Tamiya

1/48 Komatsu G40 Bulldozer

Kit Number: 32565

Reviewed by  Ken McDevitt, IPMS# 46356

MSRP: $ 21.50 Website: www.tamiyausa.com Description and History: During WWII, Japanese forces developed the Komatsu G40 Bulldozer to aid in airfield construction. This was the first bulldozer manufactured by the Japanese. One hundred and forty-eight G40 bulldozers were built throughout the war. The G40 was sent to the northern and southern fronts, but due to the war few managed to reach their assigned airfields. Only one G40 survived the war, and can be seen at the Komatsu Techo Center in Shizuka, Japan. The Japan Society of Mechanical Engineers recognized the vehicle in 2007 as a Mechanical Engineering Heritage item. In the Box: 50 parts. 2 sprues in plastic sealed bags. 1 driver. 1 decal sheet. 1 metal transfer. Fold out Instruction sheet with 2 sides) with 7 steps and Tamiya painting guide and marking guide.

First Impressions: The sprues are 100% free of flash and there are very few injector pin marks. None of the pin marks will show when assembled. The single sheet of decals is clean and crisp. The metal transfer for the radiator emblem is very detailed. Despite this being in 1/48 scale, even the smallest parts should be easy to handle. (PS: This comment will come back to haunt me later in the build) Build Plan: This is an OOB(Out of Box) build with no aftermarket additions or replacements. For the main color I'll be using Tamiya XF-75, IJN Gray. IJN stands for "Imperial Japanese Navy". You also have the option of using the spray can version of Tamiya TS-66. In order to facilitate painting, I'll be creating 4 sub-assemblies: The main body, left side tracks, right side tracks and the blade. Construction and Discoveries: This was an easy build and most level 2 modelers should not have any problems. I thought that it might be OK (Warning: anytime you think that you better be very sure) to not paint the instrument dials as called out and to over paint them after the IJN Gray was applied. I wished I had painted them when called for in the instructions and then used liquid mask to shield them from the IJN Gray. It would have been easier to remove the masking than painting them with the control levers in the way. Other than that issue, there were no problems encountered. Progress Photos: After assembly, here are some unpainted pictures to show you the details of the build.

Painting: I used the Tamiya colors per the instructions for this. This is the representation of the OOB (Out of Box) build and paint. Anything after this point is optional and highly subjective. Decals and Metal Transfers: Instead of doing a full covering of Future, I hand brushed just the areas to receive decals and the metal transfer. 3 of the 4 decals were no problem but the 4th dissolved as I was applying it. I'm still not adept at applying decals so it really was my fault. I considered the metal transfer emblem the centerpiece of the radiator and was looking forward to applying it. I even bought the correct bottle of Tamiya Clear Yellow/X-24(probably a lifetime supply) for the transfer. But somewhere in some deep, foul, nasty depths of Lost Parts there resides the Demon of Fiddlybits. He is laughing at me and my one full hour of searching for the emblem that just seemed to vanish into thin air as I was applying it. I even had my wife run a magnet over my clothes in the hope it was stuck somewhere. But alas, to no avail. So dear reader there is no shiny emblem on the bulldozer and I embarrassingly apologize. Also on the metal transfer sheet are 2 small circles of different sizes. These were not referenced in the instructions. They look like they could be used on the instrument panel dials but on closer measurement they are too big. Detailing and Weathering: After the decals dried I sprayed Future on the entire model and did some minor pin washing and very slight weathering. My approach for IPMS reviews is to emphasize the build rather than heavy weathering(which is also very subjective). A final coat of Dullcote and I'm ready for the "beauty" shots. Final Photos:

I highly recommend this kit. It's a fast and enjoyable build. I would like to thank Tamiya USA for supplying the kit and IPMS for the opportunity of doing this review.