The Academy kit is superior to the Italeri kit (also boxed by Revell of Germany and Tamiya as the Bushmaster). Here's why:
1. Interior: Academy has a good basic interior. Italeri is extremely lacking (no radio rack, TOW stowage, gunner's platform, door interior detail)
2. Tires: Academy gives one-piece vinyl tires; Italeri has terrible looking plastic ones.
3. Hubs: Academy gives the correct variations for the front and rear tire hubs; Italeri gives the same hub for all four wheels.
4. Exhaust: Academy gives the option of a USMC wading exhaust and raised air cleaner, Italeri only gives standard exhaust. No possibility of a USMC vehicle from any Italeri-based kit.
5. BII (basic issue items) Rack: Academy includes the pioneer tool rack, Italeri omits this item. (Only found with Academy's soft top)
6. Grill: Academy includes a mesh grill, Italeri's is all plastic; however, Italeri's top grill is the type found on armored HMMWVs and Academy's is the soft top type. Even if the kit is of a soft-top or armored type. Toss up here, but I'd give it to Academy.
7. Soft Top: Academy's kit gives the safety strap for the troop compartment; Revell of Germany's omits this item.
8. TOW Hummer: Academy's give the option of the TOW, SAW, M60, or .50 cal. Italeri only gives the TOW.
9. Hard Top: Academy's hardtop has the open hatchback option with lifting arms. Italeri's is molded closed.
10. Gunner's Hatch: Academy give the option of an open gunner's hatch, and even includes the gunner's seat strap. Italeri's is molded closed.
11. Figures: Academy gives a gunner figure with the M1025 and 3 crewmen with the M966 (driver, gunner & TC). No figures with Italeri.
12. 4 door Commander's HMMWV: Only Italeri has this variant.
13. Early Italeri Hummers are missing the six oval indentations found below the doors on the side of the chassis. This has been added to the M1036 and the RoG boxings.
14. Academy HMMWVs have the “AM GENERAL” imprinted on the tailgate, Italeri does not.
15. All HMMWV kits miss the two rubber bumpers found just inside of the windshield wiper pivot points. These bumpers are only found on soft-top HMMWVs (M998/1038) and keep the windshield from rattling if it was tied down (rarely done). Also missing is the two tie downs that are between the hood grill and the windshield (also found on soft tops only) and the corresponding tie downs and straps on the top windshield frame.
16. All HMMWVs also miss the plywood cover that goes between the driver and passenger seating

Did I miss anything? Probably, feel free to add or rebut.

Thanks for the info. Looks like I will be doing some backtracking on my hummer when my Academy kit gets here. I may order 2 of them now just to have an extra. I can't tell you how helpful this information is. Thankyou so much for taking the time to fill us in on this. Again you have given more information than I expected, but I will use it all.

No problem Drew. FYI, I snatch up an Academy Hummer (any) when I run across them at rock bottom prices. Several that I do have had $20+ price tags on them, but I was able to get them through trades and eBay for well under $10.

BTW, some people seem to think that the Italeri HMMWV just doesn't "look" right in the front end/hood area. I think it looks OK and enough like a HMMWV for me. Now the Esci kit didn't look right to me though.

Good to see that I am not infallible :-) I'll take some photos of the plywood cover.

Here is a suggestion guys that i did n a HUMMER a while back. Like Gray said, the engine cover in the Italeri kit is correct and the the one in the Academy kit is made to mount the radio. What I did, was by the old Italeri kits that didnt have the indents and right side louvers and just swap the main body piece for the one in the Academy kit. I went ahead and used all the side panels and rear panel and hood from the Academy kit.

Other than that, ROB, your right on the money!

Good post, Rob and Grey. I have been wondering what the differences were, since several folks have made comments on this subject in other threads.

Grey, look in the gallery. I am pretty sure some of the shots I posted there show the plywood cover, or at least parts of it. The cover is used in every unarmored HMMWv I have seen, to cover the corrugated deck between the seats. I think this is to allow the (officially not permitted) use of the center area for additional passengers.

In many vehicles, there is also a sort of textured padding or insulation (for noise, I think) on the sides and floor of the two front seats. This is some sort of foam, covered with a thick vinyl membrane that has a pebbled texture. The photos I posted in the gallery definitely show this.

Here is another tid bit of info for you guys that dont get to play with the real toys. My four seater HUMMER just recently returned from services. The motor sargent was tell me all he did extra to my vehicle. This is info from the National Guard aspect. Im pretty sure active duty has had these changes for a while. I no at least some of these changes or additions where on some of my HUMMERS when i was active. Anyways, In the soft top versions, PLYWOOD is placed between the frame and the canvas in side the HUMMER. This is to prevent the canvas from tearing or sagging to much when it rains. Lots of water collected on the tops. Also, sun visors are now added to the interiors of the vehicles.

One common item in Europe is plywood ID panels on the lower half of the canvas doors. They are cut to shape of the door below the window, painted (mostly sand color) with the vehicle number and (usually) a company/battalion logo, and mounted using longer screws through the normal hinges. They fit over and are supported at the back by the door handle. They come off easily for deployment.

I am having a devil of a time finding the academy tow hummer. If I where to buy the tamiya bushmaster or the revel of germany version of the hummer would I still get the advantages listed above, including the tires and the opening rear hatch?

Andrew, remember there are only 3 basic HMMWV model manufacturers:

1. Academy=AFV Club=best
2. Italeri=Tamiya=Revell of Germany=good
3. Esci=AMT=Ertl=ok

Now the Lee kit has a boxtop that looks like it was borrowed from the Italeri Commando Hum-V, but I am unsure of the contents. I bet they are knock offs of one of the above kits.

Well, I just paid $33 for the tow version of the academy hummer with the tow launcher on E-bay so that battle it over (except with my wife ) I should be in good shape now especailly with the stuff the Epi sent me (some extra PE and resin stuff for the top and rear hatches, thanks a million, your the man). Thanks for all the help guys.