Tamiya 1/35 British 25Lb Gun & Quad

Tamiya's 1/35 scale 25-pdr Field Gun and Quad Gun Tractor are still the gold standard for models of these two pieces of military hardware. As far as I've been able to determine, both the gun and the tractor are faithful to the actual dimensions of the originals. The 25-pounder and limber themselves make for an excellent stand-alone model, with or without gun crew figures. (This particular kit does not come with a gun crew.) Add the Quad tractor into the mix and you have a visual representation of the backbone of the British Army's field artillery in the Second World War. The molding is clean and crisp, with absolutely no flash, and the rendering of fine detail is outstanding. The fit is uniformly excellent in both the gun and limber, and in the tractor as well. Kit engineering -- how the pieces go together, and how well they go together -- has long been one of Tamiya's strong suits. The kit isn't perfect, there are a few places where some cleanup is necessary -- on the leaf springs for the tractor the molding lines are rather pronounced and require some careful sanding and filing to be removed; in other places on the two models, there are also visible molding lines that need to be cleaned up, (the tyres, for example -- and yes, that's how the British spell "tires") but it's always a very simple and straightforward process. There are some folks who carp about having to do this, but I come from the old school of scale modeling that expects such detail work will have to be done -- it's part of the fun of turning out a quality finished model. Hey, if all you want to do is slap parts together, go buy some Legos!Painting can be tedious and time-consuming, especially on the 25-pdr, as there are a lot of fiddly bits -- beautifully molded fiddly bits! (Did I mention that this is a model kit that requires assembly and painting? If that's not your cup of tea, see my suggestion above regarding Legos.) Then again, that has always been one of the best parts of model building -- the painting and weathering. The tractor's engine -- the venerable Ford Flathead V8 -- is a little gem that just begs for some wires and hoses to add an extra dimension of detail. The interior of the tractor is a bit sparse on the detailing, but there is a wealth of photographic material to be found on the web should someone want to go to town detailing the interior. Since the doors of the tractor can positioned opened or closed, should you choose to build yours in the open position, I would recommend taking the time to add the additional detail.Given that most 1/35 scale armor and vehicle kits are priced between $40 and $55, and heading northward even as I'm typing, at less than 2/3 of the cost, this model is an incredible value for the money. It's fun to build -- at absolutely no point did I find myself frustrated or unable to understand the instructions -- and it looks good sitting on your display shelf. Highly recommended.

Great Kit, fast shipping

Just another Tamiya kit to add to my collection. Excellent quality, details and scale.

Great fun putting it all together and such.. Postage was slow but want do you expect when you go cheap, lol

Great price and the kit was well packed. It was shipped quickly and beat the stated delivery date. I am very satisfied with this seller.

Went together with great alignment

Arrived quickly. Old kit but is going to be a fun build.

Great model, I never got to build as a kid.Looking forward to the build