RPM:s 1/72 Ford Tfc

The Ford Tfc was a Armoured Car made in Poland during 1920, an improvisation really, setting an armoured body with an originally German MG, upon the  well-tried Ford T chassis. (By the way, the designer, Tadeusz Tanski, was later murdered by the Nazis in Auschwitz, in 1941.) The first prototype was completed in just two weeks time, in June 1920. The urgency came from the fact that the newly independent Republic of Poland was at war with the Soviet Union, and threatened by invasion and annihilation by the Red Army. The trials were successful: although plagued by a weak back axle, and cramped interior, the Tfc proved fast, well-armoured and manoeuvrable, and the simple and tested Ford T-design, made the vehicle easy to maintain. The vehicles were quite silent, their armour was sufficient. Some 16-17 Tfc:s were built.

The Tfc:s were sent into combat as soon as they were completed. In the summer of 1920 they were first used for reconaissance and to cover the Polish retreat. Then they were used in the decisive so called "Battle for Warsaw" in August that year, when the Red tide was turned. Later, in the autumn, Tfc:s were used with effect during the fighting in the Ukraine, when the poles were on the attack. 12 Tfc:s remained after the war, and they served in the Polish Army until 1931, when they were finally withdrawn.

It was well-armoured for it's day, with a maximum armour thickness of 8mm, making it impervious to all small-arms fire. The MG - a water-cooled machine gun 7.92mm Maxim 08/15, or 05/s - was provided with some 1.250 rounds of ammunition, and the crew of two (driver and gunner/commander) also had 25 hand grenades to defend themselves with. The Ford Tfc was also pretty fast: maximum road-speed was some 50 km/h.

Anyone building interested in this vehicle - and this kit - should also consult Michal Deralas excellent site! 

THE KIT 
RPM:s 1/72 kit of the Ford Tfc comes with two sprues well moulded, rather soft plastic, with almost no flash. Care must be, however, be observed with cutting lose some of the parts, as it's not always clear where they end and the sprue begins. (Click on the thumbnail to look at a scan of the Kits sprues.)

I find it hard to fault this kit, when it comes to accuracy. One thing that IS missing, however, are the rivets, which I think is deplorable, but still endurable in this really tiny vehicle. Mind you, this is a really FIDDLY kit, with a lot of tiny parts, and many times their precise location is hard to pinpoint. The fit is also a bit tricky, and a number of dry-runs is recommended. Especially the slab sides of the cab are a tad difficult to assemble: it is easy to get gaps between the different parts, and you have to do a lot of extra bevelling to be sure. (For more info, see the plan of the kit.)

Improvements? Well, I mentioned replacing the MG - and the mantlet plate connected to it - and you could add rivets, though it will be hard to get them in scale. The front and back lower armoured plates should also be replaced with scale thickness plastic card. Photos show stowage, in the form of tools, and also an extra lamp in the back.

Recommended!

ANOTHER VIEW
In a review on the Internet Modeler site, sadly no longer available, Peter Mitchell wrote, among other things, this:

"Inside the small but sturdy box, the kit provides 39 parts moulded in light grey styrene on two sprues and a small decal sheet, all packed in a sealed plastic bag. There is very little flash on the parts. The tiny chassis is no longer than 40mm and the completed model will measure no larger than 15mm wide x 30mm high. The parts essentially allow you to build a box on wheels, detail on the underside is sparse but does include an engine sump, transmission/drive shaft, differential, exhaust, muffler and steering gear. Suspension springs are moulded integrally with the main chassis and while all this is simplistic it is still well done and offers enormous scope anyone wishing to really super-detail this area. The spoked wheels are also nicely executed. Detail on the armoured top is well captured, although not as crisp as it could be, it is still finely done although the armour plates do possess a slightly grainy texture sometimes found on "Esci" tank kits of the same scale. While this is present it does not detract form the overall effect of the model, nor is it something that a bit of sand paper won't fix. The turret is moulded as a single piece, to which the machine gun is added, the later being a little chunky. The kit is attractively boxed and all assembly instructions, parts list and painting guide are featured on the outside of the box. Paint guide allows for one of four Polish army vehicles from the same unit to be built in a snazzy four-colour camouflage scheme reminiscent of that applied to British Mk.I tanks. The decals are thin, well printed and possess excellent register. ... Overall I think this is an excellent little kit that is great value for money. With a small amount of effort it should make into a fantastic little model of an unusual example of early armoured vehicle."