41. M “Turan II” – the Hungarian tank

In the early 1940s, Hungarians became very interested in the Czechoslovak tank Škoda T-21 (an improved version of the LT-35). Since Czechoslovakia was already occupied by the Germans and Wermacht was not at all interested in these tanks, the Hungarians bought its production license without any problems. In September 1940, after lengthy landfill tests, the M40 “Turan” tank was taken into service. The Hungarians slightly modified the design of the prototype, installing a Hungarian-made cannon, increasing the thickness of the armor, and replacing several assemblies. Serial production lasted from the beginning of 1942 until the spring of 1943, and 285 machines were produced during that period. In May 1941, the General Staff proposed to rearm the “Turan’s” with larger-caliber cannons. A prototype with a 75 mm cannon was made in January 1942. To fit this cannon into the machine, the designers completely redesigned the tower. In May 1942, at the end of the tests, the tank was accepted into armaments as a 41.M “Turan II”. By June 1944, 139 tanks of this type had been manufactured.

This model is not complex, so it is suitable even for inexperienced modelers, but it would be better for them to work under the supervision of a more experienced colleague. The chassis and tracks, as with all tank models, are the biggest job demanders. But in the end, you will have a beautiful, colorful and rare model in the collection.