HMMWV In Scale

This is the info for the M966 Tow Weapon Carrier Ed built a few years ago. Ed built this model to represent the M966 that he commanded while assigned to the Tow II Platoon, 3rd Battalion 17th Infantry Regiment, 7th Infantry Division (Light) Fort Ord, CA from 1987-1992. Overview of the construction Ed wanted to make it as accurate as possible. While the Academy's M966 was fair, it lacked many of the details found in the actual version. Details such as the TOW 2 weapon system, the radio system, storage racks, lack of the TOW weapon's carrying cases, etc. So, Ed resorted to after-market accessories, additional model kits, and scratch building to provide the detail he wanted. His simple plan to build the Academy M966 kit would turn into a build of 2 separate kits to make correct M966. One kit would be the Academy?s M966, detailed with photo-etch, spare parts bin items, and scratch built items. The second kit (build) would be the TOW 2 weapon system itself, detailed with photo-etch and scratch built items. At the end is a list of the models, photo-etch kits along with resource and materials was used to build this model. SCRATCH BUILT 1. The TSEC/KY-57, (Speech Security Equipment (VINSON) which is mounted to the right of the Radio (AN/GRC-160) was scratch built utilizing scrap photo-etch. 2. The MGS batteries (mounted in the Battery storage rack) were made from paper index cards and a small piece of wire for the handle. 3. The carrying cases for the Night Sight (AN/TAS-4A), Night sight battery power conditioner, Boresight collimator, spare (lithium) battery case were carved from solid plastic square tubing. 4. All the radio and power cables were made from twisted telephone wire. Cables for the radio were painted 5. DR-9 Roll for the field telephone wire: 2 round pieces of plastic glued to a small wooden dowel with thin telephone wore. The spool was painted OD while the wire was painted semi-gloss black. 6. All tie down straps used were made out of paper and painted. 7. The camouflage system: a. Camouflage net bag: surgical gauze covered by a piece a paper cut in a pattern like the actual net bag, folded and secured just like the actual bag. Coated with white glue to depict the rubberized material and than painted. b. Camouflage Pole Bag: 12 individual scaled cut sections of a wooden dowel enclosed in a paper bag. Coated with white glue to depict the rubberized material and then painted. 8. The BGM-71D (TOW 2) missile was created by taking an missile case from an old Tamiya?s M151A2 Jeep, TOW Weapon carrier and lathed it into a rough dimension of the missile. The standoff probe is a small piece of wire. While the eight flight fins were made out of thin plastic stock card. Slots for the fins and rockets were cut or craved in the missile. The painting scheme and markings on the missile were obtained from a pamphlet provided to me from Raytheon Company. FROM THE SPARE PARTS BIN 1. The M966 did not provide an AN/GRC-160 radio set, so I took one from an old Tamiya?s M151A2 TOW jeep. 2. Extra missile for the storage rack taken from an old Tamiya?s M151A2 TOW jeep. Web page link: http://gotrain.org/~emgeer/model/m966.htm SOURCES: Academy, M966, TOW 2 Missile Carrier, (Kit #CA149) DML U.S. Marine Tank-Killers; for the TOW 2 (kit #3012) Eduard Photo-etch, M1036 HMMV with Tow Launcher (Kit # 35 258) Aber Photo-etch, TOW and Dragon Detail Kit (PAB35009) Telephone wire with cover for thick MGS and Nightsight cables Stripped and twisted telephone wire for power cables (flat black) Paper for straps painted in OD Green Testor's Master Model Enamel Paints RESOURCES: TM 9-2320-280-10 with changes 1-4, Operator's Manual for the HMMWV TM-9-1425-450-12 Operator and Organizational Maintenance Manual for TOW 2 weapon system guided missile system M220A2 (TOW 2 heavy antitank/assault weapon system) TB 43-0209, Color, Marking, and Camouflage, pages 54-55 FM 3-22-34 (FM 23-34); Nov 2003; TOW Weapon System Pamphlet on the TOW Weapon Family obtained from Raytheon Company Photographs of the M966 (personal photos)