This time I want to show you a kit that I built quite quickly, compared to others I did before.
It's Finemolds' Type 2 "Ho-I" support tank, 1/35:
The tank:
It was a tank conceived for infantry support and, eventually, for the destruction of fortified positions. It was armed with a 75mm shell, placed in a closed turret. The chassis chosen to place the weapon was the Type 97 "ShinHoTo Chi-Ha" tank. Only 31 vehicles were built between 1942 and 1944 at the Mitsubishi factory in Tokyo. They were stationed on the Japanese islands pending the Allied invasion, so they were never used in combat.
The kit:
It's the first time a kit of this brand falls into my hands. The cutting is not excessive, the detailing is very correct and the fitting of the pieces is at the level of the Tamiya kits. Construction and painting instructions are very clear. Finemolds kits seem to have these features, as you can also get the self-propelled Type 4 "Ho-Ro" shells and have the same benefits as the "Ho-I".
The only thing I saw in the construction that might have any drawbacks is the placement of the caterpillars. They are very tense, even though they are a fairly flexible rubber. To avoid breakage, at least in the immediate future, I placed a small metal clip at each junction of the crawler ends. Fortunately, the Ho-Ro offers two caterpillar options: rubber and plastic by segments.
It is a kit that is built quickly, and doesn't have many paint options. The scheme is the classic tricolor of the last stages of the war: khaki and camo base with dark brown and green, with "soft" edges since at the end of the war the tanks were painted with a gun. The following was placed on the base camo: washed with various shades of ochre, earth-coloured pigments and powder and washed with graphite and brush. As it was never used in combat, I decided not to make a tank too "punished" by use.
I hope you like it and any comments are welcome.
See you next time!
