Tamiya- 1/35 French Light Tank H39

For the First Look at this kit- head here:  https://www.amps-armor.org/SiteReviews/ShowReview.aspx?id=15399

Kit Construction

As is the norm for Tamiya kits these days, we start with the lower hull tub. It is a five piece affair with the two sides attaching to the bottom piece and a partition for the inside- and the front and rear attached in the next step. Alignment is a snap and everything went together with no issues. Differential covers, sprockets, return rollers are next- with one roller on each side keyed to fit the top track length to. Bogie assemblies are next- it is an 8 piece assembly but everything fits extremely well. The front set of bogies are dependent on which of the two versions you are building- the German or French version. Idler wheels are also dependent on the version- with solid ones for the French and spoked ones for the German. I apologize for the lack of unpainted photos- but I was on a roll with the build and neglected to take some...but if you wish for those, I recommend checking out Rob Riviezzo's buildup of this tank in a recent Modeling Insanity TV episode on YouTube.

Next up are the tracks-- link and length ones which were absolutely a delight to assemble. Once these were done, the fenders were attached after drilling some holes for the tools in later steps. 

Next up is the one piece upper hull- with hatches and shackles added. Fender ends and pioneer tools are next. The jack and base, exhaust, siren, and driver's hatch are also attached here. Pay attention to the directions for steps 14 and 15 as the antenna base is only added to the German tank and the engine cover is also dependent on which version you build. Step 17-18 assembles the trench tail and associated bits- this was a little tricky to attach to the tank so take your time to align it correctly. The kit includes a length of chain to use for towing. They are finicky to install on the eye hooks.

Step 21-25 has you build the gun assembly and turret. Once all the bits are attached- it is once again time to check on which version you are building- the cupolas are very much different between the two versions. A dome-shaped cupola for the French and a hatched flattened version for the Germans. If building the German version, you would also add the Wehrmacht half figure to the turret if you wish. The French version has a full figure to pose on or alongside.

 Painting and Finishing

Obviously I chose the French version-- using AMMO paints for the two-tone camouflage scheme. Decals went down well despite the complex shape of the turrent with all the hatches and bumps. Weathering was done by dot filtering with AMMO Oilbrushers. I added Mig pigments to the wheels and lower hull and set them with Tamiya thinner. My figure painting needs work- but I gave it the old college try. The figure itself is nicely detailed and fits perfectly.

Conclusion

No joke- the new releases by Tamiya are extremely enjoyable builds. No fit issues whatsoever- and the link and length tracks went together flawlessly. This is a really neat kit and fits into a unique niche of early war tanks. The options to build the French or German versions complete with all needed components make this one a stellar choice if early war armor interests you.

Highly Recommended for Beginner to Advanced builders.

Thanks goes out to Tamiya for this review kit.

Reviewed by Michael Reeves

If you liked this review, consider joining AMPS. Your annual membership
includes digital and two physical copies of AMPS's magazine, Boresight,
and helps to support our ongoing reviews.

Click here for more information about joining AMPS