M1025 Humvee

by Don Franklin

Tamiya's 1/35 scale M1025 Humvee is available online from Squadron.com

This project started as present for my son after his return from Iraq.

I wanted to build the Hummer that he rode on during the last part of the war. After asking him several questions concerning his vehicle I started looking for the best kits to buy. Fortunately for me Tamiya and DML had recent releases that made my job a lot easier.

My son’s Hummer was in the NATO tri-color camouflage with a 7.62mm M240G machinegun mounted on top. The unit markings were hand painted in the field and represent 1st Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, Headquarters Company, Supply Platoon.

The Humvee

The new 1/35 scale Tamiya M1025 kit is very accurate when compared to photographs that my son provided me, however it did not come with the M240G. The other problem is the figures provided in the kit have the body armor used in Desert Storm, not the Interceptor vest used by the Marines.

These problems were solved by using parts from Dragon’s Modern U.S. Marines kit.

The Figures

The Dragon U.S. Modern Marines kit comes with four figures and more weapons than I think any infantry fire team could carry. Not only did this set include the M240G that I needed for the Hummer, but it also comes with an assortment of Soviet type weapons.

I used a combination of Tamiya and Dragon parts for both crewmen in the HUMVEE in order to get the correct vest and pose that I wanted. The rest of the figures are pretty much straight from the box and represent a Marine fire team on patrol.

The one thing that worried me the most about making these figures was how to simulate the camouflage netting on the helmets. This was something that was mandatory for everyone in the 1st Bn., 5th Marines. The solution to this was to crumple aluminum foil, then carefully unfold it to create the needed texture. Super glued to the helmets and then painted, it proved to be a very good representation of the real thing.

The Accessories

The hardest thing to find in an accessory kit seems to be the camouflage net bag and it’s associated pole bag. After looking at several different kits I found the new Tamyia Modern U.S. Military Equipment Set. This kit comes with a bag marked “Tarpaulin”, that looks a lot like the camouflage netting bag and one marked “Tent” that is a dead ringer for the pole bag. It also has MRE’s, ALICE packs, ammo cans, and other gear needed for the modern vehicles, except maybe Marine vehicles. You see the Marines no longer use the ALICE packs, they now use the MOLLIE packs. This is a modular system that can be modified for the individual or mission. The radio in the diorama is being carried in a patrol pack and the packs on the front of the vehicle are modified ALICE packs made to look like MOLLIE packs with the sleeping bag carrier attached to the bottom and the sleeping pad tied to the outside.

This was a challenging project, and a fun one. I just hope that I can learn to use my newly purchased camera good enough to share more of my models with you.

Kits used 1/35 scale

• Tamiya Modern U.S. Military Equipment Set

• Dragon U.S. Modern Marines

• Tamiya M1025 HUMVEE
   

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Model, Images and Text Copyright © 2004 by Don Franklin
Page Created 12 February, 2004
Last Updated 17 March, 2004

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