“The STZ factory constructed the hulls with interlocking front, back and top (sides of turret ring) armor plates. Some will claim that this trait was not until 1942 series production batches, however, that claim is not true at all. The 1942 hulls has simplified hull top interlocking plates, but still retained the original front and back interlock. It appears to me that Cyber Hobby has used the standard 1940 / 1941 T-34 hull from their previous releases without any modification. It is a BIG let down!!! The interlocking plates (along with other small hull details), turret and the steel wheels are what make the T-34 STZ so different than the rest of the production series T-34's.”
Not entirely correct. The earlier production STZ hulls and turrets were in most respects indistinguishable from those made by Factory 183 Model 1941’s.
I believe the interlocking plates were introduced by Factory 264 when they were ordered to produce hulls and turrets for STZ. You ARE correct in that there was some variation between earlier and later batches made by 264.
“The lower hull is also not-reworked with the correct details, (the standard DML T-34 lowe hull tubs are slightly inaccurate). The forward idler wheel should have one bump stop instead of 2 ( as on the DML T-34 hulls, and strangley, the Trumpeter 1/16scale T-34's as well), the side suspension ports are also a little oversise as they should be shorter than the side bump stops ( as again, DML T-34's and Trumpeter 1/16 T-34's have the exact same problem)
Please understand, I am no authority of the T-34, just a fellow modeller who was really expecting a great T-34 STZ.”
You may be correct to some extent here. Certainly having two bump stops on station 5 (the front road wheel) is incorrect for an early T-34 these having been added to later production T-34 batches (sometime in mid to late 1942? I know I have that written down somewhere but can’t find it!). The drawings in “T-34 MW” fail to reflect this change.
Unless DML have also removed the “torque plates” (the small plates in front of each suspension arm) this detail will also be incorrect for STZ made tanks. Though they MAY have shown up in the final batches they wouldn’t be present on earlier tanks. (A change not reflected in MW)
These problems are nothing that an Xacto knife and sandpaper can’t fix.
I’m not sure what you’re referring to when you mention “side suspension ports” being oversized though. Could you describe this a little further?
One item DML HAVE corrected on the lower hull is the front suspension arm which now appears to have correct shape, something we didn’t get with either the Model ’40 or ’41. (Yet again the drawings in MW miss this change in the detail from earlier to later batches of the tank)
Maybe if we ask nicely they’ll make this part available as a separate item to correct those older kits?

Though perhaps not the version of the STZ T-34 I would have chosen it looks to me as though we’ll be getting a very nice kit.
Mark