Took the Airfix Crusader and built pretty much out of the box.
very think and chunky plastic and the turret hatches did not fit well at all, both the open and closed version.
I was able to get the open hatches to fit and because of the vast open space, I added the breech to the Tamiya 6pder AT gun to the inside. I also added the WS-19 and Antenna sets from Scorpion Model Works.
I painted it in Army SCC 2 Brown, and used the Africa Dust effects (first time I did this).
The kit tracks sucked, and it took a lot to get them to attach as there was not enough stud to melt them together.
A few months ago, I built two Italeri Crusaders, so I’m looking at your photos to see how this one compares Interesting that it has the two-rib sand shields whereas Italeri has the type with three, but overall it looks like the Airfix kit is a lot cruder in detail. It’s also completely missing the tow cable hooks on the right-hand stowage bins, isn’t it?
I don’t mean the shackles for the cables, but the hooks that the cables are stowed on. There should be one on the top of the front right-hand bin, two on top of the rear right-hand bin, and a different hook at the very rear of the right air intake cover. They weren’t on early tanks, but at least some Mk. IIs had them and AFAIK, all Mk. IIIs.
Italeri, though, tells you to fit them (except the one on the air intake) on the wrong side But swap the right-hand and left-hand bins and they’re in the right place.
Interesting that it has the two-rib sand shields whereas Italeri has the type with three, but overall it looks like the Airfix kit is a lot cruder in detail. It’s also completely missing the tow cable hooks on the right-hand stowage bins, isn’t it?