Price around 20.00 GBP (Nov 2013)
Review by Geoff Coughlin
Revell model kits are available from all good toy and model retailers. For details visit www.revell.de/en, @RevellGermany or facebook.com/Revell
Reference
A little bit of inspiration here….
A bit of background
Since it was introduced in 2000 the Allschutz-Transportfahrzeug (ATF = all-protected transport vehicle) Dingo has developed into a real all-rounder in the German army. Both the Dingo 1 and Dingo 2 combine ideal protection, off-road mobility and speed. The variant “ATF Dingo 2 GE A2 PatSi” has been in service in Afghanistan as a patrol and security vehicle since 2006. Thanks to outstanding anti-mine protection provided by the V-shaped deflector under the safety cell, the 6 occupants have the best possible protection. By way of self-protection, as a rule, it is equipped with a type 1530 mechanical overhead weapons station with a 7.62 mm MG3A1. With sales figures of 149 the “ATF Dingo 2 GE A2 PatSi” is the vehicle in greatest demand. In total, over 1,000 vehicles in different variants have already been supplied. In addition to the German army the Dingo 2 is used by the Czech army.
Features:
- New tool
- Finely engraved surface details
- Anti-slip coating
- Doors optionally open or closed
- Detailed interior
- Rear hatch optionally open or closed
- Weapons station with 7.62 mm MG3A1
- Detailed chassis
- Rubber tyres
Decals for 4 vehicles:
- Bundeswehr, Mission Training, 2011
- Bundeswehr, ISAF, Afghanistan, 2010
- Bundeswehr, ISAF, Afghanistan, 2012
- Czech Army, 2010
Initial assessment
This is going to be a welcome release, especially if modern armour is your area of interest. Revell has been producing a lot of new-tool and other armour releases in recent years and this trend seems likely to continue.
Moulding quality is to a high standard with very fine levels of detail across the board. The attached images should speak for themselves and you can decide what you think, especially as armour is probably your area. So I offer a basic insight into this Revell kit that’s widely available and this will be good news to all of you that are interested in armour modelling in this scale.
The package
Several sprues moulded in dark green plastic form the basis of the model, a set of instructions, and small decal sheet and aerial wire make up the package.
Sprue trees
This is a big model, as is the real subject (check out the YouTube videos that accompany this review). You can see that the chassis is very clean and crisp, as is just about everything else. The detail is cleanly and accurately moulded onto the textured surface and will look excellent when spray painted and given a subtle wash and maybe filters (see your Techniques Bank for how to apply these weathering techniques). The moulded detail throughout is good and although I can’t give an opinion on accuracy, what you get certainly looks consistent with some of the images I have seen on YouTube and elsewhere.
Plenty of underside detail like the drive shaft and other features are provided.
Other highlights include:
The detail on the chassis top, range of small detail equipment accessories and fittings and simply the subject are all positive features of the kit. You’ll see from the images attached of the completed manufacturer’s kit that it will look impressive when completed. The engine bonnet grills are moulded plastic and will look fine when painted.
The cupola mounted MG is nicely done and will look impressive when painted and weathered.
Some sink marks
There are a few of these – not many but do watch for them as you may want to fill the recesses.
Decals
There’s a small sheet with the respective number plates and unit badges for the four options contained in the kit – 3 German and one Czech. The quality looks good overall, although there is carrier film visible around most of the items, but applying them to a glossy finish should ensure that doesn’t show. I might be tempted to trip the excess away.
Instructions
These follow the usual Revell format with Revel colour references, parts and sprue layout diagrams followed by a 67-Stage build (no less) and finishing sequence. The sequence looks to be logical to me but of course you will want to leave off all the small, delicate parts like the aerial until near the end of the build to avoid damage.
To sum up
This is an impressive package and I reckon that you’ll be made up if 1:35 modern armour modelling is your area of interest. Most of the mainstream manufacturers are releasing plenty of current AFV models and this can only be good news for us modellers! Levels of detail are excellent for the scale and fit looks to be clean and pretty trouble-free. The price is very competitive too.
SMN Quick summary SMN Star Rating out of 5
| FEATURE | STAR RATING (out of five) |
|---|---|
| Quality of moulding | **** |
| Accuracy | **** |
| Instructions | *** |
| Decals | **** |
| Subject choice | **** |
| Overall | **** |