1:35 PLA ZTZ96 MBT

The real subject

The ZTZ96 is a Chinese main battle tank that forms the numerical basis of the armored units of the Chinese People's Liberation Army. It follows on from older home-built types, but it was given a welded turret with flat sides instead of a cast one. In it sits a gun of 125 millimeters caliber with an autoloader, thanks to which a crew of three men is enough. The chassis carries six road wheels on each side, and the overall solution matches the Eastern school of tank design: a low silhouette, a cramped interior and an emphasis on a weight that an ordinary bridge will bear.

What the kit contains

Injection-molded plastic parts for building the model in 1:35 scale. The model is supplied unassembled and unpainted, so the build begins with cutting the parts off and sanding away the traces of production. The exact number of parts, the contents of the package and the recommended color scheme are given in the instructions enclosed with the kit.

Building and painting tips

• Cut the parts off with sprue cutters and sand the remains away; do not break them off.
• Glue with modeling cement intended for polystyrene, and keep cyanoacrylate glue for other materials.
• Paint the turret and the hull separately, because an airbrush will otherwise not reach into the corners.
• Apply the protective finish in thin coats, so that the relief of the surface stays visible.
• Finally add settled dust and mud, above all on the chassis and around the tracks.

Who it is for

The kit suits the modeler who takes an interest in present-day equipment and wants a machine in the collection that is not usually seen there. A scale of 1:35 is the most widespread one for armored equipment, so the model goes well with figures and with add-on sets. Paints, glue and tools are not part of the delivery, unless stated otherwise.