Box Art / Packaging

The Tamiya RSO/01 German Tractor is a brand-new tooled release presented in Tamiya's typical rigid top opener with crisp artwork depicting a unit from the 1^st Skijager Division, Eastern Front, 1944.

This 100% newly tooled kit complements the existing 1/35 scale line up of German WWII vehicles in the Military Miniature Series and is also designed to be used with last year's release of the 50mm Pak38, kit # 35392.

The box contains a normal Tamiya instruction manual with clear construction steps, 37 in all, to complete this kit.

Also included is a glossy ‘background information’ leaflet which provides some history and details of the different designs and variants for the RSO through the WWII campaign.

It also contains details of the specifications of this Light Tank, including dimensions, crew capacity, engine (with speed and output) as well as range and armament.

The leaflet is presented in Japanese, English, French and German.

Color drawings are provided for two optional variants of the RSO in action: version A, which presents the RSO complete with canvas covering, or the version B, an open-topped variant with a frame for the cargo platform.

The Kit

Sprues A – D comprise the entire assembly of the plastic parts (two A sprues are included). Sprue E contains the clear parts provided for the cab windows. Thankfully, the kit also comes with a set of masks for the windows, a welcome addition.

Decals are provided for 2 different units: 1^st Skijager Division, Eastern Front 1944 and Unit unknown, France 1944. The Eastern Front variant is presented in all dark yellow; the French-based unit is depicted in Dark yellow with green and red-brown camo markings.

Molding is crisp and clean and up to the usual standard expected of Tamiya Military Miniature kits. The Driver figure provided has adequate detail and fits well into the cab/seat. Some additional decals are provided for badges/piping, etc on his uniform if desired. Tracks and link and length and have been molded with a slight sag for the upper track length, which should aid in the appearance of the finished model. Detail is very nice for the kit overall with all parts being crisp. Snow tracks are provided for the kit if desirable to attach; in my case, I chose to add them onto the French-based variant. In the future, I will likely add the towed Pak38 and apply a winter whitewash to this RSO.

The Build

It’s a Tamiya kit, it is a great example of ease of assembly, quality, and precision. All parts were well molded, with no flash and limited sink marks. No warping or fit issues were noticed at all.

Assembly starts with the engine. My recommendation here is not to spend too much time there, the engine will not be seen, it is well boxed in and mostly invisible, it can be seen somewhat from the underside of the kit but not in any great detail.

Following this, the chassis and drivetrain assembly is quick and easy; parts fit exceptionally well and make this assembly step a breeze. Steps 1-10 were completed very quickly, perhaps 1-2 hours total assembly time. Poly caps are provided for the rear drive sprockets to allow them some play/movement, this aids greatly when aligning and fitting the tracks. I would recommend to use those poly caps to ensure the addition of the tracks is simple and efficient. Wheels are also nice and easy, no rubber rimmed wheels were provided on the RSO, just steel wheels, so painting is straightforward.

Cab assembly is also quick and easy; steps 14-26 depict this process, and again, part fit is exceptional. You should ensure your work on the cab interior and driver is completed at this point as once the cab is applied to the chassis, the interior is not accessible but is quite visible through the large windows.

Steps 27-37 depict the construction and placement of the cargo platform and tools, accessories, wipers etc. As indicated earlier, there are also masks provided for the windows; it is recommended to apply these at step 26.

Tracks are provided as link and length and are easy to assemble. A very slight sag is added to the upper links; Tamiya have also added a little notch to a roadwheel on each side to allow you to accurately line up the positioning of the track. Assembly here is straightforward and simple, do take care, though, with tracks, there are no spares. The exact number of links and lengths are provided with no extras; if you lose or damage a track link, you will be short!

Track and chassis were painted with Alclad black primer and filler, and then MIG enamel track wash applied to the tracks upon assembly completion.

Paint

I opted to paint the tank with the tri-tone camo as I preferred this finish overall. I used only Tamiya Acrylics for main coats, overall dark yellow with some small addition of brown and green camo stripes. I did not like the depiction of the snow cleats on the vehicle being so ‘clean’, so I added a small amount of track wash also to these, having been finished with the same overall color as the vehicle; I believe this may have been a likelihood in the case of field-applied camo.

The kit was clear-coated with matt clear to prep for decals; decals were fitted and softened with Tamiya Mark Fit Decal softener to adhere more readily.

A light wash was applied over the model to dull the starkness of the model overall.

Pros

• An excellent addition to the WWII German vehicles from Tamiya.
• Excellent fit, no flash, new molds.
• Good price point, affordable quality kit for the price.
• Nice packaging and presentation with clear instructions and good decals.
• Will work well as a diorama or display piece with the addition of the Tamiya Pak38.

Cons

• Some fuel drums, jerry cans etc could also be provided in the case that the cargo platform is kept open; this would prevent it from looking so ‘bare’.

Many thanks to Tamiya for providing this amazing kit and to IPMS for facilitating the review.