1:35 Char B1 Bis mantlets with SA37&Puteaux S35 guns

PANZER ART 1:35 mantlets and gun barrels for the Char B1 bis

An accessory for modelers of military vehicles in 1:35 scale from the PANZER ART brand. On a model of the French heavy tank Char B1 bis, the set replaces the mountings of both weapons: the short 75 millimeter gun in the hull and the 47 millimeter gun in the turret. You thereby gain a sharper shape to the castings and straight barrels with no parting line. The tank kit is not included in the package. On a tank with two weapons it is twice the work, and that is exactly why replacing both mountings at once pays off.

The real subject

The Char B1 bis was a French heavy tank with an unusual layout: the main 75 millimeter gun was fixed in the hull and was aimed by turning the whole vehicle, while the smaller weapon in the turret was worked by the commander alone. The tank was well armored and in 1940 proved hard to destroy, but it paid for its short range and for the fact that the commander had to do several things at once.

Use

• cut off the original plastic mantlets and barrels and sand the areas flat
• fit the parts dry and check that both weapons are in line
• glue with cyanoacrylate, which holds best on a joint between different materials
• wash the parts before painting and give them a primer, otherwise the paint may not hold
• fit the barrels at the end of the build, so that they are not damaged while handling

The set is intended for more experienced modelers. The kit, glue and paints are not included in the package, unless stated otherwise.