1/35 MENG 6X6 USMC Truck in desert scheme

OK, it's time to post something besides aircraft and helicopters. My 2nd favorite subject is armor and military vehicles. So I recently finished this 6x6 Cougar made popular from extensive use during our current involvement in the middle-east combat zones. It's hard to watch current war zone footage w/o appearance from this war work horse.

So when Meng released this several years ago I needed to give it a build. I had purchased when 1st released and began build over 2 years ago. But there was an accident on my workbench and the model fell to the floor and broke apart. Don't Ask! Anyhow I had worked on it for so long and so hard that I needed to give it a rest and off to storage it went. Recently I removed from storage it about an 85% built state with many parts broken and missing, but to nice of a model to not finish.

So, I needed to do a damage assessment and missing parts inventory. I then set out to fabricate some scratch some missing parts and other missing components. I was off to the races building it again and in no time at all it was finished. Other then fabrication of missing parts I added no extra detail so what you see is what you get in the box, including the tinted windows; nice touch MENG!

It was a good, fun build, with no major road blocks, and or fit issues. Yes, it was complex and somewhat fiddly with some assemblies, but following the directions, and being patient pays off in the long run. I even purchased some expensive after-market resin wheels. But, the wheels/tires that came with the kit were excellent IMHO, so why replace. The kit tires are black vinyl and I know a lot of builders dont like that feature, but take a look at pictures and you can see they look fine with great detail. I also had a great time weathering with powders and washes made by AK, Ammo/Mig, and Vallejo. This was finished with acrylic paints and mostly enamel/oil washes. Sealed in an AK Interactive Flat Varnish which BTW is an outstanding product.

In summary I highly recommend this model to all builders who like this subject matter. It is truly and impressive model when completed and looks even better in perfect. I will be selling this model via auction site but if not I would need to build a special diorama to host this cool vehicle. It is just dying for a nice combat action scene. Hope you enjoy. Comments welcomed.

18 additional images. Click to enlarge.