Tamiya 35163 - 1/35 JGSDF Type 61 Tank  [35163]

Concerning the JGSDF Type 61 Tank

Since being formally used by Japan's Ground self defense purposes Force in 1961, the kind 61 tank has been doing constant service for more than three decades. Although destined to be changed by the sophisticated Type 74 therefore the newly introduced Type 90 tanks, it is still considered by many while the center piece of the Japanese Self Defense Forces. Designed from the outset to transport a 90mm primary weapon, the tank also must be in a position to traverse the slim railways throughout Japan. The result ended up being a really compact medium tank, with the lowest profile that is just 2.96m wide and 2.46m high, and weighing 35 tons. Its 90mm gun was made by the Japan Steel Functions, Ltd., utilising the prominent U.S. type M3A1 gun as a pattern. The gun is installed in a cast metal turret, and elevated either by hand or by hydraulic pressure. Loading is handbook and capable of firing 15 rounds each minute. Auxiliary armament is a 12.7mm M2 device weapon attached to the commander's cupola, and a 7.62mm M1919A4 machine gun mounted co-axially using the main gun. Powerplant is a Mitsubishi Type 12HM21WT, air cooled V-12 cylinder, diesel engine, capable of 570 horsepowers which supplies a top-speed of approximately 45km/h. A torsion-bar suspension system was utilized and is matched towards the single-pin caterpillar songs. Minor improvements, such as for instance smoke discharging devices, were added to keep this venerable armored vehicle inside front lines of Japan's self defense purposes operations.