Dizygotic twins - 1/72 Unimodels T-34/76 and SU-100

[KRK4m]

For the schoolboy born in Poland 12 years after the VE day the terms "tank" and "T-34" were synonymous. Mind that today the 1990-91 Gulf War seems just few years ago - five, maybe eight, but surely not 30. In my country in the 1960s the T-34 was omnipresent - dozens of them were standing on the monuments commemorating the Nazi defeat. The 3-volume novel "Czterej pancerni i pies" (Four tankmen and a dog) by col. Janusz Przymanowski, set in 1944-45, follows the adventures of a tank crew and their T-34 tank in the 1st Polish Army. The book (compulsory reading at school) and 21-episode TV series have achieved and retain a cult series status in Poland. Thus - although many pictures of the T-55s and PT-76s were present in newspapers and TV - the T-34 was THE tank everybody knew.

Last year I came back to the plastic modelling after some 40-year break and after building three 1/700 aircraft carriers I decided to devote the 2020 for starting the 1/72 AFV collection. The COVID pandemic kept me home for whole March and April, resulting in two French and three German AFVs put into my cabinet. Then I have started the Allied types from the MTO (Churchill, Grant and Stuart) just to find the MTO GB set for the late autumn. So the Crusader, Matilda and Valentine have to wait for several weeks and in the meantime the T-34 GB appeared. Frankly speaking I have planned the 2021 to be "the Russian AFV year", but the temptation was strong. Therefore I have purchased the 1/72 kits of two "dizygotic" T-34 variants: the very early (1941) tank and the very late (1945) tank-buster. Of course the kits had to be from the same "stable" to keep the crucial dimensions and details as close as possible. After examining such pairs from Dragon, Zvezda and UM my choice was set on the last mentioned and both kits came from Ukraine last week. So now we can start!

This was the look of my table yesterday in the morning: two boxes, two instruction sheets, two decal sheets, two PE frets, four rubber tyre sets and some 10 sprues containg not less than 390 parts - not bad for just two 1/72 kits. Mind that the sprues with the later (full disc) mainwheels, included in the SU-100 box, feature more bluish hue of green than all others. 

And here is the "late evening view" after some 12-13 hours of building. The uper hull of T-34 consists of 21 parts and the only modifications needed so far were slight enlargement of the turret hole and widening the corresponding cutouts - otherwise the turret won't fit. Then there are two lower bathtubs - incidentally each of them also consists of 21 pieces so far. Here the only "not OOB" work was needed at the T-34 transmission end covers, which suffered from large sink marks. Happily similar (a little bit larger, as for the T-34-85) fairings for the SU-100 were troublefree.

The T-34/76 turret consists of 11 pieces so far and here the body putty was necessary both for filling the mantlet sink marks and for fixing the slits along the upper decking join with side walls. The gun pivot axle had to be shortened on both ends and the muzzle was drilled with 1.0mm drill.  

Now the SU-100 upper hull - here we have 31 pieces glued together so far (thanks to the fuel tanks: there are four of them and each one consists of four pieces). The only modification was lenghtening (a mere 1mm each) of the locating stubs for the crew compartment ventilation fan caps - otherwise the siamesed caps won't fix. The twin exhaust pipes needed drilling with some 1.4mm drill, same as in the T-34 case. And finally - the 100mm gun: just five parts so far, the muzzle drilled with 1.4mm drill, gun pivot axle shortened on both ends and some body putty necessary at the mantlet top. 

During next weekend I would like to start the paint job on both lower hulls (seems necessary before fitting the wheels), wheels and tracks. Then I will be able to fit the wheels and tracks and finally glue the upper hull onto the lower bathtub.

Cheers

Michael

 

Edited July 26, 2020 by KRK4m

[badger]

Great progress so far on these - UM are not always the easiest kits to build.

[KRK4m]

Thank you, Badger. I understand you know what you're talking about...

However the T-34 and its siblings are by far easier to build than for example the UM PzKpfw III and Stug III.

This week some progress was made - mostly with the T-34. First the lower bathtub and all 28 wheels have been painted with Humbrol 226 that I consider to be the closest equivalent of the 1942-44 ("khaki green period", so the brightest and most yellowish one) 4BO. Then all 44 elements of tracks were painted rusty red (Humbrol 70) while all 20 rubber tyres received the coat of Hubrol 67 "tank grey". Then yesterday the tracks have been dry-brushed with Humbrol 53, the wheels fitted with tyres and finally the whole running gear completed with tracks around it. Today the hull has been closed and the tail boxes fitted - the result is seen on these pictures.

 

 

 

 

Here the front wings can be seen already coated with the H226 with all the other areas unpainted yet. The 1mm dia hole in glacis close to the driver hatch has been drilled for fitting the headlight, as I don't believe that fitting it flush (as UM has designed it) would be strong enough. 

 

 

 

Here the drilled exhaust pipes can be seen (to some extent). BTW mind that the round engine hatch is moulded by UM slightly offset to the right - unable to verify and/or to modify that I decided to left it as it is.

In the weekend there will be the turn for SU-100

Cheers

Michael

Edited August 9, 2020 by KRK4m

[badger]

13 hours ago, KRK4m said:

Thank you, Badger. I understand you know what you're talking about

I've built a few of the BT and T-26 series from UM. Nice kits but not the easiest to assemble.

 

I have one of their T-34/85s in the stash. Must give it a go as yours is coming together very nicely.

 

All the best

Ben

[KRK4m]

So today - as promised on Thursday - some news concerning the SU-100.

First the lower bathtub and all 28 wheels have been painted with Humbrol 117 that I consider to be the closest equivalent of the 1945-50 ("dark green period", so the darkest and most blueish one) 4BO. BTW the difference is not so huge as one could expect and there is still enough place left for the one between them - the Humbrol 86 that I use for the 1934-41 "olive green period" 4BO.

Then all 44 elements of tracks were painted rusty red (Humbrol 70) while all 20 rubber tyres received the coat of Hubrol 67 "tank grey". Perhaps tomorrow the tracks will be dry-brushed with Humbrol 53, thus the result will be like on the T-34 seen on the extreme left.

 

After fitting the wheels and aplying the first coat of H117 on the upper hull (still not glued to the lower bathtub) the SPG looks like this

At this stage I have met the tiniest styrene arts in my 50-year old modelling experience - the pistol port fairings (one is visible on the picture below) are cones measuring 0.9mm diameter and 0.7mm height. The semi-short run technology didn't allow UM to make them integral with casemate walls. Fitting them into place was something tremendous!

 

BTW I have found that UM - making things simple - have designed all eight endcaps of auxiliary fuel tanks identical. Sounds right, one could say. But not if you make them integral with mounting belts. In the effect (as the engine compartment sidewalls are about 45 degrees slant) only half of them look right, i.e. the fuel filler cap is vertically on the barrel top and the handles on the ends are horizontal. The other half have the handles in vertical position, that indicates horizontal location of fuel filler caps. Actually you can find these handles at various angles on the T-34 family AFVs in the museums, but there the fuel tanks are empty...

The solution was to cut off two endcaps (the forward one on the right side and the rear one on the left) and rotate them 90 degrees to make them horizontal. After drilling the exhaust pipes and the muzzle, lenghtening the ventilation cap stubs and shortening the gun pivot axle it is the next modification applied to this UM kit so far.

 

This week the tracks should be fitted and the hull closed (hence the gap visible across the tail on the picture above).

And the T-34 should progress further too, half-a-step ahead of the SU.

Cheers

Michael

 

Edited August 10, 2020 by KRK4m

[KRK4m]

Yesterday was "the T-34 day" on my workbench with the SU-100 shelved to wait a while.

First I have found the photo of the real T-34 rear that confirms the assymetrical (offset to the right) location of the rear service hatch. 

So the UM is right and most drawings aren't.

Then the handrails and the front spotlight were fitted, bringing the assembly process very close to the end. The only items left in the box are the antenna wire and the accessories to be located externally (four spare track links, two towing ropes and a 2-man crosscut saw). After brush-applying the coat of the H226 the tank looks like this:

 

 

 

And now the "family picture" with SU-100 awaiting similar treatment the day after. The difference in camo colour is intentional.

To be (I hope) continued ...

Cheers

Michael

 

[KRK4m]

Step by step... Thus today's report covers the SU-100.

First the tracks were fitted, then the hull was closed and some details added. 

So there are the forward wings and the front spotlight already visible.

Five handrails and some 2-man crosscut saw also took their places. BTW the saw is a totally flat PE piece of some 0.1mm (7mm real size) thickness, so the handles needed to be made beefier. Thus two 2.5mm lenghts of 0.4mm wide strip have been cut from the 0.3mm thick plastic card and CA glued on it. The shiny surface of Humbrol 11 reflects the light strongly, disturbing the outline of the saw. Hope that after applying some varnish the shape will be recognizable much better.

Now the assembly process is very close to the end. The only items left in the box are the antenna and the accessories to be located externally (seven spare track links and two towing ropes). After brush-applying the first coat of the H117 the vehicle looks like this:

To be (I hope) continued soon ...

Cheers

Michael

[KRK4m]

So after 5 weeks the T-34/76 is completed.

The 0.3mm dia antenna wire and the external accessories (four spare track links, two towing ropes and a 2-man crosscut saw) were fitted. Actually the saw handles needed to be made beefier, thus two strips of the 0.3mm thick plastic card were CA glued on like described in the SU-100 thread above.

Then the Humbrol 83 was brush-applied as the 7K yellow ochre large spots over the standard 1941-43 4BO "protective". The sights received black lenses, the spotlight got several layers of Vallejo acrylic gloss varnish and the white "Dzerzhinets" (after the Iron Felix) inscriptions from the Trumpeter #07231 KV-1 tank kit weres applied to both sides of the turret.

After brush-applying the Vallejo acrylic matt varnish overall some smoke stains were applied to the engine louvres - remains of old Rimmel eyebrow mascara (thrown away years ago by my lady) proved quite good in this role. The results you can see here :

and there :

Comments welcome

Cheers

Michael 

[KRK4m]

And after next 8 days its dizygotic twin is completed too.

The 0.3mm dia antenna wire and the external accessories (seven spare track links and two towing ropes) were fitted. In the end I have also decided to drill the 0.8mm hole in the vertical fin over the gun mantlet that was used as the hoist eye.

Then the sights received black lenses, the spotlight got several layers of Vallejo acrylic gloss varnish and the white (Humbrol 130) "Berlin operation" stripes were brush applied to the casemate. The stripes were painted without help of any masking tape - like on the prototype in the spring of 1945. The tiny digits of the 215 side number were applied separately, one after another. Also the fuel caps on all four auxiliary tanks were painted with Humbrol 171.

After brush-applying the Vallejo acrylic matt varnish overall some smoke stains were applied to the engine louvres and to the hull end behind the exhaust pipes. Remains of old Rimmel eyebrow mascara proved quite good again.

The results you can see here:

and there:

The family photos are below:

 

 

 

 

 

Comments welcome

Cheers

Michael

Edited September 12, 2020 by KRK4m
links added