14

Ladies and Gentlemen, please welcome all

the way from China, some of the most

exciting injection moulded kits you could

hope to see. There is no getting away from

the sheer schoolboy excitement induced

by the arrival of these two kits on my desk.

I had already seen the test shot pictures

and the T34/85 display models but these

really didn’t prepare me for the real thing.

They are in my opinion the most

spectacular injection moulded kits to have

been released and they mark out

Trumpeter as a new key player.

What you have here are complete

packages including etched brass, sprung

suspension with rubber tires, individual

track links and even braided metal tow

ropes and to top it all they have managed

to engineer a complete interior. These are

elements that are by no means

commonplace in the average 1:35th kit

and when you compare these with the

likes of the Tamiya 1:16th scale Tank kits

you have to turn to the aftermarket

companies for these parts.

Tamiya have designed their kits primarily

for the RC market and this shows in the

lack of finesse in some components, but

Trumpeter have approached these kits as

purely static models and they are all the

better for it. Perhaps the best example of

this is the highly detailed turret ring which

is of course completely hidden when you

install the turret but they have taken the

trouble to reproduce it - always handy if

you want to blow the turret off! The quality

of the moulding is good and Trumpeter

have taken the trouble to replicate surface

textures where appropriate and everything

fits together well which is quite an

achievement given the complexity of the

kits. The inclusion of things like the etched

brass very much means that these can be

build straight from the box into some very

complete kits.

Trumpeter have released 4 versions of the

T34 - the 1942 T34/76, the 1943

hardedged ‘Mickey Mouse’ T34/76 and 2

versions of the T34/85. It appears that

Trumpeter have used the 85 as the basis

for all the kits which, given their prevalence

is understandable, but in their efforts to

keep as much commonality between

sprues they have introduced some

inaccuracies into the earlier 76 versions.

AFV/19 Nov/Dec 04 18/10/04 1:18 pm Page 14

15

The turret ring is the bigger version for the

85 making the earlier turrets necessarily

inaccurate and likewise the kit supplies the

85 firewall and 85 engine oil filters. Both 76

kits lack the power transfer for the turret

and are short of the correct amount of

ready ammunition and also short one of

the floor ammo bins.

Given this, the 85 is most certainly the

easy option but to my mind also the least

exciting. It seemed the ‘42 with its big

turret hatch would offer the best

opportunity to show off the interior so I

decided to build a complete fighting

compartment in this and build the ‘43

buttoned up.

Construction begins with the assembly of

the sprung suspension inside the towers

which go to form the inside hull walls. The

side walls for the fighting compartment

have the distinctive cut out scoops to

accommodate the bigger turret ring of the

T34/85 so these must be filled and I

thought the easiest method was to plate

them over using 10 thou card. The

locations for most of the fixtures and

fittings on the side walls is incorrect for the

earlier versions and is best ignored. Before

installing the inner walls it is best to fill the

large release pin marks on the hull floor.

Trumpeter have done a good job in

providing a convincing representation of

the fighting compartment and especially

the drivers controls but there is still plenty

of room for improvement. Trumpeter have

run the rods from the drivers controls

under the seat - unfortunately they are

rather more complicated and this will be

visible. I began by making the 2 springs

which run from the steering levers to the

floor along with small heel rest which sits in

front of the right hand lever. The steering

controls feed back to a crossbar under the

drivers seat which I made from plastic rod

along with the control rods which run back

along the floor to the firewall. Most of this

area will be covered when the ammunition

stowage boxes are installed.

The compressed air cylinders must be

plumbed in along with the hand pump for

the fuel system which is positioned

between the drivers pedals and this was

done using differing gauges of wire. The

driver and co drivers seats are very flat

Come on in!

It’s Trumpeter’s 1:16th

T34 with full interior

by David Parker

AFV/19 Nov/Dec 04 18/10/04 1:18 pm Page 15

16

New ammunition trays were built

using the kit tray and copies made.

The excellent HUSSAR Ammunition

was used to fill the trays.

The crew seats needed to be ‘re-

upholstered’ with MAGIC SCULPT

for a more realistic padded look.

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.

The Driver’s controls were improved with

additional control rods and springs.

The radio equipment was detailed with

cabling and a scratchbuilt stowage bag.

Bottle is relocated and detailed

The power transfer

for the turret is not

included in the kit

so this was

scratchbuilt.

‘42

hull interior

AFV/19 Nov/Dec 04 18/10/04 1:18 pm Page 16

17

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.

Cabling for the compressed air

system was added using different

guage wire.

The scoops on the hull side wall were

blanked off.

Head padding and weld

beads are made from

MAGIC SCULPT

MR SURFACER

500 was applied

to give an

appropiate

texture to the

armour plate.

The pivot control

for the antenna is

scratchbuilt

A scratchbuilt radio mic is

added under the intercom box.

The dashboard is missing

the small light fitting.

The engine bay was built straight from the

box because it would be hidden on the

completed model.

The front fuel cells are missing from the kit.

The only exception was adding cabling to

the engine.

AFV/19 Nov/Dec 04 18/10/04 1:19 pm Page 17

18

‘42

turret interior

Turret interior is

textured using MR

SURFACER 500 and

then lightly sanded.

The vision port opening is

narrowed and the sides are built

up to the correct shape.

The cut back turret

edge is filled and a new

casting seam is added.

The kit MG stowage

rack is not the correct

design so a new one

is built around the

etched brass kit part.

The kit has no stowage

bags included so you must

make your own. I also

added the cable

connections for the

intercom

Chains are added to

the pistol ports along

with the one dangling

from the periscope.

The breechblock assembly is

carefully filled, sanded and

polished and small details

are added.

The machine gun

ammunition drums have

been detailed with canvas

straps and brass rod pull

rings.

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 rough cast texture at the

front of the breech is created

with MR SURFACER.

Weld beads

are added

using MAGIC

SCULPT.

AFV/19 Nov/Dec 04 18/10/04 1:19 pm Page 18

19

‘43

turret texture

The kit provides a very clean, even texture.

To give it a more realistic cast texture the turret a

layer of CAST A COAT is applied.

A base coat of MR SURFACER 500 is then applied.

Quickly followed by another coat which is stippled

to enhance the texture and then lightly sanded

when dry.

The finished cast effect with its irregular finish.

Once dry, this is lightly sanded to remove any high

spots.

and lack the padding of the the real seats

so I sculpted new seat backs using Magic

Sculpt and I also added the supporting rod

that holds the seat back in place using

brass rod.

Moving back down the hull the kit is

missing the power transfer connection

which takes the electrical power to the

turret via a pivoting conduit. This turns out

to be one of those frustrating bits that is

cropped out of pictures or simply not

recorded but I was eventually able to work

out what it looked like thanks to Alexandr

Mosin’s excellent pictures. Once I had

worked out the centre point of the turret on

the hull floor the power transfer was built

from plastic card and rod.

Running down the sides of the hull are 9

trays of ready ammunition, 6 on the right

side and three on the left. Trumpeter only

provide 5 and they have a cap on the tray

which is incorrect. I was left with little

choice but to built my own tray. I began by

hollowing out the rear half of the kit tray

using a burr. I had originally planned to use

the spare rounds supplied in the kit to fill

the racks but fortunately Hussar

Productions released an excellent set of

ammunition so I thinned down the tray until

the new Hussar rounds would sit

comfortably in the tray. I then cut away the

slots on the side of the tray before making

a new base plate from sheet pewter. The

cushioning strips were also made from

pewter and a master for the clip

mechanism was made from brass rod and

pewter with lead sheet for the padding

strips. The masters were then sent away

for casting.

The kit firewall is for the latter pattern

T34/85 so I used it as a template to make

a new one from plastic card. The hinges

on the access panels were made using

brass rod and pewter strip and diagonally

cut plastic rod was used to make the lips

on the panels. Grandt Line wing nuts were

used to secure the panels and I was able

to use the first aid box from the kit. I

decided to detail the ammunition boxes by

removing the moulded straps and

replacing them with new ones made from

pewter strip and I also pinched an

additional box from the ‘43 kit to give me

the required number of boxes.

Because most of it would be hidden I built

the engine straight from the box. Once

again Trumpeter have done a good job

here with the fan and gearbox being

especially well done, but it is more

appropriate to the ‘85 and I think I am

correct in saying that the air filters are the

wrong pattern for the earlier vehicles. The

most obvious addition necessary is to add

the wiring to the engine as this would be

visible through the engine deck hatch. I did

make a start on this when I still intended to

detail and finish the engine but time got

the better of me and I did no further work

to the engine.

The turret for the ‘42 is extremely well

detailed internally requiring only minor

additions and modifications. I added a cast

texture to the internal turret walls using Mr

Surfacer and fitted chains to the pistol port

plugs. The MG ammunition racks in the

turret bustle needed some work with a

new case being built around the kit part

and spring clips added on top of the rack.

These modifications meant that the whole

AFV/19 Nov/Dec 04 18/10/04 1:19 pm Page 19

20

installation became quite tight for space

and many dry runs were needed to ensure

that it would all still fit once the turret

halves were joined. The drums themselves

which are very visible in the finished turret

were detailed with straps and pull rings.

The elevation hand wheel is the wrong

design so I built my own and also modified

the turret traverse motor with a sheet

pewter cover for the drive and cabling. The

gun required some minor additions with

some rebated bolt heads but the biggest

job was getting a good finish on the

breech block which is assembled from 5

parts and has some inevitable gaps. I

Spent some time filling and sanding to get

a good finish and finally added a coat of

Mr Surfacer 1000 which was polished to a

high gloss finish.

The crew seats were given new upholstery

made using Magic Sculpt but were

otherwise unmodified but the foot pedal

trigger controls were reworked with

additional springs and detailed pedals.

The Exterior

Trumpeter have given all the external

armour surfaces a textured finish which I

felt was too pronounced certainly on the

hull. I therefore gave all the hull panels a

couple of coats of Mr Surfacer 500 which

was slightly stippled and then sanded back

to a fairly smooth finish more in keeping

with the finish seen in the photos. On the

‘43 turret I wanted to create a far more

pronounced cast texture which I achieved

using a combination of Cast A Coat and

Mr Surfacer - see the picture sequence. I

began the laborious job of adding weld

beads to all the hull joints and fittings,

some of which like the tow hooks used

multiple welds. I used Lee Lloyd’s weld

technique as described in Issue 13 but I

struggled to use the Miliput he

recommended and switched to using

Magic Sculpt instead which I found worked

far better.

The kits supply separate rubber tires for

the roadwheels which I found did not fit the

rims terribly well once they had been

stretched over the substantial location rib

on each rim. These would have been

better moulded as part of the wheel in

1:35th style but to make the best of the

situation I cut off the majority of the rib on

each wheel so that the tires would be

stretched as little as possible - a time

consuming procedure.

The remainder of the assembly proceeded

without any problems. My only other

additions were the electrical wiring for the

headlamp and horn and the improvements

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

Cables are added

to the headlamp

and horn.

FINEMOULDS turned

aluminium gun barrel

replaces the kit part.

‘42 ’43

Exterior

AFV/19 Nov/Dec 04 18/10/04 12:58 pm Page 20

21

The fuse box wiring diagram and dials

were drawn on computer and printed

onto clear plasric.

Painting the radio installation inside the hull

proved to be very demanding.

‘42

hull interior

AFV/19 Nov/Dec 04 18/10/04 12:58 pm Page 21

22

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 assembly using a mix of Humbrol

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

The final piece to be fixed

in place was the delicate

foot pedal assembly

AFV/19 Nov/Dec 04 18/10/04 12:58 pm Page 22

23

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!

All turret markings were hand

painted - this one took a while.

Hand prints in the dust add to the realism.

AFV/19 Nov/Dec 04 18/10/04 12:58 pm Page 23