1:35 M48A3 Mod. B - DRAGON

The M48 was a development of the M47, and it performed an interim role until the arrival of the M60 main battle tank. The M48 was the primary tank of the US Army and US Marine Corps (USMC) during the vicious Vietnam War. The new kit represents the M48A3 variant, which the army accepted into service in February 1963 and the USMC the following year. M48A3s featured a new diesel engine and a range of features were apparent because all were converted from older variants. The USA would deploy more than 600 M48s to Vietnam, the first arriving in-country in 1965. They performed well in the infantry support role, but there were few tank-versus-tank clashes. Many M48A3s were later handed over to the Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN) when US troops began leaving the country.

THE KIT:

• Handrails on turret match those of original
• Newly designed M48A3 with intricate detail
• Gun travel lock can be assembled either stowed or in use
• Authentic 90mm M41 gun and detailed .50 cal MG
• 3-directional slide-molded turret with realistic cast texture and detail
• Loader's hatch and commander's cupola can be assembled open or closed
• Well-defined turret with antenna and crisply molded stowage rack
• Tow cables included
• One-piece slide-molded upper and lower hulls with delicate cast pattern and detail
• Rear hull with authentic grill and tow pintles
• Cupola realistically represented, including clear-plastic periscope
• Trunnion for elevating 90mm M41 gun included
• Headlights with subtle detail realistically produced
• Delicately detailed fenders with toolboxes
• Fender edges with delicate bolt heads molded in place
• Sprockets and road wheels assembled from multiple parts
• Suspension system formed from multiple parts
• Jerrycan finely produced
• Casting numbers molded on M48A3
• Hull rear with authentic engine grille and hocks molded-on details
• Front vision ports including crystal clear parts
• Coincidence rangefinder mounted on turret side
• Detailed one-piece DS tracks.