A while back now I purchased on a local auction site the Heller Bobkit Commando set. The Bobkit range has always interested me due to the quick assembly snap fit vehicles and the figures that only seem to have been released in these sets.
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| The packaging is very 1980s |
The contents of this set did not disappoint, as it contained five individual figures, a McDonnell Douglas MD 500 Defender helicopter, a VAB APC, a Renault J series truck, and Hotchkiss M201 light utility vehicle. The set also came an instruction sheet that I have reproduced below:
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Side A: Advertisement for other Heller products
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Side B: Easy to follow instructions
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Everything was complete and undamaged - except for the helicopter rotors that required careful repair. I haven't assembled the helicopter yet as I want to paint it before assembly, but I very quickly build up the other three models.
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| VAB APC and French Commandos (Esci Warsaw Pact figure for scale comparison) |
The figures are quite animated and will make a nice addition to the French figures from the ESCI NATO set. Detail on the VAB is basic, but it assembled quickly and was fun to put together. I expect that once painted it will work nicely with my other VABs
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| Renault J truck and Hotchkiss M201 light utility vehicle |
The reason why the Hotchkiss M201 light utility vehicle looks like a Jeep, is because it is a Jeep! The French built them under license after WW2. Further details can be found
here.
Overall, the set is a very nice collection of quick build models that are useful additions to a 1980s French force. I enjoyed building them, and hope to paint them and some other French vehicles over the upcoming Christmas break.
