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LvKv 90C Anti-Air Vehicle (84508) 1:35 Hobby Boss via Creative Models Ltd Based upon the original Combat Vehicle 90 (CV90), this anti-aircraft light tank uses the same chassis with a 40mm Bofors autocannon in a new turret, which is guided by a Thales radar unit perched on top of the turret in a cylindrical housing. LvKv stands for Luftvärnskanonvagn, which translates to self-propelled anti-aircraft weapon, with the 90 representing the decade of its birth. It can fire programmable proximity-fused fragmentation or armour piercing rounds, which coupled with the complex computer algorithms used in targeting, calculating velocity and direction of the target, speed of rounds, ballistic drop makes for a highly accurate weapon that will put the fear of immediate perforation in any passing enemy that lingers in range (up to 14km) for more than a couple of seconds. It can also track up to six targets at once, far beyond that of any mere human and a useful force multiplier. Although it isn’t strictly speaking a frontline vehicle, it is well-enough armoured to withstand armour piercing rounds from most APCs to its frontal armour, and small arms fire from the back and sides, with the 90C having upgraded appliqué armour and anti-spall liner to better equip it for international service where IEDs and ambushes could be par for the course. Other upgrades include a full air conditioning pack for operation in hot and humid locations, plus anti-dazzle filters on the vision blocks to protect the eyesight of the crew. It is also a connected fighting vehicle, benefitting from and contributing to a better overall situational awareness of their forces that is an incredibly useful tool in the modern battlefield. It gets around thanks to a powerful Scania 550hp diesel engine that drives the tracks and also acts as propulsion in water with the fitment of a flotation kit that gives it greater all-terrain capability. The Kit Based upon their initial 2012 release of the CV90-40C complete with all the appliqué armour of the IFV, and with a new turret, gun and radar “pot”. In its splinter camouflage it is an attractive design, and from the box it is well-detailed throughout with individual link tracks and separate track-pads. From the standard Hobby Boss box come fourteen sprues and three hull and turret parts in sand-coloured styrene, four sprues of track-pads in black, Ninety mini-sprues of track-links in a metallic grey, a small clear sprue, a fret of Photo-Etch (PE) parts, a sheet of decals, and the instruction booklet with separate colour painting guide. In a break from the norm, construction begins with the vehicle’s rear hatches, which are festooned with styrene and tiny PE parts before completion. Then the more predictable make-up of the four-part drive sprockets (x2), four-part road wheel pairs (x14), and two-part idler wheels, which are set aside until after the lower hull and its swing-arm suspension is finished off. The rear hatch made earlier is added to the stepped underside, clear lights are slotted inside the sloped front of the upper hull, and a number of PE parts are added around them next to the front fenders. The upper hull is glued to the lower, and now you can add all those wheels, then make up the tracks. Each track run has 82 links comprising two parts, with two sprue gates on the pads, and three on the metallic-coloured links, all of which are sensibly placed and easy to clean up. It took a few minutes to make up the example section of 6 links for the review, and you can even leave off the pads until after painting the tracks if you are modelling it clean, scuffing the pads with a sanding stick before you glue them in for a bit of realism. While they clip together easily, they’re not meant to be workable links, so when you have them in place and looking good, just freeze them in position with some glue, which will also make painting them easier. With the hull joined, a set of mudflaps and a number of pioneer tools are attached to the rear along with pre-moulded towing cables that have PE tie-downs, with styrene grab-handles on the glacis and a nicely detailed driver’s hatch added. At the rear is an access hatch for the engine plus a bundle of three different shovels, and on the sides a pair of skirts are fixed to notches in the hull sides. More PE and clear parts are fitted on the rear bulkhead, with a number of PE grilles added to the deck and a trio of aerials at the very rear. The Bofors cannon is a simple affair, made up from a four-part mount and a two-part barrel with concertina recoil bag moulded-into its base, split horizontally with a single piece flared muzzle fitted last. The barrel is slipped through the turret from the inside and is trapped in place by the cut-outs as the lower turret is glued to the upper. It should remain mobile if you don’t drown the joint in glue. With that the turret is detailed with a stowage bustle, smoke grenade launchers, hatches, grab-handles and vision blocks. The turret is finished off with a sighting box in front of the gunner’s position, the big radar pot at the rear, spare track-links and a folded-up PE top cover for the gun. The final act is to insert a heap of PE camo tie-downs around the top and front of the turret, with scrap diagrams showing the correct locations. The completed turret drops into the ring and twist-locks in place on the bayonet lugs moulded into the bottom. Markings The decals included in the kit are minimal as you’d expect from an armour kit, and they have good enough registration, colour density and sharpness for the task in hand. From the box you can build one of the following: I’ve said it before, but I wish Hobby Boss would give us more information about their decal options, but other than the vehicle’s number plates, there’s not much of a clue as to where and when these schemes are from. Conclusion This variant of the CV90 has been well-kitted by Hobby Boss, and as there’s an unusual splinter scheme in the box to test your masking skills plus a plain green one, there’s fun for everyone. The tracks are pretty decent, and once you’ve got them on the vehicle, freezing them in place with a little glue will save them from falling apart down the line. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of