Hi,

Dabblindg a little with a T-70 kit along my main projects, I ran into an area I can't figure out from reference photos. What's on the underside of the screened air intake/cooling vent that hangs off the side right side of the hull?
I mean this: PIC

While I have found quite a lot of good photos, including a few walkarounds, none of them have photos showing the area under that part.
With the mesh screen on the top, I'd suspect the engine compartment (or whatever there is to cool) is under it. Should the part be open underneath as well? This part in the Techmod kit I'm building is moulded separately and is hollow, while the newer Miniart kit has it moulded together with the hull.

Judging from my references, it seems that the side of the hull is intact under the scoop, but today I found this picture, that shows a T-70 with the exhaust pipes going through the side of the hull uder the scoop. The hole in the hull is clearly visible in the photo, but is it safe to assume that there isn't such a hole in the other type of configuration I'll probably be doing, like on the majority of photos I've seen, with the exhaust pipes entering the hull through holes on top of the hull next to the intake scoop?

I'd be grateful if you people with more knowledge on these thing could help me out.
Thanks in advance.

while i can't actually help you out, I have been curious about the answer to this question as well. I hope someone can answer it.

But I do think that the exhaust coming out of that area is not correct.

Hi, looking in my Light Tanks Book by Mikhail Baryatinskiy & Russian Tanks and armored vehicles 1917-1945 by Fleischer, I see the pic you have is the T-70M seen in the patriotic war museum in Moscow. The T-70 went through different stages of development, so that's why you'll see photos with different front hatches, armor, and the hoses placements as you pointed out. The T-70M started production in Sept 42' with extended track and road wheel widths. Sept 43' they were fitted with more powerful engines and a more strongly armored turret.
Sorry, that's all the reference material I have to contribute. I think that underside could be either way as you suggest from the kits you have. Go by photos that match your kit. Happy Russian modelling,
Greg

You mean the second one I posted is the T-70M, with the exhaust pipes going to the side of the hull?
I guess I'll play it safe and do the exhausts like they're on the majority of my reference photos, going to the top of the hull.

Anyway, this is not that serious a build, as Techmod's kit isn't the most accurate around. I'll be building it without trying to correct the dimensional errors, adding Techmod's better individual tracks, Eduard's PE, and aluminium barrel and a crew figure. I think I'll start a build thread about it when I get the project going on. (it's now a low-priority side project. I've got my Blenheim to finish. I'll tell you, that MPM kit sure requires some work..)
Btw, when buying this kit, just the usual happened. After I got all the necessary aftermarket goodies purchased, Miniart released their new and superior kit of the subject.

Eetu,
here are several photos of the T70 at Parola (I bet you've have been there!). I don't remember which variant this T70 is but the exhaust pipes go around the backside of that "scoop".

Ok - I tried to upload photos but nothing seems to happening. Send me a message if you'd lke the photos and I'll try that route.

cheers!

Thanks.
To be honest, I haven't visited the Parola armor museum yet. But I am somewhat familiar with the tenants of the place. I presume you mean this T-70? --> http://www.andreaslarka.net/T-70/T-70.html

Well, I guess I could make a trip there and go see the vehicle myself....
But if you happen to have photos of the underside of the intake, I'd be grateful if you could post some.

This is the nearest to a shot looking up the vent that I could find





There are several walkarounds here

http://legion-afv.narod.ru/Light-USSR.html

David

Thanks a lot, there's tons of good photos in there. That goes straight away into my bookmarks.
How could I not stumble on that site with my searches, I presume because the majority of the site's in Russian?

That screenshot you posted came from this walkaround:
http://legion-afv.narod.ru/T-70_Ezerische.html
According to a babelfish translation, the caption says it's a T-70M set up as a monument in Belarus.
(Btw, is that pot on the back of the turret a radio antenna mount?)

Unfortunately that's about the only vehicle depicted on the site that has pics from under the scoop. Also, I can't figure out which exhaust configuration this tank had. There's a photo from the top, but the panel next to the intake scoops looks like it may well have been replaced. Looks like there's no exhaust mounts which could point out which configuration it had.
01
02
Compare it to this:
03
But then, it's a monument, not a museum piece so realism might have not been on the top list of priorities when it was set up.

Well, at least I can always put the exhaust going through the top of the hull, put some stowage on the fenders to block the side view, and say it was the obscure Soviet industry, if people come asking!

that's exactly the same tank I have photos of. And to be quite honest, the photos on the link you listed are better than mine. I wasn't allowed to stand on top of the tanks at Parola!

Good luck with your research and build. The T70 is a neat tank. I look forward to seeing photos of your finished kit.

I spent quite a while yesterday trying to visualise the area under the vent without much luck. It wasn't helped by the fact that I only discovered this morning that the whole assembly could be opened up for access - see the photos in the middle of the page here

http://beute.narod.ru/Beutepanzer/su/t-70/t-70-2.htm

Some more googling turned up an IPMS site with a photo of the interior of the tank - looks like there aren't any holes cut in the vertical side of the tank and the exhaust pipes are routed up and over the top of the side and not through it.



Rest of the page is here

http://www.choiquehobbies.com.ar/revista01/html/rev/t70e.htm

David

That clears up the issue, thanks a lot!
Also thanks for those photo links and walkarounds, good stuff.