Tamiya 35318 - 1:35 Finland Army Assault Gun BT-42

1:35 scale plastic model kit of the Finnish BT-42 assault gun

Tamiya 35318 reproduces the BT-42 – a Finnish assault gun with an extraordinary history. During WWII, Finland suffered a serious shortage of modern armoured vehicles. Using Soviet BT-7 tanks captured at the front, Finnish engineers combined their chassis with a new, large turret armed with an older British 114 mm howitzer. The result was the BT-42, of which only around 18 were built.

The model uses the BT-7 tank chassis with its characteristic Christie suspension, on which a tall turret with the howitzer is mounted. The crew hatches can be assembled open or closed, and the kit includes the shortened front fenders, storage boxes on the side fenders and jacks typical of Finnish vehicles.

What's in the box:

• Plastic sprues with the BT-7 chassis and new turret
• British 114 mm (4.5-inch) howitzer of 1918
• Shortened front fenders, storage boxes on side fenders and jacks
• Photo-etched parts
• Mixed tracks (individual links and longer lengths)
• Hatches that can be assembled open or closed
• One crew figure
• Decal sheet
• Illustrated assembly instructions

Model specifications:

• Scale: 1:35
• Item number: 35318
• Manufacturer: Tamiya
• Assembled length: 157 mm
• Skill level: beginner/intermediate (photo-etched parts, mixed tracks)

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 mixed tracks combine quick assembly of longer lengths on the straight runs with individual links on the curves, and the small photo-etched parts are best attached with cyanoacrylate glue. The hatches can be assembled open to display the figure.

For painting, the characteristic Finnish three-colour camouflage (grey-green, sand and dark brown) is recommended, matching the chosen marking option. Military vehicles are usually finished with a matt varnish, and the detail and recesses benefit from a wash and dry-brushing.

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 – BT-42:

The BT-42 arose from a Finnish need to increase the firepower of their available armoured vehicles. The chassis of a captured Soviet BT-7 fast tank with Christie suspension was used, carrying a new, tall turret armed with a British 114 mm howitzer dating back to WWI.

The vehicle entered service in 1942, but its combat value proved limited – the obsolete howitzer coped poorly with modern Soviet tanks, and the BT-42 itself was relatively tall and vulnerable to fire. Even so, owing to its unusual design and the small number built (around 18), it remains one of the most distinctive Finnish vehicles of WWII.

Original specifications (BT-42):

• Length: approx. 5.66 m
• Width: approx. 2.29 m
• Height: approx. 2.6 m
• Combat weight: approx. 15 t
• Crew: 3
• Main armament: British 114 mm (4.5-inch) howitzer
• Powerplant: M-17 petrol engine, approx. 400 hp
• Maximum speed: approx. 52 km/h
• Suspension: Christie type
• Production: from 1942, approx. 18 examples

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.