I have this coming soon - wanted to build it as a what if and scratch building exercise. using references from other Hungarian/Axis tanks of the era but if anyone has any other references (kit review post mentions missing exhaust for example... any images?). additions i am thinking

1) schuerzen (Hungarian tanks used it as did German so why not) - may be full height (Pz IV-esque or just the half height like the Panther)
2) armour over rather weak rear deck - have seen some PE for the panther with a similar idea (may be even on the turret roof as well
3) rear mounted boxes (Panther)
4) potentially spare fuel tanks (Russian) but think that is a tad dangerous having them so exposed....
5) rear turret bussle (Kit has tools their so easy to relocate)

in terms of colour... green - olive? russian?

was toying with "what if the Hungarian Uprising of 1956 user them" but think that would be 10+ years after they were designed so a bit far fetched..... so "1946 WWII continues with Russia vs Hungary" type scenario

anyone done something similar? any other thoughts?

Do it like the Bulgarian Panthers as the beginnings of a post war Hungarian army or as the Hungarian co-belligerent forces fighting Wehrmacht 1946. Green with a huge honking red star or the Hungarian tricolor.

Unlike the T-34, the TAS 44M was petrol powered. Probably not a good idea...




Maybe a two-tone green/green or green/brown camo? All-green also sounds good...

Good idea, I like it!

thanks both... just googled the bulgarian panther... very red star.... maybe green with the white cross marking.

and good call on the petrol tank - thats a no-no (there wasnt really a clean space to put one anyway).

any other thoughts of how the 44M may have developed in to a 1946 Hungarian army?

If we're talking about a pro-Soviet Hungarian army then:

- swapping out the original engines for a V2-34 unit used in T-34s (and adding external fuel tanks...?)
- adding turret-rails for riders
- adding commander-operated DshK MG

turret rails I have done elsewhere so that is fine...

the m/g - would that be:

https://www.shapeways.com/product/WTVXCYBWS/soviet-dshk-machine-gun-1-35-scale?optionId=63751740

and as for swapping the engine - I guess that may also alter the engine deck.... maybe an interesting idea (rather than just covering the engine louvres with raised plate armour)

If 1956 "What if" then the hungarian rebels had some really nice and colourfull looking markings:
http://www.star-decals.net/35-942.html

oohhhh yes... very nice.... i had the white (they say yellow or white) stripe as being part of it so these decals look useable