The W.O.T. 6 was a 4 x 4 3-ton truck built by Ford of Britain between 1942 and 1945. About 30,000 of the cab-over vehicles were manufactured and many are still around today.
Revell has re-boxed ICM’s 2018 kit of the W.O.T. 6. Molded in light gray plastic, it features nicely detailed parts, including a full engine, drivetrain, and cab. Clear parts are provided for the front lights and windows, and a small photo-etched metal (PE) fret supplies the radiator grille as well as front and rear number plates and the bridge restriction disk. The tires come in slightly soft vinyl with nice tread and sidewall detail but are marred by difficult to remove mold seams.
Decals provide markings for two British trucks, one in overall bronze green, the other in two-tone, splotchy “mickey mouse” camouflage. Five-view color diagrams make finishing the vehicles easy.
While you can’t see most of the engine, I appreciated having the full power plant rather than just the lower section in the frame. I drilled out the ends of the exhausts but left them off until the frame was complete. I suggest leaving off the fuel tanks until after the bed is installed; I broke them off several times while handling the frame.
The wheels glue onto the axles with no provision for them to rotate; I left them off for painting. The steering tie rod (Part C13) arrived broken in my kit. Although I was able to repair it, it broke again while working on the chassis with the broken piece falling victim to my “parts-eating” carpet.
Inside the cab, I deviated from the instructions and assembled the engine cover (parts C43 and C49) before installation, so I could remove the seam between the halves. A couple of decals dress up the instrument cluster.
I did my best to align the multiple parts of the cab but wound up with a small gap at the roof joint on the left side that I filled with epoxy putty. While the doors are separate, you’ll have to come up with a hinge support to pose them open. The two-part PE radiator grille looks great, but the pieces have to be curved to match the cab’s nose. To determine where to bend them, I placed them in the opening and marked where the bend should be made. By bending a little at a time and test-fitting, I wound up with a perfect fit.
The bed went together quickly and easily. I left the frame off the bed until painting was complete.
To finish the truck in the two-tone camouflage, I mixed British khaki green with Tamiya acrylics using 5 parts NATO brown, 4 parts yellow, and 1 part flat black. The black areas are NATO black.
The decals worked beautifully with help from Microscale decal solutions.
I waited until after flat coats and weathering to add the fine parts for the cargo bed canopy frame. These are extremely delicate and need a gentle touch during cleanup and installation.
I spent about 26 hours building my Fordson, and while the parts fit well throughout, it takes an experienced builder to handle the small, fragile parts. The finished model matches published dimensions. It’s really great to see some of these workhorse trucks of WWII finally being kitted and done well.
Note: A version of this review appeared in the March 2020 issue.