1:35 JAPANESE M3 STUART w/CREW

The M3 Stuart in Japanese service, 1:35 scale

A plastic kit of the American M3 Stuart light tank in the form in which the Japanese army operated it after capture. It is released by MiniArt and according to the name a crew is included as well. 1:35 scale allows the detail to be worked through and at the same time the vehicle to be displayed together with figures and diorama accessories of the same size.

An unusual chapter in the history of a light tank

The M3 Stuart was a fast light tank with a 37 mm gun and a radial engine, which the United States supplied in large numbers to its allies as well. A few machines fell into Japanese hands in the Philippines in 1942 and the Japanese army took them into its own service. The combination of American design with Japanese markings and crew is therefore a subject you do not often meet in a display case, and it is historically documented.

Building recommendation

Work from the running gear: the wheels, the suspension and the lower part of the hull are easier to paint while there is still free access to them. Clean the flash off the track links carefully, so that the run of the track holds its shape and sits nicely on the wheels. Assemble and paint the figures separately from the vehicle and seat them only at the end; the faces and hands stand out when they are worked through on their own. Choose the weathering to suit the island battlefields, that is reddish dust and wear on the edges of the plates.

Who the kit is for

• Collectors of light tanks and of captured hardware
• Anyone interested in the fighting in the Pacific
• Builders of dioramas in which a crew is visible
• Modelers with experience of fine plastic parts

The item is an unassembled kit. Paints, glue and other material for finishing the model have to be obtained separately, unless stated otherwise.