Academy

1/72 M1126 Stryker

Kit Number: 13411

Reviewed by  Chuck Bush, IPMS# 42838

MSRP: $19.00 Kit Supplied MRC/Academy: www.modelrec.com Academy has given us a very nice kit of the M1126 Stryker Infantry Carrier Vehicle. The kit comprises 101 parts molded in dark green plastic. My sample has no flash, the few ejector pin marks are where they won't be seen and the molding is crisp. The hatches may be shown opened or closed, but there is no interior detail. The detail on the upper hull is outstanding. The instruction sheet is clear and well drawn, with a handy parts map and four photos of the finished model.

The decal sheet includes markings for two vehicles, one in Germany and one in South Korea in 2003. Although the box describes this vehicle as being used in Iraq and Afghanistan, there are no markings for vehicles from these TOAs. I found the suspension to be the most challenging part of the build. Each of the four front axles is made up of 4 parts, the rear four of 2 parts. Great care must be taken to get all 8 wheels to touch the ground. The weapons station features a single machine gun and 8 smoke launchers and looks really good when completed. Overall, the fit of the parts is excellent and the detail is outstanding. I highly recommend it for intermediate modelers or above. Eduard has a slat armor set (#22129) and an exterior set (#22127) for the Trumpeter kit which should work with this kit. They are $24.95 each on the Eduard web site. I used Hunnicutt's "Armored Car" as my reference for this build. Thanks to MRC, Academy, and IPMS USA for the review kit.

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