just got the icm normandy campaign and im just wondering if there are any thoughts or comments on the accuracy of this kit.it contains the panzer 2 luchs and a load of grenadiers.i dont think i paid even ten bucks for it on evil-bay.but i really liked the variety of troops.ok i’m ready let it fly.
One fairly major problem on the ICM Luchs, though easy to fix, is the front bow plate. The model depicts the bow as a single plate, this is not correct. It should be angled backwards just below the spare track hanger. Compare this photo with the kit part and you will see the problem;
I cut this lower section off and replaced it with a piece of .040 styrene that was .335" wide, so that it blends into the hull floor plate just in front of the first torsion bar station.
Eduard PE made for this kit will dress up the rather barren-looking engine grates, as well as a lot of small details. The main gun looks pretty crappy, I replaced mine with a Schatton Modelbau one that looks really nice.
Another small problem, also easy to fix, is that the engine air intake cowls are not in the correct position. The model shows them symmetrically placed on the engine hatch. They should be adjusted such that the rear edge of the rear cowl is about .040" in front of the hatch opening, and the front cowl is spaced about .085’’ away from the rear one.
The headlights leave a bit to be desired too, I replaced mine with those from a Tamiya Pz IV onboard tool set. Add a grab handle to the rear turret hatch as well, it’s not a vision slit as depicted on the kit.
Also, be sure to give this pig a bath, mine came covered in sticky mold release. [yuck]
hello from the north country kykeon,and thanks for your response.any help is more than welcome.it seems like a mad rush to collect one of every panzer built or concieved,but i’m enjoying myself in the process.as my wife states,with all these models i dont have time to get in trouble.[:-^][xx(]
I built the Luchs from ICM in my early days of modeling and although its not the best Luchs on the market its still a fun little kit to build the only thing i recall being bothersome was getting the wheels aligned they are a bit finicky but other than that all was well, if you wish there are upgrades to be found with barrels tracks and PE if not just have fun with it, the figures from icm are not too bad either not quite resin or gen 2 dragon grade but the ones i saw were not bad at all.
heres mine, i was playing with whitewash and mud at the time [:)] it may be one of my early ones but its one im still fond of.
My luchs was rescued from a 5 year exodus on my LHS’s shelves. It basically fell together. I don’t really like the finish, and I might redo the whole thing, but I would gladly build a whole new one.
Hey Kykeon,
One of these days, I gotta have your hard drives. It seems that you got pictures of everything that has turret and tracks.
Ben
Really though, I only collect WWII stuff. After more than 40 years of modeling, I’ve amassed quite a few books, somewhere around 500. That adds up to tens of thousands of photographs, plus whatever I scrounge off the Internet and the various museums I’ve been to over the years. [:D] When I die, you guys will be fighting over my library when my wife puts it on EvilBay. [;)]
hey guys thanks for the info… and yes i would like a shot at that library of yours kykeon,even for a day.and biffa that is a very nice little luchs you built there.been looking for a good photo or drawing of the brake/clutch pedal and lever arrangement on a panzer 4 h,started on an old revell kit and i’m in the process of installing a cmk engine comp.,and transmission.the rest is from scratch using model car parts raw styrene.resin and i dont get along. actually its the cyano-acrylate that just raises havoc with my head.so i compromise and recreate the resin parts using styrene.time consuming but worth it.