Hello everyone
Well this is my entry in the Big and Beefy campaign.. Trumpeters Russian KV2 "Big Turret" tank. I picked this big boy up last weekend at the Guelph model show. Spent far to much money again.. Oh well.. I came home and set to work on this kit. I went together in a heartbeat. Within a few hours, I was ready for paint.
The only thing I had left to do is build the link and lenght tracks, but I'm leaving that untill the very last. A bit of a different set up on the rear sprocket helped me with that decision. A few pictures here, Figured I would wait until some colour was laid down.

Tamyia acrylics for paint. Mixed flat green and white for the base, preshaded with olive green right out of the bottle. Final coats will be the base coat with some of the olive green added to darken it. For some reason, I cnat seem to get any Russian green here.. Go figure... Here we are. A few minor hiccups with the paint..





Comments welcomed

Dave

Dave

Coming along nicely --- first one of this particular Big Turret that I've seen model pics of -- so thanks for posting.

Only thing I'd note for your condsideration is to shoot some paint down the gun tube as the grey plastic still shows a bit -- (certainly no biggie -- but this is Rivet Review

Looks really good --- please keep us posted as you move through this build.

Steve

I am in no way a Russian meister, but the color seems "light/pale?" Something tells me that your highlights are really going to look nice!!! That "big turret" is an awsome tank!

I noted that you have a hard time getting Russian Green there. Perhaps I can help? Model Master Acryl, "Russian Green," #4807 is very easy to get here in Colorado. I have 3 bottles for my T-35 and T-28.......I can easily get more.......PM if you need assistance with paint for this or your future Russian projects!

Mike (++) (++)

Someone correct me if I'm wrong but I memory serves me right, Russian tank colors were a really a bit pale during the early years of the war. They only became darker as the war draws to an end... . I guess, Mojo's choice of color is still OK for me...

CHeers

As far as I've been able to discover, you are absolutely correct.

However, and determined to lay this to rest as much as possible, Russian Green varied fom Olive to a Very Dark green, with every possible variation in between.

Unlike the Germans, with a far more 'standardized' system of paint designation, the Russian Green would vary from batch to batch and from factory to factory.

Personally, I think it's a little on the light side, although this is at 'base-coat' stage...

Three things about this, and just suggestions. I would have replaced the rungs on the turret with fine wire, used a metal barrle and (inevitably) replaced the engine grilles with PE ones.

I like the build a lot, with a beast like this, a darker color sometimes makes it look too 'solid'. Nice work...Jim

Thanks for the input guys.. I have since painted the inside of the gun tube... DOH... :-) This beastie is a bit darker to the eye, the halogen lights in the room and the flash washed out the shots...
Thanks for the offer of the paint Mike.. I may take you up on that if I cant find any here. There is a shop about a half hour up the highway from where I work that sells MM acryrls...
I thought about using wire for the rungs, but the more I looked at this turret, the more I liked the thickness of the kit parts.. I feel ithey lo well together.. Perhaps the weather will cooperate and I can get some shots outside in naturel light..


Dave

Here are a few more photos... Bascially finished with construction and paint. Gloss coat and decals next, some weathering and this one will be finished.. I took these outside to get a better idea of the colour... I still may do a dark or black filter to tone the paint down a bit..





Dave

Hi Mojo,

Is this a new trumpter release of KV-2. I did not know they released an earlier KV-2 version -- based on the turret design.
Cheers

Outdoor lighting is best.I used model master Russian Armor green with a hint of dark green in it to show th evariations in paint at soviet tank factories.

Looks super Dave, but where is the snow in the pictures?

Trumpeter did two versions of the KV2. One is actually sold as a KV2, the other is sold as KV Big Turret

Arvin, what Shermie said.. :-) This is boxed KV Big Turret.. But everything Ive found on the net says this is a KV2.. I could be wrong.. Wouldnt be the first time.

Carl, do you think I could find russian green.. Not a chance.. So I took a guess and this is what Icame up with..

John, We go next to nothing here now.. Had a warm rainy weekend 2 weekends ago and it knocked the snow back considerably..

Currently, Im making, made a mess of the decals.. They were extremely fragile when wet, so I tried to take them off, and it snowballed..

Dave

Mojo your KV looks awesome. Is that the same color outside and inside? The color difference is huge based on the lighting

Alan, the colour in the first shots was just a base of flat green with a bit of white added..it was washed out with the halogen lights in my hobby room and the camera flash.. I added a half dozen drops of olive green to the base, thinned it about 70% and misted it over the preshaded base coat.. Then decided to take a few shots outside.... The colour differnce isnt that great to the eye.. Just different lighting..

Dave