Jim takes a look at this new-tool release from Tamiya, the AMX 13 French light tank in 1/35 scale.

Link to Item

If you have comments or questions please post them here.

Thanks!

Jim, why have you posted this in this forum?

I have moved it Matt, likely a slip of the finger during selection.

Yeah... yeah... that's my story and I am sticking with it.

Thanks,
Jim

Thanks for this review. Tamiya did a good job but could have done better. The lower hull is a miss, the hatches should be flush with the belly.
The roadwheel hub misses 6 bolts. Strangely enough Tamiya represent those bolts on the idler hub.
The way the turret dust cover is represented forbids you to build the tank without the cover.
I don't understand why Tamiya gives you the engine ventilator grille as a PE part and not the other grilles. The good point here is the nicely represented ventilator.
The suspension looks good and the hull sides has the appropriate details. The tracks are accurate with the guide horns offset. But the spare track links are less detailed and the bracket is wrong.
Concerning the decals, the bridge class discs should be the same diameter and one Duroc decal is missing. The names were painted on the both sides of the turret.
All in all, it is a very good rendition of a late AMX 13/75 tank.

Olivier

The last 5 new tool 1/35 releases by them had clear parts where appropriate, why did they choose to go back to opaques?

Thanks for the pointers Olivier. This will be useful when I get and build this kit.

Cheers,

Christophe

THIS LIGHT FRENCH TANK AMX-13 IS THE TANK WAS BEFORE OF THE AMX-10RCR.