Advertisement
Header
It’s also put to good use by a host of nations in their military truck fleets. The Unimog first saw the light of day in the aftermath of World War Two as a cheap alternative to an agricultural tractor.
The basic principles on which it was founded still apply today – with high ground clearance, permanent four-wheel drive & respectable road speeds making it a practical all-round vehicle. Off-road, its ability to conquer most terrain & weather environments make it a popular choice for armies & local authorities alike. The vehicle can be fitted with a myriad of external power driven devices like excavators or snow-blowers too. While a top speed of 82km/h means it is at ease doing road-based operations too.
Revell released a 1:35th scale model kit of a U1300L Unimog several years ago (Ref: 03082). Being a German model manufacturer, it seemed a logical choice of military model subject as the vehicle equips the Bundeswehr to the tune of some 12,000 units.
We picked up the kit with the ambition of making a modern subject as a change from the normal World War Two builds that grace our workbench. The truck is a mean-looking, purposeful beast & Revell have done a good job capturing that allure. The kit boasts 190 parts moulded in Revell’s pet favourite green plastic that can sometimes seem a little soft.
The level of detail is generally good but a bit fudged on some of the smaller parts. Having said that, we only replaced one of two parts of plastic (mainly the sump guard). The big let-down are the wheels. Made in black shiny vinyl, they lack any of the real tread detail seen on the life-size vehicles. Luckily, MR Modelbau produce a resin replacement set & that’s what we plumped for.
Other than that, readers should be aware that the tilt is integrally moulded onto the cargo bay sides – at least on this early release. So if you want an open cargo deck – you’ll need to do some scratch building. Obviously, the perfect kit simply doesn’t exist, so if you really want to push the detailing, there’s plenty of scope here.
Otherwise, once built up, the three-tone NATO Camouflage applied in enamels & a dirty weathering pass using Tamiya & Vallejo acrylics finished off our Bundeswehr beauty.
Basecol
