Introduction
The following introduction is taken from the ICM website:
Cargo Carrier Humvee M1097A2
In 1985, AM General began mass production of a new highly mobile multi-purpose wheeled vehicle, designated as the HMMWV (known in the military as the Humvee). In 1989, these vehicles saw combat for the first time during Operation “Just Cause” in Panama. Over time, this vehicle became the base for many modifications serving various purposes. It is widely used around the world and is in service with the armies of more than 70 countries. The M1097A2 modification is the basic platform for the next generation of these vehicles and is used both for transporting personnel or cargo and for mounting special equipment and weapons. In the light truck variant, the Humvee is equipped with a universal body, allowing the transportation of various types of cargo.
Review
This offering from ICM arrives in the usual fashion of a flip top cardboard tray with a separate card lid, which provided substantial protection for the contents provided. Inside is a single plastic bag containing all of the model parts, with things like the clear sprues inside another bag in that bag. The decal sheet is packaged inside the instruction booklet which is loose inside the box. An examination of the contents reveals no obvious issues with the parts. Access for removal of parts is generally good, although the gate are a little larger than I would like and will make removing some of the finer mouldings more difficult than it needed to be.
This offering from ICM builds up from a pre-moulded chassis, with a reasonable level of detail to it. The suspension is fixed, and will not be easy to modify without a lot of cutting and shutting. The wheel alignment is fixed also, which many of you know is a pet peeve of mine. A reasonable engine and gearbox is provided as regards being viewed from below. The suspension springs will require some careful clean up to hide the joints. The tyres while having good tread detail are vinyl rubber, which I am aware is a pet hate of many, and the wheels themselves also have good face detail. The engine bay walls are provided within the kit, but there is no real point as you cannot expose it due to the top of the engine and gearbox is missing. There are some interior details within the engine bay that you are to add and so I can only presume that ICM intends to cover the engine bay further in future releases.
Moving to the cab of the model, reasonable floor detail has been provided but as with the previous release the seat adjuster mechanisms have been obscured. The seats in the vehicle are not provided with any harness detail, the dashboard of the model is a more pleasing aspect with a good number of decals provided and a clear plan for locating them is also present. There are also decals on the front window frame, but I do not know what these represent. The wipers for the windows are provided as separate parts, which I like. I also like that the main cab body of the vehicle minus the hood can be assembled off of the model and despite when it is shown to be added to the chassis I believe could be left until the end and after painting.
Moving to the exterior of the vehicle and the canvas for the rear plus the canvas doors have some texture to them, such as ripples to indicate that they are not metal. The 2 grilles on the hood are separate items, as are the lights and should look the part. Shackles are such that are on the vehicle are acceptable detail wise, but only one of the shackle types can be shown loaded. The frame of the cargo area looks good to me, and I do not think that anybody will have any complaints in that regard. I am pleased to see that the covers for the rear foot wells have been included as it is a detail that could have easily been missed.
ICM has provided 2 finishing options for this release:
Humvee M1097A2 Cargo Carrier, US Army, 2000s
Humvee M1097A2 Cargo Carrier, US Army (Dessert Camo), 2000s
Running my hands over the decals, I cannot feel them on the carrier paper which would thus indicate that these are some of the finest I have seen from ICM to date.
Conclusion
This Humvee offering from ICM is another pleasing release, although it still has room for improvement most specifically the harnesses for the seats. I am unclear as to why so mush effort has been taken with the engine bay as the engine and gearbox itself is not suitable for display. The vinyl tyres are a Marmite subject, however I will say that I like the canvas efforts for the doors, the clarity of the clear parts and the general look overall which at the price it is being offered places it in a reasonable zone.