1⁄35
LAV-AT: Lesson in Frustration?

a build story by Werner Kampfhofer

The Kit

This kit (1/35 Italeri LAV-25 TUA Anti Tank - Kit 263) was donated for construction and review from the Austrian Sales Representative of Italeri to IPMS-Austrian branch and it was for me to build it. It arrives in 3 bright olive sprues which look similar to Tamiya and AFV Club plastic. A small decal sheet and no figures “complete” the kit. Except for sprue C all other parts are clean and without flesh and building the LAV-AT ( Light Armored Vehicle Anti Tank, which is it’s current nomenclature ) seems a rather easy task. I was able to obtain Eduard PE-set No 35415 which has been used for detailing.

As my order was a review of the kit I was looking around to find some documentation on this machine. I did not want to spend money on literature, so I have chosen the Internet as information base. I was not very lucky in finding detailed information and thus started construction, as I had a time limit for finishing the model. It happened at the stage when upper and lower body were already glued together that I discovered a scale drawing from George Bradford in my files. Although intended for a LAV-AD ( Air Defence ) the vehicle dimensions are identical to the LAV-AT. According to Georges drawing the kit differs in following areas to the real vehicle.

  • The roof armour is 6mm too short. The front part of the roof looks like the tip of a triangle. The angle on the drawing is steeper and thus the tip of the triangle is located 6mm further than on the kit.
     

  • The lower body, until it is reaching the sponson is 4mm too narrow. As a result each doors is 2mm too narrow as well
     

  • The angle of the rear armour should be sloping for an additional1°.
     

  • The rear wheels on the right side should be repositioned 3,5mm to the rear because of the torsion bar system.
     

  • The wheels should exceed the vehicle for about 2mm

These findings are a kick in the stomach and a great deal of rework is to be done if one insists on an exact replica.

Copyright ©2002 - Text by Werner Kampfhofer. Photos by Wolfram Bradac. All Rights Reserved.
Project Photos
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About the Author

About Werner Kampfhofer (tankbuster)
FROM: WIEN, AUSTRIA


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