Introduction

The following introduction is as supplied by Revell of Germany;
Since its introduction in 2000 the Dingo Armoured Personnel Carrier (APC) has developed into a true all-rounder within the Bundeswehr. Both Dingo 1 and 2 provide an ideal combination of protection, cross-country mobility and speed. The ATF Dingo 2 GE A3.3 Patsi version has been used in Afghanistan since 2012 as a reconnaissance and security vehicle. The 6 occupants enjoy a maximum of protection thanks to excellent land-mine protection afforded by the V-shaped deflector under the safe cell. For self-protection, the Dingo is normally equipped with a type FLW 200 weapon platform which can be optionally fitted with a .50 calibre (12.7 mm) machine gun or an automatic 40 mm grenade launcher. Technical improvements over its predecessors include amongst other items optimization of crew protection, a hard-top over the cargo platform and IR driving lights to improve night vision capability.

Contents

This offering from Revell of Germany is packaged in a card end opening container. Inside the carton you will find;
8 dark green sprues
4 vinyl rubber tyres
2 clear sprues
A length of fine wire
A decal sheet
An instruction booklet

Review

First Impression
A look of the contents of this model finds a little flash present, thankfully mostly on the sprues rather than the moulded parts, I do find this a little surprising as the parts are dated 2013. There are also quite a lot of ejector pin marks that will need to be taken care of depending on how you wish to display the model. There are also a few minor sink marks present that will also need to be remedied during the build. There are also positives such as the high parts count for this offering from Revell of Germany which should I believe result in a more pleasing model when finished. The price is also a high point for me coming in at £20.00.

Mechanicals
Revell of Germany has done a fair job on the guts of this model and I have not seen them provide so much detail previously. The chassis has been provided as a multi-part affair which allows for better detail to be replicated, but it also requires that the modeller take care to make sure the chassis assembly is square or issues will be found later as construction progresses. I do not have reference showing the whole chassis and so cannot say how accurate the mouldings are. On some models I have assembled multi-part chassis on the body work of a model so that everything is square, but I do not believe that is possible in this case.

The axles, drive shafts and suspension parts look to be accurate when compared to my reference, but some of the detail is a little on the soft side. I would usually be concerned about this aspect however being on the underside of the model means I am happy that Revell of Germany took the time and effort to provide what they have rather than a very basic frame. There is room for scratch- built improvements if desired, but for most modellers what is provided is more than adequate I believe.

There is a basic engine and transmission provided for the model by Revell of Germany. the detail is pretty basic on the engine, with the detail being on the soft side, that said it does provide the bare bones for someone looking to display this aspect of the model. I could not find any images of the engine for this vehicle, but the addition of some wiring details will lift this area. The transmission looks quite good on the whole, I suspect because it is easier to see and it does improve the overall look of the underside with the drive shafts connected.

Wheels
The wheels in this offering from Revell of Germany are very good when it comes to accuracy. The hubs have all of the relevant detail and while that is not a lot in this case, it is accurate. The tyres are also very accurate when it comes to tread pattern and overall size also looks right. The tyres being supplied in vinyl rubber will not please everyone; I believe the dislike is due to vinyl rubber often having hard to remove seam lines, well in this case that will not be an issue as there are no seam lines.

Interior
The interior of this offering from Revell of Germany is very good for an out of the box offering. Starting with the dash and centre console everything present looks good and has even included details that will not be easily seen on the finished model. The steering wheel is correctly shaped as is the steering column. The only details that stand out as missing here are the microphone mounted on the dashboard between the driver and passenger position and the microphone/phone mounted on the dashboard near the passenger door. The seats are accurate with the exception of missing some ribbing across the centre of the back panels, but that is being kind of picky by me. The biggest issue with the seats is the lack of harness detail; I hope someone releases a set for this model as it is the detail that needs to be added in my opinion. The electronics tower that sits between the front sits and into the rear compartment is a nice detail, but a lot of wiring detail needs to be added by the modeller to really finish this area off.

The floor of the interior has been well replicated in scale with a checkerboard detail present where required. The interior of the doors have been supplied as separate parts and this has provided a reasonable level of detail, even the armoured glass has been provided in a realistic thickness with detail present around the inner face. I should mention at this point that all of the doors can be displayed open or closed and is a big plus point with the supplied interior detail. The gunner’s station which is the centre seat at the rear is correctly supplied with the instructions telling you to remove the head rest of this seat. The remote weapons system is controlled via a joystick control that is fitted to the right hand side of the gunner; despite this element being a single moulding it does look accurate. The screen for the remote weapons station is mounted to the roof of the model as it is in the real vehicle, Revell of Germany has supplied a decal for this element.

The rear stowage area has also been well replicated internally, but there are some ejector pin marks that will need to be remedied. My reference shows a second shelf in the rear and this has not been replicated in the model, I am unsure if this is a standard fitting or just an option and so I cannot say it must be there, regardless a simple piece of plasticard will easily add this detail if required.

Bodywork
The bodywork of this offering from Revell of Germany can best be described as flat pack; this is due to the panels all being separate parts. This approach has allowed or enabled Revell of Germany to impart a good level of detail to the bodywork of the model and checking the detail against my reference the detail is accurate. Some of the detail on the bodywork is a little on the heavy side, but if they bothers the modeller it could be thinned with care. The roof of the model is also accurate when checked against my reference. The anti-slip patches look to be accurately placed and depicted as do the various attachments points present. The metal wire provided and that is attached to the instruction booklet is depicted in the instructions, the instructions tell you what length to cut the wire to and suggests it is attached by heating the wire and inserting it into the plastic mount. I also like that Revell of Germany has identified what size drill bits to use when holes need to be drilled. The infra-red forward facing emitter has been provided as a separate piece which is a nice touch, but the detail could be better and it also looks overly large in my opinion. Overall the external bodywork is very good.

Weapons Station
Revell of Germany has supplied both weapons systems with this model which I see as a very positive inclusion. The mounting system is the same for both weapons and detail is acceptable overall. The addition of the relevant cables by the modeller will lift the detail to a good standard. Both the 12.7mm machine gun and the 40mm grenade launcher will need the muzzles drilled and there are seam lines that will need to be addressed, replacement with a metal offering for the machine gun barrel would be worth your consideration due to its prominent location. I would have liked to see some of the ammunition belts included as I believe that they can be seen when installed. All told the detail he is of a reasonable standard.

Finishing Options
Revell of Germany has provided three fishing options for this model, all of these are Bundeswehr vehicles.
Bundeswehr ISAF, Afghanistan 2012
Bundeswehr ISAF, Afghanistan 2013
Bundeswehr 2015 (Germany I presume)
The decals are well laid out on the sheet and are reasonably thin; you can feel them on the carrier, but not excessively so. The colour of the decals is good and there is no excessive carrier film present that I can see. Two of the number plates are set on the sheet, but Revell of Germany has supplied blank plates and numbers to make up a registration of your choosing; this is a very nice touch if you are building a specific vehicle using reference material. Interestingly Revell of Germany has supplied a plastic sheet to protect the decals in this offering rather than the more usual paper cover, I am unsure of the reason for this but it does ensure the decals are well protected.

Conclusion

This release from Revell of Germany is one of the best AFV offerings I have seen from them. The detail is good for the most part and most of the important details are present, but there is of course room for further improvement if the modeller so chooses. Built straight from the box and only doing basic modelling jobs such as filling, sanding, drilling the muzzles and cleaning seams will result I feel in a very pleasing model of the Dingo 2 GE A3.3 PatSi. The cost coming in at £19.99 in the UK is a great price for a good amount of plastic and well worth your consideration.

Reference used

‘In Detail Fast Track’ No 12 from Tankograd Publishing
Dingo 2 GE A3.3 PatSi

Revell model kits are available from all good toy and model retailers. For details visit www.revell.de/en, @RevellGermany or facebook.com/Revell