Autocannone 3 RO with 90/53 AA Gun

Kit # 7508

Preview by Miro Baric - baricz(at)smallscaleafv.com
Edited by Rob Haelterman

Introduction
This is a perfect example of the rise in quality of Braille scale kits. Some 10 years ago I would have been more than happy with this kit. But today, modellers are cockered up by Dragon and Revell kits, while Italeri is offering unusual subjects of good quality. This kit is labelled as a fast assembly kit, but in fact it is much more detailed than earlier Italeri offerings in their wargaming series. In fact it sits somewhere between wargame and display kits. But for any assessment you must remember that it is not a display kit.

 





Content
There are three sprues of plastic parts and a separate cabin. Two sprues are in semi-hard plastic. They contain parts for the gun and crew. As far as I know they are the same as in kit No. 6122. The third sprue is from hard plastic and contains parts for the truck and gun platform. While some details are acceptable, other parts are not so good. The gun shield in particular is too thick and the cabin offers a lot of space for detailing. Aftermarket sets for cabin and gun details and gun shield could be helpful, but I doubt if anyone will produce it for "fast assembly" kits. The gun platform is offered only in the firing position, with lowered stabilizing supports. On the other hand, the gun shield has a closed opening for the gun sight, so it is better suited for the transport position. Tyres have at least some tread pattern. While it is not accurate, it is better than completely smooth wheels. The height of the crew is 180 cm and taller. They may be slightly taller than average soldiers in WWII, but still acceptable.

 

Markings
Decals are provided for two vehicles. One is overall green from an unknown unit in Sicily during 1943. The other is an overall sand vehicle from the 131st Armoured Division "Centauro" in Tunisia during 1943.

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Article Last Updated: 07 May 2010