Tamiya 35185 - 1:35 Panzerkampfwagen IV On Vehicle Equipment Set

Tamiya 35185 Panzerkampfwagen IV On Vehicle Equipment Set in 1:35 scale

The tools stowed across the armour plates are one of the most characteristic details of German Second World War vehicles – and at the same time a feature that older kits often render rather generically. The Tamiya 35185 set lets you replace it with separate, finely detailed parts.

The box contains jacks, tools and service equipment carried on the outside of the vehicle. The set is intended mainly for Panzer IV models, but many of the parts are equally useful on other German armoured vehicles in 1:35 scale. The parts come from 1995 tooling.

What is in the box:

• 18 t jack
• 20 t jack
• Wire cutters
• Axe
• Shovel
• Track adjusting tools
• Gun cleaning rod

Kit specifications:

• Scale: 1:35
• Item number: 35185
• Manufacturer: Tamiya
• Type: accessories for models and dioramas – on-vehicle equipment
• Tooling: 1995

Assembly and painting required

The parts have to be removed from the sprues, cleaned up, assembled and painted. Cement, paints and modelling tools are not included in the set and must be obtained separately.

Use in a diorama:

• Completing the stowage of a Panzer IV model – tools fixed to the fenders and armour plates
• Detailing other German armoured vehicles in 1:35 scale
• A maintenance scene: tools taken off the vehicle and laid out on the ground beside the crew
• A track change – the jack under the hull and the track adjusting tools in use
• Cleaning the gun barrel with the cleaning rod as a subject for a crew vignette

Tools you will need:

• Sprue cutters
• Hobby knife and files or sandpaper to clean up the parts
• Polystyrene cement
• Model paints and brushes for the small parts; wooden handles and metal fittings are worth separating by colour
• Precision modelling tweezers

On-vehicle equipment of German armoured vehicles:

A tank crew had to look after itself in the field, so every vehicle carried a set of tools fixed to the outside of the hull. The shovel and axe were used to prepare a position, cut a way through undergrowth or lay logs under a bogged-down vehicle. Wire cutters dealt with obstacles. A heavy screw jack was essential when changing road wheels and repairing the running gear, and the track adjusting tools served one of the most common maintenance jobs – setting track tension after a thrown track or a link change. The gun cleaning rod, usually carried in a tube attached to the armour, was used to clean the barrel after firing.

The Panzerkampfwagen IV was the most numerous German tank of the Second World War and the only one that stayed in production throughout the conflict. Originally conceived as a support vehicle with a short 75 mm gun, after encountering Soviet tanks it was rearmed with a long-barrelled 75 mm gun that turned it into a full-value battle tank. About 8,500 were built in many variants, it served on every front, and surviving vehicles remained in use long after the war.

About the manufacturer – Tamiya:

Tamiya is a Japanese company based in Shizuoka, active since 1946 – first as a timber business and, from the 1960s, as a manufacturer of plastic scale models. The brand built its reputation on precise tooling, good parts fit and clear instructions, which is why its kits are chosen by beginners and experienced modellers alike.

The 1:35 Military Miniature Series, to which this set belongs, covers military vehicles, figures and diorama accessories. A shared scale and consistent style make it easy to combine parts from different Tamiya sets in one scene.