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Curve or Angled Fenders for T-34/85 Bedspring
kunjuro
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Philippines
Joined: October 27, 2013
KitMaker: 520 posts
Armorama: 488 posts
Posted: Monday, April 11, 2016 - 08:40 PM UTC
Hi guys, currently working on the T-34/85 with bedspring armor (6266) by dragon. The instructions tells me to saw off the front angled fenders and replace them with curved ones. Browsing through the net, I saw discussions showing that regular T-34/85s could have the angled fenders already on the kit. Would anyone be able to tell me if this angled type of fender is still suitable for a T-34/85 with bedpsring armor in berlin with the same hull and half-spider wheel combination? (I would love to avoid the tedious task of sawing off the fenders) Thank you!
GeraldOwens
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Florida, United States
Joined: March 30, 2006
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Posted: Monday, April 11, 2016 - 09:15 PM UTC

Quoted Text

Hi guys, currently working on the T-34/85 with bedspring armor (6266) by dragon. The instructions tells me to saw off the front angled fenders and replace them with curved ones. Browsing through the net, I saw discussions showing that regular T-34/85s could have the angled fenders already on the kit. Would anyone be able to tell me if this angled type of fender is still suitable for a T-34/85 with bedpsring armor in berlin with the same hull and half-spider wheel combination? (I would love to avoid the tedious task of sawing off the fenders) Thank you!

The angled fenders were characteristic of 1945 production tanks, so they should be fine for the Berlin campaign.
Wierdy
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Ukraine / Україна
Joined: January 26, 2010
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Posted: Monday, April 11, 2016 - 09:49 PM UTC
None of the shielded vehicles we know of have their front portion of the mudguards intact. They're either damaged or completely removed. Even the tanks from 1945 Victory parade in Moscow had rounded fenders, although the ones from Manchuria (not all, but a lot of them) have them angled. Here is the illustration of my words:
http://www.elginpk.com/worsley1516_1/yu/page2.htm
kunjuro
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Philippines
Joined: October 27, 2013
KitMaker: 520 posts
Armorama: 488 posts
Posted: Wednesday, April 13, 2016 - 08:40 PM UTC
Thank you both for your advice I think I might just opt to leave the fenders alone.

However - I have a second copy of the same kit. From what GeraldOwens says - will it be wrong to keep the Angled Fenders for a T-34/85 that was produced and fought in 1944?
GeraldOwens
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Florida, United States
Joined: March 30, 2006
KitMaker: 3,736 posts
Armorama: 3,697 posts
Posted: Thursday, April 14, 2016 - 08:58 PM UTC

Quoted Text

Thank you both for your advice I think I might just opt to leave the fenders alone.

However - I have a second copy of the same kit. From what GeraldOwens says - will it be wrong to keep the Angled Fenders for a T-34/85 that was produced and fought in 1944?


I don't know the exact date the fenders were changed at Factory 183, but mid-1944 tanks also had different turret details. The cupola was smaller, with a two-piece hatch, and the cupola was mounted slightly inboard and to the rear compared to the final version. The rectangular bulge on the forward left turret side wasn't there, either. Dragon offered a kit with the earlier cupola and round fenders, but with the late turret shell, a combination which is probably wrong, but the corrections aren't terribly difficult. Your best bet is to work from a photograph of a particular vehicle.
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