| KIT #: | 32587 |
| PRICE: | 1600 yen SRP |
| DECALS: | Two options |
| REVIEWER: | Scott Van Aken |
| NOTES: | 2016 tooling |
| HISTORY |
The The Humber Armoured Car was one of the most widely produced Britisharmoured cars of the Second World War. It supplemented theHumber Light Reconnaissance Car and remained in service until the end of the war.
Made by the Rootes Group, the Humber was essentially a combination of the Karrier KT 4 artillery tractor chassis and the armoured body of the Guy Armoured Car. The KT4 was already in production for the Indian Army, and Guy were having problems with the production levels required. The Karrier name was dropped to avoid confusion.
The first order for 500 was placed in 1940. The first Humbers were more or less identical to the Guy down to the faults in the armour, but this was later rectified. Production started in 1941.
The Mark III improved upon the Mark II by providing a three-man turret. Mark III production ended in 1942 after 1,650 had been built. With a possible replacement, the 2-pounder armed Coventry armoured car, on its way, the Mark IV was designed. This put the US 37 mm gun in the turret but at the cost of one crewman. The Coventry was not ordered as a replacement and so production of Mark IV continued, for a total of 2,000, despite its flaws.
| THE KIT |
In a move to circumvent any licensing requirements, Tamiya has produced the Humber Mk.IV armored car by simply stating its weight. I applaud Tamiya for taking this step where it is feasible as it helps to reduce the overall cost of the kit to consumers.
The kit is produced on three sprues, two of them identical. As usual, the molding is first class. There is an upper and lower hull section with two side pieces. The springs for the suspension are molded onto the lower piece. One then attaches the front and rear cover plates as well as the four wheel drive drivetrain. Each of the differential/axle housing pieces is a single piece as is the drive shaft/transfer case piece. One then attaches the venders and upper suspension arms (for the front axle). Wheels are typical of what I have seen in Tamiya's 1/48 kits with an outer section that includes the outer wheel part and most of the tire. A rear insert contails the rest of the sidewall and wheel. These simply glue onto the axles. No poly caps with this one.
The rest of the hull builds up with the rather large variety of containers and boxes that these vehicles carried. While not exactly the proper term, the turret is a 'curbside' with no interior detail. The commander's hatch can be posed open as a figure is provided to insert into this space. There are also a number of accessories for the turret. No optional parts are provided, but then they really are not needed.
Instructions are well drawn using Tamiya paint references. A separate painting and markings sheet is provided for a single vehicle in overall British green. This is with the Polish 1st Armored Division, though no date is provided. The small decal sheet is well printed.
| CONCLUSIONS |
I am a real fan of Tamiya's 1/48 vehicle series. They are well engineered, build well, and, though it is not a real consideration from my point of view, fit in with their 1/48 aircraft. An added bonus is that they don't take up a lot of shelf space. This is #87 in their series so it is pretty obvious that Tamiya is doing something right. I bought this from a Japanese vendor at 1440 yen just to add some additional items to a shipment.
| REFERENCES |
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Humber_Armoured_Car
August 2016 Thanks to me for the preview kit. If you would like your product reviewed fairly and fairly quickly, please contactthe editor or see other details in the