I am going to start building Trumpeter's T-62 1962 into a Soviet tank in Afghanistan. I have the following: Trump's kit, Voyager PE, SP designs turret correction, RB models barrel and resin stowage set and Zvezda's tank crew.

Is there anything else I need? Are the kit tracks correct or do they need to be replaced? I do not know much about Soviet tanks so I thought I better check before I start. Thanks

Hi Jason,
You didn't mention early or late in the war. If early, then the tracks provided with the model 1962 can definitely be used. There is a picture in Concord's "Armored Vehicles in the Afganistan War" showing a model 1972 as a T-62M with rubber skirts added but no brow armor and with OMSh tracks (the tracks you have with the kit). T-62M designation applies to any model T-62 that has been upgraded/uparmored. By late war most if not all had been modified or uparmored to some extent. The side skirts and turret armor was intended to be applied to all T-62 tanks in the theater, but track changes seem to be hit or miss.
So a model 1962 with or without added armor or side skirts and using early tracks should be okay. Maybe someone more knowledgeable than myself can direct you to other reference material.
good luck,
James

hello jason

Iam also not in the t-62, but there are a few guy`s up here they know everthing you need to know.

This one would be a nice one too build.


whatever you are gonna build ..good luck
chris

Thanks Guys

James- to make it easy, I think I will go with early war and use the kit tracks. Are there even any aftermarket rubber skirts and or brow armor out there? I saw Aires did one for the Tamiya kit but I can't find it anywhere. Plus I am thinking it might not fit anyway since it was for the Tamiya kit which is mishapen, correct?

Chris- that slat armor is cool! tempting to try my hand at scratch building it

Jason,
The armor you have inquestion from Aires is no long in production, but is rumored to be still aviable in some place. Good luck trying to find it though, but I've known a couple people that have manage to find the set from ebay and off the wall hobby shops. But either way the way armor package will not fit the trumpeter turret since it's ment for tamiya's. You can try to scratch build one instead or just leave it off and just have the rubber side skirts. I've seen pictures of both inservice in afgan. You could make the bar armor with no problems at all, I have made a simple jig to assemble the panels for the 62 I'm working on.



Good luck with your build.
Chris

Chris (kruppw),
Nice start on the armor and other added details. That stuff stands pretty tall. Do you have specific reference for this armor? I don't recall ever seeing one quite like this, its pretty distinctive.
looking good,
James

Hey james,
the angle I took the picture at makes the armor seem taller than it really is. The top of the armor is right in line with the commander's hatch. All my reference came from collecting photos from the russian-georgian conflict and alot of researching. But either way, the armor package would be the same during the afgan wars. The only thing is I'm not sure exacting when this style of armor starting showing up in the war, that's the only thing I haven't been able to find info on.
Chris

Thanks Chris,
Just looked at the Russia-Georgia news forum on ArmyRecognition, and saw a couple of T-62s with the armor. Not very good views, but its there and you captured it.
good work,
James

Nice work Chris!

Hi Jason,
Besides Aires, there was an SP Designs BDD set with a turret to correct the Tamiya kit. Unfortunately, it is discontinued, not listed on SAAM site. It might be the proper size since it was made for the corrected turret. I thought that I had one, but can't seem to find it. Maybe faulty memory. I don't know where you could get one, maybe someone else can help.
good luck
James

No problem. I will probably just go with what I have and hope Trumpeter does the BDD version down the road. Thanks for the help

I will suggest to Sergej that he expedite a T-62 BDD set...I think he is thinking about or working on one.

The older T-62 conversions would not work because, while the turret was indeed corrected for the Tamiya kit, it was still out of scale as the whole Tamiya kit was out of scale (1/32 IIRC). So, sorry but no help there.

I also concur...early war T-62 would not have BDD or the anti-RPG screens. Tracks were hit and miss, as suggested, and even upgrades could be spotty depending on what the CO or tank crew thought was needed and the availability of parts/services. You really do have a lot of leeway, though as the war dragged on there was more uniformity and parts replacement.

OK, great. As far as markings, I assume I can just piece together a number for the turret and call it done, right?