Among the latest releases in Special Hobby's CMK range is a pair of beautifully detailed 1:48 bicycles. Rowan takes a look.

The humble bicycle may not leap immediately to mind as an important weapon of war, but thousands have been used by the military forces of all nations from the beginning of the C20th onwards, and they played a crucial role during WW2 as a means of getting around the dispersed aircraft and facilities on airfields. 

Special Hobby have released a pair of superbly detailed 1:48 3D-printed generic men's bicycles in their CMK range of accessories and upgrades that will be ideal for aircraft dioramas and vignettes to add an element of scale and extra interest.

The bicycles arrive in a bubble pack with a card backing to protect them in transit and are further shielded from harm by a tough "cage" that's printed around them. Once that's cut away you can really see just how impressive the delicate details are. Each bicycle is printed as a single piece with no assembly required, and the level of detail on items like the springs and drive chains is quite amazing. Whilst photoetched spokes have been available for a long time, these 3D-printed ones simply in a different league and the result is hugely impressive. One of the bicycles has its front wheel turned to add extra "life" to it.

Each bicycle is printed with a web of supporting strands, and it will require the utmost care to remove them safely. I'll use an RB Productions Pico Saw to work through the tiny attachments gently and avoid overstressing the parts. I'd recommend planning the actual order in which you'll remove the supports equally carefully, because I think you might be able to leave a couple in place temporarily to hold the delicate bicycles while you paint them.

The set comes with a simple set of generic instructions for working with 3D-printed parts along with suggested colours. Obviously, these will vary with whichever armed forces the bikes are depicted as being used by - and if they're civilian ones, then any likely period-correct colours will do.

Conclusion

CMK's 3D-printed bicycles are absolute gems, and they're a perfect example of how the technology is beginning to revolutionise our hobby with levels of detail that we could only have dreamed of previously. 

Set #P48022 is available now from Special Hobby - Price: 14.70 Euros

Many thanks to Special Hobby for the review sample.

Please remember, when contacting retailers or manufacturers, to mention that you saw their products highlighted here - on AEROSCALE

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