August 24, 2025

Preview: An LMTV & the Royal Oak from Trumpeter in September...

Trumpeter's first two kits of September—a dependable 35th-scale truck & a bit of English Oak in 350th. Colours, decals, & built-up kits in our preview...


Preview: An LMTV & the Royal Oak from Trumpeter in September...

HMS Royal Oak 
by Trumpeter
Kit No #05378
1/350th scale
Price: $137 USD from Hobbylink Japan
HMS Royal Oak was a British battleship of the Revenge class, launched in 1914 amid the naval arms race of the First World War. Built for resilience rather than speed, she carried eight 15-inch guns and thick armour plating, embodying the Royal Navy’s doctrine of capital ship supremacy. Her combat debut came at the Battle of Jutland in 1916, where she exchanged fire with German cruisers and battleships in the largest naval clash of the war. Though she survived the encounter with minimal damage, her design soon lagged behind evolving naval technologies. By the late 1930s, despite modest upgrades, Royal Oak was increasingly seen as a relic of a bygone era—slow, vulnerable, and ill-suited to modern warfare.

The colour scheme presented in these two kits
The decals in the box
Her end came swiftly and tragically in the early days of World War II. On the night of 14 October 1939, while anchored at Scapa Flow—a supposedly secure Royal Navy base—Royal Oak was infiltrated and torpedoed by German U-boat U-47, commanded by Günther Prien. The attack was audacious and devastating: multiple torpedoes struck the battleship, causing her to capsize within minutes. Over 830 crew members perished, including many young cadets, making it one of the war’s earliest and most sobering naval disasters. The sinking exposed critical flaws in British harbour defences and sent shockwaves through the Admiralty. Today, the wreck of HMS Royal Oak rests beneath the waters of Scapa Flow, designated a war grave and a solemn monument to the lives lost in one of the Royal Navy’s darkest hours.

Length: 540 mm / Beam: 88.9 mm
Total of 13 sprues , decks and stand
 -  the kit contains over 510 parts
-  hull split into two parts
-  Deck wood pattern finely rendered
-  Contains display stand
- Photo-etched parts & anchor chain included
The model built up by Trumpeter's in-house model builders...


M1078A1P2 2.5 Ton LMTV Cargo Truck
by Trumpeter
Kit No. 01097
1/35th scale
Price: $68 USD from Hobbylink Japan
The M1078 Standard Cargo Truck is designed to transport cargo and soldiers. The M1078 has a payload capacity of 5,000 pounds and to facilitate loading/unloading, the bedside rails are mounted on hinges and can be lowered. The cargo bed can be equipped with an optional bench seat kit for the transport of soldiers. The bench seats are constructed of a non-wood material and attach to the cargo bed side rails. 

The colour scheme presented in this kit and its aircraft
The decals in the box
Masks are provided for this kit also
The seats can be folded down and stowed when not in use. Soldiers are assisted climbing in and out of the cargo bed area with the aid of a ladder stowed on the vehicle when not in use. A canvas and bows kit is available to keep soldiers and cargo protected from the elements. The M1078 can be equipped with an optional self-recovery winch kit capable of fore and aft vehicle recovery operations. The winch has 308 feet of line capacity and 10,000 pounds bare.

Model length: 192.6 mm / Width: 69.8 mm
Total Parts     570+
Total of 13 sprues, cab and tires
- Detailed multi-directional slide-moulded cab.
- Full drivetrain assembly complete with engine transmission, differential  housing and suspension unit.
-  The main tires are hollow rubber with very good tread pattern
-  The windshield and side windows
- Photo-etched parts included
The sprues and parts of the kit
The model built up by Trumpeter's in-house model builders...

These kits will soon be on sale through Trumpeter's distributors worldwide...