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Bought this kit on the basis that I wanted to build a Luchs and didn't want to pay the earth. It fit the bill, cheap and in the right scale. Nice big box.... ..must be stuffed full of plastic... ..ah well, there are some nice looking options, I'll go for this one... ..at least the moulds should be in good nick.... ...after serious flash removal.. ...off centre holes and slipped moulds, this could be fun. I think I must have subconsciously wanted to show solidarity with John and his old Airfix Prowler. Or maybe I'm just a masochist Progress is at stage 3 completed (but without the wheels as they are to be painted separately first). Lower chassis and torsion bars assembled/added Rear panel did not want to fit nicely... ..so I chamfered the sides to get it to fit, definitely not a shake'n'bake kit here. So that's where we stand right now. Unfortunately I didn't take any pics of the sprues before I cleaned them up but there was a lot of flash and heavy mould seams that had to be removed before I even considered cutting anything from the tree. Not sure what kind of a dogs dinner I'm going to make of this but I'll give it my best shot Thanks for looking Phil

SpPz2 LUCHS A2 Revell 1:72 The Spähpanzer Luchs is a German 8x8 amphibious reconnaissance armoured fighting vehicle in service since 1975 with the German Army, who used 408 units in their armoured reconnaissance battalions. It was developed by Daimler-Benz between 1968 and 1975, replacing the M41 and the Schützenpanzer SPz 11-2 Kurz. The all-wheel drive Luchs made by Thyssen-Henschel (now: Rheinmetall) is well armoured, has an NBC protection system and is characterized by its low-noise running. The eight large low-pressure tyres have run-flat properties. At speeds up to about 50 km/h, all four axles can be steered. As a special feature, the vehicle is equipped with a rear-facing driver with his own driving position. Up to the first combat effectiveness upgrade in 1986, the Luchs was fully amphibious and could surmount water obstacles quickly and independently using propellers at the rear and the fold back trim vane at the front. The 20 mm Rheinmetall MK 20 Rh 202 gun in the turret is similar to the one in the Marder IFV. The upgrade to the Luchs A1 starting in 1986 included the incorporation of a thermal observation and gunnery system, which replaced the original infrared/white light night vision system mounted to the left of the turret. VHF radios have been the German SEM 25 / SEM 35 FM short range radios from LORENZ. HF long-range radio was the AN/GRC 9 with the LV 80 100 Watts RF amplifier for Morse code. This was replaced by the XK 405 100 Watts SSB HF radio made by Rohde&Schwarz in Germany and the incorporation of the new SEM 80/90 radio system gave it the designation SpPz 2 Luchs A2. The Luchs was replaced by the Fennek in Bundeswehr service. The Kit The Revell Luchs was first released in 2000 and this is the first reissue of the kit since then. It is good that Revell do these kits in 1.72 as no one else seems to do so. The kit arrives on four sprues of green/OD plastic. There is no evidence of flash and all the parts seem very well moulded. There is some good raised and engraved details on the main hull and turret. One sprue is given over to the wheels on the kit. Revell have obviously given some thought to how to do the wheels on this kit. The wheel son these APCs are major visual point and it is good that the modeller is not just given a two part wheel split down the middle. Here we get three main parts to each wheel with a cap to go into the middle to provide movement. The three parts will go together to provide a realistic looking tread pattern without any join. The multipart axle and suspension components should also look good on the finished model. Construction starts with cockpit, well I am an aircraft modeller! It really starts with the main hull of the APC. This is made up from the upper and lower hulls with a rear plate. Once the main hull is together construction moves to the underside. The first parts to be added are the suspension components for all four axles. Each axle then needs to be built up. The three part tyres are built and added to the end of the axles. As the machine has all wheel drive, and all axle steering the modeller has to add the steering components and drive shafts for all axles. Luckily the instructions are very clear in what needs to be added where. As you would suspect this is the major build are of the kit. Once the modeller has finished the drive train there are a myriad of external components to add to the main hull. The propellers and wading board for amphibious operations are added, along with Lights, tow hooks, convoy light plate, rear warning panels, antenna mounts, mirrors, lighting plates, along with the entry door. Various items of external stowage are provided if the modellers wishes to use them, Tow cables, axe, spades, and other tools can be added, along with two moulded camo nets. Once the main hull is complete the last job is to complete the turret. The main turret is one part, to this are added the gun mantlet and gun for the 20mm cannon. Vision blocks are added to the top along with a machine gun & mounting ring. Smoke grenade dischargers are added, along with what looks like the NBC pack. Final item if needed is the flashing orange beacon many military vehicles seem to use these days when on civilian roads. Decals The decal sheet is very small with minimal national markings, and the striped warning panels. Everything is in register and there should be no problems with the decals. Conclusion This looks a great little model. Revell have put a lot of thought into how the kit will go together. It is good to see a mainstream manufacturer bringing us modern armoured vehicles in 1:72 scale. Highly recommended. Revell model kits are available from all good toy and model retailers. For further information visit

SpPz 2 Luchs heavy armoured car Takom 1:35 History The Spähpanzer Luchs is a German 8x8 amphibious reconnaissance armoured fighting vehicle in service since 1975 with the German Army, who used 408 units in their armoured reconnaissance battalions. It was developed by Daimler-Benz between 1968 and 1975, replacing the M41 and the Schützenpanzer SPz 11-2 Kurz. The all-wheel drive Luchs made by Thyssen-Henschel (now: Rheinmetall) is well armoured, has an NBC protection system and is characterized by its low-noise running. The eight large low-pressure tyres have run-flat properties. At speeds up to about 50 km/h, all four axles can be steered. As a special feature, the vehicle is equipped with a rear-facing driver with his own driving position. Up to the first combat effectiveness upgrade in 1986, the Luchs was fully amphibious and could surmount water obstacles quickly and independently using propellers at the rear and the fold back trim vane at the front. The 20 mm Rheinmetall MK 20 Rh 202 gun in the turret is similar to the one in the Marder IFV. The upgrade to the Luchs A1 starting in 1986 included the incorporation of a thermal observation and gunnery system, which replaced the original infrared/white light night vision system mounted to the left of the turret. VHF radios have been the German SEM 25 / SEM 35 FM short range radios from LORENZ. HF long-range radio was the AN/GRC 9 with the LV 80 100 Watts RF amplifier for Morse code. This was replaced by the XK 405 100 Watts SSB HF radio made by Rohde&Schwarz in Germany and the incorporation of the new SEM 80/90 radio system gave it the designation SpPz 2 Luchs A2. The Luchs was replaced by the Fennek in Bundeswehr service. The Model The kit is packaged in a very attractive top opening box with an artists impression of the vehicle in action on the boxtop. Inside there are seven sprues of sandy yellow coloured styrene, the two hull halves and turret. Also included are a set of springs for the suspension, a sheet of etched details, a DS style flap, decal sheet and a pair of poly caps. Unusually, Takom have provided two complete sets of tyres, depending on whether the model is going to be built as the A1 or A2 version. The parts are very nicely moulded, with no sign of flash or imperfections, but there are loads of moulding pips which will add to the time of cleaning up the parts before use. As with most kits of these types of vehicles most of the work is concentrated on the drive train and suspension. This kit is no exception, beginning with the fitting of the bump stops, light cluster assemblies, the eight, 2 part, shock absorber assemblies and mud flaps to the lower hull section. The four suspension arms are then fitted with their pivots and once fitted to the lower hull are fitted with the eight individual metal springs. Each of the four axles are made up of upper and lower halves, to which the lay shaft ends, spring mounts and transmission covers are attached, followed by the ball joints, steering racks, support arms and torque links. Each of the axles is slightly different, so read the instructions carefully and note which axle fits where. Between the second and third axle is a transfer box fitted, this, and these axles are connected via a drive shaft, with the first axle connected in a similar fashion to the second and the fourth to the third, followed in a similar manner by the steering connecting rods. Each of the hubs are made up of the inner hub, brake drum and an outer connecting disc, but do not attach the wheels just yet. Two headlights are then assembled from their five components, including a PE bracket which needs to be carefully bent to shape, before fitting to the hull along with their respective protective bars. Before fitting the upper hull, (a task which I would have done first rather than at this point), a several 0.8mm holes need to be drilled out depending on which mark of vehicle is being built. With the upper hull attached the rear panel assembly is fitted. This is made up of the panel, engine grille, rear light assembly and towing eye. Seeing that this vehicle is amphibious it’s no surprise that it has a separate propulsion system, in the form of two propellers fitted. These are each made up of the two part mounting, propeller, and front boss. These are they attached to the underside rear of the hull. Turning the hull right side up the splash plate is fitted to the front glacis plate, either stowed or deployed. Depending on which version is being built ensure the correct tyres are being fitted at this point. Each tyre is slid onto the inner hub and sandwiched into place by the outer hub. With the model sitting on its wheels the many and various hand holds, aerial mounts, pioneer tools, towing cable and drivers vision ports are fitted, along with the two drivers hatches. Details differ between the two versions, which is why different holes need opening up earlier in the build, so there’s no changing your mind half way through the build. Next to be fitted are the two rear view mirrors, port side exit hatch, fuel caps, and unidentifiable tubes on the rear decking. There is a five piece cover that surrounds these tubes tubes which is a mixture of styrene and PE and fitted aft of the turret ring. Finally it’s onto the business end of the vehicle and the assembly of the turret. The turret ring section is fitted from the inside with the gun mount and trunnion, the assembly is then attached to the single piece upper turret section. The gunners hatch, rubberized trunnion cover, an unidentifiable box on the turrets right front, followed by the main gun. The eight smoke dischargers are attached four per side, whilst on top the commanders hatch, and training light are fitted. The A1 version has only one multipart sight fitted to the top of the turret, complete with optionally posed cover doors, whilst the A2 version has two of completely different design, one each in front of both upper hatches, the right hand one covered by a prominent cage structure. The MG42 machine gun is then fitted with the trigger handles and attached to its mounting plate, which in turn is fitted to the scarff ring. This assembly can be fitted to the left turret hatch or in its dismounted position on the rear decking. Once complete the turret is fitted to the hull, finishing off the build. Decals The decal sheet, which is actually quite colourful considering the markings are to be used on an armoured vehicle. They are very nicely printed in register, good opacity and with little carrier film. The writing is pin sharp and can easily be read with the naked eye. The painting instructions come on two double sided A5 sheets and have obviously been produced for use with Ammo by mig paints, using their colours on the call outs. There are two vehicles in overall NATO green and two in three colour camouflage of NATO green, NATO brown and matt black. Conclusion Whilst this is a magnificent and surprisingly large model it’s not that complicated, although the suspension and drive train will require some care to get positioned correctly. Dry fitting the hull sections together reveal that there may be a problem getting it aligned and gap free as the pins aren’t the most prominent seen in a kit. As mentioned above it may be best to fit the two parts together at the beginning to get it all fitting correctly, rather than trying to do it with all the suspension attached. Other than that, there isn’t much that should worry any modeller of intermediate skills and above. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

SpPz 2 "LUCHS" 1:72 Revell AG The SpPz (Spahpanzer) 2 Luchs (Lynx) entered service in 1975, after being conceived and developed in 1968 to replace the M41 and the Schutzenpanzer SPz 11-2 "Kurz". Noted for having a quiet engine, the Luchs features NBC warfare filtration systems and an 8-wheel steering system. With a rear facing auxiliary driver, the Luchs is extremely mobile with large low pressure tires. A 10 cylinder engine creates nearly 400hp, which can generate a road speed of 90km/h. The engine can run either petrol or diesel, which turbocharged performance enhancement. The Luchs is armed with a 20mm Rheinmetall RH202 cannon and a 7.62mm MG3 machine gun. Typical of Revell, included is the familiar black and white folded instruction sheet (43 steps), with the additional small folded warning pamphlet. A small decal sheet will provide markings for two vehicles - One from 1999 in Kosovo, the other in 1998 Bosnia. The sprues are dark green in colour, which I think is common for modern vehicle kits by RoG. The 4 sprues are numbered and a small map is located on page 4 of the instruction booklet should you need to reference it. The hull halves are split between top and bottom, with the rear radiator cover molded separately to capture the screen details. The wheels and turret make up the remaining 2 sprues, one for each sub-system respectfully. The wheels are interesting in the sense that they are 3-piece assemblies with a wheel face and back which sandwich a middle tread section. I found this to be a novel way of handling the potential loss of detail and alignment issue that wheeled armour modellers sometimes face with older kits. This may be old news to the current modelling manufacturing process, but it is new to me. The turret and hull feature pretty nice details, with reasonably thin handles on the pioneer tools and sufficient hatch, panel and hinge details. The real winning attribute this kit features is the detailed suspension, steering and drive train systems. Having worked with real wheeled AFVs, I am pleasantly surprised by the amount of effort Revell have gone through to represent these. The axles are two piece assemblies, with additional differential face covers. The small scale armament is somewhat lacking, but I think the average modeller will be happy with what Revell have provided. The MG3 is nicely represented, though maybe somewhat exaggerated for scale effect. The 20MM RH202 could use some work though. The box art clearly shows a nice taper with perforations towards the muzzle. The kit cannon is lacking perforations and looks slightly The turret and hull feature periscopes that the super detailer may want to spruce up some, but with some smart painting they will look great. A small model, I measured the naked upper hull at 105mm, which is 1/3 again the length of the Tiger 1 in the same scale. Here is a photograph of all sprues with a Vallejo 17ml bottle for scale reference: Lastly, the instructions deliver a paint scheme for each of the two options mentioned previously. The paint call outs call for "B", "C", and "D" to cover the hull in a camouflage pattern common to European schemes. The problem I found with this, is that the box art, and many photographs of the vehicle I searched show a Nato Brown, Black and Green application. The kit instructions call for the following: "B" - 70% Rust + 30% Brown "C" - Tar Black "D" - Anthracite Grey Portions of the framework on the appurtenances in the instructions call for "A" which is a mix of 70% Bronze Green + 30% Sea Green. This leaves me to assume that the instructions should indicate a camo pattern of "A", "B", and "C". The "D" selection is used to colour the tires, which bolsters my assumption. The box end indicates that this kit is skill level 4, which I think is accurate given the many small parts, complex suspension and drive systems. This is a great little kit, and I look forward to displaying it next to my yet unbuilt HEER CH-53 and other Revell AG armour selections in 1/72 Scale.