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Friday, February 12, 2016 - 06:32 AM UTC
I am not sure of the age of this model but it is posted on the Revell web site:
Description
Truck-mounted tactical nukes

With a simple behind the line launch vehicle and a relay forward observer for final guidance, the LaCrosse Missile was a potentially devastating weapon.
It was capable of bringing down a 10 kiloton nuclear warhead with the radio-guided accuracy of a smart bomb.
With a twelve mile range and easy truck transport, the LaCrosse could be easily transported virtually anywhere and rapidly set up for launch.
This made it incredibly hard to target with counter-battery fire.
Kit features fully detailed truck and missile with five crew figures.
Product ID: 85-7824
Overview
Skill Level: 5
Scale: 1/32
Length: 9-7/8"
Width: 3-1/4"
Height: 7-1/2"
Parts: 139
Photo courtesy Revell web site.

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Comments

This is a surprise. At first I thought the scale was a typo. Revell had their own LaCrosse kit, in 1/40th scale, first released in 1958, and released again in 1997, but this is the old (and larger) Renwal kit in 1/32nd. It dates from around the same time (when the LaCrosse was operational), but I've never seen the kit in stores. Renwal went defunct in the 1980's, and Revell acquired their molds.
FEB 12, 2016 - 06:39 AM
There was an IPMS article from several years ago about the old 1/32 Renwal Lacrosse kit (not the 1/40 Revell kit that Gerald mentions). I have it somewhere, and will try and dig it out, but the gist of the article is on how to improve the Renwal kit. As I recall, although the missile is fairly accurate in shape, the truck itself leaves a lot to be desired and has to be widened or lengthened quite a bit to be an accurate representation, among other critical fixes. I believe Renwal used the same truck in their tactical wrecker kit that was was also re-released by Revell a few years ago. It's nice to see these old kits being re-released, I wish one of the other kit manufacturers would release these subjects in 1:35 scale.
FEB 12, 2016 - 06:53 AM
IIRC, the issue with this kit is that the real truck was a 5-ton but the model is a 2-1/2 ton chassis. KL
FEB 12, 2016 - 09:16 PM
I am a fan of these retro kits that had disappeared by the time I started building models (1968). I have some odds-n-ends from old models and it is fun to see re-releases that revel where what I have came from.
FEB 12, 2016 - 11:34 PM
Actually Kurt you're right, but reverse it. The kit is a five ton and the truck was supposed to be a 2 1/2 ton. The 1/40th is very good being based on Revell's M35 kit. This is not so being based on the Renwal wreacker. The version of this kit I remember was such a late issue it had a build-up photo box top. Now the thing to do is to downsize the Lacrosse parts to 1/35 and mount it on a AFV Club M35 kit...
FEB 13, 2016 - 01:32 AM
That's correct. It should be a deuce and a half truck. Here are Wim Vink's build articles where some of the Renwal parts are married to some AFV Club chassis and wheel parts, and some Adams/Life-Like and Monogram parts end up getting used, too. Note the amount of white styrene on the model--it's basically a scratch build, and not for the faint of heart. Might be simpler to chase down the smaller 1/40th scale Revell kit--their tooling at the time was much sharper than Renwal's, anyway. LINK LINK
FEB 13, 2016 - 05:00 AM
Yeah, and he was trying for 1/32 so he was doomed from the start. I got one as an SSP years ago. There's a couple on Ebay now. You want the box art with the missile pointing to the right KL
FEB 13, 2016 - 05:17 AM
A version of Vink's article (the one quoted from tracklink) is the article that appeared in the 1998 IPMS USA journal. The Renwal kit might be too narrow for 1/32, but I have the Revell 1/40th scale version in my workshop, and I thought it too looks a little narrow (for 1/40th scale). Anyone have any comments on the accuracy of the original Revell (1/40) Lacrosse kit? The walkway gratings are all solid, and the detail is rather simplified for the launcher (I haven't built mine yet because I'm trying to figure out how to replicate the walkway gratings as they have a unique pattern). One point in regard to the missile-- the second article lists chemical and biological warheads as a capability-- those were never fielded for the Lacrosse. VR, Russ
FEB 13, 2016 - 07:16 AM
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