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In-Box Review
135
SF LMTV conversion
M1078 LMTV Special Forces War Pig
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by: Olivier Carneau [ BISON126 ]

Introduction

Pro Art Models (PAM) has released this set in October 2011 to convert the Trumpeter LMTV kit #01004 into the Special Forces Warpig truck.
Basically the Warpig is a LMTV truck equipped with extra communication gear, new and more comfortable seats for the team members, weapon brackets for a M2 HMG or Mk19 AGL and a M240 MG.
The cabin is open top and a special for extra jerry cans or water cans has been attached to the front of the chassis.

The contents

The conversion set comes in the usual PAM blue thin cardboard box with a photo of a completed and painted model on top of it.
Inside you get one plastic bag with 86 resin parts, one bag with additional 5 resin parts for the M240 and a third bag with two PE frets, a thick one for the frame of the cargo bay and a thin one for the various details.
The instructions come in two double-sided A4 sheets with line drawings.

The review

The carving is excellent and the detail is very sharp. The resin parts are nicely cast with virtually no air bubbles. No flash and no molding lines were present on my sample. No damage or broken parts were noticed. The pouring lugs are a bit large and will require some work to get the parts ready for use and a good razor saw should help.

The resin parts are not numbered so your first job will be to thoroughly read the instructions to find out which part is which and goes where. This will take you some time as there a lot of tiny parts.

The 4-page instructions are made of neat drawings. There is no build sequence like in the injection kits instructions. So you will have to check the Trumpeter kit instructions during the build to avoid any mistake in the conversion.
In some areas the instructions are not clear enough to find out the right location of some parts. Again reference pictures will be helpful.

Labeled as a conversion set for the SF Warpig, the set also gives you some parts to detail the undercarriage or replace some plastic parts of the donor kit. So you get a new fuel tank and parts to detail the brake system. The various pipes are shown where they connect on the resin parts but PAM does not show where they connect at the other end.
So as the instructions are not really clear, it is advised to refer to your documentation. PAM gives the WWP book as a reference to help.

Concerning the conversion per se, you get the parts to make the modified driver compartment. The replacement dashboard is very nicely detailed. Except the floor main part, nearly all the rest is built from resin parts or PE. The major parts are new doors, new seats, storage bins and the radio rack. The seat belts can be added as you get all the parts unless the belts themselves.
For the space behind the driver, you get a resin air intake and air cleaner as well as parts to detail the spare wheel support of which a PE ratchet strap in 6 parts plus the 5 rods to make from styrene.
For the cargo bay or team members compartment you only use the floor and the rear wall from the Trumpeter kit. The other parts are a mix of PE parts for the slat frames and resin parts for the seats and the front and rear walls. One of the seats is carved with the body armor over it.

Unlike the picture on the box could make us guess, there is no extra equipment in the set. You have the basic conversion parts for the cabin and the cargo bay. The radio rack is present on the PE fret but you don't have any radio set. Even the aerials are absent and PAM suggests you buy their extra radio sets for the Warpig.
Likewise the M2 HMG and its pedestal mount are not in the set and you only get the M240 and its Platt mount for the vehicle commander. However the M240 is really nice and crisp.

Conclusion

As a conclusion, I must admit this set is a very nice base to model a SF Warpig thanks to the quality of the parts. But this can not be built straight from the box into a fully detailed model.

Instead of giving the brake lines details that will not be visible in the end, I would have preferred that PAM add at least some radio sets and the M2 HMG.
However I recommend this conversion to those who like original models.
SUMMARY
Highs: A very nice base to start from.
Lows: The lack of radio sets and M2 HMG.The instructions which sometimes are not clear enough.
Verdict: A very nice base that will challenge your modeling skills and turn into a great build if you add some pieces of equipment.
Percentage Rating
75%
  Scale: 1:35
  Mfg. ID: PAU-35043
  Suggested Retail: 55 euros
  PUBLISHED: Jan 08, 2012
  NATIONALITY: United States
NETWORK-WIDE AVERAGE RATINGS
  THIS REVIEWER: 82.86%
  MAKER/PUBLISHER: 88.52%

About Olivier Carneau (bison126)
FROM: CORREZE, FRANCE

I have been in the hobby for years and I'm still learning. As a modeler, I only build 1/35 modern military vehicles, mainly armored ones. I also run a website where I share a lot of walkarounds. Just click on my banner to pay a visit to it.

Copyright ©2021 text by Olivier Carneau [ BISON126 ]. All rights reserved.



Comments

Excellent review Olivier, it's great to know exactly what you are getting in any type of kit especially in conversion or detail-up packages. This is very useful, thanks!
MAR 08, 2012 - 03:43 AM
just make sure you ADD all this to your Order... that's what is Needed to complete the War Pig... that's not mentioned anywhere... Really ? - PAU-35010: US modern radio and sat comm set - PAU-35011: Modern Oil/chemical Drums and Canisters set - PAU-35020: US radio set SINCGARS (ASIP) - PAU-35023: US modern equipment set - PAU-35036: Heavy duty cases (modern) - PAU-35038: Modern clamping tools - PAU-35040: Low pressure gas bottles - PAU-35041: Modern ammunition boxes - PAU-35042: Modern .50 and MK93 cradle - PAU-35044: PSP Planking - PAU-35045: Modern military and civil backpacks - PAU-35046: Modern military and civil hanging backpacks - PAU-35047: Jerry can set for modern vehicles - PAU-35048: Modern equipment set 2 - PAU-35049: US Special Forces Vehicle communication set I won't get burnt again !
MAR 09, 2012 - 06:12 AM
Strangely, I read all the info on the Pro Art site and knew exactly what I needed to order, and was quite happy to pay the money....no stinging involved. It is what it is from a small company. The shocking thing was the price of the Trumpeter kit....
MAR 09, 2012 - 10:15 AM
Rob, the problem partly comes from PAM. The picture on their site doesn't only show the kit content but a full model with all the bits added. If you look at the site you manage to understand you'll need more to get this result. But this picture is also the one you can see on various online shops. And you don't have necessarily the right info about the box content. IMHO, PAM could have released at least two options: a full kit and a basic kit with additional sets (current one). Olivier
MAR 09, 2012 - 08:37 PM
Olivier You mean a small kit for only the flat bed?? And the seats for the flat bed?? I do agree. But regarding accessories maybe you have all of them in your stash from PAM or other manufacturers and you will not need all of the stuff. But if you are a rookie in the business yes you need all of that. But as a rookie I have some doubt that you will start directly with this kit. Cheers Seb
MAR 09, 2012 - 10:24 PM
Thanks Oliver for the Moral Support! I got Lucky Model Hong Kong to change their picture.... Which was very deceiving! Now they also added a "warning" that all Equipment and Radios are not included.... And added the picture above to show what's the kit is all about! Dirk should stop picturing his conversions...( Souped Up! ) With other P.A. Kits which makes it hard to discern what you are really getting in Each kit! My 2 cents! I love his work! Don't get me wrong! It's the marketing tactics that throws me off!
MAR 10, 2012 - 02:48 AM
Well you are harsh with Dirk. It was his 1st time to picture the kit complete with the loads. Check commercial adds from Voyager and Then we will talk Cheers Seb
MAR 10, 2012 - 04:46 AM
Nah ! I'm not "Harsh" on the poor guy ! Some of your buddies do think the pictures are somewhat misleading ? I'm just MAD at myself for not CHECKING things out more before I committed my money ! I discussed with 'Dirk' via Emails... and he agreed to change his Web-page and made his Warning "in Red" a little BIGGER, so new clients would catch it better !!! Lucky Models Hong Kong had to Patch things up with me thou! Since they were falsely advertising the KIT as Complete ! but I am still 300$ short of goodies to make the kit look like the picture! and that's using Lucky Model HK as source, which offers free shipping on his stuff... BTW. take care guys !
MAR 10, 2012 - 04:21 PM
Norm, I realize that I'm replying to an older posting. All the better. I too fell down the rabbit whole & dropped a ton To Pro Art Models. I back sheved i till I recently saw MMIR's build. I trust your hard slogging more than tnem [ as they didn't mention what i need to know most]. In the initial build / Modiifications The main alterations listed in the pro-art instructions, there are two pages. I'm talking about the Instr. from Pro Art #35043 the main conversion set of the dozens of their Warpig add-ons.PLEASE help me & expain which of the two pages should be followed 1st.One starts with the cab general area, the other,the lower chassis. Any help you can give will be greatly appreciated, Norm. Like You, I havealaot invested [ & being multi media, the margin for error is small] To quote an old movie, " Help me Obi wan ....." ThANKS, KEITH R. / SGTRUDZ.
DEC 26, 2013 - 03:58 PM
   
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