I wonder if anyone might know where I could get hold of some scale drawings/ diagrams for the BMP-2? Perhaps from a Russian Model magazine or some such?

For my next project I need to scratch build a lot of elements for my BMP-2 and it would really help the scratch building process to have some diagrams that were marked up in scale.

I have some for the T-80, and Olivier has kindly offered to help with the T-62 and BTR-80, but some BMP-2 ones would really be fantastic.

Any ideas or suggestions people might have would be excellent.

George perhaps this is your specialty?

BMP-2



BMP-2D

Thanks!

Jose was kind enough to email me some as well also.

Those BMP-2D are especially useful as I plan to build a BMP-2D myself.

I wonder is there any technical diagram of the interior? Or a cross section? I found one online but its very small and I can't enlarge it which is a real shame

I notice on these diagrams that the BMP-2D has longer side skirts. I hadn't realised this before. Are these skirts placed on top of the fenders that are on the BMP-2 or a replacement instead of those fenders?

They look like extra panels laid on top?

Yes, the 2D-variant has an add-on armor. (for the Afghanistan-campaign)
As far as I know, the sideskirts were replaced by the new ones and at the sides of the upper hull they are only added.
Also on the rear of the turret an added plate can be seen.

Thanks for the images, Gabor!

greetings...
Soeren

Thanks!

So then would I be right in thinking that a non Afghanistan BMP-2D would not feature these side skirts and extra armour around the turret?

Were these added armour panels only used in that particular campaign or were they left on afterwards also, say for example in later Russian Federation use in Chechnya and Georgia?

Specifically I've been using the Bison Decals colour plates as a guide, see below:



The colour plate calls this IFV in Chechnya a BMP-2D, although I think this is an incorrect designation on Bison Decals part, because this one has no extra armour around the turret or on the side skirts. Also from talking to Frenchy it sounds unlikely as he hasn't seen any BMP-2D in his books on Chechnya or Ossetia. Bison has desingated all of the BMP-2's in their colour plates as BMP-2D but none seem to feature any of the extra armour.

I guess this means to make an accurate model for the seting I want I will have to make a regular BMP-2. If this is the case (as I have ordered the Zvezda BMP-2D box) would I be correct in thinking that the extra armour and skirts that make it a D designation are just an extra sprue, and that I could build it up as a regular BMP-2 if I wanted?

Hi Jon,
I'm not an expert but to my knowledge the -D is directly linked to add-on armor. While the side skirts can be easily removed I don't see the point of doing the same with the turret add-on armor.

Remember that the new skirts feature specific spacers for the bolts. So even if you chose not to put the skirts you'd have to represent those spacers behind.
From the excellent drawings Juhasz posted, it shouldn't be too hard.

Olivier

I´m not sure about that.
I only saw images of them with a "mark" of an Afghan. campaign use.
Perhaps some of the vehicles were left "as is" for an actual use.

greetings...
Soeren

Thanks guys.

Actually the only reason I opted to go for the BMP-2D is that it was the only Zvezda BMP-2 I could get my hands on, If a BMP-2 would be more appropriate for a more modern Russian Federation BMP-2 used in Chechnya then I'm happy to build that as an alternative. The more I look at the Bison colour plates the more I think these are just infact regular BMP-2's anyway. I am waiting for the kit in the post but I beleive that it should come with the regular BMP-2 sprues plus an extra sprue to make the D designation. Olivier I remember reading on your blog that this is the case with the DML kit, and I guess this should apply to the Zvezda as its a DML rebox anyway right?

Jon

I've checked again the reference stuff I have about Chechnya and most of the BMP-2 pics (if not all) I have show them with the side skirts removed. To me they look like regular BMP-2....Maybe Bison designation is wrong
On a side note, pics I have about South Ossetia show BMP-2 fitted with rubber skirts just like the one depicted in the picture from Bison sheet you've posted...

Frenchy

Thanks! Yes looking through those pictures you sent me it certainly looks that way.

There are also some interesting ones with parts of the fenders on and other parts off. I think for my project I will stick with a regular BMP-2 and model it around some of the examples from recent conflicts.

Although looking at the Colour plates from Bison's Afghanistan Soviet Tanks some of those examples are starting to look pretty atttractive too!

Hello!
Photos of BMP-2 in Chechnya and Ossetia.
Perhaps useful.

Ossetia:















Machines with rubber skirt, probably former BMP-2D ...
This is evident from remaining on the armor attachment for additional protection.

Chechnya:








In Chechnya, could be used 2D, but it was a rarity.
The main part of them, after Afghanistan, has been upgraded to the level of normal BMP-2 or used in the southern regions, such as in Tajikistan, BMP-2D used in Russia's border guards (the Tajik-Afghan border).

P.S. BMP-2D differed from normal BMP-2 only an additional armor ...
From a set of ZVEZDA/DML is easy to construct an ordinary BMP-2.

.
Here's one belonging to the 201st Motor Rifle Division patrolling near the Afghan border in 1993 :


Thanks for posting these pics Dmitriy !

Frenchy

Дмитрий отлично!

Большое спасибо!

A lot of those photos actually are really helpful in confirming some of the camo schemes on the Bison sheet, so these have really been very helpful to me and answered a lot of my questions.

Its odd though, If the BMP-2D was an up armoured version of the IFV, why down grade it again to a lesser armoured BMP-2?

Apart from the amphibious ability of a BMP-2 (The D designation was too heavy) I can't see what benefit you would get by removing the armour as they have done on the rubber skirted IFV's...