Introduction

During World War One there was a need to get large numbers of men and equipment to the front lines; that was the task of trains as much as possible, but they could only go so far and while trucks where available these were needed for moving the shells, bullets and bully beef not to mention tea needed to fight the war. To overcome these issues the military put buses into use and so a soldier could find themselves on the way to the front via a London bus. MiniArt has decided to tackle this form of transport via a B-Type Military Omnibus in 1/35th scale.

Review

This offering from MiniArt is packaged in the usual manner of a cardboard tray with a card lid that displays the product in a very appealing manner. Due to a card lid being utilised damage can be easily inflicted and so consider this if being stored rather than started. An examination of the contents results in finding some very clean and finely moulded parts in many cases. The floor between the lower and upper deck does have a flow line present, but this has not caused any physical issue That I can see or feel. I do wish that all of the contents were not in a single bag due to the issues that can cause with warping and damage; in this offering everything appears fine.

The engine of this offering from MiniArt is a great place to start as it is truly stunning. The mix of photo etched parts enables the modeller to produce an element of the model that will have huge visual appeal which due to the difficulty of seeing I would consider having the model displayed tilted on a mirror. There is the issue that the sometimes small photo etched parts and very fine plastic parts could be damaged during removal and clean up, but if you take your time it is these aspects that will attract the eye. One thing I need to congratulate MiniArt on is that they have included details on how the modeller can add things such as spark plug leads and also plans for bending some very small actuators that I feel will be especially approved of by the modeller who wants to go that little bit further. To give you some idea of the work put into this area by MiniArt, there are sixteen pieces for the radiator alone.

The chassis of the model is multi-part affair and so will require a high level of care during assembly in order to insure it remains square. I feel the easiest way to tackle this aspect and to provide visual guides is to assemble it on a cutting mat with the squares on. One of the great the great things about this approach has enabled MiniArt to provide an excellent level of detail and accuracy in every element. The rear drive axle is a huge piece of kit and again provides great detail throughout. A look at the leaf springs that supply the suspension all round the vehicle is very good with the minimal of cleanup need up to remove mould seams. The wheels are solid rubber and anyone old enough to have had a bike with this type of tyre will tell you how uncomfortable the ride is, MiniArt has produced excellent representations of the wheels and tyres. I do have a complaint which is more me than what is offered and that is the inability to depict the front wheels turned, a real bugbear of mine with wheeled vehicles.

The cab of the vehicle is as you would expect basic in what it offers the pour sod doing the driving, but as a modeller I really am very happy as MiniArt has provided a well worn seating position and so the vehicle gains that instant lived in look. The engine cowlings have been provided suitably fine in my opinion and consideration has been given to enable the modeller to have the top of that fantastic engine bay on display; I also like that MiniArt has provided photo etched plates to replicate the brass number on the engine cowlings. All of the required controls are present from the foot pedals through to the brass horn and so only a suitable figure needs to be found.

With the oily areas and command and control seat dealt with its time to look at the passenger segment. The detail present as with the rest of model is exceptional and MiniArt deserve a lot of praise for their efforts. The ground floor of the model will need to be fully finished before closing it up as even open movement will be restricted due to the very good level of detail provided in the area. Little details such as the ability to have the upper window vents open or closed make a lot of difference to the visual appeal of the area and to that of the model generally. Details such as the roof mounted grab rails and the seat dividers continue to lavish this area of the model with a very high level of detail. Due to the main windows being blanked you may wonder if the effort is worth it, the answer is yes due to the glazed areas at the front and rear of the area.

The upper deck of the bus is just as well detailed as the lower and is obviously more clearly seen. The floor of the upper deck has the roof of the lower deck on its underside and the hand rails there could be easily damaged so take care with this element of the model. The seats and hand rails have a great look to them that takes you back to a time when comfort was not the main priority when it came to transport with the seats being like a wooden park bench. At the rear of the upper deck is a lock box which despite efforts by me its purpose seems to be hidden; however I suspect that it is a lock box for weapons.

The curved staircase is the last element of this model and can only be added after everything else is in place as regards the upper and lower deck. So this model does offer the modeller a chance to produce a model in sizeable chunks that makes painting and weathering a little easier than it may have been otherwise. The segments are the chassis and engine, driver’s area, Lower deck, upper deck and finally the staircase. MiniArt has provided five finishing options with this release that represent four vehicles used by the Army Service Corps and the other with the Royal Navy, but the only real changes are the details added via the decals.

Conclusion

This is one of the most impressive models I have seen from MiniArt due to the package as a whole and attention to detail, and while the interest in this kit may be limited due its type and period I really recommend that every modeller gives this kit a look over as I think the finish will appeal to all. Downsides are very limited and really restricted to ability and want lists; for me the down side is that the front wheels cannot be shown turned (a pet hate). It will also test those who are ham fisted and or are not keen on photo etch, but provided none of these bothers you then this is a truly stunning model that I give A too.