ICM 1:32 DH.82A Tiger Moth World Air Forces

[rverissimo]

ICM 1:32 DH.82A Tiger Moth World Air Forces

Ref.32019

 

Introduction

The de Havilland DH.82A Tiger Moth was a training biplane developed in the United Kingdom in the early 1930s. It entered service with the Royal Air Force as the primary basic trainer, preparing thousands of pilots during the Second World War. Robust, simple, and reliable, it saw extensive use by air forces around the world and was produced under licence in several countries. Its balanced performance and predictable flying characteristics made it ideal for basic instruction. Even today, it remains in use, having passed into civilian hands where it continues to fly.

This offering from ICM, available since 2020, has seen several iterations, with this latest version featuring eye-catching markings representing a range of international air forces.

What’s in the box!

Inside the sturdy cardboard box, you’ll find:

• 1 decal sheet
• 1 instruction booklet
• A clear bag containing 4 grey sprues
• A small sprue with the windscreens

Altogether, there are 93 parts included.

Sprues display

Sprue A

This sprue provides the fuselage halves and the upper halves of both wings. These components feature moulded detail representing the aircraft’s internal structure, subtly evoking the doped fabric stretched over its wooden frame — a delicate effect that’s nicely captured.

The rudder and horizontal stabilisers are each supplied as single-piece mouldings. The engine comes in two halves and offers a fair level of detail, although there’s certainly room for enhancement with the addition of ignition wiring and fuel lines.

The fuel tank, located atop the upper wing, is finely rendered with convincing scale detail.

General layout and detail for the Sprue A

Sprue B

This sprue contains the upper wing. The top half is moulded as a single piece, while the lower sub-wings are supplied separately (found on Sprue A).

Sprue C

This sprue includes the upper half of the lower wing structure and the cockpit floor, both moulded as a single piece. The ailerons are provided as separate parts, as are the lower halves of each wing.

Sprue D

This sprue contains several interior components of the model:

• The instrument panels (front and rear) feature appropriate detailing, fitting for the simplicity of the real aircraft 😉.
• The propeller is moulded as a single piece, including both the blades and the hub.
• The upper wing struts (spars) are also supplied as individual pieces, offering solid detail and requiring minimal cleanup.
• The oil tank is well rendered, with nicely reproduced fastening bolt details.

 Additional note
There’s a small part, D4, that deserves special mention for the crucial function it represents : mounted to the spar of the left wing, it’s the aircraft’s airspeed indicator. This clever mechanism uses a calibrated spring to actuate a pointer, displaying the aircraft’s speed in knots!

General layout view of sprue D

 

Sprue E

This small clear sprue provides the two windscreens, each moulded as a single-piece component in transparent, distortion-free plastic. The moulded metal frame detailing is sharply defined, making the masking process for painting significantly easier.

 

Instructions

The instruction booklet is A4 in size and consists of 20 pages, The first page presents the colour guide, all fo the ICM colour range, next we have parts layout and a step-by-step assembly with clear, easy-to-follow drawings. At the end, there's a small template for masking the windscreens, along with a helpful view of the completed model with all rigging applied.

A special mention must go to the detailed and clearly illustrated rigging diagram included in the build process, which also provides the exact lengths required for each line. Even for those without prior experience in the art of rigging, like myself, the guide makes it far easier to plan and approach the task 😊

Marking Options

The kit includes five vibrant and distinctive colour schemes representing Tiger Moths from various international air forces:

1. DH.82A Tiger Moth (Sk 11), Swedish Air Force, 1935

2. DH.82A Tiger Moth, Portuguese Air Force, 1939 

 

3. DH.82A Tiger Moth, Vichy French Air Force, 1941

4. DH.82A Tiger Moth, 353rd Fighter Group, US Army Air Forces (USAAF), 1943

5. DH.82A Tiger Moth, Belgian Air Force, 1945

 

Decals

The decal sheet provided includes markings for the five available versions as well as service stencils. The decals are well printed, with good colour definition and sharp detailing.

Note: With all due respect to the various versions and their nationalities, the Portuguese Air Force scheme is, of course, the one that stands out most to me. I exchanged thoughts with a few fellow modellers, who confirmed that several historical details from the period — such as the tail markings featuring the armillary sphere — are accurately represented and rendered in the correct colours.

Conclusion

This is yet another reissue of a tried-and-tested kit.

Despite the scale — which often implies added complexity — that’s not the case here. Much like the real aircraft, this 1:32 scale kit is characterised by its straightforward construction, making it well suited to both experienced modellers and newcomers alike.

My only specific note goes to the rigging wiring: in my view, it's presented very clearly and isn’t at all intimidating, even for those with limited experience in this aspect of building.

The marking options are bold, refreshing, and far from the ordinary — guaranteed to make each finished model stand out visually.

All in all, it's a kit I can recommend for its simplicity, low complexity, and distinctive selection of liveries.

Thanks to ICM for the model for review

Ricardo Verissimo

 

 

[Fran]

Great review! Thanks!

[HubertB]

On 6/30/2025 at 8:42 AM, Fran said:

Great review! Thanks!

+1 ! And good to see something else than RAF schemes.

That Swedish one is striking (although I am well placed to understand the attraction of the Portuguese version  )

Hubert

[rverissimo]

1 hour ago, HubertB said:

+1 ! And good to see something else than RAF schemes.

That Swedish one is striking (although I am well placed to understand the attraction of the Portuguese version  )

Hubert

Hi !  all decorations options are very interesting, colorful and unique!  but of course the Portuguese Bird  sits on the top of the preferences...

now i just need to finish ALL my pending projects and sort out all the confusion that has taken over my workbench for some time now!!

 

Ricardo Veríssimo

[rverissimo]

On 6/30/2025 at 8:42 AM, Fran said:

Great review! Thanks!

Thanks ! a very original subject !