WOW, I don't visit for a while and then a thread like this pops up?? I noticed there were a couple of other threads about this kit and here I've been blissfully ignorant that Tacom was making 1/72 scale now. So is anyone doing a build or perhaps an in-box review of this kit? Jan, as always your pictures are great but do you have a review of some sort in the works or are they just a tease? Can't wait to see and/or hear more about this new development.

Regards,
AG

@Russ - apparently somebody's listening to your wishes: Eduard have an etched set for this kit planned for release in March. Scroll down to the Eduard newsletter - photoetched sets on this page:

https://toylandhobbymodelingmagazine.press/blog/

@(system) Ed,




Thanks from me too, Ed! They sure didn't make the "announcement" too easy to find. Anyway, to anyone interested I did a screen capture and edited the image a bit to hopefully give people a better idea of what the PE set will entail. I tried enlarging it but it just got more distorted.



@(weathering_one) AJ,

Sorry but I've got nothing in the works about this kit at the moment and don't have any idea when I might tackle something other than a few images for discussion purposes.

Cheers,
Jan

Wooohooo! Thanks for the info. It looks like there is an entire cab for the 1070 (unless I'm "reading" the diagram incorrectly) I knew there was a good reason to delay construction (not the real reason, but I'll claim this one!). They are also releasing a 1/35 Sheridan set it seems, but for the wrong kit-- it's the new Tamiya Sheridan, which is a Vietnam release-- I was a Sheridan Platoon Leader in the 70s. Have to wait for the Rye Field kit I guess. Now if only Eduard would re-release their excellent 1/72 Dragon Wagon set....

As a side note, before I retired from the Army in 2006, I had the opportunity to "tour" seven HETS (M1070 and M1000s). Parked in a motor pool at Fort Lewis, Washington in 2004. Having lived among modern military equipment most of my 30 year career, the one piece of Army equipment that really fascinated me was the HET--especially this HET. I wish I'd photographed them, but didn't have an iphone or a camera at the time. They were all in Europe NATO camo, and were destined for shipping to Kuwait and OIF. I was in uniform, and was "unmolested" in exploring them, since the associated PFC guard found a full Colonel wanting to inspect his charges a bit intimidating. I couldn't get him to pull the hoods (bonnets to those of you across the pond), but I got a good look at the interior, winches, lowboy fifth wheels and the trailer height mechanisms. This is truly a big honking and marvelous piece of equipment. I had a great time walking across the lowboy decks as they were parked fender to fender, taking up about half the motor pool area they were in. Guess that's why I wanted this kit. I happened to be on base yesterday, and passed a D9 and had to stop and take a look. Unfortunately, it was the un-armored version, but it's still impressive. I scoured the base last week, but sadly, there were no HETS to be found, just the same old boring Stryker variants running around. Call me strange but I have little interest in them--too familiar I guess!!! Hopefully, I can start this beast by next summer when the other projects are completed.

VR, Russ

There are a handful of in-box reviews linked from the kit's Scalemates page:

https://www.scalemates.com/kits/takom-5002-m1070-and-d9--1158056

@(Kevlar06) Russ,

Look what I just found on the Eduard site just a minute ago for the 1/72 Dragon Wagon:



https://www.eduard.com/Armoured-fighting-vehicles/1-72/M-26-DWag-trailler-1-72.html?cur=2

There are three(3) of them left in stock.

Cheers,
Jan

Yep, that's the lowboy, but the PCF tractor is out of stock. I don't know how a well detailed trailer will look (its pretty good as-is) without a decked out tractor. By the way, the M25 Tractor was built three miles from my boyhood home. When I was a kid in the late 1950s and early 60s, I used to ride my bike down to PCF (Pacific Car and Foundry) and stare at the lines of M25s, M25A1s, tracked Howitzers, and other military equipment coming in and out by train. PCF was a major rebuild site, and a lot of stuff was moving back and forth in those days. It was right next to the Boeing Renton Plant, so my friends and I could get good views of military aircraft, civil aircraft, and military vehicles on almost any day. The Boeing plant now builds 737 variants exclusively, and sadly PCF is completely gone, razed flat for apartments and shopping areas, although there is still a large field where the vehicle holding area was. Sad in many ways.
VR, Russ

Greetings all! I've started scanning the kit instructions and thought I'd post the parts and sprue page for those that might be curious. Here it is:



I've got about 11 pages scanned so far but there are still more to go and they'll need a bit of editing before I decide to do anything like an In-Box or something.

Cheers,
Jan

The latest "Fine Scale Modeler" has a nice 'quick' review if this AMAZING kit!

Yes-- and guess what? Sprue Brothers has a Takom 1/72 M1070 and M1000 combination on sale now with an M1A1 tank as the load!! I wonder if Takom will offer the M1A1 separately? Frankly I like the D9 as a load-- it just looks more interesting to me.
VR, Russ