The Tamiya 1/35 scale H39 French Light Tank plastic model kit captures the updated commander’s cupola and other subtle changes the Germans made after the fall of France. An evolution of the earlier H35, the Hotchkiss H39 featured a more powerful engine and an upgraded 37mm gun. Originally designed as a cavalry tank in pre-World War II France, the Germans repurposed many of these light tanks for security and policing duties. This versatile kit allows builders to recreate either the original French version or the German-modified variant.
Before you start, decide whether to build the French or German version of the tank — parts differ throughout, so follow the instructions closely. I chose the French version and to display it with the swaggering French crew figure, which adds a humorous contrast to this tiny, unimposing vehicle.
Assembly begins with the multipiece hull, which goes together smoothly with no alignment issues. Hull sides C8 and C9 have faint ejector-pin marks that you can easily scrape away.
I followed the instructions up to Step 9, when the tracks are installed, but chose to skip this step to paint them separately. I continued with the rest of the build, temporarily fitting the fenders, hull top, rear skid assembly, and a few other parts, per the instructions.
Overall assembly was quick and enjoyable, thanks to smart engineering and excellent parts fit. No filler was needed, and cleanup was minimal. For extra realism, I drilled out the jack handle (Part B58) and gun barrel (Part B1), and used Mr. Surfacer 500 to blend the hull hooks (Parts A17) for a welded look. These items are not necessary, but they give the model just a little more realism.
Initial assembly took just five hours. I painted the tracks separately and worked on the temporarily fitted hull, fenders, skid, and turret. I followed the recommended Tamiya colors for the camouflage and made highlights by mixing a touch of Desert Yellow (No. XF-59) into each base color.
After painting, I applied the decals over a coat of Tamiya Clear (No. X-22). Using Micro Set and Micro Sol, the decals settled perfectly over the hull texture. A second coat of clear sealed everything in.
With painting done, final assembly involved painting and installing the tracks and attaching the remaining subassemblies. The tracks were the most challenging part of this build — gluing all the pieces at once and adjusting them before the glue sets worked best. The included chain had a glossy finish that resisted blackening solution due to its coating, so I painted it for a more realistic look. Some may be fine with the stock chain, but I’d prefer if Tamiya supplied it uncoated.
From this point, you can paint a few details, flat coat, and do some quick weathering to finish it off. It’s an excellent model that comes together fast and could serve as a weekend build.
I was so impressed with the kit’s out of the box detail that I put extra time into the finish and spent at least twice as long on painting and detailing the figure as I did on assembling the tank.
I highly recommend the Tamiya 1/35 scale H39 French Light Tank plastic model kit to anyone looking for a quick, trouble-free armor build. It’s ideal for modelers with some experience and also great for seasoned builders who want to focus on the finishing without a big time commitment in assembly.