Here's my latest and -- surprise! -- it's not a Sherman or even American.

It's a KV-85. I modified a lower hull from an Eastern Express KV-8S, used an old resin MB turret, a Jordi Rubio barrel, Fruil tracks and drive prockets, and lots of little scratch-built bits, including replacing the rear deck screens. Painted with Model Masters Dark Green and weathered with pastels and acrylic washes.

The photos have already shown me a few things I need to fix .. whadda you guys think?

Bob

Nice KV. The cast texturing on the turret sides is particularly well done as it gives the impression of true weight to the model. Weld beads are pretty cool also. I might add a touch of mud/dust/rust to the rear end's tow hooks, and (and I'm just asking), but in real life, were the tow cables on the nose so heavy duty that they flared like that, rather than lay on the hull surface? Just curious.

This model is well done. Congrats.

Steve

Thanks, Steve.

The welds and cast texture of the turret are thanks to the outstanding casting from MB -- too bad this conversion kit is long out of production. I just tried to enhance the effect with washes and a bit of graphite.

About the tow cables -- in pics of real KVs and JSs these cables look really thick and stiff. They certainly don't lay down like rope. Take a look at the Russian Battlefield site and you'll see what I mean. http://www.battlefield.ru/kv85.html

You are absolutely right about theweathering on the rear end. Somehow it managed to escape all but the most mild weathering. I'll have to go back and touch that up.

Steve, looks like a nice clean build. MIght want to add a few chips here and there and maybe some slight fading to help break up the monochromatic scheme. And as already stated some dust, rust and maybe some fuel stains off of the fuel drums. Thanks for sharing. "Q"

Great work on your KV-85 ! I really like the finish you got on it. I agree on the turret texture, well done.

Thanks for posting that link to Russian Battlefield, it was a good idea to include it to clarify on the tow cables. Great site for WWII Russian armor, and I have it on my favorites

Cheers !!

Alpen

Bob
That KV-85 looks great I love the title :-) I did notice that the inside of the barrel at the front has no paint Are you gonna darken it up some?

Uh ... the crew is meticulous about keeping the bore clean??

dang, I knew I forgot something else!

Hi, You've really done a fantastic job on this vehicle, esp. the close up photo showing those weld lines. Excellent. Where did you get the red star on your base at? This really sets thie whole model off.

Take care, Sgirty

Thanks! I purchased the red star at a militaria show last weekend. There were lots of Soviet medals and cap badges for sale ... I think this was a cap badge. I wish now I would have picked up a few more of them. I understand the flea markets in some parts of Europe have tons of these for sale.

Comrade, those are proper heavy duty soviet cable, not whimpy capitalist cable. I've seen pics where the cable must have been pretty stiff because they bow way out.

Excellent work Bob. I agree with Steve, the cast texture is wonderful, the tank over all looks nice and "heavy", like any good soviet armor should, as do the tracks, lots of weight.

I like it verie muche

It may be just me, but the tracks in the first pic look a little glossy, might just be the pic.

As Steve said some mud on the rear would also be nice.

Comrade Selrach -- this tank not only looks heavy, it is heavy.

That resin turret is solid and must weigh at least a pound, and those Fruil tracks are a hefty chunk as well. I had to use the Fruil tracks on this one to get that wonderful track sag. The light exagerrated a couple chipped bits on the tracks -- in real-life it is not so bright.

As it went, those tracks were really the only expense on this model. I bought the turret and barrel for about $5 from a vendor at a contest. I won the Eastern Express kit that donated the hull in a raffle at another contest 10 years later. All the bits and bobs were scratched from bits of plastic and wire in the scrap bin -- the headlight lens began as a "wiggle eye" for a stuffed animal (you can buy these by the bag at craft stores). Even the base was a plaque from an old award I fished out of the trash at work (got a few others, too).

This was really a simple build once I found enough photo reference. Wonderful information is coming out of Russia and eastern Europe now that the Iron Curtain has fallen.

P.S. I've taken care of the rear end and the gun muzzle. Anything else? I plan to enter this in the IPMS Great Plains contest in Kansas City next month.