SOVIET MEDIUM TANK T34/85 MOD.1944 DRAGON 1/35

I combined the Tristar Russian tank soldiers with Dragon T-34 premium kit. It was built in May 2014.

Consumption tax rates rose from 5% to 8% in Japan and passed for around three weeks. There are not much stocks of plastic models so as to be able to spend my life without buying, but because my consumer spirits decline a little now, I’m destroying the heap of my stock.
(19-April-2014)

Because I have made bed spring armor T34 before, it’s easy assembling. Some wheels are not attached for easy adjustment of the length of caterpillar.

It is necessary to have various modified work in plastic parts when I choose photo-etched parts. As an example, it is necessary to gouge out plastic parts to attach the mesh etching of the engine cover on the vehicle rear. Recovery is very hard so I did this work more carefully.

There are in large quantities of small photo-etched parts, and this is the power of the highly detail up. Assembling in itself of the fuel tank is simple, but the work speed falls as soon as into a stage to handle photo-etched parts. There are many hard sections to assemble them.

A metal gun barrel is attached and is thankful for this kit to have a straight line of the barrel. I think that even plastic parts do not have any problem if we process it carefully.

I thought it was more easily completed before, when I made T34 with bed spring armor, referring my past homepage. Instead of having attached bed spring armor, I did not attached many OVMs. This type I’m making is the orthodox one.

I used considerably much photo-etched parts. I think the rear loop has stopped tab of the spare fuel tank. Because the rear top and bottom joint has some gap, I buried it with putty.

A stop tab and the handle of the tool box mold on the plastic parts should be removed in advance, and attached the etched parts. In fact, I can see the inside of the wire netting a little. Possibly I thought whether it was the combination with plastic parts and photo-etched parts. But if I use both of them, then a mold became strange. It will be necessary that this inside area painted with black inside and makes it less noticeable. Because the saw molds are enough of the plastic, I did not replace it with photo-etched parts.
(19-April-2014)

Carefully erased the injection mark of spare caterpillar.

I succeeded to shape round the circular parts of the contingency fuel tank belt etching for using slim file shaft on an eraser, rounding little by little.

This kit was designed by famous sculptor Mr. Yoshitaka Hirano. It’s released very old time, but still now it’s masterwork, I suppose. I will make two people from this box.

It’s first time for me to make woman figure. She has a good natural expression.

A woman seems to be somewhat smaller. She has a small face and maybe hard to paint.

Because irregular color comes out at the basic painting on the etched parts as this kit, I blew surfacer to equalize the tone in advance.

Many inside areas are visible, and I painted this area in dark color.

It is somewhat the pose like a crashed tank. I painted the caterpillar tread and the rotating wheel with airbrush this time. Because the parts were big and I painted them easily without becoming so nervous.

I painted dark green and attached decal sheet. I was finished the decal coating by mat clear without the surface being invaded lacquer thinner. We should be careful the strong thinner too much use, some decals are weak and soon get wrinkled or broken.

Painted earth color lightly, mainly near ground area. It becomes completion after I have washing and tipping moderately.
(19-April-2014)

T-34/85 has an 85mm antitank gun that was strengthened the firepower in comparison with T-34/76. This tank can fight almost equal condition with German Tiger and Panther. (Maybe Tiger is stronger…) T-34/85 has more advantageous than the IV tank long gun barrel type. Early T-34 had a 76.2mm gun, it’s firepower was relatively weak.

T-34/85 is the tank of the great force to make a recovery of the Soviet Union in the latter half of WWII. T-34 of all versions were produced approximately 85,000.

T-34 were used in over 40 countries after World War II, especially in the Communists bloc. I remember the TV program of Discovery Channel tank best 10, in this program, T-34 won 1st prize. Though it would be half a joke, it was quite interesting.

Because I have an image of the Soviet Union tank making a rush in muddiness, I put tipping many rust of weathering paint.

There are many looking points on the rear body, exhaust pipes, mesh of the wire netting and the spare fuel tanks, etc.

I made the round hatch movable. But it was damaged on the way to finish up, I adhered it an open position. It is a difficult point, even if the part of the hinge makes it movable through a brass wire.

The attached clear headlight part is really high quality. I think whether it is difficult to express its reticular pattern mold by myself.

The armor of T-34 was up to approximately 90mm thickness, but it has angle armor everywhere, and shellproof effect was enhanced than an armor thickness.

A decal shining was not outstanding with the photograph above three columns, but has attracted attention to the condition of the lighting a little. Because there was no shining it on the right side, why will such a thing be? I should have cut out a big blank part before attaching large decals.

I had washing and tipping on the gun barrel, and soot dirt on the muzzle.

It is the good effect of the etched parts of the toolbox, fuel tanks, and probably caterpillar treads-related tools placed right of the tanks which I don’t know the purpose.

The periscopes was painted mixed blue with silver. The Russian tanks seem to have a bad view as so few periscopes. Such a part influenced the momentary judgment on the battlefield, and German military would have the advantage. The Soviet Union forces exceeded in number on the background of industrial power.

I made caterpillar shine and understood their pattern well.

It is difficult to paint a woman beautiful. This finish up is so-so.

I painted the figure’s skin part with Tamiya enamel, but mixed poppy oil of the oil painting because the Tamiya enamel dried early too much. I had to wait one week for drying. Maybe I mixed too much poppy oil in the enamel paint. I need more examination for easy use in the future.

Is it a leather jacket? It’s ordinary tank crew. Because it was slightly bigger eyes, I drew, I suppose he has the Westerner-like face?

From the different angle, one more shot. He is holding a cigarette.

I think it’s reasonable paint finish for considering it’s injection figures mold. Days diligence…

It’s back shot.

I drew the shoulder mark as the instruction. However, it was indeed impossible to describe the mark of the tank in size of 1/10 of a rice piece. Probably it may be the woman of the private first class.

The final satisfaction changes in the good or bad of the basic painting. I think it is a success, according to my Russian Tank color image this time.
(25-May-2014)