Model Forum / General / Models / December 2009

Kit Review: AFV Club 1/35 Scale Kit No. 35S57; T-34/76  Model 1942/43
Factory No. 183 - Special Edition; 475 parts (439 in grey styrene, 11
clear styrene, 10 in black styrene, 10 steel springs, 2 black vinyl
tracks, 1 black nylon string, 1 turned aluminum barrel, 1 etched
brass); estimated retail price US$50

Advantages: complete interior with clear styrene parts to show it off;
neatly done details with very nicely broken down parts

Disadvantages: minor glitches in design and features (see text)

Rating: Highly Recommended

Recommendation: for all Soviet and ‘34 fans

    AFV Club has now released the third in its T-34 series – the most
widely built variant, the Factory No. 183 designed Model 1942 or
“Gayka” (hexnut) turret version. As before it comes in a regular (AF
35144) and a special limited clear (AF 35S57) version, of which this
review is focused on the latter.

    Essentially this kit uses most of the parts from the previous two
kits (the T-34 Model 1941 Factory No. 112 kit - AF 35143 – and T-34-85
Factory No. 183 – AF 35145) with three new or modified sprues for the
new turret and details and for the pre-April 1943 revision to the road
wheel design. The latter used cast road wheels with rubber tires at
the first and fifth road wheel stations and cast internally buffered
road wheels on stations 2, 3 and 4. The kit provides them, happily
with the “hard” styrene black tires and not vinyl.

    As with the previous two kits AFV Club has stayed conservative. It
does come with actual steel springs for the Christie suspension units;
these seem much weaker and should be easier to install without 20 or
more fingers. If installed carefully the complete suspension works.

    As it shares parts it shares details. Detailing starts with the floor
and moves forward. Separate details abound in the control (drivers’)
compartment and include rodding for the foot pedals. Ammo racks are
provided with only half a shell; however, since this cements to the
ammo rack trays for single rounds, it is a smart way to ensure you can
paint the round AND the rack with a minimum of grief. Seats are neatly
done with separate thigh pads and even machine gun racks look the
part.

    The V-2 engine is complete, but is one of the few areas in the model
where AFV Club still continues to make a mistake. In the first kit
somebody put the original 1940-early 1941 air cleaner (sort of like
that from an older American car with a carburetor) on top of the
engine (parts A31/A32) but then includes the later “cyclone” type air
cleaners behind the transmission firewall. While the first kit did
have a changeover from one to the other all of the later kits use the
“cyclone” types. I have seen one individual expound on the Internet
about such an arrangement being in use, but the factory blueprints for
these tanks do not support that claim.  As before the latter are not
only correct but necessary as the exhaust pipes attach to them on the
way to the exhaust outlets in the rear of the hull.

    The transmission comes with the odd “ribbon brakes” in place on each
final drive/lateral clutch assembly (A43-A46) and the fan is a four-
piece marvel of the moldmaker’s craft. Note that the main clutch is in
the center of the fan.

    The radiators each consist of three parts and fit as required next to
the engine.

            While the model still comes with three different options for the
idlers and drivers (1940, 1941, 1942 and beyond) only the  B33/B37 for
the idler and B9/B13 for the driver are the most accurate.

    The tracks are a bit thin and floppy, so most modelers may want to
use an after-market set for this kit. The AFV Club tracks are nicely
done (Set AF 35173) and will be a good upgrade for this kit.

    The upper hull, stern plate, turret halves, and roof are all molded
in clear styrene. This is slightly marred by ejection pin marks on the
inside of the rear fenders, the stern plate and the turret roof;
removing them will take careful sanding, buffing and a touch-up with
Future or Johnson’s Klear.

    All radiator louvers - intake and exhaust – are positionable, but the
rear deck is solid so if you wish to display it you will have to leave
the covers (D53, D54, D5) loose. There is a single etched grille for
D5 which is a good choice. The kit comes with spare track but seems to
have lost one of the “toothed” links in the process; the links bolt to
the ends of the fender with one “flat” link on the bottom and one
“toothed” link tooth up above it. The kit has two “flats” on the right
and a single “toothed” on the left. Possible, but an odd choice.

    The turret is nicely done and comes with a very complete F-34 gun
breech and coaxial DT machine gun back end. There are details
everywhere you look, but the clear plastic turret will cause some
problems when completed due to attaching the parts to the inside.

    Five finishing options come with the kit, two in 4BO green and three
in white: “Khabarvoskiy Kolkhoznik”, winter of 1942 (red name on
whitewash with green lower hull); White 163, Kharkov, winter of 1943
(white with green patch for bort number); “Chelyabinskiye
Kolkhozniki”, Kursk, February 1943 (4BO with name in white); Winter
1943 (whitewash overall); Panzergrenadier Division, Brandenburg, East
Prussia 1945 (whitewash with “4519" and black outline crosses.

    Design of this kit is credited to “Team Niitakayama”.

    Overall this is a super effort and other than the continuing air
cleaner kerfluffle is a winner.

    Thanks to Miin Herng Tsueng for the review sample.

Cookie Sewell