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In-Box Review
172
M60A1 Accessories Set
M60A1 Accessories Set for Revell M60A1 kit
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by: Kent McKesson [ MACTRUCKS ]

INTRODUCTION

The M60 Patton series of tanks served the United States armed services beginning in 1959. Though no longer serving active duty for the United States, some are still in service with foreign nations today. The original M60 underwent a number of upgrades over the years to improve performance and reliability.

One variant, the M60A1 last saw active service with the United States Marines during the invasion of Kuwait. It had been through several inline upgrades, the last change being the inclusion of explosive reactive armor (ERA). The most common successor is the M60A3, but both served during the same period.

CONTENTS

The accessories are intended to be used with Revell kit number 03168, M60A1 with ERA, though Black Dog does not specify the kit. All parts are crisply molded in grey resin with large molding blocks. I found the molding blocks to be very easy to remove. Almost as though you could snap them off, however this is definitely not advised.

REVIEW

The set includes a number of items not commonly found on M60A1 with ERA installed. These could be omitted, but I have found references online that show USMC M60A1 tanks in Desert Storm with the full resin set. The set is worth the turret stowage details alone, so you won’t regret if you opt to leave the pieces off forward of the drivers hatch or back at the engine exhaust. Some stowage is specifically fitted to ERA panels, but the turret basket as well as some of the individual items may work with the M60A1 without ERA or M60A3 kit as well.

Though technically, I am considering this an out-of-the-box review, I did check parts fit. All parts fit well to the kit parts. Every lump and bump on the kit part is molded into the back of the resin parts providing a snug fit and positive location of the parts. I’ve test fit every resin part to the kit parts and found no fit problems at all.

Detail on the resin parts is excellent. Often in Braille scale features are soft, vague, or missing details commonly expected on 1/35 scale parts. This set, however, has detail that makes me wonder if it weren’t literally shrunken from a larger scale. I am often reluctant to buy resin accessories due to past experiences with poor fit, marginal quality, or simple blobs that vaguely give the impression of detail. This set would influence me to buy Black Dog's other Braille scale offerings for modern AFVs.

CONCLUSION

This set could be used by model builders of nearly all skill levels. Removal of the molding blocks isn’t quite as simple as removing parts from sprues, but I was able to crudely remove some blocks without much difficulty. While you might have some reservations about spending as much on accessories as you do the kit, a quality set like this will make it worthwhile. It will also give you something with a little more “life” to it that doesn’t make your model look like a simple museum piece.

A review of the Revell M60A1 can be found Here on Armorama.
SUMMARY
Highs: Crisp detailed features, excellent fit of parts, easy to remove from trees.
Lows: Some included details are difficult to find reference information for usage.
Verdict: Highly recommended. A good set for builders of all skills.
Percentage Rating
95%
  Scale: 1:72
  Mfg. ID: T72017
  Suggested Retail: $20 US
  Related Link: Black Dog 1/72 Armor Sets
  PUBLISHED: May 15, 2010
  NATIONALITY: United States
NETWORK-WIDE AVERAGE RATINGS
  THIS REVIEWER: 89.33%
  MAKER/PUBLISHER: 88.33%

Our Thanks to Black Dog!
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 Kent McKesson (MacTrucks)
FROM: INDIANA, UNITED STATES

I've been modelling for over 30 years now, starting with Monogram snap-kits back in the 1970's. Unlike some, I've never really stopped modeling, even during my teen years and college, but I've had some spells where I didn't build quickly. Modeling interests include 1/72 Vietnam era and modern mili...

Copyright ©2021 text by Kent McKesson [ MACTRUCKS ]. All rights reserved.



Comments

And there is the other reason why I reviewed the Revell kit. Kind of a two-for-one pair of reviews.
MAY 17, 2010 - 11:03 AM
Thanks for the review Kent. I still can't believe that's 1/72 scale
MAY 17, 2010 - 12:58 PM
   
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