1:35 AK Interactive Land Rover 88

[Fran]

 

Land Rover 88

Series IIA Rover 8

 

Catalogue Number AK35012

Price Tag: 37,95€

 

AK Interactive started to release their own brand of models, starting with some rebox.

After that, they enter the injection mold world with the Toyota FJ43 that we build free paint here.

Now we have the pleasure to review the new AK release: the Land Rover 88.

The box art is a very attractive with a 16th/5^th Lancers, from the British army. One thing that is curious and we didn’t saw in the Toyota release is that AK gave the “real name” to it: Land Rover. And you can see the Land Rover logo on the left bottom corner showing that AK got the Land Rover permission (licensed by).

 

 

Opening the box, all the sprues are individually wrapped, the decals sheets are lose as the PE fret. It’s a small decal sheet and PE, so there`s no problem with that. Four tyres (rubber ones) are in a single little bag and a small cardbox inside.

 

 

 

 

Opening that, a fragile piece is inside – a boxed optional canvas. The care of packing is a real plus. Nice AK.

 

 

 

The injection looks very good with the injection pins well placed to avoid some extra work (at least it seems).

Checking the sprues, the amount of parts and the details of the injection parts is really eye-catching because they are in fact really good. One of the best I have seen in 1:35. A few injection marks could be a little trouble as they probably show up after build.

 

 

 

 

 

 

While the suspension is not movable, the detail is outstanding, so you get a full detail engine and full detail gearbox, alongside with radiator, battery, and the entire mechanic associated. Only you have to do is adding wires.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Another thing that AK made possible: option of left or right drive vehicle. And they do not only chance the steering wheel from left to right (with a new tablier design) but they also chance all the wheel drive mechanism. Fantastic!!!

 

The PE fret gives some extra details like the front radiator grill, engine fan and some extra engine details, clamps, windshield up and down, Land rover logo, and license plate.

 

The external detail is also very complete and very well replicated. The final look will be a Land Rover 88 for sure.

 

The instruction booklet is a glossy paper with 38 pages. The assembly instructions are clear, with step-by-step illustrations that guide you through the building process. The sequence of construction is logical, making it relatively easy for both beginners and experienced modelers to follow along.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

No kit is perfect and this have one thing that I don’t like: vinyl rubber tyres. I always get these substitute by resin ones 

 

 

 

 

Another thing. All the mechanical details, the interior detail (with the option for left or right side drive), the hood can be display wide open, and you simply don’t have the option of opening the doors? Probably the open mechanism is hard to achieved…

 

The decals come in a small rectangular sheet, with very good color registration and pigmentation… Nothing to say as they are made by Cartograf.

 

 

AK has provided 7 schemes for this release, which are:

1.    16th/5th Lancers, British Army, Aden, 1965

2.    16th/5th Lancers, British Army, Aden, 1965

3.    45 Commando, Royal Marines, Aden, 1967

4.    RAF Masirah, Oman, 1969

5.    BAOR (British Army of the Rhine), Nürburgring, West Germany, 1972

6.    UNEF Finnish Battalion, Sinai Dessert, 1973

7.    Lebanese Forces Armed Militia, Lebanon, 1970 - 80

 

 

Conclusion

 

The AK Interactive 1:35 Land Rover 88 model kit offers an impressive level of detail.

This release is a upgrade work of the FJ43 previous release by AK, as it has more refined details going even further in the detail…

All the details are there… you can choose to put them or not, but it almost sacrilege not to show those details.

In the end, you get a very well detailed model that is an attractive choice for scale model enthusiasts, especially those with a penchant for military vehicles and the end result is a visually stunning and historically accurate representation of the Land Rover 88.

 Overall, I would highly recommend this model kit to intermediate and advanced modelers who appreciate a challenge and are willing to invest the time and effort to create a remarkable finished product. While it might require a bit more patience and skill, the AK Interactive Land Rover 88 is a rewarding build that showcases the beauty and intricacies of this iconic vehicle.

 

        Very Highly Recommend.

 

Our thanks to AK-Interactive for the review samples and all the support given. To purchase this directly, click THIS link.

 

 

[PanzerWomble]

Looks 130 years beyond the old Italeri kit ! almost as many parts as the real thing . Thanks for the review , I'm tempted by this one .