The AMX 13/90 is the result of a modernization program of the tanks armed with the 75 mm gun which started in 1966. The CN-90-F3 gun is in fact a re-bored CN-75-50 gun. It also was fitted with a thermal sleeve.

The modified tanks were based on the hull types 2A, 2B and 2C. The hull type 2D was never used for the conversion into the AMX 13/90.

Whatever the hull type is all the AMX 13/90 feature the IR driving lights, the late type gun travel lock with short legs and the mudguard. The gunner IR sight is stowed in a box bolted to the glacis.

At the rear there is only a single light on each side plus a little black-out one on the left side. The towing hook is the first type with a kinf of horn (Takom gives the both types). The infantry telephone on the rear right fender is removed.

The turret also is modified. At the front, on the commander cupola there is a level. Three studs are welded to support a firing training system which was finally not accepted. The gunner central vision block is removable to be replaced by the IR sight.

At the rear there is a support for the PH-2 IR searchlight. Initially the support had slots to fit the bars between the loading hatches. This support is bolted to the roof. Later the support will be welded and there will be no slots. This requires the modification of the bars. However on can find first type support with modified bars. On the right of the right loading hatch a stop is welded to avoid damaging the IR searchlight.

On the right side a travel support for the searchlight is fitted. The grab handle is deleted. The jerrycan holder is the second type with three bolts.

At the back of the turret a bracket for the NBC 2.5l decontamination bottle is fitted. At the base of the turret, under the dust cover there are three horizontal welded plates probably to protect the dust cover when the turret is traversed.

875 AMX 13/90 were converted and they replaced all the AMX 13/75 tanks in the French army except those equipped with SS11 missiles. When it was replaced in the tank regiments by the AMX 30, it kept on serving within the tank company of the mechanized infantry regiments until 1987. The AMX 13/90 was also in service with the armies of Ivory Coast, Djibouti, Lebanon, Morocco, Tunisia and Venezuela.

The box includes 12 grey plastic sprues, 1 clear parts sprue, 10 sprues for the track links, 1 lower hull, 1 upper turret, 1 vinyl dust cover, 1 decals sheet, 1 photoetched parts sheet, 1 instructions booklet with an additional color leaflet for the decoration instructions.

Takom proposes an upgraded type 2A (with sloped bins) hull tank. The hull features the same mistakes as for the other models with the early hull. The infantry phone needs to be removed, the rear lights must be modified as they are the early type with 2 lights per side. The tracks are the all steel ones whereas they should be the rubber padded ones.

The turret also has to be modified and detailed. The IR light support is the second type.

The details are quite crisp and the fit is good. The instructions are easy to follow with few options. The main one concerns the fitting of the dust cover. If you intend not to use this part you'll have extra cleaning to do on the junction between the turret halves at the front.

For the decoration, Takom proposes two French tanks and one Venezuelan. The markings for the French ones are nearly all wrong (see below).

The build

The hull

The first modification is the inversion of the torsion bars fixations on the right side. You need to remove the molded ones with a sharp blade and glue them back in the right direction. On the picture below the type 2D hull features the right orientation.

At the rear of the hull, you have to engrave the panel line in front of the fuel tanks.

The holes on the hatches (yellow circles) are molded solid by Takom so you can drill them out. On the right a little stud is missing.

At the rear right corner the infantry phone parts must be cut away. The back of the light with its wiring needs to be made. The right light only is kept and it is glued upside down so the oval is above.

The spare track links holder is to be modified too. In fact all the AMX 13/90 were fitted with the rubber padded tracks which were thicker. The side rails were raised by welding a metal strip which was drilled out to allow the insertion of the links axes.

Don't cut the gunner hatch that much (in yellow). When the hatch is closed it does not make contact with the vision block protection. Some hatches were simply not modified.

The molded rectangles (red circles) need to be sanded away. The anchor point for the antennas strings is added with a bit of 0.25 mm thick plastic strip shaped around a drill. The stops for the gunner hatch (blue circles) are deleted and redone with plastic card and glued at the right positions. (next picture)

The bases of the auxiliary sights are modified. The rear must be beveled.

The stop for the right loading hatch is made from 0.88 mm rod for the large part and 0.64 mm for the intermediate one.

The PH-2 searchlight is detailed. Its base is thinned. The transport handle is added as well as the power cable.

Under the turret bustle the panel lines are engraved.

The protection plates at the base of the dust cover are added. There is large central plate and too smaller ones on each side.

The DREB (smoke dischargers) breeches are detailed with a handle made from metal wire.

Click on a thumbnail to see the full sized picture

Index