Attention!

Ford 917 T Replacement Maultier With Load Under Canvas is a new release from Herpa. This braille scale model is item 746229. It is one of five (5) Maultiers of three (3) manufacturers (Ford 917 T, Ford 987, Magirus) and one of 22 Ford vehicles currently catalogued by Herpa. (Eleven are Wehrmacht subjects.) This model for a supply Maultier assigned to Jagdgeschwader 3 "Udet." Herpa currently offers a large number of models in their Military series.

The Military series includes a large amount of high-quality finished military car and aircraft models as printed and blank versions. The technology of the vehicles and airplanes from the time of WWI until today fascinates collectors and diorama builders in equal measure. The series will be expanded continuously...

Wehrmacht Fords & Maultiers

In 1926 Ford Motor Co. tapped into the German market by organizing Ford Motor Company AG. From 1939-42 over 25,000 of the 3-ton Ford 917 and 987 models were built.

German Fords were used for over 15,000 2-ton Maultiers as the Gleisketten Lastkraftwagen 2t, offen (Track Lorries 2t, open (Sd. Kfz. 3b) type Ford V 3000 S/SSM.

The Model

Herpa's Ford Maultier is almost fully assembled. A small sprue of optional parts is included.

Molding is to a high quality. While every Herpa vehicle I've reviewed is interlocking snap-together, this model is assembled with glue. It appears that the cab is molded with a separate hood; I did not stick a blade into it to check.

The chassis is universal and can accept either the axles and wheels of a truck, or the running gear of the Maultier.

Much of the surface detail is molded on (like the shovel) although the headlamps are separately applied.

Detail

Good detail is tooled into the model. No wood grain is molded into the cargo bed and yet crisp structural brackets and bolt heads are.

A very basic cab interior is provided - a steering wheel. Wipers are molded onto the windshield.

The wheels have good hub and tread detail. The left and right half-track running gear are one-piece parts. The sprockets feature good detail although the track links are very simply molded.

That optional part sprue holds the left and right loading gauge poles, and a side mirror and spotlight. Herpa molded mounting holes and dimples on the cab but none in the bumper for the loading poles. I attached the parts with CA.

Herpa includes a vacuformed tarp formed to imply cargo underneath. It pops in and out of the cargo bed.

I looked at dozens of WWII images of German Fords including Maultiers. It was a mixed bag as to whether mirrors and gauge poles were present.

Instructions and Finish

No instructions.

Herpa molds the model in color and adds paint where necessary. The black track running gear is a bit shiny. The khaki cab canvas was painted on at the factory.

Finally, the JG 3 "Udet" emblem and "WL" for Luftwaffe is crisply painted on. Herpa does not use decals. No vehicle number plates are simulated. If one does not want a Luftwaffe Maultier, it should be no problem to paint over the markings or camouflage it to suit one's needs.

Conclusion

It is a good looking model of a popular Wehrmacht vehicle. Detail is good. Paint and markings are sharp. If one does not want a Luftwaffe Maultier it should be no problem to paint over the markings or camouflage it to suit one's needs.

Modelers tend to be clever so the lack of instructions for the four optional parts shouldn't slow one down.

One eighty-seventh and braille scaler Wehrmacht modelers should be enthusiastic about
this Ford Maultier. Recommended.

Please remember to mention to vendors and retailers that you saw this model here - on Armorama.
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Source

Kfz. der Wehrmacht.de. Ford G 987 T (four-cylinder), G 087 TG (four-cylinder wood-gas) & Ford V8 G 917 T (G 917 T St IIIa), V8 G 997 T ( G 997 T St IIIb). [Web.] n.d.

Kfz. der Wehrmacht.de. Gleisketten Lastkraftwagen 2t, offen (Maultier) (Sd. Kfz. 3b) type Ford V 3000 S/SSM. [Web.] n.d.