COBI Somua S-35 Set 3093

COBI's Somua S-35 is a 1:72 model built from 99 blocks, 9 cm long, with a turret that rotates. French markings and the ventilation grilles are printed onto the blocks.

Cast, not welded

The S-35's hull and turret were not built from flat plates cut and joined. They were cast — poured as large curved sections in a foundry and then bolted together, which is why the tank has the rounded, almost organic shape that makes it unmistakable.

Casting gave better protection for the weight, because a curved surface deflects and there are no weld seams to crack. It was also, in 1935, technically ambitious: very few countries could cast armour sections that size reliably.

The drawback appeared in the field. A cast section that cracks cannot be patched the way a welded plate can, and the bolted joints between sections were a weakness of their own. The S-35 was probably the best tank in French service in 1940 and it made very little difference, because French doctrine scattered tanks among infantry formations instead of concentrating them.

In the COBI range

Part of the 1:72 mini series — compact enough for a desk or a bookshelf.

Specifications

Pieces: 99 · Scale: 1:72
Model dimensions: 9 × 3 × 4.5 cm (3.5 × 1.2 × 1.8 in)