The most successful armies are the ones with the better logistics; the M977 contributes to that. When I first saw it on a test run, I was impressed with its size.
Academy 1/72 scale HEMTT features detailed suspension, a lift crane, positional doors, and markings for two U.S. Army vehicles, one in SFOR service in Bosnia, and one Iraqi campaign vehicle.
The kit features separate assemblies for cab, engine, frame, and cargo bed. I painted all the cab pieces inside and out before assembly. No fit issues were encountered, but the windscreen frame was cracked through on one side. I attached all the windows with white glue.
Building the truck frame up from small pieces with small tabs was a little tricky. I used a straightedge to ensure the axles were aligned. The tire pattern does not match what I have seen on the real vehicles, and the kit's tires have a hard-to-get-at seam down the middle. Be careful attaching the big tires to the small shafts; they can easily bend or break off. After attaching the two side arms to the frame, I had to work the engine-cover assembly from side to side until it fit against the rails.
The cargo bed's side pieces had numerous ejector-pin marks visible on the inside. I covered them with .005" styrene sheet. Putting the cargo bed on the frame, I had to exert extra pressure to ensure the bed contacted the frame.
The loading crane was a bit tricky. Putting all the small pieces together was difficult, and the illustration didn't show all the parts' locations exactly.
I painted the model with Tamiya buff, and NATO green for the cab interior, and Floquil weathered black for the tires. The decals went down OK over a gloss coat of Pledge Future floor polish. My reference was
U.S. Military Vehicles Field Guide, by David Doyle (Zenith Press, ISBN 0-896892-70-0).
With this kit added to the 1/72 scale modern military vehicles now available, the modeler has an interesting collection or diorama options. With the ease of the build, I can recommend this kit to beginners as well as intermediate builders.
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