M988 and M1025 Humvees

Manufacturer: MW Models (Kit #7221 & #7223)

These are the first Humvees released in 1/72nd scale plastic. ARMO has previously released several Humvee versions in resin, which are indeed quite good, but for people who do not like to build resin, these two new kits will suit you well. The M988 is a troop carrier with a two-person cab, and the M1025 is the Armament Carrier, with a .50cal machinegun mounted on top. Most of the parts are the same between the two kits, but each comes with unique parts, so you cannot build both versions from each kit.

Note that the name of the troop carrier, M988, is incorrect. The correct designation for this vehicle is M998. This same mistake was made in the Squadron/Signal book Hummer/Humvee in Action.

Overall, the detail is very well done. These are limited-run kits, so there is some flash, and many of the parts will need to be cleaned up a little bit, but they are very well-made. These first three scans show all of the parts which are included with both kits. The scans show two sprues each so I can show both sides, but only one sprue is included with each kit.

As I said, the detail is really quite good, in particular, I am very impressed with the wheels:

Also included with both kits is a sprue of clear parts for the windows. They are a little thick, but probably as good as can be expected with this molding technology. I will probably replace mine with thinner clear plastic.

This following sprue comes with only the M1025. The machinegun is a little crude, but again, probably as good as it can get with limited-run:

The following sprues are from the M988:

The instructions in the kits are outstanding; some of the best I've seen. But neither kit comes with decals, and since there are no aftermarket decals for these very common vehicles, this is a major oversight. All in all, these are excellent models, but of course, since I haven't built them yet, I have no idea about the fit of the parts. Also, I can't confirm the scale without first assembling them either. It is unfortunate that MW did not include a part for a winch. With only this single extra part, it would have allowed us to build the M1038 and M1026 versions as well. I guess it shouldn't be too hard to scratchbuild one.