1:72 TYPE 89 Japanese Medium tank KOU

The Type 89 Kou in 1:72 scale

A kit of the Japanese medium tank Type 89 in the Kou version in 1:72 scale from IBG. It is supplied unassembled and unpainted. The small scale allows even a whole group of vehicles to be built into a single scene without it taking up the whole shelf, and the model still keeps a decent amount of detail.

The real subject

The Type 89 was one of the first tanks of Japanese design built in larger numbers. It came about at the turn of the 1920s and 1930s and built on the ideas of the time about escorting infantry: it carried a short gun of 57 millimeter caliber, which was to destroy fortified firing positions, and machine guns with it for close combat. The designation Kou distinguishes the earlier form with a gasoline engine, while the later Otsu version received a diesel engine. Vehicles of this type appeared most in the fighting in China and in the first period of the war in the Pacific.

Building tips

• dry-fit the parts before gluing and check how they sit together
• paint the running gear before you cover it with the side plates
• cut the small parts on a hard mat and hold them with tweezers
• a primer unifies the surface and the further coats then hold better
• layers of dust and mud on the underside of the vehicle bring even a small model to life

Terms of supply

A kit is supplied. Paints, glue, putty and tools are not included in the delivery, unless stated otherwise. The contents of the package are given in the manufacturer's instructions.