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Brabham BT34
Scale 1/20
Kit Manufacturer tamiya 
Detail Sets None
Year 1988
Driver Nigel Mansell (GB)
Event Hungarian GP
Paint Halfords Gloss Appliance White &
Zero Paints Camel Yellow

Date Completed April 2008
Additions After market seatbelt and hardware
Box Art boxart

After winning the World Driver's title in 1987 using the formidable FW11B, 1988 saw Williams lose engine supplier Honda. With few options available to the team and with the mindset that this season would be a transitional year for the the team, they went with the normally aspirated 3.5 ltr V8 Judd engine and Hewlett 6 speed gearbox for the FW12. As a result (although reasonable expected) they were vastly underpowered compared to their Turbo powered competitors and it was to prove to be a testing season for Frank Williams. Having lost World Champion Nelson Piquet to Lotus, the drivers for the season were Nigel Mansell and the Italian Ricardo Patrese. There were also brief appearances for Frenchman Jean-Louis Schlesser and Englishman Martin Brundle, both deputising for Nigel Mansell due to injury and illness.

The season was a poor one by any team's standards and the car was plagued with reliability problems, in fact both cars reached a total of 20 retirements from the 14 races of that season. The only highlight of the season being 2nd place finishes for Nigel Mansell at the British and Spanish GPs.

This model will be the Nigel Mansell car the 1988 Hungarian GP. This is my first venture into resin bodyshells and as such the car will be predominantly curbside which means there is no engine detail as the engine cover cannot be removed. Studio27 produced the transkit for this car and the main kit is taken from the Tamiya FW13B. I added very little in terms of further details. Both front and rear suspension arms have brake cables added to them, I have scratched some new rear suspension units and added a couple of cables and hoses around the transmission. The drivers cockpit has seat belts added in the usual way and I have used some flocking for the seat, headrest and steering wheel.

Williams FW12 Gallery
Click above for build and completed pictures

 
bt34_3
Ricardo Patrese - 1988 Portugese GP
Nigel Mansell - 1988 Spanish GP
bt34_5
Nigel Mansell - 1988 Belgian GP
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