I thought I 'd post a few images of drawings I'm working on of T-34-76 fighting compartments in order to help those building the Trump (et.al.) kits.
The drawings are based on measurements and photographs I've taken from examples a Aberdeen Proving Grounds and in the Jacques Littlefield collection as well as contemporary field manuals and photos of museum vehicles in Eastern Europe.
It's important to note that these drawings are still "provisional" in that there are still dimensions and details that I have not yet been able to measure and so certain angles and proportions may be off, in some cases by several degrees or a few inches.
Overall, however, these drawings are accurate in both dimension and proportion based on the data collected.


This first image shows the Model 1942 firewall based on the Factory 183 produced tank in the APG collection.
Items to note are the absence of the levers for the radiator louvers on either side of the large upper removeable panel and the location of the fume exhaust fan.
Note that each of the removeable engine access panles are flush with the rest of the firewall and not "proud" of it.


This second drawing shows the firewall as it would appear on a "Model 1943". The exhaust fan has now been moved to the turret and the louver levers ( :-) I like the sound of that for some reason) are once again installed.


This drawing shows the Commander's side of the fighting compartment. Of note here are the differences in the angles of the suspension towers and the control lever for the engine fan louvers.
In regards to the suspension towers it is important to note that these angles were the same in all of the tanks I've so far inspected so it isn't just an idiosyncrasy of a single production facility and date.



Your humble researcher in the belly of the beast.
I've inluded this photo because I think it shows the suspension towers well enough to illustrate not only the angle differences but also to show how the forward tower (station two wheel) is actually welded into the glacis and not just the turret ring plate.

Please let me know what you think. Suggestions, critiques, and request for further information welcome.


Mark

Hi. Thanks for the drawings and info. Very informative. Glad to see posted the differences between the /42 and /43 firewalls there. It would be interesting to see a photo of this fume extractor unit.

Thanks and take care, Sgirty

Great pics, just wish I'd seen them earlier!!
Looks like now I'm going to have to have my 42 chassis as my 43 chassis instead, and redo the 43 chassis to 42 when I get it!!...um..if that made sense

I know the side interior hull pannels underneath the turret should be flat and not indented as the Trumpeter version, apparently this indent was only on the larger turreted 85, too late to change that now for me!

I have one question regarding the earlier circular air filter that was in the middle of the cylinder heads, I have seen pictures of t-34's with circular rear engine / starter motor access pannels with the circular filter fitted on the engine. When these were fitted, were the 2 air cleaners in the rear section of the Trumpeter version not there or were they still?
I'm thinking these were later addition cyclone filters and should be removed if modelling an earlier version single circle filter?

Carl

You need only ask:



Though not of the greatest quality this photo shows the fan pretty well.
(The Aberdeen storage building is fairly dark which makes focusing difficult and to make it even worse the whole of the interior of this T-34 is completely gloss white!)

One more drawing



This of the loader's side fighting compartment wall.
I believe the bracket on the left held the canteen/soup can (?) that is seen in a few interior photos of the 76mm gunned tanks. This would be the same can that Trumpeter has located on the oppisite side near the firewall.
The two plates that filled the space between the suspension towers were spaced away from the towers by about 3/4" (call it 19mm to 20mm). Behind them were two fuel tanks; one that filled the sponson area and another that filled the gap below that.
The upper feul tank and its filler cap can just be seen on the upper forward portion of the drawing.
It's interesting to note that the fuel tanks were "buffered" from the towers and plates with wooden planks which can be seen here in gap between the upper tank and forward suspension tower.

Mark

Hi Carl,
About the air filters, I'm no longer really sure
Unfortunately, I had only a very limited time to do research on the Aberdeen tank so, like an idiot, I never photographed the engine area! This is sad because at the time the whole thing was uncovered, everything visible!
I could have sworn that this T-34 had the oil bath filters located with the transmission etc. but now I really can't say for sure and I haven't found anything that gives the exact date for the switch over from the "pancake" filter on top of the engine.
I'm waiting for the translated version of Mythical Weapon to be published hoping it will have something definitive.

HI.. Thanks a great deal there MCR. The photo is plenty good enough. I assume that this unit just 'sucked' the air out of the fighting compartment and just blew it out into the engine area most likely.

majorproblem: I think that there is most probably going to be lots and lots of things that will be different from the kits to the real thing, esp. as it concerns the different models from the different factories. But like all models, the makers just use the real one they have to go by and that ends their research. That's not the best way in the world to do things as far as I'm concerned. But I guess that's the number 1 reason for the aftermarket crowd. God bless them! Unfortunately I can't leave these kits alone to wait on this aftermarket crowd. Ha, ha! But, also, as quite a number of these vehicles were rebuilt as time went on you most likely could find the newer items being added to older models and newer models having older stuff put in them as well. You know the Russians of that time period were kind of funny that way.

Like Mark says, I think that once this "T-34 Mythical Weapon" comes out, this should give more than enough references for most all of us. Just wish it didn't cost to damn much though. Oh well. In for a dime, in for a dollar I guess.

Thanks and take care, Sgirty