Produced by the Italian industrial vehicle maker Iveco, the LMV Lince (Lynx) serves with the Italian army, air force, police, and special forces, as well as on United Nations peacekeeping operations. It is especially well liked because of the armor protection under the vehicle.
There are 186 injection-molded parts, plus nylon net and cotton wire in the kit. The plastic is molded in white and olive green. I built option C with the gun mounted and hatch open.
In Step 7, Part 6B is fidgety. I glued it onto the wheel and then onto the axle. I painted the frame and the parts under the chassis, even though the blast shield would cover them. The interior pieces went together without a problem and are realistic with all the roll bars, handles, decals, and seat belts. I pre-bent the seat belts, painted, and glued them in place to prevent chipping. To see all of that, leave the doors posed open.
In Step 19, make sure Part 4C is fastened securely or it may come loose when clicked onto the frame in Step 20. Take time to get the placement correct when gluing the inside run ring (3C) to the top ring (1C) if you want the unit to rotate. I used scissors when cutting the nylon net for the stone guard and door pockets. Careful, the mesh unravels easily.
On Step 23, I glued the end of the cotton wire on the winch axle and wrapped the line around the unit, using thin super glue to secure it. I left enough line to thread into the tow hook and secure onto Part 29G. I glued the doors shut — which was a mistake, because now you can’t see the interior. But no matter if they’re open or shut, the doors fit well.
On Step 42, the photo-etch bracket bends perfectly on the pre-scored lines. The only problem I encountered was with the spare-tire bracket that obscured the license plate. I painted the body Testors flat white and the interior olive drab, and followed the instructions for the rest. The decals are opaque and are in-register. They went on well with Solvaset.
The detail makes this kit stand out next to most military vehicles. I spent about 30 hours on this one and recommend it for intermediate modelers.
Note: A version of this review appeared in the July 2017 issue.