Renault R-35 with T26 conical turret - Panzerkampfwagen 35R 731(f) mit T-26 turm - case report

Gentlemen!!

       You guys know that I love the building of rare vehicles, but real ...Strolling through the internet, last year I found this photo on the Axis History Forum and Bingo ... Here I come! ...
      A Renault R-35 french light tank, with a conical turret T-26 russian tank, with german markings... Panzerkampfwagen 35R 731(f) mit T-26 turm... Wow!!!

Renault R-35 with T-26 turret

       To me, the photo was real, but then Photoshop exist, we no longer sure of anything. I asked in Missing Lynx what the colleagues thought about the image and the consensus was that the photo depicted a real vehicle, as was my opinion from the beginning. Well, this was the starting point for the collection kits to reproduce this project.

French light tank Renault R-35 

Russian light tank T26 

      The use of captured material was very common by the Germans, especially for secondary duties, such as tractors, ammo carriers, observation or airfields guarding... The Germans had and used many tanks R35 under combat conditions, after the surrender of France. It was  reliable and robust, with good supply of spare parts. ... Many vehicles R-35 were transformed  in destroyers, with a Czech 47mm gun , the Panzerjager 35R 731(f).

Renaults captureds in good conditions

Panzerjager 35R 731(f)- with Czech gun 47mm Pak(t) L/43.4

      In my interpretation, the Germans picked up a R-35 version tractor or ammo carrier (Munitionspanzer 35R 731 (f)) with no turret and put a T-26 turret in it for crew protection, using the tank as an armored observation vehicle.

Munitionspanzer 35R 731(f)

Munitionspanzer 35R 731(f) - russian front

       After this introduction, we will start the project. First, I "cleaned" the picture for best viewing:

Improved photography

 

A wider vision

      A drawing in three views is always important:

      After the presentation of the project, we will meet the protagonists: For the hull, I will use an old Renault R35 & Canon de 25 kit from Heller (#81133) and to use the turret, I will sacrifice a OT-134 / T-26-C tank kit from Mirage Hobby (#35309).

Kit Renault R35 Heller and OT-134/T26-C Mirage

        The Heller kit is good and honest, but the injection of Mirage's kit is a true shame ... Look at the injection fault in the breech of the 45mm gun: awful!! ... I'll replace it with a metal gun from RB Models.

The RB Models metal gun. The arrow mark the cut location. 

       After the metal gun surgery, the T26 turret is taking shape..

T-26 conical turret

      I made an adjustment to allow for the rotation of the turret on the hull. In my opinion, in the original tank the turret should be welded ... Its function should not be firing, but just a "cover" to protect the inside of the hull exposed. The advantage of being mobile turret in the kit is to prevent fracture of the gun, when handling the model ...

Rotation device

Testing the turret in the upper-hull. Ok !!!

Turret in the upper-hull. 

The building continues...Suspension and turret:

Renault R-35 hull with suspensions

Turret with details...

         I change the front axle (plastic) by a metal one:

Using metal wire for the front axle...

Front axle ready for the drive sprockets

       Making the tracks sagging:

Using wood sticks to force the track sagging

       Done !!!

The weight aspect of the tracks

The girl is looking good...

        Almost done. Primer time:

I'll try to reproduce the real pic. No spare wheel in the rear....

No tools and accessories, like the real pic.

Now, it´s primer time. The hull:

Hull with primer

...And the turret:

Turret with primer

       Ups and downs in the basic color: Panzer-Gray...The gloss aspect is the Future

Ups and Downs 

        German markings...No silvering (thanks, Future...)

Renault R-35 with german colors...

           Wash :

Almost ready...

      In the last post of this blog, this captured girl  was ready to receive the final weathering...

R35 ready for weathering...

       Well, after publishing the building in Missing-Lynx, our colleague Zisis Tsagarakis ( Thanks, Zisis...) drew my attention to a small BIG detail: the turret that I used was wrong. The mantlet was from another model, like in the plant I drew ...

Notice the differences between the kit and the mantlet in the photo and drawing

             Putz ... Here's a detail that could not be left behind ... How I don't have this version of turret, the way was do a surgery:

Plastic surgery.

Remaking the base of mantlet....

Plasticard time !!!

And the turret almost ready, after plastic surgery...

And the turret was corrected:

Again, ready for painting...

     And, finnaly (after the scare...), the French-Russian-German girl was done:

Renault R-35 with conical T-26 turret

Panzerkampfwagen 35R 731(f) mit T-26 turm

Renault R-35 with conical T-26 turret - right side

Renault R-35 with conical T-26 turret - left side

Renault R35 mit T26C-1939 turm - Beobachtung Tank 

Panzerkampfwagen 35R 731(f) mit T-26 turm

       Well, Gents ...

       Another project based on actual photo was ready ... It is very nice to have a unique model in our collection, even more when he receives help from colleagues around the world. 

 Cheers !!