Academy surprised the modeling world with its PzKpfw 35(t). A CMK kit from the 1990s had been the only choice until now.
The 35(t, for Tchechoslowakisch) was Czechoslovakia’s main battle tank when Germany invaded in 1939. Although it was an advanced design for its time, with suitable agility, armor, and firepower, it proved mechanically unreliable, with a troublesome pneumatic transmission.
Academy’s crisp, dark gray plastic molding features accurate surface detail and good fits: The only filler I needed was where I got carried away with cleaning up some sprue attachments. There were many knockout and sink marks to fill, but most were easily accessible. Both of the machine guns and the main gun are molded with open barrels.
The directions have large, clear pictures with detail colors pointed out along the way. The markings guide shows two tanks from the 6th Panzer Division, one for invading France and the other for invading the Soviet Union. Choose your vehicle before you start. If you choose the Eastern Front vehicle, drill several holes for extra fuel-can racks before adding the upper hull panels.
The lower hull is multipiece, but fit and alignment are good. I built the entire hull before adding the suspension. Make sure to drill the holes in the lower hull sides (parts A1 and A2) for the spare wheels before gluing on the upper hull.
I left the road wheels off for painting and snapped them into place later. The link-and-length tracks’ upper run shows the sag seen in wartime pictures. There are no extra links provided, so be careful not to break or lose any.
Instructions do not mention the antenna shown on the box top. It should be glued to Part E10. There is no inner detail on the driver’s hatches, so you will need to add your own if you want to leave one open. The jack block, which sits on top of two gas cans on the rear fender, needs additional detail, too. The nylon string supplied for the tow rope is too thick for the kit-supplied plastic ends.
The turret is a simple, one-step affair, but the gun is a disappointment. Several companies already have replacement barrels, and these could really improve the model. Make sure the vision blocks (B15) sit correctly in the turret roof or parts B13 won’t fit. Inserting a figure in an open hatch will block any view of the featureless interior.
One full and one half figure are included; fit of the torso and legs on the full figure is poor. Four heads with different expressions are provided for the two figures. The faces are crisply molded, but the nose on one is deformed. The commander figure stood too high, so I removed the footrest from the turret.
Being an early-war tank, there is only one color option for this tank in German service: panzer gray. I primed with Vallejo German panzer gray primer and used AK Interactive’s German gray modulation set to vary the finish. Then I weathered with washes and a warm filter for panzer gray made by Mig. I painted details, including the figures, with Vallejo and Humbrol paints.
The decals were thick, and I had trouble getting the balkenkreuz to settle into the rivet detail; none of the setting solutions I used worked. The divisional markings were transparent, allowing the panzer gray underneath to bleed through, and the decals silvered somewhat, though I applied them over a gloss coat. Aftermarket sources would provide better decals, and you might be able to find some markings for the Polish campaign.
Compared with plans in Nuts & Bolts Vol. 11 Panzerkampfwagen 35(t) (Skoda LT Vz. 35), by John L. Rue (Nuts & Bolts, 1999), the model’s height and width match but the length is about 4mm short.
A small kit, Academy’s PzKpfw 35(t) took only 23 hours to complete — a good change of pace or a weekend build, letting you concentrate on weathering and painting.
This would be a good build for a beginner — or you could go the aftermarket route, superdetail the model, and build a great addition to any early-war diorama.
Note: A version of this review appeared in the January 2014 FineScale Modeler.