G'Day all, new to the site, and hoping to gleen much info as I venture forth into the armor arena...! Been at it for more years than I can remember, modeling that is, and in the last 5-10 seasons with the local IPMS, have gotten more interested in armor kits of all kinds.

I am currently looking to find, if its out there, some metal tracks and upgrades for the SKIF T-80UD Bereza kit...Anyone...?

Cheers, Laurie,the Airhead from the 'Peg...!

Hi Laurie. There are no metal tracks for T-80, but there are resin and plastic ones. Skif has very noticeable mistakes in:
- Turret shape (edges, detail, etc)
-Front hull(glasics palate si set some 18 degrees higher than it should be).
- It has no gun mantlet and detail that you see is imagineered.
-Remote controlled HMG mount is overly simplified and lack vital detail.
-IR light mount is completely wrong and needs to be scratchbuilt.
-Engine deck is somewhat too big and also lack appropriate detail.
-Towing hooks are to edgy and lack locking holes.
-Front lights are oversimplified and actually are from T-64 kit (T-80U/UD used different sets even early models without K-5 armor)
-Fenders are too thick and need some detailing
-Outer fuel tanks and instrument boxes are imagineered.
-Smoke grenade launchers, small travel boxes and just about everything on turret lack appropriate detail.
BUT, It does have dimensionally correct lower hull and good road wheels, though idler and sprockets are inaccurate.


If you don't get into some epic build and just wish to improve on small detail, then you may want to use these:
-Barrel Depot metal gun barrel (check what tank version you build, newer ones and those after major overhaul have barrels of longer caliber length)
-Eduard PE set (lifesaver)
-Either Miniarm or Masterclub tracks (Miniarm set has idlers and sprokets but those are for T-72/90 ONLY) or Modelfixer ones (although very accurate will require some time to assemble)
-Road wheels from Masterclub or SP designs (SP Design set has better detail but may require minor clean up).
Other than that Skif is good base for major built, but to correct all the flows you will have to get many more AM sets and spend considerable amount of money and time using them.

Also, the SKIF engine deck is for the Prototype of the -UD.

If you want to do a much more common -U, there is a conversion from SP Designs as well.

SP Designs also do replacement tracks.

Follow my logo below to see the SP Designs offerings and follow George's build thread to see all the work involved.

Hey, thanks a lot guys, oh and Jacques, I sent an email to your bix regarding some parts for order...did you get it yet...?

Cheers, Laurie

To make the best of the T-80, look no farther than the list of stuff above.

My suggestion is new tracks, then a conversion, then the Eduard PE set for whichever conversion you are doing, then new raodwheels, then a new barrel, and finally, small stuff like new smoke grenade barrels or antenna bases.

Glad to see a fellow pegger' online. Drop by more often.

Hey Matt, thanks. I just KNEW there had to be some peggers here...! Too much armor in the club for there NOT to be. Armor is getting to be fun...except I shoulda picked something with a lot less NEEDED upgrades...! No worries tho, I like all the "bits" you can get now from guys like Jacques here.

Cheers, Laurie

Well Tamiya's kits always fall together. Just like the airplane kits they make. Or anything recent by Dragon. Those kits are amazing in detail and come with most of the extras you could hope for. Dragon's kits are usually a very fair price too. Sometimes cheaper than Tamiya with more detail.

Yeah, right. Try not to have mental trauma after opening Tamiya's 1/48 A-10A box. Unless you are turbine tank junkie like me and you just picked T-80 to assemble something Red, you might want to buy tamiya T-55 it is a bit pricey, but builds up into very good replica right OOB.