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Tamiya Char B1.bis


Rob G

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Due to the plethora of France-related airyplaney thingys, I decided I'd break from the mould and do a tank. Because despite my love for aircraft just because they're aircraft, I have a fascination with armoured vehicles, or more correctly, with the men who serve in them. I've sat in a few tanks, and I play World of Tanks (and BattleZone... anyone remember BattleZone??), and I've read a lot about mechanised warfare... the sheer guts that it takes to lock yourself into a steel coffin and go into battle is something that I find inspirational, if not a little disturbing - the thought that a human being would willingly do something like that is just amazing. We are an odd species, to be sure.

Enough waffling, let's get to the good stuff... here's Tamiya-san's B1.bis box, and the plastique (seeing as we're being on Fronsay today) bits inside. Typical Tamiya, boringly good. As it should be for what it cost me. Every review I've ever read says it's the bomb, and looking at the bits, I can agree. Mercifully, the tracks are a click fit set up, with no extra bits to add, and no left and right track runs to mix up - just make up 2 runs of 61 links, put 'em on. Take that, Mr Dragon with your 3 parts per link Magic Track packets in 2 shades of grey! You will notice some bits missing - they are the crew figures, who have been seconded to serve in a Trumpeter Hotchkiss H35, which I'm sure they're not happy about! They are waiting for the factory to complete their new ride, and have been waiting for a number of years now. I'll get there, wee plastic chaps, shut up about it. I said shut up. Thank you.

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A couple of things before we begin - first, this will be a slow build, as I'm going to fit it in around all the others I'm doing at the moment, and it's going to be a 'take it out to work and join plastic bits' type of thing; I work away, and have a bit of free time in the evenings. Can't spray paint, could brush if I wanted to, but I probably won't - I'll use the time for cleaning up and fitting the myriad bits so beloved of tank modellers worldwide. Thus, there will be big lumpy updates, with not much in between. Second, I haven't yet decided which of the 4 colour schemes in the box I will use. All are quite lovely in that oddly cartoonish prewar French way, so I'm going to post the colour sheet and let the masses (ie you lot) help me make a decision. Most votes may or may not get the guernsey, depending on how I feel on the day. Let me know in the comments, A, B, C or D.

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And away we go... (at 28km/h flat strap, downhill with a tailwind. Told you it'd be slow.)

EDIT: Vote counter! (post 19)

A V

B

C llll

D

Edited by Rob G
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Antoine, I'm sure there is a tweak list, and thank you for the offer, but French is no good to me - I don't speak or read it, and Google translate often results in something that is either funny, or makes my head ache.

2 votes for A, 1 for C. Any more? There's ages to go before I commit to paint...

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"A" Rob I particularly like the roundel marking,I believe these things could outgun anything the Germans had but instead of being used en masse

were distributed to support infantry unit,s in small numbers.

Edited by stevej60
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More votes? I'd exclude B ande D because they are identical - left / right and to each other, so would question Tamiya's research (unless I'm proved wrong). A I like, but again, the left & right sides are identical...

... so my vote would go for C

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I'm torn between scheme A and C, I thnik you should go for A.

It wouldn't really be a french group build without this tank being built, I look forward to seeing the end result.

Rich

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:welcome: to the GB. This one's a bit of a beast, isn't it? :thumbsup:

Is this any help? http://www.hannants.co.uk/product/MT35105

A bit of a beast indeed Enzo - not a small target, was it? And yes, that does help, although I'm not sure if I'll crew the thing yet.

And then there's this set. https://www.scalemates.com/kits/158208-dragon-6478-blitzkrieg-in-france ;)

More votes? I'd exclude B ande D because they are identical - left / right and to each other, so would question Tamiya's research (unless I'm proved wrong). A I like, but again, the left & right sides are identical...

... so my vote would go for C

To quote a great German, "I know nothing, nooothing!" Tamiya do sometimes make a mess of research, but given my complete lack of references for this thing, I'll have to go with what they say is right. But then, I am asking for votes, so any thoughts are welcome. :)

C for me it's just a little different, although you must question putting target roundels on the back of the turret.

On the back stops them running away, don't it? ;)

I'm torn between scheme A and C, I thnik you should go for A.

It wouldn't really be a french group build without this tank being built, I look forward to seeing the end result.

Rich

Thank you. It's been on my list to do for quite a long time now, so I'm glad to be pushed into the build. It is quite French, isn't it?

Edited by Rob G
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"A" Rob I particularly like the roundel marking,I believe these things could outgun anything the Germans had but instead of being used en masse

were distributed to support infantry unit,s in small numbers.

They had a 75mm howitzer in the main hull, with a 37mm in the turret. The 75 was impressive, if very limited in traverse, but the 37 was pretty well a joke. The biggest thing they had over the Germans was their decent armour - 60mm all around, and cast, not welded. The Pz.IV had 80 on the front, but only 30 (iirc) on the sides. There are quite a number of stories from the German side attesting to shells bouncing from the French hulls. In the end though, there weren't enough of them, and they were neither deployed correctly, as you say, nor really adequate for the task they faced.

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Another vote for the theme C. I don't know what is it with these WWII French tanks but I like them. Curious contraptions and mostly useful for target practice but much more interesting than German or Soviet types.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Well, the best-laid plans of mice and men, oft result in nuffin'. I duly carted the big Bis out to work with me, along with a selection of tools... and nada. Five 12 hour days in 42C heat and 90% humidity put paid to any notion of doing anything hobby related - evenings were spent under a cold shower and imbibing, nay quaffing, copious amounts of Mr Gods best water (apparently I'm the only one in the company who can simultaneously climb stairs and talk to crane drivers on a 2 way radio). A couple of times I didn't even make it up to the mess for dinner. However, the four day Easter break is upon us, and when I sort out the large quantity of photos I have to edit for my other hobby (chasing roller derby girls - fruitless, but fun), I shall be cutting plastic on this. I hope.

More anon.

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One of my favourite tanks Rob. Scheme A gets my vote - it's the heart that does it for me (totally incongruous on a killing machine).

Cliff

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