Italeri 1/35 Crusader Mk.III
Posted: Thu Jun 11, 2026 6:16 am
So I was given this kit for Christmas just gone...
I do like the Crusader, it's a great looking little tank, but man who the hell designed that turret and thought a downward sloping plate to the turret ring was a good idea - talk about a shell trap. Add to that the massive barrel of petrol hanging over the rear deck... I don't think you can have enough respect for those guys in WWII who went to war in kit like this.
And I did actually start it on Christmas day...
And there it sat until a few weeks ago, when I pulled it out of the stash and started building it on my kitchen table using my old work tray. I'd like to try and get my build rate up a bit this year - I know it's not important to finish quickly, but when you're trying to learn things like weathering, leaving a gap of six months between builds does't help the learning curve much.
So far this had been pretty much OOB. I've replaced the barrel for a metal one I found online (as the kit one had brewers droop!) and I've also removed the moulded in handles on the engine deck and replaced them with wire. I'll also replace the moulded on antenna with wire (already cut off and mounting holes drilled) and I've found a spare clear part that fits on the front of the spotlight, as Italeri don't supply one. But other than that it's been a nice little build and a fun little kit.
I think I might replace the towing lines as well.
New barrel.
And onto some paint - I want to get the wheels and tracks fitted and painted so I can fit the sand covers and paint up the rest of the hull.
Cheers!
I do like the Crusader, it's a great looking little tank, but man who the hell designed that turret and thought a downward sloping plate to the turret ring was a good idea - talk about a shell trap. Add to that the massive barrel of petrol hanging over the rear deck... I don't think you can have enough respect for those guys in WWII who went to war in kit like this.
And I did actually start it on Christmas day...
And there it sat until a few weeks ago, when I pulled it out of the stash and started building it on my kitchen table using my old work tray. I'd like to try and get my build rate up a bit this year - I know it's not important to finish quickly, but when you're trying to learn things like weathering, leaving a gap of six months between builds does't help the learning curve much.
So far this had been pretty much OOB. I've replaced the barrel for a metal one I found online (as the kit one had brewers droop!) and I've also removed the moulded in handles on the engine deck and replaced them with wire. I'll also replace the moulded on antenna with wire (already cut off and mounting holes drilled) and I've found a spare clear part that fits on the front of the spotlight, as Italeri don't supply one. But other than that it's been a nice little build and a fun little kit.
I think I might replace the towing lines as well.
New barrel.
And onto some paint - I want to get the wheels and tracks fitted and painted so I can fit the sand covers and paint up the rest of the hull.
Cheers!
The Crusader may not have been the most effective tank in the Western Desert, but it certainly was one of the better looking tanks there at the time. 