ICM has provided this beautiful new release from the Black Hawk Range for review, in this 1/48 scale model of the UH-60A which was released earlier but this one comes with a three-man crew set. The crew set is also available as a separate kit (kt number 48130).

• 15 x grey sprues
• 1 clear sprue
• One decal sheet
• One instruction guide for the UN-60A
• One instruction sheet for the crew

The detail quality is excellent in every way with this kit; crisp and detailed molding has become the norm for the ICM kits.

I repainted all the interior parts before commencing the build.

The assembly starts at the Interior stages 01 to 26. The only item in the interior assembly I need to point out is steps 19 to 26. This is the seats assembly and it’s a little tricky and you need to take care line up the supports. I also would have preferred colored decals to 3-D ones to improve the details of the instruments.

One of the newest releases from venerable Tamiya is this wide-wheel version of the Schwimmwagen Type 166, which incorporates parts from their previous release (kit 224) back in 1998. The new release includes new sprues C and V which include the wide-wheel parts, new figures, and new weapons. As with any Tamiya kit, the engineering is perfect, which makes this kit ideal for modelers of nearly any skill level, and it is therefore highly recommended.

Upon opening the box, you will find four sprues molded in Tamiya’s tan plastic, a separate lower body, a mesh screen, clear acetate, and decals. Also included are a ten-page instruction sheet, a Tech Tips sheet, and Background Information. The Background Information includes Development, Design, and Production and Deployment information as well as a line drawing for nomenclature and Painting instructions with color drawings for an all yellow and a yellow, green, and brown vehicle.

I’ve built several jet fighter kits in this scale in the past year. They don’t seem to get much love and turn up in model club swap nights, usually for free. Granted, the size of these models can challenge the eyesight of us mature folks. However, I’ve found that if you’re careful with assembly, these 1/44 kits can build up into nice mini representations of the real thing.

The MICV-65 (Mechanized Infantry Combat Vehicle) was a project conducted by the United States Army seeking an armored personnel carrier vehicle to replace the M113, built by the FMC Corporation (Ford Machinery & Chemical Corporation). FMC was awarded to design and build the MICV and designated XM734. The XM734 utilized the M113 as basic platform, armed with a turret manned by a single crew firing a 20mm cannon. The newly designed vehicle was re-designated the AIFV (Armored Infantry Fighting Vehicle), but the United States showed no interest in the vehicle; however, the Dutch government showed interest and placed orders in 1975. Further modifications were made and the vehicle was redesignated YPR-765 (Pantser Rups Infanterie 765). The YPR-765 PRI.50 is a lightened version, debuting in 1976, that replaced the 25mm cannon with the commander’s position and .50 caliber M2 heavy machine gun. It also allowed for a crew of three and seven fully equipped soldiers.

Box Art / Packaging

The Avenger is presented in a rigid top opening box with glossy finish, the box art depicts the Avenger air defense system deployed in the field.

This 100% newly tooled kit is a brand new 2026 release from AFV Club.

The box contains a normal instruction booklet with clear construction steps, instructions were easy to follow and no glaring omissions were noticed.

Also included is a glossy poster of the box art for those who like to save these, no need to save the box lid! The manual also includes paint schemes for 6 different variants.

Vehicle Background

The AN/TWQ-1 Avenger Air Defense System is an American self-propelled surface-to-air missile system that provides mobile, short-range air defense protection for ground units against cruise missiles, unmanned aerial vehicles, low-flying fixed-wing aircraft, and helicopters.