KV-85, from Russia with love.

Modeling Subjects Armor
1

In a further attempt to use up some spare parts and incomplete kits, I’m going to use an Eastern Express KV-85, a real cob of a kit with one big oopsie, and two Trump KV kits, one the KV-1s/85 (“s” being for “speedy”, something not normally associated with the KV series) and a KV-1 mod 1942, the heavy cast turret model. Trump’s KVs are good, no doubt about it. The Eastern Express (EE from now on) is not. It has a couple of nice features, but it looks more like a puddle cast resin kit that something injection molded. I’m carving parts out of flash is some instances. So, the one thing I have to do is move the turret ring forward, about 12 scale inches. I started cutting and managed to get that part done in one evening, pic below.

IMG_1475 by Russel Baer, on Flickr

The driver’s hatch was deleted on this tank (Don’t worry Comrade Driver, you’re perfectly safe!) as was the MG to his left. Some pics show a fixed MG to the driver’s right, ala IS-2.

Then on to the turret. Luckily, the Trump turret ring fits the EE turret base, O happy day. Bad news, the turret itself is a bit rough. The mold part line on the real thing is represented, but over done, the nose and mantlet are just plain not compatible, the fairing for the rear mounted MG is a horrible fit, sink marks look like sink holes in Florida, and a few details aren’t represented at all. Good news: the cast texture is there, as are the weld beads on the roof panels. Squadron Green Stuff to the rescue, before and after below.

IMG_1478 by Russel Baer, on Flickr

IMG_1479 by Russel Baer, on Flickr

And while I was waiting for the putty to dry, I did the running gear.

IMG_1481 by Russel Baer, on Flickr

IMG_1482 by Russel Baer, on Flickr

While this may sound like a slam on the old Eastern Express kit, it’s not. It’s an old kit, and it shows its age, but I clearly remember when this kind of quality was the norm. I’m going to end up with a good representation of the transitional tank from the KV-1 to the IS-2, something big, ugly and green, and something I’ve wanted to build for a while now.

And I’m having fun.

2

RBaer,

Glad to hear you are having fun making those modifications. Being the driver I wouldn’t be happy not having a access hatch close by. They seem to burn petty good when hit by a anti-tank round.

Marcus

3

Looks like clean work on those mods. Making these older kits look good shows your skills.

4

Thanks folks. Kit bashes like this are always fun for me, almost more than a good clean guild of a modern kit.

5

Nice work on this brute!!!

Not a big fan of this tank though- got killed way too many times by KV series tanks back when I was playing World of Tanks! [;)]

6

Thanks G. I was a little unsure of the location of the turret ring, but oddly enough the EE kit has a nice plan drawing of the tank, and according to it and the few pics I have, I’m close enough that I can’t see a difference. So I went ahead and primed the finished turret in black and went on the the hull, adding the fixed MG and moving the horn and light as in my (few) references. The armored cover for the fixed glacis MG was formed from a piece of sprue, then drilled. I also started on the rear deck and fenders, getting to the point of just having to add the extra fuel tanks and fender braces. I did the lifting loops on the removable rear deck parts with brass wire on four, then I found some old core tag wire that was much easier to work with for the remaining four.

Again, the Trump parts are very very nice, just needing the removal of pin marks on the undersides of the fenders. A bit more, then primer and tracks.

IMG_2009 by Russel Baer, on Flickr

IMG_2008 by Russel Baer, on Flickr

7

Coming along great! I have no idea the correct area for the turret ring but it ‘looks right’ to me.

8

Thaks. I never could find any actual measurement, but it may not have helped since I’m using three different kits to whup this thing up. I did have the EE hull, and it’s suposed to be “close”, but I’m not sure about any of it. In the end, it looks like what it’s supposed to be.

9

Hey Rus,I have seen this one floating around the net,your conversions are all impressive.

10

Thanks Anthony. I hope to get a few pics up later today, should have some bench time soon.

Edit: Got busy, but here’s a couple of the fenders and fuel tanks. I used the EE tanks as they appeared to have more detail than the Trump parts, but maybe the Trumpeter parts were round…

Anyway, with weld seams added with stretched sprue:

IMG_2669 by Russel Baer, on Flickr

IMG_2667 by Russel Baer, on Flickr

More as I can, thanks for checking in!

11

Friulage.

IMG_2870 by Russel Baer, on Flickr

IMG_2869 by Russel Baer, on Flickr

Therse are regular KV-1 links, with the guide teeth removed from every other one. I maybe should have used the later IS type tracks, not sure, but it looks right, maybe.

12

They look pretty darn good to me!!!

[Y]

13

Hey Rusty ! http://www.rocketryforum.com/images/smilies/xmas/68976.gif

Been wanting to comment on this for nearly 2 weeks but Finescale wouldn’t let me in.

Meanwhile I’ve been signing in to other modeling sites.

It’s still acting weird.

This really looks just like what I’d expect from Mother Russia.

Looking forward to the grand finale.

http://pic100.picturetrail.com/VOL351/12291693/21864322/413440852.jpg

14

T’anks guys. This one is another “stash shrinker”, so I’m okay with some things that would otherwise bother me, so it’s all good.

Just back from MO, family Christmas, off to Seattle tomorrow for our own trip, and I have a planned stop in Skyway Hobbies, yee ha!

15

Skyway was great, I scored the new Takom M60A1 w/ERA, and a set of Merkave 1/2 Friuls, both stuff I’ll have fun with. Something about that place, I always build whatever I buy there.

So as soon as I got back, I shot some black primer on the hull and put a wash on the tracks, then green on the model itself and started with the first wash. I used some old Verlinden dry transfers for the turret numbers, and relized I had forgotten how fragile these things are. Anyway, a pic so far:

IMG_3154 by Russel Baer, on Flickr

16

She’s lookin’ all mean and green! [Y]

17

T’anks!

18

Looking good!

19

Thanks! More washes are on, and the runnibg gear is assembled, may come back apart for some lighter pigments.

IMG_3716 by Russel Baer, on Flickr

IMG_3715 by Russel Baer, on Flickr

I think it’s a little dark, but it’s going on a base with a T-34 I did a while ago, and it looks similar, so we’ll see.

20

Sharp work! And almost to the finish line.

If I may ask what you used to paint the tracks? I’m guessing a dark brown with a wash and some metal on the parts that would wear?