Introduction:

One thing always really pops out to me is most modeling companies always stick to the tried and tested kits they know people will buy…. Tigers, Shermans, etc.. and mostly leave out the truly unique stuff. But not Vargas, time after time he has released unique and extremely detailed subjects and this new release is no different. 

The Matilda I (A11) was a British infantry tank during WWll . Despite being slow, cramped and armed with only a single machine gun (.50 or .303), the Matilda I had minor success in the Battle of France in 1940, owing to its heavy armor which the Germans were unable to penetrate with their standard anti tank guns. 

It was essentially a WWI tank designed twenty years after its conclusion. Those who designed the tank were influenced by the flawed belief that combat in a new war would be the same as in World War I. As a result, the tank was obsolete both in design and in its intended purpose.

Review:

The Vargas kit is typical of his latest tanks in terms of features - single piece tracks, well printed details and a multitude of different display options. The kit features 50 odd parts, printed on three different “plates” . There are no decal offerings for this tank. There are four stowage and light options included. Mr. Vargas has put fantastic details into this model and truly pushes 3D printed kits to its limits. 

The instructions, fit, and engineering of this model are amazing. If you follow the instructions you will be met with an accurate and extremely detailed model of an A.11 Matilda. In every way this is superior to the Accurate Armor kit, and I assume more detailed than the FC kit. (Although I have yet to build it.) The kit can be built in a stress free hour while you take a break from your months long super detailing projects. 

I hate assembling tracks so I will address this first. The tracks on this kit are printed in a single piece along with the running gear and are on par with the level of detail you get with link and length or single link. They have the perfect amount of sag added and each link is clearly defined. The running gear detail is quite nice as well with all the wheels and bogies printed in one single part. (So no need to worry about pesky seams…) 

The hull slightly showed the layering resulting from the printing process. But after a quick wash in Acetone it all but disappeared. The details on the kit overall and especially the smoke launchers and headlights are just truly superb. The headlights even have the cable printed onto them. All the hatches are printed closed but I'm sure with a little work with a razor saw they could be opened. The engine deck features some of the best detail in the kit with all the mesh clearly printed and see through. 

The risers from the printing process are extremely thin and required about 30 minutes to clean them all up. In this regard it is far superior to an injection molded kit.  There is not any proto etch included but the kit really doesn't need it. 

 I built the model essentially out of the box. All I did was add a casting seam and texture that was neglected. It was well worth the 10 minutes it took . I also added the tie down straps to the front hull and jack mount, plus asbestos tape on the exhaust pipe. (This is not a necessary modification, I just like adding that little extra detail.)

The kit comes with a two page instruction booklet. The instructions are a CAD representation of the model, so it is in color and parts are given varying colors to make it easier to differentiate. I had no problem following it along as I built the kit. It also clearly points out where you have the choice to add optional parts. One nice touch is the inclusion of reference pictures of the actual vehicle. The booklet itself includes two, but the PDF version has forty three.

Sadly the kit doesn't come with any paint schemes or decals but includes a one view color profile of the A.11 “Glenlyon”. This is the only part of the kit I think needs improving. Even a simple decal sheet with letters so you could build whatever vehicle you wanted would be nice.

Conclusion:

This is a great kit of a unique subject never released in plastic.  I would recommend this kit to any beginner and up modeler who is interested in pre war and early war British tanks. 

Highs:

Easy assembly, great tracks, easy assembly, fantastic detail and a rarely seen subject.

Lows:

No decals or cast texture and that's it! 

On a ten point scale I would give it a 9/10. It's quite simple, but has everything you need to build a spectacular A.11 Matilda. It doesn't come with resin parts or photo-etch, but that doesn't hold this kit back. I strongly recommend this model kit to anyone… beginner, intermediate, or advanced!

I would like to sincerely thank Vargas Scale models for sending me this model to build. This kit is available from his website.

Scale: 1/35

Mfg ID: R3D-35-072

Price: $64.50