TACAM R-2 1/72 ATTACK
| Well-known and agile Czech kit producer ATTACK has opened his production several years ago by production of resin kits - mainly very attractive types, in 1:72 scale. One of them is Romanian tank destroyer TACAM R-2, built in closely undetected numbers in 1943-44 on undercarriage of koda R-2 tank, by another name well-known Czech LT vz. 35. This reconstruction was based on German light tank destroyers of Marder series. TACAMs have fighted as far as the end of war, first on eastern front, and after state coup in August 1944 against Germans, even in 1945 they've got in formation of Romanian 2nd Tank Regiment on Slovakia and southern Moravia. Minimaly one TACAM R-2 hanged over to these days in collections of Military museum in Bucharest and according to photographs it's in very good condition. |
| Name | TACAM Skoda R-2 (Item No. 02) |
| Producer | Attack!, Czech Republic |
| Packing | Model is packing in tough cardboard cover, which protects it very well. On upside of box is glued-on paper with badge of producer, name of kit and colour image of relatively good quality. Cast stock are storage in two plastic bags. |
| Type of kit | resin kit |
| Quality | Cast stock are storage in two plastic bags. In one three biggest, hull and chassis units, in second one small parts in two very thin resin membranes. There is a great quantity of these parts, including details of cannon, sapper tools, even also towing-hooks. Only cartridges into cannon, transported in fighting compartment are absenting. Parts can be removed out of membrane very easy, maybe too easy, after a little touch. Quality of castings is at very good standart, maybe, according to my opinion, slightly worse than e.g. of resins from Planet Models, but though they will warm the heart of modeller. Boils and cavernous spots practically cannot be found. The only thing, on which you'll find a lot of work, are chassis units, That producer have made altogether - all the wheels including chassis buggies and tracks in one part. Here's casting somewhat hard and some details, including rear parties of this set, are cast-in into resin, that you have to caution remove. Satisfaction for you can be the fact that producer have succeed to make this relatively complicated undercarriage set very accurately, including characteristic sagging of tracks. As regards shape accuracy and proportion of reducing, I'm not friend of measuring the kit on tenths of millimetre and subsequent cutting up and cementing. That is why I only shall state, that model represents his design very accurately. |
| Instruction sheet | Instruction of kit is xeroprint with name of kit, procedure of building, several pen drawings and list of resin kits of ATTACK. Procedure of building is illustrated relatively simply, but for experienced modeller it is sufficient. Here I have, however, first criticism - that you can't get any knowledge about pattern of kit and especially then about camouflage and marking. |
| Decals | In kit there is also included an small little decal sheet, probably common for all derivations of "Pz 35". For TACAM here you can find Romanian St. Michael's crosses in simplified shape (only white outline), which machine wore on sides of body. There is missing, however, identical sign in full-colour version, which Romanian vehicles carried on upper engine cover like recognition sign for planes. Suppose, that nowadays will not be so big problem to get this sign from some other kit. Whether TACAMs R-2 carried on sides of superstructure identification numbers as well as Romanian tanks I don't have unfortunately up to now trustworthy indications. Otherwise about camouflage, it's very simple - Romanian armour vehicle was coloured on all surfaces olive khaki. On photographs from mentioned museum there is colour's shade very near to colours of tanks from USSR, but there's a question if cammo of this exhibit is authentic.... |
| General Impression | If i'd summarize everything, I can recommend this kit, aside of some odds. You'll get into your collection very attractive piece.... |
| Note | Only it'd be maybe problem to get it, because I don know, if ATTACK after opening the production of injected kits don't end their resins. Even I've got this model in commissional sale. If, however, will ATTACK continue in conversion of resins into plastic, as at several variations of Pz 38(t), we can look forward, because along above-mentioned list in instruction - what 'd you say about 5 versions of T-34, including 4 versions of T-34/76 ? |
