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Яusso-Soviэt Forum: WWII Soviet Armor
For discussions related to WW2 era Soviet armor.
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Best Russian Tank to Wreck
bill_c
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Posted: Tuesday, April 01, 2008 - 11:53 AM UTC
I need a 1/35th Soviet WW II tank kit to "wreck" as part of a late 1944/early '45 diorama, so I don't particularly want to spend $40+ for a kit that I'm going to trash. I was looking at Trumpeter's Ehkranami KV-1 ($20), but someone on the Axis Forum said it would not be around in the time period of the diorama.

Looking for suggestions about kits.

Also suggestions for upgrades that would help with the "wreck" part. I think Verlinden makes a destroyed T-34 rear end.
neil22
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Posted: Tuesday, April 01, 2008 - 12:00 PM UTC
hi
have you tryed mig productions? they make a distroyed t34 too, the front end, it looks very good with all the interia bits.
http://www.migproductions.com/

neil
alanmac
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Posted: Tuesday, April 01, 2008 - 12:04 PM UTC
Hi

From what I've read here and elsewhere Russian armour fans have been crying out for a truly accurate version of the T34 in various versions, so I think if you are not to bothered about the wreck being very accurate you could look at getting maybe something made by Zvezda, Revell, as opposed to Dragon/Cyberhobby.

May be missing fine detail but if that's going to be damaged or missing from your subject then its not an issue is it.

Alternatively good place to check out might be ebay, as you can pick up certain kits quite cheap, even Dragon ones, but it does depend on timing etc. I've seen some dodos paying more for second hand stuff that you can still buy new, in stock, in the shops .

Alan
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Posted: Tuesday, April 01, 2008 - 12:18 PM UTC
Hey Bill.
Zvezda's JS-2 Stalin (aka IS-2M Iosef Stalin) would fit the bill for a late war Soviet wreck.
Italeri re-boxed the kit a few years ago, and it's not too bad.
Although the tracks are awful, it's cheap.
You could ask and see if anyone has any of the old DML Stalin tracks in their spares bins they could part with.
Cheers

jjumbo
GVoakes
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Posted: Tuesday, April 01, 2008 - 02:01 PM UTC
If you need JS-2 tracks, I've got those. Never used the kit ones for my Dragon JS-2 ChZm and replaced them with Fruil. They should still be bagged.
Jacques
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Posted: Tuesday, April 01, 2008 - 05:12 PM UTC
T-34 wreck would be far more common than almost any other, except for the SU-76 (which was the most prodced AFV by Russia). You may want to look into just what tank looks good to you to wreck:

JS-2
ISU-152 or ISU-122
SU-76
T-34 either the 76 or 85 version.
SU-85 or SU-100

Any of these could be found cheap (~ $15-20 on eBay) depending on what you want to have it look like.

bill_c
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Posted: Wednesday, April 02, 2008 - 03:11 AM UTC

Quoted Text

have you tryed mig productions? they make a distroyed t34 too, the front end, it looks very good with all the interia bits.

I'm considering that one, Neil. I'm relatively new to "wrecking," so I wouldn't know how to recreate the other 2/3 of the tank. Does one "saw the lady in half" (in this case, thirds) and have the back 2/3 sitting a few "feet" away as if the thing blew up?

Bill
neil22
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Posted: Wednesday, April 02, 2008 - 08:26 AM UTC

or to keep it simple you could have it set at the edge of the dio, so the back bit would be 'out of the frame' so to speak.
i too have never yet distroyed a tank, not that far anyway, but it would be hard work from an off the shelf kit, you have to think of things like armour thickness and how the plates are fitted together, to cut up a kit would be hard!
i'm not sayin it can't be done (cuz someone will put a pic on of their own) but it would be hard, the mig kit (i think) would be the best start.
just my thoughts

neil
Finch
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Posted: Wednesday, April 02, 2008 - 12:23 PM UTC

Quoted Text

I need a 1/35th Soviet WW II tank kit to "wreck" as part of a late 1944/early '45 diorama, so I don't particularly want to spend $40+ for a kit that I'm going to trash. I was looking at Trumpeter's Ehkranami KV-1 ($20), but someone on the Axis Forum said it would not be around in the time period of the diorama.

Looking for suggestions about kits.

Also suggestions for upgrades that would help with the "wreck" part. I think Verlinden makes a destroyed T-34 rear end.


The KV-1 would be a stretch for late 44 - early 45. Not impossible but not likely.

The T-34 or T-34-85 would by far the most common Soviet AFVs in service, and good kits of both are easy and cheap to find. For $20-25 or so you can find a DML T-34-85 - an excellent kit - and for maybe $30 more you should be able to find an interior set and really go to town. Or just scratchbuild the basics from scraps.

Another option is any M4A2 Sherman. DML has three Sherman kits that can be used - the "Red Army" M4A2/76mm, the "Sherman III" and the "M4A2 Tarawa". All these kits are excellent and all are versions used by the Red Army. None are expensive.

The new Miniart SU-76 would probably be the cheapest and easiest option since it already comes with an "interior", i.e., the open-topped fighting compartment. SU-76s were very common in late 44-early 45.

Either of Maquette's Valentine kits would also work. These kits are usually cheaper and they aren't as good, but as you said you're going to trash it. I don't know of an interior set for any Valentine, but a wrecked interior for a vehicle that small is not that hard to scratchbuild.

Any of the SU/ISU kits would also work.


bill_c
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Posted: Wednesday, April 02, 2008 - 12:54 PM UTC
Hmmm, interesting.

The dio is for a Hetzer (76mm PAK). A relatively "light" gun for a JS. The SU is an interesting idea. Must think about this.
Nito74
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Posted: Thursday, April 03, 2008 - 12:16 AM UTC
For the Hetzer... yup the Su-76 or the Sherman
bill_c
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Posted: Thursday, April 03, 2008 - 02:37 AM UTC

Quoted Text

For the Hetzer... yup the Su-76 or the Sherman

Could the Hetzer not take down a T-34 from behind? Verlinden makes an exploded rear module for the T-34.
Finch
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Posted: Thursday, April 03, 2008 - 12:29 PM UTC

Quoted Text


Quoted Text

For the Hetzer... yup the Su-76 or the Sherman

Could the Hetzer not take down a T-34 from behind? Verlinden makes an exploded rear module for the T-34.


A Hetzer could knock out a T-34 from any aspect....and vice-versa.
Finch
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Posted: Thursday, April 03, 2008 - 12:35 PM UTC

Quoted Text

Hmmm, interesting.

The dio is for a Hetzer (76mm PAK). A relatively "light" gun for a JS. The SU is an interesting idea. Must think about this.


Just looking at this from an artistic standpoint, the SU-76 has good 'wreck potential' because there is so much to easily wreck. It has return rollers, so you can break a track and show it sagged way down between the rollers. It has nice big fenders to tear off or bend badly. It has a open fighting compartment that could, say, have an entire side missing after a hit. It has rubber-rimmed road wheels to 'burn out'. All these things will make it incredibly obvious to your viewers that the AFV is destroyed.

At the opposite extreme you have, say, an ISU-152 which has no rubber to burn out on the road wheels, smaller fenders, and a massive enclosed fighting compartment with small hatches. It's a little harder to make it obvious to your viewers that the AFV has been killed. You'll almost have to throw a track off because otherwise a casual viewer will wonder what is going on with the dio.

Just my two euros (I don't want cents any more)
t34-85
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Posted: Thursday, April 03, 2008 - 01:04 PM UTC

Quoted Text

I need a 1/35th Soviet WW II tank kit to "wreck" as part of a late 1944/early '45 diorama


Get a Zvezda/Italeri T34-85. Reasonably accurate (beats the Tamiya kit by a mile) and often dirt cheap online (I've seen some closing on EBay for as little as $10.) If you cleverly hide the tracks with street rubble, you could even use the rubber ones in the kit and few people would notice it. You may even find an early Dragon release (without the Magic Tracks and the refinements of newer kits) below $20.

Any other alternative is going to be more expensive and/or harder to find.
bill_c
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Posted: Thursday, April 03, 2008 - 01:12 PM UTC
The SU-76 looks fabulous-- but at $45, it sorta defeats my plan of using something relatively cheap to wreck.
t34-85
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Posted: Thursday, April 03, 2008 - 01:16 PM UTC

Quoted Text

Verlinden makes an exploded rear module for the T-34


If it's the one I'm thinking about, it's hard to find and not particularly good.
MiG has a much better one, although it's only the hull's front section:

http://www.migproductions.com/ficheros_tienda/english/arw35018.htm
bill_c
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Posted: Friday, April 04, 2008 - 02:22 AM UTC

Quoted Text

"Verlinden makes an exploded rear module for the T-34."

If it's the one I'm thinking about, it's hard to find and not particularly good.

Here it is. What's the general consensus?

http://www.verlinden-productions.com/vp_htm_1801_2400/2319.html

It's about half the price of the MIG one, and if I sawed the kit in half and had the front end forward of the wreckage???
Finch
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Posted: Friday, April 04, 2008 - 01:43 PM UTC

Quoted Text

The SU-76 looks fabulous-- but at $45, it sorta defeats my plan of using something relatively cheap to wreck.


It is cheaper than a tank kit with a resin interior set added in - that's all I'm suggesting. And it's not fabulous so you might *want* to wreck it

If you decide to do a T-34, stick with DML kits, which can be had as cheaply as any of the less-good kits.

One other option I forgot to mention is the Academy M3A1 Stuart, which represents a type still in use by the Red Army in 1944. It has an interior included, although there are some accuracy issues. There's a nice photo of one going through Latvia in 1944....thus the proof that they were still in action then.

t34-85
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Posted: Saturday, April 05, 2008 - 09:28 AM UTC

Quoted Text


Quoted Text

"Verlinden makes an exploded rear module for the T-34."

If it's the one I'm thinking about, it's hard to find and not particularly good.

Here it is. What's the general consensus?

http://www.verlinden-productions.com/vp_htm_1801_2400/2319.html

It's about half the price of the MIG one, and if I sawed the kit in half and had the front end forward of the wreckage???


??? That's 1/48 scale. No wonder it's cheaper!
Anyhow, it's not the one I was referring to, that was much older. I'm not even sure it was from Verlinden now.
Belt_Fed
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Posted: Saturday, April 05, 2008 - 09:59 AM UTC
i have no expeirince at all with doing this sorta thing, but perhaps u can use the MIG one and cover the rear with rubble?
t34-85
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Posted: Sunday, April 06, 2008 - 05:10 PM UTC

Quoted Text

i have no expeirince at all with doing this sorta thing, but perhaps u can use the MIG one and cover the rear with rubble?


The sky is the limit when it comes to using rubble...
bill_c
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Posted: Monday, April 07, 2008 - 03:09 AM UTC

Quoted Text

??? That's 1/48 scale. No wonder it's cheaper!

My error! I did not notice the different scale.
bill_c
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Posted: Monday, April 28, 2008 - 12:30 PM UTC

Quoted Text

??? That's 1/48 scale. No wonder it's cheaper!
Anyhow, it's not the one I was referring to, that was much older. I'm not even sure it was from Verlinden now.


Hey, I know I'm crazy some days, but not THAT crazy:

http://www.internethobbies.com/ve1t3blupree.html

And that's 1/35th scale. Mig Jimenez in his book reminded me I wasn't totally dreaming because he has the Verlinden rear end with his front end. All I need is a turret!
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