No problemo :-), I'm happy that I can help. :-)

Hi Chris, as Jacques said I am building the T-80U(M) kit no 221 which gives you the choice of either m92/m95/m05 tanks.

I'll be starting a build blog here in the russo soviet forum shortly where I will post my thoughts and experiences with the SP Designs kit, so keep an eye out! Should start that within the next day or so.

Jacques thanks and no worries! I have plenty to keep myself busy for the time being!

Jim good luck with your build. I will be using numerous Aftermarket parts on my T-80 and I'll post my feedback on them there, so you might find that useful for your Zvezda build.

Damian thanks for sharing and for the interesting discussion!

Thanks Jon and good luck with you build. I'm still waiting on my replacement parts for the road wheels and tracks to come in. Once they do I plan to make a mold of the wheels and cast my own copies since I've notice how hard it is to find a good supplier that is not out of stock. I'll defiantly be watching your post on the T-80, can't wait to see the build.
Chris

Oh by the way Jon, I almost forgot to mention, but there is a nice blog over on trackling by Jim Wechsler were he built up a T-80UK using the SP Design and skif kit. It's worth checking out to get some ideas, it my not be the same that you are build, but still worth it. Here's the link http://www.track-link.net/blogs/116
Chris

Jim' Weschler's T-80's (there are two builds he did on Track Link) are both a generation back from what is sold with SP Designs right now. They are VERY good references building the kits, but some of his observations were used to improve the T-80 kits.

Also, Sergej is working on using a Vacuum casting system, so in the future (maybe near) the quality will improve again (drastically reduced air bubbles, no enlarging or shrinkage of the resin pieces) and will allow Sergej to start casting even better detail. Preliminary tests are very good. But don't hold your breath waiting, it may be a full year before all the molds are re-done and the psrts cast up.

Sergej (through me) supplies Historica Miniatures, so no worries. Things have slowed down because of his conversion to vacuum casting. Things, like the T-80 wheels, are getting back up to speed.

T-80UK's are in use with the Cypriot Army. So far as I can see, only the T-80UK's have the Shtora system. The Russians have them also on the T-90's, but with only a quick search, I do not see the T-80U only with Shtora. T-80UK may have been a accidental label when the shtora was added, but not all vehicles with shtora labelled as T-80UK are actually command vehicles. It may be a typo, but it is one Zaloga has used.

T-80U(M) m95 etc is/was the designator when Rogatka program was being considered and it would be T-80BM, T-80UM, and T-72BM upgrades. This may have changed when the Rogatka program was cancelled.

Yes, T-95 is cancelled. Newest tank will be T-90AM the last that I heard. Check on Tanknet in the T-80 thread that is a million pages long.

There are essentially two T-80 plastic kits...The DML version that has run through Italeri/Revell/Zvezda etc. and the version from SKIF that is only sold under that label. The SKIF kit is crude, but it is dimensionally accurate. Go to eBay and you can find the SKIF kits if nowhere else.

Overall, remember that the SP Designs kits are designed/made to give a good basic kit. However, in the interest of keeping costs down and not over complicating kits, they are not super detailed they are good enough OOB, but offer a good base to super detail.

Hi Chris, yes I've been using this blog on track link a lot for reference along with the walkaround link above. I also found Jim's feedback on the SP kits and the issues he faced during construction very helpful. As Jacques says though he is using an earlier generation kit and there are numerous things I've found in my build that are different or have been changed/adjusted following Jim's feedback. I'll cover these in my Blog.

Jacques I think thats an important point you made about SP Designs kits, and one I agree with.

I do have one question for everyone, can somebody please tell what this funky looking scissor thing is on the rear hull of this T-80 and if it's something used on current UD's or just something from an old prototype? It's in the skif kit but nothing said about using it at all, I do remember from my first skit kit from a few years ago call for it to be used.
Chris

Chris - I was told the scissor arm was used to help with lifting/stabalizing the rear deck when it was lifted up. It is present on ALL T-80UD and T-84 tanks.

John - Finally. For the turret, Parts C97 and C98 are from the SKIF kit and are to be used on the T-80U m92 and M95. SP Designs pieces 6 and 77 are to be used on the T-80U m05. This is the wind sensor and either setup goes on the area with the four bolts on the turret, right where the arrow points for the C97/98 portion.

The shorter fuel tank is 46 and goes on the left side of the tank. This makes room for the Aux. Power Generator that hangs off the left rear fender area.

Part 66 goes on the left side, part 67 goes on the right. These are the "mud flaps". These are tricky to deal with, it is just the nature of the pieces. They do fit and they do fit as shown. But remember to dry fit it and the Aux power unit, and the sprocket, to get things lined up properly.

The photos on the page are meant to show the BROD-M change in the mods only. The M92 shows the higher angle of the BROD-M, the m95 shows it "flat", and the m05 shows it with the large tube over the back.

The kit barrel is accurate in scale caliber, but may be a bit short/long. If it is it would be a very small problem, not the 12 scale inches of the Eduard T-72 barrel.

The SP Designs AAMG is NOT based off the SKIF kit pieces, but Sergej may have used bits of it, like the flash suppressor. He plans, someday, to rework the AAMG to better standards, but not anytime soon. It is pretty darn good OOB.

Thanks Jacques much appreciated! How about part 60? It's some kind of grill or cover but it's not so clear where it goes and it's not present on my walkarounds.

Part 60 is an optional protective cover. It has tread on it for footing. I have some sources and drawing that show it, and some that don't...and no rhyme or reason as to it is used.

Thanks Jacques, the info helped out alot since there is no menintioning of the hing even being used at all and this happens to be the only picture I could find of it. I'm trying to gather up as much info as possible before I start to work on my T-80. I see that Jon just started his blog today on his and hopefully I should start mine not too far behind his. I still have to finish up my 62 before moving on.
Chris

on a somewhat related note, does any one know what's up with the BTVT website? My Mac warns me against accessing it because of malware.

Thanks,
Sean

Recently -at least within the past few months- tens of thousands of web sites were compromised with malware embedded in links and pictures, about anything you would click on. The trend seems to be doing this to smaller sites who don't have security personnel to keep up full time. Some websites may still not know they have been attacked. That's what you may be seeing- a warning about that.

You aren't seeing a security certificate warning are you? I know web sites are supposed to keep an updated certificate on file that verifies their identity. Sometimes these expire and will trigger a warning.

Of course, I have a PC, not a Mac so you may be looking at something different all together. macs tend to duck a lot of the virus and malware bullets because they have a small market share compared to PCs so there is no "glory" for malware authors to attack them. Yet.

Yeah, there's a lot of that going on these days. I found running Firefox with Noscript added seems to block them pretty well.

all right Jim, thanks. No , nothing about a security certificate so I guess I'll just wait and see if it clears up ( kind of like a rash!)

Sean

How would the T-80U fair against an M1A2 in combat?

according to my training when in the military, and my subsequent research, the T-80U and M1A2 were general equals, ie they would have both been hard nuts to crack. There are also a large number of variables that would need to be considered:

1. battlefield...T-series tanks are more suited, and designed for, the environment of Europe. M1A2 is designed for more open terrain. Many of the attributes which would make the M1A2 superior in, say, Iraq, would be negated in, say, Central Europe.

2. Ammo. Both sides have ammo that can wipe out the others tanks. How much is available, and the costs associated with that ammo, would need to be considered.

3. Crew training. This is a force multiplier and as important as armor thickness.

4. Leadership and Command...well trained officers who can keep moral up and achieve objectives plays a large part in effective use of equipment.

5. Supply: Low fuel, lack of food, etc. will have an effect

So it is not so simple as no nation goes to war against another using only 1 tank on each side.

The rule of thumb we had was that it would take 3-4 shots to kill a T-80 of any stripe (rule of thumb remember). I have no reason to assume the same would not be true of the M1 series (or at least anything of M1A1 or higher production). For all intents and purposes, they were (are) equals.