US M151A2 w/Tow Launcher

Although it may not be as popular or fondly remembered as the beloved Willys “Jeep,” the M151A2 Military Unit Tactical Truck (MUTT) served the U.S. armed forces well and many are still running in private hands. Molded in light tan, Tamiya’s kit contains three sprues: A and B sprues are box-sized and obviously common to other variants put out by Tamiya. The smaller C sprue contains the components for the TOW launcher, two TOW missiles in containers, guidance control console with cover and a tripod that can be posed to exhibit the launcher set up outside of the Mutt. This tripod even has an assembly jig built into the sprue. Placard decals are included for the TOW launcher and spares but not for the guidance console or the vehicle radio. I chose to mount the TOW in the back of the Mutt, which has the front passenger seat removed to make room for the tripod and missiles. The passenger seat becomes another jewel for the spares box. The kit builds in Army or Marines configuration and three sets of markings are offered: 82nd Airborne Division (complete with shoulder patch decal for the driver figure), 2nd Infantry Division, Korea, and Marine Corps version. The driver figure is of good quality. Color callouts include the camouflage pattern for the driver’s camo suit. Tamiya’s kit of the Mutt equipped with TOW missile launcher is a bargain at $10 and would be a bargain at twice the price. However, unlike Tamiya’s Willys in this scale, the Mutt is a curbside model with no engine. It does have a folding windshield and a small clear part sheet containing the windshield is packaged with the decal sheet. The instructions are good, although not perfect, and detail photos are provided for the launcher and accessories and for the spare tire and water can. I found this kit a joy to build and consider it another home run for Tamiya.