Tamiya 12685 - 1:35 U.S. MCI Cartons Vietnam War

Tamiya papercraft — US MCI ration cartons of the Vietnam War era in 1:35 scale

Tamiya 12685 is a set of miniature US MCI ration cartons in 1:35 scale, intended for dioramas and scenes from the Vietnam War. It is a papercraft set: a printed card sheet from which you cut, fold and glue the individual boxes yourself. These are not injection-moulded plastic parts and not decals.

Each carton is made up of three parts: an outer box, inner boxes and an outer sleeve. That construction lets you display a carton closed or partly slid out of its sleeve, giving freedom to build scenes with supplies being unpacked. The cartons suit, among others, the Tamiya 35365 kit (M551 Sheridan), sold separately.

What is in the box:

• Printed card sheet for cutting out and assembly
• A set of MCI ration cartons in 1:35 scale
• Parts of each carton: outer box, inner boxes and outer sleeve

Specifications:

• Scale: 1:35
• Product number: 12685
• Manufacturer: Tamiya
• Type: papercraft set (ration cartons)
• Material: printed card
• Subject: US MCI rations of the Vietnam War era
• Use: vehicle stowage and dioramas
• Suits, among others: Tamiya 35365 (M551 Sheridan, sold separately)
• Required for assembly: hobby knife, tweezers and paper glue

Papercraft for dioramas — realistic boxes made of real paper

A papercraft set is a different kind of accessory from the usual detail-up parts: instead of ready-made components you get a printed card sheet with the box nets laid out on it. You cut them out with a hobby knife, fold along the lines and glue them with paper glue. The result is remarkably convincing, because the miniature carton really is made of paper — it has the same texture, edges and folding behaviour as the original, which is hard to match in moulded plastic.

A sharp hobby knife with a fresh blade, fine tweezers for positioning small parts and a paper glue are all useful here. It helps to work on a cutting mat and to apply glue sparingly so the paper does not buckle. Scoring the fold lines gently with a blunt tool beforehand makes the box close more neatly. This is a suggested approach rather than a fixed procedure — the final technique is up to the modeller.

Because the cartons can be built closed or slid out of their sleeves, a single set supports several different scenes: supplies stacked neatly on a vehicle hull, crates being opened at a base, or boxes left behind by the roadside.

About the original MCI rations

MCI rations (Meal, Combat, Individual) replaced the earlier C-Ration at the turn of the 1950s and 1960s and became the standard field food of American soldiers during the Vietnam War. A single carton held 12 rations, each ration packed in four cans.

Packed rations reached the front line just like ammunition and fuel — carried on vehicles, strapped to hulls, stacked in bases and supply points. That is exactly why ration cartons are such a rewarding diorama element: they turned up wherever soldiers were, and they instantly anchor a scene in a particular time and place.

About the manufacturer — Tamiya:

Tamiya is a Japanese company based in Shizuoka, founded in 1946 and originally a timber business; it started producing plastic model kits in 1960. Its catalogue today covers 1:35 military models, aircraft, ships, cars and motorcycles, radio-controlled models, as well as paints, tools and model accessories. The company is known for well-engineered moulds, clear instructions and consistent parts fit. The Tamiya accessory range also includes diorama materials and items for detailing scenes — papercraft sheets, decal sheets and flexible detail-up cable.