AFV/19 Nov/Dec 04 18/10/04 1:18 pm Page 14
Ladies and Gentlemen, please welcome all to engineer a complete interior. These are have taken the trouble to replicate surface
the way from China, some of the most elements that are by no means textures where appropriate and everything
exciting injection moulded kits you could commonplace in the average 1:35th kit fits together well which is quite an
hope to see. There is no getting away from and when you compare these with the achievement given the complexity of the
the sheer schoolboy excitement induced likes of the Tamiya 1:16th scale Tank kits kits. The inclusion of things like the etched
by the arrival of these two kits on my desk. you have to turn to the aftermarket brass very much means that these can be
I had already seen the test shot pictures companies for these parts. build straight from the box into some very
and the T34/85 display models but these Tamiya have designed their kits primarily complete kits.
really didn’t prepare me for the real thing. for the RC market and this shows in the
They are in my opinion the most lack of finesse in some components, but Trumpeter have released 4 versions of the
spectacular injection moulded kits to have Trumpeter have approached these kits as T34 - the 1942 T34/76, the 1943
been released and they mark out purely static models and they are all the hardedged ‘Mickey Mouse’ T34/76 and 2
Trumpeter as a new key player. better for it. Perhaps the best example of versions of the T34/85. It appears that
this is the highly detailed turret ring which Trumpeter have used the 85 as the basis
What you have here are complete is of course completely hidden when you for all the kits which, given their prevalence
packages including etched brass, sprung install the turret but they have taken the is understandable, but in their efforts to
suspension with rubber tires, individual trouble to reproduce it - always handy if keep as much commonality between
track links and even braided metal tow you want to blow the turret off! The quality sprues they have introduced some
ropes and to top it all they have managed of the moulding is good and Trumpeter inaccuracies into the earlier 76 versions.
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AFV/19 Nov/Dec 04 18/10/04 1:18 pm Page 15
Come on in!
It’s Trumpeter’s 1:16th
T34 with full interior
by David Parker
The turret ring is the bigger version for the which go to form the inside hull walls. The under the seat - unfortunately they are
85 making the earlier turrets necessarily side walls for the fighting compartment rather more complicated and this will be
inaccurate and likewise the kit supplies the have the distinctive cut out scoops to visible. I began by making the 2 springs
85 firewall and 85 engine oil filters. Both 76 accommodate the bigger turret ring of the which run from the steering levers to the
kits lack the power transfer for the turret T34/85 so these must be filled and I floor along with small heel rest which sits in
and are short of the correct amount of thought the easiest method was to plate front of the right hand lever. The steering
ready ammunition and also short one of them over using 10 thou card. The controls feed back to a crossbar under the
the floor ammo bins. locations for most of the fixtures and drivers seat which I made from plastic rod
Given this, the 85 is most certainly the fittings on the side walls is incorrect for the along with the control rods which run back
easy option but to my mind also the least earlier versions and is best ignored. Before along the floor to the firewall. Most of this
exciting. It seemed the ‘42 with its big installing the inner walls it is best to fill the area will be covered when the ammunition
turret hatch would offer the best large release pin marks on the hull floor. stowage boxes are installed.
opportunity to show off the interior so I
decided to build a complete fighting Trumpeter have done a good job in The compressed air cylinders must be
compartment in this and build the ‘43 providing a convincing representation of plumbed in along with the hand pump for
buttoned up. the fighting compartment and especially the fuel system which is positioned
the drivers controls but there is still plenty between the drivers pedals and this was
Construction begins with the assembly of of room for improvement. Trumpeter have done using differing gauges of wire. The
the sprung suspension inside the towers run the rods from the drivers controls driver and co drivers seats are very flat
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‘42
hull interior
Bottle is relocated and detailed
The power transfer
for the turret is not
included in the kit
so this was
scratchbuilt.
The radio equipment was detailed with
cabling and a scratchbuilt stowage bag.
New ammunition trays were built The crew seats needed to be ‘re-
using the kit tray and copies made. upholstered’ with MAGIC SCULPT
The excellent HUSSAR Ammunition for a more realistic padded look.
was used to fill the trays.
The Driver’s controls were improved with
additional control rods and springs.
Moulded straps on the ammunition
bins were removed and replaced
with new ones made from pewter
strip.
The centrally positioned MG
ammunition stowage is taken from
the ‘43 kit and modified to fit.
The controls for the engine louvres
are repositioned next to the driver.
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Head padding and weld
beads are made from
MAGIC SCULPT
MR SURFACER
500 was applied
to give an The pivot control
appropiate for the antenna is
texture to the scratchbuilt
armour plate.
The dashboard is missing A scratchbuilt radio mic is
the small light fitting. added under the intercom box.
The engine bay was built straight from the
box because it would be hidden on the
completed model.
The only exception was adding cabling to
the engine.
The front fuel cells are missing from the kit.
A completely new firewall was built from
plastic card using the kit part as a
template. GRANDT LINE wingnuts were
used to replace the overscale kit parts.
The scoops on the hull side wall were
blanked off.
Cabling for the compressed air
system was added using different
guage wire.
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‘42
turret interior
The vision port opening is
narrowed and the sides are built
up to the correct shape.
The cut back turret
Weld beads
edge is filled and a new
are added
casting seam is added.
using MAGIC
SCULPT.
Turret interior is
textured using MR
SURFACER 500 and The rough cast texture at the
then lightly sanded. front of the breech is created
with MR SURFACER.
The breechblock assembly is
carefully filled, sanded and
polished and small details
are added.
The kit has no stowage
bags included so you must
make your own. I also
added the cable
connections for the
intercom
The kit MG stowage
rack is not the correct
design so a new one
is built around the
etched brass kit part.
Chains are added to
the pistol ports along
with the one dangling
from the periscope.
The completed gun
minus barrel ready for
installation into the turret.
Note the shell bag under
the recoil guard which
was made from
GREEN STUFF
The machine gun
ammunition drums have
been detailed with canvas
straps and brass rod pull
18 rings.
AFV/19 Nov/Dec 04 18/10/04 1:19 pm Page 19
and lack the padding of the the real seats the racks but fortunately Hussar the required number of boxes.
so I sculpted new seat backs using Magic Productions released an excellent set of
Sculpt and I also added the supporting rod ammunition so I thinned down the tray until Because most of it would be hidden I built
that holds the seat back in place using the new Hussar rounds would sit the engine straight from the box. Once
brass rod. comfortably in the tray. I then cut away the again Trumpeter have done a good job
slots on the side of the tray before making here with the fan and gearbox being
Moving back down the hull the kit is a new base plate from sheet pewter. The especially well done, but it is more
missing the power transfer connection cushioning strips were also made from appropriate to the ‘85 and I think I am
which takes the electrical power to the pewter and a master for the clip correct in saying that the air filters are the
turret via a pivoting conduit. This turns out mechanism was made from brass rod and wrong pattern for the earlier vehicles. The
to be one of those frustrating bits that is pewter with lead sheet for the padding most obvious addition necessary is to add
cropped out of pictures or simply not strips. The masters were then sent away the wiring to the engine as this would be
recorded but I was eventually able to work for casting. visible through the engine deck hatch. I did
out what it looked like thanks to Alexandr make a start on this when I still intended to
Mosin’s excellent pictures. Once I had The kit firewall is for the latter pattern detail and finish the engine but time got
worked out the centre point of the turret on T34/85 so I used it as a template to make the better of me and I did no further work
the hull floor the power transfer was built a new one from plastic card. The hinges to the engine.
from plastic card and rod. on the access panels were made using
brass rod and pewter strip and diagonally The turret for the ‘42 is extremely well
Running down the sides of the hull are 9 cut plastic rod was used to make the lips detailed internally requiring only minor
trays of ready ammunition, 6 on the right on the panels. Grandt Line wing nuts were additions and modifications. I added a cast
side and three on the left. Trumpeter only used to secure the panels and I was able texture to the internal turret walls using Mr
provide 5 and they have a cap on the tray to use the first aid box from the kit. I Surfacer and fitted chains to the pistol port
which is incorrect. I was left with little decided to detail the ammunition boxes by plugs. The MG ammunition racks in the
choice but to built my own tray. I began by removing the moulded straps and turret bustle needed some work with a
hollowing out the rear half of the kit tray replacing them with new ones made from new case being built around the kit part
using a burr. I had originally planned to use pewter strip and I also pinched an and spring clips added on top of the rack.
the spare rounds supplied in the kit to fill additional box from the ‘43 kit to give me These modifications meant that the whole
‘43
turret texture
The kit provides a very clean, even texture. To give it a more realistic cast texture the turret a Once dry, this is lightly sanded to remove any high
layer of CAST A COAT is applied. spots.
A base coat of MR SURFACER 500 is then applied. Quickly followed by another coat which is stippled The finished cast effect with its irregular finish.
to enhance the texture and then lightly sanded 19
when dry.
AFV/19 Nov/Dec 04 18/10/04 12:58 pm Page 20
‘42 ’43
FINEMOULDS turned
aluminium gun barrel
replaces the kit part.
Exterior
Cables are added
to the headlamp
and horn.
Etched engine
deck mesh is
included in the kit.
The exhausts are
comendably delicate but
require careful filling to
hide the joints.
Weld beads are
applied to hull joints
and fittings using
MAGIC SCULPT
installation became quite tight for space otherwise unmodified but the foot pedal technique as described in Issue 13 but I
and many dry runs were needed to ensure trigger controls were reworked with struggled to use the Miliput he
that it would all still fit once the turret additional springs and detailed pedals. recommended and switched to using
halves were joined. The drums themselves Magic Sculpt instead which I found worked
which are very visible in the finished turret The Exterior far better.
were detailed with straps and pull rings. Trumpeter have given all the external
The elevation hand wheel is the wrong armour surfaces a textured finish which I The kits supply separate rubber tires for
design so I built my own and also modified felt was too pronounced certainly on the the roadwheels which I found did not fit the
the turret traverse motor with a sheet hull. I therefore gave all the hull panels a rims terribly well once they had been
pewter cover for the drive and cabling. The couple of coats of Mr Surfacer 500 which stretched over the substantial location rib
gun required some minor additions with was slightly stippled and then sanded back on each rim. These would have been
some rebated bolt heads but the biggest to a fairly smooth finish more in keeping better moulded as part of the wheel in
job was getting a good finish on the with the finish seen in the photos. On the 1:35th style but to make the best of the
breech block which is assembled from 5 ‘43 turret I wanted to create a far more situation I cut off the majority of the rib on
parts and has some inevitable gaps. I pronounced cast texture which I achieved each wheel so that the tires would be
Spent some time filling and sanding to get using a combination of Cast A Coat and stretched as little as possible - a time
a good finish and finally added a coat of Mr Surfacer - see the picture sequence. I consuming procedure.
Mr Surfacer 1000 which was polished to a began the laborious job of adding weld The remainder of the assembly proceeded
high gloss finish. beads to all the hull joints and fittings, without any problems. My only other
The crew seats were given new upholstery some of which like the tow hooks used additions were the electrical wiring for the
made using Magic Sculpt but were multiple welds. I used Lee Lloyd’s weld headlamp and horn and the improvements
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‘42
hull interior
Painting the radio installation inside the hull
proved to be very demanding.
The fuse box wiring diagram and dials
were drawn on computer and printed
onto clear plasric.
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I made to the latch on the turret hatch of
the ‘43 version. The kit tracks are snap
together and the downside is that on the
inner face you can see the open slots into
which the track pin clicks, not a big
problem in my opinion especially when you
can assemble a complete length of track in
about ten minutes.
Painting
With kits this size you really do have
your work cut out and I began by giving
them both a coat of Humbrol Olive Drab
closely followed by a coat of Vallejo Air
Tank Green. I find getting a convincing
shade of green can be far from easy but I
am happy with this combination. It took me
an incredible four hours to mask off the
camouflage pattern on the ‘43 kit and the
brown pattern was applied using enamels
mixed to match Don Greer’s excellent
artwork in the Squadron/Signal book. This
dried matt against the slight sheen of the
Vallejo acrylic so I oversprayed both kits
with a coat of 50-50 matt and satin Vallejo
varnish. Following this the lower hull and
running gear were oversprayed with
Humbrol No.72 before being given a wash
of the same colour. Once this wash had
dried, I painted the scuffs, scratches and
finger prints into the dusty areas using
tones of the Vallejo Tank Green and an
appropriate brown. Some dusting with
pastels was applied into recesses and
crevices like around the turret ring and on
the engine decks. The tracks were
airbrushed in brown enamels before
getting an application of Humbrol
Metalcote on the teeth and treads. This
was polished when dry and then coated
with diluted pastels.
The interior was of course painted prior to
The final piece to be fixed
in place was the delicate the final assembly using a mix of Humbrol
foot pedal assembly enamels and Vallejo Acrylics. I took the
time to pre-shade all the white areas with a
coat of grey to stop the inside looking too
pristine. Study of the photos of the interior
showed that the paint finishes were satin
rather than matt and I replicated this. This
gives a convincing finish especially when
you have the matt finish canvas stowage
bags against the satin walls. The black
floor ammunition bins presented a painting
challenge to obtain a convincing worn
finish. I tried a new approach using tones of
brown and grey to pick out old scuffs and
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All turret markings were hand
painted - this one took a while.
Hand prints in the dust add to the realism.
Metalcote to highlight areas of heavy wear
and I was pleased with the result. A similar
approached was used on the seats and I
also brushed pastels into the crevices of
both the seats and ammunition bins.
At the end of this project I feel as if I have
been living inside a T34 for the past few
months and it is good to come blinking into
the daylight and the manageability of
1:35th again. Despite that I love these kits
unreservedly. They have incredible
presence and delightful detail and offer
unbelievable value for money. Well done
Trumpeter for giving us something different,
something not WWII German and generally
breaking the rules - lets have some more
please!
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