Does anyone know any more about the 'flower power' T-80U at the Ukranian State Museum near Kiev (see this link, photos 37 to 77)?

http://serkoff.narod.ru/photoalbum42.html

The rear of the hull suggests a T-80U diesel - it looks like a prototype engine deck (similar to the SKIF deck) ..... but the turret is very strange!

It has the an IR searchlight on the LHS of the turret - (like a T-64) - but has no mounting pins for the Kontakt ERA (1/3 or 5). It has a bit of a dip in the turret roof around the frontal arc. It has what I believe to be the Kobra sighting box.

Chris 'the Cabbie' suggests this vehicle is a T-80U1 - an interim design from the Kharkov plant. Jacques D suggests that the turret might be a T-80A (which was an attempt to standardise turrets across the T-64 and T-80?????). (Sorry, can't find out much about the T-80A).

Anyways, does anyone have a firm view on what this tank is? - or is it some kinda Frankenstien job that the museum has put together from various parts - being a T-80UD hull and some kind of prototype turret from the back of the workshop??

Any help appreciated - I'd like to model it - not for strict accuracy - but just for the great paint job! (Grafitti - Art or Vandalism? - Discuss!).

kr
Trevor

Neither T-80U nor T-80A, it's Object 478 Bereza prototype with a transition testbed turret complemented with new 1G42FCS but still featuring Cobra radio guidance block and T-64B's remote operated HMG. The turret shown would later evolve into Ob.476 - standard turret for T-80U/UD minus minor ERA arrangement differences, ROWS with 12.5mm NSVT machine gun and lack of Brod trunk hinge mechanism in diesel powered tanks. http://dishmodels.ru/ has extensive walkaround of this tank, you are right about Skif's bits' similarity to what is on those photos.., in higher resolution (parts 1 through 5):
http://dishmodels.ru/wshow.htm?p=532
http://dishmodels.ru/wshow.htm?p=533
http://dishmodels.ru/wshow.htm?p=535
http://dishmodels.ru/wshow.htm?p=536
http://dishmodels.ru/wshow.htm?p=538

George,

Thank you for the great info and for the links - its a fab site - there are some terrific photos in there - I can see it stealing hours and hours of my time!.

What an interesting machine this T-80 is - but, Jeesh - the more I learn about this Soviet stuff the more I realise how little I know!

(BTW: I've seen some of your work while I was trawling through the various threads here - some really excellent work if I may say so!)

Thanks again - I have no excuses now, not to get on with it!

Rgds

Trevor
PS - I see the T-62(?) has suffered the same abuse at the hands of the 'artist'. Sorry, I just don't really get it! - For me, Art is Art - and a tribute to your men at arms is something else!

Yeah, getting just designations and id codes right is a feat all by itself, but it gets to be fun after a while, twisted fun. When you browse dishmodels' galleries and want to search for something, use Cyrillic letters from virtual keyboard (when capitalized most of them will look identical to Roman ones) otherwise search engine will likely return no results.
Paintings are sanctioned by authority, the park it sits in is a part of the Great Patriotic War memorial complex in Kiev, full of Soviet times public art and architecture, not to mention war machines, something they want to distance themselves from now.

Thanks again for the help - I did wonder why the search function didn't seem to work!

I guess when it comes to modelling the tank, I don't really need to worry about WHAT it is, I'll try to just follow the photos - but its good to know what it should be - and learning about this stuff is 1/2 the fun (or more?)! - I found some of the back-story about the 'rivalries' between Leningrad/Omsk and Kharkov pretty interesting.

As to the officially sanctioned 'folk art' - well, it's their call I guess. I guess I'm guilty (like many others I would think) of looking at things and forming judgements based on our own cultural context or perspective.

But, for me, 'real' graffitti is mostly vandalism - and attempts by psuedo-intellectuals to tell me its something else is just BS!!

Having said that, I recall that there is a T-34 85 somewhere in the UK that has been painted in 2 tone pink by some art students - which I think is a lot of fun - but I guess that many might disagree!

Anyways, I'm babbling!

Cheers!
Trevor

George pretty much nailed it. It is a one-off developmental prototype put in a museum.

I have not found out how many prototypes Kharkov made to convince Ustinov to allow a diesel variant, but I think it was at least 3, so keep that in mind when you see more museum pieces.

And then there are the 10 prototype/test bed vehicles Leningrad did for T-80U production that are in museums too.

Hi Jacques - thank you for the confirmation - and the extra info. That all feels like another small piece in my overall jig-saw puzzle! Fascinating stuff!

While I'm 'on' , thanks to you also for the overall contribution you make to the forum - You seem to provide bags of input - and I always enjoy your posts and I'm sure many many others do too.


Rgds
Trevor

Glad to help, but remember, it is a group effort here. I contribute, so does George, and many, many others, so that the overall knowledge is greater than our individual parts. I just happen to like the T-80 and have accumulated a lot of knowledge.

If you want a LOT more of the real deal, and quite a bit of technical talk, google Tanknet.

Thanks for the reminder Jacques - I need to broaden my focus a little - I was highly focused on the darn T-80 thing. I whole-heartedly agree its the entire community of contributors that make this place special. (But 2697 postings show that you make a significant contribution, and I was just trying to acknowledge that and show some appreciation of it I intended no slieght to everyone else, by thanking you.

kr
Trevor

Glad to take a compliment, no problem. I just do not want to take any compliments from George because he is such a moody, sensitive guy! (Just kidding George.) But seriously, he answered the question first, and pretty much spot on, so all credit really should go to him. I just chimed in because, well, sometimes I am a blowhard with regards to modern Soviet/Russian armor.

That said, if you really want to do the actual museum vehicle, I would get the SKIF T-80UD and the Eduard PE set for it, it will fit that kit perfectly. The SP Designs sprockets and roadwheels would be a good investment, and Masterclub tracks. Masterclub's roadwheels would work, but they are meant for the DML/Zvezda/Revell T-80UD kit, not the SKIF one, so more work would be involved.

The turret will need to be reworked anyhow, so better to use the SKIF one as the base to start from.

Thanks for the hints Jacques. I have the SKIF kit in the stash and a couple of the Dragon/Italeri,Zvezda kits too, and was wondering where to start. (I've checked through all of the existing threads. George has done some excellent stuff - and there's a lot that can be learnt by looking carefully at the SP Designs stuff too).

Kind Regards
Trevor