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Russian PT-76B (03314) 1:72 Revell The PT-76 was designed in the 50s, and the 76 relates to the size of the barrel, rather than the year, when Soviet tank doctrine became interested again in the light tank concept, and added the amphibious requirement to the mix to create a very capable platform that can ford a river without breaking stride, punch above its weight in a shooting match, and in later incarnations it was also fully NBC capable. The PT-76B was an improvement on the original and could fire a new more potent armour piercing round, ran a new uprated engine, and had improved battlefield electronics to further increase the type’s capabilities. It was in production from the 50s until the late 60s, and saw plenty of action, with many still in service today with a number of operators. The Kit This is another reboxing by Revell of a Toxso Model tooling, and there is a ton of detail included. It arrives in a small end-opening box, with five sprues in grey styrene within, plus a small Photo-Etch (PE) fret, decal sheet and the instruction booklet, which has a length of fine wire taped to the front. The origin of the tooling is less than 10 years old, and this shows in the level of detail included on the sprues, some of it thanks to slide-moulding. Construction begins with the low-profile “dalek” turret, which has a quartet of brackets fitted inside, then is outfitted with the detailed breech that fits into a ring glue into the bottom of the turret. The two hatches, searchlight, spare track links, aerial base, and a choice of the NBC exhaust dome or its hooked extension. The base for the extension has a pair of small sink-marks around the pipe, which should be easy enough to fill because the pipe is a separate part. A pair of rails are arranged around the top of the turret, then the mantlet, hollow-muzzled barrel and the coaxial machine gun barrel complete the turret. The lower hull has two water intake gratings moulded into the underside, and the two hull sides make up the rest of the lower. Unusually, the road wheels are first attached to their suspension arms before they are fitted into the hull, with the drive sprockets and idlers installed first and some bump-stops that aren’t moulded-in (some are). The wheels are glued to three styles of suspension arms, so take care which go where and follow the instructions carefully so that you end up with the pattern shown in a scrap diagram from the side. The tracks are standard styrene lengths, and each run is made up from two parts that are wrapped around the road wheels and joined into a band to complete them. The tracks are directional, so make sure you install them the correct way around by referring to the instructions. The upper hull is assembled around the roof, with two side panels and the aft bulkhead that has the two water-jet exhausts and their covers moulded-in and glued on respectively. The water pumps are depicted in full, complete with a two-part induction horn that runs from the intakes underneath to the exhausts at the back, and has the manoeuvring jet take-off for the side vents too. They are handed, and a scrap diagram shows their completed position within the upper hull. Before the two halves are joined, the circular turret floor with a stool for the commander is inserted onto a short peg in the floor, which is directly under the turret ring once the upper hull is glued in place. The completed assembly is decked out in pioneer tools, fuel canisters, hatch and vision blocks, headlamps, plus a few sundry small parts and the bow-wash deflector in front of the driver’s position on the glacis. The engine deck has two separate hatches inserted into the holes, plus two PE grilles that glue over the other louvers, with some lifting handles added to the largest one. Mudguards are added front and rear, a set of PE cages are folded up for the headlights, and on the left fender, a tapered pole is mounted on pins. The turret is twisted into position to lock it into position, and using the wire supplied, you can make up the two towing cables using the styrene eyes that are included. The photos I’ve seen online however show the cable as being braided, so you may want to look into that. The supplied wire is also not as malleable as it could be, but it could be used as aerial wire to save wasting it. Markings There are two/three decal options on the sheet, both green as you may have expected. From the box you can build one of the following: Soviet Naval Infantry, unknown unit (with alternative turret codes) Nationale Volksarmee DDR, 1970 Decals are by Zanetti, which is a guarantee of good registration, sharpness and colour density, with a thin matt carrier film cut close to the printed areas. Conclusion It’s a nice kit with some features I wouldn’t have expected on a 1:72 kit, and somewhat advanced for its original release-date. The inclusion of PE parts is just gravy. Highly recommended. Currently, Revell are unable to ship to the UK from their online shop due to recent changes in import regulations, but there are many shops stocking their products where you can pick up the kits either in the flesh or online. Revell model kits are available from all good toy and model retailers. For further information visit or

Here's my latest, the Hobbyboss 1/35 Land Wasser Sclepper. I have tried a lot of new to me weathering techniques on this model using dot filters, streaking, oils and all sorts! Comments welcome.

T-37A Soviet amphibious light tank.Pictures taken at National Museum of the History of Ukraine in the Second World War, Kiev by Dave Haskell.

I shall be building a Landing Ship Tank Mk.2 (LST) which supplied troops and vehicles to the beachhead and Mulberry harbour Not built one of these before, especially scratch build, so I shall be muddling learning as I go along. The model will be populated with various AFV's from L'Arsenal's range of vehicles and accessories. Mike Plans and styrene sheets ready for the start. Selection of representative vehicles - quite nice and detailed for 1:350 scale