1:72 T-26Lh/45 Czołg Lekki

The T-26 light tank in 1:72 - a Mirage Hobby kit

An injection-molded plastic kit of the T-26 light tank in 1:72 from the Polish manufacturer Mirage Hobby. It is supplied as a set of parts to be assembled and painted. The original name of the item is in Polish; it means light tank.

The real subject

The T-26 was a light tank of interwar design based on the British Vickers 6-Ton. It was built in several successive forms. The most widespread version had a single rotating turret with a 45 mm gun and a coaxial machine gun, a hull welded from plate and a gasoline engine at the rear. The running gear consisted of road wheel bogies sprung on leaf springs. Machines of this type appeared in the inventories of several armies in the 1930s and 1940s, including captured examples operated by users other than those they were built for.

Building and painting tips

Finish and paint the running gear and any hull interior before you close the hull up; once it is glued together, access to them is limited. Separate the small parts with a sharp cutter, not with nippers, so that they are not deformed. Glue with thin cement for plastic, which runs into the joint by capillary action. Varnish the surfaces with gloss before applying the decals and knock the surface back to matte once it has dried. For weathering, a dark wash run into the recesses works well, along with pigments for dust and mud effects on the running gear and the lower part of the hull.

Who the model is for

• Modelers specializing in armored vehicles in 1:72
• Collectors who build coherent runs of interwar light tanks
• Diorama builders, where a small scale helps because of space
• More experienced beginners who can already handle small parts

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