Introduction

With the release of the IDF Puma by Academy, Legend Productions has been very fast on their tail and released a detailing or accessory set for it. The HobbyBoss offering is a pretty good model out of the gate, and I was hoping someone would release an internal set so that all of the hatches could be open; maybe a future release. Legend Productions has opted to dress up the engine deck area of the model and that is not a bad choice due to the fairly naked appearance of the area.

Contents

In the typical end opening card carton that Legend Productions use for products of this type, you will find two Ziploc plastic bags. Inside of these you will find.
2 gauges of brass wire
A photo etched fret
20 resin parts

Review

After freeing the box from its plastic wrap and then opening it, you will be hit with an incredibly strong smell of resin; this does however dissipate reasonably quickly and should not cause you any harm. The resin castings are all of the typical high standard that Legend Productions produce, they even mould protective uprights and that is just as well as one of those uprights was broken. That aside there are no moulding issues present that are normally associated with resin products.

As a modeller who has looked at the Hobby Boss IDF Puma, the biggest plus of this set is the loaded stowage basket for the engine deck. The kit part is made of several pieces and is a little bulky frame wise, or at least that is my opinion. The frame on the resin basket while similar in size just seems more refined, and of course it is a single loaded piece. There are two nice resin fire extinguishers included as separate parts for hanging on the frame work. The photo etched parts are a number of buckles and straps for securing the moulded on detail accurately to the stowage basket and that will add a nice touch.

What I believe are the mine indicators that sit to the rear sides of the raised crew compartment are also included with this offering. If I am honest these are pretty much hidden from view, due to this and despite having better detail thanks to the wire that is used on them, I will likely stick with the kit parts; of course your mileage may differ and you want to take the task on.

Lastly there are eight boxes supplied with this set, Legend Productions appear to have called them ‘Mine Shoes’, I have no idea what these represent. They look to be of metal or plastic construction and have a panel in the centre of the large face. There is some very nice strap detail moulded on them, I am pleased to say that Legend Productions has not just provided eight of these with identical strapping as two finishes are included. These are shown strapped in stacks on the rear mud guards. Despite not knowing what they are representing, they do add some interest to the rear of the vehicle.

Conclusion

By the standards of Legend Productions offerings, this is a fairly straight forward parts offering. This will be easy to use by modellers of most skill levels, with the exception of the mine indicators. The stowage basket should add an eye catching look to the area with careful painting and weathering. The only downside to this product are the huge pour plugs, but on a plus these should be easy to remove from these particular castings due to their shape.