In Box Review of MP Models 1/35th Scale Easy 8 Suspension & Tracks
Kit no. 20104
Authen-Kit Series
By Ray Mehlberger
Copyright: 199x
Out of production
Bought at a local hobby shop for $16.98, before they went out of business.
Authen-Kit Series
By Ray Mehlberger
Copyright: 199x
Out of production
Bought at a local hobby shop for $16.98, before they went out of business.
HISTORY:
The U.S. Sherman tank was the most widely produced Allied armoured vehicle of WWII. Sometimes criticized for being under-gunned and having poor protection. It was robust, reliable and ideally suited for mass production.
Continually upgraded and improved during the war, it was to be seen in every theater of operations and was used by every major Allied army. So versatile was the original design, that it is still in many parts of the world today.
As late as 1973, modified and up-gunned, Israeli Shermans battled the latest Soviet main battle tanks of the time, the T-62 and the T-55. It can still be seen in the hands of Lebanese Christian militias.
The U.S. Sherman tank was the most widely produced Allied armoured vehicle of WWII. Sometimes criticized for being under-gunned and having poor protection. It was robust, reliable and ideally suited for mass production.
Continually upgraded and improved during the war, it was to be seen in every theater of operations and was used by every major Allied army. So versatile was the original design, that it is still in many parts of the world today.
As late as 1973, modified and up-gunned, Israeli Shermans battled the latest Soviet main battle tanks of the time, the T-62 and the T-55. It can still be seen in the hands of Lebanese Christian militias.
THE KIT:
MP models is based in Westminster, MD.
They produce plastic accessory kits.
This kit came in a large blousy shrink-wrapped end-opening type box. It is 3” too wide. I am no fan of this type of box, because invariably parts of the decal sheet will find their way past one of the end flaps of the box to become lost forever. Give me a tray and lid type box any day of the week.
The cover art shows black and white illustrations of the parts in the kit. Posed against a blue background covered with thin-lined white squares.
The upper right hand corner of the box art says: Injection model plastic construction kit. The classic Sherman series.
The lower left hand corner gives the kit no., over: Made in USA. Ages 10 to adult. In multiple languages, including English.
One side panel of the box says: Your Athen-I-Kit contains easy to assemble, accurately detailed parts, to enable you to construct your model into versions not otherwise available. Athen-I-Kit is not a complete model by itself. It is designed for use with other kits, produced by MP Models, or other manufacturers, and requires normal plastic cements and modeling tools (not included).
This is said in English and Spanish on one side panel and in French and German on the other side panel.
MP models is based in Westminster, MD.
They produce plastic accessory kits.
This kit came in a large blousy shrink-wrapped end-opening type box. It is 3” too wide. I am no fan of this type of box, because invariably parts of the decal sheet will find their way past one of the end flaps of the box to become lost forever. Give me a tray and lid type box any day of the week.
The cover art shows black and white illustrations of the parts in the kit. Posed against a blue background covered with thin-lined white squares.
The upper right hand corner of the box art says: Injection model plastic construction kit. The classic Sherman series.
The lower left hand corner gives the kit no., over: Made in USA. Ages 10 to adult. In multiple languages, including English.
One side panel of the box says: Your Athen-I-Kit contains easy to assemble, accurately detailed parts, to enable you to construct your model into versions not otherwise available. Athen-I-Kit is not a complete model by itself. It is designed for use with other kits, produced by MP Models, or other manufacturers, and requires normal plastic cements and modeling tools (not included).
This is said in English and Spanish on one side panel and in French and German on the other side panel.
The bottom of the box gives a one-paragraph history of the Sherman in the four languages at the top. Below that there are shown 3 other accessory kits that MP manufactures: Kit no. 20102, Firefly turret, Kit no. 20101, M4/M4A3 hull and Kit no. 20103, M4A4 hull.
MP Models’s overseas agent’s address in Bristol, England is provided, along with their street address in Westminster, MD.
This is followed with illustrations of MP’s Adversary Series model kits: Kit no. 10101, an Israeli M-30 Sherman tank and Kit no. 10102, an Egyptian SU-100 tank.
MP Models’s overseas agent’s address in Bristol, England is provided, along with their street address in Westminster, MD.
This is followed with illustrations of MP’s Adversary Series model kits: Kit no. 10101, an Israeli M-30 Sherman tank and Kit no. 10102, an Egyptian SU-100 tank.
WHAT’S IN THE BOX:
The kit holds 5 dark-grey trees in a sealed clear cello bag.
The instructions consist of a single-sheet, that is printed on both sides in 7” x 9” page format.
Instructions are given in the 4 languages.
The face side shows assembly of the tracks and running gear.
The reverse side shows how things go on the Italeri Sherman kit and the Tamiya one. Some reference sources are listed.
Trees are not alphabetized.
There are 3 identical dark-grey trees that hold the individual track links (60 parts per tree)
The kit holds 5 dark-grey trees in a sealed clear cello bag.
The instructions consist of a single-sheet, that is printed on both sides in 7” x 9” page format.
Instructions are given in the 4 languages.
The face side shows assembly of the tracks and running gear.
The reverse side shows how things go on the Italeri Sherman kit and the Tamiya one. Some reference sources are listed.
Trees are not alphabetized.
There are 3 identical dark-grey trees that hold the individual track links (60 parts per tree)
One dark-grey tree holds: road wheel frames, road wheels, return rollers and idler wheels (36 parts)
The final dark-grey tree holds: more road wheels and shocks (43 parts)
This kit will really dress up a Sherman tank kit.
Recommended.
Recommended.