In Box Review of Tamiya 1/35th Scale
U.S. Armoured Personnel Carrier (APC)
M3A2 Half-track
Kit no. MM-170
By Ray Mehlberger
Out of production
Copyright 1975
By Ray Mehlberger
Out of production
Copyright 1975
HISTORY:
The M3 Half-track is an American armored personnel carrier half-track widely used by the Allies during World War II and in the Cold War.
Derived from the M2 half-track Car, the M3 was extensively produced, with about 15,000 standard M3s and more than 38,000 variant units manufactured.
The M3 was extensively modified with several dozen variant designs produced for different purposes. The M3 and its variants were supplied to the U.S. Army and Marines, as well as British Commonwealth and Soviet Red Army forces, serving on all major fronts throughout the war.
It and its variants were produced by many manufacturers including International Harvester and Autocar, and were designed for a wide variety of uses, such as a self-propelled anti-aircraft weapon or self-propelled artillery. Although initially unpopular due to its lack of significant armor or roof to protect from shrapnel, it was used by most of the Allies during the war.
SPECIFICATIONS:
Type: Half-track armored personnel carrier
Place of origin: United States
Service history: Wars, WWII, Chinese Civil War, Korean War, First Indochina War, Costa Rican Civil War, Vietnam War, Laotian Civil War, Algerian War, Cambodian Civil War, Suez Crisis, 1958 Lebanon crisis, Six-Day War, 1973 Arab–Israeli War, Lebanese Civil War, Salvadoran Civil War
Designed: 1940-1941
Manufacturer: Autocar, Diamond T & White Motor Company
Produced: 1941
No. built: 53,000 (including variants)
Mass: 20,000 lb (9.07 metric tons)
Length: 20 ft 2 5⁄8 in (6.17 m) with roller
Width: 6 ft 5 1⁄4 in (1.96 m)
Height: 7 ft 5 in (2.26 m)
Crew: 1
Passengers: 12
Armor: 6–12 mm (0.25–0.50 in)
Engine: White 160AX, 147 hp (110 kW) at 3,000 rpm
Power/weight: 16.2 hp/metric ton
Transmission: Spicer 3461 constant mesh
Suspension: Front: semi-elliptic longitudinal leaf spring, Rear: Vertical volute spring
Fuel capacity: 60 US gallons (230 litres)
Operational range: 200 mi (320 km)
Speed: 45 mph (72 km/h) on road
Steering system: Steering wheel
The M3 Half-track is an American armored personnel carrier half-track widely used by the Allies during World War II and in the Cold War.
Derived from the M2 half-track Car, the M3 was extensively produced, with about 15,000 standard M3s and more than 38,000 variant units manufactured.
The M3 was extensively modified with several dozen variant designs produced for different purposes. The M3 and its variants were supplied to the U.S. Army and Marines, as well as British Commonwealth and Soviet Red Army forces, serving on all major fronts throughout the war.
It and its variants were produced by many manufacturers including International Harvester and Autocar, and were designed for a wide variety of uses, such as a self-propelled anti-aircraft weapon or self-propelled artillery. Although initially unpopular due to its lack of significant armor or roof to protect from shrapnel, it was used by most of the Allies during the war.
SPECIFICATIONS:
Type: Half-track armored personnel carrier
Place of origin: United States
Service history: Wars, WWII, Chinese Civil War, Korean War, First Indochina War, Costa Rican Civil War, Vietnam War, Laotian Civil War, Algerian War, Cambodian Civil War, Suez Crisis, 1958 Lebanon crisis, Six-Day War, 1973 Arab–Israeli War, Lebanese Civil War, Salvadoran Civil War
Designed: 1940-1941
Manufacturer: Autocar, Diamond T & White Motor Company
Produced: 1941
No. built: 53,000 (including variants)
Mass: 20,000 lb (9.07 metric tons)
Length: 20 ft 2 5⁄8 in (6.17 m) with roller
Width: 6 ft 5 1⁄4 in (1.96 m)
Height: 7 ft 5 in (2.26 m)
Crew: 1
Passengers: 12
Armor: 6–12 mm (0.25–0.50 in)
Engine: White 160AX, 147 hp (110 kW) at 3,000 rpm
Power/weight: 16.2 hp/metric ton
Transmission: Spicer 3461 constant mesh
Suspension: Front: semi-elliptic longitudinal leaf spring, Rear: Vertical volute spring
Fuel capacity: 60 US gallons (230 litres)
Operational range: 200 mi (320 km)
Speed: 45 mph (72 km/h) on road
Steering system: Steering wheel
THE KIT:
Tamiya is an old prolific model company based in Shizuoka City, Japan.
They manufacture all manner of model subjects in the popular scales.
This kit came in a shrink-wrapped tray and lid type box.
The box art shows a M3, with crew, posed against one of Tamiya's signature all-white backgrounds, that they use for the majority of their box arts.
The half-track is overall olive-drab, with a white star on the sides, white U.S.A. over 4036535 on the sides of the hood.
It has a white 9 triangle 27-1 on the left side of the front bumper and a white A-11 on the right side.
There is a white circle with a star in the center on top of the hood.
A driver and 8 infantrymen passengers are shown. They are all wearing khaki uniforms with steel helmets.
The top of the box art says the kit contains 9 realistic figures and plentiful accessory parts.
One side-panel has a small color repeat of the box art, followed by the history of the M3 in Japanese and Tamiya's street address in Shizuoka City, Japan.
Tamiya is an old prolific model company based in Shizuoka City, Japan.
They manufacture all manner of model subjects in the popular scales.
This kit came in a shrink-wrapped tray and lid type box.
The box art shows a M3, with crew, posed against one of Tamiya's signature all-white backgrounds, that they use for the majority of their box arts.
The half-track is overall olive-drab, with a white star on the sides, white U.S.A. over 4036535 on the sides of the hood.
It has a white 9 triangle 27-1 on the left side of the front bumper and a white A-11 on the right side.
There is a white circle with a star in the center on top of the hood.
A driver and 8 infantrymen passengers are shown. They are all wearing khaki uniforms with steel helmets.
The top of the box art says the kit contains 9 realistic figures and plentiful accessory parts.
One side-panel has a small color repeat of the box art, followed by the history of the M3 in Japanese and Tamiya's street address in Shizuoka City, Japan.
The other side-panel has 4 color box arts of other 1/35th scale kits that Tamiya makes: a M-113 U.S. armoured personnel carrier (APC), a German 8-ton half-track Sd.Kfz.7/1, a German armoured car Sd.Kfz. 223 and a German Horch Type 1a.
This is followed by a repeat of Tamiya's address.
This is followed by a repeat of Tamiya's address.
WHAT'S IN THE BOX:
The kit contains 5 dark green trees in 3 stapled-shut clear cello bags, black vinyl treads, the decal sheet and 2 instructions and a kit catalog, plus a tube of glue (that is mostly dried out over the years).
The kit contains 5 dark green trees in 3 stapled-shut clear cello bags, black vinyl treads, the decal sheet and 2 instructions and a kit catalog, plus a tube of glue (that is mostly dried out over the years).
The main instructions consists of a single-sheet that accordion-folds out into 8 pages in 8 1/2" x 11" page format and all in Japanese.
Page 1 begins with a black and white repeat of the cover art, over the history of the M3 in Japanese and a black and white illustration of a half-track that I cannot name, a illustration of a M2 half-track and a M3A1 APC.
Page 2 continues the history of the M3 in Japanese, with 2 more black and white illustrations of the M3 half-track over a unit organization chart.
Page 3 through 8 gives a grand total of 17 assembly steps.
Step 16 is the assembly of the figures.
Step 17 shows their arrangement in the M3 half-track.
The 2nd instruction sheet is a single-sheet, also in 8 1/2" x 11" format, printed on both sides.
The face side is the marking and painting guide for 2 schemes:
1. A side view of the box art scheme (already described above).
2. A top, front and rear view common to both schemes. That further shows a white star on the grill and rear.
This 2nd scheme has white U.S.A. over 402774S on the sides of the hood, with white 1 triangle 6-1 on the left side of the front bumper and a white A-3 on the right.
The other side of the sheet has a list of the part names and the part trees illustrations, all in Japanese.
Trees are alphabetized.
Dark-green letter A tree holds: the frame, leaf springs, axles, wheels, exhaust pipe etc. (65 parts)
Page 1 begins with a black and white repeat of the cover art, over the history of the M3 in Japanese and a black and white illustration of a half-track that I cannot name, a illustration of a M2 half-track and a M3A1 APC.
Page 2 continues the history of the M3 in Japanese, with 2 more black and white illustrations of the M3 half-track over a unit organization chart.
Page 3 through 8 gives a grand total of 17 assembly steps.
Step 16 is the assembly of the figures.
Step 17 shows their arrangement in the M3 half-track.
The 2nd instruction sheet is a single-sheet, also in 8 1/2" x 11" format, printed on both sides.
The face side is the marking and painting guide for 2 schemes:
1. A side view of the box art scheme (already described above).
2. A top, front and rear view common to both schemes. That further shows a white star on the grill and rear.
This 2nd scheme has white U.S.A. over 402774S on the sides of the hood, with white 1 triangle 6-1 on the left side of the front bumper and a white A-3 on the right.
The other side of the sheet has a list of the part names and the part trees illustrations, all in Japanese.
Trees are alphabetized.
Dark-green letter A tree holds: the frame, leaf springs, axles, wheels, exhaust pipe etc. (65 parts)
Dark-green letter B tree holds: the cab sides, hood, grill, driver figure, cab doors, seats, steering wheel, shift levers, dashboard, jerry cans, tools etc. (46 parts)
Dark-green letter C tree holds: the cargo area floor and walls, bench seats, machine guns, door, antenna etc. (57 parts)
The black vinyl D tree holds: tires, tracks and poly caps (10 parts)
Lettering jumps to dark-green tree that has figures labeled as R, W, X and Y with rifles and tarps etc. (52 parts) This tree is not illustrated in the instructions.
Dark-green letter Z tree holds figures, helmets, canteens, bayonets etc. (43 parts) This tree also is not illustrated in the instructions.
There is a clear sheet of plastic with 2 windshields die-cut into it.
The decal sheet completes the kit's contents.
Highly recommended.