IBG 1/72 scale DAC Mk.I plastic model kit review

The British DAC or Daimler Armoured Car Mk.I served primarily as a scout vehicle and first saw service in North Africa in 1941 and served through the end of World War II, seeing service in almost all theaters. The vehicle would go on to serve in the British army as well as in the Middle East and Southeast Asia.

The IBG 1/72 scale DAC Mk.I plastic model kit is an all-new kit of the pint-sized fighting vehicle that’s a marvel of detail. It boasts a full interior, complete with radios and ammo racks, all packed into a model that's not much bigger than a thumb. It's a testament to the precision and dedication that went into its design.

Construction begins with the interior and hull floor. In this scale, you almost have to treat the model more like an aircraft model than a standard tank model, painting subassemblies as you build. Otherwise, things like the seats and ammo racks will be difficult to reach and most of these interior details will be visible.

The suspension proved to be time-consuming. Each corner has an independent suspension unit and each is broken into seven components. Complicating matters, the locating marks — small indentations or marks that help with alignment — are faint, making it easy to have each unit at a slightly different position. It is almost mandatory to build the tires first and then build all four corners of the suspension simultaneously to ensure you can set it on a table with everything aligned before the glue fully sets. Be gentle. The plastic is brittle and easily snapped.

The brittle plastic slowed the construction of the turret and hull details. Although the parts are crisply molded and scale-accurate, thin parts, like the shovel handle and exhaust pipe, broke into several pieces when removed from the runner.

Due to all the details and fiddly construction, I spent about the same amount of time on the IBG 1/72 scale DAC Mk.I plastic model kit as I would have on a larger 1/35 scale tank. However, it builds into an impressive representation for this scale. Because of the small, fragile parts, I suggest it to modelers with some experience looking to get the most out of the subject in this scale.