Hasty Attack: Review: Battlefront Daimler I (BR311)

Daimler Is are scouting ahead of a hasty attack.

Earlier, I shared a review of some Staghounds. Some Daimler Is are now ready to join the force.

History:
Fitted with a 95 horse-power engine, the Daimler I was developed in line with the smaller Daimler Dingo. The armoured car was equipped with 4 wheel steering and fully independent suspension. The vehicle was crewed by 3: a driver, a gunner and a commander. The standard Daimler I was fitted with a 2 pound gun and a coaxial machine gun. To improve anti-tank penetration, some vehicles in the European Theater of Operations (ETO) were fitted with a Little-John adapter. The Little John operated with the squeeze bore principle which increased muzzle velocity by increasing barrel pressure.

Review:
This is another of the resin and metal models that really is still the standard for most Battlefront products. The kit contains a hull and turret in resin. The kit comes with a standard 2 pound or 2 pound with Little John adapter options. Each blister contains one model.

Assembly was a breeze. The hatch of the Daimler wasn't hinged but rather slid back. Therefore an unbuttoned hatch would sit flat behind the commander. I want to upgrade the commander of each of my 2 units to a Little John adapter equipped gun so I have assembled a mix of standard 2 pound guns and Little Johns.

I didn't have any real cleanup with these. There were the usual mould lines on the wheels, barrels and other metal parts. As is normal, the wheels were dry fitted and a few required adjustment to fit correctly. The only really time consuming part was hollowing out the back of the mantlets to fit on the front of the turret. The moulding process had left a little extra metal in the back. I used a hobby knife to remove enough for a good fit. No biggie.

These are really lovely models and I think BF have done a great job of capturing the wide sweeping curves of this car. Along with the Staghound, I have really enjoyed painting up my 2nd Househould Cavalry force. More to come!