Leighbo
Active Member
- Joined
- Sep 15, 2011
- Messages
- 1,033
Hi Guys
Here's my second entry for the BSC, am attempting to make the Russian SMK heavy tank. This is available in 1/35 but only as a resin kit at great expense so I thought I would try and put one together from other kits. During the winter war against Finland the SMK, KV-1 and T-100 prototypes were put into action to see which was the most successful solution, which the KV won after the SMK was disabled by a mine.
The SMK was basically an extended KV-1 with an extra turret so I am using 2 x Trumpeter KV-1's which will be sliced up and stuck together and the extra turret is the same as was used on the BA-10 armoured car, so Zvezda's offering will go into the mix as a donor vehicle too!
I got started today, I admit I was concerned at potentially ruining 2 perfectly good kits by cutting them up incorrectly. When I first considered this project I assumed the road wheels were all equidistant so I would cut a third of a KV-1 and stick it to the back of the other KV-1 extending it and adding 2 wheels, but when I came to measure it up, the wheels are actually all at different distances. doh! I did manage to work it out though and used the return roller wheels as a guide as they are at the same distance apart.
The side panels are glued to an internal tub which again I cut but at different distances to the sides to add strength
Although basically the same layout as a KV-1 there are more differences than just sticking the 2 together, the front vertical hull panel layout is reversed so I had to swap the machine gun and light around, also the front hull horizontal panel is completely different so I will have to scratch this. The rear half of the hull is extended upwards so I had to add some extensions from plastic card and the rear hull section is mostly different from the KV so more scratch building to come.
The KV turret moves to the centre of the tank and is higher than the hull which will need to be made and the BA-10 turret is added at the front.
Had to leave it for now as I have filled the gaps, hopefully have some more progress soon.
Thanks for looking
Here's my second entry for the BSC, am attempting to make the Russian SMK heavy tank. This is available in 1/35 but only as a resin kit at great expense so I thought I would try and put one together from other kits. During the winter war against Finland the SMK, KV-1 and T-100 prototypes were put into action to see which was the most successful solution, which the KV won after the SMK was disabled by a mine.
The SMK was basically an extended KV-1 with an extra turret so I am using 2 x Trumpeter KV-1's which will be sliced up and stuck together and the extra turret is the same as was used on the BA-10 armoured car, so Zvezda's offering will go into the mix as a donor vehicle too!
I got started today, I admit I was concerned at potentially ruining 2 perfectly good kits by cutting them up incorrectly. When I first considered this project I assumed the road wheels were all equidistant so I would cut a third of a KV-1 and stick it to the back of the other KV-1 extending it and adding 2 wheels, but when I came to measure it up, the wheels are actually all at different distances. doh! I did manage to work it out though and used the return roller wheels as a guide as they are at the same distance apart.
The side panels are glued to an internal tub which again I cut but at different distances to the sides to add strength
Although basically the same layout as a KV-1 there are more differences than just sticking the 2 together, the front vertical hull panel layout is reversed so I had to swap the machine gun and light around, also the front hull horizontal panel is completely different so I will have to scratch this. The rear half of the hull is extended upwards so I had to add some extensions from plastic card and the rear hull section is mostly different from the KV so more scratch building to come.
The KV turret moves to the centre of the tank and is higher than the hull which will need to be made and the BA-10 turret is added at the front.
Had to leave it for now as I have filled the gaps, hopefully have some more progress soon.
Thanks for looking
