"AiM 1/100th Pucara Review" Topic

I've just received the much-anticipated 1/100th Pucara model from Dave Schmid at Armaments in Miniature and thought I'd give my first impressions:

The model is very crisply cast in Dave's customary cream-coloured resin, which is a lovely material: light, very slightly flexible (so isn't prone to breakage) with a slightly rough finish, so it takes paint well.

The quality of modelling is (as always) superb – not the slightest hint of a mould-line or flaw and absolutely nothing whatsoever to do in terms of cleaning up the model. The modelling is spot-on, with all the panel lines, control surfaces and gun-ports neatly and crisply picked out. All the dimensions fit the scale and match the three-elevation view in front of me, including the distinctive anhedral 'crank' to the wings.

Most of the aircraft (fuselage, wings, engines and tailfin) is cast as a single piece. The tailplane is cast as a separate piece and fits perfectly, with aid of a locating lug and hole, on top of the tailfin.

There are two separate napalm tanks (I think that's what they are?) for the under-wing harpoints. The centreline hardpoint has the option of a large drop-tank or a three-bomb rack. Like his other models, prop blades aren't included.

Sorry for the lack of a photo, but I'm in work without a camera! I will photograph it once I've painted it and taken it home.

Dave hasn't done any decals for the Pucara yet, but I'm sure they are in the pipeline, as he does decals to complement every other model in the range. That said, I generally like to paint my own markings, so that doesn't really bother me.

In conclusion then, Dave has excelled himself once again with a truly perfect model of a highly unusual (though bloody essential if you want to do the Falklands) aircraft. I am a very happy man indeed and I will definitely be ordering another one of these soon.

Useful review – thanks! Personally I'm hanging out for Dave to do a FROGFOOT, which he has hinted out for the not too distant….

Sounds great!

Rocket pods would be a useful addition, if they are available.

Mako,

The napalm tanks (if that's what they are) look exactly like the ones hanging off the Duxford Pucara (below). You could actually saw the noses off the pods to make passable rocket pods of the cylyndrical US 70mm type carried by the the Pucara (bottom). I think they're the same type as often used on AH-1s, etc, so perhaps you could loot some from another kit?

The rocket pods (?) in the photo above are included in the kit with the Pucara. They are not wing mounted fuel tanks. They may be a bit shorter than shown but I did not have the photo above to go by. There is a large center line tank that is the fuel tank or I guess could be used as a napalm tank.

Excellent!

Cheers Dave,

I thought they were napalm tanks (which often don't have tailfins). Having done a bit of reading, I see that the rocket pods have an aerodynamic fairing on the leading edge that pops off when the rockets are fired (which is what's pictured on the Duxford photo above).