SPA Modeler

I started this kit probably a decade or so ago, perhaps a bit longer. I had assembled the suspension and then tried fitting them to the bottom center pieces. And I think that I sidelined it over fit issues. Fast forward several residential moves and my wanting to eliminate my backlog of sidelined builds. Add to that my AMPS Chapter had a challenge of working on an old build and I had said I would join but never started a build for the “World At War, 1939-1940” GB over on FSM. Lastly I am nearing the finish line with my M46 build and I felt like gluing together more plastic on an armor project, without actually starting a new kit.

So first up last nite was a bit of filing, sanding, and trouble shooting to assemble the lower hull. Then quite a bit of coaxing and pressing to properly position the upper hull shell. Once I had that done, assembly started to move smoothly and quickly. The plastic itself reminds me of the styrene used by Airfix, being on the softer side. While drilling out the co axial machine gun barrel bore, i dinged that up and ended up replacing it with some Albion brass tubing- great stuff! I also drilled out the main gun tube bore and worked on the fishtail exhaust openings a bit. But I am planning to keep this as Out Of Box as possible to help it move quickly. After about four hours work last nite the main construction was done...







I still have lots of little bits to add, seam filling and clean up, and then I’m going to add some texturing to the armor, as the hull and turret was cast armor not rolled armor plates. I can’t wait to get to painting on this, as the French had some really good looking camo schemes on the early war armor.

Nice! not much detailing on this kit. Definitely looks like an old kit. What year was the issue?

There’s actually a lot of detail on the kit... but most of it is glued to locator marks on the surfaces. I still have lots of that to add. But first I’m gonna scribe a few hatch seams into place that are instead represented as raised lines. The kit was originally released in 1977, but I have a 1999 rebox.

Loking good, don't often see Heller kits these days.

Thanks Bish. This is only my second Heller armor kit that has reached this point. They are interesting, shall we say... Until recently, they were the only source for 1/35 WWII French armor.

So today I went back to work on this build. I scribed the turret side hatch outlines from what had been raised lines. Unfortunately on the right side, the template slipped a bit... I also added the lift horns onto the turret and cupola, and depend the vision slit on the cupola.









On the hull I added most of the small parts, lift horns, tie down rails, and other small greeblies.





Next up I’m gonna add some texturing to the cast armor section and do the last bits of seam clean up. After that I can add the last bits of add ones before painting can start.

Looking good so far...

Thanks Tom. This is a decent old kit.

This morning I did a bit of Putty work on the lower hull to address the last seam issues, then I began using Mr Surfacer 1000 to add cast texturing onto the upper rear hull and commander’s vision cupola





More to come soon...

Texture applied to the turret, front upper hull, and front & real lower hull end plates





Now there just a few last bits to add then she’s all ready for painting...