Tamiya 35044 - 1:35 Quad Gun tractor and 25pdr Gun

1:35 plastic model kit of the Quad gun tractor with 25-pounder gun

Tamiya 35044 is a combination kit depicting a complete British artillery train: the Quad gun tractor (Canadian Ford / Morris C8), an ammunition limber and the 25-pounder gun-howitzer. It is a rare chance to build not a single vehicle but a whole towed combination – 360 mm long when assembled together, and an excellent basis for a large diorama.

The model is produced from 1974 tooling. The tractor features a detailed interior including the engine, and the gun can be built in one of two states: in travelling position, ready to be towed, or deployed in firing position. The gun crew figures included allow you to build a battery-in-action scene.

What's in the box:

• Plastic parts for the Quad tractor, ammunition limber and 25-pounder gun
• Detailed tractor interior including the engine
• Gun buildable in travelling or firing position
• Gun crew figures
• Waterslide decal sheet for three marking options
• Illustrated assembly instructions

Model specifications:

• Scale: 1:35
• Product number: 35044
• Manufacturer: Tamiya
• Combined assembled length: 360 mm
• Skill level: beginner/intermediate (three subassemblies, detailed tractor interior and engine)

Note: The kit does not include glue, paints or modelling tools. The model is intended for self-assembly.

Building the model:

The kit divides naturally into three independent subassemblies, which makes planning the work easy – each can be built and painted separately and only brought together at the end. The tractor interior and engine are best painted before the body is closed up. The choice between travelling and firing position is worth making before you start assembling the gun, as it affects how the trails are put together.

North African options are painted in sand and desert shades (e.g. Tamiya XF-59 Desert Yellow), while the Canadian option from Western Europe 1944 calls for British khaki green (e.g. Tamiya XF-49 Khaki or XF-62 Olive Drab). A dark brown wash brings out the rivets and cast detail nicely, and pigments on the wheels and running gear complete the effect. Artillery models are usually finished with a matt varnish.

Tools you will need:

• Sprue cutters
• Modelling knife or scalpel
• Files and sanding paper for cleaning up sprue gate marks
• Plastic cement (e.g. Tamiya Extra Thin Cement)
• Precision modelling tweezers
• Brushes in various sizes
• Model paints (acrylic or enamel)
• A wash to accentuate detail and recesses
• Optional: pigments for dust and mud effects

About the subject – Quad tractor and 25-pounder gun:

The Ordnance QF 25-pounder of 87.6 mm calibre was the standard British field gun-howitzer of the Second World War. It combined the qualities of a gun and a howitzer: it could fire on a relatively flat trajectory against direct targets, but was equally capable of high-angle fire. The distinctive circular firing platform beneath the gun allowed the crew to traverse it rapidly in any direction – invaluable in North Africa, where armoured attacks could come from any quarter.

The gun's inseparable companion was the gun tractor known as the Quad – a 4x4 vehicle with a very distinctive rounded body, built among others as the Morris C8 and by Ford of Canada. It carried the crew, part of the ammunition load and the gun's equipment, with an ammunition limber coupled between tractor and gun. This three-part combination became one of the most recognisable sights on British front-line roads.

The 25-pounder served from the French campaign of 1940 through the desert, Italy and Normandy to the Far East, and remained in the arsenals of many armies for decades after the war. The decals in the kit cover the 1st Canadian Infantry Division in Western Europe in 1944 and the British 7th Armoured Division at Gazala (April 1942) and El Alamein (October 1942).

Original specifications (Ordnance QF 25-pounder and Quad tractor):

• Gun: Ordnance QF 25-pounder, 87.6 mm calibre
• Type: field gun-howitzer – the standard British field piece of the Second World War
• Distinctive feature: circular firing platform allowing rapid traverse
• Towing: ammunition limber coupled between gun and tractor
• Quad tractor: 4x4 drive, distinctive rounded body
• Tractor builders: Morris (C8) and Ford of Canada, among others
• Tractor role: carrying the gun crew, ammunition and equipment

About the manufacturer – Tamiya:

Tamiya Corporation is a Japanese model company founded in 1946 by Yoshio Tamiya in Shizuoka, a city regarded as the centre of the Japanese model industry. The company started out in the timber trade, but by the late 1940s it was producing wooden models, and in 1960 it released its first plastic model kit. Two years later came a 1:35 tank kit that established the worldwide standard scale for military modelling. The brand is known for precise injection moulds and excellent parts fit, which is why its kits are chosen by beginners and experienced modellers alike. The Military Miniature Series, to which this kit belongs, runs to hundreds of items and is one of the most comprehensive catalogues of 1:35 military vehicles in the world. Alongside plastic kits, Tamiya offers a full range of accessories: paints, glues, tools and brushes. The company is present in dozens of countries today and remains one of the most recognisable names in the hobby.