I've got the most recent boxing of this kit in German markings, PzKpfw 35-H (81132). I know that Heller originally marketed this in French colors. Does anyone have the instructions of markings for the French version?

I know the stiff tracks need to be replaced and have picked up the Link Model Workshop (LM-001) individual tracks. I've also got the On The Mark trench skid for this kit (TMP-3522).

Are their any other aftermarket items for this kit?

I did a cursory search for Eduard items and only came up with the S-35 PE set. I also looked through Great Models cross reference search and only came up with aftermarket tracks.

Hi Rob

Maybe this could help you a little for your "French tank" project :
http://www.chars-francais.net/archives/hotchkiss_h35.htm
There's even an article about the building of the Heller kit (....in French ) -just click on "La maquette" . I think that there's not a lot of aftermarket stuff for our WW2 tanks (apart from some track sets -Modelkasten has released 2 sets for the H35) .....
Blast Models has recently re-released a decal sheet for French 1939-1940 AFVs that may be worth a look (#BL35010D) but it's a "limited edition" !

Frenchy

Thanks Frenchy.... I spent about two hours there, and I don't read French....... :-) :-) :-) :-) Got so really good pictures of unusual vehicles. Thanks, bookmarked for future reference.

Here's another useful website. In fact, most of the colour side view drawings of French AFVs that are presented there are based on black and white pictures shown on the website I mentionned in my previous post ...
http://www.profils.tk/

Frenchy

Dave, use this site to translate the site. Copy the link Frenchy gave us and place it in the "Translate a website" field on the Babelfish page. Set the language to "French to English" and It will translate the page for you.
http://babelfish.altavista.com/

BTW, what's the difference between the 35-H and the 39-H?

Here's a link for the H-39. The main differences were a more powerful engine (120 HP instead of 75 ), a new engine deck, and an improved (and longer) SA-38 37mm main gun, as efficient as the one that equipped the first Pz III series (but only the last batches of H-39s were fitted with it)....
http://www.chars-francais.net/archives/hotchkiss_h39.htm

Frenchy

Here are some more Hotchkiss bits and pieces:

On The Mark used to do a nice little PE set which had pieces for both the Heller Renault and Hotchkiss, replacing some of the less well-defined details on both models.

I'm not sure if the H-35 used the trench-crossing trail or not. I was reading an article by Steve Zaloga in Military Modelling where he built an H-39 and it seemed the tail was fitted to the H-39 only. The same article also pointed out that H-35s and H-39s had different road wheels (35 had rubber tyres, 39 all-steel wheels). The Heller kit wheels are the rubber tyred version.

Finding books on French tanks is not easy (specially if you're looking for ones in English!) Steve Zaloga's old 'Blitzkrieg' for A+AP is good, but time has altered a few of his conclusions. If you want to spend lots of money, After the Battle's 'Blitzkrieg in the West' is excellent, as there are lots of pictures of French tanks, usually identified by unit. There are also lots of German tanks, so the book has more than one use!

As for paint colours try this page:

http://www.matadormodels.co.uk/tank_museum/xcamo_ww2france.htm

The link in the text on that page is now defunct, and has moved here

http://france1940.free.fr/armee/colours.html

Hope you find some of this useful, the Hotchkiss is a nice little model.

BTW, there is also a GB on F.S.M :
http://www.finescale.com/fsm/community/forum/topic.asp?page=7&TOPIC_ID=29313

http://www.finescale.com/fsm/community/forum/topic.asp?page=1&TOPIC_ID=29313

Has that wonderful Panhard too. Am really impressed with that. More on it here:

http://model35.free.fr/panhard_178_bis.htm