I bought this kit a while ago and now it's time to build it. I've yet to build one model based on this chassis, in spite of having several of them, from the Stug III B, G to a couple of versions of the Pz III.

It's a much more elegant chassis than the bulky and less elegant Pz IV and one of the most representative German tanks of WWII.

I've decided to do a whitewashed German Grey version, although the model includes DAK versions and plain Grey versions. But I like a good challenge and I need to test other techniques. This time the hair spray technique. If you want to see really good examples of white washed models using this technique just have a look in this site (Michael Rinaldi). An amazing lesson on how to produce works of srt in modeling.

The kit

Price
Accuracy/Detail
Build
Extras
Instructions

In this log I will just be posting information about the build that I hope to start very soon. Well, as soon as I decide which version to do.

The Pz III appeared after the Pz IV and existed in many variants, ranging from A to N. There were short medium and long barrel versions and the J in particular could be found in various combinations.

This kit allows the build of medium and long barreled versions with or without the additional armor that some versions had on the front of the driver's deck and mantlet.

I will do a long barreled version because I bought the fabulous barrel from Aber. I'm not sure about the rest. The versions possible on this kit range from the whitewashed tanks on the Eastern front to North Africa and are no less than 8 different tanks.

First impressions

I started the build today (18-1-2009). The first thing that is immediately apparent is the quality of the detail. Stunning. The lower hull comes in one piece and all the small details, bolts and welds are really an example of what a good model can be.

Building the suspension is fairly straightforward. And it would be even better if the torsion bars weren't there. I can't really understand why the kit includes a complete set of torsion bars, with detailed holders, if the suspension arms are installed static and there is no indication on the instruction sheet to install them movable. Is Dragon planning on a complete interior version? Maybe.

Anyway, the parts have no flash whatsoever, they have remarkable detail and they fit together like a dream.

Building 

ABER PE on the mantlet extra armor

20-1-2009 – The more build this model the happier I am with it's quality. It's amazing how much these kits have improved in 6-7 years. The molding is absolutely fantastic and the fit of intricate parts is amazing. The front deck and the fenders just snap together like they were just one part. Dragon is still a little behind Tasca but it's very very close. In barely 2-3 hours work I managed to reach a point where the lower hull, fenders, upper deck ans suspension are complete.

Pay attention to the idlers when assembling them. They consist of two halves and two PE rings (glued to each of the halves). When I put the two halves together the spokes didn't align (???). Somehow, the locating lug on one of the halves is out of place. I readjusted the slot in order to make them aligned.

If it wasn't for the delicate and tedious task of handling all the Aber PE I believe that this kit would be one of my fastest builds.

The Aber PE is awesome as usual. What's not so great about it are the instructions. This is probably the first example of Aber instructions where some details are really missing. The drawings are vague and I guess that some of the parts have to be positioned by using reference photos.

Building… more

27-1-2009 – Most of the work is done. The model is almost ready for the primer coat. But yesterday I had a fight with an unusual contender – Aber. For some reason the Aber set for this kit is not up to the quality I've seen in other PE sets. The extra armor over the mantlet had to be filed with a Dremel in order to fit it's intended location. I built it before putting it in place. All the parts were soldered and I'm glad I used solder for the job, because if they were just glued everything would just come apart.

After measuring and test fitting several times I marked the places where the material needed to be removed. It's now in place but it was so troublesome that I considered using the plastic parts instead.

On the positive side there are the tracks. They are of the individual link type and it was the fastest track build I've ever done. It just took a little less than half an hour to do a complete track. However the instructions say you need 98 links per side, and I found that 94-95 links are more than enough. You'll end up with a totally unrealistic sag if you use the 98 links.

The turret and commander cupola were also very easy to assemble. With this kit is just a matter of removing the sprue attachments and glue. Everything fits just right. I have to say that the kit is flawless regarding fit of parts and molding. So much that I 'm considering using the plastic molded tow cables instead of diving into the incredibly complicated Aber PE clamps for securing them. I guess that I'll have enough on my hands with the jack support. It really looks awful to build.

Building… even more

Primer applied and ready for paint

8-2-2009 – The kit is complete plastic wise. I applied the coat of primer to make everything look even and to spot the potential problems that can be missed when we are looking at different materials and colors.

I decided to use a lot of plastic parts instead of going the PE route. Some of the details were so small and complicated that it made no sense to spend hours doing them when we couldn't see them on the final model. The supports for the towing cables are a perfect example of that.

I added the front light wiring using stretched sprue and the small PE clips that come in the Aber PE set. Very nice effect. It looks way better. These wires are very visible on the tank and it would be a shame not to do them. After all, it was just under half an hour of work.

Painting

The base coat went very well. I used Vallejo Panzer Grey mixed with some white, to be covered with the white wash finish that this version is supposed to have.

I bought some hair spray and decided to have a try at the technique. The result was disaster. Somehow, every attempt that I made to remove "some" paint resulted in major peeling. Some places more than others but the final result was catastrophic.

At this point I had to decide if I was going to put the model in the bin or try to save it.

I decided that all the work I had done could not be destroyed without at least one try. The fact that I used hair spray helped a lot in saving it because I managed to peel the white paint off almost completely Some of the PE detail came loose and had to be re-glued but I managed to save the kit.

I'm not going to take any chances, so I'll try the white weathered look with another technique- Paint then chip. It it end badly the result will be what almost happened – throwing the kit to the garbage bin.

I'm not very happy with this experience but sometime along the way I guess we are destined to have a few of these

Follow up

27-02-2009 – I guess that I saved it. I'm not entirely sure how I managed to do it but the more I look to the model the more I think that it looks real good. When a mishap like I had happens it's a good policy to do other tasks and forget the model. When you return to it you'll see it under a different perspective. It's a fresh approach and probably you'll find the model to be quite nice. That's what I did with it. I was negatively biased because of the failure and I was not seeing that it was a very decent whitewashed model. It's not at the level of excellent white washed vehicles that you can see from the big names but it's good nonetheless.

I applied mud to the running gear and although it was a first for me it ended up very realistic. I used a special wall filler that is very light (foam) and does not crack. It was just a matter of achieving a good mud consistency and mix some pigments. It dries very fast (30 minutes – 1 hour) and it has the real mud look. Then it's just a matter of using different color pigments and fix them with turpentine or pigment fixer from MIG and the end result is nothing short of amazing.

I'm just doing the finishing touches on the model and I'm even considering doing a small base for display, but I still have to figure out the scenery for it and if it's worth the extra work.

Keep tuned, I'll have more pictures this weekend.

28-02-2009 – I couldn't help it. I had to finish this one asap and I guess I can breathe now. It seems saved and a good model after all. I had almost given up on this model because of the mishap with the hairspray method. I was really annoyed to throw away a model that was built with so much care and dedication. I removed everything I could and started all over again, this time without the hairspray. Instead I applied a white coat of paint and immediately after I started removing some areas with a wet brush. Because there was a coat of varnish underneath the process produced remarkable results. It resulted like the real thing – a washed away coat of white paint.

Finished

I just finished this superb Dragon Pz III. It was close to a disaster but I couldn't skip such a remarkable plastic kit. I did a lot of firsts with this one:

• First White washed model (the T70 doesn't really count)
• First Pz III
• First use of mud

Not bad for so many firsts, don't you think?

History

On January 11, 1934, following specifications laid down by Heinz Guderian, the Army Weapons Department drew up plans for a medium tank with a maximum weight of 24,000 kg and a top speed of 35 km/h. It was intended as the main tank of the German Panzer divisions, capable of engaging and destroying opposing tank forces.

Daimler-Benz, Krupp, MAN, and Rheinmetall all produced prototypes. Testing of the prototypes took place in 1936 and 1937, leading to the Daimler-Benz design being chosen for production. The first Panzer III A came off the assembly line in May 1937, and a total of ten, two of which were unarmed, were produced in 1937. Mass production of the tank, then in model III F, began in 1939.

Between 1937 and 1940, attempts were made to standardize parts between Krupp's Panzer IV and Daimler-Benz's Panzer III.

Much of the early development work on the Panzer III was a quest for a suitable suspension. Several varieties of leaf-spring suspensions were tried on Ausf A through D before the torsion-bar suspension of the Ausf E was standardized. The Panzer III, along with the Soviet KV heavy tank, was one of the first tanks to use this suspension design.

The Panzer III was intended as the primary battle tank of the German forces. It outclassed most of the tanks of the time. However, when it initially met the KV and T-34 tank designs it proved to be inferior. To meet the growing need to counter these tanks, the Panzer III was upgunned with the 50 mm KwK 39 L/60 and received more armor although this failed to effectively address the problem against the KV tank designs. As a result, several self propelled guns, as well as up gunned 75 mm KwK 40 L/43 and 75mm KwK 40 L/48 Panzer IV Ausf G were developed and produced.

In 1942, the Ausf N model of the Panzer III was created with a 75 mm KwK 37 L/24 cannon, a low-velocity gun designed for anti-infantry and close-support work. For defensive purposes however, it did carry a few rounds of hollow charge ammunition which could penetrate 70 mm to 100 mm of armor depending on the round's variant but these were strictly used for self-defense.

(Source: Wikipedia)

Pictures

Aber PE parts can be seen on the mantlet extra armor

Primer applied and ready to paint

A detail of the engine cover and towing cables.

Front with the right light cable showing

Right side suspension and running gear

A side view showing the mud

The exhaust deflector. Painted with Lifecolor Rust and Dust set.

If there is one vehicle that one could be modeling forever, it’s the 250 and it’s variants.

This small half track that resulted from a request made in 1939 for a troop transport with an armored body that could carry a half platoon, was produced in a huge number of variants.

You could just build SdKfz 250 and 251 and still you would run out of time to complete all of the variants.

But I was really only interested in one of them – The 250/3 command version that Rommel used in the North Africa campaign.

It’s a relevant vehicle because the connaisseur looks at the 250/3 GREIF and immediately knows that it was Rommel’s command vehicle.

The Kit

I knew that someone made that model and started to look. I only found Tamiya but really didn’t want to spend that amount of cash and still need some decent PE to go with it. I found the Dragon kit (issued in 2000) for a very decent price (it was on sale at Azimut) and I bought it.

It’s not up the the level of Dragon kits of the last 3 or 4 years, but it’s remarkably good.

Not over complicated nor over engineered. A small and simple model with adequate detail.

This is the type of model where a go

od paint job and weathering skills make it shine. And it’s an iconic vehicle used by an iconic man.

Building

Building this kit is very straight forward. However some test fitting is in order because the precision of recent Dragon kits has nothing to do with this one, already with 8 years since it’s release.

The chassis "tub" consists of 3 pieces that need some attention in order to glue them right. Especially because the side panels are going to be glued to them and finally the top section to these panels. Everything has to be leveled so that you don’t end up with big gaps between the parts. The side panels stand a little bit higher tan the rear part of the tub but just a little filling took care of this.

The inside is "simple". The transmission, front seats a lot of details have to be refined. The Aber set will take care of that, by providing a huge number of small pieces for the job.

The most radical intervention is the transmission that needs to be "replaced" with PE and some bits and pieces of plastic. This area included two of the most intricate PE parts I’ve done in my life. I managed to solder everything and they are now ready. But when I looked at the instructions from Aber my first reaction was – "NO WAY, I’ll never do that.."

I’m going to do some photos of the individual steps s

o that you can have an idea of how tricky and detailed these steps are. I need to glue 4 strips of back seat spring for each seat. And they are tiny I assure you.

	Photos taken with Canon EOS 1D Mark III TrueVision lighting products

More building

Nov 3, 2008

Like in many other builds, I didn’t follow the instruction sheet at all.

Because this kit has a lot of interior detail I decided to build it in two phases. The lower hull and interior and the upper hull.

I expected the upper hull to fit perfectly, but I decided to dry fit the whole thing. And I found that it was not at all a good idea to follow the instructions.

The upper hull needs to be completely built and all the seams correct

ed (and there are many). From the sides to the front there’s an absolute need to fill all the joints between parts. This Dragon kit is does not have the precision of newer releases. A lot of work needs to be done or you’ll end up with a model completely plagued with join lines and some of them really deep.

I expect to end the kit for painting in a couple of days, but I still need to do all those incredibly tiny parts from the Aber set. The visors, the gun rack, boxes, radios and all that goes inside the very visible compartment has to be complete before painting begins.

Now I have the complete lower and upper hull (antenna and all) ready, but the interior parts still need to be completed. I wonder how many hours with the soldering iron on hand I’ll have to spend for ending this one.

A simple model, I thought… I could no be more farther from the truth. Let’s hope the result matches the expectations.

More…

Nov 17, 2008

The kit is moving really slowly because of the many refinements I’m doing. The Aber set has so much detailing that every little one of them takes ages to finalize. But without that Aber set the kit would end up much worse than it could. There are many refinements to the original plastic parts (the rifle support is one of them) and some that are not even included on the kit.

On the back right side (behind the radio) a spare machine gun is stored on a support that is included on the Aber set and has no corresponding part on the Kit. However, the MG is on the kit. This support in very intricate and on top of it all I decided to solder the PE to make it stronger. This small detail took me 4 hours to finish.

Inside the compartment there are two glass box holders. I had to make the glass boxes with pieces of clear sprue. However after sanding they look everything but glass. The set of sanding songes I bought from Cammet took care of it. The last one is so fine that restores the glassy polished look to any piece of clear plastic. Outstanding. The problem is to hold the tiny piece of plastic on order to polish it. Phew…

I’m completing all the small sub assemblies of photo etched parts so that when the time comes is just a matter of gluing them in the appropriate places. This kit is really tricky.

What will be used in this kit

Lifecolor Paints
Aber Photo Etch set
Mig washes and pigments
Adler’s Nest 2m antenna

Related sites

Dragon
Lifecolor
MIG Products

History

In 1939, after successful trials of the light semi-track troop carrier, the Army indicated their requirement of a similar vehicle capable of transporting a Halbgruppe (half platoon), thereby increasing the flexibility of reconnaissance units. Bussing-NAG were entrusted with the development of the armored body, and Demag, with the chassis, which was to be based on their existing Zgkw It (Sd Kfz 10). Prototypes were already available, powered by the Maybach NL38 motor. Because of delays, the production series was not started until June 1941 when the first thirty-nine vehicles were completed. Up to October 1943, only minor· modifications were incorporated in the production vehicles, but twelve official sub-variants existed, each having a special-purpose configuration. After October 1943, this version of the Ie SPW was known as ‘Alte’ (old).

Specific features

The Sd Kfz 250 consisted of a modified Demag 07 tractor chassis, mounting an armoured body. In order to maintain the performance of this limited payload vehicle when fitted with the armoured superstructure, Demag shortened the chassis and removed the forward wheel and torsion bar., The lubricated tracks provided some of the steering, though for normal road use, the front wheels were sufficient.

Combat service

The bulk of the sub-variants were issued to Panzer Aufklarungs detachments of Panzer and Panzergrenadier divisions. The light reconnaissance company which used these vehicles was normally issued with twenty-eight when attached to a Panzer division, or eighteen when with a Panzergrenadier division. The ammunition carriers and observation vehicles were attached to Sturmgeschutz units.

Variants

Sd Kfz 250/1 leichter Schutzenpanzerwagen Gerat 891

Weight: 5.38 tons
Crew: 6
Built continuously from 1941 to 1945, the main purpose of this version was to transport the Halbgruppe of 4. The armament was two MG34. The height of this vehicle including the MG shield was 1.98m. Ammunition: 2,010.

Sd Kfz 250/1 leichter Schutzenpanzerwagen (s MG)

Crew: 6
This version carried the support Halbgruppe with two MG34 in heavy field mountings.

Sd Kfz 250/2 leichter Fernsprechpanzerwagen Gerat 892

Weight: 5.44 tons
Crew: 4
Used for cable-laying by communications troops in the creation of telephone networks. The crew was 4 and armament was one MG34.

Sd Kfz 250/3 leichter Funkpanzerwagen Gerat 893

Weight: 5.35 tons
Crew: 4
For control of motorized formations, and was equipped with the FuG12 radio which used the 2 metre rod and, later, the 2 metre star aerial. The armament of all Funkpanzer versions was one MG34.

Sd Kfz 250/3 leichter Funkpanzerwagen

Weight: 5.35 tons
Crew: 4
Issued to Luftwaffe ground units for air support control. FuG7 with 2 metre rod.

Sd Kfz 250/3 leichter Funkpanzerwagen

Weight: 5.35 tons
Crew: 4
Luftwaffe ground-to-air communications post, fitted with FuG7, and the FuG8 for main divisional command link-up. The antenna for the FuG8 was frame in the early vehicles, and 8 metre star mast later.

Sd Kfz 250/3 leichter Funkpanzerwagen

Weight 5.35 tons
Crew 4
General-purpose radio vehicle with radios to suit use.

Sd Kfz 250/4 leichter Truppenluftschutzpanzerwagen. Gerat 894

Originally envisaged as a light anti-aircraft vehicle armed with ZwilIingslafette (dual mount) 36 (2 x MG34), but this version was not put into production.

Sd Kfz 250/4 leichter Beobachtungspanzerwagen

Weight: 5.7 tons
Crew: 4
In 1943, this version was introduced to act as an observation vehicle for the Sturmgeschutz detachment. Radio equipment was the FuG15 and FuG16. Armament was one MG34 or 42.

Sd Kfz 250/5 leichter Beobachtungspanzerwagen Gerat 895

Weight: 5.35 tons
Crew: 4
Armored observation post equipped with FuG4 and FuG8. Early vehicles had the frame antenna, later, the 2 metre star, for the FuG8.

Sd Kfz 250/5 leichter Beobachtungspanzerwagen

Weight: 5.35 tons
Crew: 4
FuG12 replaced the earlier radio. In 1944, this version was redesignated Leichter Aufklarungspanzerwagen to differentiate from the Sd Kfz 250/4.

Sd Kfz 250/6 leichter Munitionspanzerwagen Ausf A fur Sturmgeschutz Gerat 896

One 7.5cm Kanone (Kurz) Ausf A bis E
Weight: 5.95 tons
Crew: 2
Armament: one 7.92mm MG34 Ammunition: 1,100
Issued to Sturmgeschutz Abt after the Sd Kfz 252 went out of production in September 1941. These Munitionspanzerwagen carried 70 rounds of 7.5cm ammunition for the StuK (L/24). An ammunition trailer was normally attached. The radio was FuG16.

Sd Kfz 250/6 leichter Munitionspanzerwagen Ausf B fur Sturmgeschutz 40 Ausf F and G

Weight: 6.09 tons
Crew: 2
Carried 60 rounds of 7.5cm StuK40 (L/48) ammunition. The armament of these vehicles was one MG34 or 42.

Sd Kfz 250/7 leichter Schutzenpanzerwagen (schwerer Granatwerfer) Gerat 897

Height: 1.8m
Weight: 5.61 tons
Crew: 5
Issued to the fourth platoon of Leichter Panzer Aufklarungs companies. The 8cm GrW34 was used to support the other platoons in action with fire from its mortar. An MG34 or 42 completed the armament. Forty-two rounds of mortar ammunition were stored.

Sd Kfz 250/7 leichter Schutzenpanzerwagen (Munitionsfahrzeug)

Armament: two 7.92mm MG34
Weight: 5.38 tons
Crew: 4
Ammunition: 2,010 Carrying 66 rounds of mortar ammunition
These vehicles were issued to section leaders or platoon commanders and frequently carried additional radio equipment.

Sd Kfz 250/8 leichter SchGtzenpanzerwagen (7.5cm) Gerat 898

Height: 2.07m
Weight: 6.30 tons
Crew: 3/4
Armament: one 7.5cm KwK37 L/24, later, one 7.5cm K51 (Sf)
Ammunition: 20
A small number of Sd Kfz 250/8 using the Alte chassis were issued in the spring of 1943. In October 1944, the Sd Kfz 250/8 was re-introduced with the gun mounted in the new unified mount 7.5cm K51 (Sf). These vehicles were issued to the 4th Platoon of the Leichter Panzer Aufklarungs companies.

Sd Kfz 250/9 leichter SchGtzenpanzerwagen (2cm) Gerat 883

Weight: 6.02 tons
Crew: 3
Height: 2.16m
Armament: one 2cm KwK38
Sight: TZF3a
Ammunition: 100 One 7.92mm MG34 or 42
Elevation: -10°+85°
The order for 30 of these semi-tracked armored cars was issued in March 1942. In the same year, three prototypes were· sent to Russia to see if the cross-country performance were better than that of the wheeled armoured cars, and as a result, the Sd Kfz 222 was discontinued and replaced by the Sd Kfz 250/9 which began mass-production in May 1943. Early versions used the complete turret assembly of the Sd Kfz 222, and later models, the Hangelafette (swinging mount) 38. The radio equipment was the FuG12.

Sd Kfz 250/10 leichter SchGtzenpanzerwagen (3.7cm PaK) Gerat 881

Weight: 5.67 tons
Crew: 4
Height: 1.97m
Armament: one 3.7cm PaK 35/36
Sight: ZF2 x 16°
Ammunition: 216 One 7.92mm MG34
Ammunition: 1,100
Elevation: -8° +25°
Traverse: 30° left 30° right
The Sd Kfz 250/10 was issued to platoon leaders to provide heavy support. Various configurations of gun shield were used with the 3.7cm PaK.

Sd Kfz 250/11 leichter SchGtzenpanzerwagen (schwere PanzerbGchse 41) Gerat 882

Height: 2.13m
Weight: 5.53 tons
Crew: 6
Armament: one 2.8cm sPz841
Ammunition: 168 One 7.92mm MG34 or 42
Ammunition 1,100
The SdKfz 250/11 was an alternative to the Sd Kfz 250/10 and was issued to platoon leaders. The spz841 was a high-velocity cone-bore weapon. A light-weight field carriage designed for airborne troops was carried on the vehicle so that the spzB41 could be dismounted.

Sd Kfz 250/12 leichter Messtruppanzerwagen. Gerat 899

Weight: 5.80 tons
Crew: 3/5
Armament: one 7.92mm MG34 or 42
Ammunition: 1,100
This was a survey and range-plotting vehicle used by artillery troops. The radio equipment consisted of a FuG8 in the early versions; the FuG12 became standard in later models.

Sd Kfz 250/-

There existed both Alte and Neu versions mounting the 2cm FlaK, although no official record exists.

Sd Kfz 250/-

A Sfl 5cm PaK38 L/60 is still on display in Yugoslavia. It used the (Neu Ausf) chassis which was lengthened to accommodate the PaK38.

Sd Kfz 250/- Lastkraftwagen

A number of armoured vehicles were modified by removing the rear armoured body to provide a load carrier.

When I started building the Hetzer, I started to like the layout of this tank. It’s vintage looks start to grow on me, and it’s role in the beginning of the war was somewhat crucial.

The annexation of Czechoslovakia allowed Germany to put the Czech tank into service. It’s main advantage was mobility, although the main gun could make a fair amount of damage, making this tank very suited to roles that otherwise would be destined to the much inferior, and by that time obsolete,  Panzer I.

The Kit

Recently Tristar (A Chinese brand) started to offer two variants of this tank.

The quality of the kits is outstanding. The crisp detail and accurate dimensions can produce excellent models in every respect.

I’ve managed to get a G variant from Tristar and I have to say that after  the first look I believe that It’s one o the best examples of modern plastic kits that I have.

Of course, being an aftermarket freak I managed to find a couple of thing for it.

Armorscale, a Polish brand, makes the most exquisite barrels for 1/35th scale and one of them is precisely the machine gun used in these Czech tanks.

The command variant had only one (turret) but the combat variant had another one in the hull. Much better option than creating the same barrel using plastic rod and brass rings from the Aber PE Set.

The other item ordered was in fact the Aber gun barrel.

It’s for the Tristar kit and it shows an amazing degree of detail and quality down to the riffling on the inside. Last but not the least, the excellent Praga engine from CMK. Since the kit can be assembled with the engine doors open, one has to put something inside, right?

Nothing better than a completely detailed interior from CMK.

Other details include the  exterior Photo Etch set from Aber and eventually a set of Bison decals for it.

Why so much aftermarket parts you may ask?

The way to create distinctive models it’s precisely in the details. Like Frank Lloyd Wright used to say – God is in the details.

Of course if you mess the paint work or if you build poorly, there’s no aftermarket part on Earth that can help you, but if you invest in these items you have to be sure you can keep up producing good models. I hope I can.

Building starts

15-04-2007

Today I started the Pz 38. All the after market parts on the table the instruction manual open and the definition of the building strategy was accomplished in 30 minutes.

The only thing I’m not sure about is which version and color I’m going to do. I have 3 options – Dunkelgelb, German Grey or Green. I’m not doing the green one because I don’t like this version and because it’s not a German vehicle.

The choice lies between a grey or a yellow version. The kit includes the parts needed for the command version of the tank with it’s huge overhead antenna, but I’m afraid that doing a German grey vehicle needs some skills to enhance the final model that I’m not familiar with right now.

The CMK engine looks very promising. Good detail and odorless resin. The casting blocks are huge but my faithful Dremel and a cutting disc takes care of that. I the middle of a dust cloud it takes just a few minutes to get rid of those huge chunks of resin.

There are not many parts, but I have to build a convincing replica of the engine because I plan to put two mechanics doing some maintenance work.

Of course, the engine doors will be wide open and these two guys will be working on the engine bay. If you see photos of a close engine model you’ll know that I failed miserably on the engine or on the figures (lol). Although this engine is for the Tamiya kit, the bulkhead fits the Tristar kit perfectly. I had to "convince" it to stay straight using hot water, but very little can be seen after building the engine compartment, so there’s no need to be very meticulous.

It produces a very good effect and even more with the engine painted with all the Photo Etch parts for the radiator and engine.

Building of engine

18-04-2007

The fitting of parts is quite good but there’s some slight warp on the fenders. Gluing them needs some care so that they wont be out of alignment when the glue dries.

The engine is another matter. The casting block are huge and some parts are very difficult to cut from them. I’m using the thinnest disc from Dremel but a thin modeling saw is probably a better choice. The chances of ruining something with a power tool are very high.

However the result seem to be adequate for what’s intended. I’ll build the tank with open hatches and mechanics doing some maintenance job on the engine. It’s the Maintenance Crew set from Tamiya and I could see just by looking at the figures that they’ll need some modifications before painting. If all else fails there’s always the unavoidable resin high quality figures from other makers.

Not that I want to spend more money, but some things need to be done. eh eh

Finishing after one year

10-06-2008

Photos taken with Canon EOS 1D Mark III TrueVision lighting products

The Pz 38 stood on my bench for one year.

Just when I was building it one year ago, my father passed away. For many months I didn’t work on my models at all.

I lacked the will to do it. My mood was not the best and many things were happening at that time. So it just sat there.

A couple of months ago I decided to restart modeling again, but other models got in the way. As many modelers do I just start another while many are just lacking minor details. But this model is so near the finish that I decided to complete it.

And I’m glad I did. It’s not a complicated model and it can be a very good looking one. I painted it in Panzer Grey and people tell it’s very difficult to create interest on a model with just one color and being so dark as it is it may turn thing really difficult.

I used Lifecolor Pz Grey but mixed with 20% white. For two main reasons. First, scale color should always be lighter than the real one, especially if the tank is not "brand new".

The second one is the margin for error. If it’s too light there’s always a way to solve it. But if it’s too dark there’s no going back. I’m glad that I did it this way because it has life, in spite of the dark tone used.

I highlighted the center of all the panels with an even lighter mix of white and Pz Grey, very diluted. There was no need to do post shading because I got it right the first time.

A little more

11-06-2008

To cut the monotony of the plain color I’m going to use a technique called mapping.

It consists of doing little spots of oil colors that are faded with the help of a flat damp brush to create streaks of color and variations. The colors I used are not very far on the palette. Blue, grey, white and raw umber in vertical and horizontal surfaces. Since this colors are transparent it creates a subtle effect of color variation that you can’t really tell what it is, but can be seen and it turns an otherwise monotonous color into a multitude of variations.

The photos you see here were taken just before I got into that phase so that you can see how dramatic the change is.

This technique in very easy to do and very difficult to do wrong. As long as you don’t go overboard with the paint dots  nothing bad will happen. And the results can be dramatic.

I really hate excessively weathered and damaged models. Many modelers tend to exaggerate the wear to a point that is absolutely ridiculous. I prefer a softer approach.

The elements take their toll on these vehicles, but nothing like we are used to see, like huge chipped areas or the bare metal exposed just because the crew climbs a tank in a certain spot.

	Photos taken with Canon EOS 1D Mark III TrueVision lighting products

However there is a little that can add to the realism of the model. Water streaks, accumulated dust, color changing due to discoloration from the sun, rain etc, are in the group that I can stand and try to do.

Unless a tank is leaving the factory, that change exists and can be visible in many photos. That’s why I tried to take out the brand new look that the tank had, even with the slight color variations on the panels.

To the right there are a few photos where you can see the results and compare it with the previous shots, and also the materials I used to achieve that effect.

Pz 38G complete

It took me forever but it’s finally complete.

The last phase is the most painful. It’s the time when we have to check every little detail to see if something is missing or to evaluate the general look of the model and correct what can be corrected. This kit is deceivingly simple. In fact the number of parts does nor correspond to the final look of the model. Tristar did a great job with this one.

The surface detail, the finesse of parts produce an outstanding model. If you have to compare Dragon and Tristar, I would say that both achieve the same final results but Tristar is a much more straightforward kit to build.

Dragon get’s lost in absurd detailing and breakdown in small parts. They are a mess to build and very easy to miss a part during construction.

Their instructions are not brilliant either, which adds to the "Dragon Chaos". The Tristar approach is a sensible one.

Less parts count but with excellent detail. Good instructions and accuracy above all. If I have to choose between the same vehicle from these two brands, I will choose Tristar hands down.

Pros

• Very crisp detail even on very small and delicate parts.
• Excellent precision of fit between parts.
• No nonsense approach on parts count and detail.
• Clear instructions.

Cons

• Lack of interior parts (but the gluing spots are there, so maybe they are thinking in some sort of add on).
• Some parts would benefit in being in PE, like the track section holder at the front.

What was used in this kit

CMK Praga engine detail set (3049)
Aber Metal Barrel (35L53)
Aber Photo Etch set (35048)
Armorscale MG barrel (B35-011)
LifeColor paints Mig washes and pigments

Related Sites

Aber
CMK
Armorscale

 Description

The Panzer 38(t) was a conventional pre-World War II tank design, with riveted armor and rear engine.

The riveted armor was not sloped, and varied in thickness from 10 mm to 25 mm in most versions. Later models (Ausf E on) increased this to 50 mm.

The two man turret was centrally located, and housed the tank’s main armament, a 37 mm Skoda A7 gun with 90 rounds stored on board. It was equipped with a 7.92 mm machine gun to the right of the main ordnance. Interestingly, the turret machinegun was in a separate ball mount rather than a coaxial mount. This meant the machinegun needed to be trained on targets independently, rather than being aimed with the main gun. The driver was in the front right of the hull, with the bow machine gunner seated to the left, manning a 7.92 mm machine gun. As with many 1930s tanks, the bow gunner was also the radio operator. A total of 2,550 rounds were carried for the bow and coaxial machine guns.

The engine was mounted in the rear of the hull and drove the tank through a transmission with five forward gears and one reverse gear. It drove a forward drive sprocket, with the track running under four rubber tire road wheels and back over a rear idler and two track return rollers. The wheels were mounted on a leaf-spring double-bogie mounted on two axles. Despite the large wheel size, the tank did not use a Christie suspension.

 
Development

In 1935, the Czechoslovak tank manufacturer ČKD were looking at as replacement for the LT-35 tank they were jointly producing with Škoda Works. The LT-35 was complex and had shortcomings, and ČKD felt there would be orders both from the expanding Czechoslovak army and for export.

ČKD decided to use a suspension with four large wheels for their new tank. It resembled the Christie suspension outwardly, but was actually a conventional leaf spring unit. The resulting vehicle was reliable, and an export success: 50 were exported to Iran, 24 each to Peru and Switzerland. Latvia also ordered some. Britain evaluated one tank, but rejected it.

On July 1, 1938, Czechoslovakia ordered 150 of the TNHPS model, although none had entered service by the time of the German occupation. After the German takeover, Germany ordered continued production of the model, as it was considered an excellent tank, especially compared to the Panzer I and Panzer II tanks that were the Panzerwaffe’s main tanks. Production of tanks for Germany continued into 1942, and amounted to more than 1,400 examples. Examples were also sold to a number of German allies, including Hungary (102), Slovakia (69), Romania (50), and Bulgaria (10). In German service the 38(t) was used as a substitute for the Panzer III.

A modified Panzer 38(t) chassis was also the basis for a number of self-propelled gun mountings and tank destroyers, including the highly successful German Jagdpanzer 38(t) Hetzer tank-destroyer.

The Panzer 38(t) was manufactured up to the middle of World War II. Manufacture ceased because the small turret wasn’t capable of taking a weapon big enough to destroy the latest tanks. However, because the chassis was mechanically reliable, turretless versions were built with a weapon mounted on the superstructure. Assault guns, anti-tank guns and anti-aircraft guns were mounted on the chassis. A Swedish variant, the Sav m/43, remained in use until 1970, which is probably a longevity record for a pre-WW2 tank.

Specifications

Panzer 38(t) Aus. A-C

General

• Role: Medium tank
• Crew: 4

Armament and armor

• Main armament: 37.2 mm Skoda A7 (L/47.8) gun with 90 rounds
• Secondary armament: 2 x 7.92 mm MG 37(t) (Model 37) machine gun with 2,550 rounds.
• Armour: front 25 mm, side 15 mm

Power and weight

• Engine: Prage EPA Model I inline six-cylinder liquid cooled petrol
• Transmission: 5 forward, 1 reverse
• Power: 95 kW (126 hp)
• Weight: combat: 9.5 tonnes, dry: 8.5 tonnes
• Power/Weight: 10 kW/metric ton (13.0 hp/short ton)

Performance

• Speed: 56 km/h (35 mph)
• Range: 200 km (125 miles)

Dimensions

• Length: 4.61 m
• Width: 2.14 m
• Height: 2.40 m

Yet another Israeli tank… Israel has a long history of conflicts with its neighbors. Since the Independence war, two major wars and an ongoing conflict that lasts till today has turned their armed forces into  a very effective machine, and often with surprising results.

There is something in their ingenuity that distinguishes them from every country. The continuous transformations and adaptations to their material turned the specific Israeli versions of AFV into something very peculiar. The fact that they had T55′s was a total surprise to me. But then again, Germans had Russian vehicles and Russian had German vehicles. The reason was exactly the same – captured T55′s were converted and deployed under Israeli colors after 1969.

The Tiran existed in three major versions, depending on which base version they were transformed from. They were no more than captured Egyptian, Syrian and Jordanian tanks converted to suit their needs, namely the substitution of the main gun and several other transformations to the tank.

I’m going to build the Tiran 5 version. Based on the excellent Tamiya T55A with a Blast Models resin conversion this is going to be one of my all time favorite projects. If you read my pages you probably guessed that I have a soft spot for Israeli armor, so a Centurion and other Israeli AFV’s are planned.

The Kit(s)

Tamiya makes an excellent T55, and Trumpeter makes a really bad Tiran 5.

There was not much to decide. I decided to get the Tamiya kit and one of the best (if not the best) Tiran conversion for making the Tiran 5 – The Blast Models resin kit.

There’s not much to say about the Tamiya kit, so I’m just going to "talk" about the resin kit from Blast. It’s awesome!

The quality of the resin parts is second to none and the accuracy is also of note.

All the photos and reference material I could gather, confirm the accuracy of details of the kit.

From the cupola hatches, to the turret and hull racks, everything seems to have been checked and rechecked on this conversion.

The only minor issue being the gun tube, in which the front section comes a little warped.

However, I don’t panic anymore. I just use hot water and an hair dryer and it’s just a matter of minutes till everything is in order.

Some other parts are going to be used on the kit, namely a set of excellent Friul tracks, the Eduard basic T55 set, a generic tie down loops set from Aber and of course, Bison decals.

The building started already and I’m changing and detailing all the small things that are needed to make this kit a remarkable model.

Building

12-04-2008

Building a kit like this has it’s advantages.

The Tamiya base is excellent in every respect. The way the parts go together is typical of their high quality and that’s what I would expect from them. And I start to think the same about Blast Models.

Their resin sets are always good. In this particular case it was done as a perfect match for the T55 from Tamiya. The end result is surely top notch, provided one handles it with care.

Working with resin is not the same as working with plastic and there’s a need for that little more attention.

I’ve been having a precious help from an authority on IDF armor.

I’ve joined a forum exclusively dedicated to this area and on that forum I found a very helpful Moderator. None other than the head of the Latrun Armor museum in Israel – Michael Mass.

He is a reserve L. Colonel of the IDF and he happens to be a former "Tiranist".

He has the most amazing collection of photos of all IDF armor and specifically of the Tiran.

He provided information and photos of details I could never imagine. This help can turn a regular model into a very accurate replica of the real thing. I had a crush on IDF armor, but with this kind of help a lot more will follow.

I can see myself doing the Achzarit, Shot Kal, Nagmachom etc etc. Almost all details are done and in just a couple of hours the kit will go to painting. And that’s the proof of the pudding.

Turret ready… well, almost

Apr 13, 2008

The turret is now ready. After countless hours doing all the details, it’s finally complete and ready for painting. I like to give a coat of Tamiya primer for two reasons:

1. Because of different materials (resin, metal, plastic) the paint tends to behave differently if a coat of paint is applied directly
2. It highlights any imperfection that may exist and gives the opportunity to correct before it’s too late.

The hull follows close. Most of the work is done and there are only a few minor details missing. I guess that with 4-5 hours work it can be ready for the first coat of primer.

Hull ready

Apr 18, 2008

After the turret there was a huge amount of detailing needed on the hull. Some of it was already done, but what was missing meant a lot of hours looking through a magnifying glass.

All the parts from the Blast kit, the PE on boxes, tie down links, and an endless amount of little things took 5 days (around 4-5 hours each) to do. In the meantime I decided to have a go at lowering the  suspension. It was too high but it was already glued.

With the use of Tamiya Thin Glue (it has the ability to soften previous glue) and some twisting, I lowered the suspension 4-5 mm. And that changes the stance of the tank significantly. It looks heavier and meaner.

After all those small details, the hull was painted with a first coat of primer and the usual set of photos taken. Here they are to the right.

The last one was a last minute change, again thanks to the invaluable help of forum members. This time in Armorama. A member pointed out that the ventilation slot was not there and in fact it was quite easy to do. A file, a small strip from a PE fret, some filler and 1.5 hour of work produced that little slot that I missed from all the reference material I saw. Many things in this model were result of the input on forums.

1. The mount for the IR light on the turret was modified from the original Tamiya part.
2. Sink marks on the rear of the turret that I didn’t notice. They were the placement marks for the original kit
3. The suspension height
4. The angle of the ammo box on the right side of the turret
5. The ventilation slot on the base of the turret
6. Chamfer the base of the turret

Very easy to correct, but I would miss them if it wasn’t the sharp eye of these guys. Some of them were a dramatic improvement on the model, like the suspension or the IR light mount that would not survive scrutiny from more informed T55 modelers (as it didn’t). Many thanks to them.

I’m planning to paint the base coat this weekend and according to the best examples I’ve seen, Tamiya Buff is the base color. Why change a  wining team? If Adam O’Brien used it on is EXCELLENT Tiran, then I’m sure it’s suited for me.

Painting

Apr 20, 2008

The work is progressing fast. Maybe because I want to see the final result ASAP. I applied a base coat of Tamiya Buff (1.) and post shade of Xrtracrilycs Israeli Sand (2.). A brown filter from Mig (Sin Industries) was used to enhance the post shade effect in some places (3.).

This is used to give more depth to some recesses or even to change the way the light normally behaves on a surface. Vertical surfaces are normally lighter because they are less exposed to strong sunlight.

But before further filters and washes I had to apply decals and this was done over a coat of gloss varnish where the decals were to be placed. I preferred to use this approach so that I don’t apply to many coats to the model.

The decals are from the recent set released by Bison (I’m still missing the registration numbers, and they are needed for this model) with Microscale Microsol.

Oops…

Apr 21, 2008

I don’t know why, but I have a tendency to mess up Israeli colors. They seem easy at first sight but things can go wrong very fast. After the filter and gloss for the decals I could not stop looking at the model thinking it was too yellow.

I looked at it under natural light and it was in fact too yellow. At this stage the decals were on and correcting the color was a tough job. But I just could not let things as they were. I planned a strategy for solving the problem.

All decals needed to be masked and a mist of the correct color had to be sprayed on. But what color? After several tries, a mix of Tamiya Buff, White and light grey seemed to be the correct mix.

The proportion is 60% Buff+20% White+20% Tamiya Light Grey. A very diluted (20% paint+80% water) was then sprayed over the model.

In the end I removed the masks from the decals and did it over them, blending the decals with the base color. White got less white and the decals seem painted on the model.

Looking at the results I can say that the color seems the right tone.

Pigments and weathering will take care of the rest. Again a close call on a paint color that was getting out of tone.

Weathering

This was a two phase process with a lot of time between the two phases. The first chipping and pigment application was really very soft. I did it in May, and the model was just sitting on the shelf for a while waiting some details. In the meantime I made other models and especially changed my view of chipping and weathering.

The two DVD’s by Mig productions had a very important role in this. It’s amazing how your perception changes when you see other modelers work.

When I grabbed the model from the shelf a few days ago I understood immediately that the chipping was way to soft and the tank was nowhere as dirty as it should be. So I decided to revisit the process and do it again. Even when I think I’m doing much more chipping, some view it as very subtle and controlled and that’s exactly what I want to achieve.

I just applied lighter base color and metal spots in places where it seemed reasonable to have them. After all, when you look at a vehicle this big you can find countless little imperfections on the surface. The pigments werejust dropped on the surface and then blended with Mineral White Spirit.

The cables the registration plate and a few painted details on the cupola and hatches finished the ensemble.

I hope you like it, because I sure do.

Acknowledgments

Special thanks to Michael Mass and the folks at IDF in Scale forum. Without them and their priceless input this would be a much worse model than it is.

What was used in this kit

Tamiya T55A Blast Models Conversion for Tiran 5
Friul Tracks
Eduard set for T55
Tasca .50 MG Set
Aber .30 metal barrels
Bison decals
Karaya Cables

It’s quite common among modelers to be drawn to WWII German Tanks. Not just because of their fame but also because their technical superiority and design. They are the paramount of tank development during that period.

But there are some remarkable examples of what the other countries were doing at the time.

The Sherman was one of them and the T34 was the other. Those are probably the most famous tanks of the Allies.

And then there was a multitude of other vehicles, from light tanks to support vehicles, some more obscure than others, and I mean obscure because they didn’t achieve the same status of the tanks that we all know about.

The T70 was one of them. It equipped the Soviet Forces in large numbers (more than 8.000) and it got his share of combat action. Usually on the loosing side, because facing 75mm shells in this tiny tank had a know and very unpleasant result.

The MiniArt Kit

Before the fall of the Berlin Wall it was very difficult to have reasonably accurate kits of Soviet military material. They were based in photos or examples that were in Western museums but the choice was scarce.

Recently a few Eastern brands began releasing much more accurate representations of tanks and the best After Market parts are indeed based in Eastern Countries.

Miniart from Russia makes excellent kits of WWII Soviet tanks and vehicles but I didn’t know exactly how good they were. I bought this one on my LHS for a reasonable price and decided to start building it a few days ago (while waiting for the metal barrel for my Staghound).

I must say I’m quite impressed with the quality of the kit. The plastic comes in two shades of grey  and the surface detail is excellent. At first the plastic seems a bit soft, but I found that’s not the case.

The plastic has the adequate consistency with the possible exception of the suspension arms. However, if they bend out of shape they are easy to "convince" to go back to the correct position.

There are very small parts on the kit and flash cannot be seen except in a few cases where it is so small that it’s just a matter of a couple of minutes to get rid of it.

The tracks are the individual  link variety and the molding is absolutely fantastic. Building one track is a matter of patience but that’s why I do kits – to relax and erase from my mind the troubles from everyday work.

I decided to complement this kit with a fine metal barrel from Aber and the Photo Etch set from Eduard. Those little things that add credibility to a model, like grids, handles and all those impossible to do in plastic.

The rest is a matter of work, dedication and good reference materials. By chance I found that one issue on Steel Masters (that I subscribe) has an article on the T70M and a photo of the tank I’m going to depict. Talk about luck..

Building starts

03-02-2008

This was probably the fastest build I ever did. In a matter of hours, the hull, turret and fenders were done.

The fenders are from the Eduard set and they were soldered like all metal should be (eh eh).

After the results I got on the Hetzer with photo etch soldering, I’ll never use ciano again to secure metal to metal. The only problem with this approach is the type of language I often use when holding parts heated at 500 Celsius. I tend to forget how hot those metal parts get.

The fenders are by far the most complicated part on this build, followed by the tracks that need assembling link by link. In the photos you can see the fenders already in place, the grilles for the engine compartment and the stowage set from Blast Models. I like to give some "life" to my models with the inclusion of something that gives away human presence. What better than the bags and boxes that crews used to put on their tank?

This particular tank has a whitewash  over the regular Russian green color of that period. Only the upper part of the hull is painted white (normally it was done very crudely at the field) and this is going to be my premiere in this kind of painting. If I manage to build those tracks fast enough I guess I’ll start painting this week, so be tuned for

further developments

Close to the end

06-02-2008

Tracks done and moving forward to detailing.

The Eduard set has a lot of things that have to be changed or added to the kit.

One of the things I did was to wrap the exhausts with thin Tamiya tape strips. I had this image in the back of my mind that I had seen this somewhere. In fact in some period photos you can see the exhaust pipes that come out of the engine wrapped in asbestos. I just couldn’t find where I saw a kit built this way. So I decided to review all my magazines to find that build article.

I found it on Model Military International and I replicated the same effect the exact same way. From the photos of the specific vehicle I’m going to build there are no photos of that detail, but I don’t care. It adds a nice effect to the tank and from the logical point of view I imagine that it would be something that the infantry guys riding on the tank would appreciate.

I’m not going to detail the interior. It was very simple and there was no way that it would end up good enough. The only parts that are included on the kit are the gun and some parts for the hatch.

Best to build the tank with the hatch closed and detailed on the outside. I’m in the finishing phases of detailing just prior to painting. I guess that I’ll have two kits for painting in a couple of days. Painting is what I like best, so it’s nice to do two in a row.

Close to the end

08-02-2008

All the tiny bits are done. After a couple of nights of work I just painted it with Tamiya primer and the painting will follow. That’s the part I really enjoy. On the first photo on the right you can see the wrapping around the exhaust pipes simulated with thin stripes of Tamiya paper tape.

In the pic the tiny straps that hold the pipes to the mufflers are not visible but are there .

The sag on the tracks was made using the most important tools for the job – hair dryer and toothpicks.

This weekend the green base coat is going to be applied over some pre shading. I ‘m going to pre shade in spite of applying a whitewash over it, because I can have second thoughts and I’ll do it anyway. It’s a good training anyway.

Painting and weathering

11-02-2008

On the left you can see the result of my efforts in painting my first whitewashed tank. The process was not as straight forward as I expected. First it was painted in Russian green with a clear coat over it. I was expecting that with some scratches the green could appear again (like in the real tanks) but what happened was not exactly as planned. The white coat and the green coat bonded so well that any scratch no matter how light would expose the plastic.

Plan B.

Dry brushing with green… Amazingly the Plan B worked better than I expected and the white seems to have faded under the action of rain and snow.

The worn areas (front hull), turret and fenders were painted this way. It looks like the the places where the crew get in and out of the tank are already exposing the green base coat.

Perfect.

Exactly the desired effect. I’ve started to apply pigments on  the exhausts and the next step is the oil wash and graphite wear effect in places where the metal needs to be exposed.

The part that is really terrifying is the mud part. I don’t want to mess the lower hull too much, so I’m training in pieces of plastic before I decide to do it on the model. You’ll soon see if I messed up big or not…

Pros

• Good quality plastic. Easy to work on.
• Nice surface detail. Weld lines well represented and surface roughness of metal molded on the plastic
• Fine detail all-round. Delicate parts are well molded
• Individual link tracks are excellent in detail.

Cons

• Very basic instructions, although it’s not a very complicated kit.
• To build a really appealing kit, some AM photo etch set has to be used increasing the final price a bit. But this is just me. I like detail at this level.

What was used in this kit

Aber barrel for T-70 Eduard Photo Etch Set 35909 Blast Models T-70 Stowage set

Related sites

Blast Models
Eduard
Aber

History

The T-70 light tank was used by the Army of the Soviet Union during World War II, replacing both the T-60 scout tank for reconnaissance and the T-50 light infantry tank for infantry support.

The T-80 light tank was a more advanced version of the T-70 with a two-man turret—it was only produced in very small numbers when light tank production was abandoned.

The T-90 self-propelled anti-aircraft gun was a prototype vehicle with twin machine guns, based on the T-70 chassis. The T-70 was armed with a 45-mm L/46 gun Model 38 with forty-five rounds carried, and a coaxial 7.62-mm DT machine gun.

The tank was operated by a driver and a commander who loaded and fired the gun. Armor thickness on the turret front was 60 mm, hull front and sides: 45 mm, rear and turret sides: 35 mm, roof and bottom: 10 mm.

By 1942, light tanks were considered inadequate by the Red Army, unable to keep up with the T-34 medium tank and unable to penetrate the armor of most German tanks. But they could be produced by small factories which were unable to handle the large components of medium and heavy tanks.

The T-70 was an attempt to remedy some of the shortcomings of the T-60 scout tank, which had very poor cross-country mobility, thin armor, and an inadequate 20-mm gun. It also replaced the very short production run of the T-50 light infantry tank, which was more sophisticated, but also much too complicated and expensive to produce. The T-70 was designed by N. Astrov’s design team at Factory No. 38 in Kirov.

The first batch of T-70s were built with a GAZ-202 automotive engine on each side of the hull, one driving each track. This arrangement was seen to be a serious problem, even before the first tanks were issued. It was quickly redesigned as the T-70M (although it continued to be referred to as just T-70), with the engines in-line on the right side of the tank and a normal transmission and differential. The conical turret was replaced by one more easily welded out of plate armor, and moved to the left side of the hull. Curiously, even after the T-70’s production line was redesigned, SU-76 self-propelled guns started to be built with the same unsatisfactory unsynchronized two-engine layout, and all of them were later recalled for factory rebuilding as SU-76Ms.

T-70s were put into production in March 1942 at Zavod No. 37, and along with T-60 production at GAZ and Zavod No. 38. They completely replaced T-60 production in September 1942, although that tank remained in use until the end of the war.

Production ended in October 1943, with 8,226 vehicles completed. In April 1942, the conical turrets on early-production machines were replaced with new welded turrets. The end of the T-70’s production run was built with two 85-hp GAZ-203 engines, a Mark 4 commander’s periscope replacing a vision slit, and other improvements.

The T-70 remained in service until 1948.

Specifications

• Weight 9.2 tonnes
• Length 4.29 m
• Width 2.32m
• Height 2.04m
• Crew 2
• Armor 60 mm
• Primary armament 45 mm gun Model 38
• Secondary armament 7.62 mm DTcoaxial
• Engine 2×GAZ-202 70+70 hp (52+52 kW)
• Power/weight 15 hp/tonne
• Suspension torsion bar
• Operational range 360 km
• Speed 45 km/h