introduction

AC Models in New Zealand may not be well known to a number of you, as they have mostly been covered on Historicus Forma due to a good range of large scale figures and busts. AC Models does however have a few 1/35th scale resin figures on the market and that number is increasing at a steady rate. In this review I get to take a look at the three man crew released by AC Models for the HobbyBoss Defender XD ‘Wolf’ W.M.I.K. in 1/35th scale.

Contents

The product is packaged in a reasonably sturdy cardboard box with a card on the front showing the included contents on the HobbyBoss model. The card also carries all of the relevant information that a modeller would require. Inside the box you will find the three resin figures each packaged in a separate zip lock bag. But that is not all as included with the figures is 2 lots of side stowage for the vehicle in a zip lock bag but that is not all either; also included is a front bumper, covers for one of the headlights and the front grill, Clansman aerial wing mount, 5 ammunition pouches, 2 cloth door panels.

Review

Starting with the figures included in this set which were all sculpted by Andy Cairns seems the best place to start, and I will start with the ring gunner.

Figure 1 ring gunner
This figure is made up of 4 parts which are the;

• The body including legs and head
• Left and right arms
• Helmet

This figure is depicted in an upright stance with legs parted to help brace the figure, the torso is very slightly bent backwards with the arms shown in the act of cocking and firing the 50cal heavy machine gun.

The moulding quality is fair to good overall with very good detail from the waist up, the legs however will need some work due to I believe the moulds getting close to needing a rework. The figure has a couple of air bubbles but nothing that should tax the ability of anyone to remedy. The Osprey body armour has been very well replicated with from what I can tell accurate detail, and this detail is improved in that the figure looks very well proportioned in all aspects. The facial features look very good with the helmet straps looking very natural in their placement. The detail on the legs of the figure looks good from the front, back, and sides, but the detail between the legs will require some major clean up due to some flashing and a lack of crease detail on the inner face of the left leg. This by no means ruins the figure as it will be very difficult to impossible to see when installed on the vehicle.

The arms are bare from the mid upper arm which is appropriate for the Afghanistan conflict which this figure is designed to replicate. The hands are gloved which is also accurate, the hand detail even with the gloves is well replicated and of an appropriate size for the figure. There are some heavy seam lines running down the back of the upper arms, but I believe this is where the pour plugs were attached and so is to be expected. The combat helmet which could represent a number of various Mk’s looks accurate judging by the shape and has excellent webbing detail over the cloth cover. The bracket for mounting obeservation tools at the front of the helmet is present, and there is also what I believe is a cover for protecting the lenses of glasses; I have however not been able to find any evidence of this feature being used by British troops. With all of that said I really like the helmet detail with this figure and it is an excellent fit on the figure looking very accurate and life like.

Figure 2 Driver
This figure is made up of 5 parts which are the;

• The body including legs and head
• Left and right arms
• Helmet
• Binoculars

First impressions of this figure are that he looks odd until you realise what exactly the figure is depicted doing. The driver is depicted with his left leg knelt on the seat and standing on the toes of his right foot, he is leaning forward against the anti-roll bar and looking at an enemy position through binoculars.

The upper torso of this figure is excellent detail wise and should provide a good focal point to drag a viewer’s eye onto the model. The pouches around the waist look overly large but when checked against the other figures pouches they are the same size and so it may be the stance that is throwing the eye off. The facial detail is again good but a little work needs to be done under the nose as the septum and upper lip is joined ; I believe due to mould damage. The right leg has good crease detail, however the angle of the right leg will look odd when viewed out of context. The left leg looks good on its outer faces but as this is where the pour plug was connected the detail on the inner thigh from knee to buttocks will need some work. One thing that has been replicated is the tread on the soles of the boots which is often over looked.

The arms of this figure share the same highs and lows as the first. The upper portion of the left arm looks short when viewed as an individual part but appears correct when viewed attached to the figure. The last part supplied with this figure is a set of binoculars and which I have been unable to identify as a particular set of binoculars, but they are easily identified for what they are.

Figure 3 front seat gunner
This final figure is depicted in a seated position but with the body and head twisted to look in the direction the ring gunner is laying down fire on. When the figure is used in conjunction with the other two figures you have a very dynamic and lively setting. I have plans for these figures in a small but I hope lively diorama, and so this is not the last you will see of this figure set as they will be built on the site and used with the HobbyBoss WMIK.

This figure is made up of 4 parts which are the;

• The body including legs
• Left and right arms
• Head and helmet

This figure is probably the best of the three in terms of finished look, and I suspect that comment will make you question my reasoning when you look at the pictures of this figure. The figures body position is incredibly life like, with great detail in area that can be seen. there are no air bubbles present that I can see viewing by eye, but there is a hole that will need filling due to a piece of the mould being stuck in the figure; a very fetching shade of purple. The back of the legs and left buttock is not the best but that does not matter as they will not be areas you can see when installed in the vehicle. Between the legs there is a considerable amount of flash to remove. The pour plug was attached at the rear of the legs and so I will leave it to you whether or not to clean up the area. The left buttock has a raised flat surface where it fits the seat of the WMIK, and so again I will let you decide if you wish to tackle it.

The head and helmet on this figure are moulded as a single part with a neck peg for attaching to the body. The facial detail is fair with again nice chin strap detail. The helmet is as good as the individual helmets but different as the lens cover is reversed and is at the back of the helmet. The arm and gloved hand detail is possibly the best of the three figures, but you will need to clean up the pour plug connection point on both lower arms.

The added extras
I suspect that most modellers who purchase this set will be after the figures, however AC Models opted to increase the appeal of the set by making it a more complete product. Included in the extras are stowage for both sides of the vehicle. The passenger side has a single resin casting which consists of a spare wheel with a cover and has detail on the reverse side. There is a Bergan with fair detail; there is also a covered item which is securely held in place with a well detailed strap and tightening ratchet. There is a flat item behind all of this but I am unable to identify what it represents. The stowage for the driver’s side consists of three items, one of these items is a Bergan I am however unable to identify the other two items. The three items are strapped to what I believe may be covered sand channels; however I cannot be sure of that. The items are on the vehicle by an especially well detailed strap and ratchet. Both of these items have had their pour plugs removed by AC Models; I suspect to reduce weight when posting and to make the parts easier to pack, this does still mean that the part will need to be cleaned up but some of the work has been done for you.

AC Models has also supplied a replacement front bumper with an elasticated recovery strap wound around it. I particularly like this part as I feel it will make an eye catching addition to the model. There are canvas covers provided for one headlight and the front grill the detail is fair, but for myself I would use foil; it does however offer a choice and some may feel more comfortable with the resin offering. Also supplied is a wing mounted clansman radio aerial mount, the Clansman system was replaced in 2004/5 and so this should really be a Bowman mount. During the build I intend to do utilising aspects of this product I hope to scratch the required parts for the Bowman radio aerial wing mount.

The last items in the set are a run of five pouches and canvas doors for the vehicle. The five pouches are designed to be hung between the Clansman aerial mount and the wing mirror arm, the strapping has not been moulded on the part and so will need to be scratched. The canvas doors are depicted rolled back and tied; the crease detail is good and with weathering should look good.

Conclusion

I feel this is an excellent set of three figures from AC Models with the bonus of some great additions for detailing the HobbyBoss WMIK. The figures do require a bit more clean up than is usual with resin figures, however the stances depicted are excellent for adding movement and action to your model. I will happily admit I am not looking forward to removing the last of the casting plug from the driver, but it should insure that each of these figures is slightly different from each other. I believe that most of the issues I have identified are down to the mould coming to the end of its service life and being in need of replacement.

The images of the figures assembled and in place on the WMIK are not mine, they are from AC Models.

Defender XD ‘Wolf’ W.M.I.K Live links

Defender Wolf Accessories Set Live links

PE set for the ‘Wolf’ W.M.I.K Live links