introduction

A short time ago Pat McGrath kindly brought us a review on the Resicast UK tank accessories No 3. I thought I would add to that by bringing you a short ‘In Box’ review on their UK Tank Accessories No. 1 set.

Building British armour has always required that bit extra, as until recently few specific UK tanks were available particularly in the Sherman/Churchill range and by default therefore there were not many specific UK accessories around. Recently we have seen a much larger range of UK specific accessories starting to appear form the manufacturer Resicast. This is a welcome addition and builds on their previous selection of items.

The Set

Cast in a light cream resin the set comes in the standard Resicast plastic bag, with a good colour picture on the inside showing what you get. Inside the bag are 3 more plastic bags, one with the bulk of the accessories, the second with the 2inch/4inch bomb thrower equipment and a third with the small PE fret. The bag also contains a listing of all the parts. Mine arrived undamaged along with some other items I had purchased.
A full list of contents is shown below:

2” bomb thrower x 1
Bomb thrower support x 1
Turret side support plate x 2
Early bomb thrower x 2
Late bomb thrower x 2
Smoke pod x 4
Helmet with liner x 2
Mug x 2
UK pattern jerry can x 2
Antenna A type x2
Funnel x 2
Antenna B type x 2
No. 2 cooker closed x 2
Dixie large x 2
.50 ammo box lid x 2
.50 ammo box closed x 2
.50 ammo box open x 2
Mortar box
Cable reel x 2
Wing nuts for antenna B type x 4
Spade US pattern x 2
Saw handle x 4
Sherman tracks x 6
Churchill tracks long x 1
Churchill tracks short x 2
Churchill track links x 6
Spade small UK pattern x 2
Spade handle x 2
Simplex wrench x 1
Hellesen Lamp x 1
Sherman spare wheel x 1
PE Fret

Also included in the set are 2 x 4 biscuit tins. The biscuit tins are not mentioned in the parts list but are shown on the picture of contents. Over all the casting is 1st class, the parts being well detailed with no air bubbles present in the items I looked at. The stubs are easy to remove either with an X-acto blade or in the case of the biscuit tins/mortar boxes, a razor saw. No build instructions are included in the set so you will need to have knowledge of or reference to some of the items.

The 2 inch turret mounted mortar is a very neat addition as are the side mounted early and late bomb throwers. Both US and UK shovels are included, as are tracks support frames for the additional spare track pieces included in the set.
I particularly like the 2 large fuel funnels, commonly seen on British vehicles and also the inclusion of the cable reels. The small spanners on the PE set are tiny but again very useful items for detailing a scene, as is the large Dixie and closed No. 2 cookers.
With type A and B antenna and associated parts this little set can add a lot of detail to your build. The inclusion of a small fret of PE for the antenna guards, mortar box handles, saw etc. is also a nice touch.

Take normal precautions when using resin, either wet the parts when cutting or use a face mask to avoid inhaling the dust. That said these are mostly very small items and should cut cleanly off the stubs and required little filing. Take your time when working with resin to avoid accidental breakage.

Conclusion

Overall this is an excellent small accessories set, containing unusual items like the large Dixie and PE saws both normal and double edged. It is the sort of set that will spread across a range of vehicles and allow a level of detail and interest that many modellers seek to portray. It is also the first time I have seen short, single and long Churchill track pieces available. The cable reels and the early/late bomb thrower equipment are a real plus, as is the turret mounted 2 inch mortar.

All these items will, I believe, be welcomed by builders of British/Commonwealth vehicles. Equally useable as dio accessories and on other UK/Commonwealth vehicles, the set contains some very unusual items I’ve not seen before such as the closed No. 2 cookers, etc. The smoke throwers should be very welcome, although these can be purchase as a separate item (53.927). The additional cable reels and antenna mounts should also be extremely useful.

This is not a must have set, but none the less a very welcome addition of allied equipment, useful to both the Allied builder and the dio maker.