Tamiya 35330 American 6x6 M561 Gamma Goat

The M561 Goat range is an American off-road vehicle from the post-war era. The first copies of this vehicle appeared in the mid-1960s, and serial production continued in 1969-1973. Approximately 14,000 copies of this vehicle were produced in its course. The drive was provided by a single engine Detroit Diesel 53 with a power of 101 hp.

The M561 Gama Goat was developed for the US Army by Chance-Vought, in collaboration with the government agency ARPA (today known as DARPA). The vehicle was created for the needs of the US troops fighting in Vietnam and the priority was given to the best properties for driving in difficult terrain. Ultimately, a vehicle with this capability was created - indeed, with limited amphibious capabilities! The M561 has an atypical structure consisting of a two-axle tractor and a single-axle trailer forming one coherent vehicle. The vehicle, despite its advantages, turned out to be expensive to produce and difficult to operate, requiring special training of the crews and careful maintenance. Only one development version was made - the M792, i.e. the sanitary version. The M561 was replaced in the US Army by the CUCV and Humvee cars.