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IDF M113 50 Years Anniversary Edition
IDF M113 armored personnel carrier, otherwise known as Zelda, is a vehicle favorite to many armor modelers. It is a compact, cute little can, that served in numerous armed conflicts, amongst which – Vietnam and Middle East wars. It was immortalized in many movies and despite its modest looks, the vehicle always got special attention. In 2023, half a century after Yom Kippur War, Dragon decided to re-release their tooling of the IDF M113 with few add-ons, dedicated to the anniversary of the conflict.
They already did that 5 years ago, commemorating 45 years after Yom Kippur, but “50” is more of a true anniversary because it is a round number and half a century all together. The new set will be coded #DF3608F and will be almost similar to the one we saw five years ago. We say “almost” because this time there will be crew of IDF soldiers included and it seems that the backpacks included might be different. Latter one is not confirmed, but for the previous edition they were DS series, which means different /flesh colored/ material, while on the ad of the new kit, they seem like being made from the same plastic as the sprues.
The pictures you see in the article are from the 45 year anniversary kit, but they do give enough justification of the qualities of the upcoming kit. Many consider Dragon as the alpha dog in armor modeling, which makes this Zelda a win-win purchase. It is a high-quality representation of the vehicle and all together with that it is a special edition kit, that is worth more than just any other regular release. Just try and find that 45 anniversary edition. It is long gone. That speaks enough.
There are superb tracks included, as well as decent interior. Last, but not least, even if you don’t like the stowage that’s in, you are going to be OK. For the specific subject there are plenty of aftermarket goodies that you can add. That is in case you decide to build it, instead of keeping it in its original box solely for its value. But whichever it is, the investment is good.
Unfortunately, this release appears in a moment that is very tough for the IDF. Exactly 50 years after that sad conflict, Israel are on a brink of a new war, boiling in this very moment. Zeldas are obsolete nowadays, but our wish is for most weapons of war to be like that. Despite half a century have passed, the Middle East is not in peace. Sadly, the Zelda won’t be just a memory, but a fragment from a long and hard history of armed conflicts that happened on this part of the World.
We, as modelers cannot change much. What we can do best is to represent our models in a way, that brings enough meaning to the spectators, so to remind that war is a huge lost for everyone involved. M113 Zelda, even though released in the memory of half a century old armed conflict, is one such brilliant canvas. How to paint, weather and present that exactly, is solely up to us.
Pictures courtesy of DML
