In Box Review of Mirage 1/35th Scale
French Renault UE Universal Transporter, Series 4
Kit no. 35305
By Ray Mehlberger
MSRP: 9.5O Euro at one store in Europe
By Ray Mehlberger
MSRP: 9.5O Euro at one store in Europe
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.
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.
THE KIT:
Mirage is a model company based in Warsaw, Poland.
The kit comes in flimsy end-opening type box that is badly crushed by being in my model stash under a few other kits. It also is very blousy with a large letter "L" void around the parts.
The box art shows a UE in France in 1944. It is overall earth yellow with a white flower insignia on the left of the front and 3 white vertical bars next to a letter F on the right front. It is shown towing a tracked trailer, which is NOT included in the kit.
Two German crewmen are looking out of the domed hatches, but their are not figures in the kit either. The illustration shows a terrible sag in the tracks. I would think that would be too loose and tracks being thrown waiting to happen.
There is what looks like a telephone cable spool mounted in the rear cargo bin of the UE. However, this is not in the kit either.
The UE is supposed to shown in France in 1944 and it passing a German truck in the illustration. This illustration is posed on a figure 8 shaped background.
A smaller figure 8 has a illustration of the UE in overall panzer grey with a MG32 mounted on top with a crewman manning it. It has a skeletal white German cross on the bow. It says it is depicted in Russia in 1942.
Both illustrations are against a background of a field map.
One side panel of the box repeats the small figure 8 illustration.
The other side panel also repeats it and it says that the kit is for modelers 6 to adult, contains decals and instructions for assembly and paints and adhesive are not included in Polish, Czech and English. Parts are not suitable for children under 3. Mirage's stree address, telephone and FAX number in Warsaw are provided.
The bottom of the box has 2 color profiles:
1. A UE with the Wehrmacht in overall Panzer grey in Russia, winter 1942. It has a MG32 on the roof.
2. A UE with the French Army in France, winter 1939. It is overall dark green.
No units are mentioned.
Mirage is a model company based in Warsaw, Poland.
The kit comes in flimsy end-opening type box that is badly crushed by being in my model stash under a few other kits. It also is very blousy with a large letter "L" void around the parts.
The box art shows a UE in France in 1944. It is overall earth yellow with a white flower insignia on the left of the front and 3 white vertical bars next to a letter F on the right front. It is shown towing a tracked trailer, which is NOT included in the kit.
Two German crewmen are looking out of the domed hatches, but their are not figures in the kit either. The illustration shows a terrible sag in the tracks. I would think that would be too loose and tracks being thrown waiting to happen.
There is what looks like a telephone cable spool mounted in the rear cargo bin of the UE. However, this is not in the kit either.
The UE is supposed to shown in France in 1944 and it passing a German truck in the illustration. This illustration is posed on a figure 8 shaped background.
A smaller figure 8 has a illustration of the UE in overall panzer grey with a MG32 mounted on top with a crewman manning it. It has a skeletal white German cross on the bow. It says it is depicted in Russia in 1942.
Both illustrations are against a background of a field map.
One side panel of the box repeats the small figure 8 illustration.
The other side panel also repeats it and it says that the kit is for modelers 6 to adult, contains decals and instructions for assembly and paints and adhesive are not included in Polish, Czech and English. Parts are not suitable for children under 3. Mirage's stree address, telephone and FAX number in Warsaw are provided.
The bottom of the box has 2 color profiles:
1. A UE with the Wehrmacht in overall Panzer grey in Russia, winter 1942. It has a MG32 on the roof.
2. A UE with the French Army in France, winter 1939. It is overall dark green.
No units are mentioned.
WHAT'S IN THE BOX:
This kit contains 4 chalk-white trees, black vinyl tracks and the decal sheet in a sealed cello bag.
The instructions consist of a single sheet folded in the center to create 4 pages in 8 1/4" x 11 3/4" page format.
Page 1 begins with a black and white repeat of the box art, followed by the history of the UE in Polish only. The bottom of the page has Mirage's street address, telephone and FAX number in Warsaw, Poland.
Page 2 begins with a listing of Humbrol brand paints suggested to use to complete the kit, over an illustration of the track assembly layout.
The bottom of the page to page 4 give a grand total of 10 assembly steps numbered with Roman numerals.
There are no parts trees illustrations in the instructions. However, the trees are alphabetized with part number tabs next to the parts.
There are 2 identical medium-sized chalk-white letter A trees. Each one holds: road wheels, drive sprockets, return rollers, domed hatches, tow hooks, link and length type tracks, bogies, side rails etc. (56 parts per tree)
This kit contains 4 chalk-white trees, black vinyl tracks and the decal sheet in a sealed cello bag.
The instructions consist of a single sheet folded in the center to create 4 pages in 8 1/4" x 11 3/4" page format.
Page 1 begins with a black and white repeat of the box art, followed by the history of the UE in Polish only. The bottom of the page has Mirage's street address, telephone and FAX number in Warsaw, Poland.
Page 2 begins with a listing of Humbrol brand paints suggested to use to complete the kit, over an illustration of the track assembly layout.
The bottom of the page to page 4 give a grand total of 10 assembly steps numbered with Roman numerals.
There are no parts trees illustrations in the instructions. However, the trees are alphabetized with part number tabs next to the parts.
There are 2 identical medium-sized chalk-white letter A trees. Each one holds: road wheels, drive sprockets, return rollers, domed hatches, tow hooks, link and length type tracks, bogies, side rails etc. (56 parts per tree)
Large chalk white tree letter B holds: the floor, sides, top, louvered armored muffler shield, storage box, cargo bin walls and floor, exhaust pipe, shovel, tow hooks etc. (30 parts)
The small chalk white letter E tree holds: a MG32 machine gun, it's bipod and snail ammo drum (3 parts)
The black vinyl tree holds two runs of the tracks.
The small decal sheet completes the kits contents.
There are no figures in the kit, nor a cargo load for the rear bin.
Recommended.
I bought my kit at my local hobby shop years ago.
A friend of mine who lived in the next city to me (Hiawatha, IA) was an avid collector of military stuff etc. He went to Aberdeen, MD and purchased a French UE and hauled it home. He was going to restore it to working condition, but never got that finished before he died. His wife sold his shop and their home and both were leveled to the ground and she and his daughter are gone heaven knows where. I wonder what happened to the UE and all the other collectibles he had.
Recommended.
I bought my kit at my local hobby shop years ago.
A friend of mine who lived in the next city to me (Hiawatha, IA) was an avid collector of military stuff etc. He went to Aberdeen, MD and purchased a French UE and hauled it home. He was going to restore it to working condition, but never got that finished before he died. His wife sold his shop and their home and both were leveled to the ground and she and his daughter are gone heaven knows where. I wonder what happened to the UE and all the other collectibles he had.
He had a foundry in Chicago make duplicates of the Renault name plate that was on the nose of this tank. He gave me one. However, he ground off smooth the top lever of the face of it and removed the serial number and SS runes that were on the original. The UE had obviously been used by the Germans after the fall of France.
Here are some shots of the UE sitting outside his shop and a shot of the name plate.
Here are some shots of the UE sitting outside his shop and a shot of the name plate.