Hobby Boss 1/48 T-34/85 Tank

[Jan01]

I am going to build this Russian T-34/85



These transfers are what come with the kit, I will not be using these.

These are the transfers I will be using.








After improved German Panzer IVs with the high-velocity 75 mm (2.95 in) gun were encountered in combat in 1942, a project to design an entirely new Soviet tank was begun, with the goals of increasing armour protection while adding modern features like a torsion-bar suspension and a three-man turret. This new tank, the T-43, was intended to be a universal tank to replace both the T-34 and the KV-1 heavy tank. However, the T-43 prototype's armour, though heavier, was still not proof against German 88 mm guns, while its mobility was found to be inferior to the T-34. Finally, although the T-43 shared over 70% of its components with the T-34, manufacturing it would still have required a significant slow-down in production.[88] Consequently, the T-43 was cancelled.


Rear view of a T-34-85 from Factory 174. In the centre is a circular transmission access hatch, flanked by exhaust pipes, MDSh smoke canisters on the hull rear, and extra fuel tanks on the hull sides.

Interior of a T-34-85 viewed from the driver's hatch, showing the ammunition boxes on which the loader had to stand in the absence of a turret basket. In the foreground is the driver's seat. Levers for radiator flaps can be seen on the firewall.
Not just the weapons of German tanks were improving – their armour was as well. Soviet firing tests against a captured Tiger I heavy tank in April 1943 showed that the T-34's 76 mm gun could not penetrate the front of the Tiger I at all, and the side only at very close range. A Soviet 85 mm antiaircraft gun, the 52-K, was found capable of doing the job, and so derivatives of it were developed for tanks.[89][90] The resulting tank gun could penetrate the side armour of the Tiger I from a distance of 800 meters and the turret side from a distance of 600 meters. It was still not enough to match the Tiger, as a Tiger could destroy the T-34 from a distance of 1,500 to 2,000 meters,[91] but it was a noticeable improvement.

With the T-43 cancelled, the Soviet command made the decision to retool the factories to produce an improved version of the T-34. Its turret ring was enlarged from 1,425 mm (56 in) to 1,600 mm (63 in), allowing a larger turret to be fitted and thus the larger 85 mm gun. The prototype T-43's turret design was hurriedly adapted by Vyacheslav Kerichev at the Krasnoye Sormovo Factory to fit the T-34.[92] This was a larger three-man turret, with radio (previously in the hull). Now the tank commander needed only to command, leaving the operation of the gun to the gunner and the loader. The resulting new tank, the T-34-85, was seen as a compromise between advocates for the T-43 and others who wanted to continue to build as many 76 mm-armed T-34s as possible without interruption.[93]

Production of the T-34-85 began in February 1944, first using the 85mm S-53 gun and then in mid-1944 the 85mm ZiS-S-53 (the ZiS-S-53 was a modified S-53 designed by the Grabin Design Bureau in order to simplify the gun and reduce its price; the ballistics of both were the same).[91][94] The improved T-34-85 became the standard Soviet medium tank, with an uninterrupted production run until the end of the war. A T-34-85 initially cost about 30 percent more to produce than a Model 1943, at 164,000 rubles; by 1945 this had been reduced to 142,000 rubles.[95] During the course of the Great Patriotic War the cost of a T-34 tank was reduced by almost half, from 270,000 rubles in 1941,[95] while in the meantime its top speed remained about the same, and its main gun's armour penetration and turret frontal armour thickness both nearly doubled.[96]

The T-34-85 gave the Red Army a tank with better armour and mobility than the German Panzer IV tank and StuG III assault gun, though it could not match the armour or weapons of the Panther or Tiger tanks. However, its improved firepower made it much more effective against Panthers and Tigers than earlier models. In comparison with the T-34-85 program, the Germans instead chose an upgrade path based on the introduction of completely new, expensive, heavier, and more complex tanks, greatly slowing the growth of their tank production and aiding the Soviets in maintaining a substantial numerical superiority in tanks.[97] By May 1944, T-34-85 production had reached 1,200 tanks per month.[98] In the entire war, production figures for all Panther types reached no more than 6,557, and for all Tiger types 2,027.[99] Production figures for the T-34-85 alone reached 22,559.

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[Jan01]

It makes a change that you don't have to start with the running gear on a tank. With this kit you start on the interior. There were a few flash that needed to be removed but nothing major. A lot of parts and detail have gone into this 1/48 scale kit

This is only part of the inside of the hull, still more to come. (This is just loose fitted to show where the parts go, need to paint it all up before putting it all together)



Onto the engine,fan and gear box next

[timtamtung]

That's awesome. I too have thus kit but will follow ur lead first!

[MarkVerploeg]

This looks like a very nice kit
it's like a mini version of the kit that i am building
but there seems to be a lot of interior detail so that is good
keep up the good work

[Jan01]

Thanks guys, will be doing an update over the weekend.

[JoeKundlak]

Got this kit for Christmas just now, so looking forward to your endeavor!

[Jan01]

Have managed to finish all the parts that need to go inside the hull. There were a few small flash parts but nothing too big, and everything went together pretty well. As you can see there is quite a bit to go inside. I will need to prime and paint these before adding them to the inside of the hull.


The inside of the hull,(seats are not fixed in) and few other parts added.. Detail on this kit is pretty good for its scale.

[MarkVerploeg]

Looks good so far
have fun painting

[Jan01]

Looks good so far
have fun painting

Thanks Mark, not really looking forward to it. Painting the inside but not being able to see it.

[MarkVerploeg]

Looks good so far
have fun painting

Thanks Mark, not really looking forward to it. Painting the inside but not being able to see it.

My kit has the luxury of a upper hull that is friction fitted so that eases the pain a bit
if you keep the hatches closed i wouldn't even bother to paint the interior
it all depends on what your plans are really

[JoeKundlak]

Or you could use small rare-earth magnets, as one fellow guy did wih a similar T-34.... thus his hull is not glued together.

[fly1ngdutchm4n]

Great job so far T34 buddy!
Mine has no interior, so it will be all buttoned up

[Jan01]

Thanks guys for the kind words. Well I have decided to go for closed up option, but still put everything together.

So much into a small area.

The engine compartment


The drivers and fighting compartments


Everything fitted well with no real issues.

Next onto the upper hull.

[fly1ngdutchm4n]

Great progress so far!
Keep it up Jan!

[Jan01]

Great progress so far!
Keep it up Jan!

Thanks Frans, thinking of buying another of these kits but then do it in the Finnish scheme.

[Sturm]

A 1/48 tank with interior! Jeez I have to get me one of those.
Great work so far!

[MarkVerploeg]

Looks great so far
they where absolutely cramped in that tank
even in 1/16 it looks that way
and the guys in the turret had to stang or kneel on the ammo bins
I found out on my build that the commander would have to put his seat up or the gun couldn't aim up
so no room for big boys in a T-34