Tamiya

1/35 - WWII U.S. Field Maintenance Yard

Kit Number: 25106

Reviewed by  Mark Aldrich, IPMS# 39295

MSRP: $27.95 Website: www.tamiyausa.com With Tamiya and Italeri in bed together, many items offered from each company are making a comeback. Some of these releases are by themselves and others with parts from each company. This is a case of the latter. Most of the parts are from Italeri and a smaller sprue is provided by Tamiya. This is listed on the box as limited edition so if you desire this kit, you may want to get your hands on one before they disappear. Limited Edition means once it disappears, the price shoots up astronomically. Just look for the Tamiya Red Ball Express and you will know what I mean. The release is neither new nor exciting. However, if you are thinking of doing a WWII maintenance scene, diorama or vignette, this set is a must. The really neat part is that depending on the tools, these can also be used with the current range of 1/35 helicopters and in a pinch…..1/32 aircraft. You can also use some as a starting point for modification or kit bashing.

You get the original two sprues that came in the Italeri Field Tool Shop plus a Tamiya sprue that originally came in the U.S. 2 ½ Ton 6x6 Red Ball Express kit. The two original Italeri sprues are now a dark gray instead of the dark green. You get 99 pieces on the Italeri sprues that allow you to build the following items. With the Italeri sprues you get to build a frame hoist, 55 gallon drum with hand pump, 30 gallon drum with wooden rack, six gas cylinders and a wheeled cart to hold two of them, a wheeled air compressor and paint guns, a wooden ladder, a wooden work bench and table vise, an anvil, two different types of American style jacks, two German tank jacks (one compressed and one extended), one closed up tool box, one metal box, a 5 gallon oil can and funnel, a handled metal can, and several hand held and specialty tools. The one Tamiya sprue contains 40 parts and allows you to build two figures, three gas cylinders with cutting torch and vinyl tubing and a bench vise. Tamiya also includes a nice jig to use in the assembly of the gas cylinders. You get the options of three different heads for the figures. There are also several items on this Tamiya sprue that are not used. They appear to be parts of a towing bar or such device. I would like to thank Tamiya for repacking this nice addition to the armor modeling arena and for providing the review sample, and IPMS/USA for a place to post this review. Have fun; build an armor or aircraft maintenance scene.