[WIP] Tamiya T72 M1 Russian Tank 1:35

[schweinhund227]

Scott! You are a 35th Armour Virgin? Wow!

You couldn't spoiled yourself more by building a kit like this one!!!

A lot awaits you! Some good, some bad! But if you keep with Tamiya!

Post 80's to be safe. You'll be happy.

That swimming tank would be nice, but I would reserve that very scene for a Zvezda kit! LOL.
Well at least just the top deck...and turret.... No need for the tub! You can't see it anyway!

The T-72 are the main bad boy of the soviet army..... The big armed conflict in Georgia would have seen them for sure.

Good luck with it!

Norm.

 

[Junkie]

35th virgin. Yup. Don't forget that in my adult life I've built 2 X wings, a GeeBee Racer, an AT-AT, Tilly and a Ma.k. - that's it! LOL. True.

This is a cool tank. Really fun.

 

[Junkie]

A bit more done tonight. So far still completely out of the box as per instructions. However, with the rubber skirt up next I see an opening to mod the kit ever so slightly.

The front end so far.

PE and what appears to be mosquito screen in place.

Lots of opportunity to model stowage on this puppy, as per Ken's stow-a-riffic lessons: Making stowage for armor- Part 1

 

[DreamKnight]

Ken man. I think I'm getting to love armor here. Seriously. Did I just say that?

But all kidding aside. 1:35 is a NICE scale. First time for me. And the weathering and diorama possibilities are endless. What have I been waiting for? I don't know.

For sure the King Tiger will be on the bench after this. And I have a Revell Huey that I've wanted to build for a while. But I digress, 2 at a time are enough.

Hey, don't forget that amour car you did stuck on a field. Yeh, I need to jump on my M41 of Sturmtiger and get my feet wet on 1/35s too. I've done a 1/72 (which is like funky small) and the 1/48s which is like a good size but could be bigger. lol

 

[mariosmodelkits]

Nice tank there Scott, those tamiya kits are real beauties, have fun bro and cant wait to see this finnished. 8)

 

[ScaleModelMadman]

1/35 is what I model in mostly Scott, my tired eyes and fat fingers struggle with the smaller scales. I also find it easier to get a hold of aftermarket stuff, scratch stuff to scale etc. The only reason I build 1/72 aircraft is because of size but they can be trying on my ham-fistedness.



BTW, who's that bald dude in the video with the horrible New England accent?

Wait...

:-X

 

[schweinhund227]

Scott! Forget what I said about your tank in Georgia. Wrong type,

The T-72 M1 is an export variant. So ! I would read about it.

http://www.google.ca/imgres?imgurl=http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/7a/T72_Georgia.jpg/220px-T72_Georgia.jpg&imgrefurl=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/T-72_operators_and_variants&usg=__4ZX5_p6JDCw3e1hTESjNVFvAt74=&h=165&w=220&sz=10&hl=en&start=15&um=1&itbs=1&tbnid=2er1wsD6BrfrZM:&tbnh=80&tbnw=107&prev=/images%3Fq%3DT-72%2Bm1%2Bin%2Bgeorgia%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26client%3Dsafari%26sa%3DG%26tbs%3Disch:1

It is a T72A but modernized. Hence the M1. So, as is, I don't know if you can place it in any army without checking your sources first! Happy building! I meant Reading!

 

[Elm City Hobbies]

And take anything you read on Wikipedia with a great big, gigantic, super size me, grain of salt!!!

I believe the kit comes with Polish and Iraqi markings, which would lend to it's export status, however there were a ton of them in East Germany when the wall fell...and I am pretty sure they all didn't end up as targets on US tank ranges....I would suspect alot of them went back into Soviet hands.

Found a couple of other angles of what looks like the same tank with the winter camo/tarp

Finland also used this particular tank....which from what I am reading is what this winter scene one is, got the Finnish roundel on the side.

Couple of others:

 

[Junkie]

Cool. Thanks for the leg work guys. I have some reading to do. Maybe I'll model one of the T72M1s Angola bought from Belarus in 1999...An who?

The kit doesn't come with Finnish markings...I could print my own if I go that route. Not sure yet.

 

[Junkie]

Another little update from work before breakfast and then again after lunch.

Rear tanks assembled and installed. Top hull is just sitting there. I'll attach that later.

The kit has a plastic log however I decided to use a piece of dowel, raked along it's length with a hobby saw blade. I'll stain this and only attach it prior to final weathering. It will need some straps as well which I'll make out of tin from a can.

 

[DreamKnight]

What's the log for?

 

[Junkie]

Campfires. Duh!


No, they use it to get unstuck, placing it in the mud, straddling the rutt for traction.

 

[DreamKnight]

Campfires. Duh!


No, they use it to get unstuck, placing it in the mud, straddling the rutt for traction.

OH! OK. Got cha. Thought it was to plug the turret up... ya know... to keep the snow out.

 

[Elm City Hobbies]

Yeah, an un-ditching log, all Soviet MBTs had them.

So Scott....going to plumb the fuel tanks? LOL

Good article doing it on the T55.....should be somewhat the same on a T62 or T72

http://www.guntruck.com/T55page1.html

 

[Junkie]

Actually yes. There is spring and wire in the kit to plumb them. Should look cool.

 

[Jeep]

Campfires. Duh!


No, they use it to get unstuck, placing it in the mud, straddling the rutt for traction.

It not just tossed under, its actually chained to the tracks transversely, The tracks then pull the log along underneaths like a giant scoop. Once to the rear, the log is unchained and the process is repeated as necessary.


That link was excellent by the way.

 

[Junkie]

Ah! That makes more sense. Thanks. And yes, that link was great.

 

[Catachan1brainleaf]

these are great looking tanks and should make for a cool build ;D

Some early German WWII tanks were also able to fit a (fording) snorkel.cant remember the proper name for those tanks off the top of my head .but i think having the crew fitting the snorkel and preparing to cross a river could make for a nice diorama .

as for the white used id say knowing the Russians its whatever happens to be at hand at the time.they tend to at least paint or drape a white tarp over the turrets in winter.grand when you in the countryside, but not so good when your in a built up area as they fond out to their cost .

 

[Junkie]

I made a slit where the rubber shirt joins. From the T-72s I've looked at this is quite common.

The front fender seems to be thin metal, easily dented and damaged. Here is the effect that I was going for.

My right brain suggested, "Apply heat and push in the dent with the eraser end of a pencil - worked before."
My left brain replied: "You should thin under the plastic first, this way the thinner plastic warms first and you can control the area you want to affect."
My right brain rebutted: "You have no time for that."
Disaster. :-[

So what am I left to do but really damage it? Dremel time.

Not sure if this would actually tear like this but it's war right? Maybe I should just remove that section of skirt altogether.?

SUCK!

 

[DreamKnight]

You could weather the edges with some rusty effect so it looks like that plate pretty much torn up from being eaten by rust.