During the war in Iraq, U.S. forces needed to protect their convoys. Standard M1070 8x8 tractors were converted into gun trucks with the addition of the Heavy Equipment Transporter Urban Survivability Kit (HUSK) to the cab. This included an anti-fragmentation floor, a fire extinguishing system, and armor plating for the cab. An armored compartment with two gun pits was added to the tractor’s rear.
The Takom 1/72 scale M1070 gun truck is well-molded in gray plastic and features excellent detail. The instructions have large, easy-to-read diagrams and a color-painting and markings sheet that references Ammo by Mig Jimenez colors. A small decal sheet has markings for one vehicle.
The one-piece frame makes chassis assembly quick and easy. I left off the wheels, front fenders, rear mud flaps, and the spare tire for painting. If I were to build the kit again, I would glue the spare tire mount (E41) to the frame to get a stronger join but leave off the tire itself until final assembly.
The cab body is an amazing one-piece molding. Unfortunately, despite being well packed in bubble wrap, mine had been damaged. The front pillars were pretty severely bent. Luckily, I straightened them without breaking them, and adding the windshield finished the job. Interestingly, the cab doors are molded in clear, and you could pose them open if you wanted. After masking the inside of the windshield and the door windows, I painted the inside surfaces.
The winch went together very smoothly, and the photo-etched brass (PE) parts fit well and were easy to install. The gun box was a quick assembly, and I encountered no fit problems. I left the external “soft” armor panels off until the box exterior was painted.
The decals went on well with Micro Set and Sol.
After attaching the wheels, I added the PE side mirrors and windshield wipers, the most challenging part of the build.
I spent 21 hours building the Takom 1/72 scale M1070 gun truck, a bit more time than I expected for such a small model. I blame the complex paint scheme and the large number of small parts. The parts fit was excellent, and I did not need any filler on my model. The finished model matches perfectly with the dimensional data I found on the Oshkosh Equipment website for the basic M1070 truck.
This kit is not for the faint of heart or the inexperienced modeler. If you are up to the task, however, you’ll wind up with an excellent, well-detailed (if a bit fragile) model of an interesting vehicle to add to your collection.