Hi Guys,

What is the best T62 to use to make a bulgarian TV62 & are their any conversion sets to make this or what would be needed to try & scratch build one.

Cheers Mike

Helo Mike.

Up to now there is no conversion for this tank yet.

A good starting kit is to use trumpeter's T-62 mod 72, but you will need to scratch build the fender skirts. Or you can use their new BDD kit which already has the skirts in the kit. If you can get your hands on a T-55 turret from tamiya as it has all the extra fittings around the TC hatch. You could try to use one from trumpeter, but their old T-55 kits are not the best in the around and I'm not sure if they come with the extra armor on the turret.



Hope this helps some.

Chris

Hi Chris,

Thanks very much for that i will start looking for both a tamiya T55 & the new trumpter T62 BDD kit.

What does BDD stand for anyway?? lol

Cheers Mike

Your welcome Mike.

I'm not sure the exact russian/english translation of the BDD. But it is the designation for the armor package added to the turret and hull. It was a multi-layer laminate armor to give some added protection against some of the newer rounds used by nato.

If you need anyother reference photos, just let me know, I have a few in my files. I even got a few showing the bulgurians towing out some old german armor from the marsh.

Chris

Hi Chris,

Any reference's /info that you would share would be very greatfully apprecaiated as i know nothing about soviet / ex soviet cold war stuff. I have seen a photo or two with them being towed out which gave me the idea lol.

Cheers Mike

Mike I sent you a message so I can give you the files I have on the TV-62, I don't have any close ups on the wench, but plenty of good photos for a starting point.

Chris

Close-up photos of wenches might get you into trouble!

That's an interesting looking version, is the winch in the 'turret' structure?

Jim

Mike if ya need a T55 turret i have an old Esci one knocking around with no home ..i'll leave it up to these guys to let us know if its any good for you


Phill

Phil,

Cheers for that mate will let you know how I go, your original posting on the stug campaign was the reason for the season.

Cheers Mike

Jim from what I can tell is the wench is actually hand crank. These are the only somewhat close ups I hvae of the wench it's self.

Chris & Jim,

Hand cranking a 60 ton tank!! Man I have trouble with a reall big fish those bulgarians must eat something really good lol

Mike

Mike check your email, I've just resent all th photos for you.

I'm not even sure if it's a true wench like most of us think of them. If you look at the last photo I posted, you can see something that looks like a hand crank. I could be wrong, but then again I can't imagine why it would be that way. I could also be a cable spoil used to stow longer tow ropes. On this photo you can see a much longer rope used to recover the stug.



The only photos I have show the spoil empty or with a cover on it.

Hi Chris,

Thanks very much for them all they just arrived so more reference for future when I have all the bits & bobs together.

Cheers Mike

Mike your welcome for the photos. To answer your question about the magazine article, it's defiantly a cable spoil. I went onto a Bulgarian website that talk about extra long cables for recovery operations was stored on it. The only thing I'm not sure about if there is a wenching motor inside the hull or not.




Here you can see the longer cable




along with a series of snatch blocks.

Chris,

Once again thanks for that just another bit of info I will store away for when the time comes to try & make one of these

Mike

Your welcome, also more files for my collection. I was planning to build one myself when ever I get the time. Too many project on the table for me and I keep changing my mind about what I want to build.

I'm hoping you can get the civil war campaign up and going, I have plenty of pictures I wouldn't mind trying to build. December is far away enough for not not some builds out of the way first.

Chris

Hi Chris,

Thanks very much for that & would love to have you on board for the civil war Campaign, I think it is just something a little different.

Cheers Mike

Mike, is the base of the turret an IT1 missile tank turret?
I can't find confirmation that the Bulgarians used these, but they did get surplus T62s from the USSR after Afghanistan.
Just a thought.
Best Wishes
Tim

Tim the turret is a cut down T-55, Bulguria made these in house to meat their own needs. Their T-55/62 fleat are now longer in service so large portion was converted to the TV-62 ARV. As far as I know the soviet union was the only country that used IT-1 and in a very limited number.

Chris

Chris,

You are a font on information sir, I will be off to my LHS in the next couple of weeks to see if I can find that new Trumpy T62 that you have told me about. So to make this I will also need to ad T72 tracks??

Cheers Mike

Mike if you buy the model 72 or the bdd kit, they both come with th t-72 style tracks. Russian armor is my passion, and the t-62 is by far my favorite and I tend to collect as much info on it as I can.

Cheers chris

Chris,

Cool I will get the BBD kit for sure, I have always done WW2 stuff but am now looking at the true soviet cold war warriors in a whole new light & interest.

Thanks for all your help & info so far!!

Cheers Mike