Tamiya 35274 - 1:35 Challenger 2 Desertised

1:35 scale plastic model kit of the British Challenger 2 tank (desertised)

Tamiya 35274 reproduces the Challenger 2 – the British main battle tank in its desertised form, adapted for Iraqi conditions and used during Operation Telic in 2003. Compared with the Challenger 1 of the Gulf War period, the Challenger 2 received improved second-generation Chobham composite armour and a digital fire-control system with a panoramic commander's sight.

The model faithfully captures the vehicle's massive silhouette and its desert modifications: canvas side skirts to reduce dust ingestion, angular exhausts, additional front and rear hull armour, and Combat Identification Panels (CIP). The gun and the Commander's Independent Thermal Viewer (CITV) are movable after assembly, and the sight camera and lights are reproduced using clear parts.

What's in the box:

• Plastic sprues and a clear sprue
• Clear film to reproduce the sight camera
• 120 mm L30A1 rifled gun (movable) and a movable Commander's Independent Thermal Viewer (CITV)
• Canvas side skirts and angular exhausts
• Additional front and rear hull armour and Combat Identification Panels (CIP)
• String and rod to represent external equipment
• Vinyl belt tracks
• Two figures: commander and loader torsos
• Decal sheet for three marking options
• Illustrated instructions with a full-colour painting guide

Model specifications:

• Scale: 1:35
• Item number: 35274
• Manufacturer: Tamiya
• Assembled length: 334 mm, width: 115 mm
• Skill level: beginner/intermediate (many details, desert accessories)

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

Building the model:

Thanks to the excellent part fit typical of Tamiya, the model is approachable even for less experienced builders. The movable gun and rotating CITV allow for an effective display, and the sight covers can be assembled open or closed. All three marking options come from the same unit, so the choice mainly concerns the tactical numbers.

For painting, a uniform desert sand colour is recommended (the British BS381C:361 Light Stone shade), typical of British vehicles in Iraq. Military vehicles are usually finished with a matt varnish, and the detail and recesses benefit from a wash.

Tools you'll need:

• Modelling side cutters for removing parts from the sprues
• Hobby knife or scalpel
• Files and sandpaper for cleaning up sprue-gate marks
• Polystyrene cement (e.g. Tamiya Extra Thin Cement)
• Cyanoacrylate glue for the photo-etched and metal parts
• Brushes of various sizes
• Model paints (acrylic or enamel)
• A wash to emphasise detail and recesses
• Optionally: pigments for dust and mud effects

About the vehicle – Challenger 2:

The Challenger 2 is a British main battle tank that replaced the earlier Challenger 1. Compared with its predecessor, it received improved second-generation Chobham composite armour, resistant to armour-piercing and shaped-charge rounds, and a modern digital fire-control system with a panoramic commander's sight featuring a laser rangefinder and a thermal gunner's sight.

The tank is armed with a 120 mm L30A1 rifled gun, which provides high accuracy and allows it to fire armour-piercing, HESH, smoke and depleted-uranium rounds. The rifled barrel sets the Challenger 2 apart from most contemporary Western tanks, which use smoothbore guns.

Vehicles deployed to Iraq received a series of desert modifications: additional reactive armour at the front, composite armour on the sides, a cover to reduce exhaust heat emission, canvas skirts to reduce dust ingestion, the Commander's Independent Thermal Viewer (CITV) and Combat Identification Panels (CIP).

Original specifications (Challenger 2):

• Length with gun: approx. 11.5 m
• Width: approx. 3.5 m (up to approx. 4.2 m with appliqué armour)
• Height: approx. 2.49 m
• Combat weight: approx. 62.5 t (more with additional armour)
• Crew: 4
• Main armament: 120 mm L30A1 rifled gun
• Secondary armament: coaxial 7.62 mm machine gun and a 7.62 mm machine gun at the loader's hatch
• Powerplant: Perkins CV12 diesel engine, approx. 1200 hp
• Maximum speed: approx. 59 km/h (road)
• Range: approx. 550 km
• Armour: Chobham composite (second generation)

About the manufacturer – Tamiya:

Tamiya Corporation is a Japanese model company founded in 1946 by Yoshio Tamiya in Shizuoka, regarded as the heart of the Japanese model industry. The company initially traded in timber, but from the late 1940s it produced wooden models, and in 1960 it launched its first plastic assembly kit. Two years later it introduced its iconic 1:35 scale tank, which set the worldwide standard scale for military modelling. The brand is renowned for exceptionally precise injection moulds and excellent part fit, which is why its kits are favoured by beginners and experienced modellers alike. The Military Miniature Series, to which this model belongs, comprises hundreds of items and is considered one of the most comprehensive 1:35 catalogues of military vehicles in the world. Alongside plastic kits, Tamiya offers a full range of modelling supplies: paints, glues, tools and brushes.