Tamiya Israel Merkava MBT Tank Kit 35127 Build Review & Photos

Tamiya Israel Merkava MBT Tank Kit 35127 was something I have certainly being wanting to make for some time now.

After popping into the local model shop, Just Kits in Hull I thought I would take a look through their selection of plastic kits.

While looking I notice this model was there. I also noticed that for under £20 it was a fair-sized model so snapped it up.

In the kit, you get the usual sprues, a few decals and a figure. In this case, the figure included with the Tamiya Israel Merkava MBT Tank Kit 35127 was the driver.

Furthermore what I liked about this model was that it came with rubber tracks. In the past, while researching some tank models for me I have been put off by the idea of having to make up the tank tracks.

Some model makers do not like rubber tracks. However, once you have worked with hem and can join them they are a great time saver. What’s more, they look pretty striking on the model.

As the Tamiya Israel Merkava MBT Tank Kit 35127 is an older kit it comes with some holes in the bottom. These were for people who may like to motorise them.

To save time I opted not to fill them, in the past I have though it seems like a pointless use of time and resources.

Tamiya Israel Merkava MBT Tank Kit 35127 Build Process

Getting on with the build it is pretty simple stuff. The main goal of this build was to complete it as fast as possible.

Having made a couple of tanks I got the main four wheels ready and fitted first. I wanted to allow them plenty of time to dry.

Then my method was to crack on and fit as many of the parts the turret and the main body as possible. At this stage, I only left off the spade, stretcher and storage basket.

Everything was then sprayed black using Tamiya paint. While this dried I also sprayed all the wheels flat black. Then it was time to hit the model with Tamiya Desert Yellow building up a few coats here and there.

While this cured attention switched to the figure. This was hand-painted with Tamiya paints as per the instructions. It was not too difficult and only took a few minutes to complete.

The wheels were next, using a circular stencil I hit them with some desert yellow. After this dried Tamiya black panel line was used to find the edges and the black touched up.

Everything was now given a blast of Tamyia gloss from a rattle can. Assembly of the parts was simple enough. Everything fitted well so there was no real need to mess about with sanding and filling of gaps.

As these parts dried the tow cable and tracks with given a dry brush of silver and then gunmetal to create a metallic effect.

These were added to the model and the decals were applied. Concerning the decals, I had a few issues and feel they were not as robust as I would have liked.

Tamiya Israel Merkava MBT Tank Kit 35127 Conclusion

This is a great kit that offers superb value for money. It is not overly complicated and the limited colour scheme means you can get away with not needing much paint. Also once it is complete is a decent size model that looks quite impressive.

In all this took three evenings to complete. For a more experienced model maker, this is something that could easily be completed in a single day.

Given its cost, size and what’s included this is a model I would certainly recommend. There is plenty of room to get creative and hit the final build with washes and other effects.

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