Will Alcott, Hauler, M29c Water Weasel

Note that the main parts of this kit are identical to Extratech 7244, although that kit includes a 30-cal machine gun and pintle mount, as well as offering some more colourful US and French decal options. Hauler also offers the original M29 weasel (with blunt bow and stern) as kit 72012, which is likely the same as Extratech 7243. Possibly one of the ugliest US vehicles to see production during the Second World War, the M29C was a development of the even uglier M29 to make it fully amphibious. The Weasel was noted for its ability to cross just about any terrain, from mud to snow to water. This capability was used extensively by the French in Indochina, where the M29C was known as the Crabe.
The kit comes in a somewhat flimsy end opening box, topped with a colour photo of an assembled kit. Inside are two zip-close plastic bags, one containing the main body of the M29C, the other containing 46 detail parts. A further bag contains a small photoetched fret, and in my example, two identical decal sheets. Instructions consist of a 2-sided A4 sheet, with a short history in English and Czech, some small photos of vehicles in service, a parts diagram, 6 assembly steps, the colour scheme, and decal placement guide.

The resin casting in this kit is probably the best I've seen. The parts are flawless, with very sharp detail, and no sign of air bubbles or other defects. The one-piece track assemblies, cast without the wheels in place, have to be seen to be believed. My only concern with the moulding is that the hull has a large casting block attached to its bottom surface, which will require some careful work to remove without damaging the delicate detail. A minor quibble is that the hull is moulded with the surf guard in the lowered position. It would have been nice to have this as a separate part, as French Crabes often had this flipped up and used a seat. The kit is also lacking a folding tilt or its frame, again often seen partly or fully deployed on French examples.
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Perhaps as a concession to moulding the tracks in one piece, the drive sprocket has no teeth. This probably won't be obvious if the track guards are fitted. Technically, each roadwheel should have a groove down its centre, but this detail would be all but invisible at this scale.
	As is expected from a well-established maker of aftermarket photo etch, the PE parts are excellent. They provide the windscreen and wipers, a perforated exhaust shield, two rudders and parts of their linkage, engine air intake cover and shroud, headlight guard and mount, fire extinguisher handle and retaining straps for the separately moulded shovel and axe. One of the only details missing is the control cables for the rudder, which are routed along the left side of the body.

A really nice touch is the inclusion of a decal sheet. The instructions show six different schemes, all in overall olive drab, with variations on the serial number and style/placement/location of the national star marking. No indication of operating units, locations or dates is provided. The colour scheme instructs the builder to paint the tracks gunmetal. The actual tracks consisted of rubber bands, with metal plates riveted to the outside.
Conclusion This is a really sweet little kit, and it looks like it will go together well. Though the kit is certainly expensive for its size, it's unlikely that the Weasel will appear as an injection moulded kit anytime soon. I would recommend this kit to anyone interested in the subject. Preview sample purchased by the author. This model can be purchased from

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Article Last Updated: 30 January 2015