1:35 Valentine Tank 2 Gal Can Rack (For Tamiya 35352 Kit)

1:35 Valentine — rack for two-gallon cans (Lithokraft)

A 3D-printed resin set in 1:35 scale. It holds the rack in which the British Valentine infantry tank stowed its sheet-metal two-gallon cans for fuel and water. The box names the Tamiya 35352 kit as the target kit, that is the Infantry Tank Mk.III Valentine Mk.II/IV. It is a detail accessory for the model, not a kit of the tank.

The real subject

The Valentine was the British Infantry Tank Mk.III from Vickers-Armstrongs, introduced in 1940. Over eight thousand were built, a substantial part of them in Canada, and a large share went to the Soviet Union under Lend-Lease. It was low, well armored and slow, so it served exactly the purpose it was meant for: infantry support. The flat two-gallon cans of British pattern were carried in racks on the armor and belong among the characteristic details of British equipment.

Building and painting tips

Wash the parts in lukewarm soapy water and let them dry. Cut the print supports off with a scalpel and level the mating face of the rack so that it lies against the armor without a gap. Glue with cyanoacrylate glue (super glue). With other Valentine kits, compare the shape of the face with the hull before you glue the part on. Paint the rack together with the vehicle and set the cans apart instead, in shade and in degree of wear, so that the assembly does not sink into a single area of color.

Who the set is for

• modelers of British infantry equipment in 1:35
• builders of the Valentine in its British and Soviet versions
• anyone interested in the characteristic British cans and their mounting
• more advanced modelers with resin experience

This is an accessory for the model. The base Tamiya 35352 kit, glue and paints are not included in the package, unless stated otherwise.