Wespe Models

UNIMOG S 404

Kit #: WES 72080 Preview by Chris Grove - chrisgrove(at)tiscali(dot)co(dot)uk
Edited by Al Magnus
 

What you get:

Something like 66 pieces, mostly in resin but a few in wire (and two pins for the width indicators). The pieces are mounted on strong cardboard and covered with heat-sealed plastic. Packed in a strong white cardboard box with bubble packing and a colour photograph on the front. An A4 photocopied double sided sheet with diagrammatic instructions. No decals or painting instructions.

Comments:

An excellent subject choice. This is a very widely used Cold War truck and, as far as I am aware, is the only kit of it in this scale. It is difficult to determine it's scale until it is built; it appears to be about the right width for 1/72, possibly a fraction too narrow.

The moulding looks to be of good quality. There is some flash (possibly some to protect fragile parts from the sealing plastic) and some pieces come attached to casting blocks. The tyre treads are not dead accurate but I've seen a lot worse. I don't see evidence of much warping.

There are a few obvious problems. Several small details have been omitted from the cab/bonnet/hood casting (sidelights/flasher lights, side louvres), and the bridge classification discs have been moulded in three places (bonnet/hood and each door) though my photos show no disc on the driver's door. On occasion the instructions show a detailed piece which turns out to be a piece of bent wire. However, these look generally easy to replace.

The instruction sheet is well drawn and quite detailed, though some of the thinner lines have not photocopied well, and locations are not always precise. However, with a photo or two for reference, I do not foresee any major problems (though the sidelights will be quite hard to build in).

Recommended to modellers of reasonable experience. Hey, it's the only show in town.

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Article Last Updated: 29 March 2010