Introduction

Since the release of its superb and long-awaited Churchill kits (Mk.III and AVRE), AFV Club/Hobby Fan continue to produce various accessory and figure kits specifically for the Churchill. Those unfamiliar with Hobby Fan, the resin division of AFV Club, will be pleasantly surprised by the ease of working with these resin parts. This is my first experience working with resin and I had no difficulty at all. Hobby Fan contracts its work to an internationally-renowned sculptor who produces each figure or accessory kit to exactly fit the AFV Club product it is intended for.

contents

The sturdy box contains a ziplock bag of resin parts still attached to their pour stubs. Included in the set is a dust apron peculiar to early British Churchills employed in the African theatre. It seems poor visibility due to clouds of dust being drawn up from the bottom of the tank was constantly an issue, so these large canvas screens were mounted between the front horns of Churchills. You also get 2 large duffel bags, a pair of knapsacks, a ground sheet and sleeping roll, and one large assortment of of knapsacks, ground sheet, tool box and sleeping roll all lumped together as a single part. Also, a pair of large bags and one large bedroll/ground sheet are included but not shown on the box.

construction

The only "construction" involves snapping the parts from their pour stubs, or 'sprues', as one more familiar with plastic kits would say. Holes are graciously positioned and the stubs are helpfully engineered to make this step a snap -literally. (see photo, RIGHT) No need to be armed with a razor saw as with other resin kits! I'm lazy, so I used a Dremel tool to quickly clean-up the parts. I could have easily used a file or a sanding stick. You'll need to cement the parts to the model using CA cement (super glue). I first used blue "Sticky -Tac" to position the pieces on the tank.

conclusion

Excellent detail and ease of assembly makes this set suitable for even a beginner. Each piece is moulded to perfectly match its location on the AFV Club Churchill. This set fits both the AFV Club Churchill Mk. III and Churchill AVRE kits. Stay tuned to Armorama for reviews of both of these new kits.