Type 85 Tank

Armor/AFV Modern
1

Is there a good kit out there to build a Pakistan Army Type 85 tank?

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2

All I know of is that old horrible kit of Trumpeter’s from 2000 that is more like a fancy toy.Maybe Trumpeter or HobbyBoss will do a more modern release one day.

3

I had that Trumpeter kit, & it would need A LOT of work to bring it up to any sort of modern standards. I think the base is OK above the wheels, but the lower hull is horrible: huge battery hatch on the bottom, road wheels SCREW on, etc. Also my example was molded in ABS, so certain plastic cements did not work on it…

4

Forget the Trumpeter kit. The Type 85-III that was sold to Pakistan is nearly identical to early production Type 96, there is a fair kit from Hobby Boss.

5

Actually, the Type 85-II was sold to Pakistan, sometimes even called the Type 85-IIA because it was made to Pakistan specifications.

The Type 85-IIIM is what was used to some degree to “make” the first Type 96 tanks.

That said, I think starting with the HB Type 96 and working backwards may be easier than trying to work with that old Trumpeter kit that was a total monster to build, and not really much more than a toy. It really was bad (screws to hold on the roadwheels, etc…)

6

not to mention the model is made of ABS plastic not styrene

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7

how dofferent is the type 96 from the type 85?

8

Essentially, the Type 85-II turret is a different shape at the front (not as beaky? Peaky?) and the fittings on the turret are different (boxes, etc…)

I did a brief search online for them both and the differences are noticable. Sorry for the bad news.

9

Have you looked at early type Type 96 produced by HB?
https://www.super-hobby.it/zdjecia/0/8/5/1981_rn.jpg
There are two variations made by HB with different turret front and additive armour. The turret of early Type 96 and type 85-II seems similar or perhaps the same. I have still kept the old ugly kit of Type 85 because I suspect that the turret could have different size in consideration of the smaller caliber gun, but I am not really sure that they were different. Anyway, for what I have found, Type 85-II remained a prototype or built in few samples, while the tank really delivered to Pakistan was Type 85-III with 125 mm gun, similar to early Type 96.

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