G'day Dean !

I haven't done it but I think some here may say it's JUNK.

I've just got the "SP Designs Conversion kits" (wheels, sprockets & final drives, full conversion, & masterclub tracks. And a model point barrel from another store) for the T-80U in the mail from Historica Books (approx $A200+). That also requires the SKIF T-80 kit to get the lower hull.

EXPENSIVE ! But you get what you pay for !! The best T-80 out there.

It depends on what you want mate. " Just a build & a bit of fun ?" get what you want, something accurate, then you'll need to get a conversion such as SP's which is REALLY REALLY nice I must say, looking at the quality & crispness of the parts"

Cheers

Paul

I've searched the net and found that the Zvezda T-80 isn't very common. Theres only one or two reviews out there. The general concensus is that its a good kit, but the ERA is apparently a bit fiddly to make.

Hey, what the - ? where did my original post go? I so did not delete it. Oh well, it doesnt matter now. my friend gave it to my cousin who is a much better kit maker than me.

So, i have another question while this forum is here. Has anyone built the Trumpeter 1:35 Type 98 Streamlined MBT, or know of any references or build reviews of it? its going really cheap at Hobby One and i really like the look of it. should i get this one instead?

Maybe do a search like you did on the T-80 ?

I've just Googled it and i think the final products of the kit looked alright. They were built by pros, I'll admit, but they do look descent.

i dont know. for the price it looks fairly good (i'm a student with a weekend job, summer school to pay off, and also a car to pay off as well). It doesnt have to be 100% accurate, it just has to fit together and look descent when its been finished.

heres some Type 98s that have been both pro built and casually built.

http://trumpeter.cool.ne.jp/gallary/K-Type98.html
http://trumpeter.cool.ne.jp/gallary/Y-Type98.html
http://trumpeter.cool.ne.jp/gallary/MW-Type98.html
http://trumpeter.cool.ne.jp/gallary2/TE-type98.html
http://trumpeter.cool.ne.jp/gallary3/ST-type98mbt.html

one of the 98s above showed some serious modeling putty or something, but overall it doesnt look too bad. i dont know, what do you guys think?

I've build the one of the Zvezda's T-80 kit, it isn't junk, it isn't perfect (I'm no expert on this...), the tracks are awful.. but it was fun to build and paint.
I'd build the other T-80 if I could find it, no problem.

Hmm. I think i'll be getting both at any rate. I got only a little bit of cash to spare right now, so i'll get the Type 98, build it and tell you how it goes. Then i'll get the T-80 thich is more expensive after Christmas because Christmas usually heralds a huge cash inflow for me.

Glad to hear positive remarks about the SP Designs kit (Yeah, I run SAAMModels and I helped convince Sergej, the owner/operator of SP Designs, to do teh hollow turret T-80U). I am working on him doing a T-80UD upper hull/hollow turret kit AND a T-64A upper hull/Hollow turret conversion.

The DML/Italeri/Zvezda T-80's are good kits for people who do not have a lot of money, but extra time to work out the problems. The kits are fit issues, no just accuracy issues, so you need more time to figure out how to work out the problem. They are good models to inspire your interest in Soviet/Russian vehicles, to practice scratchbuilding on, and practice paint techniques on. But know going in that they have some detail issues that cannot be resolved without a complete rebuild/scratchbuild. If you are ok with that, you will not be saddened by the kit.

And the Zvezda tracks are ok EXCEPT they do not fit between the side skirts and the hull. Just leave the tracks off after wrapping them around the sprocket/idler and it is fine.

Now, if you currently want a T-80B or T-80BV kit, they are the only game in town. I also hope to rectify this with SP Designs...I am working on him making a T-80B/BV turret/upper hull conversion and the EVER anticipated Black Eagle turret. I am trying hard guys.

Keep up the good work on those conversions Jaques. I'll keep the track issue in mind when i get the T-80 in a couple of weeks.

seeing that you're pretty much the, er, "head authority" on conversion kits, i need to ask you something about the seemingly endless array of T-34 turrets out there. have you ever seen or made a conversion kit for this monster?

G'day Jacques !

The Hollow Turret T-80U is very nice, I especially like the use of the plastic location pegs fitted to the turret & upper hull castings. A great idea.

The one piece Upper Hull is also very nice. This will be an exceptional build. Tell Sergej he has done VERY well with this version

Black Eagle ? Now that would be something else !

Doesn't that also require a hull with 7 road wheels per side ?

Cheers

Pau

Dean - I have seen the T-34 conversions you posted a photo of, but have not built one myself. I know there is at least 1 kit in 1/72 and two conversions in 1/35 scale. They are usually known as T-34-122 as they have the 122mm D-30 artillery gun mounted on the front of the T-34 chassis. This was a Egyptian conversion. Accurate Armor makes a conversion for sure.

Paul - the Black Eagle had two test beds. The first was the new turret without a working main gun (supposedly) on the standard T-80U hull. This one had the cammo netting draped over the turret. The next version had the turret with a working maingun and the experimental lengthend hull with 7 roadwheels. It was more of a technology demonstrator at that point. The turret itself has been developed to be sold seperately for tank upgrades, although no country has decided to buy one. It has been (supposedly) test fitted to the hulls fo T-72, t-55, M-60, M-1, M-48, Chieftan, Challenger, and several of the chinese Type-xx hulls. But this is one of those test bed vehicles that has people all a-buzz, even now. So Sergej and I think it would be a worthy investment of his time and effort. The only kit setup I think is more important, but Sergej does not agree, is to make a accurate T-80B/BV conversion. He said he will do it, but no definates on when.

Good info there Jacques, thanks !

I'm looking forward to the new SP Design releases. A "Black Eagle" Turret on a T-80U or on a T-72BM Hull would be pretty cool IMO.

Cheers

Paul

Huh? Besides of what Gary already said this kit in general falls into category of models that have just about every detail done wrong. If you want to exercise your modeling skills than just build it (although there are many cheaper alternatives), but if accuracy is important than your only alternative is SP Designs conversions coupled with Skif kit and some scratch building.



Do not mistake Omsk Factory's universal turret prototype with Object 640 one. They are quite different in appearance and besides turret from Object 640 would have problems fitting T-72B chassis.



All that teasing..can't take it anymore...

Sorry for the off topic post but.......

This whole question on the "Black Eagle" / Omsk "Turret project " has surprised me.

Object 640 from what I understand was a modified T-80U Hull with the new turret (Omsk 1997, 1999, & 2003), so this is the first time I've heard the "Turret project" refered to as 'Black Eagle'. Is this true or not ?

I've got some good references but none of them have this up to date info.

Cheers

Paul

There are, technically, two turrets for "sale" from Omsk...both the Original obj.640 turret and the newer Universal turret. The 640 turret is meant more for the Russian army T-80 chassis, and "maybe" to those countries that have the T-80U. It was also the test bed for the adaption to other chassis when the Russian Army showed little interest in it. Drawings from Omsk showed the Obj.640 turret on the M60/M1/Leopard/Challenger/T-72 chassis', but no photos of any real tanks with the turrets.

The newer Universal Turret is a advancement on the obj.640 turret to make it, well, more universal in use...hence the T-55/Type-xx tank possibilities. I think they were also thinking of fitting this turret to a BTR-90 type wheeled vehicle, but I have no proof of that. They also have a casement available for static border defense (is this required for EVERY russian turret produced?)

Because neither turret has been produced beyond 1-2 prototypes and becasue Omsk, like Russia, is still in a fluid state of being, not everything can be seen as true...some ideas may have been only artists's renderings...some may be disinformation as directed by Moscow, or it may be true. The best way to deal with this stuff, since OMSK is not going to directly answer our questions, is to use if for prototypes and fun. (Heck, I even saw a study where they were going to mount a M1 turret on a T-72 hull, and a Paladin turret on a M1 hull...???)

To drift further off topic...

There is actually talk of mating a Paladin turret and a modified Bradley hull to increase speed and mobility. The old M109 chassis has pretty much out-lived its usefulness. You can only get so much out of them.

For strange concepts, how about the M60-2000. An Abrams turret mounted on an M60 hull to give M1A1-like firepower, survivability, and performance for a bargain price.

Thanks all of you for posting your coments.

Im honestly having second thoughts about getting that T-80. I know i should be having second thoughts about the Type 98 as well, but i just want to buy the Type 98 for a bit of a poke about, and its also cheap i like the look of it. For the money that would buy me the T-80, i could get Tamiyas T-55A, which with my little experience in AFV modeling, i'd rather get.

Again, thanks for all your coments and help. When i'm a little more financially secure i'll get a T-34 and the T-34-100 conversion set, and maybe sometime in the future i will get the T-80.

And wow, is that a photo of a real tank, or a converted kit? Its really confusing me.

I've also just realised that the Type 98 chasis is pretty much the same as the T-80's. So as usual the Chinese are copying everybody elses stuff.

I remember reading about the 120S program a few years ago. IIRC, they were thinking that Turkey might be a potential customer for the hybrid M60/M1.

Has anyone done - or seen - a kitbash of one of these in 1:35? Just curious.

-YL

Well, at least i got that the hull was Russian derived anyway Gary. I wonder if the turret is derived from the T-72's. To me it looks like the Type 98's turret is a t-72's but with flat armor over the front and sides. The cupolas are in the same places as well, and they both have a curved top plate on the turret. You can almost see a T-72's turret hiding within all that angled armor in this photo.