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T-55A Mod.1970 (37094) 1:35


Mike

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T-55A Mod.1970 (37094)

1:35 MiniArt via Creative Models Ltd

 

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The T-54's gestation and transformation into the T-55 was long-winded and complicated by constant changes to an as yet poorly performing vehicle, which began as early as the end of WWII.  Production of the T-54-1 was halted due to production and quality issues, and recommenced as the re-designed T-54-2, with the turret design changed to closer resemble the eventual domed shape of the T-55.  The -2 didn't last all that long before the -3 replaced it, and the requirement for survival of tactical nuclear blasts led to the eventual introduction of the similar looking, but significantly different T-55 that we know so well.

 

As the heavy tank fell out of favour, the T-55 became part of the burgeoning Main Battle Tank movement, with thousands of them being produced over the years in various guises.  In the early 60s the T-55A was developed, providing more adequate NBC protection that required a lengthening of the hull and happily for them, added anti-spall protection for the crew.  It also sounded the death-knell of the bow-mounted machine gun, which was removed to improve ammo storage, and hasn't been seen on MBTs for decades now.  Since the 70s, the commander’s cupola has been fitted with a 12.7mm DShK anti-aircraft heavy machine gun, but the type is now hideously out-classed by newer types, to which they are easy prey, as the Iraqis found to their cost in the Gulf War.

 

 

The Kit

Part of the ever-expanding range of early Cold War armour from MiniArt, who seem to be kitting every conceivable variant from the earliest T-54 to the latest T-55A, which will hopefully include some of the more esoteric marks in due course as well.  The toolings are all essentially brand new, and have been designed in a modular format to ease the way toward new variants, which makes for a high sprue count.  Some of the kits have been released in augmented Interior Kit boxings, with all the extra details to open up your model as much as you please.  This is one of those boxings, and it arrives in their current orange scheme, with a painting of the tank in question on the front, and the stylised "Interior Kit" branding on each face of the box.  Lifting the kit gives the feeling of how much is inside.  There is almost no room for anything else in the box, and I'm dreading putting it all back in.

 

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There are a jaw-dropping 111 sprues in mid grey styrene, many of them quite small, and some of the larger ones linked together in pairs, a clear sprue, two sheets of Photo-Etch (PE) brass, a decal sheet, and the thick glossy instruction booklet.  Crisp detail is everywhere, with judicious use of slide-moulding to improve details further, and make hollows where needed.  The inclusion of PE helps, allowing parts to be given a more scale-thickness effect.

 

Construction begins with the hull floor, which has cut-outs for the suspension mounts, hatches and access panels, all of which are supplied as separate parts.  The suspension is torsion-link, so the bars are inserted with the axles at their ends, then the lowest parts of the interior are added on top, including the base for the turret basket and the driver's position.  Ammo is scattered wherever the designers could fit a round or more, with a large store next to the driver's station in the position formerly occupied by the bow machine gunner.  The hull sides are separate, and are well detailed on both sides, which have further detail and even more rounds layered on both sides before they are added to the lower hull along with engine bay firewall, the engine mount, plus sundry other details that make the T-55 quite cramped for its occupants.  The external hull sides are detailed up with their armoured parts, final drive housings and the idler-wheels with armoured adjuster axles.  The rear bulkhead and upper glacis plate are installed on the hull for later detailing, then attention turns to the engine compartment. 

 

The cooling system is made up with a large detailed fan in a set of ducting to be inserted in the rear, with a series of louvered vents laid over the top deck.  The water-cooled diesel engine, transmission, clutch and brake-units are built up from a substantial number of highly detailed parts for insertion into the hull along with additional hosing and ancillaries over a number of pages, breaking it down into simple steps to ease the way.   Once in place, the hull roof is fitted with hatches, just after a large cylinder and fixtures are built-up and laid into the floor next to the turret flooring.  The engine bay hatches and panels are all made up and here you have a choice of open or closed for many of them, then the radiator box is constructed and positioned over the engine in either the closed or upright open position, allowing access to the engine bay.  Its louvered hatch is complex and made from a large number of parts with PE grilles over the top, which can again be inserted in the open or closed position.  At the very rear of the engine bay, yet more louvered panels are made up and covered with additional PE mesh, which can again be posed open or closed, following which the rear bulkhead is detailed while the fenders are inserted using the usual tab and slot method.  Triangular stiffening plates are added, as are a number of PE strips within the front mudguards.  The fenders have stowage and additional fuel tankage fitted with hosing between them, and lots of PE fixtures, handles and such, tools, toolboxes and the exhaust on the port side.  The kit includes plastic towing eyes, but you are going to have to provide your own cables as none are include in the kit, but given the sheer volume of parts it's excusable.  At the rear an unditching log is lashed to the bulkhead with PE straps, and the extra fuel drums so often seen are also lashed to curved brackets that overhang the rear of the hull. 

 

The road wheels are paired and have a central hub ring, with eight pairs made up of one type, and two of a second.  The drive sprockets are both made of two parts, and the idlers are each made of five parts, including the L-shaped tensioning axle.  The wheels are all fixed to the axles with central pins that are covered by hub caps, which is the same technique used on the drive sprocket and the idler wheels.  The tracks are of the individual link persuasion, and will click together with enough strength to complete the task, but once installed they will probably benefit from being glued in place eventually.  Each link has four sprue gates on the curved front and rear edges, and the outer sections clip over the next link to add strength to the join.  There are 90 links per side, and while it won’t be a 20-minute job, the detail and workable nature of the tracks is well worth the effort, and there are no sink marks to mar the exceptional detail on both sides.

 

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The turret itself is a very busy assembly, beginning with the turret ring and its fittings, onto which the rotation mechanism, radio, crew seats, a spare AK-47 with folding stock, and a rack with ready-rounds inserted are made up first.  The semi-automatic breech loading mechanism is built up next, the breech is installed on two mounts at the front, which have the breech guard and a rack of box mags for the coaxial machine gun attached on the right and underneath respectively, and the sighting gear on the left side.  The upper turret has its anti-spall lining added in sections, and is then decked out with a number of small assemblies, after which a choice of two styles of turret roof are fitted with hatch, vents and vision blocks.  More anti-spall lining is attached to the inside of the roof, and yet more ammunition is stowed as ready rounds for immediate use on the wall.  Externally the grab rails, forward mounted searchlight, commander's cupola and a blast-bag around the mantlet are all added, and the single piece barrel with hollow muzzle slips through the centre and keys into the breech.  The blast-bag is finished off around the edges with PE strips, and a large folded tarpaulin is attached to the back of the turret by more PE straps.  An armature links the gun barrel and the searchlight together so they move in unison, and an ancillary searchlight, with a choice of the driver's poor weather hood built up in either the collapsed or deployed state, with the former stowed on the turret bustle, while the latter fits over the open driver's hatch.

 

The DShK anti-aircraft heavy machine gun is also highly detailed, with a big ammo box and a length of link leading to the breech.  Additional ammo boxes are included, and a half dozen of them can be lashed to the side of the turret, with three optional types, and PE brackets to hang them on.

 

 

Markings

There are five markings options for various Soviet Bloc and friendly countries, with a wide choice of schemes.  From the box you can build one of the following:

 

  • Soviet Army, late 1970s
  • Iraqi Army, Kuwait, 1991
  • OKB Bušići, 1st Guards Brigade of HVO Ante Bruno Bušić, Republic of Croatia Armed Forces, Kupres, 1990s
  • Ugandan People’s Defence Force, African Union Mission in Somalia, 2010s
  • 9th Mechanised Brigade ‘Mărăşeşti’, Romanian Armed Forces, Exercise ‘Sabre Guardian’ 2017

 

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The decals are printed by MiniArt’s usual partners DecoGraph blue paper, and have good register, sharpness and colour density, with a closely cropped thin, matt carrier film.

 

 

Conclusion

These Interior Kits are amongst the most comprehensive kits I have seen in a long while, with even the tiniest details catered for, down to the tiny nuts holding the snorkel to the rear of the tank.  They're possibly not for everyone, as some folks don't want interiors for whatever reason, but as a T-55A with interior, it is a fabulous kit and will keep you modelling for hours and hours.

 

Very highly recommended.

 

At time of writing, this kit is on sale with a discount of 20% with Creative Models Ltd.

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Review sample courtesy of

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