Airfix 1/35 Austin K2/Y Ambulance

[Russ1707821018]

Nice job Airfix on the bundle for the K2Y release with the pint glass. It would have been nice if you had just upgraded all the people who pre-ordered before the bundle to the bundle package as a thank you for committing early. In the event, I canceled my original pre-order and re-ordered the bundle with the glass.

Now you need to partner with a brewery for an Airfix K2Y beer, although I’d be unlikely to be able to get it in the US.

[iain_mcclump]

I was told on the Airfix FB page that even those who pre-ordered as soon as it came up for order that we'd get a glass... hopefully that rep was on the ball...

[Ratch]

Available now

[Ratch]

The Austin K2/Y is a British heavy military ambulance that was used by all Commonwealth services during the Second World War. Built by Austin, it was based on the 1938 Austin K30 30-cwt light truck which as the K2 chassis was built during the war for many uses.

This is the latest in the Airfix 1/35 kit issues. It was originally scheduled for release in the autumn of 2021 with the £27.99 price tag but was rescheduled to the summer of 2022 with an increased price of £33.99. Just prior to the release of the kit a promotional pint glass (with Airfix logo) was included; a reference to the film ‘Ice Cold In Alex’, in which the ambulance featured. The Airfix packaging has evolved into the Type 18, similar to the Red Box Type 16.

The kit is 1/35 scale. Length 178mm, width 68mm, with 146 pieces. Photo-etched parts are included.

Skill Level is 3, although this is merely a reflection of the parts count and not necessarily the difficulty of assembly. Three Flying Hours are printed on the box for Airfix Club Members to collect. The styrene is moulded in Korea (by Academy, for Airfix), and look very nicely detailed.

The box advises the following Humbrol paints:

33 Matt Black

60 Matt Scarlet

62 Matt Leather

72 Matt Khaki Drill

85 Satin Coal Black

103 Matt Cream

110 Matt Natural Wood

159 Matt Khaki Drab

186 Matt Brown

253 RLM 83 Dunkel-Grun

74 Matt Linen

90 Matt Beige Green

224 Matt Dark Slate Grey

These cover all four build options, although the modeller may with to supplement additional colours or replace colours to their taste.

           The instructions include a parts map. Assembly is illustrated in 19 stages

References are provided for the following options:

           30 Corps, Motor Ambulance Convoy, Royal Army Service Corps, North West Europe, 1944.

           British Army, North Africa, 1940.

           British Army, Alexandia, Egypt, 1942.

           Auxiliary Territorial Service, England, 1944.

Decals are provided for these options and appear to be of Cartograf quality, although I can find no reference to Cartograf on the box.

We will have to see how they perform upon application.

[Pretty Mediocre Modeller]

Although I don't build 1/35 armour (usually sticking to 1/72 aircraft), I'm very tempted by this kit.

When the film 'Ice Cold in Alex' was being made, my late Dad was doing his national service in Libya, driving 'Mighty Antar' tank transporters. He was seconded to the filming unit, and helped out with several scenes. His 'claim to fame' was that during the scene where the ambulance is slowly cranked up the sand dune on it's starting handle near the end of the film, he was at the top manning a large winch which was slowly pulling it up!

As an aside, in the late '80s, the company I was then working for did a day trip to Duxford. My Dad came along as he knew most of the guys as he owned the cafe next door where they all had their lunch. In the Land Warfare Hall, he stopped at the Tank Transporter with the Centurion on its back and said 'I used to drive one of those!', to which one of my workmates said 'And I used to drive a Centurion.' They got chatting about their National Service days, and it turned out they were both in Libya at the same time, and had probably bumped into one another there more than once. Dad had been serving him in his cafe for many years and this had never come up before!

Also on a holiday to Tunisia in '91, I remember when on a coach transfer driving past a large military scrap yard which looked to be full of Willys Jeeps and Austin K2Y's. Maybe it's my memory playing tricks with me, but I'm sure I saw it! Does anyone know where this may have been?

[Ratch]

Prior to commencement of the build, I washed the runners in warm, soapy water to remove any remnants of mould release agent. They were allowed to air-dry. I like to decide early which variant and paint scheme I wish to depict (it gives me a focus to work to), and chose the C scheme of the British Army, Alexandria, Egypt, 1942 (the Ice Cold In Alex scheme). Humbrol colour call outs for this scheme are 33 Matt Black, 60 Matt Scarlet, 159 Matt Khaki Drab and 74 Matt Linen, which approximates BSC No 64 Portland Stone. Checking my chart and Mike Starmer’s notes, I believe the colour used was Light Stone No.61, used as a base colour, and for the base of the 2-colour disruptive pattern in North Africa in 1942. I shall use Vallejo Model Color 70847 123 Dark Sand, brushed on as the base with Vallejo Model Air 71023 Hemp airbrushed over.

Stage 1 of the assembly sequence starts the chassis assembly. Individual parts were separated from the runners with side cutters and nail files used to sand the gates smooth.

Dark Sand was then brushed over this sub-assembly.



[Ratch]

Stage 2 adds the engine sump and rear leaf springs. Gates were removed by scalpel; several methods can be employed when cleaning up parts. There are no hard and fast rules. We all find and use the techniques that suit us best on a personal level.

These were brushed with Dark Sand after they were fixed.

[Topcat_Ern]

Must admit, I was considering the K2/Y jumping the queue, so may delay a tad to see your build progress. Can't say that I am a fan of H74 as a desert colour so with interest I will see how your colour selection looks. Like you, option C is my choice. Now, doors open or doors closed?

Andy

[Ratch]

Thanks for your interest Andy. I'm thinking doors open and show off the interior.

[Ratch]

Cheers Rod, there are many transferrable skills in modelling. Switching genres isn't a big problem.

At stage 3 the drive shafts and differential are added along with the front leaf springs. I think that the painting guide is very much simplified. I would expect the engine sump not to be painted, but in a metal finish and the exhaust pipe to be steel and rust rather than the Linen colour specified. I may be wrong, but I’ll paint these as I expect they should be. It with break up the monotony of a single colour and I hope to appear more realistic.



[Ratch]

Stage 4 adds the exhaust pipe and front axle bar. I painted the exhaust in the base steel colour before fixing it to the previous stages. It was then rusted before the axle was fixed.

[Ratch]

Stage 5 deals with the addition of the wheels. I shall assemble the wheels and weather them, but they will not be fitted until the model is assembled and airbrushing has been done. I rub a sanding stick over the part of the tyre that would be in contact with the road to remove any trace of a seam. I think flat black tyres are unrealistic and prefer to colour them a very dark grey. 

I then brushed on Humbrol Weathering Powders. These were blended using White Spirit. A little extra pigment was added. Finally, they were brushed over with Mig Pigments fixer.

[Ratch]

In hindsight, it may be advantageous to fix the wheels at stage 5 because of the attachment of the steering rod.

[Ratch]

Stage 6 sees the assembly of the fuel tanks. These are cemented to the chassis, and the front wings and bumper moulding are also fixed. I am sure I’ve seen fuel filler caps painted red, but I’m not sure whether this would be correct for this vehicle.

[Topcat_Ern]

Stage 6 sees the assembly of the fuel tanks. These are cemented to the chassis, and the front wings and bumper moulding are also fixed. I am sure I’ve seen fuel filler caps painted red, but I’m not sure whether this would be correct for this vehicle.

Reference photographs on the web depict some with red filler caps, some with the vehicle colour and some with metallic, so I guess what livens the model in our eyes would be right.

Andy

[Ratch]

Cheers Andy

[Ratch]

In stage 7 we move on to the ambulance cabin. Before assembly I painted the parts.

[Ratch]

Stage 8 continues the cab and body construction. I find it easier to paint these sub-assemblies before fixing parts together. There are several ejector pin marks on the cab rear wall that should be filled and sanded.

Sorry about the lack of sharpness, my eyes are getting worse.

[SD45elect2000]

i REALLY want this in 1/72 scale.

Randall

[spfparker]

just seen that the ICIA K2 is on the decal sheet...

[Ratch]

just seen that the ICIA K2 is on the decal sheet...

 

 

That's right, I'm building it.

[Ratch]

I picked out some detail on the partition wall and door.

With the placement of the decal to the side of the gear box cover, stage 8 was completed. 

[Ratch]

I had real problems fitting the upper bunk together at stage 9.

Whether this was because I painted the parts before trying to cement them could be a possibility, but the fit was not good.

I worked out that the beds B5 & B22 are the wrong way around, the extending runner rails (for the stretcher) should extend over the door-end brackets B15 & B16 whereas they are at the other end, and I cut them off to get the fit before realising they were incorrectly numbered.

Eventually, I got things half reasonable and moved on.

[Ratch]

Stage 10 returns to the driving cab. I am thinking of adding four figures from my spares. Although they will not be accurate portrayals of John Mills, Anthony Quinn, Harry Andrews and Sylvia Syms they may add to the ambience.

[Ratch]

It was with some trepidation that I ventured onto stage 11. I could see possible problems fitting the rear panel to the ambulance box, but my fears were ill-founded. It fitted well. 

I have found with the latest generation of Airfix toolings that the fit of parts is excellent when they are not painted before assembly. My natural modus operandi is to paint as much as possible before assembly: I must learn to reverse that process and paint as little as possible prior to gluing parts together.