Help to produce a proper T-55. Anyone can add information. I will try to post updated information at the top of this thread to make a quick, one stop information source, but it will be kept intentionally focused as quick help. Detailed discussion will still remain in the thread itself. All contributions welcome.

Good idea, I'll start with fuel lines. These are from IWM Duxford T55.





Jim

Prime portal (link below) has all the pictures of T-55s you could ever need.


http://www.primeportal.net/apc/t-55.htm

Well, I think the most difficult think to do about t55 modelling, is the correct version recognition

Tamyia made a very good kit, but messed beetween russian, polish and czech made t55 depiction.

so, to be exact:

RUSSIAN MADE T55

ENGINE DECK:





GUN MANTLET:



CZECK MADE T55

ENGINE DECK:



GUN MANTLET (same as russian version)



POLISH MADE T55

ENGINE DECK




GUN MANTLET




Tamyia kit offers the depiction of russian (czeck) gun mantlet, and a russian engine deck render WHITOUT THE FRAME AROUND THE HATCHES AND THE GRILLS.
To do other versions it's necessary some scratch works.

T55 has been the most produced tank of ever so it's easy to find a LOT of references on internet.

Here you are just some walkarounds:

http://www.photoka.info/t55/index.htm

http://svsm.org/gallery/T-55-family

http://picasaweb.google.com/polar123tank?showall=true#100

http://www.hrcappuccino.org/articles/okohodac/T-55.htm

http://www66.tok2.com/home2/tankguy/eastern1.html

http://dishmodels.ru/wshow.htm?p=1511

http://scalemodels.ru/modules/photo/viewcat_cid_248.html

http://scalemodels.ru/modules/photo/viewcat_cid_110.html

T55 manual

http://www5b.biglobe.ne.jp/~TANK-GUY/notes/T55manual1.html

http://mhrfweb.makett.org/MHRF/index.php?option=com_phocagallery&view=category&id=63%3At-72-harckocsi&Itemid=11&lang=en

My ten cents again...(wow that's twenty)

Adam
Is a wrong link. There are t72 pics in there....
That's the correct link

http://mhrfweb.makett.org/MHRF/index.php?option=com_phocagallery&view=category&id=62%3At-55-harckocsi&Itemid=11〈=en

(but anyway, wow!...thanks a lot )

Still got to find the time to finishcompiling this list with pics etc....Feel free to add things missed..

http://www.network54.com/Forum/47209/message/1228425480/T-55+Tweaks+list-+Work+in+progress

Andy

T-54 and T-55 could be in one thread since it is practically the same machine.
But anyhow... this is a 25-page thread about T-54/55 and how to model them: http://scalemodels.ru/modules/forum/viewtopic_t_3552.html There is a little British flag in the top right corner for Google translator.

After watching The Beast a few times, I simply need to build a T-55. The tank from the film is a Ti-67, but I would like to make a more accurate depiction of what that tank would have really looked like.
Long story short, I'm looking to build a Red Army T-55 in Afghanistan, probably around 1981. What would I need to do to the Tamiya kit to get it to represent something like this?

Thanks in advance!
-Kyle

I received a question. Someone is working on the old esci T-55 and wants to depict a Iraqi wreck WITHOUT the canvas cover over the mantlet. Aside from the one available in the Mig Productions T-55 conversion, does anyone have any ideas on either where to get one or how to make one. I was thinking of starting with the Trumpeter T-62 mantlet...though that may not be technically correct, it may work on the upgrade of a esci kit...

wow, those are excellent reference pics posted.

What doesn't look right to you? Most kit accuracy problems are first noted by people who think that some thing "just doesn't look right". And then through research and measuring (not using line drawing please) the truth will come out. Now having said that, there have been no issues I know of regarding the Tamiya T-55 turret except that it is missing the beveled edge of the turret bottom (Tamiya's is like a T-54) and turret ventilator slot on the bottom right. Let us know if you think there is something else wrong.

Roy

You mean like this statement you made in this thread

King Tiger

in which you said

"On the subject of Red Oxide, I have read in many books that late war armor was shipped out in just Red Oxide, it was then left to the units receiving this armor to Camo them."

and I asked you to name those publications please.

Well, no arguments please! Flame wars are really boring. Just a sharing of different opinions...

I absolutely don't agree with you Matthew
In my opinion Tamiya has made some mistakes in engine deck depiction (to be exact it's made some mess between different tank versions) but shapes and dimensions are almost PERFECT in my opinion

The old Esci kit had a turret too flattened (about 2 mm!)

Maybe is just a matter of taste

cheers

Tony Greenland is a excellent artist and a very precise builder. But even he has stated, in both editions of his books, that he does not always adhere to what can be proven when building his models. He finishes them the way he wants them to look, which almost always means historically precise, but not always.

Also, quite a bit more information has come out on late war German industrial practices since Mr. Greenland's books.

And Mr. Greenland is a scale model builder, not a historical researcher.

This is being spelled out to make the point that great model builders often make mistakes or do not keep up with the most current information. Better to get the information from multiple, highly researched sources about something so deadly serious as possible paint schemes coming out of the May 45 German plants... (Yes, I am making a bit of fun.)

Now, ON TOPIC, The Tamiya dimensions are not in doubt. However, in the production of the T-54 to T-55, there are some discrepancies in the turret shape over time that I have noted, but they are generally subtle and Soviet records do not allude to any changes...that I know of anyhow.

It just happened by co incidence I read two threads in which you'd posted and on both occasions given over information which you were asked to quantify. In the case of the late war German tanks you stated you'd read in several books the fact they left the factory in Red Oxide. I asked you to name those books.

Yes I know Tony Greenland and his work very well, and have his book sat in my bookcase for a few years thanks. I have no wish to discredit Mr Greenland in any way but I believe Jacques has already clarified his position in the scheme of things, and I've yet to find evidence he did say that. A quick look through my copy of Osprey Panzer Modelling at Chapter Seven, bottom paragraph of page 48 and I quote "Although the vehicles were issued from the factories in a basic paint finish the crews were issued with concentrated paint paste for field application" I've don't disagree with this at all but nowhere does it say left in red primer finish as you say he does.

Its a forum, a place for debate and if you make statements then be prepared not only to be challenged on them but be able to back them up with hard evidence. If left unchallenged those who come here to seek out correct details and information will go away ill informed and mislead if that information is incorrect.

If it makes you uncomfortable being called out on a point or you don't wish to debate a point or opinion you make, don't make it in the first place.

Hi Matthew



If you look carefully at that pic , you can notice how looks distorted the gun headlight. The angle between his horizontal base and the vertical support don't appear equal to 90°, it seeams about 70 or 80°. It's a perspective distortion due the fact the pic was taken from above. That's the reason why the turret seems to have a bulge.







In these pics you can see the same tank photographed from different positions. As you can notice there are no bulges below the turret

cheers

Interesting about the T55, but why do people get so uptight about model building, accuracies etc? It's a hobby and it's meant to be fun!

Howdy Rob,

You are forgeting that to some of us the research and hunt for accuracy is part of the juice. Doesn't make us a better or worse kind of modelers - just a different way of looking at things.

Anyway, with all respect, I think this is the wrong place to debate different perspectives of our hobby. It's an interesting and neverending discussion but should be the subject of a thread on it's own.

Cheers,
/E

I have no problems leaving the German paint stuff, for now. It exposes German armor freaks to a better (redder?) kind of armor!