Dragon 1/72 SAS Raider 4x4 Truck
By Chris Banyai-Riepl
Overview
The SAS utilized the standard 1/4-Ton 4x4 Truck in many theaters, adapting them to their specific needs. A common arrangement was to fit the vehicle with plenty of armament and extra fuel tanks, to allow for deep reconnaissance missions behind enemy lines.
The Kit
Dragon has done some decent 1/72 armor in the past, and undoubtedly there are favorites with many small scale armor modelers. This latest release, the SAS Raider Truck, will very likely knock some of those favorites off the top, as this kit has definitely raised the bar. Molded in the typical gray plastic found in Dragon kits, the level of detail presented here is very impressive. I have heard suggestions that this is a scaled down version of their large scale 1/6 kit, and I can easily see that being the case. There are a fair number of parts marked not for use, so we will also see future variants soon.
Diving into the construction, this kit starts out with the filling of some holes in the one-piece body, yet another sign that we will see alternate variants down the road. The seats are simple, molded in one piece, yet highly detailed. The instrument cluster is separate, as is the steering wheel and shifter.
This basic assembly fits onto the frame, which gets a separate drivetrain assembly, separate muffler, and separate wheels. The leaf springs and lower half of the engine are molded into the chassis, simplifying the assembly without limiting the level of detail too much.
With the body on the chassis, all that is left is to add the weaponry. This comes in the form of twin machine guns attached to a piece of armor plating. The guns are separate and mount onto a three-piece gun mount. There is a front pair of guns and a rear pair, with the rear pair being mounted on a longer gun mount. Finally there is a rifle attached to the truck side next to the driver.
For painting and markings, the kit is shown finished in an overall green with black splotches, denoting a Northwest European example from 1944. There are no markings provided in the kit, and given the SAS nature of the vehicle, it likely did not wear much else. Those who want something a bit different, though, will surely dig up some interesting camouflage and/or markings.
Conclusion
This is really a very nice 1/72 vehicle and while highly detailed it is also one that could be a fast build. My thanks to Dragon USA for the review sample.