Trumpeter 1/35 JGSDF Type 89 IFV
|
 |
Background
The development of the type 89 Infantry Combat Vehicle, the ICV of
the Japanese Ground Self Defense Force, started in 1980. In 1984 Mitsubishi
Heavy Industry manufactured two prototypes and the JGSDF officially adopted
the Type 89 ICV in 1988. Its main armaments are the Elikon KDE 35mm machine
gun along with a 7.62mm machine gun fitted to its turret. On either side
it is equipped with launchers for anti-ship-and-tank guided missiles.
The Type 89 ICV displays its great firepower against fighting ships and
tanks, using its missiles that have a range up to 4 km. It also features
6 spherical portholes on both sides and at the rear of its hull, making
it possible for soldiers to fire from inside the vehicle. Although this
vehicle was criticized for its great expense as well as its defiance of
the worldwide trend of abolishing portholes, it is superior in performance
in comparison to any existing ICV in any armies of the world.
The Kit
The kit consists of 400 parts supplied on 5 trees molded in olive drab
colored plastic. One of the trees is molded in light gray plastic and
contains 4 full figures. 2 crew figures and 2 infantry figures with all
of their gear are included.
The parts are all well molded and there is virtually no flash. Also
included are a sheet of mesh, a length of vinyl tube and a sheet of clear
acetate for the periscope lenses. The upper hull features some of the
nicest molding that I have seen. The air intakes have all of the louvers
molded in under a fine mesh grid. You really need to see this to appreciate
the quality of this type of molding. This rivals anything that Tamiya
is doing.
The track links are supplied as rubber band type, but the level of detail
is amazing. The detail on each track block rivals that of any of the individual
links on the market. A nice decal sheet is included and features markings
for 13 different vehicles, 5 of which feature very unique turret artwork.
The decals are printed beautifully and the registration is perfect.
The instruction book is broken down into 24 steps of which 7 are dedicated
to just the turret! Also featured are a full parts layout and a very nice
painting guide.
The box art shows a very colorful camouflage paint scheme with the vehicle
in a medium gray and an intermediate blue color. Painting details are
called out during construction and only Gunze Mr. Color numbers are used.
Conclusions
This looks to be a very nice kit with wonderful detail and the opportunity
to apply a colorful camouflage pattern with some equally colorful decals.
This should be a great kit to build straight out of the box. The detail
is great and the inclusion of the 4 figures is a welcome bonus. If you
want to add a unique modern combat vehicle to your collection, then this
one is a must have! Highly recommended!
My thanks to Stevens International for the review sample.
|
|
