Airfix

1/76 Matilda "Hedgehog"

Kit Number: A02335

Reviewed by  Joachim Lotz, IPMS# 44170

MSRP: $ 10.95 Website: www.airfix-usa.com Website: www.airfix.com History) The Matilda "Hedgehog" was used by the Australian forces in New Guinea. It is based on the Matilda Mk. II infantry tank. The bunkers that the Japanese built were very strong and posed a major problem for the allied forces. The system is based on the anti-submarine Hedgehog system of the Navy which fired a 63lbs projectile with a 37lbs warhead from a spigot launcher. A platform was added to the engine deck of the tank which contained 7 projectiles. One projectile was used for ranging and then a whole salvo was fired at the target with usually devastating effect. The tank "Bullpup" represented in this kit exists still as original in the museum of the Australian Armored Forces and a couple of pictures can be found online. To my understanding the Australian Matildas used different commander cupolas which are not as high as the British ones. The tank in the museum is also shown with mud guards attached to the front fenders which are not included in the kit. The Kit The Matilda hedgehog is a reissue of the desert Matilda from Airfix with a new sprue added for the Hedgehog device. The kit comes in 4 sprues with a total of 72 olive green parts, plus a small decal sheet; rubber band tracks and a 12 step instruction booklet in 6 languages. The manual is very easy to understand and has a 5-sided color view of the tank for painting and decal placement. As far as the parts are concerned, they had many sink marks in the most obvious locations like side skirts and engine deck, heavy mold parting lines and flash. The detail on the parts is fairly soft and not as crisp as on kits from other contemporary manufacturers.

The rubber tracks leave a lot to be desired. They were very simple with a large amount of flash that was hard to remove due to the softness of the tracks. The decals are in register and very well printed and had the right thickness. The Build I started the build with filling all the sink marks with Mr. Dissolved Putty twice. The first time I let the putty fully cure and then tried to sand but due to the small scale I sanded of some of the rivet detail. And since Mr. Dissolved putty shrinks when it cures, I did a second application and waited for about an hour and then just removed the excess with a chisel blade. The assembly of the kit is fairly easy and considering the age of the original the fit was good for the most part with a gap here and there. There is definitely a difference between the parts of the tank itself and the Hedgehog device with the latter being better molded and having a better fit. The turret is made of right and left halves with a prominent seam at the back of the turret that needs filling. The Hedgehog launcher can be built movable but does not fit in the fully stowed away position which would require some sanding to do so. It also includes separate projectiles for the Hedgehog. The tracks are the biggest drawback of the kit. As I stated above, the tracks are very soft rubber and had a large amount of flash that was almost impossible to remove completely. The tracks are designed to be heat melted with a couple of little pins being pushed through a hole but due to the softness it was impossible for me and so I used staples since the tracks are mostly hidden. After I had everything assembled one of the tracks broke right above the drive sprocket where the track disappears under the fender. How it happened I have no idea. Painting and weathering After everything was assembled I primed the whole model with Tamiya Grey Primer. I next airbrushed overall with Tamiya XF-58 Olive green. I then noticed that the paint does not adhere well to the tracks and started to flake off. I then did the detail painting with various other Tamiya and Model Master colors. After a coat of future I applied the decals which are in my opinion the best part of the kit. They went down nicely with a little Solvaset and didn't silver at all. Next I gave the model an overall oil wash of burnt Sienna and Black, followed by a coat of Model Master Clear flat. I then highlighted a little with Tamiya Weathering Master pastels and brushed Bragdon Powders Dust on. Conclusion This kit definitely shows its age even with the addition of the Hedgehog launcher. It does not have the detail or fit what we have come to expect from kits from other manufacturers of small scale kits. The tracks of this kit are a major short coming and take away a lot of points from this kit. Nevertheless, it is a model of a very unique WW2 vehicle and with some TLC can be build into a good model by everyone that has a few small scale armor models under their belt. I would like to thank Airfix for this review kit.