H39 Hotchkiss

As the story goes I longed for a short 'weekend build'. I opted for this tiny tankette from Bronco. Unfortuantely my beloved cousin Alex decided to lend me a walkaround book...and so I was again hooked on corrections, photo etch aftermarket tracks and the lot...

The Bronco kit was the very first kit released by this chinese company and it shoes...poor moulding (especially the wheels), poor fit (the suspension) and poor representation of parts being evident.

The division line between the front transmission and the rest of the upper hull was placed too forward....so this was filled and a new line scribed. Cast texture was applied using Mr Surfacer and thinned Tamiya putty...













All comments welcome

Dottore

Is it a french Tank..  

Yes it is...

Dottore

Good neat start! I like it.

... but for now I'm hooked on wings   

Ha ha my hotchkiss is a stand by shelf queen ... I got a worst aproach went for the Trumpeter version and got the trouble to arrnge it up to standard? Just a note on the sides there are three wholes cast in the hull that takes the fender supports, did you eliminate those or are on Bronco extra items? [infact on the Tump they weren't and had to scratch built

Ivan

The supports in the front had to be relocated as they were too far front so I removed the back ones too so when I scratch them they match...

Dottore

Had already virtually finished the kit turret...but I decided to get the resin Brach model one...here are some comparison photos...(NB still have to attach lifting hooks)





In my opinion the esin turret is muchbetter apart from the dimensions which are totally diffeent. The resin turret is much lower down...

Dottore

Big difference !!!!!

Took some time to detail the hotchkiss muffler as it is quite a prominent feature of this diminutive tank....

the original kit part...



reworked part...with Eduard PE....





on the tank fitted...



All comments welcome...

Dottore

Sa jadi mil VRT..............  ... very nice work Dottore.........  

Brilliant work there, love what you are doing to this kit. Sam with me with aircraft, can't stand knowing there is something wrong which needs to be fixed or replaced!

Dottore, not very sure about that silencer, the origonal one was ribbed in rounded coils not flat, and also had one going around horizontally and the cover was attached to that ... check here scroll down there is an original one uncovered ... I made mine with magic sculpt ...

http://www.chars-francais.net/new/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=106&Itemid=36

And other models I think it's the way it should be ta...possibly mine is the later type being the H39...as opposed to the H35...I have placed the plate going thru the centre of the muffler too...and the shroud i soldered to it in fact...

Joachim's model...



Actually the protective shield should be oriented further outwards, something he did in his final masterpiece model.





other super detailed models...





so what do you think???

Dottore

I took a look at the pics and i think that yours is ok Doc, IMHO don;t see the need to replace it with anything.

It does not mean that they did it it is good ... mela ahna nghag ta bendu :p

All you need is to bulk a bit those ribs you did, they are not meant to be flat bars ... PS there is not much difference between a short barrel and long barrel hotchkiss, what is different is the very early as they had a different silencer ...

I'll just substitute the PE strips with plastic strip then...

Dottore

Good idea ... but not the flat bar type

A clear pic showing the rounded profile?

Dottore

Go on that link I posted up here, and browse down below the BW images, there is a walk around of a real tank in colour and clearly show the silencer without guard... already told you so