Videoaviation 1/32 MJ-1A Aerial Stores Lift Truck

The American made MJ1-A Aerial Stores Lift Truck was used in USAF as utility vehicle loader to transport and carry a wide variety of weapons and other stores. Powered with a A 25-hp diesel engine for driving and lifting arms, it could carry up to 3,000 pounds. Since 1950 we could find it on all war theatres, from Vietnam to gulf wars. Nowadays it has replace by more modern equipment, but certainly still remains operational in foreign Air Forces.      

After opening a thick cardboard box, you’ll find a clear 3 pages notice, a decal sheet and 40 grey resin parts including the MJ-1 loader and a driver. Bag is used to secure small parts while bubble sheet protect the 2 parts body lifter. Examination of the parts reveals that this is a fine and clever engineered kit. Surface details are good and casting blocks to remove have easy access. Decals for instrument and stencils are well printed.

You can follow the sequence without surprise. Before assembly, the body and lifting arms are painted matt yellow while tyres, knobs, driving wheel are matt black and driver cushion matt grey. The 2 parts body fits very good as arms, which can move to find the appropriate height depending of your choice. Neither trouble to fix the front wheels in place. All in all, with instant glue, less than half an hour is required to built the MJ-1. the grids covering the different exhausts are dry brushed in light grey to see the mesh structure. The 5 parts driver when assembled surprisingly fit well in place, the left hand on the driving wheel and the right on a level.    

Decals are easy to place, the white bands overlaps some bolts with the help of microsol/set softener solution.

When finished, the loader is "tail seated" du to weight of body block. The solution to counterbalance that is to install a store on the rack, or as me with a pin glued under the floor. My MJ-1 appear in a diorama, around a CF-104 Starfighter. The base had 2 forks in front of to carry a vicon pod. I build them with aluminium bands.

        I'm really pleased to build and display this equipment near an aircraft. They are so few on the market to ignore them. With figures around, your model come to life. Easy to built and cheaper, what to ask more?

Recommended 

JEAN-PAUL POISSEROUX

May 2014 

Review copy courtesy of the fine folk at VIDEOAVIATION. Visit them at their website

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