On some soviet turrets, such as the one on top of T-35, T-28 and T-26-4 there appears on design sheets a star on the top of it. I'm not sure whether this star is part of the design of the turret, or part of the tanks colour scheme. Apparently on one of the T-28 kits (Allanger or ICM, can't remember)the star is molded onto the turret, adding further confusion.

This is what I am talking about:
http://militaria.forum-xl.com/viewtopic.php?f=76&t=1510

i'm trying to do a kit-bash of RPMs T-26/BT-2 and Eastern Expresses BT-7 to make a T-26-4, but I only have 2 reference photos and some very useful design sheets showing it from sides, top etc. These also show the star on top of the turret , and it makes me concerned about how I'm going to replicate it.

Any help or additional reference pictures is needed

Hi Ted

I'm not 100% sure about but as far as I know the star was embossed on the turret

Regarding the references, well actually you can find lots of them on the net. You should use Russian translation for your internet researches

T-26 танк

Look for exemple here

http://www.battlefield.ru/photos/category/33-t26.html

http://www.o5m6.de/RussianArmour.html

http://www.armchairgeneral.com/rkkaww2/galleries.htm



I don't have lots of t-26 references but anyway send me a pm with your e-mail adress

cheers

Thaks for the T-26 references, however, I am looking for more information on a particular variant described by wikipedia as:

T-26-4:[45] artillery tank with enlarged turret armed with the 76.2 mm KT tank gun mod. 1927/32 (some modern sources mention this tank as T-26A, A stands for artilleriysky or "artillery"). The turret was developed by the Bolshevik Factory (since February 1932—by the Design Office of the established Factory No. 174) in 1931–1932; it was installed on the T-26 mod. 1931 in November 1932. Unlike the A-43 turret, the turret by Factory No. 174 was much more convenient for the crew. The turret of the T-26-4 was quite similar to main turret of the T-28 medium tank.

Its quite an interesting tank, but there is very little information on it, in particular its endine deck, which differed alot from standard T-26s.

Is it perhaps this one?



try to look here

http://forum.worldoftanks.ru/index.php?/topic/329593-%D1%82-26%D0%B0-%D0%B0%D1%80%D1%82%D0%B8%D0%BB%D0%BB%D0%B5%D1%80%D0%B8%D0%B9%D1%81%D0%BA%D0%B8%D0%B9/page__st__20

http://foto-transporta.ru/main.php?g2_itemId=63979

http://www.army.lv/files/121.pdf

Those links were very helpful and interesting. That picture is of a BT-7A, very similar turret, but the top of it has a different sort of hatch, along with (according to the plans) a star on top. The BT-7A version did not have the space for it since it was bristling with periscopes, air vents, AA mounts etc.

The book was very informative, but I'm starting to believe there are only 2 photos of the T-26-4 in existence, one taken of its side to the left and one showing a broken bogie. A few hours of further searching found nothing.

Can I jump in?

1. Yes, it seems like there was only two pictures of T-26-4 published so far. These two photos were taken during the trials. The tank never went into production. Different sources are saying there was only 4 or 5 tanks build in total.

2. In theory, the turret can be scavenged from BT-7A. To be accurate, they are little different in size and in design, but I can bet that nobody will notice if you don't tell them. But even if you do tell them, they will not know the difference anyway.

3. The star on the roof is actually stamped (pressed) out. It was done to reinforce the flat metal sheet of a roof of the turret. Since they were bigger, the turrets of T-28 and T-35 also had two "lines" besides the star.

Let me know if you need additional info, but Mauro pretty much covered it all already.

Alex

P.S. Yes, for some reason ICM did not mold the star in their kit.

P.P.S. Yes, it does look like BT-7A did not have the star.

Yes, it is unfortunate that the T-26-4 turret is rouder than BT-7 turret. The project has gotten off to a great start, have lately been remaking the rivets/ bolts on the T-26 hull.