1:35 M706 Commando Armored Car Product Improved

M706 Commando - Product Improved (1:35, Hobby Boss)

An injection-molded plastic kit of the American M706 Commando wheeled armored car in the improved Product Improved form, in 1:35 scale from Hobby Boss. Compared with the Vietnam-era boxing of the same vehicle this is the updated production variant with a revised superstructure. The package contains parts on sprues, a photo-etched part and rubber tires; the exact part count is not stated here.

The real subject

The M706 was derived from the Cadillac Gage V-100 Commando armored car - a four-wheeled 4x4 vehicle with a boat-shaped, mine-resistant hull, intended for reconnaissance, convoy escort, patrols and perimeter protection. The designation Product Improved refers to the updated production version with a number of design improvements over the original form. The vehicle protected the crew from small arms, splinters and mines, and thanks to the floating hull it could also cope with water obstacles.

Building and painting tips

Assemble and paint the running gear and the interior of the fighting compartment first, as they are lost once the hull is closed. Glue the parts with a thin cement for plastic and the photo-etched parts with cyanoacrylate glue. After the base color and a varnish, pick out the detail with a wash and apply pigments to the wheels and the lower areas for dust and mud effects. During the build watch for the differences in the superstructure against the Vietnam-era boxing, so that you build exactly the improved version.

Who the model is for

• Collectors of American wheeled armored vehicles
• Modelers who want to distinguish the improved version from the Vietnam-era form
• Anybody interested in Cold War security equipment
• Builders of dioramas on the theme of armored cars

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