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REVIEW
V3000S (1941 Production)
staff_Jim
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New Hampshire, United States
Joined: December 15, 2001
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Posted: Thursday, December 16, 2010 - 11:34 AM UTC
Jim Rae gives a first-look at a New German truck kit from the Ukrainian manufacturer, ICM Holding. A very different subject from the usual Opel Blitzes - which, it seems every manufacturer has in their catalogue.

Link to Item

If you have comments or questions please post them here.

Thanks!
Negrillo
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England - North East, United Kingdom
Joined: September 06, 2006
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Posted: Thursday, December 16, 2010 - 12:13 PM UTC
Just received this kit myself Jim, and I certainly agree with your very timely review - this is a great and much needed alternative to the Opel Blitz overload modellers are currently experiencing !

Regards

Stirl

http://gallery.kitmaker.net/showphoto.php/photo/350037/ppuser/20762
gatorbait
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Louisiana, United States
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Posted: Thursday, December 16, 2010 - 06:01 PM UTC
I am so excited about this little truck, and it is a very welcome one at the that. Lots of conversion ideas, lots of potential for this truck world wide. Nice to NOT see a paper panzer,,,,
jimbrae
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Provincia de Lugo, Spain / Espaņa
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Posted: Thursday, December 16, 2010 - 08:05 PM UTC

Quoted Text

I am so excited about this little truck, and it is a very welcome one at the that. Lots of conversion ideas, lots of potential for this truck world wide. Nice to NOT see a paper panzer,,,,



When I was doing the background for this Review/First-Look I was frankly gobsmacked at just HOW much potential there was. French Indo-China, the pressed plywood 'Einhatz' vesion, loads of civilian versions (including Fire trucks) and the Maultier version.

It's a clear example that these smaller companies seem to be able to bring real imagination to their releases and STILL keep them commercial. Not only that, the technical leap that ICM has made in its tooling is frankly extraordinary. It's as good as anything currently on the market. To have said that a few years ago about ICM would have been silly. Not now...
RM1Young
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Joined: December 16, 2010
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Posted: Thursday, December 16, 2010 - 10:46 PM UTC
This seems like an interesting subject and a well engineered kit.
Hohenstaufen
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England - South East, United Kingdom
Joined: December 13, 2004
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Posted: Thursday, December 16, 2010 - 11:19 PM UTC
Waheeey! Ford V3000 much awaited. ICM are to be congratulated on this release, coming on the heels of the Zvedza Mercedes & Maultier. Full engine I note & apparently no pin marks in the woodwork (are you listening Tamiya? No, oh well never mind!). Put me down for a couple. It looks from the photos that the plastic has a lot of regrind in it, there appears to be marbling indicative of this. Not necessarily a bad thing, means they are reusing waste plastic.
Hohenstaufen
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Posted: Thursday, December 16, 2010 - 11:54 PM UTC
BTW did anyone notice the "WM" numberplate on the transfer sheet - i.e. Wehrmacht Marine, German Navy. Just what you need to go with a Biber or two...
Hisham
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Al Qahirah, Egypt / لعربية
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Posted: Friday, December 17, 2010 - 12:17 AM UTC
As has been said, a nice change from the usual Opel that keeps being made.

Jim... you mentioned French Indo-China.. does that mean it could be used in a Vietnam war setting, or was that in a totally different time frame? If it can be used, anyone got any pictures?

Thanks for the review
Hisham
Frenchy
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Rhone, France
Joined: December 02, 2002
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Posted: Friday, December 17, 2010 - 01:07 AM UTC

Quoted Text

Jim... you mentioned French Indo-China.. does that mean it could be used in a Vietnam war setting, or was that in a totally different time frame? If it can be used, anyone got any pictures?



Hi Hisham

If you're interested, you can take a look at these threads that both deal with French-built Ford V3000S (aka F-198T) :
http://rolfask.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=lkw&action=display&thread=267
http://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic.php?f=47&t=150444
Post war trucks had flat front fenders and a wider cab, among other differences :
(from this walkaround )

More than 400 F-198Ts were converted to 4-wheel drive trucks before being sent to Indochina.

HTH

Frenchy
Hisham
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Al Qahirah, Egypt / لعربية
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Posted: Friday, December 17, 2010 - 05:04 PM UTC
Thanks for the pic and links, Frenchy.

The modifications needed would difficult (at least for me.. especially with that fender). So, maybe if I wait they might make that later version, or something close to it.

Hisham
Frenchy
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Rhone, France
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Posted: Friday, December 17, 2010 - 06:22 PM UTC

Quoted Text

So, maybe if I wait they might make that later version, or something close to it.



AFAIK late production (1943 --->) German V3000S had flat fenders, but they either had the same cab...


or the wooden "Einheitkabine" :



Frenchy
Finch
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New York, United States
Joined: August 03, 2005
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Posted: Saturday, December 18, 2010 - 05:23 AM UTC
Nice review.

Just FYI, Ford was not a producer of trucks in the USSR. They built the GAZ plant for a fee, but the (Ford design) trucks that came out of it were produced by GAZ.

Ford and others (GM, for example) continued to operate their subsidiaries in Axis countries during the war.
warreni
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South Australia, Australia
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Posted: Monday, December 20, 2010 - 08:49 AM UTC
I agree that this is a great release from ICM, BUT maybe we should wait until someone has actually built one of these kits before gushing so much praise. I remember reading gushing praise from many quarters about Tristar Panzer IV Ausf.B only to have to literally beat it into submission to get it finished.

I hope this kit from ICM is as good as we all hope. If it is I can see a good convoy diorama in the future...
jimbrae
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Provincia de Lugo, Spain / Espaņa
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Posted: Monday, December 20, 2010 - 10:48 AM UTC

Quoted Text

BUT maybe we should wait until someone has actually built one of these kits before gushing so much praise.



Who's gushing? It WASN'T a FULL Review, it was a 'First-Look' or Preview if you prefer... There's no Rating attached to the Review either.

Just to reprise. I've been around the Review block a few times. I've published 227 Reviews on this site By now, I guess I can tell a well produced model from something that barks and has a tendency to chase cars...

I concentrated on the quality of the moulding, the subject and importantly the POTENTIAL for the modeler. Only these 3 categories would put the model in the 90+ mark.
vonHengest
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Texas, United States
Joined: June 29, 2010
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Posted: Monday, December 20, 2010 - 06:06 PM UTC
All I can say is that I can't tell you how long I've been waiting for these. I want the Allied/US versions, but I'm sure as heck going to be picking one of these up
warreni
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South Australia, Australia
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Posted: Monday, December 20, 2010 - 06:59 PM UTC
Jim, I wasn't criticising your review at all. I know it was an in-box review and I did not say anything about your review being bad or nuthin...
Jmarles
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British Columbia, Canada
Joined: November 02, 2008
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Posted: Tuesday, December 21, 2010 - 09:51 AM UTC
Like many softskins used in great numbers, it's great to see it finally in styrene form! So many conversion possibilities too......a very welcome release.
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