¹⁄35

Patriot SAM System

This is Trumpeter’s M901 Launching Station & AN/MPQ-53 Radar set of the MIM-104 Patriot SAM System (PAC-2) and HEMTT M983 Tractor in 1/35 scale. These two kits where built mostly straight out of the box. Meaning, that no after market kits where used in the kit. The only thing I added to the build was most of the plumbing and cabling using pictures from Prime Portal and the actual technical manuals for the vehicle and launching station.

Like in the pictures on Prime Portal taken by Hans-Hermann Bühling, I left my Patriot system “clean.” I didn’t use any pigments and only did a light dry brushing to pick it all the details. I used Tamiya NATO colors for the camo and Vallejo paints for all the detail painting.

I tried to at least make the interior of the cab of the M983 look a little “lived in.” I added an MRE, helmet, a couple of tools, water bottle, and a roll of TP (toilet paper) on the radio. Speaking of radio, I don’t know what Trumpeter was looking at when they designed the radio for the M983, but it is all wrong. So with a little putty and some Evergreen plastic, it was fixed.

The radar station had a camouflage net bag and two pole bags added to the top deck of the trailer. Chains were added to the choke blocks of both trailers and safety chains added to the legs of both trailers too.