Armory

M41 A1/A2 Walker Bulldog

Kit #: AR72412 Preview by F. Giovagnorio

The M41 Walker Bulldog was an American light tank designed as a replacement for the M24 Chaffee tank. The M41 was the first postwar American light tank to see worldwide service, and was exported in considerable numbers by the US, particularly to Asia and South America. It was used in great numbers by the Army of the Republic of Vietnam, with great results against NVA tanks like the PT-76 and even T-54s and T-59s.

The parts

On opening the box, you find 5 sprues in light grey plastic, 1 resin piece with a rendition of the Browning .50 MG with its ammo box, 1 rather large group of PE parts and 1 set of decals.


 


 


Some preliminary observations

Being a limited-run kit, you get quite an excessive amount of flash in some places, particularly around the wheels, some molding defects (look at the rubber pads on the tracks) and a detail which a little soft in some places. Some typical features of the M41 are not reproduced, such as the typical transition line between the welded and cast parts of the turret and the eight holes on the perimeter of the idler wheels; others features might be missing, I just had not enough time to find them all. While it is not difficult to make the welding beam, drilling eight oval holes on a tiny and thin piece of plastic is another thing.

On the other hand, many little details are photoetched, which will guarantee extreme detail and finesse in many places: even the small handles around the grilles on the deck are photoetched, and putting them all in place will be a nightmare: however, the final effect is going to be astonishing !

Instruction manual

Six B&W pages detailing the 17 steps of the build: at first glance, it looks as some steps need to be studied very carefully to avoid mistakes.

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Two color tables illustrate the two vehicles proposed, both from the US Army, one in Panama, 1962, the other in Vietnam, 1968.
 

Conclusions

Braille scale modellers interested in modern armor had been waiting for a kit of the M41 (and of the M47, but that is another story...), and here it is.

Everything you need to build a beautiful model of an M41 is inside, you just need to add some work to overcome the small limitations of the kit: but this is what serious modelling is really about, right ?.

Review sample provided by Armory

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Article Last Updated: 12 July 2019