Hi all!
Just spotted this model:
http://military.scale-model-kits.com/products/KV-9-WWII-Russian-heavy-tank-ARK35021.html

Has anyone built these kits or this particular one? Any comments? Atleast price aint that bad.

Aren't those re-boxings of the Eastern Express kits?

Cheers,

Christophe

Hi Christophe!
Are they all re-boxed? Atleast what I saw on Scale-Model-Kits.com website, some seem to be old Alan kits??

Hi

Yes, them are reboxed sets from Eastern Express , Maquette and Alan and very few of their own moulds the KV-9 and SU-152 are nice kits

regards
Raul

It's an Eastern Express kit reboxed. The Trumpeter KV series kits are vastly better in overall engineering and molding, and nearly all the variants except the KV-1S, the KV-85, and the SU-152, are available from the Chinese firm. And the new Zvezda KV kits are a runner up, in terms of accuracy and engineering. The Eastern Express kits had lots of flash, stiff tracks (which were the final type as used on the KV-1S, and too narrow for most of the variants they depicted), and the engine intake screens were crudely molded and a real bear to replace, as they were molded to the engine deck and the plastic was very thick. Some detail was crude, some very delicate (often in the same kit). The welded type turrets were also slightly short, front to back.

Just to return to my own topic, could I bash together some Trumpeter hull with wheels and Ark Models turret If Ark Models own hull is so bad or is it too much trouble?

The only KV variants I'm aware of that Trumpeter doesn't already do are the KV-9, the KV-1S, KV-85 and the SU-152. I suppose you could kitbash the KV-9 turret parts with a Trumpeter hull, but the SU-152, KV-85 and KV-1S had a different hull, wheels and tracks, so they can't be crosskitted.

I took the mantlet and U-11 barrel and put it in a Trumpeter KV-1 Heavy Cast to make a KV-9.

I have the old EE KV-85 kit and was looking at the deck, I suppose it could be crossed but it just isn't that great mold wise and I would personally suggest waiting for Trumpeter to complete the KV series with the 3 "S" hull tanks.

Hi Dodger!
Did you used the roadwheels of Trumpeter kit or wheels from Ark kit? I was looking pics of that KV-9 kit and their roadwheels looked somehow strange to me.. Does mantlet fit straight to Trumpeters turret? Any other modifications needed for Trumpeter hull? I don´t have Tankograds KV -books, so I can´t check pics for reference. Thanks advance for your replies.
Ps. any pics of your KV-9 tank?

I always wanted to build the KV-85 which Eastern Express makes, but as people have always noted the mold quality is poor which I believe is reboxed under other names. Better just to wait.

Hi Guys,
You might want to check this out for KV variants and info: KV Seminar . Neil stokes is currently in the final throws of his book on the same topic. I'm not sure of the publishing date. Think what you'd get if Hunnicutt wrote a book on the KV. Scale plans and LOTS of unpublished pics!
Regards,
Georg

O Great Pumpkin, the check is in the mail :-)

Seriously though, the ARK kit is a rebox (at a significantly higher price) of the EE kit.

The molds are dimensionally accurate for the most part, but a little crude compared to the Trumpeter kits and need a little tweaking for a truly accurate model. For example, the radiator intake screens on the rear engine deck feature longitudual rods welded over the intakes, which are not evident in any photographs of the KV-1S and KV-85 in service....only in the preserved KV-1S-85 at Kubinka.

While I would love for Trumpeter to do the KV-1S variants, let's not hold our collective breath. Given the number of minor detail differences,it would almost but not quite amount to an entirely new kit. The only parts they could reuse would be the suspension swing arms, sprockets, idlers, engine access hatch and radiator intake screens. Everything else would need to be retooled, either due to small differences or molding issues. Please Trumpeter, please, bite the bullet!. A KV-1S, KV-85 and SU-152 to the standard of the earlier variants would be huge. I'd be glad to help!

Neil - there is no 12-step program for KV-holics

Thanks Georg for that link! Downloaded all those pdf. files and they will sure be handy later on. Neil, your book will surely be a must buy, after it´s published. Keep up the good work. Any advise, which grill PE set would be correct for KV-9?

My favourite for the late radiator intake screens is Eduard TP089. Good balance of accuracy and ease of assembly. The Aber sets are gorgeous but the assembly will drive you insane.

Cheers,

Neil

Hi Neil!
Just checked M-L and saw your update about your forthcoming book plus website. Great news indeed! Your website will be one to bookmark in future. I´m strongly conserning to get that book, when it´s available. I´m sure it´s helpfull, when I start to build my stash of Trupeter KV´s.

When looking at the KV-9 I basically saw a regular Heavy Cast KV-1 so I only modified part D17 by cutting off the small pins to attach the kit mantlet (F16) and set the EE KV-9 mantlet and glued it between part F24 and F25. Last I changed out F22 for the EE part and of course used the U-11 barrel.

I plan to get the modelpoint U-11 barrel as I kinda messed this one up, but otherwise I would say it is an easy conversion and pretty straight forward. My tank is no where near complete but I will post a pic up of the turret as is soon.

The Trumpeter KV series of tanks cost about the same as the advertised ARK Model kits....and the Trumpeter models are really very nice kits. If you don't mind spending twice as much to kitbash the variant you want then go for it.

The ARK Model 38(t) and PZ II series...Gepard, Grille, etc. are former Alan kits and, unless they cleaned up the molds, are kind of rough but with some basic modelling skills are worth the build. ARK Models have basically doubled the prices of the old Alan kits. You can still pick Alan and Trumpy kits up at shows at bargain prices.

Sometimes it's good to go beyond the Tamiya,DML,Trumpeter,AFV, Italeri and Tristar boundries!

Jeff