VideoAviation Coleman MB4 Tractor & Towbar - 1:48

[Mike]

Coleman MB4 Tractor & Towbar
1:48 VideoAviation

Manufactured in the 1950s, the American Coleman MB4 was distributed by Coleman Company, who are more well known for BBQ equipment and gas canisters these days. The short tractor was fitted with a Chrysler 230 flathead petrol engine, with an electric clutch and manual transmission, linked to all four wheels, which were all steerable for east manoeuvring. It was capable of pulling up to 10,000 pounds from the pintle-hooks at the front and rear, with a small load or crew carrying area to the rear.

Their heyday was the 60s and 70s where they saw service in the US military, but even now some are still in use, although I can't vouch for whether they'll be pulling anything as exciting as a Phantom or SR-71 these days.


The Kit
This is another resin kit from VideoAviation, who specialise in airfield and aircraft carrier equipment and tractors for use in your dioramas or display. This release is in 1:48, but I understand that a 1:72 version will be forthcoming in due course. The kit arrives in a small white box, with a picture of the kit on the top, and inside there are 48 resin parts in two ziplok bags, decals, pre-cut acetate transparent parts, and a couple of lengths of copper and styrene rod in another bag. The instruction booklet consists of two pages of A4 printed on three sides and stapled together.

The casting blocks have been thoughtfully placed, so clean-up shouldn't be too onerous, with some of the large flat parts having been wafer cast with minimal scrap resin to remove as a result. The usual warnings about resin dust apply for this process, and a good clean of the surfaces in warm soapy water would be a good idea to remove any residual mould release agent. The build centres around the ladder chassis, to which the transmission housing is added, and the drive-shafts going to the front and rear axles are dropped into their location sockets. Four leaf-springs are added to more sockets either side of each axle, and then the bodywork is added to the top. The engine cowling is a solid block of resin that slots into the top of the chassis, the cab floor sits astride the central section, with the load carrying area doing the same behind it. The cab floor already has a kick-plate and foot pedals moulded in, but the dash is added above it, plus the steering wheel with its shaft made from the supplied styrene rod, and gear change glued into a hole in the floor. The two crew seats mount onto lugs at the rear of the cab area, and a scrap diagram shows the correct angles of all the parts from the side. The single piece cab is then dropped over the detail, and the running boards with front fenders are added to the sides. The rear fenders are built into the rear area, so adding the wheel hubs and separate tyres completes the main vehicle work.

The next job is to build up the tubular upstands that run around the load area, and to form these easily there are two rectangular resin jigs supplied that are clearly marked left and right. Bend the malleable copper wire to shape into the engraved grooves in the jigs, and then cut off the surplus, adding the extra two verticals from 8mm pieces cut from the styrene rod supplied. Everything fits into small holes through the rear part, and clearly some care and delicate handling will be needed to do a good job. Add a tool box to the port fender, headlamps to the front of the cab, and towing shackles to the front and rear finishes the building of the tractor itself. The tractor cab has a comprehensive set of glazing, and this is supplied in a single sheet of thick acetate that is pre-cut for ease. Simply cut the backing sheet to release the parts from their surrounds, and glue them in place with PVA glue or GS-Hypo. Even Klear could be used if the pieces are a good enough fit, but masking them may be a little tricky if unmasking causes them to tear loose.

The towing bar parts are in a separate bag from the vehicle parts, and the bar itself is made up from two parts which link together with pin and socket. The V-shaped axle part is added next, and this has a pair of small wheels that facilitate man-handling. The link at the vehicle end is a simple eye that fits to the end of the bar, while at the other end a three-prong linkage with a piece of styrene rod running through it is added, with two attachment arms rotating on the styrene rod, which allows adjustment to accommodate differing widths of nose-gear attachment points. A lifting handle is moulded into the vehicle end, and a winding handle is made up to adjust the height of the wheels for towing and ground handling.

markings
The instructions tell you to paint the vehicle and the towbar in yellow (FS135538 Gunze H34), although in civilian use this may have changed. Decals are provided for a US Air Force machine, with a Coleman logo on the front of the cowling, plus US AF logos stencilled along the length of the cowling. Over each tyre a stencil for the correct pressure is provided, and the chevron patterns on the front and rear bumpers are also included. Add a little chipping and wear-and-tear to taste.

Conclusion
Another super little model that shouldn't take you too long to build and paint. These are the things that bring life to a diorama, or add interest to a model sat on a shelf, and with sympathetic painting, it should make your finished model a little out of the ordinary. Remember to check your references to see whether this tug was used with your chosen model, and make sure you hook it up correctly, and you're away!

Highly recommended.

Review sample courtesy of

[chtrout]

Several very minor clarifications and additional details... The American Coleman model number was "G-40," but the military designation was an "MB-4," and this is the name the units are most often remembered by even to this day. By 1961, American Coleman had produced 1,197 units shipped around the world to US bases and allies. Most units were delivered in yellow, although quite a few went to the military in olive-drab. Commercial buyers, such as Frontier Airlines, often ordered their units in white.

American Coleman was a heavy 4x4 truck manufacturing plant in Littleton, Colorado, USA, mainly making heavy snow plows, 4x4 conversions, and aircraft towing tractors, and has absolutely no connection to "The Coleman Company" which makes camping gear and such.

[onosendai]

Thanks for the info (btw your MB4 is on the way...), i hope you like it, I had to simplify some of the details trying to maintain an acceptable appearance.