French light tank R35 1/35 Tamiya

French R35 light tank at tamiya brand scale 1/35 reference 35373.

Model to mount and paint. Paintings and glue not included.

A specification was issued by the French Army in 1933 for a light tank with two crew members, armed with two machine guns or a small-calibre cannon. The concept was that of a contemporary FT17. It was the model submitted by Renault that was chosen. He had inherited the AMC35 'scissor' suspension using bent swing arms and horizontal rubber blocks for road wheels. The rounded body and turret were moulded and the firepower was provided by two machine guns. The armour was up to 30mm thick. On the designated R35 series model, the armament was reinforced by a 37mm short-tube SA18 gun with a coaxial machine gun. Like the armament, the maximum speed of 20km/h reached with the 82hp engine was sufficient for infantry support, suggesting that combat conditions similar to those of the 1st G.M. were envisaged. The turret-mounted captain was in charge of the shooting, observation, communications and instructions to the driver. The first R35s were delivered in June 1936, and 1,070 were in staffing at the beginning of the 2nd G.M. in September 1939. The defeat of France in June 1940 limited production to about 1,600 copies. The R35 was of advanced design, including the use of molded metal, and it deserves its place in the history of the French armoured weapon.

Entirely new kit
Rounded shapes of the body and turret perfectly reproduced.
Raw texture of carefully rendered molded armour.
The captain's traps that can be presented open.
Detailed rolling gear with accurate representation of the scissor suspension of the road wheels.
Caterpillars made up of independent sections and skates made of injected plastic.
Realistic representation of the sagging (slumping) of the upper section between the return pebbles.
Headboard figure and two marking options.

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