Introduction

The Dodge M-37 light truck was one of the stalwarts of the US Army in the Cold War, especially in Vietnam where it served in a bewildering array of jobs. I was already aware of it being used as an ambulance from the Roden kit, and Hobby Link has a gun truck version called "Mr. Nice Guy."

I was not aware that it had a number of "payloads" strapped onto the cargo bed, including a shelter for the AN/GRC-122. Developed in the mid-1960s, these vehicular-mounted HF-SSB radios were designed to project RATT (Radio Teletypewriter), AM, SSB voice, and CW (Morse code) communications during tactical operations. They were mounted in a variety of truck beds besides the M-37, but are perhaps best-known for that vehicle, especially during the later stages of the Vietnam War.

Hobby Link has had a 3D-printed resin kit of a vanilla M-37 in its inventory for some time, alongside the gun truck "Mr., Nice Guy." Now they are releasing a number of these "strap on" units to go with their M-37 kit, but which will also fit the awful Roden styrene version if that's what you have in your stash (I recommend getting the Hobby Link kit by a mile instead).

Contents

Inside Hobby Link's usual nondescript brown cardboard box are six Ziploc baggies with 3D-printed resin parts, twine for making tie-down ropes, and decals. The instructions are on ordinary white paper with minimal words and plenty of illustrations. Based on the other Hobby Link kits I have built, they are easy to follow.

The Review

The kit is pretty straightforward: a cube-shaped box with a door and various parts for the exterior and attachments to the base kit. It doesn't include an interior, and given the dimensions of the cube, adding one would be just this side of building a ship in a bottle. But I like the concept, as it adds something new to the usual soft skins in-country. The American doctrine of combined arms required lots of radios and other coms gear, so this one will fit right into any diorama you might want to construct.

With so few parts, the kit looks like a fun build that could be brought off in a weekend. Other M-37 add-ons are coming soon or in the future, including one for the AN/MSQ-85 audio-visual unit.

Conclusion

I continue to enjoy the various new offerings from Hobby Link, and recommend them without reservation to modelers interested in the Vietnam War especially. While the kit doesn't come with an interior, the adventurous might try scratchbuilding one from the photos on this site or the training manuals for the gear available here and here. Frenchy, are you taking notes?

These kits and others can be ordered directly from the manufacturer in Vietnam, or through their US distributor.

Thanks to Hobby Link and Wanamaker Hobbies for this review sample. Be sure to mention you saw it reviewed on Armorama when ordering yours.