ACADEMY SHMIRA M151A1

Many a vehicle underwent a specific Israeli transformation & the diminutive M151A1 or MUTT was no exception – being used in great numbers in the 1980s & 1990s. So Academy’s 1:35th Shmira (Ref: 13004) was a great release.

The Shmira was Israel’s reconnaissance variant of the MUTT truck. Academy chose an attractive subject in 1:35th scale as the Israeli conversion comes with plenty of visual interest. The roll cage, GPMG gun mounts, whip aerials & other add-ons are all fun to model.

This kit goes together in no time & won’t present the model maker with too many headaches. The only problem is that out of the box it’s all a bit naked – lacking all those little extras a vehicle crew carts around.

So we decided to opt for a Warriors (VLC) resin crew & plenty of on-board extras that came from Legends Production’s dedicated Shmira upgrade set (LF1018). Other Verlinden accessories found their way onto the kit as well.

In addition, numerous extras (mainly blankets, kit bags, packs & rolls) were sculpted from scratch in Duro & added to the model.

Detailing like radio cables & weapons slings were added for more yet realism.

Finally, the M151 needed its own diorama. A simple affair, it was just a case of selecting a wooden base, adding some terrain texture using air-drying clay, dust & fine stones/grit & choosing some diorama accessories – mainly from Accurate Armour. These included their Jersey barriers, Israeli flag & the mineral water bottles. Finally, the terrain & vehicle were painted & then dusted in the same earthy weathering shades to match. The sign is from a Verlinden set.

We’ll be doing a tutorial on building a simple base like this soon – so stay tuned.