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Egyptian T-34/85 with Transparent Hull

Hussein tells us about his T-34/85 with transparent hull build:

This AFV Club kit was sitting in my stash for a while, and building a transparent hull and turret kit was a first for me and the requirements for such a complex build were quite challenging.

The Kit:

The kit is quite detailed and the quality of the plastic is good, although there are several mistakes in the instructions so one must be quite careful and double check each step. In addition to this the interior part colors were in many cases wrong or not mentioned in sufficient detail, so some more research and photos were required.

The Build:

Building such a kit requires a lot of planning, and the use of an airbrush is very limited due to the clear parts. Also, each part needs to be painted and weathered separately so one must also make sure to give each part exactly the same treatment in order to ensure consistency.

With transparent parts the use of any acrylocyanate glue is a definite no-no since the fumes would cloud the clear plastic and ruin the pieces. I considered using white glue since it dries transparent but it was problematic in holding the parts as it takes forever to solidify, so I ended up using Tamiya’s extra light cement in moderation.

The interior of the tank is very well detailed and the T-34 interior has so much details that it was probably the part that took the most time to complete.

The tracks were also challenging since the rubber tracks provided with the kit are stretched high and do not sit on the wheels with proper sag, so getting them to sit properly was also quite a challenge.

The kit was finished with Egyptian markings to represent one of the T-34/85's which served in many wars since the 50’s and up to the 70’s.

The figures:

I used the MB Russian tank crew figure set as this was the only convenient set where all the figures are complete from head to toe including the driver. With such a transparent kit one cannot use any of these “cut through the waist” figures. I have the feeling this set was specifically made for this kit since it fit the tank perfectly.

The conclusion:

I have to say that building this tank was one of the most fun and enjoyable builds I have ever done. Working on the interior details of the hull and the turret and seeing the daily progress was very interesting. Once the figures were set in place the entire tank came to life.

I am glad to have made this build and will surely be on the lookout for more interior kits in the future.