After some delays finishing up my Matador & 6" howitzer build, I'm ready to begin the long-promised build of Riich's new Universal Carrier Mk.II (see my review here).



As with the Mk.I, the build commences with the finely-detailed, but alas, hidden engine:






The engine requires some care, as the forward support pylons are attached to an oddly-shaped long piece that is itself attached beneath the cylinder head (not clear from the instructions). You can see my pylons are a bit wobbly in the photos.

Super-detailers can have a field day with this engine, but it won't show in the final build unless you open the engine cover. A new PE set from Inside the Armor will allow for that.

Step #2: the floor board.




The next step is to assemble the gas tanks from four separate pieces. The tanks rest atop 4 "feet" that aren't visible after the build, so some of you may find that to be over-design, while others like myself appreciate the chance to see how this little honey was built.

On the bottom of the floorboard you will need to mount four PE brackets to hold the exhaust pipes. The brackets fit onto raised styrene "bolts" and align perfectly:

Next are the bogeys/road wheels.

They are built around the very visible, distinctive springs that Tamiya rendered mostly as styrene. The springs are either formed around a plastic shaft with the divider built in, or (in this case) a brass rod with three PE disks. The springs are doubled, too, with a smaller one cradled inside a larger one.

It sounds excessively "fiddly," but it's not and the results blow away anything in resin or styrene:





And the results:

Next comes mounting the bogey assemblies to the hull tub. I don't like the way that Riich does this: the attachment points are too delicate, and it's difficult getting the bogeys aligned. Also, there is no provision for shortening the read bogey springs to have the vehicle tilted when carrying a lot of cargo (photos show these puppies loaded & over-loaded with all kits of [auto-censored].




I realize I did not show mounting the universal joint/rear power axle to the kit. There are several tricky points in this assembly. First of all, the hull tub plug is not referenced in the instructions. It should be installed now.

Second, make sure you do NOT glue the sprockets to their mounting, as you will want them to turn freely when mounting the tracks. Finally, you have to line up the inside portion of the sprocket assembly correctly, or the thing won't mount properly to the hull tub:


Here is the rear hull tub wall without the plug:

Next is the interior, with the most detail reserved for the driver's compartment. You start with the steering gear:



Then add the engine:

great start on your build. looking good.

Nice details. Looks great so far!

--mike

A very busy kit!
Dan

Lookin good. You have way more patience than I do buddy.
J

Did Riich correct an instruction error concerning the placement of the axles for the drive wheels? I believe they were misnumbered for the wrong sides on the Mk l version.

Thanks, everyone, the kit isn't for the novice builder, even if it IS a small build.


From what I can see, no corrections were made to the instructions for this kit.

Jerry, you build some of the most-original dioramas I've ever seen from mostly scratchbuilt pieces!

Now the sad part: enclosing the little gem of an engine:



The instructions call for putting the grab handles onto the cover much later, but I found it easier to align them if I attached them at this stage of the build.

The fit of the engine cover is a bit problematic, so be attentive:

This company makes some really nice stuff. I am itching to build one of their motorcycles or maybe the new USArmy tractor.
J

You definitely get a lot of fun for your money (some might say "too much," if you don't like fiddly bits).

Next come the driver's seat and the gunner's seat:




As you can see, there are no replacement parts for the PE.




One of the changes between the Mk.1 and Mk.2 is the switch from automobile-type headlamps to a single "blackout hooded" lamp on the front left.

Looking good.
J

Thanks, Jerry. I hope to work on the final bits soon and have the photos up.

OK, in the home stretch. First an overall coat of primer & Tamiya Olive Green color:


Then the final with tracks and stowage:








And since the figures from the Mk.I are totally inappropriate for it, here's the driver set behind the wheel (unlike with tanks, the UC had a steering wheel like a car or truck):

And here are the two kits together:






Thanks to Darren Baker and Jim Starkweather for giving me the opportunity to build this little gem. You get a lot of kit for your money.