Adam Baker
Active member
Something that is long overdue, here is a build review of Trumpeters M1078 LMTV Cargo Truck.
To see a photo review of the M-1083 kit (similar to the M-1078) and its contents, please check the photo review posted by Saul Garcia.
Trumpeter M-1083 FMTV Photo Review
Initial inspection of the kit showed very nice detail, w/ no flash anywhere on the parts. The instructions were well laid out and what appeared to be a logical sequence of assembly.
I started out by assembling the frame, and came across probably the only real issue I found with the kit. On the kit frame rails, I discovered a bit of a mold mismatch. It wasnt huge, but it was enough that I had to take some time to clean up to make sure that the parts that laid against the frame didnt have problems going in place. Cleaning this up also aided in the assembly of the frame.
The kit starts with having to assemble the frame. The frame consists of the left & right frame rails, 5 cross members and then a "curbside" engine/transmission plate.
When assembling the frame, I laid the frame rails on a piece of glass tile and used square blocks, in an effort to keep everything flat & square. When the model was complete, I was happy to note that all 4 tires touch the ground.
Once the frame was complete, it moved into assembling the suspension, which is the only place I had any issues with the assembly of the kit, all because I failed to pay close enough attention to the instructions.
The kit utilizes leaf springs and hangers/shackles for attaching the leaf springs. The front & rear suspension use the same design. I was able to get the rear assembled just fine, but when assembling the front, I initially accidentally omitted the rearward leaf spring hangers. Doing so caused a misalignment that prevented the suspension from assembling correctly.
Here is a shot of the front suspension assembled incorrectly, minus the leaf spring shackle. As can be seen, the hanger does not align correctly with the mounting point on the frame.
And then corrected once I discovered my error and added the leaf spring shcakle.
I did run across a fitment issue when I moved on to assembling the fuel tank, and attaching one of the photoetch pieces that is provided with the kit.
Included in the kit is a small fret of photoetch, consisting mainly of 2 skit plates, and some other small detail parts.
The skid plate that attaches to the fuel tank frame did not match the mounting studs. The mounting brackets fo the fuel tank have 2 raised studs that should match 2 holes in the fuel tank skit plate, but I found that they did not, which meant having to remove the studs and just gluing the skid plate straight to the bracket, making extra sure to make sure it was located correctly since I'd lost the locating studs.
Here is the fuel tank, w/ the bracket, showing the 2 alignment studs.
And the skid plate
Here you can see how the holes & the studs do not align correctly.
And mounted, after removing the studs. I just centered the skit plate on the bracket, and moved on.
One feature of the kit that I liked was the ability to choose how you wish to display the cargo bed. The cargo bed has a total of 8 jump seats, which allow the M-1078 to act as a troop transport. These seats can be displayed in the kit either folded up to allow for open bed space, or to be folded down for troops to sit on.
I chose on my build to have the forward 4 seats to be folded up for a cargo load, and the rear 4 seats to be folded down so that I can eventually display my model with some soldiers sitting in the bed.
On the real vehicle, the bed sides swing down to allow for easier loading an unloading of cargo. Unfortunately the kit does not allow for this out of box, it would require cutting to get the bed sides or rear tailgate to be shown in the down position. Making this modification I think would be a great addition if showing this kit in a diorama scene.
Here is my kit full assembled (minus tires) prior to painting.
The kit instructions provide markings for 2 vehicles, one in a 3 tone camouflage scheme, and one in a desert scheme. I chose to go with a desert scheme for my build.
For those interested in aftermarket goodies, I have found several sets available from various manufacturers are available for this kit.
Overall I have to say I'm very pleased with this kit. It provides a lot of excellent detail without being overly difficult to build.
I would definitely recommend this kit to people interested in building modern US Army support vehicles.
To see a photo review of the M-1083 kit (similar to the M-1078) and its contents, please check the photo review posted by Saul Garcia.
Trumpeter M-1083 FMTV Photo Review
Initial inspection of the kit showed very nice detail, w/ no flash anywhere on the parts. The instructions were well laid out and what appeared to be a logical sequence of assembly.
I started out by assembling the frame, and came across probably the only real issue I found with the kit. On the kit frame rails, I discovered a bit of a mold mismatch. It wasnt huge, but it was enough that I had to take some time to clean up to make sure that the parts that laid against the frame didnt have problems going in place. Cleaning this up also aided in the assembly of the frame.
The kit starts with having to assemble the frame. The frame consists of the left & right frame rails, 5 cross members and then a "curbside" engine/transmission plate.
When assembling the frame, I laid the frame rails on a piece of glass tile and used square blocks, in an effort to keep everything flat & square. When the model was complete, I was happy to note that all 4 tires touch the ground.
Once the frame was complete, it moved into assembling the suspension, which is the only place I had any issues with the assembly of the kit, all because I failed to pay close enough attention to the instructions.
The kit utilizes leaf springs and hangers/shackles for attaching the leaf springs. The front & rear suspension use the same design. I was able to get the rear assembled just fine, but when assembling the front, I initially accidentally omitted the rearward leaf spring hangers. Doing so caused a misalignment that prevented the suspension from assembling correctly.
Here is a shot of the front suspension assembled incorrectly, minus the leaf spring shackle. As can be seen, the hanger does not align correctly with the mounting point on the frame.
And then corrected once I discovered my error and added the leaf spring shcakle.
I did run across a fitment issue when I moved on to assembling the fuel tank, and attaching one of the photoetch pieces that is provided with the kit.
Included in the kit is a small fret of photoetch, consisting mainly of 2 skit plates, and some other small detail parts.
The skid plate that attaches to the fuel tank frame did not match the mounting studs. The mounting brackets fo the fuel tank have 2 raised studs that should match 2 holes in the fuel tank skit plate, but I found that they did not, which meant having to remove the studs and just gluing the skid plate straight to the bracket, making extra sure to make sure it was located correctly since I'd lost the locating studs.
Here is the fuel tank, w/ the bracket, showing the 2 alignment studs.
And the skid plate
Here you can see how the holes & the studs do not align correctly.
And mounted, after removing the studs. I just centered the skit plate on the bracket, and moved on.
One feature of the kit that I liked was the ability to choose how you wish to display the cargo bed. The cargo bed has a total of 8 jump seats, which allow the M-1078 to act as a troop transport. These seats can be displayed in the kit either folded up to allow for open bed space, or to be folded down for troops to sit on.
I chose on my build to have the forward 4 seats to be folded up for a cargo load, and the rear 4 seats to be folded down so that I can eventually display my model with some soldiers sitting in the bed.
On the real vehicle, the bed sides swing down to allow for easier loading an unloading of cargo. Unfortunately the kit does not allow for this out of box, it would require cutting to get the bed sides or rear tailgate to be shown in the down position. Making this modification I think would be a great addition if showing this kit in a diorama scene.
Here is my kit full assembled (minus tires) prior to painting.
The kit instructions provide markings for 2 vehicles, one in a 3 tone camouflage scheme, and one in a desert scheme. I chose to go with a desert scheme for my build.
For those interested in aftermarket goodies, I have found several sets available from various manufacturers are available for this kit.
Overall I have to say I'm very pleased with this kit. It provides a lot of excellent detail without being overly difficult to build.
I would definitely recommend this kit to people interested in building modern US Army support vehicles.
