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Humber LRC Mk.II (8065) 1:72 CMK by Special Hobby One of Great Britain’s long defunct motor manufacturers went by the name of Rootes, who produced the brand Humber, and in the late 30s, they designed the Super Snipe, which reached market in 1938, somewhat optimistically before the outbreak of WWII. As civilian car manufacturing was suspended in the UK during this period, Humber used the chassis for the Super Snipe to create a light armoured car, and the engine that had propelled it to a top speed close to 80mph, went to help carry the additional weight of its armour. Despite the embargo on civilian cars, the Super Snipe also continued relatively unchanged as a military staff car, transporting many top brass around the country. The new Light Reconnaissance Car (LRC) was armoured to withstand small-arms fire, with a maximum of 10mm at the front, and a little less on the back and sides, but the Mk.I had an open top, leaving it vulnerable to plunging fire, grenades and explosives, plus shrapnel, not to mention the weather. The Mk.II had a roof that was 7mm thick, with the turret conversely only 6mm, but on the basis that some protection is better than none and steel is waterproof, it was an improvement. The Boys anti-tank rifle was forward facing in a mount with limited elevation, with a Bren gun in the turret that could deal with the enemy for close-range engagements. The engine had been upgraded to a 4.1L 6-cylinder engine that drove the rear wheels only up until the Mk.III, which benefitted from four-wheel drive that improved its rough ground handling, replacing the Mk.II in late 41. The Kit This is a new tooling from CMK, and is a resin creation that has been designed with a combination of traditional cast resin, 3D printed resin, Photo-Etch (PE), and even a few decals, using the most appropriate method to get the job done. The kit arrives in a modest cardboard box with captive lid, and a red themed sticker on top to tell us what’s inside. Under the lid are a row of heat-sealed bag sections protecting the cast resin, a Ziploc bag that contains the 3D printed parts, which are on two print bases with protective legs on the corners, another small bag with the PE and decals inside, and instructions that is formed from two sheets of A4 printed in colour and stapled into a booklet. There are thirty-four cast resin parts in grey, twenty-nine 3D printed parts in a different grey, a rectangular clear part, five PE parts, and nine decals. Detail is excellent, removal of the casting blocks and clean-up shouldn’t represent too much of an issue, as the attachment points have been positioned to minimise damage to the detail of the parts. Give the parts a wash in warm soapy water to remove any lingering release agent, and remember that breathing in fine dust such as resin isn’t good for you. Construction begins with the floor, which has the chassis integrated into the underside, and is joined by two seats, stowage boxes, driver controls on the right, and the base for the turret that is built from a single PE part that is folded into a step-stool with a hole in the centre. Under the chassis, leaf springs, axle, and drive-shaft are installed under the rear, fitting the steering axle at the front, with disc-brakes and steering arm, the two sides tied together by a single leaf spring. The lower chassis is completed by mounting the exhaust and its muffler under the left side of the vehicle, putting the assembly aside until the two halves are mated and the wheels are added. The body of the beast is moulded as a single tub, and is decked out with a bulkhead in the forward compartment, mounting the steering column, wheel and instrument panel behind it, and using the clear panel to give the driver a chance of seeing where he’s about to drive. The instructions tell you to give the clear resin a coat of gloss varnish to improve its transparency, which is a standard method when dealing with cast clear resin. Further back are five stowed weapons and entrenching tools, plus a shelf on the right side with a No.19 radio set fitted, so the crew can keep in touch with HQ. With the painting and weathering done on the inside, the body and chassis are joined, and the front is festooned with bumper, horn, fenders, wing mirrors, lights, convoy light, and a PE bracket, adding the optional open or closed radiator armour by using the two separate parts, or one V-shaped part so that you don’t have to set the angle yourself, which is a great idea. Moving round the vehicle, the hatches are fitted to the top and sides, rear fenders, all four wheels, which have some nice detail moulded-in, and another batch of tools that are all glued to the external stowage box, or boot as we call it in the UK. It's not over yet. The Boys anti-tank rifle is slotted into the front next to the driver’s hatch, which gets a hatch cover, fitting a PE aerial mast on the rear corner of the right side, using a resin antenna base, and a length of wire from your supplies box to finish the assembly. The turret is predominantly built from 3D printed parts, with just the seat cast from resin, suspended on three supports under the conical turret, and with a Bren gun projecting from the front on a Y-shaped mount. A couple of spare magazines are also included to suspend from the verticals next to the gunner, and the completed turret assembly is dropped into the hole in the top of the hull, locating the peg on the bottom of the seat in the PE ‘stool’ installed on the floor at outset. Markings There is just one decal option included on the small sheet, which is as follows: The decals are printed using a digital process and have good registration, sharpness, and colour density, with a thin gloss carrier film cut loosely around the printed areas. This means that the carrier film on their decals can be coaxed away from the printed part of the decal after they have been applied, effectively rendering them carrier film free, making the completed decals much thinner and more realistic, and obviating the need to apply successive coats of clear varnish to hide the edges of the carrier film. It’s a great step further in realism from my point of view, and saves a good quantity of precious modelling time into the bargain. Conclusion The detail included in the parts is excellent, and despite the fact that it’s not my scale, it has that “build me” vibe about it. Careful painting and weathering will make a great model. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of