ICM 1:35 “Gulaschkanone” WWII Mobile Field Kitchen LKW AHN

[Fran]

 

1:35 “Gulaschkanone”

WWII Mobile Field Kitchen LKW AHN

 

 

ICM

Catalogue n.º 35415

Price tag: 40,61€

 

First of all, I would like to praise ICM's enormous work capacity for producing and launching new products onto the market at a very high rate despite being at war.

And they launch esoteric products, with enormous quality, with exquisite detail and fantastic fit, all with enormous originality.

 

That said, let’s see what we have here.

A Renautl AHN Truck. Twenty years ago, I would say this truck would never see a injection model kit… so in 2014, ICM just told otherwise and I was very pleased that they did.

 

“The Renault AHx was a range of light/medium trucks with carrying capacities from 2 to 5 tonnes manufactured by Renault between 1941 and 1947. Various versions were used in World War II by the German forces.

A Renault AHN2 at an Italian town in 1943, during World War II

Prototypes of the first AHx truck, the AHS2, were unveiled by 1939. It was aimed at replacing the similar AGC truck (which had a maximum payload of 1.5 tonnes). The truck was designed to be used by the French military on the 2.5-tonne carrying capacity group, but it was rejected. The Wehrmacht in turn ordered the production of the model, reclassifying it as a 2-tonne payload model and naming it Lastkraftwagen 2 to. The AHN (4-tonne payload) was the successor of the AGR and was produced for the Wehrmacht with the designation Lastkraftwagen 3.5 to. The heaviest AHx model, the AHR, was produced with a 5-tonne payload and, as the two other versions, was used by the Germans. The Wehrmacht was supplied with about 23,000 AHS, 4,000 AHN, and between 1,000 and 2,000 AHR.^[1]

After the war, evolutions of the AHS2 and AHN (AHS3/AHS4 and AHN2/AHN3) with 2 and 3.5 tonnes of payload respectively, were produced mainly for the civilian market. In 1947, these trucks were replaced by the Renault Galion. The AHx cabin was also the basis for a 7-tonne payload truck, the Renault 208 E1.^[2]

The AHS has a 2.38-litre inline-four petrol engine (delivering 52 metric horsepower (38 kW))^[3] while the AHN and AHR use a 4.05-litre inline-six petrol unit,^[2][4] the latter with a power output of 75 brake horsepower (56 kW).^[5] The three models had a 4-speed manual gearbox.^[2][4] Both the Renault AHS and the AHN have gasifier-equipped versions using engines similar to the petrol versions. The AHS version (AHSH) has a power output of 35 metric horsepower (26 kW) at 2,800 rpm^[3] while the AHN version (AHNH) has a power output of 52 metric horsepower (38 kW) at 2,800 rpm.^[6]

The AHx range has a cab forward layout, a design introduced by Renault in 1934 and gradually extended to all its truck lineup.^[7] The AHN has a height of 2.6 metres, a length of 6.4 metres and a width of 2.4 metres.^[5]

(historical background from Wikipédia)

 

Let`s crack the box.

 

 

This release is a compose model kit as the AHN truck was release in 2022 and since then saw several version and several boxes, even from another’s manufactures, Tamiya included.

I really liked ICM boxes as they are quite sturdy and resistant. The box art is always a very appealing one.

 

This specific truck is the AHN-2 that was release in 2022, and now ICM add a full mobile field kitchen and several kitchen items as flour bags, wood boxes, containers and buckets.

The field kitchen was best knowed as Goulash cannon (“Gulaschkanone”).

 

I never had the opportunity to look to the original release back in 2014 niether the AHN2 in 2022.

 

So, In the box you got seven plastic sprues for the AHN truck (six gray and one clear part) and three for the Goulash cannon (one for the goulash itself and two identical for the kitchen accessories.

 

Starting with the truck, I notice that the main chassis is made of several parts, which could make this build a little more difficult because everything must be proper aligned so all the rest of the model could be done in the correct stand. That should be not a problem to all but the very novice modeler.

 

 

The engine and cooling system is included which is a very nice touch and detail.

One thing that I notice is that there`s no option to turn the front wheels like the latest offers from others Brands, namely AK Interactive. I understand that this model initially is from 2014, so I think that should be in mind of ICM for their next trucks.

 

The wheels are in vinyl, which I frankly don’t like at all, because they are hard to paint and even harder to weathering. So, a resin aftermarket is most welcome here.

 

 The Cabin is very simple as it should be.

 

 

 

At this time, as seeing this plastic and wondering if all this fit together well, I decided to start gluing the cabin…

 

I must say: It’s a gem! All is very simple to remove from the spure, easy and fits very very well and the plastic is quite good to work with.

 

The rear bed details are of very high standard.

 

 

 

The skeletal frame of a canvas support could not be very easy to assemble but with care and patience and seeing how the cabin construction went, I think that would quite smooth.

 

Finally, the clear parts. They are perfectly clear with no distortions whatsoever and no risks. They come in their own bag.

 

Moving to the Goulash cannon, the assembly steps are an incredible 17 steps (I thought that could be lot less).

 

 

As for the accessories, you got 4 flour bags, 10 canisters, 2 crates2 buckets and 2 jerry cans with great detail.

 

 

As for markings, there are only two options: Wehrmacht gray and Afrika Korps after 1934 (dark yellow).

 

 

The decals sheets covers AHN markings and all the accessories

The decal sheet is made in house by ICM.

The only negative aspect that I can make of this sheet is that their no swastikas… the swastikas is substitutes by 3 lines… It´s no accurate and I really don’t like to “hide” the past”… But I understand the circumstances of today in Ukraine!

 

The instructions is a booklet with good drawings, simple to follow and see where all parts goes. I will repeat my self on this. The first 3 pages and the last 3 pages are in satin paper. It`s usually like this (is the same in the Beaufort and the He-111) and I don’t understand why and I don’t see any reason for that.

 

 

 

 

Now the thing I dislike the most: The colour indication.

So all the colour indication are ICM references. There`s not much color indication (could be better) and the ones that are, are ICM colour… ICM wants to have everything and I understand that and now having a wild range of paints I also understand that they want to promote their paints. Still I would prefer to have more colour indications.

 

Conclusion:

Suming up, it`s a fantastic kit right from the box.

 

You can get a really nice model straight from the box with the well-known high current ICM quality, even without any extra aftermarket parts (resin or PE).

The lowdown, at least until a massification sales worldwide, is the colour indication, with only ICM colour, each are new and, for example, I never see how they work and how easy its to work with them.

It`s 9,3 out of 10.

A great kit with very good detail OOB. Downside: the colors indication.

 

My sincere thanks to ICM for making this model.