Background

The US Army has attempted to standardize its fleet of vehicles ever since General Pershing pushed his squadron of 1916 Dodge touring cars into Mexico, chasing Pancho Villa. During WWI, the Army designed the “Standard B Liberty Truck”, of which some 9500 were manufactured by 15 different companies. The Army continued to design and update its truck requirements, and during WWII the GMC- and Studebaker-built 2 ½ ton trucks were representative of those basic designs. Other trucks were used, however, as vehicles from every manufacturer made their way into the military. After WWII, the M34 and M35 2 ½ ton and the M54 5 tons were updated into the M813 and M939 series. They served as the basis for a number of body styles, but the Army was still searching for a way to simplify, streamline, and reduce the bewildering variety of motor vehicles and overwhelming logistics chain.

This is a re-boxing of Dragon kit #7071 that has already been reviewed by Rod Lees. For photos of the kits parts, you can find that review in the Archives section. I will confine myself to sharing my impressions of this kit.

First off, you have to decide what ship you are building, as there are parts for around four different ships and some surgery is required on some kit parts in some instances. None of this is difficult, but you have to decide right from the git go, as the first step in assembly requires a decision. After that, you need to decide whether you're going to do it full hull or waterline. I like to place my ships in their natural environment, so I went for the waterline. Which was just as well, as a quick check of how the lower hull fit led me to believe that there were a few problems in this area – but, as I said, I dodged that bullet. One small note here is that if you do it full hull, the name plate has the molded-in name "Essex," not "Sheffield."

The model consists of 9 sprues of dark yellow plastic, 2 frets of PE, 6 vinyl tires, and a metal barrel. There are no decals.

The instructions are clearly drawn for the most part, and consist of twelve pages with thirteen steps, plus a parts map. There is also a color profile sheet.

The molding is crisp and free of flash, pin marks, and sink marks. The model is very well detailed and engineered, and the fit is extremely good throughout, except for the PE brackets for the splinter shield (more below).

The model consists of the gun and a towing limber. The gun may be built in the firing or towing position. The instructions call out options between the two. The towing arms on the gun can be left movable if you so desire.

A metal barrel is provided for about the middle 1/3 of the gun tube. A plastic alternative is also included. The gun breech may be shown open or closed. The gun tube also may be elevated.

History

The new Mini Cooper launched in the US in 2001 and was instant hit with American car buyers. In 2010, BMW introduced the fourth and, to date, the largest addition to the Mini line, The Mini Cooper S Countryman All-4. The Mini Countryman is the first in the Mini series to feature a five-door hatchback design and four-wheel drive. In the styling motto of “as many different MINI’s as there are drivers”, the Countryman is available in a variety of color options, including the “UNION JACK” which features a flag design on the roof and mirrors.

Vietnam was called “The Helicopter War,” which suited me just fine, having served as a UH-1H “Huey” doorgunner. But as a modeler, a Long Islander (home to Grumman and Republic), and an armchair historian, I have to concede that quite a number of other aircraft types served heroically, if not stoically, and are owed much, much more appreciation for the extraordinary tasks they accomplished under some of the most suicidal “rules of engagement” ever self inflicted upon a combatant. The Grumman A-6 Intruder has starred in a couple of books and movies, with her pilots among the authors. Indeed, the author of this book, Rick Morgan,”is a retired Navy Lieutenant Commander with more than 2300 hours of flight time… principally in EA-6B Prowler, A-4 Skyhawk and A-3 Skywarrior type aircraft.” Though too young to have served in Vietnam, Morgan flew combat in Desert Storm.