Build Information
- Manufacturer – Academy
- Scale – 1:35
- Vehicle – General Dynamics M163A1 Vulcan
- Markings – 1st Battalion, 59th ADA, 8th ID in Germany, 1973
- Paint – Vallejo
- Aftermarket – Archer Fine Transfers
Quick Review
My dad was a gunner on the Vulcan in the 70s, and like most children, I wanted to be close to something that he did. I obviously couldn’t go back to the 70s, so building his track was the best thing I could think of. This build represents him, taking a break, somewhere in the northern part of Germany in 1973.
This kit is difficult to find, but it is a pretty good representation of the Vulcan system. Out of the box, it was a bit imposing – It has individual track links. They were tedious, of course, but look accurate and fit well in the end.
The gun turret is a bit difficult to work with. It fits, but getting it to go together is tricky. The ammo belts are vinyl and can also be a pain to get down into the turret. The gun itself looks a little wonky. Right after finishing the build, I saw a brass replacement come out, which I would have liked to have used in place of the kit gun.
The Archer Fine Transfer markings worked wonderfully, though the ones I used were slightly too big for the unit markings.
Overall, I wouldn’t recommend this for beginners. The individual tracks and tricky turret make this a challenging build.
Photos
More photos in better resolution at SmugMug
Life in Scale 