I’ve search all over the web to find a review for that kit from Academy
Academy 1335 1/35 M2 Bradley Us Army Infantry Fighting Vehicle
How is that kit? I’m not to crazy with accuracy but I like to know what to expect from a kit.
Thanks
whoa, that was my first armor kit. if i remember everything was ok, fit was good, and i don’t remember any issues (i may be wrong, i was 12)
I have one here but haven’t built it yet, so I can’t comment about the fit or any build issues.
It’s a more or less exact clone of the mid-80’s Tamiya kit, with interior. Moulding isn’t quite as sharp in some parts, but still quite good.
It does lack the clear sheet that Tamiya provides, so you don’t get the insert for the gunsight windows or the little optical sight reticle that goes on the external gunsight arm.
The worst feature of the kit is the postage stamp sized decal sheet which only provides the bumper numbers and serial number (?) for a single vehicle. The skirt chevrons depicted on the boxtop pic aren’t included.
Oh, and the very finely moulded intake grille has an impossible to fill depression/sink mark right smack in the middle.
Overall, it’s a nice little kit though, and the price is good, for what you get in the box.
I’ve built it before and this kit doesn’t have any major fitting issues. I think some of folks here used interior from this kit to update on OIF kit.
Very good, thank you guys. So the tracks are OK on that one, right?
The kit was a knock off of the Tamiya kit, but also included a copy of Tamiya modern (1980s) US infantrymen. Not a bad kit, but not as good as the Tamiya original. This kit and the Tamiya original M2 Bradley are the only ones with the interior compartment. For this reason it is still sought after by people buying the newer releases but wanting an interior.
Now that you mention it, the rubber chevron shaped track pads are moulded reversed on the track shoes compared to the Tamiya tracks. This trait also extends to the more recent Academy M2A2 OIF kit.
Rob, as far as I am aware the (Academy) M2 kit only had the interior and their version of the M3 CFV came with the extra Infantry figures, but no interior.
All right! What are my options then?
I don’t think anyone would notice the difference unless they looked really closely, but if you really want to change the tracks, try to get hold of a set of Tamiya tracks (simplest option).
There are other options but I think they would be overkill for this particular kit. eg. Friul have a set of “early” tracks, or you could possibly use the link and length tracks from Dragon’s M270 MLRS kit.
My mistake on the figures. I have built both kits, but didn’t remember which figures came with which kit because I didn’t use them.
As far as tracks, Fruil Models makes both early and late tracks, but at $40 a pop, hardly worth it for this old kit. Modelkasten makes a set as well at a comparable price. Once upon a time Academy made a set of individual links for their Bradley/LVTP kits. It sold for around $7 and would be your best bet and cheapest option.
Many thanks guys, I appreciate your feedback.
Tank Rats AFV depot has friuls for 32 bucks a pop. It comes out to abotu 40 with shipping, but thats better then 40 plus 15 for shipping bringing the total to like 55.
It is not a bad kit, as the others have said. It is great for a donor kit for the interior for later model Bradleys though. Another option on the track is the Academy individual link track set. They made/make a set of indi links for it. They also fit the M270 MLRS and LVTP7 series of vehicles as well. As Phil said though, most will not be able to notice the track issue though.
Good luck.
Thanks for your input Gino. I’ve check with Luckymodel and they can’t have the Academy’s individual track link set anymore. If it is not that noticeable, I’ll leave it that way then. I don’t want to bring that model into contests anyway … so.
Yann, you might want to do a search on here about this vehicle too. I asked about this kit sometime ago & our man Gino replied that whilst the interior was a very usable part of the model, unfortunately the exterior represents a very early variant of the vehicle - pre '91 ODS - with flotation bladder attached along the glacis & hull length. From memory there were some other glaring discrepancies too, which I can’t remember right now. Still, it’s up to you which vehicle you want to model… For me, it’s been shelved until I can track down the Tamiya kit…
The thread Shaun is referring to is here: /forums/783289/ShowPost.aspx
Actually, this kit is a nice representation of a mid-late 80’s “original” M2 Bradley (sometimes referred to as an “A0” though that designation was, as far as I know, not used officially). It’s quite ok for the version it represents, but as mentioned in the other thread, a challenge if you wish to build a later (ie. ODS or OIF) model vehicle.
Again, I humbly agree with my good man Phil. The kit is a good representation of an M2A0 from the late '80s to early '90s.
Thank you guys. I don’t mind building an 80s model. I have no precise project for that kit, I just want it to be a nice looking model of an existing Bradley.
What I wouldn’t like is having a model that represents an early Bradley but with the improper cannon or turret let’s say. That I couldn’t stand. But if the tank existed in that version in a particular year, it’s fine.
Thanks again.
That’s fine Yann, but just so you’re aware, Academy’s Brad is like a pre-production/eval model. It would be extremely hard to locate any ref pics for it, since most of the A0 models were rebuilt before ODS '91 into A1/2 's (IIRC)