I just won an auction for Commanders Egyptian T-34/122 conversion and I know (haven't received it yet) that it is supposed to be for the Tamiya T-34. Question is which Tamiya T-34? Or would it work with any?

Thanks,

John

That conversion is for the T-34/85 I think,

Tamiya do one, and Dragon do a very nice T-34/85, but not sure if the conversion will fit the dragon tbh.

Thanks. I thought it would be the 34/85, since that is what the real vehicle was based, but since I don't have the instructions yet...

Also, I am taking my wife to her hobby store (which happens to be close to a LHS 1.5 hours away) I thought I might try to get the right kit today.

Thanks for the info and confirmation. I know the DML/Dragon T-34/85 is nicer (from what I hear) than the Tamiya one (more accurate/later tech), my concern is it would not/may not fit as you mention Matt.

Thanks again,

John

In this article the guy who has made the model says that it's based on a Dragon kit

http://www.militarymodelling.com/forums/postings.asp?th=30555

It shouldn´t really matter ... the converion is mostly the turret, so it should fit and if not, its not hard to increase or decease the turret ring size a little. It wont even be seen. Id also recommend the DML ´85 kit.

All of the Cookie Sewell hull shape blather aside, I'd avoid the Tamiya kit for one reason - the rubber band tracks, which are horrible.

DML? Great kit. AFV Club? Got it, haven't built it. But both are those are pricier than say... The nasty little Maquette kit.

It's so nasty I bought about six of them way back in the day when I didn't have two nickles to rub together. Five bucks apiece from the Ukraine, in plastic bags, no boxes.

No one is going to give this kit props, so I will.
Check out the flash and the sink holes.



But honestly, it's what you do with it. I liked the single track links that came with the kit.



The sinkholes are covered by other pieces for the most part. Engine mods are my own - wedding veil and strips of Evergreen.



In all, it built into a pretty nice kit. Perhaps not the most accurate, but back then, I liked it, and still do.




I even used the Maquette for this as yet unfinished conversion:




I built to T34-100 as well, and used a DML kit as a base. I feel like I wasted a nice kit and should've gone with Maquette...

Me too I have the Maquette kit in my stash. Compared with the scale drawings which I have, it seens to be really good...and luckily my exeplar doesn't too many flashes and sink holes.

However, I haven't built it yet so I can say anything about the fit which is said to be poor indeed

I don't recall any fit issues, but then it's been a long time.
I do remember more than one comment about having to assemble the lower hull, but I don't think there were any alignment problems. I've still got several of these and at some point will definitely be using them.
Perhaps it was the turret that didn't fit well? I've yet to assemble one so I wouldn't know. The tracks were very easy as compared to some other kits.
I also seem to recall they had a rather different variant of turret that made it somewhat desirable. Or not, as the case may be.

Edit: Hmmm... I just noticed my own photos. They're terrible! There' a better one in my gallery. Honest.

Mauro and Robert,

Thanks for the information and feedback. I just received the conversion kit in the mail today. It looks decent (except I have to find good pictures of the main gun brake). Not sure what 'clean-up' I might have to do there.

I just got back, had bought the Tamiya kit today (only $22 though) and saw you comments on the Maquette one. I think I have one in my stash that I played with, but was having some troubles around the rear top-bottom center connection (some interlinking details that really didnt line up).

If you have a better pic of that in your kit Robert that would be great!

Thanks again for all your comments and help.

John

I have the AEF /122 turret and am doing a similar build with the DML kit, and another DML for the open turret version using AEF parts (that I kindly got free with the turret set) and the Trumpeter D-30.
I'm also doing the /100 using the Maquette kit and Accurate Armour conversion, just need to find a BS-3

John, on Primeportal site you can find a quite exhaustve walkaround

http://www.primeportal.net/tanks/tim_roberts/t-34_122_egypt/



You can also find some other pics here

http://www66.tok2.com/home2/tankguy/postww2/t122.html


Robert, thanks a million for the info about the kit and congratulation for your jobs.

Mauro,

Great links. Bookmarked. Thanks.

Gotta really remember that Prime Portal site!

John

Well, there's a lot more wrong with the Tamiya hull than just angles, especially when it comes to this conversion.
The tracks are bad, true, but you also get (IIRC) the wrong type of wheel (they're for early T-34s only). More to the point, the hull is for the "Model '42" and not the T-34-85 that the -122 conversion is based on. There's a number of differences, especially around the turret ring and front of the engine deck.
In that regard the Maquette kit isn't any better.

Mark

I didn't want to do a laundry list of deficiencies on the Tamiya kit. For me, it stopped at the tracks. Although he wheels would have been a non issue as I've got so many old Esci T-55 wheels lying around. (and yes, they do need correcting but it's not too difficult)
Speaking of which, I'm not exactly pleased with the deep cuts on the DML tires.
I'm aware of the differences in the DML and Maquette kits, but for the money ($5.00) I'd still go with Maquette for these conversions today, even though finances are no longer a major consideration.
The photo below shows the major differences in the hulls. (the one on the left is the DML from the T34/100 I mentioned. The front portion of the engine deck is all but hidden unless you traverse the turret 90 degrees. I do like the open engine grills on the Maqutte kit, and the barely visible louvers underneath. The other part annotated I can live with. Lastly, I put an arrow on the idler tensioner bolt as it looks a little crisper on the Maquette kit. The hinges on the hull rear are different as well, but again, for me, at that time, not that important a difference.
Like I said in the original post, they are nasty little kits, but not hard to make look good.

Robert,

Thanks for the pictures. So one thing I have realized (but need to confirm) is that I need to source wheels. The directions aay T-62 wheels and you said T-55 (the Esci ones). Would either work?

Thanks,

John

...and both them have the details which I've spottend with a blue circle which are wrong



On the actual t-34/85 they had a round shape.





That sharp edges would be right for a t-34/76 hull

Anyway, that's just a little flaw. As i said before, Maquette kit shape looks good indeed

but the kit which has the best shape in my opinion....is the Zvezda one!
according to the references which I have it looks simply PERFECT...but unfortunately the kit has a REALLY POOR fit

T-62 and t-55 had the same wheels (starfish wheels)
But the t-34/85 had another kind of starfish wheels which were employed on the late exemplars. Me too I believed that they were the same, actually they were a little bit different from each other

Here a thread about

https://armorama.kitmaker.net/forums/180586

So this is a T-55/62 wheel



and this is a late t-34/85 wheel



As you can see, they look very similar, but on the T-34 one the holes on the ribs where larger

Not range too far off topic but that's not quite right either. In reality the engine deck covers for both the -76 and -85 were made with the same stamps but modified slightly for the larger turret ring, well, at least during the war. Post war that may have (and probably did) change but the radii are similar from one to the other.

About wheels, if you want to go that route the more or less correct T-34 "starfish" wheels can be sourced from DML old "NVA T-34/85M" kit number 3318 (which would probably be the best starting point for the conversion! )
Maybe post in the buy/sell section and see if anyone has a set they would part with?

Mark

Mark and Mauro,

Thanks again for the comments, thoughts and pictures. Much appreciated.

John

________________

Yes, they might have used some late engine covers on some older exemplars...But they had smooth edges!



here a hull which is said to have been produced by 183 factory. Turret is the hexagonal one

Dear Mauro
Please note that some of the interior pictures on my walk around
http://www.primeportal.net/tanks/tim_roberts/t-34_122_egypt/
need to be rotated 90 degrees