ESCI – 8305 – M113 A1 APC

Description:

M113 A1 APC

Unassembled plastic model kit in 1/72 scale of a U.S. M113 armored personnel carrier, in service since 1960 and produced in over 80.000 units all variants together. The armored personnel carrier variant depicted by this kit is an A1 variant, introduced in 1964 with a diesel engine.

This is the base kit of a family of derived vehicles released between 1987 and 1988, all of them with link and length tracks, despite initially being released as ESCI and not ESCI-Ertl. This year, 1987, was the last year where products were only labelled ESCI.

When ESCI / ESCI-Ertl, tooled this kit, did one of the common simplifications of the brand, double-width wheels without space in the middle, instead of two separate parts, and tracks without inner guide teeth and poor inner detail. In this model, as upper side of the tracks is not visible the final effect is less bad than in other models, but is not good anyway. This series and other tooled new in the 87/88 introduced another simplification, very common later by most of the manufacturers, and not of taste of everyone, but in any case, a simplification that drives to less detail, the tools moulded in a single piece with upper hulls, like shovels and others.

The kit is correct in size and measures, it’s overall right, it lacks of a proper inner detail, and lot of it can be exposed by letting hatches open, as well as these interior parts have several pin ejection marks and in some castings they also have sinkholes.

Note than when Italeri released Italeri – 7011 – M113 A1 ACAV, it’s not exactly a re-issue of this kit, as it has the parts for the rear MGs as well as shield and cupola shield for the commanders MG not present in this kit. But curiously, those are ESCI parts that appear for example at ESCI – 8601 – M113 ACAV with U.S Special Forces but not in any of the stand-alone M113 releases. The reason why the ACAV variant was never released as single kit by ESCI/ESCI-Ertl is unknown for us.

Though the ESCI kits for the M113 series are correct, and can be used and useful, nowadays Trumpeter depiction of the subject is considered better, though not perfect for the most exigent hobbyists, for example Trumpeter – 07238 – US M113A1 Armored Car and Trumpeter – 07237 – US M113ACAV Armored Car.