The Ford Model T was one of the first mass produced vehicles, and some saw service during World War 1. The Australian Mounted Division acquired some of the British production Model T's and they were deployed in Egypt and Palestine during the later part of the war. The vehicles included a mounted Lewis gun and were label Light Car Patrol.
A newer kit from ICM represents the Model T 1917 as it served in Palestine during 1917-1918 for the Australian Army.
Contents
2 Plastic Sprues
1 Clear Plastic Sprue
1 Small Sheet of Decals
1 Instruction Booklet
Review
Opening the box from ICM for this kit the first thing I noticed was only two sprues, but being a small car, those sprues contain some nice looking parts to build a Model T. The parts are molded in a tan colored plastic, and a glance of the sprues shows good moldings with very little flash, but does have some ejector marks that will be seen after constructions. The molding of the fine parts is done very well, and overall the surface details is well done, with the exception it would have been nice to see some wood grain details on the floor of the cargo bed.
Being a very early vehicle there is not a lot of details, but the kit does include a nice looking motor and frame details, including the front axle and suspension. A nice touch was to mold the front axle and suspension as a single piece, this will allow easy assembly. The engine details do include the radiator hoses to the radiator, and with the option in the kit to open the bonnet, some simple wiring can be added to show it off.
The interior of the cab is very simple, with only pedals, a brake lever, and steering wheel. Which at the time is all that would have been present. The seat shows some good looking seam lines and the steering wheel and steering column have some nice looking fine details.
The mount for the Lewis gun is very simple and prototypical of the time. And while the molding of the Lewis gun itself is good, the business end is solid and would need to be drilled out for a better look.
One negative I did find is in the running boards, while the instruction show there should be surface tread details, those are not present of the part. Also have the Model T WW1 Ambulance from ICM, I checked that kit, and the tread details were present on the molded parts.
The wheels for the kit are also done well, with nice looking subtle tread line around the circumference, and nice looking spokes. Also the kit does provide the option of two radiators, one with the raised Australian emblem and one without. This provides a nice flat surface to mount the decal if you choose that marking option.
The decals are very well printed, crisp and colorful, and all in register. The kit has marking options for two seperate vehicles, both in Palestine, 1918.
The instructions are well laid out, and very easy to follow. Paint callouts are included with references to Revell and Tamiya paint colors.
Build
Building this little kit from ICM was a lot of fun. The small number of parts provide a relatively quick build. The overall fits of the parts is good, but I did have a few issues getting the upper portion of the front cab lined up with the front hood. Here I stepped away from the instructions, and mounted the part after I have added the side wall, to ensure it aligned correctly.
There is also a little bit a misorder in the instructions, it show the mounting of the seat prior to added the wall between the cab and cargo bed. I found that you need to add the separator wall first, prior to adding the seat. Also as mentioned above the Lewis gun has a solid barrel end, so I did use my pin vise to hollow out the end for a better look.
According the instructions, it called for a Sand color, and not having any reference material, I used Vallejo Air Sand. After a coat of Future, the decals went on very nice. Warning though, the carrier film is VERY fine, and you will need care to apply. The raised emblem on the front radiator does make it easier to mount the front Australian emblem, but just be careful with the alignment. I found after the decal had dried, I was off just a touch.
The clear plastic for the lights were added, with some clear red added to rear light, and presto a nice looking model of the Model T LCP.
Overview
The Model T kit from ICM is like a little gem, even with a small part count, it builds into a real nice looking model. The plastic is well molded with good looking details. A few small gafs are that the running board tread details is missing, and the Lewis gun barrel end could have benefitted from a little slide molding. Overall during the build I found the fit very good, and there are just a couple of small mis-steps in the instructions. For a great subject, I would definitely recommend this kit.
SUMMARY
Highs: Great little kit, good moldings, good fit, great subjectLows: No tread pattern on running boards, and barrel end of Lewis gun solidVerdict: This is a great little kit, with small part number build quick and nice, highly recommended
Our Thanks to ICM Holding! This item was provided by them for the purpose of having it reviewed on this KitMaker Network site. If you would like your kit, book, or product reviewed, please contact us.
I am an IT Consultant and father, with a passion for plastic models. I mostly prefer 1/35 Armor and 1/48 Aircraft. My main interests are anything Canadian, as well as WW2 German and British Armor and Aircraft. I have been building models since I was a young kid, got away from it for awhile, but r...
Very nicely done Kevin.
As per the thread when this kit was announced, there are some matters to note here:
1) The rear fenders were not present on all the Australian Vehicles,
2)particularly the one depicted and the coat of arms on the radiator is oversized and missing the palm fronds on top.
There are still one or two others that can be built though
Sorry. Kevin, but I couldn't say about the colour, from what I have read, they were painted from stores not acquired through regular channels. I do like the colour you used though. A liberal coat of sand and dust changed the base colour anyway.
This site also has references to a restored vehicle obviously not original paint, but maybe the colour is close - who knows?
LINK
PS, note here in one part they say there were palm fronds tucked behind the coat of arms and later the same page references emu (the ostrich like bird in the Aussie coat of arms)feathers. Two different opinions on the same thing...
Sorry Nic, but the last of the photos above, from the Australian War Mememorial's own archives, show some did. Whilst the gun is located in the rear, they are still Aussie Model T's with LC registrations....
Sorry Nic, but the last of the photos above, from the Australian War Mememorial's own archives, show some did. Whilst the gun is located in the rear, they are still Aussie Model T's with LC registrations....[/quote]
There is a slight but significant difference between
" not present on all" and "all were without".
The first means that if all of the units/vehicles are collected and examined there will be a least one were the fenders are not present. The second statement is a definite statement that all of them, every single one, were without fenders. In short "not present on all" = "some were without but the majority had them".
/ Robin
The last image is patrol cars attached to the RAF Aramament School in Cairo and not the Australian Light Car Patrol. So petbats suggestion that all rear fenders were removed may be correct. However things from that time were not as well documented as there are now, so with or without can be correct. All the images I have found of LCP cars are without.
Comments