Hobby Fan 1/35 IDF Centurion Mk.5 (Six Day War) Crew Kit First Look
By Cookie Sewell
Images by Michael Benolkin
| Date of Review | April 2008 | Manufacturer | Hobby Fan |
|---|---|---|---|
| Subject | IDF Centurion Mk.5 (Six Day War) Crew | Scale | 1/35 |
| Kit Number | 581 | Primary Media | 2 Figures; 13 parts in tan resin |
| Pros | Crew figures designed to match up with new AFV Club kits; well sculpted and easy to assemble | Cons | Very tiny parts, only difference in the kits are the figure sets |
| Skill Level | Basic | MSRP (Yen) | ¥3000 (about $29.50) |
First Look
Some modelers may not realize it but Hobby Fan Trading Company of Taiwan (ROC) is the holding company and parent of both Hobby Fan 1/72 and 1/35 scale resin products, AFV Club 1/48 and 1/35 scale plastic model kits and accessories, and the current holder of the Skybow 1/35 scale plastic kit molds. (Skybow originally broke away from AFV Club but was later reabsorbed.)
As such, Hobby Fan (the model branch) is very good about creating detail sets and figure sets in resin to compliment their AFV Club plastic kit line. This set is designed to compliment the 1967 IDF Sho’t Centurion Mk 5/1 (AFV Club Kit No. 35122).
Overall these are nice accessory sets, perfectly matched to their original kits and worthy of consideration.
Each set comes with the individual figures packed in their own zip-lock bags inside a larger zip-lock bag and that is packed inside a coil of bubble wrap in a sturdy cardboard box, so breakage should not be a problem.
The IDF figures are in the last of their purchased and borrowed uniforms, and consist of a tank command and an infantryman. The tank commander comes in four pieces and builds up to a figure designed to fit in the commander’s cupola of the tank. He comes with the WWII style US Army tanker’s helmet and is relatively relaxed. The infantry comes in nine parts and builds into a figure with his rifle, a Galil, at the ready. Both figures are cleanly sculpted and while large the pour blocks and parts are designed to make separation relatively easy.
My sincere thanks to HobbyLink Japan for this image review sample! Also thanks to Shirley Lin of Hobby Fan Trading for the review sample.