Tamiya 1/35 M10 Tank Destroyer

Probably the most recognisable US tank destroyer of the war, Tamiya's kit stacks up well against those of AFV club and Academy

First Impressions

As someone who's built all the main three brands of M10 kits, I'd like to start by saying this is my favourite. The kit represents a mid production vehicle with the wedge type counterweights, as opposed to the earlier box type or the later "duckbill" type. In the box, you'll find 6 sprues and the upper hull in Tamiya's OD colour; another, clear sprue for lights and crew goggles; the two rubber track runs (which can be glued using poly cement) and the decal sheet.

Running Gear

This was the first (and I believe only, so far) set to include Tamiya's new VVSS bogeys, which are pretty superb. They build up nice and easily, look the part and the volute arm axles actually line up with the detail on the outside (which I found was generally an issue with the academy examples). There are a couple of issues with them, however: You'll end up with two cuts down the side of each unit, which you may want to fill; the seam on the inside of the track skid might be a pain to remove (although it's not particularly noticeable, so you can get away with leaving it); and the units can be positioned easily on uneven terrain. This being said, they are a vast improvement on the old Tamiya examples. The wheels have the tyre pins finely cast into the rims, so you aren't forced to either forego them or lose your sanity slicing them off the sprue and losing them all. The sprockets and idlers fit snugly using poly-caps and the idlers have toothed mounts so you can adjust the track tension, which makes putting the track on nice and easy.

Hull

Being an open-topped TD, there is a basic interior in this set. However, it does lose marks against AFV Club and Academy for not having any detail in the driving compartment. The detail in the fighting compartment is more or less limited to the rear firewall and the ammo racks, which is sufficient for what you can see through the turret, but not if you want an open hatch without a figure in it.

Turret

In terms of its shape, this turret is better than either of the AFV or Academy sets. There's a good level of detail including the magazine and ammo racks, as well as the Thompson. The only downside I would note is the ejector marks on the inside faces, but these are easily filled or hidden by putting figures in the turret.