Zvezda 1/35 T-34/85 & others.................

[Dave Ward]

Bit stuck at the moment, my arthritis has flared up again, and I'm down to the left hand! Whilst I'm waiting for the magic gel to do it's stuff, I've decided on my next build.................

This is the 2018 tooling, and looks rather nice...................
I normally don't have figures with my tanks, but I've decided to buck the trend, and use the tank riders from this.......................


............and a crewman from this....................

Not going to do a winter camouflage - tending more towards October '44, Memel, or Riga
I think I have a street base somewhere, so it could end up being a diorama..........................
Dave
Hopefully, I'll finish my Junkers F.13 shortly, so I can get this going ( painlessly )

 

[Tarps]

This looks like a nice kit to build Dave. I will be keeping an eye on this build.

 

[JR]

I will of course take a seat for this Dave. Those ICM figures look good, thought haven't seen never seen those from Zvezda before unless they are a rebox.

 

[SimonT]

Got a couple of these T34/85's in the stash - one is destined to be converted to an Israeli pill box

Only had a quick look in the box at mine so this will be interesting to see what you think of the kit

 

[Jakko]

haven't seen never seen those from Zvezda before unless they are a rebox.

They first came out 25 years ago or so, and were also sold by Italeri. They’re not great, but with replacement heads they’ll probably do fine.

 

[langy71]

I'll pop a chair in at the back if you don't mind, I've been toying with doing a T-34 , so I'll follow along and grab a few tips..

 

[Dave Ward]

The Zvezda model comes in the usual box-in-a-box, to resist transit damage. Sprue shots & a few detail shots.

It's a simple model, but then again the externals of the T-34 were simple

Casting texture on the turret sides

Road wheels - hubs OK, the rubber tyres will need a bit of beating up.......................

Tracks, link & length - the sprues join together to make a track jig for the top run..............

 

[Deleted member 4539]

Have fun Dave .

 

[Dave Ward]

The figures
The Zvezda tanky:

You'll only see the top half, and the head isn't bad

The ICM tank riders

PPSH-41 - I'm going to have all the riders armed with this, it seemed common practice
Dave

 

[Jakko]

For late in the war you can also go with the PPS-43 rather than the PPSh-41, as that was in the process of being replaced by the former by 1944. Both remained in use side by side, though, so either works.

 

[Dave Ward]

I have 5 PPSh-41, but only one PPS-43! Same with the ammo pouches, so, I'm going for all 41s - I think the 41 drum magazine looks better, anyway!
I've looked out the street base, I think a FoG production

It's missing a drain cover - anyone know what Latvian/East Prussian grates looked like?
Dave

 

[Tarps]

Dave it looks like hours of fun. I like how the sprue turns into a jig.

 

[Allen Dewire]

Hi Dave,

If the link works, this could give you a few ideas to use,

https://www.bing.com/images/search?...&form=IQFRBA&first=1&scenario=ImageBasicHover

HTHs

Prost
Allen

 

[Dave Ward]

Allen,
there are some really fancy grates there - a bit beyond normal scratching!
I think more in the line of


Incidentally, there is no PE in Zvezda kits, you're supplied with a piece of fine nylon mesh, to make the grilles
Dave

 

[Allen Dewire]

I can understand that Dave. Do what you think is best and if it doesn't work out to your liking, park the T34 over it and no one will know. Have fun Sir!!!

Allen

 

[JR]

That's a neat site you found Dude1.

 

[langy71]

looking good Dave,
on the strength of your pics I've pulled the trigger on the same kit...
(gotta finish my Panther first though..lol),
Could i ask you a favour ? Would you mind calling out what paint colours your gonna use for this build ?...especially the Russian Green, as I've discovered there seems to be a million correct shades of Russian green, 'a bit like Dunkelgelb'..

Thax in advance..

 

[Dave Ward]

Chris,
For Russian Green, or 4BO, I've been using Vallejo Model Air 70.017, but for this build, I'm going to try AK 3rd Generation Russian Green. Don't worry too much about 'authentic' colours, the paint on Russian tanks was mixed at each factory which made them, added to that the conditions of application, how long they had been in the sun & what weather conditions they had encountered, the final colours would vary!
The US, building tanks on a car production line basis, had standardised Olive Drab, so, as they came out of the factory, they were all exactly the same colour.
The best you can do it get it as near as you think looks right! I'd be wary of contemporary colour pictures ( early days of colour ), restored tanks ( near enough off the shelf paints......... ) and anyone, manufacturer or otherwise, who claims to have the definitive mix!!
Dave
pardon the minor rant, my wrist is giving me gyp............

 

[langy71]

thx for the reply Dave, i'm probably gonna go with the Model Air colour..(got a shed load of them in my 'cave'.)

 

[Dave Ward]

Chris,
I've run out of the Vallejo stuff & I have the AK on hand....................
Dave