Are there Kits for these models and is theer am for them
T-70 Light Tank
T-34
Kv-1orII
Stalin III
All Help will be greatly apreciated
Thanks Brandenus

yeah ther is for most.
1 t-34 tamiya and DML have kits of both and eduard and aber makes set for the modelkasten has tracks as wel as fruilmodel
2. kv-1-2 are available from tamiya and a couple cottage companies from eastern europe photoetch is available fron eduard and aber as well, yet tracks will have to be searched for.
3. and finally the js3 is fron tamiya and is beautiful, etch parts from the same as before and tracks you'll have to seach the web.

sorry but i'm not sure where to find the other kits. good hunting stug

Tamiya and Trumpeter make IS3 Stalins - Tamiya's is the prototype style and Trumpeter's is the production model. I 'm nearly finished my trumpeter Stalin atm, and it's a good kit, very nicely detailed - very good value in $Oz as well, it's about half the price of the Tamiya kit.

Tamiya does an old kit of the KV1-b, builds easy, looks ok, but it has motor holes and very basic tracks. Eastern Express KV's are worth checking out - I haven't built one, but I have seen finished models that look the goods.

Tamiya do a T34, Italeri/Zvesda as well.

T-70 = Techmod (reboxed by Mirage) makes 2 kits of this vehicle. Good kits and can be made great with Eduard PE, Friulmodel tracks, and a replacement barrel.

T-34 = Tamiya and Zvezda make the 76mm version and Tamiya, Zvezda, RPM, Maquette and DML all make the 85mm version. In regards to the 76 version Tamiya's kits go together a bit easier and have slightly better detail, but the Zvezda kits are more accurate. For the 85mm version, DML's kit is BY FAR the best one, but all of the others are good as well. As far as AM stuff all of the PE manufacturers make sets, Friulmodel and Modelkasten make tracks, everyone makes barrels, and tons of resin manufacturers have stuff out to update, convert, etc.

KV-1 & 2 = Tamiya and Easten Express do these and Trumpeter has announced that they have a KV-2 in the works. The Tamiya kits fit better, but the Eastern Express kits cover more varients and are very nice as well (especially their SU-152 kit). Eduard makes PE, Friulmodel and Modelkasten make tracks, all the barrel guys do barrels, and their are a number of resin conversions and updates out there (might I suggest the Commander Series Models [www.commanderseries.com] KV-2 1939 backdate turret).

JS-III - Tamiya and Trumpeter make this. The Tamiya kit is nice (older one with motorization holes), but the Trumpeter kit is very nice and costs quite a bit less. As with the T-34 and KV there are plenty of AM items available.

HTH

I've got the Techmod T-50 and T-70. Both are nice kits.

My Tamiya JS3 Stalin (#35211) is a new kit and not an old motorized one. There is no evidence of ever being a motorized kit and is dated 1996. Very nicely done, and I heard that the Trumpeter one "borrowed" some elements but just added improvements to make the kit a JS3M.

PMMS has a comparison between the trumpeter and tamiya kits, check it out. but after my 2 bad experiences with trumpeter, noway will buy anither of their kits stug

Thanks alot guys I plan on doing a whole russian main battle tank collection
Brandenus

you're welcome and good hunting stug

The Tamiya JS3 was the first of the post-motorization Tamiya tank kits that I owned. Prior to that, just about every Tamiya tank had some type of fittings inside for motorization. This kit has no motorization fittings, hull holes, enlarged final drive openings, etc. I got it in a trade from someone (or was it a buy?) over the net. I have done some searching about the kit. I did read that even though it is a finely engineered kit that has a great fit and detail, the actual vehicle they patterned the kit from was actually pieced together from a couple of different tanks. I'm not a Russian armor expert and could not tell a JS3 from a JS3M, but I do know the Tamiya kit is a nice model.

As far as Trumpeter armor models, I got taken on their bad M60A3. I did take a chance on their Type 79 MBT and saw that it was a decent kit. Well worth the $16 I paid for it. I also bought their M1A2 out of curiousity and it looks like a decent kit, although it still closely resembles a mixture of the Tamiya and DML kits. I also have the BTU-55 dozer blade that I traded with someone. It looks nicely done and was worth the $9 aluminum barrel I traded for it.

You may have to experience Trumpeter for yourself if you want to expand your Russian armor collection. They have done a number of T-55 variants and plenty of Soviet copied PLA tanks. The one tank I do know that you are to avoid is the Trumpeter T-72M1 and T-72B w/ERA. Both of these are early Trumpeter kits that were very bad copies of the Tamiya kit.

Aber does a very nice PE set for the JS3 and is #35 035. Both CMK (Czech Master's Kits) and Jordi Rubio do aluminum barrels of the D-25T 122mm gun. The JR barrel is number TG-20 and includes a white metal muzzle brake. The CMK barrel is number HB025 and includes a resin muzzle brake and a resin mantlet. I've got all three of these AM items if you have any specific questions regarding them.

Quote Sabot: and I heard that the Trumpeter one "borrowed" some elements but just added improvements to make the kit a JS3M

Rob, I was able to examine both kits in the box before I brought the Trumpeter one, and can't think of anything that might have been borrowed - the hull and turret break down differently, roadwheels are different - the moulded detail isn't quite as crisp as Tamiyas tho.
It is a nice kit , and if you sit it beside their M1A1 you can see the newer kit is better detailed and molded.

Not trying to be picky, just don't want to see Branden ( or stug for that matter ) get put off buying a decent kit.

As long as they don't drop their standards Trumpeter's Challenger II and AS-90, due out shortly, should be worth waiting for.

Try www.Squadron.com, they have a pretty good search engine, just type in the scale and that you want armor models then the type and it will spit out the plastic or resin models you are looking for. Then do the same for armor accesories.

Sabot,

You are right about the JS-3. I was mistaking it for another model. I went and looked at my kit and it doesn't have motorization holes. You are alos right about it being based on a bizarre one-of-a-kind hybrid vehicle. As I remember the rear engine deck is that of a T-55 and not a JS-3. The vehicle is in a Russian museum and they rebuilt it with the T-55 engine deck because they couldn't find a real JS-3 engine deck.

In regards to Trumpeter, their early kits sucked, but their newer ones are pretty darn good. I would typically pcik a non-motorization hole Tamiya kit over any other of the same vehicle, but with the JS-3 I would pick the Trumpeter kit over Tamiya because it builds up just as nicely and it is more accurate.

In regards to search engines, besides Squadron, ,go to www.greatmodels.com. I wouldn't recommend buying from them unless you are tolerant of quirky service, but I have found that the search engine on their site is the nicest of any other vendor. Just go to their site, click the "Database" link and type in "T-70" or whatever and a whole list of stuff will come back including referencee material, models, and AM stuff.

Thanks for clearing that up for me. Since I already own a JS3, the Trumpeter JS3M is a kit I'd probably never buy to see for myself. Do they still include motorization options in their newer kits?

There's no sign of shortcuts for motorisation in the IS-3 at all, the lower hull and suspension are all nicely shaped and moulded with no switch or axle holes.

The Tamiya kit is suposedly based on an example in a Polish museum of an Egyptian tank captured by the Israelis, and turned into a dug-in, immobile gun. The engine deck and engine were removed to make more room for ammunition storage. When the museum recovered it they welded a T-62 engine deck in place to cover the hole.