Hi all.
I'm trying to build a jna russian made T55 at the beginnin of slovenian war.
I'm using as a reference a photo seen on Corbis site:



I noticed that near the gun mantlet there's a sort of metallic deflector:



I have a lot of t55 references, but i haven't seen before this detail and to be honest, I don't know what it is for

Perhaps have some of you a closer view ?

Thanks in advance for any kind help

Cheers

Can't help with a better pic, my first time seeing this. Maybe Ciro can help out with this. Looks like a deflector or maybe heat shield.

Rob
www.scratchmod.com
[email protected]

Ciao Mauro,
what is it I don't know,my guess is that it's a device to avoid the burning of the mantlet dust cover when the machine gun is in use.
There's a similar device on the Slovenian M55...sorry,I've not better pics.....
Let me know if I can do something.
Ciro

I believe the item in question is the movement arm for the infrared light....I am no expert on the subject, but it looks like it to me
DJ

No Dj,
Mauro hasn't marked the movement arm for the Luna search lamp,he has a good knowledge of the 55s.
He wants to know the apparently "rubber"(or steel) device near the bolts that secure the mantlet dust cover.
It's (the item in question)beetwen the DT10 main gun and the co-axial machine gun
In my photo you can see the same device but not the arms for the Luna cause it's not mounted on the M55

Cheers
Ciro

Ciro, Rob, Dj thanks a lot for yours kind efforts to help me

It seems to me that this deflector is mounted also on the famous croatian t55 Marina



I agree whit Rob and Ciro. The part is mounted near the hull Mg so I think it is for protect the gun mantlet from the sparks (the gun mantlet is made with fabric so... it can burn). If it is true, the deflector probably is made of metal.
Almost all t55s that I've seen, didn'have the hull mg, so the device was unnecessary...probably that's the reason why it isn't mounted on them

Anyway, probably i can depict the deflector shape, but unfortunately I can't see on the pics how it is mounted on the turret...

Mauro,

Just so you haven't missed it. Did you see the good quality pic of Marina that Bluto posted
here a couple days ago? I think you can see the plate there too.

Cheers,
/E

Thanks a lot Erik. I don't know why but missed the link that Bluto posted:


Finaly a croatian B24 Marina T55 high res pic....


http://www.osce.org/photos/hires_photo.php?id=15872

In the Ocse site found also a Jna polish made t55 depicted while is being dissasembling after war

http://www.osce.org/photos/hires_photo.php?id=43569

and the famous JNA T55 hit by the croats in Vukovar

http://www.osce.org/photos/hires_photo.php?id=22127

But unfortunately there wasn't closer deflector pics...



Joking aside, thanks again Erik

It's a flash deflector to keep tracer rounds from igniting the mantlet cover. A common feature on Yugoslavian T-55s, but by no means universal.

Hi Kevin, Thanks a lot for the info, so our conjecture was correct.




In fact the t55 user manual don't mentione it .That's a misfortune, because it's hard to find Yugoslavian T-55s closer pics.
I downloaded from the net almost the totality of t55 references...but i can't find it

Dont'you have any closer pic, do you?

Anyway, thanks a lot again

Interesting!
Thanks

If I had to guess I would say that the plate is mounted either between the strips for the mantle cover and the mantle itself, or on the outside of the strips and hold in place by the same bolts. The later option seem more likely(?). But of course that remains a guess until close-up photos can be found (checked through my "arcives" and found none).

Cheers,
/E

Thanks a lot Erik...but I finaly found it!!!!



The plate is mounted outside the mantlet and is hold in place by the mantlet bolts

Unfortunately I've already mounted the mantlet, so to insert the plate i have to do a delicate "surgical" operation

good!
and now...is it rubber or steel!?!!?both can be fixed.....anyway in 1/35 it's not so important...
Cheer Mauro
Ciro

Metal or rubber?... Well, Ciro take a look at the photo. Considering the thinness, the shape sharpness,evaluating the rigidity and watching how well the plate is painted, i'm quiet sure which is made on metal.
The rubber skirt tht you're reproducing on your polish t55 for exemple, are floppy, thick about 1 cm and they are black because almost all the types of paint don't climb on rubber surfaces. They look very different from the plate depicted in the photo

Furthermore, rubber is not fireproof, so if the plate is mounted to avoid the fire hazards, it has to be made on metal, I think

Thanks to everyone of you for the comments.

...as usual...

from the lack to excess





Well... I hope those pics are usefu also for you. That's the reason why I posted them



(ps. Ciro...now we are sure....the plate It's made on metal)

Maybe this pic helps too..?..although not soviet built.

Thanks a lot Andy, of course your it's a helpful pic.
Polish or russian made, i'm almost sure that the plate is the same for both versions:





cheers and thanks again

Plate can be the same but with polish version the joints are in different position.
In the russian version this steel plate is fixed to the tank trought the joints of the main gun mantlet dust cover that are positioned on the side of the lips that are around the DT10.
On the polish version these joint are on the top of this lips.
Mauro I know you have understand.

Ciro

To do it right.....
(I don't think that I need to mark it right!?)



Ciro

Yes Ciro, I think I understood.

It depends on the differences beetween the russian and the polish t55 gun mantlet.

Thanks a lot for the pic.

You're, as usual, kind and reliable

cheers

It's a pleasure to talk to you Mauro!
Take care my friend!
Ciro

Wow, stunning pics! Thank you Ciro!

Where did you find them?

Cheers Thanks again Ciro

well dudes...



I've done


Thanks for your advices

Hi Mauro,ok for the steel plate....but you need to re-work the braket for the Luna searchlight.
As you can see in the pic you miss something....ok for the weld line at the bottom,well done.
(on my model I still need to add the weld line at the bottom of the braket ;-)


Ciro