Although widely used by British Commonwealth forces, the American-built Staghound has been largely ignored by mainstream manufacturers. Now, modelers have two choices - Italeri and Bronco kits - in 1/35 scale. Both feature photoetched-metal parts, turned-metal barrels, and a bunch of marking options. Let's see how they build up.
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Bronco's 1/35 scale T17E1 Staghound Mk.I.
Italeri's Staghound Mk.I includes a detailed chassis and .30-caliber machine guns as well as poseable hatches and periscopes. A partial turret interior also is provided, but none for the hull or engine compartment. Also included are two different styles of canvas bags, two differently sized canvas rolls, and jerry cans. Markings are provided for British, Belgian, Italian, Australian, and Polish vehicles.
The hull sides and bottom being one piece makes for a quick build. Side access hatches can be displayed open or closed. I painted the hull bottom before installing the axles, then temporarily tacked on the wheels to check alignment. I deviated from the instructions to attach the straps/release mechanisms for the fuel tanks; the straps were installed after the fuel-tank assemblies were glued to the hull to make sure they touched the hull.
The main armament comprises four well-detailed pieces. The metal barrel's long pin provides a firm fit to the breech.
I painted the turret and hull interior Model Master camouflage gray. The turret basket lightening holes are impressions in the plastic; I used a sludge wash to bring out the detail. It was disappointing that there were no racks or ammo for the bustle. After gluing the turret's top and bottom halves together, I added the weld seam with putty and a No. 11 blade.
A form is provided to help bend the photoetched-metal brush guards. How-ever, the headlights are molded solid.
I painted the tool's wood handles Testors wood and Tamiya clear orange before installing them. The canvas rolls were painted khaki and buff and given a wash of burnt umber artist's oils.
I painted overall with Gunze Sangyo olive drab (H78) and the tires with Floquil weathered black. The decals for the British 7th Armoured Division went down fine on the semigloss surface. I weathered with Floquil grime and Tamiya weathering pastels.
I enjoyed the 22 hours I spent building this kit. With the easy assembly, I recommend this kit to intermediate modelers.
ConclusionWith the industry's fixation on Axis subject matter now delving into prototypes, it's nice to have two new kits of this important Allied fighting vehicle. Both kits offer good detail, bolstered by photoetched- and turned-metal parts as well as great decals. Italeri's kit was easier to build with clear instructions and a partial interior. Bronco's kit gets a leg-up for detail, but it is a fiddly build with more photoetched metal and complex instructions.
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