SCALE: 1/35 and 1/72

David Grummitt

Vespid Models have firmly established themselves as one of the leading manufacturers of small-scale military kits, but they have now entered the 1/35-scale market with a kit of the Eagle IV German Utility Vehicle 2011 Production (ref. VS350001). The Mowag Eagle is a series of wheeled armoured vehicle designed by Mowag a Swiss company now owned by GDELS (General Dynamics European Land Systems). The Eagle IV is based on the chassis of the Mowag Duro IIIP. It was introduced commercially in November 2003 and received its IOC (initial operational capability) in 2004 with the Danish Army. It was later purchased by the German Army as one of its main armoured mobility vehicle. The Bundeswehr has almost 500 Eagle IVs and their saw service with ISAF in Afghanistan. Vespid’s kit comes in two versions, the regular and the deluxe edition. Both contain eight sprues of crisply moulded grey plastic, a clear sprue, a die-cut mask for the glazing, a sheet of photoetch and a mirror sticker. The major body components (chassis frame, cab, bonnet) are moulded and bagged separately, while the deluxe edition also includes some exquisite 3D-printed wheels. Decals are provided for three ISAF vehicles and one serving in Europe. The level of detail is breathtaking and this an accordingly complex kit that will need some care and planning in both construction and painting. If modern NATO vehicles are your thing, this is one kit you will not want to be without.