Hi, I've had some time this week, on and off, to do some work on Trumpeter's T-34, and the more I work on it the more amazed I've become.

Have built the motor, flywheel/fan, and gear box/brake units so far. Very nice. The gear box itself has the shift levers included as separate pieces, and I couldn't begin to count the number of rivets and bolts moulded
on the fan/flywheel unit. It's literally covered with them.

There are ever two little stands included that the brake units mount on to the floor beside the gearbox with as well.

The only thing I can fault so far is that the two pieces of plastic that represent the brake linings should have been out of PE, as once you wrap them around the 'wheels' they mount on two or three times to figure out how exactly things are to go, they begin to develop weak spots and eventurally start cracking quite quickly. Plastic here wasn't really the way to go here, at least to me.

Even the starter gears mesh up with the gears on the flywheel.

One thing I've noticed about this kit is that every piece I've done so far has little little notches or cut outs that show you exactly how it is supposed to fit up against another piece, so even if the instructions are a tad bit vague, there is only one way the parts fit together in order to line up these notches. A very nice addition that all the kit makers could follow.

I can't see anybody, except the proverbial 'rivet contrers' being displeased with this kit. I know it's not cheap, but I think it's well worth the money spent for it, as it provides countless hours of modeling fun. It's really quite amazing!

Take care, Sgirty

thanks for the info,

im looking forward to getting my T34, just as soon as the LHS gets them in!

cheers

joe

I picked mine up today. I had my LHS order it to be picked up at the end of the month, but I just couldn't wait. I'm glad sgirty is posting his comments, it will help the rest of us to avoid the pitfals (if there are any).

sgirty : I got the model 1943. Which one are you building?

Everything else is off the workbench till this is finished.

Chuck

Hi, cfbush2000, mine is the 1943 hard-edged turret model as well. I think this is the only one that is out at the present time. I painted the lining pieces -c33- on top, a copper color. Don't think this is accurate, but it will give this area a splash of color in that, and I think the dullcote and weathering will tone it down acceptably. Weathering not only on the outside, but the inside as well, is going to be a modeling project just in itself, due to the scale effect of thie size of this thing I'd think!

Sounds like you got a case of T-34 fever, much like me, or anybody else who gets this kit. Good luck with it. Think you are really going to enjoy it. I have so far. A real treat. I just hope I can do some justice to it is all.

Kind of big isn't it?!!!!!!

Take care, Sgirty

You're right, sgirty, this is one big model. I have spent the last couple of hours going over the instructions planning my attack. I'll probably start it this evening.
Keep me posted on your build.
Chuck

Ok,ok,
I am convinced.Depending which version is still at my LHS I will get one tomorrow.

Hi, Welcome aboard TankCarl. Sounds like you've got a good case of the dreaded Russian 'fever' there. Another modeler who I do believe, once they buy and begin digging into this kit, is not going to be able to look at hobby of armor modeling in quite the same light again.

Take care, Sgirty

Howdy guys!! I, too, am in on one of these things, and I must agree with everything sgirty says about it. However, I am building the 1942 model (as far as I know right now just the 2 34/76 versions are available, with the 2 85's do out some time next month I believe.)

I just started the engine a couple of days ago (very busy this week, little time to model), and its SWEET!! My only complaint is no sparkplug wires, but I have a couple photo refs and am gonna do it myself (or try).

I will agree at $160 it is kinda expensive (I paid $110, gotta love connections) but given the level of detail and the sheer amount of parts (ie full interior, engine, tranny, turret interior the whole 9 yards) it is money well spent. Hopefully this will raise the bar as far as getting your money's worth. Now if only we could convince them to do a Sherman or two.

I recently picked this kit up also. So far, I am very impressed by it.

I had a question for you guys. I plan on not permanently attaching the upper and lower hull halves so I can remove the top to display the interior. Does anyone know what color the inside of parts D1, D2, D3 and D4 would be? I'm talking about the side that has the shock absorber channels and would not normally be visible from the interior of the tank. Also what color would the top and bottom of the shock be. I know the shaft should be silver.

Thanks!

Hi, seyahmit: Personally I would say they would be the flat white, or whatever color you paint the rest of the basic interior. I do notice in step 3 where it shows the mounting of these 4 parts to the hull, it says "white left side" and "white right side" on the forward two pieces. So I'm guessing the basic interior color is what they would be. But other than this, there is nothing saying one way or the other.

I don't know about those spring shaft tops or bottoms. I would figure maybe a flat black or the 'metal' black they talk about in other areas. Can't ever begin to guess here. This would at least give some color variation in these areas. Hopefully somebody else with give a better answer on this, as I'm curious as well, now that you mention it.

I think that weathering is going to be the big key to this model. And it's not going to be easy either, what with this scale and all. Instead of a small twig for a ditching log, it's going to requite a regular tree branch! Ha, ha!

Take care, Sgirty

I was toying with the same idea, but decided against it.
I started with the suspension and after I dry-fitted parts D1 - 4 and tried fitting the hull top, I think that it is beyond my skills/patience to get a good tight fit if I leave the top removable. But, man, that engine compartment is gonna be hard to see.
As far as the interior of those parts, do you think that they would be whatever color the Russians used as primer? Perhaps some type of gray?
Chuck

Check out these pics for engine detail:
http://www.thetankmaster.com/ENGLISH/AFV/V-2-34_01.asp

and engine compartment detail:
http://www.thetankmaster.com/english/afv/T34_EC.asp

I just found this this AM. Lots of good reference pics for the T-34 and other AFV's.

Chuck

HI, Curious here, are these lines, or 'spark plug wires' on the engine's top wire or are they fuel lines? I used some old wire that came from the Fruilmodel tracks and I think their a tad too small scale-wise if they are indeed fuel lines.

Take care,Sgirty

That's a good question. I had assumed spark plug wires, but I have no mechanical ability at all. I hope one of the guys can answer that here.

Chuck

Here are a few pics of the interior. Note the color of the floor in the driver's area, and the power take-off unit for the turrett (not in the kit). We need more info on that.

http://www.thetankmaster.com/english/afv/parola_4.asp

Chuck

I bought the T-34/76 mod 1942.
Wicked HUGE.
I am thinking the inside of the spring towers may only be primer color,or exterior color.anything facing and visible inside the hull might be white.
What are the 2 airtank type things in the driver's compartment,laying crosswise? Air tanks for an air shifted tranny? Or are they CO2 tanks for fire supression?

The tanks are for the tranny. There was apump used to fill the tanks mounted between them. I got that info at AFV Interiors (IIRC).
Chuck

As for the wires sgirty, the top set appear to be spark plug wires (the set going from the top of the "pump" to the valve covers). The second set presumable are fuel lines (going from the front of the "pump" to the intake manifold), as the fitting on the intake side resembles a fuel line fitting or even brake lines (the rounded end-peice has a little hole in it to let the fluid in but won't leak). Now I gotta figure out how to replicate that in plastic (the round peice, not the hole)

My rambling aside, I hope I answered your question!

Hi Guys,
Here are a couple more links. The first is to a review of the model 1943 kit by Terry Ashley:
http://pmms.webace.com.au/reviews/vehicles/trumpeter/tr00903.htm

It was from this review that I got the idea that the Ammo Storage boxes in the fighting compartment were batteries. The next link is to the AFV Interiors article where all that is cleared up:

http://afvinteriors.hobbyvista.com/t34/t34a.html

In the sideview diagram on this site you can see the power takeoff running from the hull floor to the turret.
What I haven't figured out is how and where it attaches to the turret ring.

Chuck

Here's a link to more in-progress pics:

http://www.seyahmit.com/pn/html/index.php?module=photoshare&func=showimages&fid=17

Not my build, just noticed it from another site.

Stuke

thanks Sowie. Guys I'll try and get some pics InProg of my T34 this week...working on fuel lines and spark plug wires now!! Wish me luck!

Hi guys, thanks for all the info.

Unless I am totally overlooking it, but does anyone know how long the antenna wire is supposed to be?

Also, I am posting in progress pictures to my website if anyone would like to see them. Maybe they will help Trumpeter sell a few more of these kits.! :-)

Click Me!!!

Tim

Ha, that's funny. I was typing the link when you posted it.

Tim,
According to AFVInteriors http://afvinteriors.hobbyvista.com/t34/t34a.html the antenna is a 13 ft whip antenna.

Chuck

Thank you very much!