1:35 US M76 Amphibious Cargo Carrier Otter Late Production

US M76 Otter — amphibious cargo carrier, late production, 1:35, Gecko Models

An injection-molded plastic kit of the American amphibious tracked carrier M76 Otter in 1:35 scale from Gecko Models. This boxing captures the late production series. The box contains plastic parts, clear parts, photo-etched parts and decals. The model is built with classic techniques: cutting from the sprues, gluing with cement for plastic, painting.

The real subject

The M76 Otter was designed and built by the Pontiac Motor Division at the end of the 1940s as a successor to the light M29 Weasel carrier; it entered service with the US Marine Corps in the 1950s. Its main asset was its amphibious capability — the vehicle could cross from land into water and swim at roughly 7 to 10 km/h. The hull was almost entirely aluminum, which made the machine very light (at the price of minimal resistance to gunfire), and its wide tracks gave it low ground pressure. That is exactly why it managed what stopped an ordinary truck: mud, snow, wetlands and flooded rice paddies. The Otter also reached Vietnam, where the Marines used it from the mid-1960s. The late production differs from the early one mainly in the fuel tanks moved to the rear — early machines had them right behind the driver's doors and were nose-heavy in the water. The stowage of the jerrycans, the pioneer tools and the observation window moved along with the tanks.

Building and painting tips

Proceed in the classic way for tracked vehicles: finish the running gear and the inside of the hull first and only then close the hull up, because after that you cannot get inside. Glue the plastic with thin cement for polystyrene (it flows into the seams by capillary action) and the photo-etched parts with cyanoacrylate. Spray a primer coat before painting and lay the color on with an airbrush. The Otter is a rewarding subject for weathering: mud and dust effects, dried mud on the tracks and the sides, a waterline mark and upper surfaces faded by the sun all suggest themselves. Washes will bring out the rivets and the panel lines, and pigments will finish the dustiness. A gloss coat under the decals will prevent silvering.

Who the model is for

• Modelers who like unusual vehicles — an amphibian instead of another tank.
• Collectors of US Marine Corps equipment and of the Vietnam era.
• Builders of dioramas with water and mud — this vehicle is asking for a wet scene.
• More advanced beginners as well as experienced builders: the build is ordinary, but the photo-etch and the weathering reward practice.

The model is supplied unassembled and unpainted. Glue, paints and accessories are not included in the package, unless stated otherwise.