Introduction:

Following the success of their plastic Military Water Cans (MWC) introduced in the 1970s, Scepter used the expertise of injection molded plastic technology to design a next generation, three-handled polyethylene Military Fuel Can (MFC). While this military fuel can was similar in design to the classic metal "jerry" can widely used by Western military forces, it proved itself to be a vast improvement over its metal predecessors: it is lighter, won’t rust or crush, meets all safety regulations and is extremely rugged. The can was adopted in the 1990s as the new standard of use by all branches of the US Military and has quickly become the fuel container of choice for other armed forces around the world, including NATO.

Review:

After numerous aftermarket sets offering modern plastic fuel cans in 1/35 scale, Live Resin recently released their version as US Army Scepter Military Fuel Canister set (LRE 35155). The set is packed in a zip-lock bag safely secured between a firm cardboard backing featuring CAD box art. The box art image on the front shows contents of the set, while the one on the back displays the fuel can in detail.

The kit consists of 4 resin casting blocks with 18 parts for assembling 6 fuel canisters. The parts are molded in grey resin and I found no imperfections in the cast whatsoever, with the cans featuring very nice details wonderfully rendered in scale. Be patient when removing the resin carrier blocks from the cans; these blocks are large and attached to the rear of the canisters so some sanding will be necessary. On the other hand, the unusual location of the block enabled Live Resin to detail the specific shape of bottom of the can… an overlooked detail on most fuel can offerings in 1/35 scale.

This set represents Scepter’s 20L Military Fuel Can, a heavy-duty plastic can designed to safely transport auxiliary fuel. The Scepter’s Can is tall, flat-sided and rectangular with dimensions of 18.5’’x14’x6.5’’. It features three integral handles and screw-on cap, with content and the capacity of the container labeled on the side. Live Resin did an amazing job representing these cans in scale with all the mentioned features clearly recognizable on their resin offerings. Also, Live Resin fuel canisters deliver details usually ignored by other companies producing military fuel cans in 1/35 scale: the small indentation on the middle carrying handle and retaining strap for the cap assembly… these fine points clearly show Live Resin’s dedication to accuracy.

Assembling these canisters is easy. Although I was a bit worried about fixing separately cast middle carrying handle, it fits perfectly to the can leaving no visible gaps. An added bonus are separately cast caps, which can be positioned on the canisters to your own liking thus ensuring each fuel can being slightly different.

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Conclusion:

With unpredictable fuel sources on long range missions, it is necessary to equip military vehicles with additional fuel containers. US Army Scepter Military Fuel Canister Set (LRE 35155) includes 6 fuel cans in 1/35 scale perfectly cast in resin. These are dimensionally correct and feature all the tiniest details found on real Scepter Military Fuel Cans. I particularly like the separately cast caps... This enables positioning the cap differently on each can, thus offering a slight variation to the canisters in the set.

It is a simple set, but together with Live Resin’s US Army Scepter Military Water Canister (LRE 35156), it presents a very important addition to any US or NATO modern military vehicle in 1/35 scale.

References:

http://www.sceptermilitary.com/