Jim Rae gives a first-look at a New German truck kit from the Ukrainian manufacturer, ICM Holding. A very different subject from the usual Opel Blitzes - which, it seems every manufacturer has in their catalogue.

Link to Item

If you have comments or questions please post them here.

Thanks!

Just received this kit myself Jim, and I certainly agree with your very timely review - this is a great and much needed alternative to the Opel Blitz overload modellers are currently experiencing !

Regards

Stirl

http://gallery.kitmaker.net/showphoto.php/photo/350037/ppuser/20762

I am so excited about this little truck, and it is a very welcome one at the that. Lots of conversion ideas, lots of potential for this truck world wide. Nice to NOT see a paper panzer,,,,

When I was doing the background for this Review/First-Look I was frankly gobsmacked at just HOW much potential there was. French Indo-China, the pressed plywood 'Einhatz' vesion, loads of civilian versions (including Fire trucks) and the Maultier version.

It's a clear example that these smaller companies seem to be able to bring real imagination to their releases and STILL keep them commercial. Not only that, the technical leap that ICM has made in its tooling is frankly extraordinary. It's as good as anything currently on the market. To have said that a few years ago about ICM would have been silly. Not now...

This seems like an interesting subject and a well engineered kit.

Waheeey! Ford V3000 much awaited. ICM are to be congratulated on this release, coming on the heels of the Zvedza Mercedes & Maultier. Full engine I note & apparently no pin marks in the woodwork (are you listening Tamiya? No, oh well never mind!). Put me down for a couple. It looks from the photos that the plastic has a lot of regrind in it, there appears to be marbling indicative of this. Not necessarily a bad thing, means they are reusing waste plastic.

BTW did anyone notice the "WM" numberplate on the transfer sheet - i.e. Wehrmacht Marine, German Navy. Just what you need to go with a Biber or two...

As has been said, a nice change from the usual Opel that keeps being made.

Jim... you mentioned French Indo-China.. does that mean it could be used in a Vietnam war setting, or was that in a totally different time frame? If it can be used, anyone got any pictures?

Thanks for the review
Hisham

Hi Hisham

If you're interested, you can take a look at these threads that both deal with French-built Ford V3000S (aka F-198T) :
http://rolfask.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=lkw&action=display&thread=267
http://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic.php?f=47&t=150444
Post war trucks had flat front fenders and a wider cab, among other differences :
(from this walkaround )

More than 400 F-198Ts were converted to 4-wheel drive trucks before being sent to Indochina.

HTH

Frenchy

Thanks for the pic and links, Frenchy.

The modifications needed would difficult (at least for me.. especially with that fender). So, maybe if I wait they might make that later version, or something close to it.

Hisham

AFAIK late production (1943 --->) German V3000S had flat fenders, but they either had the same cab...


or the wooden "Einheitkabine" :



Frenchy

Nice review.

Just FYI, Ford was not a producer of trucks in the USSR. They built the GAZ plant for a fee, but the (Ford design) trucks that came out of it were produced by GAZ.

Ford and others (GM, for example) continued to operate their subsidiaries in Axis countries during the war.

I agree that this is a great release from ICM, BUT maybe we should wait until someone has actually built one of these kits before gushing so much praise. I remember reading gushing praise from many quarters about Tristar Panzer IV Ausf.B only to have to literally beat it into submission to get it finished.

I hope this kit from ICM is as good as we all hope. If it is I can see a good convoy diorama in the future...

Who's gushing? It WASN'T a FULL Review, it was a 'First-Look' or Preview if you prefer... There's no Rating attached to the Review either.

Just to reprise. I've been around the Review block a few times. I've published 227 Reviews on this site By now, I guess I can tell a well produced model from something that barks and has a tendency to chase cars...

I concentrated on the quality of the moulding, the subject and importantly the POTENTIAL for the modeler. Only these 3 categories would put the model in the 90+ mark.

All I can say is that I can't tell you how long I've been waiting for these. I want the Allied/US versions, but I'm sure as heck going to be picking one of these up

Jim, I wasn't criticising your review at all. I know it was an in-box review and I did not say anything about your review being bad or nuthin...

Like many softskins used in great numbers, it's great to see it finally in styrene form! So many conversion possibilities too......a very welcome release.