Tamiya 35047 - 1:35 PAK40/L46 Antitank 7,5cm Gun

Plastic model kit of the German 7.5 cm PaK 40 anti-tank gun in 1:35 scale

The PaK 40 was the gun that transformed German anti-tank artillery after its first encounters with Soviet medium and heavy tanks. Tamiya 35047 reproduces it in 1:35 scale with three crew figures, ammunition boxes and shells, making the kit a ready starting point for a gun position diorama.

The kit comes from a 1975 mould and belongs to the Military Miniature Series. The barrel elevates and traverses once assembled, the breech block slides and the trails can be spread into the firing position. The distinctive sloped double-layer gun shield and the low wheeled carriage are faithfully rendered.

What is in the box:

• Plastic parts for the gun, carriage and shield
• 3 crew figures
• Ammunition boxes and shells
• Movable barrel, sliding breech block, spreading trails
• Illustrated assembly instructions

Model specifications:

• Scale: 1:35
• Item number: 35047
• Manufacturer: Tamiya
• Length when built: approx. 177 mm
• Skill level: beginner

Please note: glue, paints and modelling tools are not included. This is a kit for self-assembly.

Building the model:

The kit is simply engineered with a modest part count, so it comes together quickly. Dry fitting the moving assemblies - barrel elevation, sliding breech, spreading trails - before cementing helps to preserve their freedom of movement. The crew figures are best painted separately and placed around the gun afterwards.

Dark yellow (e.g. Tamiya XF-60 Dark Yellow), the base colour used from 1943, is the natural choice, optionally with patches of red brown (e.g. XF-64 Red Brown) and green (e.g. XF-58 Olive Green). Earlier guns were painted German grey (e.g. XF-63 German Grey). A matt varnish suits the finish, while a wash and pigments help to render dust and mud on the wheels and trails.

Tools you will need:

• Modelling side cutters for removing parts from the sprues
• Hobby knife or scalpel
• Files and sanding paper for cleaning up gate marks
• Plastic cement (e.g. Tamiya Extra Thin Cement)
• Brushes in various sizes, including fine ones for the figures
• Model paints (acrylic or enamel)
• Wash to bring out details and recesses
• Optional: pigments for dust and mud effects

About the gun - 7.5 cm PaK 40:

The PaK 40 was developed by Rheinmetall as an enlarged version of the 5 cm PaK 38, keeping a similar layout: a double-layer gun shield, split trails and a low silhouette. It entered production in 1942, when the need for an effective weapon against the T-34 and KV tanks had become urgent.

The gun could penetrate the armour of most Allied medium tanks at normal combat ranges, and with tungsten-cored ammunition it also dealt with more heavily protected targets. Its drawback was a weight of more than 1.4 tonnes, which made manhandling difficult and required a tractor to change position.

The PaK 40 became the standard Wehrmacht anti-tank gun of the second half of the war, with more than 23,000 built. Versions of it were also mounted on vehicles: the Marder II and Marder III tank destroyers and the Nashorn self-propelled gun.

Original specifications (7.5 cm PaK 40):

• Calibre: 75 mm
• Overall length: approx. 6.20 m
• Barrel length: approx. 3.45 m (L/46)
• Weight in firing position: approx. 1,425 kg
• Crew: approx. 6
• Muzzle velocity: approx. 790 m/s (Pzgr. 39 armour-piercing round)
• Rate of fire: approx. 14 rounds per minute
• Production: 1942-1945, more than 23,000 guns

About the manufacturer - Tamiya:

Tamiya Corporation is a Japanese model company founded in 1946 in Shizuoka, a city regarded as the heart of the Japanese model industry. It began as a timber business and released its first plastic model kit in 1960. Two years later came the 1:35 scale tank that established this scale as the worldwide standard for military modelling. The brand is known for precise injection moulds, well thought out kit engineering 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 covering vehicles, guns and figures from the Second World War and the modern era. Alongside kits, Tamiya offers a full range of modelling accessories: paints, glues, tools and brushes. The company is present in dozens of countries and remains one of the most recognisable names in the hobby.