Introduction

Perhaps no item was more ubiquitous during World War II than the 5 gallon/20 liter gas or water can. Originally a German design, the ‘jerry can’, or Wermachtskanister, was copied by the Allies due to its superiority over contemporary Anglo-American designs. By the war’s end the cans had been produced by the millions and could be found on every front and in use by every combatant, both major and minor. There were some small differences in the design such as the indentions and imprinting on the side and the pour spout which enabled troops to tell if the container was for water or fuels.

Review

The fine fellows over at Plus Model have created a set of 8 very well cast U.S. style 5 gallon gas cans as part of their Easy Line of resin castings. The castings are in the typical light gray resin that requires only minimal cleanup that can be quickly accomplished with a hobby knife and a bit of sandpaper. Each of the cans has an easily removed pour plug on the bottom and small amounts of flash beneath the handle undercuts. As long as you take the necessary precautions when cutting resin these are easily dealt with. The screw type pour spout lids seem to be a bit soft on the detail with the pronounced knurled edges of the lid appearing a bit understated.

Conclusion

The 8 cans that are included in the set represent good value for the money with no real assembly beyond a bit of cleanup. If you are in need of a fair number of gas cans and want them done quick and easy this is something that you will find quite useful. I’m looking forward to just having them on my work space ready to go wherever I might need them in my modeling.