1:35 Tank TYPE 5 [ Ho-Ri II ]

Type 5 Ho-Ri II 1:35 (Amusing Hobby)

An injection-molded plastic kit in 1:35 scale from the manufacturer Amusing Hobby, modern tooling. The subject is the Japanese experimental gun tank Type 5 in the Ho-Ri II version, that is, a heavy tracked vehicle with a gun in a fixed superstructure. Besides the plastic sprues the package contains photo-etched parts, individual link tracks, a metal spring and nylon thread for tow cables. A striking element of the build is the pair of 20 mm antiaircraft weapons on the roof of the engine compartment.

The real subject

The Ho-Ri belonged to the group of Japanese projects from the end of the Second World War that were to put a heavily armed and armored vehicle with a gun in a casemate superstructure, instead of a rotating turret, against the Allied tanks. The Ho-Ri II version differed from the first study in the arrangement of the hull and the placement of the power plant. The type reached neither series production nor combat commitment and stayed at the stage of development, so the model depicts a project subject, not a machine in service.

Building and painting tips

Prepare the individual track links in advance, in longer runs, and let them dry well before fitting them onto the running gear. Finish and paint the running gear and all the details inside the hull before you close the hull, as later you will not reach them. Bend the photo-etched parts on a bending tool or on a metal ruler and glue them with cyanoacrylate. Before painting, apply primer, for the sake of adhesion on the photo-etched and metal parts. The extensive flat surfaces of the superstructure are ideal for shading the base color and for the subsequent work with washes and pigments; add the tow cables from the enclosed thread only after the base coat.

Who the model is for

• Modelers focused on Japanese armored hardware
• Anyone interested in prototypes and unrealized projects
• Builders with experience of photo-etched parts and individual link tracks
• Collectors of 1:35 scale

The model is supplied unassembled and unpainted. Glue, paints and accessories are not included in the package, unless stated otherwise.