Designed in the early 1930s as an infantry support tank, the Renault R35 would be the most-produced French tank of World War II. Although fairly well armored, the tank’s short 37mm gun left it under-armed against German armor.
Tamiya’s R35 rounds out the company’s already extensive range of French tanks including the Char B1, Somua S35, and the UE armored carrier.
Molded in dark yellow plastic, the kit’s nearly 200 plastic parts have sharp surface detail, including recessed panel lines, deep engine grilles, and cast texture on the hull and turret. Link-and-length tracks with sag molded into the upper runs wrap the suspension, and there’s a terrific commander figure that fits perfectly into the rear hatch on the turret.
Decals provide markings for two French tanks during the Battle of France in June 1940. A separate color sheet shows the intricate multicolor camouflage in five views, which are great for getting the patterns right.
Aided by good fits and smart engineering, assembly is straightforward throughout. The lower hull comprises the belly, sides, and rear with an internal brace to keep the sides square. Separate parts attach to the main upper hull to provide the overhanging sections at the fenders. The fit of the upper hull and glacis is snug once everything is in place; apply glue after all the parts slip into place. Only the seams at the nose between the glacis and belly and the along the sides need sanding.
The suspension units build quickly. I painted the lower hull and suspension before adding the tracks followed by the fenders. The link-and-length tracks impressed me; a lug on the front return roller on each side sets link placement and following the directions to the in Step 9 to the letter (or number) results in perfectly fitted runs.
The rest of the hull goes together easily.
The turret is also a trouble-free build and I especially like the engineering of the lifting hooks on the cupola. Although tiny on the outside, the parts are actually large and fit from inside in a way that guarantees alignment.
The main gun is fiddly as several parts must align just right and no single angle works to hold them. I found it impossible to eliminate the attachment point from the minute coaxial machine gun, and then the small part kept trying to take flight while I was attaching it.
To paint the camouflage colors, I used the recommended Tamiya colors with a couple of minor adjustments: I darkened the cockpit green (XF-71) with a little olive green (XF-58); for the desert yellow (XF-59), I added a little orange (X-6) to warm the shade a bit. To add the black borders to the color areas, I used a Gundam marker.
The decals laid down over a layer of clear gloss, although the roundel that fits over the maker’s badge on the front required several applications of Microscale Micro Sol to conform.
To ensure the nicely sculpted figure sat naturally in the hatch, I attached the arms with slower setting cement and then set him in position refined the limbs as the glue set.
Tamiya’s R35 builds easily into a handsome replica of the small tank but it requires a steady had to get the armament in place. The engineering of the tracks alone is worth the price of admission!
Note: A version of this review appeared in the July 2020 issue.