Friday, 15 February 2013

A history of Airfix HO/OO AFV kits - part 10 - 1968

Only a single new release this year - but arguably two tanks in one!  As (surely!) everyone must know the T-34 kit included turrets for /76 and /85 versions.  This was another kit I came to after having built the (rather newer) Matchbox version and so I found it something of a disappointment.  That was back in 1978 when I thought such things mattered and I have long since managed to forgive the Airfix T-34 it's faults. 
Above and below: a pair of pretty bog standard T-34/85s.  In my humble opinion this kit is at it's best as an /85 as it looks 'right' and the running gear and fenders look to be from a late (or post) war tank.

The weak point of the earlier turret is the rather spindly gun barrel - it looks more 20mm than 76mm!  This however is easily replaced.  The model in the photos was built from spares box leftovers and uses the tracks from an Airfix Mk.1 WW1 tank.  A desperate measure perhaps but as I'm sure Zhukov was fond of saying "you can never have too many T-34s..."

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6 comments:

  1. Service Ration Distribution (Hobby)15 February 2013 at 23:55

    Zhukov was right. Nice article. I have still got many of these in my order of battle.

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  2. Paul16 February 2013 at 00:23

    Splendid work on these Tim. The actual T34 used for the model is in Bovington and was one grabbed in Korea from the evil NK's, hence its post war manufacture.

    The reason why the T34/76 turret looks a little off an the gun spindly is because it was molded probably from a photo rather than the Bovington example which they could crawl all over and measure to down scale.

    I think the tracks are not too bad for Airfix as well.

    Great work.

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  3. Tim Gow16 February 2013 at 10:48

    Service Ration Distribution
    I think I have at least ten of them!

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  4. Tim Gow16 February 2013 at 10:49

    Paul
    That would certainly explain things. Still a good old kit though.

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  5. Geordie an Exiled FoG16 February 2013 at 23:45

    In many ways the T34 and Sherman are the Airfix AFV's for me :)

    There is no excuse not to have lots of them ;)

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  6. Tim Gow17 February 2013 at 10:07

    Geordie
    Wise words indeed!

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