Bronco Models has released a new 35th scale British Cruiser Tank in several marks - Mk.II/IIA/IIA CS (A10 Mk.I/1A/1A CS) – Clayton has got his out and is painting & weathering it already – but first he stopped off to show how it goes together in his Build Guide...
Build Guide: British Cruiser Tank Mk.II/IIA/IIA CS (A10 Mk.I/1A/1A CS),
Bronco Models
Kit #CB-35150
1:35th scale
New tooled kit
Plastic injection parts including transparent parts
Photo etch parts included
Price: 5,100yen/ 44.97USD at 1999.co.jp
Product Link on the Bronco Models Website
InBoxed: Claytons shows us his Cruiser from Bronco Models
Today: Clayton's build guide off the Bronco Cruiser in 35th scale
Step 1 sees the construction of the running gear. The construction is uncomplicated. There is a bit of play in part A15 which will determine how the wheels will sit on the ground, so hopefully, this won’t come back to haunt me in later stages. There were some gaps in the underside of the parts that would probably need to be filled if you were that way inclined, but I am going to turn a blind eye to it as the underside will never see the light of day in my display case.
Today: Clayton's build guide off the Bronco Cruiser in 35th scale
Step 1 sees the construction of the running gear. The construction is uncomplicated. There is a bit of play in part A15 which will determine how the wheels will sit on the ground, so hopefully, this won’t come back to haunt me in later stages. There were some gaps in the underside of the parts that would probably need to be filled if you were that way inclined, but I am going to turn a blind eye to it as the underside will never see the light of day in my display case.
Step 2 is fitting the running gear to the lower side of the tank body. Some folding is required as the PE fret comes into play to produce the brackets that hold the bogies to the tank. They do add a nice, fine touch to the model. There are a few angles on this PE, so a folding tool would be really handy at this point.
Steps 3 and 4 continue to see the gear being fitted, with Step 5 being the link and length tracks being attached to the kit. In these pictures, you see the gear all attached and set in place. I wanted to paint the underside of the model before fitting the tracks and the fenders, so this is about as far as the running gear would go at this point. Hence, I would come back to step 6 after the painting had taken place.
Step 7, and work begins on the top side of the model. Most of these schemes will require a fair amount of masking, so I made the decision to leave most of the finer parts off prior to painting the base colours. Adding them later will protect them and ensure they don’t get lost in the masking and handling process.
The driver and gunner's hatches as provided in a single piece, so without some scratch building, that is the way they will stay. That said, there is no interior detail, so opening these hatches will open up a can of worms, so I decided to leave them alone and move on.
Step 8 continues with the right side of the tank, and sees the exhaust come together. The fine moulding of the pipe is of particular note, and the PE heat shroud is a really nice touch.
Most of the steps in 9, 10 and 11 were skipped as they saw a lot of the finer parts added. As mentioned, I will fix these to the model after the masking steps have been completed. The top and bottom side are connected at this point however.
It is at this point you need to make a decision on which scheme you will be choosing, as that will determine with parts you will be using for the gun barrel. I have chosen to do the Caunter scheme shown in option 7, so will be building the Mk.1A CS – straight to step 14.
14to 18 at the turret assembly – all very straight forward and everything aligned well. Again, the fine parts and PE will be added at a later date once the masking has been removed.
Take note of the beautiful moulding and the rifling in the barrel. This is really a top shelf effort and really makes a big difference to this kit. Even the barrel of the machine gun will not require to be drilled out. This is a really top shelf effort from Bronco.
With most of the elements complete, the turret if loosely fitted to the body and is prepared for the primer. The underside and wheels will be painted before the side rails and tracks are fitted.
I had the opportunity to try the new ‘One Shot Primer’ from Ammo. As you can see, it was a really quick job, but I was mainly focusing on the PE parts and the surrounding areas. I would usually use the Alclad range of primers, but and always uncomfortable with the odour and toxic nature of the paint. This One Shot Primer seems to be the ideal solution to the problem. It sprayed really well, straight from the bottle, and has covered the parts nicely. It was easy to clean and will now be a part of my painting routine. Really nice product – highly recommended.
Conclusion
This is a really simple, but really enjoyable build. The subject isn’t going to appeal to everyone, but I have no doubt that is fills a void in the market and will be welcomed by anyone mildly interested in WW2 British armour. The moulding and detail in the kit is outstanding and is a real credit to Bronco Models. Don’t let the low part count fool you. This makes into a lovely little model. Simple engineering, but lovely detail. Granted, the link and length tracks mean you can only model the model in the flat position, but if that really bothered you, then get yourself a set of aftermarket tracks and knock yourself out.
I’m more than happy with the simplified build provided by this kit. It makes it quicker to get to these beautiful paint schemes. On that, the 7, unique schemes is a real highlight of this model. There is surely a scheme to keep everyone happy.
So, in case I hadn’t been clear enough. I really love this kit, it is a credit to the Bronco Model Company. I can’t wait to get some paint on it. Stay tuned.
Clayton Ockerby
Thanks to Bronco Models for sending this kit to me to review & to build...
