Imperial Japanese Army Type 95 Light Tank "Ha-Go" Early Production – DML 6767

Un modello del marchio Modello drago il kit : Imperial Japanese Army Type 95 Light Tank "Ha-Go" Early Production – DML 6767

Dragon has introduced a great many exciting new kits in 2012, and there is one more 1/35 scale AFV gem to come this year. The new item is a Type 95 “Ha-Go” light tank of the Imperial Japanese Army (IJA). The Type 95 tank was used in combat against China and Russia, as well as fully participating in operations in WWII. Weighing just 7.4 tonnes, it was designed primarily as an infantry support weapon. Indeed, it was the most common light tank used by the IJA in the Pacific, with about 2,300 units manufactured. It had a crew of three, and the main armament was a Type 94 37mm gun. Its maximum speed was 45km/h.

The kit depicts an Early-Production variant and it’s based on actual measurements from real tanks. Although it’s a small vehicle, Dragon’s 1/35 scale kit is brimming with detail, something facilitated by the widespread use of slide molds. In fact, every single sprue in the kit employs slide molds, which is an astounding achievement! For example, the turret is of single-piece construction, with the multi-directional slide mold allowing details such as rivets to be rendered. The commander’s cupola is a similar story. The one piece lower hull has the correct armor panels and bolts on it. The upper hull is also one piece, and the gun barrel has a hollow end. The road wheels, idlers, sprockets and return rollers are slide-molded too. The DS slide-molded track links are accurately replicated in miniature so as to incorporate side details. This is an extremely exciting subject from Dragon, and because the Ha-Go was used in such diverse locations, modelers can produce any scenario such as jungle-clad terrain or a Pacific island!

fonte: Modelli di Dragon