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In-Box Review
135
U.S. M2 Halfrack Stowage Set
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by: Jim Rae [ JIMBRAE ]

Introduction


Look at almost any image of U.S. vehicles in the field during WWII, and one thing will become apparent - they carried an awful lot of extra equipment. Therefore, to produce a convincing model, some stowage will be necessary.

As the crews of these vehicles effectively lived in them for months on end, inevitably extra gear would be 'acquired' along with more 'personalized' touches. There have certainly been a number of sets produced for the M2 H/T recently, however few have contained quite as much as this new set from Legend Productions..


Legend's New Set


The South Korean manufacturer, Legend Productions have gradually been producing a series of stowage sets for a variety of Allied vehicles, the U.S. Sherman and the Firefly are just two of them, now they have been joined by LF1150 - U.S. M2 HalfTrack Stowage set. The set comes packed in a sturdy cardboard box with the contents inside a snap-top plastic bag and the bag wrapped in bubble-wrap.


in detail


Although the set, is designed with the M2 halftrack in mind, it will be useable with the M4 Mortar Carrier and (with the exception of one part) for the forthcoming M3 Halftrack. I would imagine, that in the case of the latter, Legend will produce a similar set with the two, rear-mounted, folding storage racks...

With this review, i'll look at some of the key components of the set and where they are designed to be used:

Front Mudguards/Radiator Grille: The often-seen large 'rolls' are included (curved) for the front mudguards. Also included, is a convincingly cast roll of barbed-wire which angles over the radiator onto the front roller/winch on the front mudguards. On the box-top illustration some suggestions are given as to where these can be placed although the armored cover over the winshield was often left propped open with items stored on top of it. Two replacement jerrycans and their holders are provided for positioning just forward of the front doors.

Rear: As mentioned previously, a large storage box is provided for the rear hull with a wide variety of smaller equipment moulded onto it - this is a really beautifully done piece which with careful painting will look very convincing indeed.

Sides: two large castings make up the principal parts for the side stowage. For the left-hand side, this consists of an amazingly-done piece with centered on two logs (frequently used by crews to give traction to bogged-down vehicles) this is cast with with additional storage rolls and infantry haversacks. On the right-hand side, a similarly large piece is provided with a series of stowed rolls with a rolled camo. net.

Crew compartment: a variety of standard-issue and more personalized items are provided to give a more personal touch to the compartment. These include a couple of Thompson SMGs, helmets (with covers) equipment pouches, .30 and .50 calibre ammo boxes a small lubricating oil drum and some more stowage rolls. The 'personalized' touch is provided with some wine bottles, a small milk churn, a cople of buckets and a rather nicely-designed hurricane lamp.

Casting: Quality of the casting is, as we have come to expect from Legend, impeccable. No bubbles or damage are present and definition on such items as buckles is crisp and clean.

Mould Attachment Points: most of the parts will need very careful removal. Some of the resin parts come with pretty substantial 'plugs' will require a degree of planning to remove along with the use of a razor-saw. In the majority of cases, the plug is on the bottom so they shouldn't be noticeable.


Conclusions


There is a lot contained within this set. I tend to think it should be used between a couple of Half-Track models rather than all stuck on one vehicle. However, like their M4 Stowage, there is a lot of value for money in this set and sufficient parts to decide what you want to use. A lot of the stowage is, once again, suitable 'generic' allowing it to be used on anything from Armored Cars to Pershings making this set very flexible indeed - something which Legend have done on all their other stowage sets.

Very Highly Recommended
SUMMARY
The Korean Manufacturer, Legend Productions, are rapidly getting a name for themselves with their increasingly large range of stowage sets - this, for the M2 Halftrack, is a set which well have many applications for a variety of U.S. vehicles, not just for the Halftrack...
Percentage Rating
90%
  Scale: 1:35
  Mfg. ID: LF1150
  Suggested Retail: $29.98
  PUBLISHED: Aug 05, 2007
  NATIONALITY: United States
NETWORK-WIDE AVERAGE RATINGS
  THIS REVIEWER: 88.06%
  MAKER/PUBLISHER: 87.61%

Our Thanks to Legend Productions!
This item was provided by them for the purpose of having it reviewed on this KitMaker Network site. If you would like your kit, book, or product reviewed, please contact us.

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About Jim Rae (jimbrae)
FROM: PROVINCIA DE LUGO, SPAIN / ESPAñA

Self-employed English teacher living in NW Spain. Been modelling off and on since the sixties. Came back into the hobby around ten years ago. First love is Soviet Armor with German subjects running a close second. Currently exploring ways of getting cloned to allow time for modelling, working and wr...

Copyright ©2021 text by Jim Rae [ JIMBRAE ]. All rights reserved.



Comments

Thanks Jim, looks like a useful set.
AUG 07, 2007 - 06:13 AM
That's certainly a load for multiple vehicles. Lots of bang for the buck on this one. Chris "toadman" Hughes Toadman's Tank Pictures
AUG 07, 2007 - 06:15 AM
The legend stowage sets really are value for money but there's a lot of cutting to do from the plugs so eat your spinach before starting
AUG 07, 2007 - 07:25 AM
   
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