Takom Leopard 2A7 and Faun SLT56

Developed for the West German army, the Leopard 2 entered service in 1979 and succeeded the Leopard 1 in the main battle tank role. With its deployment, the German army needed a new tank transport capable of hauling this new, heavier tank. That vehicle built by Faun was designated the SLT56.

Takom’s kit pairing the tank and its mover is the latest in a line of 1/72 tank transporters. Like the company’s previous offerings, it is a detailed kit characterized by good fits. As you might expect, assembly is broken into three sections that are almost complete models in themselves: trailer, tractor, and tank.

First up, I assembled the tractor. Construction progressed quickly thanks to thoughtful engineering making the axles and driveshafts single parts. The finesse of the moldings makes it difficult to tell parts like these are molded as one piece. A couple of spots, like the winches on the tractor’s bed, could benefit from a little extra detail. No line is molded on the reels, but you could easily wind wire or thin thread around the drums. I also appreciated that the doors came molded in clear plastic. It may mean a little more waxing, but it helps the doors appear scale thin.

The trailer also features good engineering, but the 28 sets of wheels and tires takes time. Fortunately, the well-molded parts required little cleanup. Optional parts allow the loading ramps to be posed extended or stowed.

Finally, I built the Leopard with its bathtub-style lower hull, running gear, and link-and-length tracks. The last fit well and are beautifully molded. The single part upper hull includes scale accurate nonskid texture. The main gun can be positioned at different elevations but will need to be fixed in that location because of the way details attach to the turret end.

For painting and applying decals, I recommend good reference photos. The kit’s diagrams are small, and I found it hard to see exactly where some markings were supposed to go. I painted the model with Tamiya acrylics.

I spent about 70 hours building and painting this kit, and the clever engineering made for a more enjoyable experience than I expected with the parts count.