Tamiya 1/35 Quad Gun Tractor

The CMP FAT (Field Artillery Tractor), was a Canadian Military Pattern vehicle manufactured by Ford and Chevrolet. The FAT was an artillery tractor of the British and Commonwealth forces during World War II. Several models were produced by the two manufactures as CGT (Chevrolet Gun Tractor) and FGT (Ford Gun Tractor).

CMP stood for Canadian Military Pattern and was applied to a number of trucks, artillery tractors and utility vehicles built in Canada that combined British design requirements with North American automotive engineering.

As with other FATs, the CMP was usually used to tow either the 25-pounder gun-howitzer or the 17-pounder anti-tank gun. A power winch was located above the rear axle for maneuvering the gun or unbogging the vehicle.

This is an older Tamiya kit, as is fairly obvious from the instructions and the low kit number. Molded in a tan plastic to match the eventual overall camouflage, the parts are crisply molded as you'd expect from a Tamiya offering. According to Scalemates this is the Ford version and was released in 1974 with few re-issues since then, though I doubt that is really the case.

The kit is not a curbside as you are provided with a complete Ford flathead V-8 engine. A full frame is also provided onto which you fit the front and rear suspension as well as all the drivetrain items along with exhaust and fuel tanks. The engine is then installed along with a few additional frame items before construction moves to the interior.

A complete interior is provided which consists of a driver's seat and five passenger seats for the gun crew. Each of the seats is a three piece construct. A central instrument panel along with the various shifting and parking levers are then installed. The interior floor also includes the front and rear fenders. Next the forward clear bits are attached along with the body rear section. Then the doors, forward engine compartment and roof tarp and brace are glued in place.

A driver is provided for this right hand drive vehicle and the steering gear is installed at this time so the wheel can be in the driver's hands. The final steps are to have the interior section attached to the chassis and then the body fits atop all this.

As mentioned, the instructions are old Tamiya style with photos of the real deal and model details to help with building. There is no color information supplied while building and for the exterior one only has dark yellow and dark yellow with dark green splotches to identify shades. The decal sheet provides markings for both British and Canadian vehicles.

Since this is a Tamiya kit, I fully expect it to go together well. For those who like softskins, this one would be a good choice and it won't take up a lot of shelf space when done.  

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CMP_FAT

September 2024 

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