Aoshima 1/72 Japan Ground Self Defense Force 3½t Fuel Tank Vehicle Kit First Look

By Dave Manter

First Look

The JGSDF 3 1/2t truck is a cab-over-engine truck used for personnel and cargo transportation. It is deployed by all units of the JGSDF. It is most often seen by the public during regular military exercise, transportation and for assistance after natural disasters. The fuel tank version is mainly assigned to Logistic Support regiments, utilized for fuel supply to tanks, armored vehicles and other various vehicles in the field. The truck has been in continuous production since 1999.

The Aoshima Kit of the 3 1/2t JGSDF fuel tank truck consists of 106 styrene parts molded in dark green and 7 parts molded in clear. All parts feature nice details and very little flash. The decal sheet is very well printed and in registration. The instruction sheet is very well written and will be easy to follow. The drawings are clear and detailed. The cab features nice interior details and the chassis has nice details on the suspension and drivetrain. Painting instructions are called out during construction. The fuel tank is designed to hide the joint line with an easy assembling sequence. All of the parts to build a standard cargo version are also included.

The kit looks good in the box and I do not see any problems with construction.

My sincere thanks to DragonModels USA for this review sample!