Hi guys. Since I'm like a little kid jacked up on Mountain Dew and Coco Puffs, I thought I'd post my latest 1/16 efforts...



This is Trumpeter's 1/16 T-34/85 and Tamiya's King Tiger. T-34 will be on the cover of the January '06 FineScale Modeler, along with a story about how I did the build, weathering, etc.



The King Tiger is a 2nd Kompanie, sPzAbt. 503 Kitty, as it appeared on October 14th, 1944, in Budapest. This is my justification for the lack of damage and heavy weathering, although I intend to make some changes to the model this coming weekend...more dusting, fixing the spare track links, etc.



This model will be in the March '06 FSM, same type of story as the T-34.

My next project is either a 1/16 Su-100, or a tricked-out Tiger I late with scratchbuilt interior...

Jeff

Very nice Jeff, I like that King Tiger. Are those markings handpainted? And how did you do the Zimmerit? I know, I should buy the magazine, but in my area it's rather hit and miss for modeling magazines.

Looking forward to that tricked out Tiger I.

Cheers
Henk

Very nice Jeff! You going to enter these in the MoM contest?

Vinnie

MoM? My mum doesn't know I build large scale armor, she's always been partial to 1/72 scale... Just kidding...lol...

I don't know, I hadn't given it any thought really.

Jeff

The Dew and cocoa puffs?Wow! Put Hawaiian Punch on Cheerios once to get Fruit Loops-didn't work :-)
Seriously,awesome nice work Jeff!Is the T-34 stock?
I'm guessing the Thoma shields are scratch but are the smoke generators kit items?
Go Man Go!

Hi Rick,

Thoma shields? Is that the official name of the bedspring armor? Hrmph...ya learn something new every day!!

They were scratch, window screen and plastic stock. The smoke canisters come with the kit...I tell ya' the Trumpeter T-34s are great models...I hope they continue with other large-scale releases...

Jeff

Jeff,
Was that the static Trumpeter kit or the RC version? I know a bunch of the RC guys here in the No. VA area are building the RC ones and modifying them with Tamiya or custom electronic parts. Nice kit and looking forward to the FSM article.

Tanks
Andy

Hi Andy, yea, that's the static one...

Not quite ready to get into the R/C side of it yet...although I am having thoughts about a 1/6 scale Hetzer real soon....lol.

Jeff

Isn't that the 'early' T34/85 with the split commander's hatch? The R/C version has the one piece hatch, which isn't operationable. As a matter of fact, the only hatch that opens is the drivers door. I'm thinking about springing for the static version for the SU-85, then use the upper hull for all the details.

How are the two hull pieces secured together?


Jeff

Jeff,

The upper and lower hulls are split at the front, there's a U-channel part that covers the seam quite nicely. The inside of the lowe hull sponson is closed, and there's a lip on each side that runs right up to the fender.

On the static kit, there's 6 pressure pins that allow the hull to be pressed into place so you can open it, but I found that these didn't work, so I fused the hull shut.

Trumpeter does two versions of the /85, and I think (I'm not certain) that the other version has the later cupola and hatches. Both kits appear to come with boat styles of fenders, the curved (which I used) and the straight-angled. To the best of my knowledge, everything else is the same.

I've got another kit I was planning to do an SU-100 from, but I've only been able to find one example (and that's post-war) of an SU-85 or SU-100 with full spider wheels on the vehicle. Basically it means I'd have to use parts from both a /76 Mod 43 and an /85.

What's your process on the 85??

Jeff

What's my process? Well, the wheel deal I haven't quite decided what to do yet. Either fill in the wheels, or cut a disc to cover the original wheel. Either way will be a big undertaking.

The expense is always the biggest obstacle. I cheated and purchased an SU/85 kit from Germany which is far more detailed with zinc hatches and ease of assembly than I could have pulled off. I just wanted something unique and easy to do without making it a 3 month project.

A tank without a turret isn't the best situation to battle with so just going static is tempting, but I have way too many 1/35th and 1/25th sitting around now! LOL


Jeff

There's an SU-85 kit from Germany? Do tell...

I might just build this /85 as is and use a Mod 43 for the SU...I can always dupe the parts from the 85 kit, vent domes, etc...

Jeff

http://www.imperial-modellbau.de/

Click on the UNSER SHOP link on the upper left hand corner, then on the 1/16th tank links.

The parts are a flexible type of resin, almost plastic in appearance. I'm still working on the edges to glue the pieces together, and using the drivers hatch and gun to complete the conversion.


Jeff

Sounds like a college breakfast!! Actually that would be a Bud, a Marlboro and some Captain Crunch.
Oh, I love the tanks BTW.

Jeff
Great looking tanks I take it you ate CocaPuffs and drank Mountain Dew during the builds? :-) Sounds like a truck driver's diet

The T-34/85 was definitely a Coco Puffs and Mountain Dew build...it's a great model, one of those that you just can't put down. I started it awhile ago while my family was still in New Jersey (they've since moved out here). So while I was a "bachelor" for those 4 months, I'd come home from work at 5 and build until midnight or 1am every night. Since I didn't know anyone when I moved, I spent the weekends locked in the workshop, sometimes working 18 hours straight...eating pizza, drinking cases of Mt. Dew (seriously), and watching Band of Brothers on DVD...

Ahhh...the modeler's life!!

The King Tiger was a long, drawn out affair. I started on that right after the T-34 was done, and managed to get the lower hull and suspension together before the family moved out. Then, with all the unpacking, then moving from the apartment to the new house, and all the FSM projects I had going, it sat for quite some time. I finally started on it again after talking to John Delamater (Backyard Armor). I decided my next big project would be a late Tiger I with a scratchbuilt interior...so...that's next...I'm probably a couple of weeks away from starting that one...hopefully that'll take me through this upcoming Wisconsin winter!!

Jeff

Very nice armors indeed. Very nice subtle weathering done on it.

Band of Brothers ... that's a good one to have on while building. I usually pop in Patton or Battle of the Bulge.

BTW Jeff, what color are russian tank interiors?


Jeff

Heres some earlier treads about the T34s

The first one - got closed down due to the massive use of serverpowaaah :-)
https://armorama.kitmaker.net/forums/31779&page=1

So we continued it here:

https://armorama.kitmaker.net/forums/38371&page=1

Theres loads of info and pics.

I´ve made 2 T34 myself, and is right now converting my T34/76 to a SU85M - pure scratchbuild - the german conversion didn´t exist when I started.

And, nice builds - like your builds - and the bedspringarmor looks great - my 2 T´s are in my gallery.

Very nice T-34s Mr. Mox. I like the weathering on both.

I'm toying with the idea of actually "blowing up" this T-34/76, making it parts of a roadside diorama with an SU-85 or SU-100...The idea is still a work in progress.

Jeff...as for tank interiors...no one will ever ding you for using flat white, off-white, or a very light gray. So far, I've seen a beige color, a very light duck-egg blue, and varying shades of light gray to white.

The beige is on the Littlefield T-34/85, so unless it's a post-war application, I'm not holding much creedance in that particular color.

The light blue and varying shades of white and grays I've seen on unrestored vehicles...again, they could have all been white for all I know...60+ years can do all sorts of things to paint.

Jeff

Great job on the models, now for my question. Who makes an Su85 and is it s satitc model or is it RC? I am very interted in this and is the scale also 1/16th? Thanks Kevin

I asked the same question earlier, and Jeff (PantherF) answered with the following:

http://www.imperial-modellbau.de/

Click on the UNSER SHOP link on the upper left hand corner, then on the 1/16th tank links.

The parts are a flexible type of resin, almost plastic in appearance. I'm still working on the edges to glue the pieces together, and using the drivers hatch and gun to complete the conversion.

In looking at the images online, it appears they provide with the conversion parts for the casemate but no gun barrel. The Trumpeter T-34/85s come with the later ZiS-S-53 gun, and the SU-85 carried the D-5S.

Without getting into the books, I'm not sure if the barrel dimensions are the same or not. If they are, then you can use the kit barrel or one of the turned aluminum versions.

Jeff

YES!!! Finally!! People starting to think my way!

1/25 scale! I know it's been seen before but here it is again!

Hey cool! I do 1/25th too, just finishing up an SU-100.

I really like the dio ... is it scratch or from a kit?


Jeff

The dio is completly scratched. The wall is made from dry wall. If you go to my gallery you can see all the pics and the 1200 individualy cut cobblestones.