Zvezda 1/72 T-35

[Rumblestripe]

A few months ago I built the Zvezda T34/85 and although fiddly it was a rather nice kit. I've always fancied a T-35 and as it is unlikely to appear in my favourite scale of 1/48 and I find 1/35 too big for collection and display then...

 

I mean a T35 is obviously one better than a T34, right?

 

So, this rather large box was delivered.

 

Sturdy packaging and lots of bits!

 

 

Nice crisp mouldings

 

Behind the hull is my 1:72 Zvezda T34/85, this thing was BIG!

 

 

Displayed on an A3 cutting mat, here are SOME of the sprues! There are two more of the bogie sprues like the two on the right and another track sprue. I may look for a commander figure to give scale to the model as it is so preposterously huge.

[Rumblestripe]

I have to say that the fit and engineering on this kit is absolutely flawless.

 

Take the suspension bogies

Each unit is assembled from four wheels and three parts to represent the suspension of the bogie, there a four of these on each side, a total of 56 parts there, there a six return rollers per side made up of two parts each

One of there made a bid for freedom and was snatched from the jaws of the carpet monster after I was just about ready to start to make a replacement from plasticard. 

So this is what you get (sans tracks) despite the tiny pieces the fit is superb the only thing to watch is that the bogies and return rollers are aligned to accept the track pieces. The only downside is that most of this is hidden on the final model by the side skirts!

 

At this point I decided to blow over with colour rather than try with the skirts and tracks in place.

Edited March 30, 2021 by Rumblestripe
Pressed save too soon! D'oh!

[crowe]

That's a lot of fiddly parts 

Following

[Rumblestripe]

OK, so progress is slow. It is a lovely kit and deserves a careful and considered build.

 

But I managed to find a collection of suitable Tank Commanders

These are 20mm Russian WW2 Tank Commanders from the Wargames Company Foundry. I was quite surprised to find these figures as 20mm (which is very close to 1/72) is rather a "forgotten" scale in wargaming, 28mm 1/56th is much more ala vogue, I guess driven by the success of Games Workshop and wargamers moving into Historical Gaming like to have the detail and "heft" of the 28mm figure or go smaller into the 10/12/15mm scale? Anyhow, I picked this fellow to command my T-35

And I have painted him in colours that I found on a Russian WW2 uniforms site

I just hope this is correct! I would appreciate correction as at the moment, unmounted as he is, I can quite easily repaint if necessary.

 

Meanwhile progress on the vehicle has got the suspension and wheels fully painted and the next step will be to assemble the track, for which I will require a "brave pill" as the tracks are length and link with individual links required to be glued together to form the curved sections of track around the sprocket and return wheels. Ulp!

 

The base green coat was airbrushed on with the rubber tyres picked out by hand and the springs given a wash of 50:50 Vallejo Black Ink and Black Wash. A lot of this will be hidden on the finished model and I need to apply some further weathering and muck before then.

 

More when we have it, stay safe everyone!

[Rumblestripe]

Well, the tracks are indeed fiddly but came together quite nicely. I have only done one side but I'm quite pleased with how it has come out

 

 

Individual links (and a scalpel)

 

First sub assembly is to make two curved bits for the sprocket and return roller, the instructions say to prepare two for each side. One of eight pieces and the other of seven. They don't clip together you must glue them. Tamiya Extra Thin is the boy for this job, push the links together one bit at a time and a quick dab of ultra thin. DO NOT WAIT FOR THEM TO SET keep adding the links. Once assembled give the sub assemblies an initial curve by forming them over the return roller. DO NOT WAIT FOR THEM TO SET. 

 

  

 

...and this is why you must not allow the sub assemblies to fully set. I started by applying the long section over the top of the rollers then the seven piece sub assembly that goes over the sprocket. At this point I swapped over parts D3 and D6. I didn't realise that I had until after adding the long section at the base (D30) that I had already used D6. That said, I'm not sure if they are very different so I simply used D3 and then the remaining curved bit was added over the return roller. At this point I found that the section was too long by three lengths. This is where it is important that the sub assemblies have not completely set, simply pull off the surplus links and complete the track.

 

I'm pretty pleased with this, I've had 1/48 link and length tracks that have fought harder than this fellow. To avoid handling whilst not fully set I put the model aside for the night to give it 24 hours to completely set and then just the other side to do. 

[Rumblestripe]

In which some progress is made, a mistake is perpetrated and a puzzle remains unresolved...

 

So the hull is largely done

 

 

I paint the tracks in a base coat of Vallejo German Camouflage Black Brown (70 822), washes of black and umber have been applied, will need some rust and dust then drybrushing with steel. All very good, happy with that.

 

Oh and I found some flash!

Shocking, this is the ONLY bit of flash I have found. Exemplary.

 

And here we have the puzzle and the mistake...

First the puzzle. Does the hatch fold flat? I cannot find conclusive proof but in some images it isn't folded flat

This is one of several photos of a knocked out /broken down T-35 taken by advancing German forces in 1941. You can see that the circular hatch is not folded flat. But in other photographs I have seen (principally what looks like May Day parade photographs) the hatch cannot be seen so looks to be folded flat as in you can't see it but the angles are inconclusive. Any how, I thought that a half opened hatch is never going to survive long in my paws, so I have folded it flat. Also in that shot, no cast star on the turret roof. Ho hum. So that's the puzzle.

 

You can perhaps just see that I have put a piece of black painted plasticard below the hatch with a hole drilled to accept and locate the Commander's torso.

 

The mistake I hear you cry! Well you can't actually see it but the turret mounts to a separate piece of the superstructure and you force a ring over the base of the turret to lock it in place. You should do this before mounting that distinctive aerial (also missing from that historical photo but then so is the Commander's MG). Once the aerial is mounted there is no way to get the ring forced over the lip. Nuts. I will cut the ring into small sections and glue them in place individually. One more tip, if you attempt this model, paint the long lengths of track before attaching, painting them with everything assembled... not easy, bad words were uttered.

 

Thanks for reading, take care.

[Vaastav]

The stamped star would be from T-26-4 (the one with the howitzer in the turret. I believe these had the same turret, so.... 

[Rumblestripe]

OK, some progress! (This is why I invariably fail to complete Group Builds I suppose)

 

Anyhow, the major assembly is now done and I have to say the engineering and precision of this kit is second to none. The precise fit of every part is exemplary. I have got basic colour on the tank

 

 

The secondary turrets have just been painted and haven't dried fully so look a slightly darker/richer colour the colour used is Vallejo Air 71017 "Russian Green" straight from the bottle to the airbrush. I need to pick out the cables and tools on the hull as well as the MG barrels. Then it's on with the weathering. Oh and obviously I need to attach the skirts/side panels.

 

 

Another shot showing I also have to install the front lights! Nuts, forget about them! Oh and that's a 1/72 BT-7 behind it (UM Model) more on that if anyone is interested.

 

Anyhow, I was watching a "making of" on YouTube showing how Disney made The Mandalorian, basically they used large LED panels showing CGI scenery rather than using "Green Screen" and adding it in later so I thought I'd try it with a model...

 

 

I just sat the tank on a blank piece of paper and put it in front of the laptop screen showing a woodland screen. I'm seriously impressed with the potential of this. Obviously I need something a bit better than a sheet of paper but I reckon a bit of grass mat and some "stuff" to hid the join between screen and base. Anyone else tried this?

[echen]

18 hours ago, Rumblestripe said:

Anyone else tried this?

Not yet.............................

Looks like an excellent idea!

Edited June 2, 2021 by echen

[sardaukar]

Think I might try this laptop screen background for my group build efforts.

 

Nice work, I have this kit in the stash in 1/72 of course and it does feel like it's about as close to 1/35 as I will get. 😀

[Rumblestripe]

Well it took a while to get it over the line but it is finally finished

 

Finished model including some more photographs using the LED panel as a background

 

Thanks for the kind comments and to those who followed me.