Modern US M1070 Truck & M1000 HETS Weighted Road Wheels (for HobbyBoss)

[Mike]

Modern US M1070 Truck & M1000 HETS Weighted Road Wheels (for HobbyBoss)

1:35 ET Model (ER35-041 & ER35-042)

The HETS and M1070 truck combination are true behemoths, capable of carrying the mighty M1 Abrams in US service or the equally massive Challenger II in British Army service upon the expansive flat-bed. They see frequent use at home on exercise and in-theatre to keep the track hours down on the expensive and difficult to maintain Main Battle Tanks, placing that wear instead on the Prime Mover that is cheaper and easier to maintain. The new kit from HobbyBoss is a scale monster, and has been well received by all. The suspension and tyres will try the patience of a saint just because of their sheer number, and here ET Model have produced two sets that will help to sort out the tyres, adding realistic weighting, with a subtle but characteristic bulge.

Modern US M1070 Truck Tractor Weighted Road Wheels

This is a pretty large box containing 9 resin tyres, complete with hubs that have extra detail and weighted bulges for added realism. The casting plugs are sensibly placed at the bottom of the bulged section, so clean-up just needs to be perfunctory, as they will be on the ground for the most part. The aggressive tread of the rolling surface is very well represented, as are the maker's marks and specification data.

Quality of casting is exceptional, particularly given the small pouring stub, and the resin is a cream colour and very hard. The ninth wheel is the cab mounted spare, which has only its mounting ring visible at the centre, with the bolt holes visible - just needing a little reaming to hollow them out cleanly.

Highly recommended.

Modern US M1000 HETS Weighted Road Wheels

Another large box, but it's full to the gunwales with bags of tyres. 42 tyres are supplied in total, in bags of ten, with the final two in their own separate bag, as they have no sag moulded in. These are spares that sit on the top of the large towing triangle at the front of the trailer.

Casting is superb, and all of the maker's marks and tyre data are visible. Tread is the familiar zig-zag, with pronounced tread blocks on the shoulders of the casing, and the casting lugs are on the contact patch, as usual. The casting stubs just snap off with a little finger pressure, and with a swipe of a sanding stick they will quickly be ready for use.

Highly recommended.

Conclusion

This many-wheeled monster cries out for properly detailed tyres, and although the kit provides them in their chosen black "rubber" mix, the detail and crispness just can't match these two sets. Funds permitting, these sets start to look almost mandatory for anyone building their M1070 with HETS with any degree of attention to detail.

I'll be reviewing more detail sets for the M1070 in due course, so watch out for them.

Review Sample courtesy of

available from WEM in the UK