Historica Production
1/35ème
Article, maquette et photos de Gabriele Luciani
That article is published by a special permission by http://modellismo.lineaweb.net/
To continuation
of the operating experiences of the Regio Esercito in North Africa, came given
impulse to the new development of an other light motor vehicle, for the
exploration and always called camionetta.
After the type mod. 42 studied and produced from the SPA and the Viberti
Carrozzeria, on the base of armoured car AB 40/41, passed to study of type mod. the 43, that, in spite
of the loss of the italians territories in Africa, was produced in the summer of
1943 in beyond 160 exemplary. Some came register with the plates of the Regio
Esercito, but an operating use is documented with photo, in function anti
guerrilla, from German part of these means with to other AS 43, produced after
the italian armistice.
Also the military formations of the Italian Social Republic (Repubblica Sociale Italiana) had some AS 43 on the base of which, in april of 1944 the Viberti developed an armored car that came armed with the turret of L 6 tank, whose production was stopped in the first half of 1943 (evidently was still made unusable supplies...). Called "special auto body", from May 1944 it was produced in an approximate number : there is the certainty that at least two were use you from the armored group Leonessa of the Guardia Nazionale Repubblicana of R.S.I., perhaps also they used in employs anti guerrilla or for public order with base in the city of Turin at least until January 1945. The external shape of this armored car is much characteristic : if not there were the turret it would seem in effects one "bat mobile"! To the same one, the famous expert Nicola Pignato dedicated a short article with photo and a 1/35 scale drawing, published on number 1/1976 of IPMS Italy Magazine; other news is in Atlante dei Mezzi Corazzati vol. 2 and in Dalla Libia al Libano (with a scale drawing still more exact), both always from Prof. Pignato; interesting photos of the inside instead on issue July 1995 of italian magazine Storia Militare.
Also the military formations of the Italian Social Republic (Repubblica Sociale Italiana) had some AS 43 on the base of which, in april of 1944 the Viberti developed an armored car that came armed with the turret of L 6 tank, whose production was stopped in the first half of 1943 (evidently was still made unusable supplies...). Called "special auto body", from May 1944 it was produced in an approximate number : there is the certainty that at least two were use you from the armored group Leonessa of the Guardia Nazionale Repubblicana of R.S.I., perhaps also they used in employs anti guerrilla or for public order with base in the city of Turin at least until January 1945. The external shape of this armored car is much characteristic : if not there were the turret it would seem in effects one "bat mobile"! To the same one, the famous expert Nicola Pignato dedicated a short article with photo and a 1/35 scale drawing, published on number 1/1976 of IPMS Italy Magazine; other news is in Atlante dei Mezzi Corazzati vol. 2 and in Dalla Libia al Libano (with a scale drawing still more exact), both always from Prof. Pignato; interesting photos of the inside instead on issue July 1995 of italian magazine Storia Militare.
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To that armoured car only the Historica,
an italian firm of Padova, during 2004 has finally
proposed a kit of 41 pieces all in resin, of very good quality and nearly of all
the free one from withdrawals, with a clear sheet instructions (with chips of
the three colors used in the camouflage of Italian
army veapons from 1943 in then and where the
identification of pieces and their respective assemblage is described with
photo) and a small set of decals. As in
order nearly all the models realized in resin, before
leaving for the construction, must be cleaned up pieces from the residual of
the stamp, operation that for this kit of the Historica finish in few
time, even if someone of the smaller and delicate pieces demand a greater
attention (to operate however ALWAYS in atmospheres very it ventilates when the
abrasive paper is passed on pieces; still better to use a template on the ace in
order to avoid of inhaler the resin powder that is developed to continuation of
the abrasion on pieces).
Nearly of the all superfluous then use of the putty. In good substance, the model is composed from an only large piece (no. 4) representing the body of the armoured car (this is empty to its inside) and from an other piece that is the platform-car of the vain combat reproduces (is already the two seats for pilot and mechanic, the reproduction of ammunitions from 20 millimetre for the arm in turret: the Historica here, has been based on the photos of the cited number of italian magazine Storia Militare) and the low part of the hull (with to the outside the visible part of the motor here). United these two pieces, we will have completed to 80% the construction : before this it is better to paint the inner walls with opaque white, the seats go entire in semipolish black like steering-gear (piece 9, the only for the inners).
The scarcity of documentation on this armoured car , prevents of being able to less give a judgement on the exact reproduction or of the inner: sure it is that, also with an adequate aging of the coloration, the entirety is enough interesting. Piece n. 4 introduces both the lateral openings and in the kit there are four pieces for the reproduction of the shops: to these last, with thread of branch of adapted diameter, they go added the handles, one small but meaningful adding that gives to the model a remarkable touch of realism. Also the embrasures for the pilot and the mechanic, already are opened and also we find here as pieces separate the two shops (are the pieces numbers 22 ) : with the branch thread the hinges will always go reproduced on the which rolling in order to open themselves or to close themselves. The inners part of all the shops, comprised the two of the turret, will go painted with the same yellow sand of the external coloration.
For the inside of the turret there is the reproduction of the posterior part of the 20 mm machine-gun. All the construction of the model proceeds in sent way and without difficulty : it is only preferable to postpone the union of the four wheels for being more easily able to paint and to grow old they and the spaces where they will go placed. Some small improvements can therefore be realised: as an example with small pieces of brass can be reproduced the couplers for the tools on the posterior part of armor, with branch thread the external hooks for the towing, the handles for the opening of the cowlings motor, the tube on the mudguards of the posterior wheels; two small circles of plastic are suitable to reproduce the two cat’s eye behind the posterior mudguards. Finished the construction of the kit, I have placed the same one on the 1/35 scale drawning published on the cited number of Notiziario IPMS : the kit are short 1,5 milimeter on front of the coat while behind the tail is devoid of average abundant millimeter. Acceptable the reproduction of the beams of the wheels and their outrider.
Nearly of the all superfluous then use of the putty. In good substance, the model is composed from an only large piece (no. 4) representing the body of the armoured car (this is empty to its inside) and from an other piece that is the platform-car of the vain combat reproduces (is already the two seats for pilot and mechanic, the reproduction of ammunitions from 20 millimetre for the arm in turret: the Historica here, has been based on the photos of the cited number of italian magazine Storia Militare) and the low part of the hull (with to the outside the visible part of the motor here). United these two pieces, we will have completed to 80% the construction : before this it is better to paint the inner walls with opaque white, the seats go entire in semipolish black like steering-gear (piece 9, the only for the inners).
The scarcity of documentation on this armoured car , prevents of being able to less give a judgement on the exact reproduction or of the inner: sure it is that, also with an adequate aging of the coloration, the entirety is enough interesting. Piece n. 4 introduces both the lateral openings and in the kit there are four pieces for the reproduction of the shops: to these last, with thread of branch of adapted diameter, they go added the handles, one small but meaningful adding that gives to the model a remarkable touch of realism. Also the embrasures for the pilot and the mechanic, already are opened and also we find here as pieces separate the two shops (are the pieces numbers 22 ) : with the branch thread the hinges will always go reproduced on the which rolling in order to open themselves or to close themselves. The inners part of all the shops, comprised the two of the turret, will go painted with the same yellow sand of the external coloration.
For the inside of the turret there is the reproduction of the posterior part of the 20 mm machine-gun. All the construction of the model proceeds in sent way and without difficulty : it is only preferable to postpone the union of the four wheels for being more easily able to paint and to grow old they and the spaces where they will go placed. Some small improvements can therefore be realised: as an example with small pieces of brass can be reproduced the couplers for the tools on the posterior part of armor, with branch thread the external hooks for the towing, the handles for the opening of the cowlings motor, the tube on the mudguards of the posterior wheels; two small circles of plastic are suitable to reproduce the two cat’s eye behind the posterior mudguards. Finished the construction of the kit, I have placed the same one on the 1/35 scale drawning published on the cited number of Notiziario IPMS : the kit are short 1,5 milimeter on front of the coat while behind the tail is devoid of average abundant millimeter. Acceptable the reproduction of the beams of the wheels and their outrider.
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For the external coloration the prototype seems to have one camouflage with
specks of dark green and red rust on the yellow clear sand: it is possible to
reproduce them with Humbrol enamel 149, 113 and 74. From the photos realised from the Viberti and
then published to pag. 54 of issue 7/95 of Storia Militare magazine (seen of ¾
posterior right) and to pag. 596 of "Mecanizzazione dell’esercitofino al 1943" of
Ceva and Curami, from
historical bureau of Italian Army (seen of ¾ front left), brought back on the
sheet instructions of the Historica, is possible to seen a difference of tonality of the spots. At least one
armoured car in service in the GNR was
coloured with monochromatic yellow sand:
a clearest photo of one of these means in maintenance, published little time makes
on Japanese web site, and a photo on the
sheet instructions of the kit, removes every doubt. Other photos of two armoured
cars in parade to Turin in May 1944 and of an analogous manifestation always to
Turin in January 1945 where there is only a copy, show these means with one coloration to
irregular specks and of difficulty identifiable colour, probably made in the
workshop of the unit. Wanting therefore
to reproduce an operating copy but without particular problems, I have realised
one armoured car in service in the GNR
with the single yellow colour sand, on which I have applied without difficulty on two front slabs of the turret
the decals that they reproduce the logo of the GNR (in truth of it would have
been necessary at least also one on
the posterior shop) and the plate. I
have then proceeded with a heavy aging passing of the
clear gray, a lot diluted and passed with the
airbrush, on the bottom of means, the outrider of the wheels (as usual I have
reproduced the tires with the dark gray Tamiya) to the inside of the mudguards. I have
soiled the model with powder of coulored crayons
(mixing to the brown a few of black and of yellow) insisting on the lower parts
and the zones of union of the mudguards to the hull. I have then evidenced the chines with a light
aluminium passage with the technique of the dry paint-brush and the losses of
benzine from the stopper of the tank with an old one
tensocrom of the Lifecolor. In
conclusion a nice model easy to assemble.