Garford-Putilov from Empress MiniaturesBrief history:The Garford-Putilov was an armored car developed and mass-produced by Russia during World War I, based on the chassis of a truck imported from the United States.
The result was a vehicle that was armored and equipped with a 76mm cannon and three Maxim MGs. The engine was hopelessly underpowered with this extra weight and only managed to accelerate the vehicle to a top speed of 18 - 19 km/h (11 - 12 mph). In addition, the superstructure had a high center of gravity, which resulted in the Garford-Putilov having no off-road capability.
Although the mounted gun had a swivel angle of 270 degrees, it could not act in the forward direction of the lorry, and the two MG casemates mounted on the sides were also unable to cover the area directly in front of the vehicle.
Advantages of the vehicle were its sturdiness, relatively strong armament for an armored car of that time and technical reliability.
To use the gun effectively against enemy forces, it was essential that the vehicle could travel at a high speed in reverse. For this reason, the gears could be "shifted", turning all four forward gears into reverse gears, allowing the vehicle to travel at the same speed in both directions.
The crew consisted of 8-9 men, with only the positions of commander and driver being specified.
A total of 48 vehicles were built, 5 of which were probably captured by German troops during the war and thus used to put down the January uprisings in Berlin in 1919.
Small anecdote at the end:
During the fighting in the east in 1919 against the Lithuanian army, a Garford- Putilov was captured by a German officer of the Iron Division (a Freikorps division serving Russia). The soldier stormed the slowly retreating vehicle (max. 19 km/h) and shot the commander and driver through the viewing hatches. The truck then drove driverless into a ditch and the rest of the crew surrendered.This example shows the weaknesses of the armored car (low top speed, no all-around protection with MGs).
The kit (from Empress)Parts:1 x main hull (resin)
1 x turret (resin)
1 x Gun aperture (resin)
1 x front axle (white metal)
2 x front tires (white metal)
1 x rear axle (white metal)
2 x rear tires - double (white metal)
3 x Maxim MG (white metal)
2 x headlights (white metal)
2 x brake system (white metal)
1 x bumper (white metal)
No Decals!
No instructions!
Dimensions (scale):Apparently, the basic dimensions of the vehicle fit. The platform for the turret has a diameter that is minimally too large. The overall length is consistent (not taking into account the overhanging gun barrel). Only the height is missing about 2mm. This also becomes clear if you place a figure in the appropriate scale next to the vehicle and make a size comparison with historical photos. Here, the model figure appears somewhat taller than the persons in the photos ( minus the bases, if any). However, it can still be argued here that there are small and large people (which is impressively confirmed by a special photograph of a Garford-Putilov in Freikorps service in Berlin with soldiers of different sizesin front of it).
Detailing:The model has raised details and a strongly elaborated rivet structure. This is of course clearly too large for the scale, but not unusual for resin tabletop models. Of course, the number of rivets here do not match the original, but they are basically correctly positioned.
The vehicle is kept quite simple and one or the other detail is missing, but all characteristic features are included. A problem however is the missing gun barrel. Because you only get the cover, which was built around the gun. Inside this resin part is hollow. It is questionable whether a gun barrel really has to be represented here, since the gun cover actually hides the gun barrel to a large extent.
On my model, I represented the gun barrel by a drilled-out plastic rod.
However, the length of the barrel was unclear. In some historical shots the barrel reaches almost to the end of the aperture, in other shots the barrel is much deeper inside the tube.
The top of the gun platform also seems to be incorrectly reproduced. Instead of being recessed slightly inward, it should be flat and also have rivets.
But the biggest drawback of the model is something completely different: .
The main hull is warped. That is, the rear gun emplacement is slanted and, on the one hand, leans to the left in the direction of travel and, on the other hand, rises at an angle towards the rear. Even a bath in hot water and the attempt to compensate the sloping position by bending were unsuccessful. If you build the armored car without taking this into account, you end up with a clear slant of the platform and the tower sitting on it. The only option here is to mount the rear axle at a slight angle to conceal the slant of the platform. However, if you look directly at the vehicle from the front, you will still notice the slanted position of the tower. If the tower is displayed in a rotated state, this circumstance is even more pronounced.
Here once in "normal" built condition:
And here in " hidden " condition:
Probably only cutting the hull apart and reattaching the platform would fix this flaw. However, this would involve an immense amount of work, which would be equivalent to a complete rebuild of the vehicle.
Casting quality:The casting quality is satisfactory. On my models I have seen cleanly cast rivets and details, no chipping of the resin or broken off areas. However, several rivets on the roof of the driver's cab were not properly cast. (Unfortunately I noticed this only after painting the model).
This is an isolated case, however, as I received a second kit where the casting is clean. Slight bubbling is otherwise only found on the underside of the vehicle (in areas that cannot be seen). The deformation of the hull has already been addressed above. So overall it is a cleanly cast model with decent reproduction of the details.
Accuracy of fit:The accuracy of the fit is satisfactory. Especially the axles and tires could impress with clean fits and notches, which make the assembly (with superglue) very easy. For the MGs, it is recommended to drill holes and then fit them there (so that they do not break off accidentally even during a tabletop game - The are long enough for that). You can of course magnetize the turret, but you should keep in mind that due to the sloping shape of the platform, the superstructure will tilt significantly to the side at some angles, thus showing this flaw even more clearly.
For the two headlights it is recommended to drill small holes in the fenders to fix them there permanently.
The most delicate part of the model are the two brakes. They are mounted in front of the rear tires and glued directly to the underside of the fuselage. The problem is that you can't drill a hole for them, otherwise they would sit too high. Thus, the two parts are attached to the fuselage in a very exposed place only with superglue, which makes breaking off by too rough handling possible.
Material (Quality):The resin selected for the model is relatively robust and heavy. It does not seem to bend as usual when heated in a water bath. The vehicle also has a fair amount of weight due to the numerous white metal parts. The metal parts are all sturdy and will forgive some bending. The resin parts are also all solidly cast.
Decals:There are no decals included with this kit. You may want to contact "Black Lions Decals", a company that has some decal sets for WWI vehicles in their program. Here, for example, a set is offered for a Garford-Putilov in Freikorps service around 1919. Also available are decals for Russian variants of the vehicle. However, the decals have to be scaled up to 1/56 as they are not offered in this size as standard. However, this will be done on request without much extra charge.
Instructions:The "kit" has no instructions. To build the model, it is recommended to look for pictures of original vehicles on the Internet and orient yourself by them. Be careful when using built models as reference! Often the turret was put on incorrectly. When magnetizing (or gluing) the turret, make sure that it is not centered on the platform! Instead, you should place the rear of the turret directly on the outer edge of the platform dish and then fix the turret in place.
In addition, it must be taken into account that the gun cover sits so low on the turret that it almost rests on the outer edge of the platform.
Price:The model currently costs 22.00 British pounds. This is an acceptable price for such a resin model. Unfortunately, the armored car is only available from Empress Miniatures in the UK. Which is why transport costs and customs duties are still added to the price of the model for any European buyer.
Further notes: Two-component glue or better superglue is needed for assembly.
To correct bent/warped resin parts, it is recommended to soak the affected parts in a bowl of hot water for a few seconds and then carefully bend them back into the correct shape. This can be repeated as needed.
You should also have a tinker's knife for deburring and some sandpaper for sanding off any unevenness.
CAUTION: Please sand only outdoors or over an exhaust system! Resin dust is highly harmful to health and is most likely carcinogenic!
Dimensions:Height: 4,7 cm
Width: 4,8 cm (mit MGs)
Lenght: 10,8 cm (mit Geschützrohr)
Summary Rating:
Dimensions (scale): good
Detailing: good
Casting quality: sufficient (due to warped hull)
Accuracy of fit: good
Material (quality): good (But: reworking by heating is not possible for bigger parts)
Decals: - not available-
Instructions: - not available-
Conclusion:
The Garford-Putilov from Empress Miniatures is the only serious model of its kind in 1/56 scale (28mm) on the market. There are still one or two resin models and emerging 3D prints, but they are not convincing in any way, neither in quality nor in design.
It is all the more unfortunate that the Empress model has a warped hull that cannot be easily corrected. Even with masking, the slanted platform remains clearly visible from one angle or another. If this flaw were not present, this model would be unreservedly recommended to any table-top player.