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Bashar Al Squarehead's Syrian (& Iraqi) Armour


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  • 3 weeks later...

I've looked high & low for the bloody thing.  :unsure:

 

I don't understand why companies don't just take PayPal.....There's no way I'm trusting my credit card details to some random server in the Ukraine or Russia, I don't give a monkey's what little logos you use, if it's not PayPal, I'm not interested!  :angrysoapbox.sml:

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  • 2 weeks later...

Hi Sarge

 

That's bad news! Daft thought but could you get one of those prepaid cards meant for holidays and order it on that?

 

I had one a couple of years ago for a holiday and loaded money onto it. You can only spend what's on it but it was a Visa card so widely accepted.

 

Bit of a faf but might solve your problem?

 

All the best

 

Ben

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  • 2 months later...

Ha.....Betcha thought I'd given up on this one dincha?  :hmmm:

 

Me too!  :mellow:

 

But no.....Revell have recently released a 1/72 T-55AM and I have just ordered one, which I believe (confirmation from T-55 experten very welcome) finally gives me most (if not all) of the parts that I will need to build this tank (and an awful lot of spares left over, not less than three complete T-55s worth by my current reckoning).  :mental:

 

Hoping the kit will come with the right tracks (T-72 type), but doubting it frankly, so I'll probably be ordering a Revell T-72 before too long!  :rolleyes:

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T-55AM turned up, I now definitely have a couple of parts from my list  (the gun tube & skirts) but they're both far too pristine for my subject, so guess what.....  :mental:

 

As for the rest of the bits, well I'm just not familiar enough with T-55s to be confident, I'm checking my references by eyeballing, but TBH, I'm not altogether sure what I'm looking at.  I now have a huge pile of parts (three assorted T-55s & a Type 59, plus numerous aftermarket bits) and I would sure welcome some guidance as to which one's I'd be best to use!  :rolleyes:

 

In the meantime I'll have a crack at the mine-roller.  ;)

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  • 2 weeks later...

Yet more $$$$$ vanishes in a puff of resin, plastic & brass, but I've finally got all the main parts for this one.....A Revell T-72 is on the way, it's tracks will be used on the T-55 (replacement OKB tracks & some etch for it are also on the way).  :)

 

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Step One - The Mine Trawl

 

Here's where I'll be starting:

 

kmt5-tru-04.JPG

Trumpeter parts, image from web.....Pretty clearly these represent a KMT-5:

 

t-kmt5-1.jpg

KMT-5

 

Whereas what I need is the KMT-5M:

 

t-kmt5m-1.jpg

KMT-5M

 

This bit at least should not be too taxing.....But it's likely to be downhill from there, I've got some lovely parts coming now, but I'm still not completely sure what to do with them!  ;)

 

@BallsBuster  If you are still out there I may be needing your advice before too long!  :pray:

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Very much appreciated fella, I am rather out of my depth with anything post 1945.....I'm just finishing off some Sherman bits and will start cutting plastic here pretty soon, nothing terribly exciting, just four new side-panels for the KMT-5M.  My plan is to reuse the kit attachment points and details (such as they are), the Trumpeter parts have a slightly hybrid look to them already (central attachment is too short for a KMT-5, but the shape of the side-panels is wrong for a KMT-5M) so I think this should be simple enough. 

 

I've decided I'm going to use the Revell turret and live with its shape issues, unless they can be easily corrected, simulating the battering this vehicle has taken and making the various, rather unique, stowage items will be quite time consuming enough IMHO.....Unless anyone knows where I can find 1/72 amphorae?  ;)

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T-72M1 turned up already.....Fair play to Model Hobbies, they do not muck about.  :coolio:

 

I've a mind to build it as an Iraqi vehicle from their 9th Armoured Division in the recent fighting for Mosul:

 

1280px-Iraqi_T-72_tanks.jpg

 

Will need advice for that one too.....But that's for a different thread.  ;)

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Cheers fella, those are great pictures, but they leave me with more questions than answers right now.....I'm not seeing the beefed up glacis/lower hull armour on the example I'm modelling, are we sure it's an AM, not an earlier version upgraded with a new gun barrel and laser rangefinder (I seem to recall reading something about North Korean upgrades) or even the whole turret?  :shrug:

 

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This walk around is from  Patriot Park in Moscow, so, I presume, people there would hardly need a Korean upgrade version. I am pretty sure it is a straightforward AM... Although many of hem were the upgraded older machines, hence lack of uniformity.

The extra anti mine protection on the belly could have been omitted, to gain more maneuverability. Also I saw some AMs without a thermal jacket on the barrel. Perhaps not all of AMs had them? 

In your case, I would think the tank must have the belly applique armor as threat of AT mines is predictable for the trawls pushing machines. 

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No arguments with your comments there fella, but I just can't see any applique/extra armour on the tank in the video.

 

BTW - I meant the Syrian tank in the video could be one of the NK upgraded examples, not the one in your walkaround.....As it turns out it isn't, they look like this:

 

3Z8fxaJ.jpg

 

Quote

The T-55s can be divided into four variants: the standard T-55A, the North Korean upgraded T-55, the T-55AM and the T-55MV. Of these, the T-55A is most numerous type in service, followed by the North Korean upgraded examples, the T-55MV and the T-55AM. The T-55A and the North Korean upgraded T-55s are mostly found with the NDF, while the remaining T-55AMs and T-55MVs continue to soldier on with the SAA.

http://sturgeonshouse.ipbhost.com/topic/754-syrian-tanks-at-war-some-pictures-and-words-between-them/?page=1

 

If it was a Sherman or a Pz.IV I'd be a bit more confident about what I'm looking at, but these new-fangled fifties things are beyond me!  ;)

 

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T-55s were upgraded at many plants in many countries from late 60s through the 70s. This created a plethora of versions, sub versions and variants... We can speak of some general features, but the exact version can only be built for sure from a photo...i know it is not really helpful, but such is life. Here you are dealing with real "soldier tank" built in huge numbers in many countries and participated in conflicts on all continents... 

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  • 2 weeks later...

OKB bits arrived (Very, very, very highly recommended!  :thumbsup: ).....Managed to put a big dink in the T-55 etch getting out of the packing!  :doh:

 

Fortunately many of the parts it represents on the real tank have been pretty thoroughly dinked and as the set is actually intended for the Trumpeter T-55 much of it would not be usable on my subject anyway.  :whistle:

 

Just the Zedval goodies to come and I'll be as well armed as I can be for my build (unless anyone knows of a UK supplier for Tankograd or at least one that accepts PayPal).

 

PS - @BallsBuster  In your opinion, is the tank pictured in Post #48 a T-55M or an older T-55?  I don't see a thermal sleeve, but I'm not sure whether it has a laser-rangefinder.....I'm actually hoping it's an older version so I can model it with the countless leftovers I'll have from this build.

 

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