages, including English.
Trees are alphabetized.
Olive-drab letter A tree holds: the outer hull side walls, road wheels, drive sprockets, return rollers, idler wheels, hull bottom, fenders and machine guns etc. (88 parts) Two parts are shaded out in the line drawings. Meaning they are excess and not needed to complete the model.
Olive-drab letter B tree holds: the hull top, walls, floor, rear loading ramp, a 50 cal machine gun and machine gun shields etc. (27 parts)
Olive-drab letter C tree holds: the inner hull side walls, hood top, railings, wood side walls etc. (24 parts)
Letter D is the 2 trees of steel colored vinyl treads. Two runs per tree.
Next is a length of woven brown string.
There are no clear parts or any figures.
The decal sheet completes the kits contents.
The decal sheet completes the kits contents.
I purchased the Eduard Brand brass PE set for the LVT-4, kit no. 35 358 for $19.95 to put on this model.
There are no figures included or any cargo load in the kit and there should be some.
Otherwise recommended.
Otherwise recommended.