The answer is a resounding "Yes!". The kit is immaculate - a finely detailed little gem that must be stretching the limits of what it's possible to cast successfully. Rest Models' kits always impress me, but the delicacy of some of these parts almost defies belief.

Brief History

The Quad M-4 was the unofficial name for the winning entry in a 1928 design competition for a new Soviet anti-aircraft gun. The Quad M-4 combined 4 x Maxim 7.62 mm machine guns and proved to have a high rate of fire and was easy to maintain for instant readiness. Consequently, the weapon saw widespread service with the Red Army throughout the 1930s and well into WW2. Despite being declared largely obsolete in 1943, the M-4 continued in use for low-level defence and even in repelling infantry assaults. Captured guns were used by the Germans under the designation MG216(r).

Rest Models' Kit

The Quad M-4 arrives in a neat end-opening box illustrated with photos of a nicely built-up kit. The card used for the box could benefit from being a bit heavier but, nevertheless, all the parts arrived perfectly safe and sound inside the seal zip-lok bag within.

The presentation is excellent - along with the finely cast resin parts, Rest Models provide extensive instructions with diagrams drawn to a standard that major producers would be proud of. This is a surprisingly detailed kit for its size and the professionally produced artwork is a major plus-point. Backing up these instructions are a brief history of the weapon, along with some useful reference photos.

The kit consists of:
33 x resin parts for the Quad M-4
16 x resin parts for the 3-man gun crew
An etched steel fret with 20 x details for the gun.

The casting is simply superb. Every part is supplied separated from it's casting block and ready to use. There is hardly a trace of "flash" and clean-up is going to be really quick. The detail on the guns and their mount is excellent and there are some incredibly delicate parts which I can't for the life of me imagine how they're produced (the work required to cast such parts and then clean them up ready to package hardly bears thinking about!...).

Aeroscale is very lucky to have received one of the first examples of this new kit, and the review sample does include a number of spare parts. I don't know if the guys at Rest Models were afraid of "duds" - if so, they needn't have worried - as far as I can see, every part is perfectly cast.

The Quad M-4 consists of individual machine guns (they're not identical, so be careful to position them correctly) fitted to a cradle which, in turn, sits on a tripod with a cooling tank at its base. The tripod also has a central pillar which is cast with a metal core, giving a solid base for the model. The water hoses aren't provided, but everything else is there - from delicate multiple cocking levers, a choice of etched or resin sights and handles, to etched ammunition belts.

Construction is broken down into 10 stages and looks pretty straightforward, despite the relative complexity of such a small model. The only point where I might break from the suggested sequence is to thread the ammunition belts through the Maxims before mounting the guns on the tripod, but beware - the guns actually elevate and the instructions suggest that you use the gunner figure to judge the correct angle before glueing everything solid.

The crew

None of the Rest Models kits I've seen previously have included figures, so I wasn't sure what to expect. The 3-man crew - gunner, loader and an observer with binoculars - is excellent. Each figure is beautifully sculpted and cast with separate arms and helmet, along with pouches and a PPSh-41submachine gun. The proportions of all the figures looks spot-on and they are well animated with a degree of character.

Completing the package is a full-colour painting guide. Again, very clearly illustrated with colours keyed to each part of the Quad M-4 and one of the figures. The colours are "generic" and not matched to any particular brand, and most major paint ranges should have the colours required.

Conclusion

Rest Models' Quad M-4 and crew is a superb little kit that will look equally good as part of a diorama, or as a vignette in its own right. I haven't rated the kit yet for the simple reason that we've received the sample so early, there doesn't seem to be an R.R.P yet. In terms of casting quality, I won't hesitate to give it 100% - and previous Rest Models kits have represented remarkably good value for money for such high quality models. Highly recommended.

(The kit should be available soon in the UK from NeOmega, and in the US from Dmc Models. A full list of international distributors can be found on Rest Models' website. )

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