Hello everyone,
a long awaited kit has finally arrived, we can all "enjoy" the new Trumpeter kit.

I have started building it a few days ago, I promise I will post some pics in the upcomming days. I would like to use this thread as a discussion platform for this rare tank and as a build log (provided I manage to finish building it).

In this build, I decided to scrutinize accuracy only basically (no measurments, rivet counting etc...). I plan to simply compare it to existing photos (it took me a long time to comb through Google and several dodgy sites in cyrillic script ) and to correct the most visible errors (no measurments...).

So, first the good:
- detail is nice, the Trumpy molding quality is improving. Still, it is not Meng or Takom, some areas require extensive surface treatment.
- if you just choose to throw this thing together (to preserve your sanity), it will be a sort of nice representation of this historically important vehicle. Much nicer, than the SKIF and Dragon offerings.

Now, the bad (not a complete list):
- on the turret, it is missing wheld lines along the frontal armor inserts and the protector plates of the roof armor. The casting texture has, however, gotten nicer...
- the small turret ERA tiles should be multilayered, which is a striking feature of the original. This is going to be quite painful to scratch.
- the Kontakt-V is oversimplified, requires extensive rework.
- the gun mantlet canvas shape is not adequate, time to break out the green stuff...
- tracks are kind of useless (mold line across end connector pins, good luck sanding).

And the ugly:
- they used the Oplot engine deck, which is not adequate for the Moscow incident version (or any other iteration of the T-80UD I know of). Parts for the correct exhaust assembly are not present in the kit. This is quite annoying, since their older BVD kit has the correct engine deck.

I don't mean to be too harsh, since some of the turret issues are also present on the Xact T-80U.

Feel free to add anything, since I am hunting for other pitfalls before starting building seriously. If you also want to build this turd, and you need some photos, just PM me and I will send you a Dropbox link to my references.

Oh my. I am still waiting for mine to arrive from China, so I will have to go with your impressions so far.

Not good to hear that the engine deck is incorrect. Will have to start researching that. Please post pictures of the engine deck and the pieces that make it up (the online sprue shots are not very detailed, at least for me).

How is the front glacis (around the drivers hatch, etc...) This is important as it needs to depict the updated glacis with the increased armor thickness.

Oh well, if this needs some TLC then I will talk to SP Designs about doing a correction set.

Dear Jacques,
I am not done with the pics yet, so I will try to explain.

The engine deck is basically the same in every diesel T-80 (the Ukraine kharkovite model). You get the "basic" deck in the first Trumpy BVK kit. You can also see this version in some UDs.
http://btvt.narod.ru/5/80ud/t-80ud-turm3.jpg

On some UDs, there are 2 covers plates made of thin metal added to the posterior third of the deck. In this picture, only the middle one is present, the lateral one is missing:
http://btvt.narod.ru/5/80ud/80ud-1.jpg

In the Moschow incidents, most of the UDs had the 2 covers I am trying to showcase in the second pic. The Pakistani tanks seem to have them, as well.

So the problem is, that the Oplots have a different configuration, consisting of 3 plates: http://www.thaifighterclub.org/images/answer/A0111094911040511056.jpg (sorry for the strange source)
http://www.thaifighterclub.org/images/answer/A0211094911040511056.jpg
http://www.thaifighterclub.org/images/answer/A0211095111040511603.jpg

Trumpy evidently did not account for this in their simplistic research. The difference is quite significant in my opinion. It is going to be painful to correct, since the entire back third on the left side (where part TG7 should go - this area is obviously incorrect and should be filled in) and a major part of the right side (the add-on plate has a different lateral profile in the UDs, as illustrated in the third Oplot photo) is going to have to be rebuilt.
I hope I can finish building this until the end of next week. Then, I will post pics of my fix.

I have not checked the front glacis plate yet, since the emotional anguish and despair might be too much to bear :-( It was supposed to be a weekend build...

So, I quickly checked the front glacis. The molded-on plastic cables need to go, since they interfere with the front glacis Kontakt-V array.
A few bolts are also missing, otherwise it looks quite nice.

The area around the driver hatch looks allright, it is just missing a few wheld lines.

I am sceptical, however, being almost certain that something is going to show up (and I am not even trying too hard to find mistakes).

The SP designs UD set with the upper hull in one piece has the correct "basic" engine deck with no additional covers. So we can be sure, that no copying happened from Trumpeter.

Hi,
The problem with the engine deck may be the year that Trumpeter decided to depict their T-80UD. I checked a couple of drawings and the deck match them.


I also checked some photos that I have saved and saw that the Trumpeter's T-80UD deck match the photos (I think that this photo was taken in a parade in 1990, but I am sure Jacques can tell us more about it).



I think that Trumpeter's T-80bvd seems to depict the very early T-80UD deck.

IMHO, I am happy with Trumpeter's effort. They even produced the turret with the chamfered edges which are different from the T-80U turret.

Jacques, if you can convince Sergej to produce a detailing set or backdating set for the Trumpy's T-80UD that would be great! Their T-80UM1 bars set is excellent!

Dear Raul,
thanks for posting the photos. This is the configuration that should match the tanks pictured on the boxart.

While the deck is very close to the pics you posted, I don't think it matches. Compare the right corner - it has a "double step" on the photo, different from the kit part - a single step, perfectly matching the Oplot deck.
Also, it is different on the left side. See the recessed area, where part TG7 goes. Once again, after adding TG7, the same as the Oplot deck.

Another error I have discovered, to prove my point. Just check the exhaust array. The kit has 3 vertical dividers, just as the Oplot.
http://www.thaifighterclub.org/images/answer/A0211094911040511056.jpg

The UD should have only one.
https://topwar.ru/uploads/posts/2013-05/1370019529_t-80ud_sert-2003_04.jpg


I agree this kit is passable, better than the previous versions. Now if they had only released what is pictured on the box...

Hi Arpad,
Thanks for sharing. My intent is not to be antagonistic but to "bait" the experts. I also would like to have a T-80UD mod 1991. This kit has been "evading" me for 26 years!

Also, I want to motivate Jacques to convince Sergej that we need a backdate set to get a correct T-80UD mod 1991. Or maybe, Igor of Miniarm can tackle it.
The drawing in the book has three vertical dividers. Also, please check the photo of this T-80UD (for discussion purposes only).


If you start correcting the kit to get a T-80UD in Moscow 1991, please share.

Dear Raul,
thanks for the photo, I don't have this one in my collection, yet. I think this is the same configuration as in the 3rd photo in your previous post.
I want to eventually get to this version:
https://www.rbth.com/blogs/close/2016/08/19/this-was-a-very-russian-coup_622575

You can see, it is slightly different. It has the "double step" on the right, another plate above the exhaust and it has no additional plate on the left.

Concerning the exhaust. Your drawing is correct, I found one photo with a tank with 3 vertical dividers. And, just for fun, some have 5. But most have only one (including the Moschow ones).
I also came across some Oplot pics with only 1 vertical slat. But still, I think the exhaust they provided is inaccurate for the version pictured on the boxart.

Even though I may come across as negative, I am quite excited to have this kit. This is the best we are going to get. Well, more money for the aftermarket guys

Hey guys, just got my kit. I will not have time to scrutinize it for a few days as we are finishing up planting this week at work. Very tiring.

Anyhow, the engine deck and exhaust for the T-80UD/T-84/Oplot etc. are all sometimes a mix-mash, especially on the current rebuilds and on some of the tanks sent to Pakistan. Kharkov was MOST consistent about the T-80UD builds early on. So the photos of the T-80UD in parade (I think they are also in the old Concord book?) are probably the most common for a Soviet Era T-80UD. That was for like, what, 2 hrs?

As the Soviet Union slowly dissolved and selling tanks became much harder, and as Kharkov began to compete internationally with OMSK, I am sure there were small changes made in batches for things like configurations. As these vehicles were made but not sold, they were placed in storage, sometimes as complete vehicles, sometimes just as pieces.

Vehicles initially sent to Pakistan after the arms deal were old stock with cast turrets and differing details depending on where they were pulled from and in what condition they were in.

I think the best thing to do, right at this moment, is to model from a picture to get what you want precisely, as Arpad is discussing. He wants a 1991 T-80UD that has specific features. Yes, it is too bad that Trumpeter used that art for the cover but did not include the correct details to create that tank.

My concern is still the turret, specifically the front insert area. This has a raised area, just like the X-act Scale kit, instead of it being level with the turret shell as just a weld line, or slightly depressed compared to the turret. I have been looking but have not yet run across a turret with a raised section for this area, so that is annoying.

Now this is all just based on a quick look at the kit. One thing I liked: It looks like the front glacis and upper hull front piece can be used to make a CORRECT T-80BV.

backdate set to get a correct T-80UD mod 1991
SP Designs model


and drawing

Jacques, a valid point. Thankfully, the elevation is only minimal (less, than in the X-act turret). I used it as a guide to lead the stetched sprue weld lines. The elevation is, in my opinion, not visible after adding welds.

Thanks so much for this infomation on this.I already have mine and this will be so much help as I build mine too.I will be following to learn everything I need to make mine as accurate as possible.

Would be great to have a Resin replacement for the T-80BV soon!

Working on it.

Yep, the Trumpy T-80 kits, while quite nice, still offer the AM guys plenty to put on the market.

So I have started to convert the deck. In one week, I am hopefully going to be done with it and make a big post detailing my process. I also see some deficiencies in the exhaust area. The triangular cover on the left of the main exhaust is also just a pathetic representation.

Regarding the engine deck in the kit, after continuing my search through the dark corners of the internets, I found the following: the configuration seen on the kit will work only on the Oplot and on the more modern (not the bone stock T-80UD) Pakistani tank (T-84 or whatever it is called). I could not come up with any additional pics with the kit configuration on real-life T-80UD kits.