Patriot LADAR MPQ53 1:48 Scale ARII Model Kit #A682 Review
Right On Replicas, LLC SnapShot Review 20160205*
Patriot LADAR MPQ53 1:48 Scale ARII Model Kit #A682 Review
Review and Photos by James Yeager 
The Patriot Missile is the Phased Array Tracking Radar to Intercept on Target was designed in the United States and came into service around 1981 to the present. There was over 1106 launchers in the Unites States and over 170 launchers were exported to other countries. Much like RADAR, the LADAR (LAser Detection And Ranging) unit tracks airborne objects but uses laser light instead of radio signals. Some countries that have the patriot missile are; Germany, Egypt, Greece, and Israel however there are other countries as well that have the patriot missile system. The patriot missile system replaces the Nike Hercules and the MIM-23 Hawk. The patriot missile system was originally manufactured by Raytheon however now it is currently being manufactured by Lockheed Martin & Boeing.
For the Modeler: This review covers the ARII kit A682 that is 1: 48 scale, the skill level was not indicated but I would rate it a Skill Level 3 on the current scale. The trailer kit can be found under the MIcro Ace/ ARII trademark 641521 but online auctions 
are the most likely source for these 1990’s kits. The pieces are molded in olive drab, and smoke grey clear, metal axles with water slide. There are 82 pieces to this kit and very well laid out instructions. The instructions are primarily in Japanese with some English translations. There is an app you can download to your smart phone to translate the instructions. The dimensions are; tractor 7 1/4 L X 2 3/4 W X 3 3/8 H, trailer 7 L X 4 ¼ W X 4 1/8 H, tractor and trailer 12 3/4 L X 4 ¼ W 6 ½ H.
The model was spray painted Rust Oleum Camouflage Olive Drab and detailed with Model Master Flat Black. The soldiers are painted Testors Flat Tan (uniforms), Testors Flat Brown (Camo pattern), Model Master Flat Black (Boots and head phones), Model Master Gun Metal (Sunglasses A19), Model Master Insignia Red (beret A19), Model Master Skin Tone Warm Tint (faces and hands). I added some weathering detail with the Tamiya Weathering Master Set A; sand and light sand.
Overall: There were no flash, sinks, or injection pin errors that I found during the assembly of this kit. One issue I had with this kit is that the tractor could not be identified. Another issue with the kit is there is a soldier in the sitting position however there is no place to accurately place a sitting soldier. There is no real interior in the tractor so the soldier cannot be installed into the interior of the cab anyway. A third issue was the lack of guidance on how to place the decals for the tractor and the trailer. This kit was fun to build and would go great in anyone’s collection especially history and military collectors making a Patriot battery or diorama.
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