This Syrian T-34/85 is the latest model from Dragon for the 50th anniversary of the Six-Day War.

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Thanks!

wow! FINALLY!

may be a Panzer Mk.-4 with 12.7mm duskha HMG.

Excellent news! Richard Syrian PZ IVJ was announced, but I can't remember where I saw it.

And will this have the Czech exhaust covers and infantry phone call button or just a machine gun and mount taken from their Is-2 kit?

With Dragon these days I always expect the least.

If i recall correctly, the Syrian T-34/85s were Czech-made with the unique turret design, but it seems the kit is representing the typical ww2 style, merely reboxing the old kit.

I hope your fears are proven wrong Steven, (although I don't think they will.) Does anyone make that particular turret Cowboy?

Back in the day Chesapeake made a Czech T-34/85 conversion with turret, exhausts and infantry call button. I had one but sold it off.

The 'boxart' shows an odd mixture of mod.40 running gear and standard Dragon T-34/85 on top of it. Something not from this world...
Here is another option for your Czech conversion:
http://www.mrmodellbau.com/_shop/product_info.php?products_id=144

You can get the scalloped exhaust covers on Shapeways of in resin (TMD?) if you don't fancy making your own. I measured up the call button and housing last year but not built it yet. It's not a complex shape.

Nice to see that we've got options. Looking forward to seeing the Pz IV J as well!

CMK made a Syrian 1/35 turret at one time for the DML kit. Pretty nice looking if I recall.

Now that I have this kit in the stash...I can report that it DOES NOT have Czech scalloped exhaust covers, or, the infantry call button, but it does have the machine gun mount taken from the IS-2 of the period. Sadly, NO turned aluminum barrel either, but the kit provided barrel is a one piece slide mold. Tracks are Magic Tracks, but sink marks are present. Another big disappointment: the engine deck is molded with NO opening or brass screen substitute provided. Decals for a single Arab machine is anemic at best and hugely disappointing too...best put the money out there and get a Star/Bison Arab/Middle East set. The kit turret comes into question as well...and if the kit turret is that far off, as I believe it is, I would trust the aftermarket for a correct turret if one can't be 'robbed' from other kits that truly depicts a true Six Day War veteran. Backed up by photographic evidence would prove most useful to see if the kit provided depiction of a Syrian Six Day War turret could 'save' this kit. I thought this kit would be as good as the SU-100 kit of the Six Day War that Dragon released...which is a damn fine kit in comparison, however, this Six Day War T34/85 fails miserably IMHO...especially for the high price being charged. By today's standard of engineering/manufacturing, this kit should be oozing with goodies. Better have a bunch of aftermarket in the stash I'm afraid...and thank god I have most. I'm afraid you are going to need a combination of aftermarket parts to improve this kit such as: PE engine deck screen, resin scallop exhaust and turret, metal barrel, metal tracks, and other PE/resin support pieces to accurately model the Six Day War vehicle. Other possibilities for a more accurate/correct turret comes from Chesapeake Model Design's Middle East T-34 conversion (if it can be found), CMK's #3058 Czech/Egyptian conversion kit and/or MR Modellbau's #35071 conversion kit of the T-34/85 turret model 1956 Czech production...either should prove to be suitable subs and actually allow you to get as close as possible presenting a turret that is accurate for a Six Day War vehicle. As far as I'm concerned, Dragon's kit is cleverly disguised as a Six Day War vehicle with nothing more than a single Arab vehicle decal sheet and a post WW2 machine gun mount...and as far as I can tell, this comes out to a total of just 2 'new' parts (unless I'm mistaken). As you can tell, this kit is gonna need a lot of help, and I'm convinced this kit is nothing more than a re-box of the generically WW2 turreted T34/85's previously released.

That's too bad, another opportunity to get something right, (relatively easily), missed by Dragon. At least they seem to be consistent in something.

FC Model Trend has also a set of decals for Syrian vehicles including seven decorations for the T-34/85:



Available at http://www.fcmodeltrend.com/35205-syria-tanks-in-the-50s-60s-and-the-6-days-war-decals-p-1-51-186/