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I'm not a tank modeller - but ever since I photographed it at Kubinka, I have been fascinated by this unusual tank... So when Panda Models kitted it I added it to my stash - and have just got round to making it.... More images here :- http://www.flankers-site.co.uk/model_object-279.html The 'weathering' is a bit naff - but I've done my best - so be gentle with me..!! The Wiki entry is here if you want more info... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Object_279 Stay Safe Ken

This is Panda's new T-15 Armata, the IFV stablemate to the T-14 Tank, which I finally finished just before Christmas after a prolonged build that nearly saw me throw the thing in the bin on more than one occasion. I won't say it's a terrible kit, because it isn't, but there are so many frustrating little niggles with it, that it just became a pain to build. The upper hull was so warped that I had to use a G-clamp when joining it to the lower hull, and most of the parts were covered in flash and heavy mould lines that ran straight across details. The instructions bore little resemblance to the parts in the box, and when they did they were often so badly drawn that it was hard to tell where parts needed to go. Then we have the photo etch. A lot of the etch parts needed complex folds but, unlike any other PE fret I've ever used, Panda didn't bother to etch any folding lines onto the parts, which made it almost impossible to get accurate, clean bends even using a bending jig. It's a shame really because the detailing is very good. It seems like the initial design work was done to a very high standard, but then the tooling, instructions and packaging was done by a bunch of monkeys. From the box you just get the option for the May day parade scheme with the orange and black St. George stripes, but the included decals are more yellow than orange, and out of register too, so I went with a hypothetical operational scheme. Thanks for looking Andy

Russian 9K330 Tor, SA-15 Gauntlet Panda Models 1:35 History The 9K330 Tor is a self-propelled SAM system of Soviet origin. It was developed from 1975 to 1985 by Antei as a replacement for the older 9K33 Osa (SA-8 Gecko). The Tor is also well known under its NATO reporting name SA-15 Gauntlet. Since its introduction it is regarded the most capable short range self-propelled SAM system and continuous upgrades The Tor is one of the few short range SAM systems with a high effectiveness against cruise missiles and precision guided munitions. The Tor is based on a tracked chassis that protects the crew from small arms fire. The three crew members are seated in the front, an unmanned turret is installed in the middle and the engine and drivetrain are located at the rear. Two boxes with four missiles are installed vertically in the middle of the turret and extend into the hull of the vehicle. The tracking radar is installed at the front of the turret and the optical system is fitted next to it. The search radar is fitted at the rear and is lowered behind the turret when not in use. The search radar rotates when in use and can be used on the move. The medium sized missiles use radio command guidance and are fitted with folding fins. Upon launch the vehicle comes to a halt, the missile is propelled upwards by a gas charge, is rotated in the correct direction and then the rocket ignites. The primary means of engaging targets is by radar guidance. Each Tor system is fitted with a 25 km 360 degree search radar and 15 km 60 degree tracking radar. The Tor has a good ECM resistance but can also engage targets by TV tracking. The TV tracking system has a maximum range of 20 km and is fitted with a laser range finder. The naval version uses a similar two radar setup but has a more powerful search radar. and was armed with (the then new) 122 mm M-30S howitzer from F. F. Petrov's design bureau. This vehicle also used the same gun bed cover and mountings as the SG-122, to keep costs low and simplify production. It had 45 mm thick frontal armour. The M-30S howitzer could be elevated or depressed between −3° and +26° and had 10° of traverse. The five-man crew consisted of a driver, gunner, commander and two loaders.U-34. Initial design work was completed between July and August 1942. The project emphasized minimizing modifications to the platform and the howitzer. It used the same chassis, superstructure, engine and transmission as the SG-122 and the U-34UZTM then worked on combining features of the Most Tor systems are based on the GM-355 tracked chassis that allows it to keep up with tanks and other armoured vehicles through any terrain. A towed version is available which has the advantage of reduced costs. The latest systems are also available on a large MZKT-6922 6x6 truck chassis that is cheaper, offers more internal space, has even better mobility and still provides protection to the crew. None of the Tor systems are amphibious. The Model All the moulds are beautifully moulded with some very nice detail included and lots of small parts. There are no signs of flash or other imperfections and very few moulding pips, which will help with the cleaning up. The actual kit looks like it will build up into quite a big model, but strangely clean. Contained in the top opening box, with a nice depiction of a vehicle in action on the front, are eight sprues and four separate parts moulded in a beige styrene, eighteen sprues of brown styrene, one of clear styrene, a small etched brass sheet, small decal sheet and a length of copper wire. The build begins with fitting numerous small parts to the lower hull, such as towing eyes, bump stops, and lots of various links. The twelve suspension arms, each made up of four parts, are attached, along with the six return rollers. The twelve torsion arms are attached to the suspension arms, followed by the idler wheels and road wheels are the same and each made up of inner and outer wheels. The assemblies are then attached to the torsion arms, followed by the two, two piece sprockets. Each track length is made up of 114 individual links. Unfortunately, the tracks in the instructions bear no relation to what is actually is in the box. The instruction states to glue each link together and attach the separate guide horns. The tracks in the kit show links with moulded guide horns, what look like separate side pieces and pins, but these go together I really can’t work out. You’d be best off just gluing the links together and making up the required lengths, or, alternatively but some aftermarket tracks. The sprues don’t even match up with what has been printed in the contents guide. Moving onto the upper hull, the front mudguards are attached, along with a two piece vent and four, three piece headlights. The four piece air conditioning unit is attached to the right hand side of the upper glacis plate, along with its 5 piece protective cage, whilst on the NCBD intake unit is fitted to he left hand side. The hatches on the sides of the hull are then fitted. The engine decking is fitted out with the various PE grilles, engine and radiator hatches, whilst he rear bulkhead panel is fitted with pioneer tools, shackles, three piece hatch and rear lights before being attached to the upper hull. There is a large intake unit, made up from three parts, is fitted just aft of the turret opening. The track guards are then attached, and the footplates either side of the turret opening. The turret is made up from upper and lower sections, which are then fitted with side and front panels. The two long bins on either side of the turret are then assembled, each from four parts, as are the two trunnion mounts for the tracking radar, each from two parts, with one fitted with an eight piece motor unit. The tracking radar itself is made up from four pieces and fitted, unglued to the trunnion mounts, which in turn are glued to the turret front. The search radar is made up from a single piece curved front PE panel fitted to a moulded frame, which is then fitted with four rear frame mounts and a large collector at the front. A curved frame is then fitted to the rear and the nine piece tilting mount is fitted to the rear base. This is, in turn fitted to nine piece mounting pillar. There is an eleven piece secondary radar fitted to the top of the primary search radar. Inside the missile two side plates are fitted, one made up from six parts, the other from two. There is a five part panel that is attached to the rear of the turret, whilst on top of the turret the silo bin roof and two doors are fitted, along with two accessory boxes. Just a shame that the silos aren’t included in the kit, allowing the doors to be posed open and the two piece missiles included in the kit shown in the launch kit. The completed turret assembly is then attached to the hull, completing the build Decals The small decal sheet contains markings for two vehicles, the decals themselves have been printed by Pander Models themselves and although looking rather matt, they are well printed, in register and with good colour density. There are just four small decals for the turret roof and numbers for one vehicle, an all over green example, the other being an anonymous vehicle painted in a three colour scheme of dark green, sand, and black. Conclusion It’s not very often I find some serious fault in a kit, but the track problem with this kit was something of an eye opener. Not only were the instructions completely different to the kit parts, but the kit parts were pretty much unfathomable, even to guess how they are supposed to go together. There were quite a few other areas in the instruction sheet which didn’t match the order parts should have been assembled. A shame really as the rest of the kit looks rather good and would make for an interesting subject in anyone's collection. Review sample courtesy and available soon from major hobby shops

Russian BMD-1 1:35 Panda Models The BMD-1 is an air-droppable Armoured Fighting Vehicle that was developed from the chassis of the Volgograd Tractor Factory's unsuccessful bid for the contract of what became the BMP-1. To enable it to meet the 7 tonne weight limit imposed for dropping from an Antonov An-12, the chassis reduced in size and fabricated from aluminium, but retained the same gun as was installed in the BMP-1. From a distance it resembles its larger brother closely, but on closer inspection it is substantially smaller, and very cramped inside by comparison. Even with all the weight saving efforts, it still went over the limit by 500kg when fully loaded. Other limitations imposed by the reduction in size was that the troops had to enter and leave the vehicle by the roof hatches because the engine is at the very rear of the vehicle, which exposed them to gunfire when in combat. Again, due to its reduced size, the vehicle is capable of carrying only five troops, which includes the commander and bow machine gunner! Only the driver and gunner are in the vehicle when it is air-dropped, both to keep the weight down, and to ensure that the vehicle is both found and capable of being driven away from the landing spot in good order. The commander, gunner and three troops leave the aircraft on their own parachutes and must reunite with the vehicle before it can be considered fully operational. In order to drop from the rear of an aircraft the BMD-1 reduces its suspension height to clear the load hatch, is loaded onto a special palette and fitted with a parachute that is triggered by a drogue chute when it leaves the aircraft. On opening, four long triggers drop down from the base of the palette, and when these touch the ground, retro-rockets are fired to slow the descent to survivable speeds for both the crew and vehicle itself. In action is quite agile and fast, but bounces around on rough ground due to its short chassis and low weight. See 4:23 for some airdrop footage with retro-rockets firing at 6:15 if you're impatient 6:49 shows the suspension rising after the drop. The Kit It's a fairly small vehicle, so it's a correspondingly small box, which has a painting of the beast drawing a bead on someone on the lid. Inside are four sprues in Russian green, plus two hull halves, three small sprues of individual track links in brown styrene, a small fret of Photo-Etch metal and a small decal sheet. The instruction booklet is printed on glossy paper in colour, and the painting guide is on a thick glossy sheet with a replication of the box art on the opposite side in case you fancied framing it. The hull parts are very nicely done and snap together very well on test fitting, and the detail on the rest of the parts seems to be on a par. Construction should be straight forward, with perhaps only a small smear of putty needed at the front of the hull where the glacis plate joins the underside at a sharp angle. The process starts with the suspension arms, which are attached to keyed slots in the side of the hull, which you can ream out if you're planning on depicting her hunkered down. The roadwheels are made from two sections that was well detailed and fit together on a keyed peg so that the cut-outs line up. The pair of idler wheels are similarly constructed, while the drive sprockets have three parts that have all been well supplied with styrene during moulding as they are encircled on the sprues with their own runners and seven sprue gates per toothed wheel. Tiny return rollers fit to the hull on small lugs, and the wheels are glued in position ready for the tracks later in the build. There is no interior in the kit, but the water-jets are at least partially depicted within the hull as trunking between the intake grilles on the lower hull and the covered outlets on the rear bulkhead. This does prevent a see-through effect on the grilles, but is of limited value for most purposes, unless you wanted to pose the covers open to display the trunking. The tracks are held in the sprues by four sprue gates, but there are no ejector pin marks on their faces, so other than cleaning up the gates, there is little else to do before you can glue 88 of them per side into a run and drape them around the running gear. However, you do have to add 88 tiny guide horns that are present on the sprues, which may test your patience a little, as well as providing more food for the fabled carpet monster. That said, I prefer the look of individual links, and if you join them with liquid glue, they remain supple enough to position around the sprockets, after which you can use packing, wedges and weights to hold them in the correct place until the glue cures fully. The resulting tracks have the faceted look of the real thing, rather than curved links you get with rubber-band style alternatives. The upper hull has a pair of rear fenders added to the back, and some vision blocks to the inside, before being festooned with hatches at the front, which each have PE grab handles. The large thick troop door is at an angle on the rear deck behind the turret, and this also has a periscope added to the inside before being added along with stowage bins just to make egress that bit more difficult than it already was. The deck is then dotted with antennae bases, PE brackets and small details, together with a pair of bow mounted machine gun barrels that look like they belong in a James Bond car, as they appear to be poking out of where you'd expect the headlights to be! The real headlights are set back from the front on the sloping sides of the nose, along with some pioneer tools, a pair of front mud guards from PE and a pair of PE bow plates that attach onto small hinge lugs on the edge of the glacis plate. Tt the back, two PE mesh grilles are added to the radiators on the split engine deck, and another pair of mudguards are installed, made from bent PE parts. The fun part is always the turret for me, and this one hardly qualifies for the name, as it is so low in profile. It is literally deep enough to accommodate the breech of the gun and nothing more. The external portion of the breech/mantlet is a single part to which the main armament with its slide-moulded hollow muzzle and coaxial machine gun are added into recesses at the front. A quartet of vision blocks are added to the turret roof, and the hinged mounting point for the mantlet is installed at the front, before the lower turret with integral ring is glued into the recess at the lower side. The gun is then installed on the protruding peg, and the roof is adorned with searchlight, gunner's periscope, a single D-shaped hatch and some PE lifting lugs around the perimeter. The launch rail for the ATGM AT-3 Sagger missile is the final act, made up from three parts, and sitting atop the barrel, courtesy of a recess and peg. The missile itself is made up from a four-part rear and single piece front, and attaches to the initiator section of the launch rail via another peg and recess. The turret is installed using the usual bayonet fitting, and rotated to lock it in place. Markings As long as you're happy with Russian Green (FS34102, according to the instructions), you'll be fine. There are three markings options in the box, which simply involves the substitution of vehicle numbers and the addition of a couple of unit markings on the upper surface. Vehicle number 382 – Number 2 in an inverted triangular outline. Vehicle number 547 – White parachute emblem on the turret hatch. Vehicle number 771 - White parachute emblem on the turret hatch and glacis plate. The decal sheet is of course rather small, and printed in white only, so there can be no registration issues, and as the printing is crisp, the look fine. The carrier film is a little thick, but that can be disguised by adding some additional coats of clear varnish around them once applied. Conclusion How you fit seven people inside that tiny vehicle along with the engine, amphibious equipment and everything else and still remain an effective fighting unit is beyond me, but it was in use for a long while before being replaced by slightly larger BMD-2 in the 1980s. The model looks to be relatively simple to construct, with a little bending and curving of PE parts needed to complete the job well, but other than that, there's nothing that should tax your average modeller. Now we wait until someone produces and aftermarket airdrop palette, and more frivolously, a 1:35 IL-76! Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of and available soon from major hobby shops