t-64BM2, Modelcollect, 1/72

[Silenoz]

The T-64 is a Soviet second-generation main battle tank introduced in the early 1960s. It was a more advanced counterpart to the T-62: the T-64 served tank divisions, while the T-62 supported infantry in motorized rifle divisions. It introduced a number of advanced features including composite armor, a compact engine and transmission, and a smoothbore 125-mm gun equipped with an autoloader to allow the crew to be reduced to three so the tank could be smaller and lighter. In spite of being armed and armored like a heavy tank, the T-64 weighed only 38 tonnes (42 short tons; 37 long tons).

These features made the T-64 expensive to build, significantly higher than previous generations of Soviet tanks. This was especially true of the power pack, which was time-consuming to build and cost twice as much as more conventional designs. Several proposals were made to improve the T-64 with new engines, but chief designer Alexander Morozov's political power in Moscow kept the design in production in spite of any concerns about price. This led to the T-72 being designed as an emergency design, only to be produced in the case of a war, but its 40% lower price led to it entering production in spite of Morozov's objections.

At present the T-64 is in use in very few nations or regions, but is currently undergoing significant factory overhauls and modernization in Ukraine. The newest, vastly upgraded and improved model of this 50-year-old design, the T-64BM Bulat, has increased in weight to 45 tonnes and is seeing active service in the field.

 

The T-64BM2 has an upgraded 57DFM 850-hp (625 kW) engine (which can be replaced by a 6TDF 1,000 hp (735 kW) engine), a new 1A43U fire control, a new 6ETs43 loader and the possibility to fire the 9M119 missile (NATO code "AT-11 Sniper"), there's also contact 5 or "Knife" reactive armor (Bulat version)

 

The box

 

content:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

PE + metal Barrel:

 

a whole bunch of decals:

 

and where I am at the construction:

Original turret:

 

I've removed the sloped sides by carefull cutting and scraping, halfway here:

 

and some more progress:

 

 

More to add. It's more then likely I'll have to remove the rear basket due to painting reasons. The burrs that are visible will be removed/molten away with tamiya extra thin glue.

 

On the hull I reduced the thickness of the fenders (the visible part):

 

Added the details:

 

 

The deflector at the back was rather thick due to molding reasons. It has detail on both sides. To preserve these while making the part thinner, I've sawn the part in two and glued both halves again...

 

to be continued...