PMMS
Master Productions
2.5 Ton 6X6 Model AFKWX353
15 Feet Body, Steel Cab with Canvas

1:35 Scale Set #MP35039

Review by Terry Ashley

This is the latest in a series of the WWII US Army over cab AFKWX 2 ½ ton 6x6 GMC trucks from Masters Productions with this release being the 15 foot body Steel Cab version with canvas tray cover.

This full kit consists of 114 parts cast in light cream resin with two silver discs for the headlights and the instruction sheet.

The quality of the resin casting is excellent with the notable feature being the very small casting blocks on the parts but there is quite a bit of thin resin film (flash) to be cleaned of the parts, most notably the smaller parts but this can done very easily. The many small parts are cast extremely thin and care will be needed during cleanup and on the larger parts there is some minor residue along the edges as part of the casting process but again this is easily removed with a quick pass of the X-Acto No.11.

You may notice quite a few under surface air bubbles but unless you go poking around with a sharp stick to disturb the surface these are not a problem and will disappear with a coat of paint.

Details on the parts is very good with crisp clean castings with all the larger parts such as rear tray floor and chassis cast perfectly square and flat without any hint of warping which can sometimes be a problem with large flat resin pieces, but not here. 

Lower Chassis/Suspension:
The main lower chassis is cast as one long piece with added cross members plus all the drive train parts are separate with the details on the diff/axles being cast very clean as they are on the front and rear leaf springs. Additional parts are provided for the drive shafts, transfer boxes and anti-sway bars with the front axles having a ball mount on the end which will allow the front wheels to be positioned at any angle. The lower section of the engine pan is provided along with the front radiator, exhaust pipes and muffler plus separate front and rear bumper bars and towing pintle.

Assembly is quite straightforward with locating pins on the suspension springs and axles to ensure precise location of the parts which also makes for good bonding points to ensure a robust assembly but as with any wheeled vehicle kit ensure the suspension and axles are attached perfectly square as this will determine the “sit” of the final model.

The wheels are very well cast with clean details on the tread and wheel hubs with the outside rear wheel also including the tyre valve stem for added detail. There is some minor resin film inside the rim lightening holes but this is very minor and easily removed. The casting point of the wheels is again very small and can be positioned at ground contact to hide the scar and the dual rear wheels have small pins and locating holes to ensure the wheels line up correctly. There are actually two sets of locating holes on the inside of one wheel so you can be sure the pour scar is lined up on both wheels, a nice touch.

As mentioned above the front wheels can be positioned on the axle ball ends and are connected with a steering arm but the wheels aren’t designed to be movable after assembly but just allow you to position them at any angle for a bit of animation.

Upper Cab:
The steel cab is made up of three main parts, the lower floor section, upper steel cab roof and front engine compartment and again the casting on these parts is excellent without any warping or blemishes apart from some minor resin residue around the edges which can be easily removed. The front radiator is a separate part with open grillwork that will need the grill spaces cleaning out a little and this fits perfectly into to front opening on the engine compartment without the need for any trimming.

Inside there are separate seats, front instrument panel with engraved dials and other details plus all the drivers levers are separate finely cast parts as are the foot pedals and steering column and wheel.

The doors are separate with details on both sides and there are separate windscreen wipers, rear view mirrors and grab handles for the cab sides, all again cast very finely requiring care when attaching. There are recesses for the windscreen, door and rear cab glass but no clear sheet is provided so you will have to locate this yourself and cut to size which shouldn’t be a problem.

The fit of the major cab components was very good with virtually no trimming needed to fit the cab and engine compartment parts together which is good to see and only some minor trimming needed to fit the lower fenders which are cast in one piece added to the bottom of the cab assembly.  Additional head lights and their mounting brackets are added to the fenders and the headlights have separate silver discs for the front lenses plus the two towing shackles added to the front bumper bar.

At the front is a large bush guard cast very finely in resin and this is packed between two pieces of cardboard to ensure it remains warp free during transit and will require extreme care when removing the large amounts of excess fine resin film, but the end result is one of the finest bush guards you will find this side of etched metal parts.

Rear Cargo Tray:
The rear cargo tray has a large flat floor section with underside rib details and added to this is the large single piece top cover. This large casting has the front and side cargo bay side panels included with the complete canvas cover and is an impressive piece of casting not only for the size but the fact is perfectly square without any warping.

On the inside of the casting are the inner side slats of the cargo bay plus additional separate full length fold down troop seats with separate lower supports which can be assembled in the up or down position depending if you choose to model the truck for cargo or troop movement.
The rear tray door is a separate part with excellent details on both sides included subtle wood grain effect on the boards and fine upper grab handles included.

Assembly of the cargo bat is again very straightforward due to the lack of any distortion on the major parts and this then fits easily to the lower chassis but as with any kit test fitting before gluing will determine if any minor trimming is needed.

Instructions:
There are three pages of exploded view line drawings showing the assembling of the main components and are quite easy to follow in most cases but again careful study and test fitting will reduce any problems during assembly.
No markings are provided in the kit but any of the US sheets from Archers Fine Transfers will provide all the necessary markings.

Resin parts
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Conclusion:
This is a very nicely cast and detailed kit with the minimal casting blocks making cleanup a breeze. The good fit of the parts is also a big bonus for this resin kit and helps make the assembly sequences almost like assembling a normal plastic kit.

This lesser know of the WWII 6x6 GMC Trucks will be another welcomed addition to the Allied ranks and should appeal to general truck modellers as well as Olive Drab fans but of course some experience working with resin would be helpful.

Highly recommended.

Note: There is a build article on an earlier Masters Productions kit MP35029 of the AFKWX 353 open cab COE Truck in issue 121 of Tamiya Model Magazine which uses many parts from this kit.

Master Production sets are available from Blast Models.
Thanks to Gilles from Blast Models for the review set.



Page Created October 24, 2005

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