Benbros Qualitoys
A102 Mobile Anti-Aircraft Gun
A102 Mobile Anti-Aircraft Gun was the first of three models in the Qualitoys Army Series based on a Dodge flat truck. The others were a Radar truck (A103) and a Mobile Searchlight lorry (A104).
The three models of the Dodge truck were not particularly appealing in appearance. They were made up of four main castings, the cab & chassis, the flat-bed, a holder for the mounted item which included an operator figure, and a unifying base. Assembly involved fitting the holder onto the flat-bed, then fiixing this into the little chassis behind the cab, next adding the axles and metal wheels, and finally rivetting it all together onto the almost full-length base.
Two types of base were used, the first being plain and the second type having a central hole making access easier to the front rivet securing the flat-bed to the chassis.
Once assembled the basic model was painted Army dark-green. Generous silver trim was added to the front grille, bumper and headlights and a square regimental decal was added to the left-side cab door. These were either dark-blue/yellow or red/yellow and could be small or large. The painted metal wheels with black tyres were fitted on round-head or nail-head & crimped axles held in place by the base. 'Benbros Qualitoy Made in England' was cast onto the base.
The flat-bed casting included a tool-box and a central mount for the holding bracket which slotted into the mount with a central spindle. This enabled it to move round in a complete circle.
Cast in the form of two wide bracket arms and incorporating the figure of an operator on one side, the holder was fitted with a different item for each of the three Army truck models. For A102, a silver painted double-barrel hollow-cast gun was added on side pins giving it plenty of manoeuverability.
All the models in the Qualitoys Army Series shared a similar box with pictures on four sides and a blank panel on one of the red end-flaps for the individual model details to be stamped or written. In practice, this was haphazardly done and many boxes just had a written number or nothing at all added.
Of the three Dodge Army trucks, A102 Anti-Aircraft Gun is probably the most scarce.
Benbros Qualitoys A102 Mobile Anti-Aircraft Gun
DARK-GREEN truck & pmw
silver trim
side red/yellow or dark-blue/yellow decal
SILVER Gun
Model id.on Box