Introduction

It is unfortunate that we don’t as yet have a Loyd Carrier in 1/35 scale plastic injection. However, it is fortunate that we have producers like Accurate Armour who contribute significantly to the gaps in British Military Vehicle kits not filled by others.

I reviewed their Loyd Carrier Starting and Charging here on site some time ago and included a potted history of the vehicle there, so it is not my intention to repeat that here.
Loyd Carrier Review.

I also reviewed their UK 4.2inch Mortar and Trailer kit and this kit is my latest purchase which seemed a natural follow on in the form of the Loyd Carrier 4.2inch Towing that nicely compliments the Mortar kit already mentioned.
Mortar and Trailer Review.

The Kit

Packing is in the standard Accurate Armour style; good strong box, parts in zip bags and set in shredded paper for added protection. Kit and manufacturers detail on the outside along with a good colour picture of the completed kit for reference.

Inside the box are 4 plastic zip bags of resin parts, 1 zip bag containing a comprehensive decal sheet and a fret of photo-etch plus 10 sprues of carrier track lengths. Also included is an A5 size 12 page colour booklet of instructions. The kit consists of 88 resin parts, 13 of which are multiple parts (ie Part 87 Mortar Bomb x 24) and you also get 22 PE parts to enhance the build further.

The instructions follow the style and quality of those already reviewed in the Starting & Charging kit and appear of equal quality and fit for purpose, so I have nothing further to add there.

The lower hull comes cast as a whole and the remainder of the parts are individual, this is very much in keeping with developments in resin casting, nowadays resin kits seem on par with standard plastic kits, for example they are made up of many individual parts and no longer cast as a bulk item. So for all intents and purposes this is a plastic kit in resin if you get what I mean.

The parts are cast in a light grey resin, the quality and detail are excellent, parts 50/51 (the rear mudguards) are very thin and one can almost see through them so I shall have to take care when removing those, but other than that as far as I can tell these are excellent in design and casting. The parts are clearly numbered and correspond to the build instructions and are also identified on the parts list which makes life very simple.

You get everything you need in this kit to build a highly realistic model, the PE parts further enhance the excellent detail already on the kit and there are not too many to frighten one off. As well as the parts to build the basic vehicle you get a complete set of stowage with which to stock it up, which is an excellent inclusion in the kit, plus you get a spare tyre for the trailer mentioned above.

The track provided is in 10 short lengths and looks very good and accurate for the vehicle.

There is a comprehensive sheet of decals that should allow you to finish the vehicle as you choose.

Conclusion

Another cracking and accurate looking vehicle in their Loyd Carrier range. You can see the quality and detail of the parts for yourself. The casting looks excellent and parts appear of a very high quality indeed.

Not a kit for the beginner, but within the capabilities of many. This kit marries up exactly with kit No G007 mentioned above and will give you an unusual and interesting little vehicle to add to your collection.

You will need to take time and patience to build this kit; some clean up will be required on the lower hull and obviously on the kit parts themselves, so take normal precautions when working with resin.

Built as a stand alone vehicle or incorporated into a large diorama you should end up with a super kit of this widely used vehicle.

No tarp frame is provided for the kit, but you get a detailed set of instructions for the roof frame layout if you chooses to add one on page 8 of the instructions.

I’m not aware of a driver figure from Accurate Armour for the Loyd Carrier, but Resicast offers one or you could make your own. Similarly I am not aware of a bespoke crew for the Mortar set reviewed previously, which is a pity but just an observation not connected with this vehicle.

Reference:
The Universal Carriers Vol 1 by Nigel Watson