is the BTR 70 by Zvezda the same kit as the one re-leased by Dragon? if not anyone ever built it? and what was the fit ect like

Yes, Zvezda began reissuing former DML kits. Here is a review: Zvezda BTR-70.

cheers Rob,
looks like I'l be odering it tomorrow

This is a similar vehicle to the BTR 70, the BTR 80 seen in Estonia in 1997 during Operation Baltic Challenge, which I took part in while in the Marines.

BTR 80 was an upgraded version of the BTR 70. Dragon used to have both in 1/35th.



Cheers !

Alpen

Zvezda reboxes the DML BTR-80 as well: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=2588&item=5909273069&rd=1.

I got that same kit for sometime now but I still haven't touched it.

Actually alpenflage, your picture is of a BTR-80UNsh, probably the -12 series. It is also called the "fat-body" BTR-80.

DML's kit is actually a regular series production as seen here:



Personally, I like the "fat-body" style more myself, but they are specalist vehicles, not infantry carriers, kinda like M577's.

I built the DML BTR-70 when they first released the kit. It is a very good kit. I scratch built interior by using reference photos and it came out pretty good . Alot of friends of mine didn't like the DML Warsaw pact kits but I always liked them

It's an 'old' DML kit. Equiivalent to the 70's era Tamiya technology Panther A and orig. M113 kits.
And as such and unless Zvezda changed much is pretty lacking in detail. It's no modern Tamiya, shake and bake kit. There are lots of details to add , few references, and not a lot of aftermarket parts out there for it.

The suspension/drivertrain is slightly better than the old Verlinden BTR60, in that it HAS suspension parts, but they are not very well detailed.
The hatch hinges are toylike and 'workable'.
The old DML production rubber tires split/melted over time.

But I too like the old DML Soviet block kits BMP's, BTR's and BRDM's. I've built one and have a couple of SP designs sets for it or the -80



Robert, where did you find interior pics to base your efforts on? I've looked and looked, but come up empty handed.

I've built the Zvezda BTR-80 very similar to the -70. The construction was straight forward. The suspension(although very oversimplified) fit like a dream and the parts fit was ok. Some bad points: the tires wobble a lot if you don't glue them down and the rim/tire combination over all is very wrong you'll see in the kit that the itre is too "square",the rim is too wide and it makes the tire look like it is on of those low profile sports car tires. It's interesting that already 2 AM companies made these wheels in resin with the same mistakes.

Hi Alpen,

If you have more photos of this version, I'd love to see them.

Cheers,

Olaf

This is the BTR-70

The BTR-80

The main differences of the BTR-80 was that it had one engine instead of two, a slightly bigger hull and angled gun ports.

Hello Olaf. I think I have a few other shots of the Estonian BTR 80's, but they are odd shots with myself and other Marines standing next to them. Not really much in the detail shots. The best pic is the one on this post.

I will see if a friend of mine can scan them for me, and I can then post them here, or send them to you.

Thanks for your interest.

Cheers !

Alpen

Hey Paul,

I think the main reason the Aftermarket guys have made resin copies of the wheels is the aformentioned problem with the rubber tires. And it is more than just 2 companies that have done the direct copy method...every set of BTR-70 or 80 wheels is just a copy...not one is new sculpting.

I have looked into making a set of proper BTR-70/80 wheels, especially in the lower-pressure modes where they look real fat, and have found it to be...challenging. I will have to improve my sculpting skills far more before I can properly tackle it.

Afaik, Panzershop sells sets of tires for BTR70/80 series which should be correct. Have a look at its website.

The Estonian BTR is also available with SP Designs if I'm right. It's a conversion set on the DML kit as a base.
Many others variants are available through this really dynamic brand.

And it is because of the deteriorating tires on my BTR-80, that I won't build the 3 Dragon BRDMs I have.

Until I can get some resin copies made up....I have an Arsenal(Eastern Express) BRDM-1 that has awesome wheels and tires, they are a little narrower than what is on the Dragon kits....but they are alot more detailed...so as soon as I figure out how to do a 2 part mold....I am going to get some resing and make copies of the Arsenal wheels to replace the ones in the Dragon kits.

I may......and thats a big MAYBE, if I can get somewhat proficient with a 2 part mold(its probably alot easier than I am making it out to be), I may try to add some details to the wheels and make them my own and possibly market them. There has to be a bunch of people out there with some of the Dragon BRDM kits that would like a decent set of resin replacements!!!!

As far as the Estonian BTR-80UNsh being available from SP Designs...yes and no. I am not sure which version the Estonian vehicle is, but you PROBABLY could build one by putting the original BTR-80 turret onthe top of the hull once you have added the additional parts. But I cannot really say this is correct right now...

As for the BRDM wheels, Viper29_ca, the BRDM-1 wheels are a different style than on the BRDM-2 and are not interchangeable...believe me, I had your idea too.

ANd panzershops BTR-70/80 wheels are copies of Dragons wheels...there is no width change.

Oh and on the BTR-80 they changed the style of the side egress door to be more soldier-friendly...

I think they may have changed the design of the wheel and tire after they had the BRDM 2 in service, as I have seen pictures of BRDM 2s with the same set of wheels and tires as the BRDM1, so I believe early on in the BRDM2 production, they used the same set of wheels and tires. Not sure about the BRDM3....probably not as I believe the wheels were changed part way through the BRDM2 production run. However the wheels themselves are very similar and the only real difference in the tires were the width and the tread pattern....either way....a resin copy would be better than the crappy Dragon tires.

Hello guys, does anyone of you have or know where i can find btr 80 interior's pics????
I want to scrachbuildt the interior of a btr -80, and i need some help in this matter.
Thanks guys
Jose.

Welcome aboard Jose. Just stay put & somebody here will be able to answer your request.

Well, while I remain skeptical of the BRDM-2 using BRDM-1 wheels, I am waiting on a answer from a guy in belgium who is a arms control observer.

However, my friend in the Ukraine has repeatedly told me that the -1 wheels are not correct for a -2...as far as the Ukrainian army is concerned anyhow.

Maybe the pics you have are mockups of the -2 on a -1 chassis...?

OK...well here you go....these are a few pics I found on various websites, one of them being the http://www.fas.org site....the black and white ones of the BRDM 1 are hard to tell, but these are the 2 best.

The wheels and tires on here would be like the ones in the Arsenal/Easter Express Kits:





Here are BRDM 2s with the same wheels and tire pattern:





And most likely a later model BRDM2, Iraqi one I am assuming, with the Dragon kit's style tread pattern on the tires, but the wheels are the same pattern:



To me anyway...the wheels look the same, and with the Arsenal wheels having alot better detail, I can use them with either the Dragon pattern tires or the Arsenal pattern tires, the Dragon tires are a little wider, but the inside diameter where the wheel goes is the same....I may decide to make a couple of sets, with the Arsenal wheel with both the Arsenal tire and Dragon Tire, early model and late model wheels and tires.

Well Viper, I can't see much from the photos, the only way to solve this would be to take a picture of the Arsenal wheels...




Jose, I myself was trying to find some pics without any success. But if you are interested, there are some great pics of the BTR-70 interior over at The Tankmaster. Hope this helps

Thanks Kапитан, i nice pics they will go direct to my hard drive jejej. I have just finished my shilka's interior. Now its the turn of the BTR-80, with btr-70 interior... i think there will be not much differences among those two models of btrs. (btr70 and btr 80).
Jose.

Ask and ye shall receive....actually I took these awhile back when I first thought about it. I have a friend that also has 2 or 3 of the Dragon BRDMs, so we were confering on which to use to copy.

Arsenal wheel and tire:



Dragon wheel and tire:



Arsenal on the left, Dragon on the right, Fronts:



Again Arsenal on the left, and Dragon on the right, Tread Pattern:



The Arsenal is obvioulsy the better detailed of the 2, although the wheels and tires are a little narrower, but this could be fixed in the mold, and I could mate the Arsenal wheel with the Dragon tire if I wanted that pattern as well....haven't really decided.