I’d like to build a 1/35th scale early (with small, sloped turret) T-34, any suggestions as to who makes one that won’t break the bank? My LHS has an old Tamiya kit, complete with “80s classic!” gold sticker on it, for 35$, which seems excessive…
Dragon makes the best early model T-34s. AFV Club makes a good one as well. Tamiya and Zvezda make decent ones, but you can find them online for cheaper than $35. I would not pay more than $25 or so for either of those kits.
Can you give me some model numbers to look for?
Thank you for your help.
BTW, the Tamiya one I mentioned, this is the early version?
When you say ‘early’ do you mean just a T-34/76 or the really early model with the single giant turret hatch that opened forward instead of the twin hatches installed later?
I have to agree with Stikpusher, the Dragon kits are really nice. And have one of the AFV Club T-34/85s and it’s a great kit with a full interior, looks like they make multiple T-34/76s with both the single and double hatches.
AFV Club kits on Sprue Brothers site- I can’t find a website for AFV Club themselves
Not sure what quality the Zvesda kits are.
You might want to check out Ebay or a local hobby show- the prices are likely to be a good deal lower than these…
Unless you just want an easy build, I’d avoid the Tamiya T-34 series. They made some dimensional compromises to accommodate the motorized gearbox, batteries and made some items more robust to survive handling when opening the hull to change the batteries.
Zvezda T-34s were among their first good quality kits, but many of the details are rather thick and clunky. They also do a funky two piece (per side) vinyl track set up that is very hard to make look right with the distinctive sag this type of tank has.
Dragon makes a good number of T-34 variants, this is the one I think you want: www.perthmilitarymodelling.com/…/dr6092.htm
I like Dragon’s T-34 series. I also got an AFV Club T-34 that came with a clear hull. It’s nice, but I think the Dragon kit is more accurate, but the AFV kit comes with an interior (hence the clear hull).
Yes the really early one with the one big hatch, circa 1941 I believe (it had the most sloping turret)
The LHS has nothing to offer, so I am forced to search online. But given so many different T-34s, I was unsure which was the correct one to get.
There are also the Maquette family of T-34 kits in 1/35, but… They are very challenging and require surgery on the hull for the early variants due to them trying to get early versions out of an initial T-34/85 molding. I built one and it fought me every step of the way. In the end it looked good… But Lord did it almost fly into a wall several times.
there are two way to build. the first if you want just build accurate model without conversion you need dragon . the second - if you prefer to use conversion kits for ex photoetched and epoxy resin you can buy zvezda (it’s cheap and has mistakes but you can correct it by conversion kits). i don’t know about zvezda’s traks - is that vinyl or plastic.
as i know on the nuremberg toy fair '15 was introduced t-34 with big hatch from AFV. may be it’s good, try this while it’s new
Lots of options, the trick will be finding one that isn’t a fortune. AS I had mentioned, the LHS only carries the old Tamiya one and want 30+$ for it, in searching ebay, I can get it for less, but then shipping eats into that, and I might as well buy it locally. Some of the big online stores are the same way, cheap kit, skyhigh shipping = same price as local.
Can anyone suggest a reputable on-line hobby store with practical shipping costs?
Weeeelllllllll… Sprue Brothers is really good but I notice everything there is nearly fifty bucks.
Dragon USA Online can be good if you can catch what you want on sale. They do have a Dragon kit on sale for $32.00 but it’s not the exact version you wanted though.
I did find a Dragon kit of your version at HobbyLink Japan for $30.24. They also have the AFV Club kit for $35.00 with the full interior. I find HLJ’s shipping cost to be pretty reasonable unless you order something in a gigantic box (found this out the hard way!). Both kits are out of stock or back ordered so it probably will take a month or so to get your order though.
Ebay is great, might take a while but deals do come up if you look long enough. As you say you need to beware of crazy shipping charges.
Are there any hobby clubs or kit swap meets near where you live? At one of those places you often find older kits like this for really good prices as guys look to thin out their kit stashes.
BTW, on the large hatch T-34/76, you are looking at there being at least 3 different types, with several sub types among those depending upon the production factory. The model 1940 which had a shorter gun and different mantlet on only a welded turret, model 1941 upon which introduced the longer 76mm gun with a new mantlet and the cast turret also appeared, and the model 1942 which introduced many wartime production speed up or simplification details. Also various factories had their own types of variations not seen from other factories such as the later Stalingrad built variants with the “chisel” mantlet, turret cheek side cuts and interlocking glacis hull side plates.
Thank you for the links, and your information. I suspect I will just have to be patient. No swap meets that I know of nearby (I’m in richmond va)
And the version I think I am looking for is the 1941 version (what I think of as the “classic” look)
There are both IPMS and AMPS chapters located in Richmond VA. Check them out and I bet you will find a T-34 for a bargain in one of those places. And a great bunch of modelers to meet and learn from as well. I love both of those organizations here
I was a member of both the Richmond AMPS and IPMS a while back. Large assembly of modelers in the area. You are bound to find someone close by with what you need.
[:|] RICHMOND VA!?! [:|]
Um, IPMS Richmond’s annual show is a WEEK from today- Feb 28!!!
It’s ten bucks or so to get in but they’ll have vendors from up and down the east coast. There is a list on their website.
I won’t guarantee you’ll find what you’re looking for but the deals are way better than anything in a hobby shop or online.
I intend to be there if our club can get a good carpool going. I’m a skinny balding guy with glasses and a mustache named Cliff if you see me.
Yes I had forgotten about the show. There will be models for sale there? Looking forward to the event.
I see someone mentioned the Maquette T-34, I would recommend avoiding this kit line. While it is accurate in shape and dimensions, it is a challenging build with lots of misshapen parts, mold slip and thick sprue connections. Not worth the hassle when better kits are easily available and affordable as well.
Yes that was me… like I said in my post regarding that kit, mine fought me every step of the way…
Glad you were able to build it, I sold mine on eBay years ago. I still have some of Maquette’s individual track links they sold. I remember they also sold the early turret and the engine separately as well.
I found a review of the early turret that you could use to turn a better manufacturer’s kit into an early:
http://www.missing-lynx.com/reviews/russia/maquette_1-35_35026.html
yes, I eventually ended up using the Maquette turret on a Tamiya hull to make an early T-34/76 1942 version with the welded turret. I used a resin turret on the Maquette hull when I built it. I bought it off EBay back when those were dirt cheap on there. Maquette also sold the early solid road wheels as well as the steel rimmed road wheels.