The DF-41 (DongFeng 41) ICBM (Intercontinental Ballistic Missile) is a brand new kit from HobbyBoss released in 2024. The Box art is typical HobbyBoss and is presented in a rigid top opener with well packed materials inside.

Lots of care and attention has been paid to protecting the contents and all items are fit snug into the box. The kit also contains some Color brochures depicting this particular kit and a brochure for the new HB kit U-2S ‘Dragon Lady’ due for release in May of 2024.

The Kit

The kit is comprised of multiple sprues, including around 11 plastic sprues, 1 clear parts, a copper tube for use in the missile elevation riser, a fret of PE, rubber tires and a decal sheet.

Instructions call for 21 steps in construction, step 1 mostly being the construction of the chassis and drivetrain along with the chassis support stiffeners.

Steps 2-7 are sub-assemblies for the wheel hubs, 16 in total are required 8 for each side.

ICM has an expansive line of these acrylic sets and I was anxious to try them out. To see how they apply and what sheen they have as they dry, I pulled out a Saber-Tooth Tiger to paint for my son’s D&D games. Getting started I applied a dab of paint to a strip of white Styrene to determine how the colors would dry. Everything matched the color swatch on the box except the light flesh. It was definitely lighter than the swatch. For the tiger, I darkened it up with the deep brown for several layers. I also struggled to create pink. Originally given the pig on the box, I thought this would be possible. However, I couldn’t get this color with the orange. I intended to use it for the inside of the tiger’s jaws. Doing a figure gave me the opportunity to try a few different styles of paint application. Straight out of the bottle the paint fills the brush and applies smoothly. I didn't have any issues with the paint drying too quickly or globbing up along the edge of the brush strokes.

Another in ICM’s range of paint sets, this time for use with any WWII US armoured vehicles.

The set contains the following 12ml paint pots; I have listed what I believe to be their intended uses, with designations from Specification 3-1 1943:

• 1041 Buff – Sand No.306 or Earth Yellow No.305
• 1027 Gun Metal Metallic – tracks
• 1071 Camouflage Green – Light Green No.321
• 1072 US Dark Green – Olive Drab No.319
• 2005 Black Primer – Black No.10
• 1001 White – White No.11

The back of the box has a couple of drawings showing suggested uses for each colour.