Meng models T-10M Heavy tank

[MarkVerploeg]

Hi guys
A bit late but still a entry from me
For this GB i will be building Meng's T-10M soviet heavy tank

But first a tiny bit of history on this tank
The T-10 was the last Heavy tank used in service by the soviets
Developed from 1948 up to 1954 it had several names starting with IS-8 ,later that became the IS-9 and even IS-10 but after the death of Stalin and the political climate in Moscow they changed it to T-10
It messured 10.56 meters long ,3.56 meters wide and 2.58 meter high
As the succesor of the IS-3 it had several similar features like the pike nose on the hull and a dome shaped turret with a 122mm main gun
It was armed with the D-25TA 122mm gun wich features a fume extractor and a multi chambered muzzle brake
2 KPVT 14,5mm mg's where added as armament 1 as a AA gun on the turret roof and the other as a coaxial mg
The T-10 along with the T-55 was the first soviet tank with NBC protection ,a feature that was invented in the 50's in both the west and east with the increased nuclear thread posed by both sides of the iron curtain

The T-10 was powered by a supercharged V-12-6 diesel engine producing 750 HP giving this 51.5 ton weighing monster a top speed of 50 km per hour and a range of 350 km
After the T-10 the development of the heavy tank stopped in the 60's because of the introduction of the MBT
Allthough Main Battle Tanks had inferior armor protection they where far more mobile and had similar guns comparred to heavy tanks
This kind of renderred the heavy tank obselete
T-10's where stationned in Russia and East Germany during their service
Only seeing action once in their 40 year career ,during Operation Danube in August 1968 they where used to invade Czechoslovakia (still one country at that time)
These tanks belonged to the 13th Guards tank division and where stationned in East Germany at the time

The T-10 was officially removed from service in 1993 but at that time it was held in reserve for several years as the Soviet and later the Russian army was equipped with better tanks like the T-55,T-62,T-64,T-72,T-80 and even the T-90 with it's nice and shiny red eyes was around the corner to take it's place

Well with a brief history lesson out of the way
Here is the kit

20180429_004558 by Mark Verploeg - Flickr2BBcode LITE
The box art

20180429_004707 by Mark Verploeg - Flickr2BBcode LITE
Hull parts


20180429_005107 by Mark Verploeg - Flickr2BBcode LITE
Suspension


20180429_005122 by Mark Verploeg - Flickr2BBcode LITE
Wheels


20180429_005132 by Mark Verploeg - Flickr2BBcode LITE
Engine deck and parts for the rear of the tank


20180429_005151 by Mark Verploeg - Flickr2BBcode LITE
Stowage boxes and additional fuel tanks


20180429_005159 by Mark Verploeg - Flickr2BBcode LITE
Turret parts


20180429_005208 by Mark Verploeg - Flickr2BBcode LITE
Gun and small parts for the turret


20180429_005229 by Mark Verploeg - Flickr2BBcode LITE
Various bits and pieces


20180429_005241 by Mark Verploeg - Flickr2BBcode LITE
Tracks


20180429_005312 by Mark Verploeg - Flickr2BBcode LITE
Track pins


20180429_005321 by Mark Verploeg - Flickr2BBcode LITE
Track assembly jig


20180429_005327 by Mark Verploeg - Flickr2BBcode LITE
Clear parts


20180429_005335 by Mark Verploeg - Flickr2BBcode LITE
Pe and poly caps


20180429_005342 by Mark Verploeg - Flickr2BBcode LITE
Decals


20180429_005352 by Mark Verploeg - Flickr2BBcode LITE
Instruction book with a bit of history on the tank and colored decal and marking options


20180429_005432 by Mark Verploeg - Flickr2BBcode LITE
The version i want to build
This tank belongs to the 13th Guards during Operation Danube in 1968

And that is it for the introduction of this build
I started it about 3 months ago but lost intrest pretty quick
Not because it is a bad kit or anything like that but i had more fun building my entries for the Bomber sig
But i think i had an overdose of planes this year as i now lost intrest in building planes
So it came out of it's box again and back on the bench
By now i finished the construction but i will save that bit for the upcoming update as it would result in a very long post i think

Thanks for stopping by and having a look
Take care
Cheers
Mark

[schweinhund227]

let us know what you think of the Tracks....

Good luck with the build... it's a big beast !

[MarkVerploeg]

The tracks are pretty good in my opinion
It took me longer then needed to figure out how to use the jig but i think i wasn't paying enough attention
But they go together pretty well and they seem to be fairly strong even though the pins could be a bit longer
They are still stronger then some Modelkasten tracks that i used in the past so i'm not worried about them breaking
And if they do i still have enough spare links and pins to replace about 15 or so

[MarkVerploeg]

Hi guys
Time for the build update
As promised the construction stages of the build will be shown today


20180604_220954 by Mark Verploeg - Flickr2BBcode LITE
Work starts on the lower hull
The bump stops and the houssing for the torsionbars is added to the other wise blank hull tub


20180604_222819 by Mark Verploeg - Flickr2BBcode LITE
Then the return rollers and transmission houssing


20180604_222825 by Mark Verploeg - Flickr2BBcode LITE
Suspension arms


20180604_230047 by Mark Verploeg - Flickr2BBcode LITE
The upper rear plate


20180604_232324 by Mark Verploeg - Flickr2BBcode LITE
Fuel drums ,smoke cans and stowage boxes to be used in the upcoming steps


20180605_101051 by Mark Verploeg - Flickr2BBcode LITE
Some work on the front of the upper hull


20180605_102342 by Mark Verploeg - Flickr2BBcode LITE
And back to the rear


20180806_154505 by Mark Verploeg - Flickr2BBcode LITE
The upper and lower hull are glued together and some smaller parts are added


20180806_160111 by Mark Verploeg - Flickr2BBcode LITE
Pe time


20180806_161542 by Mark Verploeg - Flickr2BBcode LITE
Fuel tanks and smoke cans are added
Also a unditching log and a couple of small pieces


20180806_234852 by Mark Verploeg - Flickr2BBcode LITE
The last couple of bits
Some splash shields ,a IR light and a towing eye


20180807_112409 by Mark Verploeg - Flickr2BBcode LITE
Starting with the basic turret parts


20180807_113027 by Mark Verploeg - Flickr2BBcode LITE
Some spare ammo boxes and grab handles


20180807_113731 by Mark Verploeg - Flickr2BBcode LITE
You get to pick between a tarp or a stowage box
I picked the stowage box


20180807_120941 by Mark Verploeg - Flickr2BBcode LITE
Commanders (left) and loaders hatches


20180807_144716 by Mark Verploeg - Flickr2BBcode LITE
Something for the loader to play with


20180807_150036 by Mark Verploeg - Flickr2BBcode LITE
The main gun
I think it is a bit of a shame it is a 2 part barrel
I would have liked it if it was a 3 part slide molded gun
Just a single piece fume extractor with 2 single piece barrel parts
That being said it did fit very well and i only had a very small seam to remove


20180807_150246 by Mark Verploeg - Flickr2BBcode LITE
The gun was fitted
It was at this moment i realised i made a little boo boo
I placed the hinge for the gun the wrong way
It has a little tab to make sure the gun sits level
In my case that was on the wrong side so i had to remove it and level the gun by eye


20180807_150252 by Mark Verploeg - Flickr2BBcode LITE
Looks pretty mean with that hige main gun and oversized AA gun on top


20180807_150344 by Mark Verploeg - Flickr2BBcode LITE
The turret wasplaced on the hull


20180807_193748 by Mark Verploeg - Flickr2BBcode LITE
I then made the tracks
These are pretty sturdy but the jig can only be used one way
The side of the track depends on the side of the pins
One is flat the other has a rounded head
It takes a little getting used to but they seem to work just fine


20180807_193851 by Mark Verploeg - Flickr2BBcode LITE
And then it was ready for some paint

It still is at this point if the build as i started my T-34/85 and Panther build aswell
Allthough i constructed the Panther before this one ,the T-34/85 is taking up more time then i expected
So with just about 20 or so days left in this GB i think it is best to put the T-34/85 on hold for a short while
Just need to finish the current step in that build as there are a lot of small PE bits on my bench
Then i will start painting this tank in order to get it done in time
So i think it should be painted by thursday or so
Maybe sooner
Anyway that is the plan ,now to execute that plan

Thanks for stopping by and having a look
Take care
Cheers
Mark

[pourquoi61]

The tracks look like metal and give the appearance of some weight.
great build so far.

[MarkVerploeg]

The tracks look like metal and give the appearance of some weight.
great build so far.

Thank you very much
The tracks are just black though and they are quite light weight
But they do allow you to give them a saggy effect by just pushing them down a bit
So with a bit of paint ,maybe a wash and little dirt or pigments they should look pretty good

[MarkVerploeg]

Hi guys
Just a wee little update for now
I was going through my figures box yesterday looking for a commander fir my T-34/85 build when i found not 1 but 4 Soviet tank crew figures
Quite exceptional as there are over 100 figures in that box and nearly all are German
Anyway as i found 4 and i only needed one for my T-34/85 i used the others on the T-10M

So these guys will make their way to this tank when it is painted

20180815_020512 by Mark Verploeg - Flickr2BBcode LITE

20180815_020518 by Mark Verploeg - Flickr2BBcode LITE
I think they came for a Tamiya figure set based on the unpainted feet and the color of the styrene

But i will need to fix them on to some sticks ,dust them off and prime them before painting can begin
Wich i will try to do today

Take care
Cheers
Mark

[alextheblue]

Looking good Mark! Love these Meng kits, had my eyes on this one for a while.

[MarkVerploeg]

Thank you Alex
It is a good kit ,the fit of the parts is very good
The instructions are clear and easy to follow
Except with the tracks but that jig can be used in 1 way only so it can't really go wrong

[schweinhund227]

Nice progress... keep up the good work...
Will def. put that one on my shopping list eventually!

Thanks for sharing!

[pourquoi61]

Nice find, I love spares boxes.

[MarkVerploeg]

Thanks guys
It is well worth the efford of building Norm

[warpedcrisis]

Nice work there.
Have looked at this kit a few times at my local hobby shop.

[MarkVerploeg]

Thank you
It is a nice kit to build so if you can get it for a decent price i would go for it
I was looking at a shops website the other day and this kit and a lot of others reached pricetags that i honestly found a bit out of line
Way too high and much more then what i paid for it
And i got it quite soon after the release

[gaz45]

Great work there so far mate

[MarkVerploeg]

Thank you very much Gaz

[MarkVerploeg]

Hi guys
We are getting close to the end of this GB so i think it is about time i post a update on this build
I'm not done yet but it is pretty close to being finished
It is painted and glossed at this point and i am about to start on the weathering

So what happened since last time

20180820_230836 by Mark Verploeg - Flickr2BBcode LITE
I applied the base colors of the tank
The turret proves to be quite hard to mask when you need to do the white as the second color .....i tried and failed
So i cleaned up and started over
This time i painted the white first and masked that
Then i painted the base color wich is H303


20180821_124555 by Mark Verploeg - Flickr2BBcode LITE
Now i hope you can see it as the photo turned out a bit dark (wich is funny as i have a very bright bench) but i painted the log in a mix of white and English uniform (Vallejo) (right) and then heavily dry brushed it with German camo black brown (again Vallejo) (left)


20180821_124603 by Mark Verploeg - Flickr2BBcode LITE
Then some details where painted
Like brown for the straps of the spare ammo boxes
The gun metal colors (mr metal color dark iron slightly buffed)
The wooden grip on the barrel of the gun
The bare metal parts (dark iron again)


20180821_124609 by Mark Verploeg - Flickr2BBcode LITE
The gun was painted in dark iron and then buffed a bit using a qtip or cotton swab (wich ever name you call it i guess)
The grip on the barrel is painted with the same wood color i used on the log but instead of using black brown to finish it i used skin wash from Vallejo to get a more reddish finish instead of a very dark finish


20180821_124613 by Mark Verploeg - Flickr2BBcode LITE
The straps where painted in german camo medium brown (vallejo) and finished with the skin wash aswell
I used that on the straps of the ammo boxes aswell
I wasn't sure about that but i found pictures of both metal and leather grips of real boxes
The early ones had leather and i figured it would add a bit of color instead of a nearly complete green vehicle


20180821_124615 by Mark Verploeg - Flickr2BBcode LITE
The towcables arw painted with dark iron
This is just a base color for a rust wash later on
It was slightly buffed to get a lighter finish on the raised detail


20180821_124623 by Mark Verploeg - Flickr2BBcode LITE
The same color was used on the running surface of the wheels
This was buffed a bit more but remains fairly dark
This is more a personal preference as a lighter color would look like they are made of a lighter steel
These wheels are made of a heavy and strong kind of steel so i think that looks a bit better
Besides that a light steel or metal color would stand out a bit more then what i like
So in this case i go for the personal preference instead of a realistic choise


20180821_125559 by Mark Verploeg - Flickr2BBcode LITE
The same was done with the sprocket wheels


20180821_125916 by Mark Verploeg - Flickr2BBcode LITE
Then i painted the crew
I used Vallejo paints for everything
I started out with basic skin and added a little bit of highlights using light skintone on the cheekbones upper part of the face and nose
The shadow was done using skin wash wich was thinned a lot
About 1 drop of wash with 5 drops of water (really strong color)
The uniform where painted using Andrea paints black color set
I used the darkest color (plain black) as a base and used several shades as highlights
But i overdid it a bit so i made a wash with black paint and water and darkened it again
Now i still need to add a new highlight as it is a bit dark again now


20180821_130155 by Mark Verploeg - Flickr2BBcode LITE
This should work out in the end


20180821_235326 by Mark Verploeg - Flickr2BBcode LITE
I then added some chipping
In the base color on the white parts and black brown on the green parts
Later on i will add some metal colored chipping with a pencil aswell on the really used bits like the handlebars and the edges of the hatches

So by now the decals are placed aswell and it has a second coat of Aqua gloss
The next steps will be a wash around the details ,streaking effects for dirt and rust streaks and oil paints to get some fading on there
Mostly on the green as the white was a feature that was added for their use during Operation Danube
The tracks need to be painted aswell but that is pretty straight forward i think
So that is what will be in the next update
It is going to be close but i will try my best to get it finished in time
Wich i think is possible as next week will be a bit calmer then this one at work and i have a extra day off (hooray)

Take care
Cheers
Mark

[Stokesy44]

Lovely work Mark.

That is quite some beast you've got there.

[MarkVerploeg]

Thank you Stokesy
It is a pretty big indeed
I had my T-34/85 next to it the other day and this thing dwarfs the T-34
Even though they are both 1/35 scale

[MarkVerploeg]

Hi guys
Time for a final update on this build
The first thing for today are the tracks


20180825_115641 by Mark Verploeg - Flickr2BBcode LITE

20180825_115649 by Mark Verploeg - Flickr2BBcode LITE
After the primer i painted the tracks black
The inside was dry brushed with basic steel from Andrea while the outside was painted with sand and earth colors
The raised edges where then drybrushed with the steel aswell


20180825_234549 by Mark Verploeg - Flickr2BBcode LITE
The i started with some oilpaints
I used a fairly bright green for the fading


20180826_000025 by Mark Verploeg - Flickr2BBcode LITE
On the glossy surface it doesn't show as well as i thought but when you compare the color of the turret to the untreated sprocket it shows


20180826_043719 by Mark Verploeg - Flickr2BBcode LITE
The next step was a pinwash around all the details


20180826_043736 by Mark Verploeg - Flickr2BBcode LITE
Some dirt streaking was added


20180826_130701 by Mark Verploeg - Flickr2BBcode LITE
And after a coat of AK Ultra matte varnish all the work finally shows up on camera


20180827_215031 by Mark Verploeg - Flickr2BBcode LITE
I then started with the pigments
To make it stick i used AK summer Kursk earth effect (a thick wash basicly)
Then Mig Prod. dry mud pigment was added
It stays darker in the wet areas because of the earth effects


20180827_215859 by Mark Verploeg - Flickr2BBcode LITE
But to add more depth to it i dripped some AK earth effects in the corners to make them darker and i ised some fresh mud pigments to add another shade to it aswell


20180827_215909 by Mark Verploeg - Flickr2BBcode LITE
The pigments are done


20180827_232724 by Mark Verploeg - Flickr2BBcode LITE
Then the wheels and tracks where added


20180827_233633 by Mark Verploeg - Flickr2BBcode LITE
Some pigments on the tracks
Same as on the hull


20180827_233745 by Mark Verploeg - Flickr2BBcode LITE
The inside needs to be a bit dirty aswell


20180827_234844 by Mark Verploeg - Flickr2BBcode LITE
All the lenses and periscopes where painted in clear green


20180827_234855 by Mark Verploeg - Flickr2BBcode LITE
A bit of black pigments for the muzzle brake


20180827_235351 by Mark Verploeg - Flickr2BBcode LITE
The crew was added

And then i called it done
So here follows a small reveal that was shot in the mancave

20180828_001400 by Mark Verploeg - Flickr2BBcode LITE

20180828_001407 by Mark Verploeg - Flickr2BBcode LITE

20180828_001411 by Mark Verploeg - Flickr2BBcode LITE

20180828_001416 by Mark Verploeg - Flickr2BBcode LITE

20180828_001420 by Mark Verploeg - Flickr2BBcode LITE

20180828_001424 by Mark Verploeg - Flickr2BBcode LITE

20180828_001429 by Mark Verploeg - Flickr2BBcode LITE

20180828_001433 by Mark Verploeg - Flickr2BBcode LITE

I was going to build a generic base for it that i could use with various tanks for reveal pics
But time restrictions make it inpossible to have that done before this GB ends so that will be done at a later date

And that is all i have for this build
I hope you like it
Thanks for stopping by and having a look
Take care
Cheers
Mark

[schweinhund227]

This turned out great !!! Well done mate !

[MarkVerploeg]

Thank you very much Norm

[DRUMS01]

Great looking T-10, and the weathering is just perfect.

N-I-C-E

v/r,

Ben

[MarkVerploeg]

Thank you very much Ben

[Stokesy44]

Great finish Mark, looks superb

[MarkVerploeg]

Thank you very much Stokesy