Reviews : Tamiya M18 Hellcat US Tank Destroyer

There is a lot to like about this M18 Hellcat US Tank Destroyer from Tamiya. Two things immediately caught my eye when I first opened the box. The first was the exceptional detail and quality of the casting. The second thing was the large number of pieces in this kit that will occupy your time and test your skills. For comparison, this kit has approx. 330 pieces - more than three times the number of pieces included in the Tamiya M41 Walker Bulldog kit of the same scale. There are many small pieces including 28 single pin track pieces that fit together with the straight track sections. As another reviewer commented, these definitely are a challenge to those of us with older eyes. Another really nice feature of this model is the open turret design of the Hellcat, which gives the opportunity to build and see a detailed interior, including the main gun breech, shell racks and crew positions. Two final comments about the casting detail. Tamiya used 3D scanning techniques that includes fabric seams and creases for the gun shield cover. Very nice! And lastly, the quality of the commander figure is really good and the fit of the pieces is more precise than other figuress I have done. Excellent model!!!

I have medium skills and 57 year old eyes. This kit challenged both. Happily though, I can say I built a really nice representation of a Hellcat. The open turret allows for interior detail to be displayed and the exterior is well defined. The track links almost broke me; they took three attempts to get them right. But after taking a mental health break, I get them on and properly lined up for the most part.

In process of building. So far instructions, fit , etc. are excellent. We'll see how the 'length and link' tracks go, but I see no probs. I plan to sub the .50BMG for a Academy version I have on spare. Pleased the figure appears to be true 1/35 scale as per new Tamiya.

This kit was a nice addition to my collection. It went together with no hitches at all. There is also plenty of aftermarket accessories out there for this particular M18. I highly recommend it for all skill levels. Remember to take your time, and have fun!😃

Excellent kit. Very well engineered, the parts go together easily and the instruction were easy to follow. I purchased a brass barrel and some resin upgrade parts. I also made my own antenna. Was a joy to put together.

Great kit. Most pieces snap in place. Very realistic. Only challenge is the abundance of small pieces. Some sections could have been engineered with less tiny parts than provided.

This kit comes with a fully detailed turret interior, but like with any other Tamiya kit, it was very user friendly, making it enjoyable throughout the entire process.