1/35 injection plastic kit with decals and photo etch
The US was the most prolific producer of half-tracks during WWII. The US half-tracks were reliable, had solid cross-country performance due to having power to both the tracks and the front axle and could be mass-produced on truck assembly lines. The M2 half-track could accommodate a crew of 10 and was used as a command vehicle, prime mover for artillery such as the 57mm AT gun, reconnaissance and for carrying mortar and machine gun squads, as depicted in Ron Volstad’s box art for this kit. The original M2 had the machine guns mounted on a skate rail, while the later M2A1 had the forward machine gun mounted on the M49 machine gun mount, which resembled a pulpit. The M2 and M2A1 were shorter than the M3, which could carry a full rifle squad.
CONTENTS
This is Dragon’s first release of a US half-track and the third release in Dragon’s new Smart Kit series. This kit can make both the earlier M2 and the later M2A1. It features extensive use of refined molding techniques, such as slide molding, to produce crisp detailed parts and hence has reduced the use of photo etch. As such an impressive kit can be built out of the box by most modelers, while it also provides a solid basis for super detailing. The open top greatly lends itself to filling the kit with all the stowage which the soldiers loaded them up with.
The M2 compares favourably to photo references and is a significant improvement over older US half-track models. The Dragon kit has been designed such that it should be rewarding to build for a broad range of modelers.
The gatefold instructions have 19 steps of line drawings that are clearly laid out. Photo etch is provided for the front hook mount, armoured front grills, support brackets for the 0.50 MG internal mount, rear mud flaps, cab visors and the windscreen wipers. The few injection marks have been hidden in spots, such as underneath the fenders. Clean up of this kit’s part should be very quick.
MODULAR APPROACH
The kit is built up from three main modules, each of which is based around one large piece. These are the running chassis, which is based around a single part for the chassis frame (ladder); the forward cabin and front panels; and the rear crew compartment. These three modules come together in the last step. This modular approach is helpful for painting the interior and suspension detail and allows modelers to neatly divide the kit over a couple of modeling sessions.
The chassis has considerable detail including a one-piece exhaust pipe and muffler, transmission shaft, differential housing, and the basic engine block with radiator, sump, fan and gasket heads. The front tires have the bulge indicative of bearing the engine’s weight and the suspension springs, brakes and axle ends behind them are replicated. For the rear tracks the sprocket is slide-molded and the bogies have plenty of small detail. What is particularly innovative about this kit is that the tracks are injection molded and built from two halves, which join down the center and thus no join marks visible when looking side on, while replicating the inner detail such as the guide chain. Given the M2’s tracks were single lengths of rubber over steel bands that sat tightly on the bogies, this approach should work well for displaying the kit on a flat base and will simplify assembly and painting. For the front of the halftrack there are the winch of the M2A1 and the roller for the M2, although some M2 eventually had a winch added.
The forward module is based around a large piece, which has the cabin floor, forward mudguards, running board and divide with the engine bay. The cab and running board have the anti-skid nicely detailed and the separate driving controls are crisp. The brackets for the jerry cans are integrated into the can halves.
The engine bay hood is molded closed, but it would be possible to cut along the panel recesses to open it up and reveal the engine. The cab doors can modeled open or closed and the PE visors can be left up or down, and the upper half of the doors can be assembled folded down. The front grill can be built open (with options of a PE or plastic) or closed. The front window armor can be assembled open or closed and the windscreen is clear plastic, as are the lens for the headlamps.
The rear module is based around a large tub, which includes the rear foot well, sponsons and the internal fuel tanks. The side armour has plenty of details for bolt heads and panel gaps and numerous external fittings such as tools and the single piece loaded mine racks are crisply cast. The doors for the lockers are molded shut. The rear SCR radios are provided for both the M2 and the M2A1.
The 0.5 and 0.30 calibre Browning machine guns are finely slide-molded and have open muzzles. The M2’s skate rail and the M2A1’s pulpit are both single pieces
DECALS
The set has three crisply registered decal sheets by Cartograf. One sheet is a generic registration plate sheet with numerous letters (A-Z), digits, U.S.A. prefixes and tactical symbols in the white stencil style. The second sheet contains the white US star in a white circle in four sizes while the third sheet contains white stars, USA flag and a vehicle specific number.
The instruction sheet has painting and markings for 2 M2s and 3 M2A1 each supported by 3 or 4 view profiles on the instruction sheet and a colour side profile on the box. The M2 are from Italy 1944 (boxart) and Tunisa 1942, while the M2A1 include a white washed half-track from Belgium 1945 and two generic/unidentified olive drab vehicles.
