1:35 M561 Gama Goat fire truck V1 conversion set

The M561 Gama Goat as a fire truck, variant V1, 1:35

This item is not a model of the vehicle on its own but an add-on conversion set for a model of the American M561 Gama Goat articulated truck. It turns it into a fire and response version of the kind that served on military bases and airfields. The marking V1 tells this form apart from the second variant of the same conversion; exactly how they differ is not stated here, so compare the two against the manufacturer's illustration. The 1:35 scale is the standard for ground vehicles.

The real subject

The M561 Gama Goat is an American 1.25-ton cross-country truck with six driven wheels and an unusual articulated joint between the cab and the cargo section. The joint let both halves of the vehicle follow very rough ground independently, so the truck managed stretches where an ordinary truck got stuck. It was powered by a two-stroke diesel engine and could also cross water obstacles. It came into service at the turn of the 1960s and 1970s, went through Vietnam and served until the 1980s. It was noisy and demanding to maintain, and yet it remained one of the most interesting answers to cross-country mobility of its day.

Tips for painting and fitting into a model

Clean the surface of dirt before painting. A fire version on a base tended to be strongly red or yellow and white, which contrasts beautifully with the olive vehicles around it. Leave the articulated section and the underside dusty and the steps worn. Bring out the recesses with a dark wash and leave the glass and the beacons glossy. In a diorama the truck comes into its own beside ordinary olive vehicles.

Who the set is for

• Modelers of American ground vehicles in 1:35
• Anyone interested in unusual Cold War cross-country vehicles
• Builders of dioramas with a base or an airfield
• More experienced modelers used to add-on sets