Thanks guys.  It was a fun build and I really like how it came out.  I am very pleased with it.

That turned out fantastic.  Really nicely done and the weathering looks great.  Nice piece.

Outstanding stuff there.  The straps set the time frame nicely, too.  No replacement straps in red or yellow, and no littler pile of empty water bottles.

The dusty hot is there, too.  Probably needs some Copenhagen   Or Marlborough Reds.

Really outstanding.  It gives me this urge to contact the XO and make sure the delivery is authorized

Thanks Gamera. It was a fun build.

Fantastic work Gino! Perfect!!!

I got it finished up this weekend. I added a couple duffle bags and rucksacks in the front of the HEMTT bed. I also added a couple water bottle boxes and MRE cases, along with a tool box and an oil can at the back of the HEMTT bed. I dry-brushed selectively with some rust, mainly in the beds of the truck and the trailer. Then with a darker sandy color overall. Then I did a couple washes of first an earth brown color and then a sand color to give it some depth.

Here it is overall.

IMG_1977960×489 104 KB

And some detail pics.

I added air lines and the electrical cable to the trailer. They are a stiff wire and disappear up under the truck along the air line gladhands and the trailer light connector.

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I secured the MLRS loads with masking tape straps and used resin ratchets from Djiti Productions Ratchet Strap set. There are both open and closed versions in the set, and the hooks on the end of the HEMAT straps.

This one was really rewarding and I am very happy with how it turned out.

Thanks Gamera.  I hope to have it done by this weekend.

Looks awesome Gino! Yeah, little dirt on the tires and looks like you're done! 

I was able to get some paint on it over the weekend. I also applied the decals. All the decals were home-made by me on my home computer/printer. I have marked it as C35, from C BTRY, 1-39 FA (MLRS), 3ID during the invasion of Iraq in '03.

We were the “Phoenix” Bn since the unit had been stood up and stood down multiple times over the years, beginning life as A BTRY, 39th Field Artillery in 1918. The red phoenix over crossed cannons was our Bn symbol that we stenciled on all the vehicles.

We drew our vehicles from PrePo (PrePositioned) stocks in Kuwait, so it wears the codes for the PrePo set.

Here it is so far.

M985A2 HEMTT - C35

M989 HEMAT - C35T

I also finished the M26 Rocket Pods. I had just enough decals to finish them, luckily.

Next up is to finish final assembly, secure the loads, add a bit of personal gear, and weather them.

Thanks CapnMac82.  I got some paint on it today.  Should have some pics tomorrow.

HeavyArty

That will have to be Saturday’s task.

Looks good--all it will need is that smell of old grease and sun-heated metal.

Thanks JT.  Hopefully more after this weekend.

Wow this is awesome, the level of detail is absolutely mind blowing. Really excited to see more of this wonderful project! Hats off to you!!

JT

Thanks gents. I hope to get some paint on it this weekend.

This is looking good,very complex.

Looks good!

I'm working on much simpler stuff but you're still making more progress than I.

No chance to get into the paint booth this week. That will have to be Saturday’s task.  

I did add the last details to the HEMAT though. I added air brakes underneath using brake cylinders from a Legend M923/5 Update set intended for the Italeri M923/5 kits. I scratched the mounts from U-shaped styrene and the actuators are from Legend.

Thanks Gamera.  I plan to leave both doors partially open so you can see the cab details.

Looks awesome Gino! Hope you're going to leave one door open to make it easier to see the detail in the interior. 

I have completed the cab interior painting and detailing. I mostly used the kit decals for the cab, which there are a lot of. I added a couple waring and general placards, but only a few. The kit is very detailed inside the cab.

The only thing I added is a resin SINCGARS ASIP radio mount and handset. The kit comes with a radio mount, but I am not sure what radio it is supposed to be. It kind of looks like a SINCGARS mount, but not really. That is why I switched it. The speaker box comes in the kit. I fully wired the radio parts as well w/ 0.015 fuse wire.

The kit also included placards for the driver’s door and a serial number that goes inside both doors. Here are the completed door interiors.

I also completed the engine. I added some wires/hoses to give it some extra details. Most of it will not be seen, but I know it is all there. You mainly only see the back side of the engine since I left the side access covers closed on this one.

Next up is overall paint color. Hopefully I will get them into the paint booth this week.

Thanks Gamera.

Looks great Gino, she's really coming along well. 

I added a few more details to the stabilizing legs for the crane tonight. I had a couple of base plates left over from a PE set and added them, along with scratch-built pin supports to attach them to the legs.

I have finished building the HEMAT.

I added the side panels and the hinges for them, along with pins holding them together and four tiedown loops for a canvas on each panel from thin wire, bent into an upside down J.

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Here it is with the one side taped on to show the side panels down.

Then I moved onto the front with the BII box cover on top of the tongue and the landing leg. The leg is a couple different sizes of square tubing and sheet and rod styrene and a left over piece of PE runner for a holder for the handle arm. I also made the lunette ring out of thick solder, wrapped around a paint brush handle to get a good round shape.

I also built the MLRS rocket pods, all eight of them. I added the transport feet from thick styrene bar. This is only four.

You may see that one of the above has a device used to connect the hoist hook to. I built this from a piece of sheet styrene, a piece of angle iron, and a couple hooks from the Dragon kit LLM hoist. The issue with this is that the plastic pods are not balanced and dip in the front when suspended.

To fix this, I added 8 grams of lead fishing weight, flattened out, to the underside rear of the pod.

Pretty closely balanced; good enough for government work.

Here is a mockup of how it will look.

Next up is the paint booth.

Thanks Gamera. Yup, you can always make any project bigger than you expected once you start adding details..and more details...and so and so on....

Looks awesome Gino!

I've been loathe to commit to some big projects like ships but looks like you're doing a simular amount of work here!

Work on the M989 HEMAT continues.

I added the NATO tail lights to the rear and a few more reflectors (2 clear ones to the rear and two more on the front).

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I also completed the suspension. My original plan to use HEMTT springs didn’t work out as they were too short and didn’t give the right spacing between the wheels. Meng came to the rescue again. On the two M911 sprues, there were springs for the front axle. I used both sets to make up the HEMAT suspension, along with some scratch-building of the mounts and styrene tubing for the axles.

On the topside, I added the footholds for the rocket pods and some tie-down rings from a 3D printed set from Shapeways.

I also built the side panels out of the side pieces from the 40’ container in the Trumpeter M915 kit. The ones on the left show the inside details and the ones on the right show the outside details.

Next up is to assemble the side pieces (one side down for loading) and finish the hinge and latch details on them. Then it is onto the tongue, hitch, and landing leg.

This one is getting close to being built and moving on to painting.

Thanks Pawel.  The HEMTT is fun to model and can be super-detailed if you want to.  It leaves a lot to be improved.  

Pawel

And now for years there is the newer version of HEMTT with air ride - does anybody make a model of that variant?

That is the A4 version and unfortunately, has not been offered in kit form. 

However, you can piece one together from parts at Shapeways.  It is mainly a different engine compartment layout...

https://www.shapeways.com/product/MBGBHJNG8/1-35-scale-hemtt-a4-piggy-back?optionId=67304373&li=marketplace

...and the new pneumatic suspension units, x4.

https://www.shapeways.com/product/A8DYSRFNT/1-35-scale-hemtt-a4-suspension-kit-ad-130?optionId=119151122&li=marketplace

The cab is also longer and would need an extension at the back, like I did on my M1074A1 PLS.

Hello Gino!

Congratulations on the granddaughter (more important) and the model (still very cool, too!). As the various kit show this truck isn't as easy to model as some might think.

One thing that amazed me for years was how crappy the Italeri HEMTT was and how none of the reviewers ever mentioned it...

And now for years there is the newer version of HEMTT with air ride - does anybody make a model of that variant?

Thanks for sharing, good luck with your build and have a nice day

Paweł