French H39 Hotchkiss
Bronco Models Kit No. 35001
Construction Review by Terry Ashley
The turret assembly is very straightforward but there are some vary small parts to watch out for and some minor trimming but other than that is quick and easy.
Obviously the gun and interior walls should be painted before fitting the turret halves together if you plan to show the rear hatch open.
The three side visors (parts B28) required their locating tabs be thinned ever so slightly for a nice flush fit to the turret walls and trial fitting will determine the trimming needed but the final fit of the visors was very good.
Assembly of the gun was again very straightforward without any traps or trimming needed with the metal barrel also fitting in place without the need for trimming and just the rear barrel section join line to be smoothed out after the glue has dried.
The pin holding the gun in place in the turret (part B36) is a very loose fit allowing the gun to flop about and you may be better advised to glue the gun in place.
The three turret lifting hooks (parts B18) should have the locating holes on the turret walls drilled out a little for a better fit while the three very small and slippery hooks on the cupola (parts B50) will need extreme care when removing from the sprue and fitting. If you are using tweezers on these work well away from the edge of the table and don’t grip them too tightly or you “will” loose them into the void, be warned.
The rear turret hatch is designed to be movable after assembly by trapping this between the upper and lower turret halves as they are glued together but I choose to glue the hatch in place to make life easier, the choice is yours.
The fit of the upper and lower turret halves was excellent with just a very small join seam to be smoothed out around the base of the turret and only the rear hatch hinges requiring some filling. This is common with all H38/39 kits but this kit has the best fit in this area compared to the others. The rear hatch fit was especially good requiring absolutely no trimming or filling.
As mentioned the turret assembly was very straightforward overall with only some small areas needing attention and the fit to the hull was also very snug without any excessive lateral movement.
Return to original H39 comparison review.
The Sprues:
Thanks to Bronco Models for the review kit.
Page Created February 21, 2006