Introduction:

Objective Gunner Protection Kit (OGPK) is an integrated armor and ballistic glass turret, mounted onto the turret ring of tactical and armored vehicles. The OGPK provides the capability for the gunner to view the battlefield without compromising safety and is a standard equipment piece for the US Army’s vehicles, from up-armored Humvees to different MRAPs. Based on its outstanding performance, the OGPK was named one of the Army’s top 10 Greatest Inventions for 2007, the year it was fielded.

However, quickly reloading the turret mounted weapon from within an armored vehicle is not easy and OGPK turrets were soon upgraded with bustle racks. Located on the rear of the turret, these racks are used to carry extra ammunition boxes and various other supplies for the vehicle in the field. Pro Art Models produces a set of OGPK bustle racks in 1/35 scale: Ammo and Stowage Racks (PAU-35054).

Review:

Packed in a hard cardboard box featuring an image showing contents of the set fully assembled, the set consists of:

- a single PE fret
- instructions.

The PE fret contains 25 photo-etched pieces for making 4 different bustle racks. The first rack depicts locally fabricated open frame bin constructed from crossbars and L-shaped brackets welded together. This rack could prove a bit difficult to assemble; it is made of 14 PE pieces which should be carefully aligned. The second rack presents a simple closed box with lid. It consists of 9 PE pieces and is much easier to assemble with the small PE parts representing hinges. The third rack is a one piece PE affair, depicting one of the most common racks installed on OGPK turrets later on in the tour. These open bins were manufactured in base depots and soon became standard bustle racks on OGPKs replacing locally fabricated frames. The fourth and final rack is very similar to the third but includes a cool personal touch with the “U.S. CAV” stamped to the back of the rack. I have included some photos of the OGPK bustle racks to this review so you can see guys at Pro Art did their research well.

The instructions provided in the set are clear and easy to follow, showing step by step PE bending and assembly procedure.

Conclusion:

Ammo and Stowage Racks (PAU-35054) is another very useful accessory set from Pro Art Models. It includes a single PE fret with four bustle racks often added to OGPK turrets of various US military vehicles in Middle Eastern theaters of operations. If you are modeling up-armored Humvees or MRAPs in 1/35 scale, this is definitely a set to consider.