Hotchkiss H39 French Light Tank Bronco 1/35

This is the first Bronco kit I made. It was built from June to August 2008.

It is Bronco’s light tank kit Hotchkiss H39. After the B1bis of Tamiya, this tank is the second French AFV for me.

Plastic compared considerably soft to other kits. The spring has been placed on the suspension.

The assembly of the non-movable caterpillar is complicated. It remains caterpillar parts in front of the tank. It was easy to assemble, avoiding the distorted parts in advance.
(2008/06/14)

The barrel was metal though it was such a small tank.
(2008/06/15)

The total length expands a little when I put up the rear sled, increasing the capability of over the ditch.
(2008/06/15)

I can choose a variety of markings. I decided it was a standard French army tank this time.
(2008/08/11)

This is made of a French tank crew. I carefully shaped the body with an epoxy patty to consider the next wearing uniform step. But it looks long body…..
(2008/08/18)

I dressed clothes to the French soldier figure. There might not be too detailed wrinkles because it is a leather coat. I added the hair a little and the jaw string to the helmet. It was too difficult for me to make an open hand. Even the state of the clasped hand was not easy.
(2008/08/27)

Mounted in the turret as in the photo.
(2008/08/27)

Hotchkiss H39 is the armament change version of H38, from 21 calibers 37mm to 33 calibers 37mm tank gun in 1939.

German army took over many tanks after France surrendered, Hotchkiss was remodeled to the armored artillery, etc., and the kit was released from many plastic model companies. Israeli troops used a vehicle, and that decal is also in this kit. I like the French national flag mark on the front side.

I followed the indication of the instruction paper that the body color is olive drab and the decal is a heart mark.

After I painted the rearview mirror in silver, lightly over-coated transparent epoxy putty.

As the face is good, the feeling of the leather coat quality is difficult.

The rounded form is a feature of French tanks.

The woody part painting was not as well as every time. Wirecutter is only rolling on the fender…

The exhaust tube was made reddish and gave the feeling of being burnt and rusted. I like the natural feeling of the mud on the rack of the sled.

I thought the French army could defend the country from the German army as there were many such tanks. But the German army was good at operating the mechanized units to cover the firepower weakness of their tanks.
(2008/08/31)