This time Zvezda’s 3686. T-34 (I have more then 20 kits still, a quarter of my stash) factory 183 converted to Uraltransmash factory vehicle using some parts from Dragon (eg the Formochka turret)
As it stands now
Attached the hower and upper halves of the body, added the 3d printed grills and botched the epoxy weld seam on the nose. The thow hooks are from Dragon as I have already cannibalized the superior Zvezda ones on a previous build.
for representing a vehicle in mid 43, in Kursk or in subsequent battles.
The problem is that the Zvezda kit comes with box type fuel holders on a latter vehicle, with a hacksaw, 5 bolts on rear plate and 2 hinges on the same plate. While this combination did exist by mid 43 the more common configuration was without any extra fuel holders or with cylindrical drums, but there were still older tanks that with 4 bolts and 3 hinges.
The decals does not specify what version of the tanks are and I could find pictures only of the first 2 vehicles. But I did a picture of 5328 instead of 5325 in T-34 Shock
, which I guess is related somehow. I guess I will go with that.
Now, UTZM placed the transmission cover hinges in a more inner position (which also varies on different vehicles a bit), so I added them with Voyager PE.
The holders were made scratch and the general shape is not that obvious as these particular ChTZ/ UTZM types were no kitted by anyone and are different than those from 112 (both of them) and 183. Also they replace the rear right bar completely and have a long tube running through all 4 holders. On the left side, the holders are placed under the rear bar, with the holes for the reinforcement tube.
As a side note, at factory 183 they seem to have eliminated both rear bars when attaching the holders for the cylindrical drums in late 43.
Your a brave man tackling and altering the T-34 as I know it is a very specialised vehicle with subtle changes that throw you off the scent mostly due to museums making one vehicle from a mix of others. so I wish you good luck and will keep an eye open.
I live nowhere near a museum so I am working from BW photos and taking some inspiration from this guy https://cosbear.web.fc2.com/T34/T34.html (who I have learned to double and triple check).
And I don’t really know if there was a moment in time where 2 separate factories produced identical tanks …
