1:35 FV4005 Stage 2 Self-propelled Gun

FV4005 Stage 2, British self-propelled gun, 1:35, Amusing Hobby

An injection-molded plastic kit in 1:35 scale from Amusing Hobby capturing the British FV4005 self-propelled gun in its second stage of development. The box states workable tracks and suspension, photo-etched parts, nylon cord for the tow cables and decals.

The real subject

The FV4005 was the British answer to the Soviet heavy tanks of the postwar generation. A tall angular turret with a massive 183 mm gun, meant to knock an opponent out with a single hit, was seated on a Centurion chassis. The armor of the turret was only a few millimeters thick, so the vehicle was a weapon for attacking at a distance, not a tank for the front line; it could moreover traverse only within a limited arc. The project stayed at the prototype stage and was taken no further. The surviving example is still on show in a British museum collection of armored vehicles and is among the most photographed curiosities of postwar development.

Building and painting tips

Leave the running gear and the workable suspension for the start and assemble the tracks on finished wheels, so that they seat without tension. The large turret has long straight seams that have to be sanded and filled, otherwise they show once it is sprayed. British dark green comes alive if the overall shade is lightened on the upper surfaces. For weathering use washes into the recesses and pigments for dust, and keep mud effects rather to the running gear.

Who the model is for

• For modelers with experience of vehicle kits
• For collectors of postwar prototypes and curiosities
• For those interested in British vehicles on the Centurion chassis
• For builders of display models with a striking gun

The model is supplied unassembled and unpainted. Glue, paints and accessories are not included in the package, unless stated otherwise.