VideoAviation.com Coleman MB4 Aviation Tractor (229632) 1:32

[Mike]

Coleman MB4 Aviation Tractor (229632)

1:32 VideoAviation.com

 

 

Manufactured in the 1950s, the American Coleman MB4 was built and distributed by Coleman Company, who are more well known for BBQ equipment and gas canisters these days. This short aviation 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 selectively steerable for easy manoeuvring, just by operating a lever. It was capable of pulling a load 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 they’re likely to be pulling less glamorous than a Phantom or SR-71 these days.  How the mighty have fallen.

 

 

The Kit

This resin kit of the once ubiquitous airfield tractor has been available from VideoAviation in other scales before, and now we have one in 1:32, with a commensurate increase in terms of detail and size, but also of technology used to create the kit.  The main parts are still cast in cream-coloured resin, but a number of the smaller, more delicate parts are 3D printed using SLA techniques, with the now-familiar tendrils or fingers holding them on their printing base.  The traditional resin comprises twenty-seven parts, while the 3D printed parts make up a further nineteen, seven clear resin parts, four Photo-Etch (PE) parts on a small fret, plus a sheet of pre-cut clear acetate sheet for most of the flat-pane windows.  Detail is excellent, and some of the largest resin parts have been pre-sanded to remove the casting blocks.  You will have to saw or nip off the many fingers from the resin parts, and there is a slip of paper warning you to take care to avoid breaking parts, which is good advice.

 

 

 

 

 

Construction begins with the resin dash, which has a solitary brake pedal attached underneath for insertion later into the cab, which is next, the lower half of which is detailed with accelerator pedal, rear-wheel steering lock, and a small stowage box, with the driver controls inserted into slots in the floor, before the two crew seats are added, and these 3D printed parts are very well designed.  The dash slides into the lower cab on a small ledge and the steering column with 3D printed wheel are added in a sit-up-and-beg fashion common to commercial vehicles.  Two trapezoid resin parts are installed under the cab, with a warning to test fit before applying the glue, to ensure they are square to the cab and each other.  The cab is then glued onto the large chassis along with the engine cowling, radiator grille and chunky front bumper, plus two short sections at the rear.  The load bed is made up from five sections, which is fitted to the rear of the chassis, and again test-fitting is recommended.  A scrap diagram shows how the parts should look once installed and glued, which is helpful before outfitting the chassis with the detail parts.

 

On the rear bed the two L-shaped 3D printed safety rails are slotted into holes in the resin flats, and 3D front fenders are fitted around the front wheel arches to the sides of the engine cowling.  At this stage you have a cabriolet tractor, which is remedied by adding the five resin panels and windscreens around the top of the cab, checking and fettling before gluing, as usual.  The doors can be left open or ajar by removing a small lip on the inside top, with the area shown on an accompanying diagram.  The four wheels with their hub caps are fixed to the axles, aligning the casting block area with the ground to hide its lack of tread.  A box is glued to the left fender, and a clear resin light on a PE bracket is glued onto each side of the front bulkhead of the cab, with a work light at the rear of the cab, and two small clear lights on the rear, plus two towing shackles for front and rear, one open, one closed.

 

There is a clear ‘plant pot’ warning light for the top of the roof, plus a viewing port in the front, both of which are clear resin, then the clear acetate is freed from its sheet and inserted into the cab from the outside using a non-marring or fogging glue, and the final parts are two PE windscreen wipers for the front screen, suspended from the top of the frame.  Both of those items can be seen below, with the acetate stapled to a protective piece of blue card.

 

 

Markings

A small decal sheet is included in the box that contains black stripes for the front and rear bumpers, a Coleman logo for the radiator, some US Air Force logos for the cowling, and four tyre pressure stencils above each wheel.  The recommended colour scheme is overall yellow, but olive green is also an option, and if you have references showing one in other colours, go for it.  You can find some useful images on the VideoAviation website by clicking on the link at the bottom of our review.

 

 

 

Conclusion

The level of detail available from the box is outstanding, and has risen commensurate with its scale to afford the modeller with a great diorama item, or as a model in its own right.

 

Very highly recommended.

 

 

Review sample courtesy of

[bentwaters81tfw]

I have one of these, very nice little kit.

[Julien]

10 hours ago, Mike said:

 

Their heyday was the 60s and 70s where they saw service in the US military, but even now some are still in use, although they’re likely to be pulling less glamorous than a Phantom or SR-71 these days.  How the mighty have fallen.

 

Our one at the museum still manages Phantoms, an A-10 and a Jaguar when needed