Model Military International – September 2019

36 Model Military International - September 2019

KIT PREVIEW Italeri 1:35 M163 VADS Vulcan Air Defence System • Kit No. 6560

T

he M163 is an air defence

variant of the M113

Armoured Personnel

Carrier using the M168

Vulcan 20mm gun. The vehicle

was the equivalent to the Soviet

ZSU-23-4 but was limited due to

the lack of a search radar plus the

gunner was exposed to small arms

fire and shell fragments.

The M163 remained in service

with the US Army until 1994 when

it was replaced by the M1097

Avenger and M6 Linebacker

although it is still in service with

other countries around the world

such as Chile, Ecuador, Egypt and

Israel.

This particular version is based

on the old Italeri M113 that has

been around since the early

1990s and inside the box are just

three sprues moulded in green

polystyrene and a decal sheet.

That’s it!

Moulding quality is not bad

considering its age but there is

some flash on parts, some slight

sinkage in areas but most of all

there is a pin mark on the outer

face of every track link. There are

pin marks on the headlights, the

inside face of the gun mount plus

the inside of the door at the rear

however as there is no interior

in the kit this door will be closed

anyway.

The M162 cannon and turret

are okay if simplified but some

additional details via an etch set

would improve it or if you are

feeling rich the Hobbyfan M163

turret set would fit quite nicely.

Four colour schemes are

provided, three from the US Army

and one Chilean. One of the US

Army vehicles is from the 67th

Air Defence Artillery Regiment,

2nd Battalion based in Totendorf,

Germany 1974 and features a four

tone camo scheme. The other

is from the 1st Cavalry Division

museum at Fort Hood, Texas in

2000 and has an overall sand

colour whilst the third US vehicle

is an overall green one from the

2nd Air Defence Artillery Regt.,

5th Battalion, Vietnam 1968. The

Chilean vehicle features a three-

tone scheme of green. Brown and

black.

The decal sheet is printed by

Zanchetti Buccinasco and is of a

pretty good quality with everything

in register.

Like a lot of Italeri kits this will

provide a good base for further

improvements and with some

TLC (read etch, tracks and that

Hobbyfan turret) it should make up

into a nice little model. ■

Thanks to The Hobby Company

Limited for the review sample

http://www.hobbyco.net

M163 VADS

Andy King checks

out Italeri’s

venerable M113

carrier making

a return in the

guise of the

VADS Vulcan Air

Defence System.

History via Wikipedia.

Andy King

out Italeri’s

venerable M113

carrier making

a return in the

guise of the

VADS Vulcan Air

Defence System. Defence System.

The one-piece main body.

The forward hull and driver’s roof.

The vehicle roof.

Stowage is included.

Nice nut and bolt detail on the road wheels.

Spare track sections. Silver vinyl flexible tracks. Drive sprockets and idler wheels.

The kit decal sheet.