hey all... i got the italeri ( actually a reboxed zvezda ) 1/35 Josef Stalin -2 tank at a recent LHS sale. the kit quality is, perhaps, average... and i was thinking of upgrading it, cos' the kit could sure use a LOT of them.. he he..

the questions are:
1. what AM (resin/PE) are available for the JS-2?
2 some late war t-34/85 used 'bedspring armor' attached to the turret and hull. had the JS-2 ever used such add-on armor?
3. can i use the tracks from the trumpeter KV tanks on th JS-2 kit? the italeri/zvezda tracks are not so good.

thanks!

I've just finished building the Zvezda JS2 and it goes together very well. I textured and filled the turret gaps with a mix of sprue dissolved in liquid cement.
1. I don't know as it was a quick build for the Big and Beefy campaign. I haven't uploaded my pics to the campaign Gallery yet.
2I knew I'd seen one pic. It's on the JS 2 page on the Russian Battlefield site at http://www.battlefield.ru/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=33&Itemid=50&lang=en
3 As you say the Zvezda tracks are horrible so I used the rubber band tracks from the trumpeter KV which were kindly donated to me by Frank Glackin aka Pastic Battle

Hi Guys,
just a quick note to tell you that DML is re-releasing it's JS-2 with all the corrections and added parts..
the Zvesda kit is nice but a bit simplistic..there is an older etch set from Eduard and if you need a set of KV rubber tracks i have a set that i would be most happy to send off to you
Nick

Hmmm...... maybe I should sell my ISU122 and ISU152 sooner than later.......

Frank

The KV tracks are to long,they will fit but you have to cut them short.well a new and improved kit by dragon is very nice
i am building the old kit richt now nice kit so far

greetings jeroen,.

Nick

What is DML correcting? The only thing I didn't like about the DML Stalin series is that the upper hull sat 1mm or so too close to the lower hull The tracks barely fit between the sprockets and rear fenders

yes,it's a narrow fit.but it does fit i also hope that will be corrected

greetings jeroen,.

Actually, I haven't seen anything official about what parts Dragon will be correcting--just that the IS-2 will be re-released in the Premium series. The lower hull was more like four millimeters too shallow and the wheels were also undersized, so the whole tank looks a bit squashed. A complete rework like they did with the Nashorn is needed, but they may try to get by with cheaper, incremental corrections, like they did with their Sherman Firefly kits.
The Zvezda kit is dimensionally okay, but the suspension parts are very simplified, and the driver's visor is a bit small. I kitbashed the Dragon and Zvezda kits for mine (Dragon's tracks are quite nice). Currently, Eduard offers a decent photoetch set.

thanks for the replies fellas...

exer, thanks for the links and pic.. was that a schurzen-like armor on the tank? hmmm...

so i can use the KV tracks on the JS2, right? thanks for the offer nicocortese.... i already got two extra sets of rubber tracks from trumpy's KVs... did the JS2 share the same chassis as the earlier KVs?

mmm... the DML premium edition JS2, that's interesting.... perhaps they'll reissue the ISU-52 as well...!

Yes, you can use the KV-1 track on a Stalin, though there was an alternate track, the so-called lightweight version, which alternated a full link with centerguide with a pair of half links (right and left mirrored parts) without a centerguide. This means only the whole links held the inner and outer halves of the track together. They were hinged the same, and photos show they were often put on out of order, with two or even three pairs of half links together! Friul and MK both offer this version as well. A similar track for the KV existed, though the half links had vestigial centerguides about half as high as the full link guides. This version is only available through Friul.