Introduction

Humber Scout Car from Artitec is an HO/1:87 scale resin kit with photo-etch parts of a WWII UK recon vehicle. It is item 87.103.

The Kit

Humber Scout Car is a neat and compact angular armored recon car cast in buff resin. Like the other two Artitec models I have reviewed, the casting is crisp with good detail. I found no air pocks nor mold casting lines, although there is light flash on the wheels. The resin has a slight gritty feeling. Three P/E parts are included.

The kit consists of 24 pieces: 7 castings - 21 including 14 tarps, rolls, jerry cans and other external stores, and a trio of P/E:

Humber chassis and body
Wheels X 5
Hatch, driver's port
Externals X 14
Bren Gun (photo-etch)
Side mirrors X 2 (photo-etch)

A nice set of decals are included.

Detail

Humber Scout Car is a simplified kit. The crew hatches are cast open and the hatches are cast on, except for one - the drive's port. A shovel and pickaxe are cast on, too, as are the head and brake lamps. The rear wheel fenders are remarkably thin.

The wheels feature good hub and tire detail. Underneath the model is a basic chassis with some axle and exhaust manifold detail. But it is marred by a big chunk of resin that will have to be cut away.

That minuscule Bren Gun and side mirrors are photo-etched pieces and thus scale-thin. These pieces have recessed detail etched into them.

With the limited number of vehicle parts and the good detail, this should be a quick assembly into a fine looking model.

Instructions and decals

A one-page line art instruction sheet guides the simple construction. Humbrol paint is referenced.

A generous decal sheet of crisply printed insignias is provided. The decals are thin and have an acceptable amount of clear film around the printed insignias. The unit markings are different than the decals of the Firefly VC (see the link to the side of the Summary, below). This proves that Artitec does not use a generic sheet for all of their Royal Armoured Corps models; I am not well versed in Royal Armoured Corps Regiments but I count at least 21 units. There are also 15 yellow bridging number circles, of which only one is applicable for the Humber. However, Artitec failed to include the white star of the Western Allies. Considering this vehicle had the star on the bow, sides and top, this is a glaring omission. Especially since the decals are shown in the instructions. A quality control oversight?

Assembly

Assembly was immediate once the big piece of underbody resin was cut away. Attach the four wheels, the spare, the driver hatch, two mirrors and the Bren Gun, and the model is assembled in less time than it took to type this. That is, of course, after the light flash was removed.

Removing the underbody resin was quick with a few nips with a sprue nipper across the center piece, and with it gone, the resin across the axles simply snapped off.

The tiny mirrors fit into holes in the armor. The Bren rests upon a spindle cast onto the roof.

High detail and easy assembly. A sweet little kit.

Conclusion

Artitec's Humber Scout Car is a well cast and detailed 1:87/HO British scout car. The simple photo-etched Bren Gun and side mirrors really enhance the model. More than a dozen tarps and other stores offers the modeler a lot of options. As does the selection of decals.

The cast-open crew hatches limits the way this model can be displayed. One will need to find a 1/87 crew to fill the hatches, cover them with tarps, or model the vehicle as unoccupied.

This Humber will make a fine addition to Braille Scale military collections and WWII-era European model railway layouts. Recommended.

Please remember to mention to Artitec and retailers that you saw this model here - on ARMORAMA.