Mike Del Vecchio takes a look at the M561 Gama Goat, a 1/35 scale resin kit from Commander Models.

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If you have comments or questions please post them here.

Thanks!

Hey Mike nice review, thank you. I bought one of these at Mosquitocon too. Mine looks very nice except some air bubbles in the tire tread. It will certainly stand out on a show table and I look forward to building it.
In another thread Jon of Commanders just showed the master for an M520 Goer! Woohoo that's gonna be cool!

Matt, A GOER and a GOAT?/ !! finally!

Yeah Carl I know, Commanders is coming back strong with never before produced subjects!

Hi guys,

I bought mine about a week ago and I must say their service is excellent !
Send from the US to The Netherlands in one week !!

I do agree with Mike that their instructions are a bit lacking and a good background research is surely needed, especially on the complicated suspension and drivetrain.
Perhaps some good intructions in several steps is needed and NO black/white line drawings.
But nevertheless, it's a beauty !!!!!!!!!

AND PUT ME DOWN FOR THAT GOER !!!!!!!


Gé Hovens

I see quite a few air holes and bent parts.
The packing could be a tad better also.
from looking at the pics.

But Hey a Gama goat.
Maybe Dragon would like to do one in Plastic.

Nope not German and still have a couple hundred Tiger's Stug's and Panzer IV's to make.

I drove one in Korea bear as the Bilge pump went out crossing the river and we lost one to the River and a certain Battalion XO got a different job because of it.

I am keeping my EYE on their site......as soon as the Goer is out....I'm on it!!

Ge - Glad to hear the service was good.....the instructions need a lot of research....time for me to see if I have the Goat TM somewhere....even with that....it should be a fun kit.

Jeff - The tires especially have a bunch of air holes where the pour block was. I do agree the box could most definitly be a bit bigger. The items are a bit snug in the box.

Rounds Complete!!

I wonder if all 3 variants of the GOER will be developed? I encountered all 3 in Germany, from 1976 till 78

The picture on the box looks like a early varient (the engine cover was curved) the later varient had a simpler straight sided engine cover which is what the part in the box looks like. I drove both types, when we got our first Goat, the driver and several of is jumped in and took it down to the lake to swim it. We hit the water and the water started coming in so the driver hit the bilge pump. We had a pencil thick stream of water pumping out and a flood coming in. We sank that puppy in about six feet of water twenty feet from the shore. Come to find out the three 4" diametrer drain plugs for the hull bottoms shipped seperately. Fortunately, we didn't have to pay for the repairs since the motor sergent who assembled the truck and released it to us didn't notice the plugs were missing either. I'll never forget the looks on everyone's faces as we slipped under the water in an "amphibious" vehicle. I did successfully swim several after that and they weren't too bad as long as you had a weak current and there weren't any waves. With the front and rear axles steering and an articulating joint in the middle they were very agile and great on ice.

Did this beast ever make it over to Vietnam...?

Thanks, folks!

Regards and Aloha,

Johnny B.

Not 100 % sure about Vietnam, but some XM561 test rigs were sent to Thailand for trials in 1962 and 1965 :
http://www.voughtaircraft.com/heritage/special/html/sgamaa.html
http://www.gamagoat.com/info_pictures.html
http://www.gamagoat.com/documents/fm%20Janowski,%20William/History/Army%20Motors%20-reprint.pdf

HTH

Frenchy

I don't think they would have gotten to Nam, we were getting ours brand new at Fort Lewis in 1972 as Nam was winding down and units were returning to the states and either transfering their equipment to the ARVNs or shipping the stuff the ARVNs didn't want to Okinawa for cannibilization and rebuilding for issue stateside. I had an Okinawa rebuild M51 Dump that apparently had been a guntruck in Nam, there was a circular weld on the headboarsd above the cab the same diameter as the mount for a quad .50 cal maxson mount. It didn't go all the way through the headboard so it wasn't a repair. If that's what it was it must have had a great line of fire with the guns sitting about twelve feet above ground level. It would have easily been able to fire above any cargo trucks in a convoy.

According to Shelby Stanton's 'Vietnam order of Battle' the gama Goat was in Vietnam on pag 314 he had a photo of one in US Army markings.
Don't know if this can be classed as proof positive though?
Cheers
David

Finally a Gamma Goat. I was stationed in Korea from 83 to 84 and it was my prime vehicle. I'll have to dig through my photo's to find pictures. Now I have to talk the better half in to letting me get another kit. My stash is quite large. Mybee they will come out with a reasonable priced M715 besides the Goer.
Tom

Yeah, finally a Goat! In looking at the images on the review, it seems that a lot of hot water is needed to correct many of the warped parts. I guess it's still better than scratchbuilding tho. Ben waiting for an M561 for a long time, and now there's word of a GOER as well?? Sweet!

Jim - Acutually....there are not that many warpped parts. The major parts are in great shape. Some of the small thin stuff may be a bit out of kilter....but not bad.

I have seen a lot worse in resin....A LOT worse....This kit in that respect is quite good.

IMO....the only two drawbacks of what was supplied was the air bubbles on the tires, voids on the front major section and the directions which are poor.

Otherwise it is a great kit

Rounds Complete!!

OK then, I'll defer to the guy who actually has hands-on the kit! Seems to me that if you could get one decent tire/wheel assembly, you could pop five more out of the DIY resin box at home. Looks like a lot of pin holes.....

Yep....the tires have air bubble voids where the pour block should be.

We are modelers.....a bit of putty will do the trick!!

Rounds Complete!!

Nice review Mike.
I agree--- IT IS NOT A KIT FOR A NEWCOMER TO RESIN KITS!

First, but not least, the Goat in the picture is mine. (In my garage) If you guys want more pictures of it just let me know. Second, It is not an early variant. The early engine covers, the square cut ones , were the first. They cracked at all the edges so they began stamping them out of one piece, hence, the curved edges. The bilge pump pumps 53 gpm, not really a little pencil stream unless plugged up.
If you want more info on the Goat, go to www.GamaGoat.com.
You'll find every thing you need and much more.
The Goat never made it to Nam. Unfortunately they were not considered a battle worthy vehicle until Nam was nearly over. Many went to Europe( Germany,England, etc.)
It's a wonderful vehicle and will put Hummers to shame off road.



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