Dingo Australian Armoured Car

eBay Seller moss72, 1/35 scale

Reviewed by Brett Green

Summary

B a c k g r o u n d

Australia as a nation was ill-prepared for the Second World War and possessed little in the way of armoured vehicles. Being at the time unable to purchase them from their traditional supplier, the United Kingdom, whose industrial output was dedicated to more immediate needs in Europe, they were forced by circumstance to develop and build them from what resources were available in Australia, and armoured cars and scout cars were no exception.

Much creative application and innovation was spawned by the lessons learnt from the Great War.

The Dingo was based on a commercial Ford 30-cwt, 134.5 inch wheelbase chassis, shortened to 110 inches and fitted with a Marmon-Herrington all-wheel drive kit, to give the vehicle four wheel drive.  It was powered by either an 85 hp or 95 hp Ford V8 engine. On to this was fitted an armoured body manufactured from ABP-3 (Australian Bullet Proof plate type 3) by Victorian Railways. Serial production began in early 1942.

The Dingo was equipped with a Bren light machine gun and Mk19 wireless. The vehicle's weight restricted its off-road mobility and the front axle could be distorted when travelling over rough terrain. A lighter version with only 10 mm of armour and an open top was proposed at the end of 1942 but not proceeded with as armoured cars could now be imported from overseas.

All 245 vehicles produced were disposed of in 1945.

Surviving Dingos are on display at the Royal Australian Armoured Corps (RAAC) tank museum at Puckapunyal, Victoria, at the Australian War Memorial, at the Melbourne Tank Museum in Narre Warren, and at the Australian Armour and Artillery Museum in Cairns. There are also several vehicles in private ownership.

* historical text sourced from Wikipedia

F i r s t L o o k

After buying the 1/35 scale Rhino Australian Scout Car on eBay a c.ouple of weeks ago I was impressed enough to buy another 3d printed vehicle from the same trader - MOSS72

Once again, this kit feels very “cottage industry” with no branding, graphics, instructions or decals.

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What we do get is a good quality 3d printed model of this indigenous armoured car.

MOSS72 1:35 Dingo Australian Armoured Car comprises just ten 3d printed resin parts. All the parts are almost ready to go straight from the box. Test-fitting suggests good fit throughout.

Whereas the Rhino's hull is solid, the Dingo's is hollow. The side hatch and front and rear visors are printed open.

The visor hatches, tools and fittings are all printed as part of the single-piece hull.

Two seats are supplied to add to glimpses of the interior.

The rear stowage hatch, the hull roof and the side entry hatch are separate parts.

The side hatch features nice detail of the locking mechanism inside.

Basic detail is printed on the bottom of the vehicle including differential housing, transmission, leaf springs and drive shaft.

I like the empty stowage baskets on the hull sides.

There are no instructions supplied but assembly is very straightforward.

Printing quality is generally very good with minimal pin holes. There are some visible striations on the front mudguard, the front armour plate and elsewhere but these will be easy to fix with a sanding stick. They look much worse in the photos than they do in real life.

Wheels look good.

MOSS72’s 1:35 Dingo armoured car looks to be a fun and fast project. I don’t think mine will stay in the box for too long!

Purchased on eBay.

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