introduction

The set I received for review is not an entirely new product, in fact it's a subset of parts included earlier in MIG M1114 conversion set for Tamiya Humvee. Included are four cream colored resin parts:

weapons station (cupola),

a hatch molded as single part, which can easily be cut to two pieces and folded,

two small support bars for the hatch.

contentet

The weapons station represents a heavy version as used on up-armored M1114 Humvees, and the most important feature of it, is the armored split hatch that can be locked at vertical position giving some degree of protection to the gunner’s back. There is a problem however, I have never seen this type of weapons station used on any other variant of Humvee than M1114. MIG Productions call their set “HMMWV late type cupola”, which would suggest that it can be used with regular Humvees, but it is not true. In original Tamiya Humvee kits (and actually in all other 1/35 scale hardtop Humvee kits available on the market) included is the original oldest version of the weapons station. Most Humvees today use the lightweight variant of the weapons station and to date nobody offers it in 1/35 scale. Some manufacturers include a weapons support frame (triangular shaped frame with lightening holes) from this light station in their update sets for Humvee (e.g. ProArt in their Dumvee set), but not the actual weapons station itself, which is noticeably different from the older type. It would be great if MIG Productions released a resin version of the new lightweight weapons station, but unfortunately this product is not it.

Quality

Parts are cleanly cast with no air bubbles in them. Details are crisp and accurate (for M1114 weapons station). There is a thin resin film to remove from the cupola center and edges and from one side of hatch, plus of course there are usual resin casting blocks, but all these should be easy to remove. Actually in my set the hatch has separated itself from its casting block cleanly all by itself during transport.

conclusion

I have a problem in recommending this set. It is nicely cast and well detailed, but its usage is limited to a single Humvee variant. Also MIG Productions M1114 conversion set already includes these parts, so there is no need to get them separately. Actually, exactly the same type of weapons station is also used on up-armored FMTV trucks with LSAC (low signature armored cab) in Iraq, but as there are no 1/35 kits of FMTV this doesn’t really increase the usability of this set… I wouldn’t be surprised if these cupolas are also used on some other up-armored trucks in Iraq, like M939 or HEMTT, but I have not seen them on any pics yet.

Many thanks to MIG Productions for the review sample!