1:72 MHU-83 (D/E) Late lift truck UPPER loading position

The late MHU-83 (D/E) with the forks up, 1:72

The designation D/E in the name tells the later version of the airfield loader from the older B/E variant. Reskit offers it as a printed model in its own right in 1:72 scale, in the version with the lifting frame drawn out into the upper position. The forks thus stand at the height at which a load is moved toward the pylon.

The later version of the airfield truck

Machines of the MHU-83 series carry bombs, rockets and containers around bases and raise them into the pylons. Early and late examples differ in detail, so during the build it is worth sticking to one version and not mixing parts from different sets. The truck suits jet machines from the 1960s right up to the present, because it stayed out on the ramps for a really long time. For a modeler that is practical: one set covers the older era, another the newer, and side by side in a display case they show the development of support equipment.

Recommendations for assembly and patina

Once the supports have been removed, wash the parts briefly and let them dry, and only then glue them. Super glue holds firmly but allows no corrections: try the fit dry beforehand. In terms of color, equipment like this will take a great deal of use: a chipped edge on the forks, greasy streaks by the lift and light dust on the wheels turn the model into a working machine. A matte clear coat comes in useful at the end, as it evens out pigments and washes alike and protects the surface when the model is handled.

Where the model fits

• on a parking stand beside a model of a jet aircraft
• into a diorama with a munitions depot
• beside figures of the ground crew
• into a collection of airfield equipment in 1:72 scale

The parts are unassembled and unpainted, and neither the glue needed nor the shades are enclosed.