Kit: No. 00353
Scale: 1/35
Manufacturer: Trumpeter, imported by Stevens International, 856-435-1555, www.stevenshobby.com
Price: $24.95
Comments: Injection molded, 190 parts (2 vinyl), decals
Pros: Interesting subject matter
Cons: Complex kit, for experienced modelers

Trumpeter continues to impress modelers with a wide variety of subjects, this time, a German conversion of the French Hotchkiss H-35. Only 24 of these conversions were produced, and all served with the 21st Panzer Division in Normandy.

The kit is neatly molded in tan plastic, and has minimal flash. The kit features a highly detailed interior, and the 10.5cm howitzer is a kit in itself. Tracks are onepiece vinyl construction and have good detail. Two crew figures are provided.

I built the suspension first. Each eight-piece bogey unit goes together well but requires extra attention to keep everything aligned. The lower hull is molded as one piece, so you can move pretty fast when attaching the suspension.

The hull interior includes transmission, drive train, driver’s seat, and radiator. Surprisingly, no driver’s controls are given.

Next I tackled the LeFH18 howitzer. A total of 48 parts make up this subassembly. This version had special armored covers over the recoil cylinders, and their shapes are accurately captured in the kit. I recommend following the instructions closely. A change in building sequence could cause problems when attaching the gun to the vehicle.

The fighting compartment is a complex collection of parts, including ammo boxes, radio, and stowage containers. As with all open-topped vehicles, you need to assemble and paint these accessories first before installing them into the hull. I made many dry runs, taping the parts together to see how they fit. There are no attachment tabs to help, but with patience this assembly came together. I found the drivers plate (Part No. F30) a bit too narrow, so I filled the side with putty.

I test fitted the tracks and found they were too long, so I removed three links on each side. Leave the attachment pins on the last link and you will have a way of connecting the ends. I reinforced these with epoxy.

I painted my Hotchkiss with Polly Scale’s World War II German dark yellow and dark green. I didn’t follow the kit’s camouflage scheme but matched mine to a photo of a deployed vehicle.

Decals provided are three simple German crosses. This is accurate from the photos I have seen. They settled down nicely with decal solvent.

My primary reference was the Panzers at Saumur No. 3 photo book.

I completed my Hotchkiss in 22 hours. I spent several hours figuring out the complex assembly.

The finished model looks great, and I think it captures the lines of the real vehicle. I anticipate building a French version if one is released. This kit is well suited to modelers with some experience, due to the complexity of the construction.

– Jim Zeske