|
A very brief history
The Dennis 3 ton truck was one of the more numerous lorries used by the British military during World War One, with something in the order of 7,000 vehicles obtained.
Powered by an inline 4-cylinder gasoline engine, it was able to reach a top speed of 55mph and to climb gradients as steep as 1 in 6.
The kit
The kit is packaged in a very sturdy box. Everything inside was protected with clear plastics bags. The majority of the parts are injected polystyrene plastic mainly
for the cab and body. These total 108 pieces spread over three frames. Attachment points are a bit thick and in a few places impinge on the matting surface. There is the
odd bit off flash here and there. I like that there are no ejector pin marks anywhere.
Many of the minor detail parts, plus fenders and engine hood, come on the photo-etched fret. The fender parts will require annealing to allow them to be bent properly.
A block of eight 3D printed parts round out the vehicle pieces, for the engine and transmission.
The instruction sheet is A4 sized and has a total of 30 steps. Each step is of the exploded parts diagram style, but clearly presented. There are separate sheets for
the parts diagram and a template to make the canvas bed cover and cabin cover. Armory also has available a replacement 3D printed covers as part no. AR AC7314
(preview here).
Decal images are crisp looking though I suspect their density may be a bit lacking and allow the green camouflage to bleed through. They also look a bit on the thick side
and may need some work with setting solutions. A total of eight marking options are included, all camouflaged in khaki brown-green, as follows:
- WD no. ^61356, plate no. BF5597, New Zealand Division, France 1917-18
- WD no. ^61353, no plate no., New Zealand Division, France 1917-18
- WD no. ^51501, no plate no., unknown unit, France 1914-15
- WD no. ^26306, no plate no., unknown unit, France 1914-15
- WD no. ^43753, no plate no., unknown unit, France 1914-15
- WD no. ^38397, no plate no., unknown unit, France 1914-15 (this is the vehicle depicted on the box top cover)
- WD no. ^38402, no plate no., unknown unit, France 1914-15
- no WD no., no plate no., Drivers Instruction Unit, France 1914-15
I was unable to find period photos of any of the marking options except for truck 38397.
Conclusion
A very nice looking kit in the box. The complicated multi-part frame and suspension may prove to be a bit troublesome to get aligned properly. I think a more simplified approach
here would better serve the average builder. With that said, the detail is excellent and with some patience during the construction process should result in an exceptional
model.
References
[1] Dennis Truck Find (has period photo of truck 38397)
[2] armorama.com (walk around of restored truck 61356)
[3] keymilitary.com
[4] spartacus educational
[5] The War Archives: Allied Tanks, Trucks and Weapons of World War I, Pat Ware (ed.), Kelsey Publishing Group, Cudham, Kent 2013 ISBN: 978-1-909786-23-3 (contains line drawing of Dennis 3t truck)
Preview sample supplied by Taras Karabyn of Armory.
|
