Kit: No. 35274
Scale: 1/35
Manufacturer: Tamiya, distributed by Tamiya America, 2 Orion, Aliso Viejo, CA 92656-4200, 800-826-4922, www.tamiyausa.com
Price: $54
Comments: Injection-molded, 397 parts (25 vinyl), decals
Pros: Excellent fit
Cons: Hull isn’t blanked off over tracks

In the early 1990s, the British government requested an updated version of the Challenger Main Battle Tank. The upgrade has more than 150 changes from the Challenger 1.The Challenger 2 entered service with the British Army in 1998 and 386 have been built. The tank has served in Bosnia and Kosovo and was extensively deployed by the British for Operation Iraqi Freedom. In the desert, the Challenger 2 uses special air filters to increase its reliability and is often seen with canvas skirts to reduce dust clouds. Bolt-on reactive armor and composite armor are also often added.

Much like the British Army, Tamiya has updated its Challenger 1 to Challenger 2 standards. Only a handful of parts can be traced to the decade-old Challenger 1 kit, and several of those aren’t used. For all intents and purposes, this is a brand-new kit. The kit is molded in tan plastic and features excellent detail. There are many clear parts for the sensors, vision blocks, and lenses. A sheet of white plastic is provided to make the thermal IFF devices for the turret. The one-piece vinyl tracks are well molded and easy to install. Two figures are provided. The 16-page instruction booklet features excellent assembly diagrams and an extensive painting and markings guide. Decals are provided for three vehicles.

Assembly begins with the chassis. I left off the wheels and tracks to make painting easier. Though the instructions tell you to install the wheels on the suspension arms before attaching them to the hull, I installed them on the chassis without the wheels and had no problem later with alignment. Though I assembled the side-armor pieces, I left them off until main painting was complete, so I could install the tracks and wheels. I did install the side supports, but in hindsight, I should have left them off until final assembly. Hull assembly is simple, but make sure you install the lens in the driver’s vision port before you attach the upper and lower hull halves. The only negative thing I could find about this kit is that the hull isn’t blanked off above the tracks. Once the side armor is added, however, this will never be noticed.

The turret goes together just as easily as the hull does. Don’t forget to install all of the lenses. A flexible vinyl piece covers the gap between the turret top and the gun mantlet. I painted the model with Testor Acryl British gulf armor light stone. To set off the dust skirts I mixed some Tamiya buff with desert yellow. This gives them a slightly different shade to help indicate they are made of canvas.

I was impressed with the large number of stencil decals supplied in the kit – unusual for an armor model. I like to use Solvaset on Tamiya decals as it really snuggles them down, but the faint of heart will find Micro Sol works just as well.

The finished model matches perfectly with the dimensions I found on the Internet at www. armedforces.co.uk/army/listings/10023.html. I spent about 21 hours building my Challenger, average for a kit of this type. Any modeler with some experience should be able to handle this kit. Tamiya has produced another kit featuring excellent detail and fit. This kit was a real pleasure to build and will make an excellent addition to any modern armor collection.

– John Plzak