Dragon 3621 1/35 M132 Armored Flamethrower (Smart Kit)*

Dragon has added another 1/35 scale kit to its growing M113-based family. This time the subject is the M132, which was a flamethrower version of the famous armored personnel carrier (APC). The 10.58-ton vehicle looks similar to a regular APC, but the cupola atop the hull features an M10-8 flamethrower alongside a coaxial 7.62mm machine gun. This turret could traverse 360º. Internally, the rear compartment was taken up by an M10 fuel and pressure unit plus four spherical 50-gallon fuel tanks. This amount of fuel was enough to fire a jet of flame for 32 seconds out to a maximum distance of 200m. The vehicle, often nicknamed the “Zippo”, was widely used in the Vietnam War.

As would be expected, this M132 Flamethrower is based on currently available M113 chassis accurately built to 1/35 scale. However, the hull has been suitably modified with a set of new parts suitable for this specialist vehicle. This includes a brand new M10 turret containing the flamethrower and machine gun. Of course, the interior has been completely refurbished too. The four tanks for the napalm fuel are all installed inside. New, too, are brackets to protect the antenna bases. This 1/35 scale kit of the M132 Flamethrower lights up numerous opportunities for modelers wishing to create a Vietnam War vehicle, or to perhaps fit it into a dramatic combat diorama.