The 1/72 Build Log

Greetings, frieds and fans of braille-scale modelling! Today´s the tine for another review of a 1/72 Russian tank. This time it is the largest tank to be built in the Soviet Union - the mighty IS-7. Let´s get into it! The vehicle: Starting in 1945, engineers of the factory No.100 began the development of the Object 260 - the result from an initiative for a new modern heavy tank that stated in late 1944. In 1946-1947 the 65-68ton tank underwent some changes until the first prototypes were built in 1947. The tank had an impressive 130mm armament and a extremly good top speed for its size (60kp/h). Trial were conducted in 1948, but at the end the vehicle was deemed obvious due to the large size and weight. The following tank, labeled the IS-8 or T-10 was the last serial produced heavy tank of the Soviet Union. I also worte an in-depth article about this vehicle. Check it out here The kit: Released earlier this year, the Trumpeter plastic-injection kit first offered an alternative

Welcome to another first-time for my on this blog. Todays subject is talking about one of our modelling subjects with an interesting story - the IS-7. Wether you´re familiar with this Russian tank or you´re asking "Waht the heck is an IS-7?", this should be quiet an interesting read. I´ll generally try to cover a subject as well history- and performance-wise as well as in modelling terms. The resulting articles will likely not be able to keep up with expert literature, but should give you a nice overview of our modelling subjects, in this case the IS-7. Let´s begin! Object 260 - the IS-7 The final form of the IS-7, photo taken in 1948. Source: Wikimedia  History: Sometimes going big is the only way to prevent going down - this definetly was the case for the Soviet Army´s heavy tanks when they faced German powerful anti-tank guns in the closing years of the war. Building heavy tanks for breaktrough role in response was a logical step concerning those challenge

Helo again, fellow fans of small scale armor! Unfortunately, I missed to save the shots I´ve taken during the painting process of Modelcollect´s T-80UM1... but as I have some photo-material of the finished vehicle, I´ll give you a gallery-type article this time. I decided to spray some fictional deesert camoflage on the tank, including a dark red/brown color on top of a yellow-ish basecoat. It is intended to represent some kind of show/export vehicle for Middle East customers and/or Cyprus, to which the upgraded T-80s were offered. I wanted to have some contours on the vehicle for which I used a black AK-Interactive wash, but apart from that, I kept weathering moderate as I didn´t want to represent a full-service vehicle. And by the way... Revell´s masking fluid may be good for aircraft cockpits, but it doesn´t work well for masking camoflages 😑 After all it looks quite neat... I´m positively suprised about the outcome. Next project is again going to be an infamous

You want something modern, that is badass but not an Abrams or a T-90? Export customers have been offered with an alternative for both in the early 2000s in form of the T-80UM1. This isn´t a really popular vehicle, so I was really pleased that we´re now able to build it in 1/72 scale from the kit I´ll review today. Let´s get started! The vehicle: While the T-72 series of tanks were (and still are) a huge sucess on the export-market, the most advanched tank the USSR fielded in larger numbers - the turbine-powered T-80 - wasn´t really used outside Russia. Engineers wanted to chage that in the 90s following the collapse of the Soviet Union. Now they wanted to export their high-tech vehicle and maybe even secure contracts for modernisazions of Russia´s remaining vehicles. Their product - called the T-80UM1 - was based on the then most advanched T-80 models in use, namely the T-80U and T-80UK. Having taken a look at recent conflicts around the world, they added advanched features to make