Model Forum / General / Models / November 2007

Kit Review: Dragon Models Limited 1/35 scale '39-'45 series Kit No.
6418 T-34 /76 Mod. 1941 Cast Turret; 654 parts (496 in grey styrene,
153 etched brass, 2 twisted steel wires, 2 clear styrene, 1turned
aluminum barrel); price estimated at US$45.00

Advantages: another nice of a '34 variant, well done "slide moulded"
cast turret

Disadvantages: some odd options with this kit are hard to fathom
(tracks, fuel tanks)

Rating: Highly Recommended

Recommendation: for all Soviet and "34" fans

    One of the minor myths of the history of the T-34 was given out about
20 years ago in a biography of Alexander Morozov, one of the three
designers credited with the design of the T-34 tank. When the Kharkov
Locomotive Factory No. 183 (the factory building the T-34) was
evacuated to Nizhniy Tagil in October 1941, the rolling machines used
to bent the plates for the cast turret did not arrive on the other end
due to a problem with rail shipment Morozov supposedly quickly
designed a cast turret which was the equal of the rolled plate welded
one and got it into production in a matter of weeks, thus saving the
T-34 and the Soviet Union, etc. etc.

    Not quite. The truth is that from the very beginning both cast and
rolled turrets were made for the T-34 tank, and were fitted as
available. The main reason for that is research into cast versus
rolled plate turrets showed that castings had to be 15% thicker than
homogenous armor plate to give the same penetration resistance. The
plates on the welded plate turret were 45mm thick; the cast turret was
52mm thick. The origins of the myth seem to have been why after the
factory moved only cast turrets were produced, but the real reason is
they are faster to make and cheaper.

    For years the only kit of a cast turret T-34 was the ancient one from
Tamiya, which, while the turret was not bad, sat on a very poor hull
and thus took an incredible amount of work to correct. Having done a
conversion of that kit to an accurate cast turret Model 1941. using a
Zvedza hull, the Tamiya turret, Maquette tracks, and a lot of
conversion work it is not a fun change to make, and even swapping that
turret to a DML Model 1941 hull is more work than one would think.
Happily DML now offers a complete kit, which also includes the
complete external parts of the Model 1941 cast turret as well.

    The new kit uses many of the "tweaked" sprues that were used in the
cyber-hobby.com STZ-built T-34 Model 1941. Nothing wrong there - the
earlier kit was a bit of a disappointment as it only made the original
version of the STZ tank, which was virtually identical to the Factory
No. 183 version in many respects (the first 50 in fact being "knocked
down" 183 hulls and turrets.) It builds us as a basic model T-34 Model
1941 but with some odd choices of accessories.

    First off, it has "sprue" tracks of one of the earlier T-34 track
designs with cast bars for reinforcement and a smooth face. This track
was used on T-34 Model 1941s to be sure (the track is on the Aberdeen
Model 1941 as a point of reference) but was quickly dropped for the
later track type - the so-called "waffle" patterns. Secondly, it comes
with both the 40 liter "box" tanks and the 95 liter round auxiliary
fuel tanks, which did not come into service with the T-34 until much
later - after the 40 liter "box" tanks were dropped, they went to the
rear mounted angular tanks, and only in 1943 did they switch to three
of the 95 liter tanks. It's too bad DML does not the angular set with
this model, or a set of waffle tracks, as that would provide the
builder with a wide variety of versions to build. While this tank was
replaced in production at Nizhniy Tagil in April 1942 by the "Gayka"
hexagonal turret, many of the other factories used this design or a
very similar one until mid 1943.

    The kit is basically a straight-up early model T-34 with rounded nose
hull, "vertical" slat air intake grilles, rectangular hatch rear
plate, and pressed steel wheels with rubber tires with lightening
holes around the rim. Note that while the box digital art shows an
early model T-34 hull pan, it is the same one with double stops on the
front road wheel mount.

    The new turret is a beautiful job of "slide moulding" with a nearly
flat base and the rest of the detail cast in place. A new 76mm gun
barrel is provided, one piece with "slide molded" hollow bore. The
hatch is the later one with the original openings for flags and signal
lights and rotating periscope removed from the molds.

    The tracks are molded by sprues, with each sprue including nine ice
grousers for mounting on the fenders. (With some tweaking you could
also mount them on the track links for winter combat.)

    The model does have a large fret of etched brass, and as with most
DML kits you have your options on using it or not at your election.

    Alas, the directions are the "color photo" type which makes assembly
much more difficult. At least DML has finally figured out this doesn't
help with etched brass, and now they do at least provide foolscap
sketches with each one showing where the etched brass pieces go if you
choose to use them.

    The model comes with five finishing options: Unidentified unit,
Eastern Front 1943 (whitewash, "Za Leningrad!" in red); Unidentified
unit, Eastern Front 1943 (4BO green, "white 64"); 116th Tank Brigade,
Eastern Front 1942 (4BO green, white 2-045 "Parkhomenko");
Unidentified unit, Manchuria 1945 (4BO green, "BARS" in white);
Unidentified unit, German Army, Eastern Front 1942 (grey, yellow
"1053"). I must say that I am always puzzled when there are a great
number of good choices for markings and one is wasted on a "captured"
vehicle. Also, something does not read right with the Cyrillic for the
"Za Leningrad!" tank; I think it was supposed to say something like
"from the womens' work brigade in honor of Welder Seorshin" but what
is there does not make much sense. Decals as usual are from
Cartograf.

    Overall this is another great kit of a '34 - but now it's time for
the "Gayka" kits (the Model 1942 with hex turret and Model 1943 with
commander's cupola!)_

    Thanks to Freddie Leung for the review sample.

Cookie Sewell