Takom’s triple
treat release of Mk 5, 10 & 11 Chieftain tanks in 35th scale
is upon us – and we have already seen two of these built up here on TMN. Today
Paul Lee looks at the kit he is building – the Mk.11 – before he starts cutting
plastic….
Build
review Overview: Chieftain Mk.11 (Pt.II)
Manufacturer: Takom
Scale: 1:35
Type: Multimedia kit
Price: ¥7,470/ USD
$62.22/ €55.56 from Hobbylink
Japan
Available from Takom distributors worldwide
The Chieftain Mk.11 represents the final version of the
Chieftain tank that was used by the British army before it was replaced by the
Challenger. The Mk.10 saw the introduction of the Stillbrew armour which changed
the shape of the front of the turret, while the Mk.11 saw the introduction of
the Thermal Observation and Gunnery System (TOGS) as well which replaced the
characteristic large infra red search light on the left hand side of the
turret.
So finally after a thirty year wait since the Tamiya
release, was the wait really worth it? For those of you that are regular
readers of The Modelling News, I'm sure you've already read Andy and Clayton's
reviews of the Mk.5 and Mk.10 and their glowing reviews of the earlier
Chieftains, and without ruining the ending of my review, my experiences of this
kit are just as good as what they've already written.
As per usual, construction starts with the lower hull and
suspension. Takom have simplified the suspension so that the model can only be
placed on a flat surface, but the upside to this is that in a very short amount
of time, this is what will be sitting on your bench. Be aware that each of the
suspension units is slightly different so keep track of which is which and
attach them to the hull accordingly.
The wheels are easy enough to assemble, piece A8 provides
some sidewall detail on the inside of the wheel, but the instructions are not
very clear on which way it should be inserted into the tyre so some guesswork
is required.
The tracks come in individual links with separate track
pads. Fit of the links is good and the instructions call for 97 links per side,
however I found that both sides were about two links short. However, the upper
run of the tracks will be practically invisible once the sideskirts are
attached so you needn't worry too much about this are. You could even leave
most of the run off if you really want to..... I also chose to leave the track
pads off and will paint them on the sprue first and attach them once I've
sprayed on the base colour of the tracks.
The rear hull is next and is a cinch to put together. Dry
fitting with the upper hull is key here to make sure the rear hull plate is
properly aligned to the hull.
Moving onto the upper hull, there are some details that need
to be removed from around the drivers hatch, but there is no real need to be
too careful since the area will be covered by the segments of additional armour.
The headlight guards are a little fiddly to put together,
but the fit is perfect and fine enough to keep in plastic so no need for metal
replacement here.
The storage boxes on the hull are multi-part affairs but the
fit is perfect and only requires minimal clean up after you remove the parts
from the sprue, and feature some very nice ribbing detail. Once again, in very
short time you will find this sitting on your bench.
The turret comes next and this is where most of the
differences between the three versions occur. I thought the Stillbrew armour
would come as an add on to the original turret but Takom has chosen to mould it
in place so no complaints as it means less work for me. Piece B17 is the left
rear quarter of the turret side and this was probably the biggest fit problem I
had with the kit, but it was easily remedied with a bit of sanding.
The turret baskets are a combination of plastic and etch,
and like the headlight guards, very fiddly to put together, but the fit is
excellent and the etch fits almost perfectly. A jig for TP17 would have been
nice to help with bending because there is no guide on where to bend it to fit
in the sides of the basket.
The main gun is moulded in halves and very nicely detailed,
although I had some clamping issues which resulted in a step in the barrell as
well as some gaps but I think this was a result of the clamping issues rather
than the kit as the dry fit did not show these gaps at all.
They muzzle is moulded separately and also in halves, but
completely smooth on the inside and probably would probably benefit from some
rifling detail on the inside.
The gun sleeve is provided in a soft vinyl and comes with
the barell of the ranging machine gun moulded in place, however my one was a
little damaged and half sheared off. I ended up removing it and replaced it
with a small length of aluminium tubing which I think looks better anyway.
The TOGS sight is the biggest difference between the Mk.11
and other Mk's of the Chieftain, and I was surprised to have some issues
fitting the clear part M2 into the TOGS assembly. I ended removing a small
plastic notch from piece B22, and also the lower lip of M2 to get a good fit in
the whole assembly. The door to the TOGS is moulded separately, but the
instructions do not say anything about having it open. The moulding of the
hinges will allow you to have the door open.
There is a cover which is placed over the TOGS and side of
the turret which has some very fine detail, although careful sanding is
required so you do not end up destroying it.
General fit of the turret is good so this is what you get
when all the sub-assemblies come together.
Now all that is left is to put the turret on and voila! Your
Chieftain is completed.
Looking at the finished model, I can honestly say that this
is a gem of a kit and an absolute joy to put together. For me, this kit strikes
that perfect balance between simplicity and detail without being ove-engineered
and can be put together in a fairly short amount of time, which allows you to
go to the next step and really bring this tank to life. On to the paint!
Paul Lee
Thanks to Takom for sending us this kit to review & build – check their website for full details on the rest of their kits…
