Tamiya's "Modern 4 x 4 Utility Vehicle," or "Humvee" is depicted as it appeared in the Gulf War. Tamyia released a hardtop Humvee with its re-release of the F-117A Nighthawk. However, this is the first time that a soft-covered, cargo version has been made in 1/48 scale.
Parts count is relatively low for the superb level of detail. The rubber tires really stand out, as do wrinkles in the soft, clear parts of the doors and tarp cover.
You have three choices of Humvees here, two NATO-camouflaged vehicles and one in sand color. You can also put the canvas cover over the bed or leave it off.
The 19-step instructions provide a brief history of the vehicle and a paint reference guide (Tamiya paints only).
Assembly starts with the chassis and suspension. The detail here is amazing, but unfortunately it won't be seen unless you park it on a mirror. (Make sure not to get the front- and rear-drive assemblies mixed up when adding them to the chassis.) Realistic rear tow hooks are molded separately into the rear bumper.
The body is easy to assemble. The color of the driver's compartment and the seats can vary: Some early Humvees interiors were painted NATO green, others were tan. A lot of detail is packed into the driver's compartment - gauges, radio, and shifters are included.There also is a choice of two different mirror styles. The kit includes a driver figure which fits perfectly in the driver's seat or on the troop-carrying bed. It would have been nice if stowage was included to help fill the bed; it looks a little bare without some goodies in the back.
I painted the model with Model Master sand, having pre-shaded to add interest to the single color. The decals were a little bit on the thick side, but had no problem settling down over rivet detail with no silvering. I added a radio antenna made from guitar string and dusted the tires and body with pastels.
My Humvee took me 10 hours to complete, less time than I had expected and a tribute to the parts' consistently excellent fit. This is a welcome addition in this scale, as these vehicles look great parked with modern-day aircraft. I would highly recommend this kit to anyone interested in soft-skin armor or looking for support equipment.
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