Takom has taken the AMX line of light tanks by storm, offering three different kits, including this of the French vehicle in foreign service. It comes with posable hatches and two types of machine gun (Browning M1919 .30-caliber or FN MAG 7.62mm).The track sets are individual-link, and the rubber tires are separate from the rims. Clear parts are provided for the vision blocks. The decals provide markings for four vehicles: two for Israel, one for Lebanon, and one for Venezuela.
The chassis build was straightforward without major issues, but the photo-etch for the screens did not leave enough frame for gluing. So I spread the super glue thinly, then painted the hull bottom and sides.
For the running gear, I painted the road-wheel tires Tamiya German gray and put them on their rims. Then all the running gear was installed on the hull. With limited space under the fenders, I chose to add the tracks before installing the fenders to give me more space to work. I used the box art to figure out what the track run should be. The tracks were painted with Tamiya dark iron and dry-brushed with silver.
When installing the fenders, I found the front part did not fit tight against the hull; that required some filling. It also caused a fit issue with the front bin (Part B13). However, the back bin fit fine.
With fenders on, I was able to add hardware on the hull. I installed the headlight assemblies, but saved the headlight lenses for later for easier painting.
For the turret, I followed the flow for Israeli modifications. In the instructions’ drawings, the lines to the holes that were to be drilled and filled were confusing.
With the AMX’s unique oscillating turret, assembly is different from traditional tanks. I built the top and bottom sections and painted them. The dust cover was painted Tamiya khaki and fitted to the turret’s bottom half. Fitting the top half on the dust cover and mounting pins was slow.
The kit’s cannon design is old-school, with two pieces left and right. It was easy to clean up the barrel’s seam, though.
I painted the vehicle with Testors Israeli sand and weathered with pastels. I applied decals provided for a Six-Day War tank. They fit well.
It took me 35 hours to build the AMX. However, with its fit/construction issues, it’s best for experienced modelers.
Note: A version of this review appeared in the September 2016 issue.