It looks great! Amazing work!!!

One small possible nitpick though You don't have a winch on your truck, but you added a hydraulic fluid reservoir behind the cab. As far as I know it is only installed on trucks equipped with hydraulic winch (Mk.25, Mk.28). Trumpeter made a mistake including it in their Mk.23 kit. I added winch to my Mk.28, so I was actually glad that Trumpeter included that part, but it should be omitted for Mk.23 and other variants without a winch.
There is a possibility that this reservoir is also used for the LHS mechanism, so maybe it actually should be there on your truck. I know that Oshkosh show this reservoir on their drawing of the 16.5ton LHS truck, but their drawings are not entirely reliable (some features showed on their Mk.28 drawings didn't match reality). Do you have some photos that would show this part on this truck variant?

EDIT!!!
I've found this photo:


It comes from this page: http://www.maquetland.com/article-phototheque/1992-oshkosh-mtvr-8x8-heavy-lhs-cabine-blindee

So there is a hydraulic reservoir there, but it is different shape (more "boxy", not rounded) and a bit larger than the one used on Mk.25/Mk.28 trucks (as included in Trumpeter kit).

However this particular truck has a winch, so I still think this reservoir is part of the winch system:

Strapped is not the best word here - it's attached with ISO locks But I agree the lack of CHU in the Trumpeter kit is highly disappointing...

Thank you Pawel for your kind words. Coming from a modeler such as yourself that is high praise!

I believe an Oil Reservoir is necessary whenever either the winch or the LHS equipment is present, given that they are both hydraulically operated. The photos you posted of the prototype Oshkosh vehicle built for the European Market has both a winch and the Load Handling Equipment, hence the even larger oil reservoir.

p.s. Pawel the Mk dump truck F.Y.I., also has the oil reservoir.

Unfortunately all my reference photos of the 8x8 LHS are front 3/4 views so I cannot factually confirm the presence of the reservoir on that vehicle.

Something your remark did show me however, on my little experimental Mk?? 4x4 I also include the reservoir which would appear to be incorrect. I will either need to remove the oil tank or add a winch to the little bobber.

Pawel - I want to thank you again for making those frame stiffener brackets available to all of us thru Shapeways.



Again they are beautifully done, a great time saver and add much to the model. I definitely feel you have had a creative hand in the building of my model.

Michael

Again I do agree with Pawel - you cannot always trust the published technical drawings, however in this case I will point out that the drawings do show the oil reservoir as being present on the 8x8 LHS for whatever that might be worth.

Dear Trumpy:

Dang it, make the freak'n CHU device available! - You prototyped it, you showed it to us, you teased us with it,
NOW SELL IT TO US!

. . . . Here take my money!


Frustrated in Lex.

Got tired of waiting for Trumpeter to come through with their CHU and decided yesterday to give it a try myself.

Wow Michael, your scratch building skills are out of this world. I really like all your builds.

Thanks Ron, I appreciate the positive encouragement!

I do have to say though that I bow to Angel and his scratch building skills with his recent German bread baking oven and bread kneading trailers - such precision!

EUREKA! The CHU works as designed (by the manufacture!)





p.s. The bottom attachments are fixed pins and the top are movable hooks held in place by friction. The CHU is easily removed (it is not glued on) and when completed will also work with the shorter half and three-quarter tall containers.

I had to test it. I had to know.

So I blocked up the bottom of the CHU and slid a needle file down thru one of the hollow square tube legs of the CHU. I wanted to see if it would hold up the container like the real thing does. SUCCESS!

Looks awesome. Now you need to cast it so us mere mortals can get a CHU.

Come on Trumpeter!!

I think I'm more lucky than smart.

First two images show the cutting plan for the square tubing and for the front & rear gusset plates - then weld the CHU frame together. (I mean glue together.) - - - - - Line drawings not to scale.




Build it as shown above and NOT the way I built it! (As shown below.)

_____________________________________________________________________________________________



I needed large gauge square tubing - had none - so started by taking some Evergreen 3/16" "ELL" I had on hand and gluing up the needed square tubes.

Left and Right on-truck, ISO container lock downs now added to my CHU:

Construction of container hook arms and finished upper details of CHU:

Current status of CHU build:

F.Y.I. - I intentionally spaced the lower container connection pins just slightly on the narrow side. When I attach the CHU to the container this means I have to force the lower legs open just slightly. Doing this, the lower pins pinch the container attachment fixtures. This improves the physical connection between the CHU and the container.

Anyone know when or how the lower hooks on the CHU are employed?

I thought I knew but I may have it wrong.

Here is a half-height container and one possible way the lower hooks might be used with the shorter container.



Have not been able to find any clear reference on this question.

This is my thinking on how the lower hooks are used with the half-height containers but I cannot find any photos to document this.


Lower hook in stowed position . . . Lower hook ready to use . . . . . Lower hooks engaging top fittings on container.

Miscellaneous reference photos on the CHU - sorry the quality is so poor - they are all I could find!

. . . .


. . . .


Jake leg that allows CHU to be stored on the ground but
in an upright standing position.

I haven't been commenting lately but following your every step. This is come along real nice. No my friend, you are not lucky...you are talented/gifted and we modellers are (Phil Robertson's voice) happy, happy, happy!.

Much nicer/clearer/sharper reference photos of the CHU provided by Pascal Bausset can be viewed over on the Prime Portal website at:

http://www.primeportal.net/m1120_walk_pb.htm