Reviews : Tamiya German Leopard Medium Tank

This is a very easy build... Its actually probably the easiest one I’ve had yet and is very affordable. Being an older model it is not without out its flaws. It has the holes common with most of the older tamiya models which you can patch with putty unfortunately though unlike the other tamiya models though where you can ignore the holes on the bottom this one has some pretty big and obvious ones near the rear drive sprockets. I was also a little disappointed to find out the stowage racks lacked a bottom, I’m probably going to scratch build some before I paint it. I did find quite a few injection marks that were in places that they’d be visible but they aren’t in places that are super obvious... I’d also recommend keeping around reference material because some of the pictures aren’t very clear on the orientation for things like say the barrel evacuator. Some parts were a little warped and required clamping to get them to bond but that’s likely an individual thing with my kit and may or may not be an issue... oh if you are planning on building this hatch open I recommend insuring a good fit between the hatch and the turret before installing the commanders cupola. I ended up breaking the mounting peg off trying to get it to fit but I was building it hatch down anyway though so no big deal. All in all despite its shortcomings it’s still a great kit. It looks like it’s supposed too and has reasonably good detailing... at only $20 it is well worth the investment and is by far one of the easiest builds I’ve seen. The quality at this price point alone makes it worthwhile.

This is an older but still very good kit from Tamiya. It assembles quite well strait out of the box, and would be a really good beginner model for a young model builder who likes tanks. The Leopard 1 was the first German designed tank after the 2nd world war. It was used by West Germany and other NATO forces. There is not to much to the kit, being older. It does not have separate suspension parts or individual track links and such. So that is what makes it good for a starter kit for a younger builder. For the advanced builder it can be a good addition to a collection out of the box. Or a great starting point for a super detailed project. Some of the downsides other then the ones I already mentioned would be the figure that comes with the kit and the lack of some other detail parts that could be in there as well. The machine gun on the top of the turret has no ammo, and there could be a lot more to the decal sheet. Some photo-etched parts would also be a good addition along with a new commander figure. In conclusion, this is a nice kit, and could be a great project for any model builder and with a little effort a nice display piece in your tank collection. Happy Model Building!

The German Leopard Medium Tank is an impressive kit representing a post WWII German tank. The kit has nice detail, including a molded rough surface on the hull. The kit includes all the accessories that Tamiya generously gives, including shovels, picks, saw, cables, etc. I was slightly dissapointed in the one figure(just the upper torso) that comes with this tank, as it seems slightly too small for the 1/35 scale. It includes a metal screen for the engine compartment that really looked nice on the completed model. The treads are the usual one piece rubber type, with good detail on both sides. I did not care for the rubber wheel plugs that attach the wheels to the suspension, however, as they leave unsightly gaps in the wheel assemblies. As with many Tamiya kits, this one does not offer the builder much to do with regards to the lower hull and suspension - it is all pre-molded as one piece. Even with these slight drawbacks, the kit turned out looking very nice, and it was a fun build.

This kit is one of the oldest ones the Tamiya line. It assembles easily with no major problems. The detail is not as sharp as the newer kits, but it includes pretty good features for it's age. It is a good beginners kit that will look good next to the newer releases from other companies. The tracks are the rubber band type that most glue won't stick to. You can follow the instructions and melt the posts to join the tracks. I also put a couple of staples across the join. To install the track, leave the drive sprockets off until you are ready to install the track. Place the track over all of the wheels, fit the drive sprocket into the track and press the sprocket into place on it's axle. That way you don't have to stretch the track to get it around all of the wheels and drive sprocket.

This kit is really quite amazing in my opinion, it's all in what you make of it when building and detailing. Very simple, straight forward instructions and assembly, especially considering the age of the molding it's stunning how it all just flies together into a very presentable vehicle. I do know of quite a few little mistakes with this one, things like the exhaust vents etc. only a rivet counter will really care at all. That is however my reason for 4/5 stars, Tamiya could easily update this mold to make a good kit into a great kit again! That said, if you're looking for a nice Leo to pass the time on the cheap you can't do much better than this kit around 20$ USD.

The kits old and shows it. Detail is simplified but works. The turret is not good. It actually is shaped more like a M48 Patton turret All that said, it was perfect for what I bought it for. I built mine as the Panther from the movie A Bridge Too Far. It's an easy build. It's old and detail is to be expected. If you want a good Leo 1, there are much better kits. For the price, you can afford to kitbash it. The turret is the weakness of the kit.

I built this model years ago with my cousin. He was new to the hobby and we both really enjoyed it. The model is simple enough for young modellers to avoid being bored, but more 'hardcore' hobbyists may find some of the lack of options and the rubber tracks a bit disappointing. Recommended for beginning to intermediate modellers who want to add to their tank collections. :)

Overall, this kit was fun and easy to build, like any other Tamiya kit, however the kit that I received had some minor issues, such as some parts not fitting correctly at first, as well as the gun barrel and one of the tracks being warped, however I was able to easily fix these issues with the tools that I had.

Again one of my earliest Armor builds as this Tamiya kit is fairly inexpensive. Details and parts are nice and it goes together very well. Very little extra flash or pin marks and wasn't driven to learn how to use putty/filler so overall happy with the build and results.

I really liked this kit. 2nd kit since getting back into the hobby. Went together really well. I have to say tho the handles on the turrent you might as well chunk. They dont quite fit right on the turrent and they break easily. Highly recommend making them from copper wire.

The Revell kit available from this site is better by far. This kit is from the 70s and lacking innovation and detail. The Revell kit also has more options as to what you want to build.

Nice detail Good size tank. Nice for a desk display. Tamiya is always first class. No or little flash clean up. Will not disappoint.

Very easy build no problems and nicely detailed for an older Tamiya model add it to your collection you won't be disappointed.

One of Tamiya's more basic kits great for the beginner or moderate modeler. Comes with metal screen mesh over the engine.

This kit went together so well. It made it a very pleasant build. Really enjoyed it.

price is great.easy to put togather.parts fit real good.great addtion to colection.

Really good for the money. It's really easy to make for a beginner like me.

great model. old but great. no problems at all. easy build.