I am getting a bit tired of finishing the recent batch of shelfqueens (still 2 more to go), so i am preparing a new project; Skif’s MT-LB & Meng’s ZU-23-2 from their pick up-kit.
The general idea is to recreate something similar to this:
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Good luck with that Skif kit Ron. It will fight you every step of the way.
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Nice project. The Skif tracks are too short to wrap all the way around. You will need to get aftermarket tracks.
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I am used to a little plastic fight. What will be the main issues I’ll be facing?
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Bad fit and blobby parts.
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- It’s SKIF
- It’s SKIF
- It’s… Oh well, I think you get it…
Cheers,
M
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Over on Twenot we’re having a bit of discussion on what the colours could or would be.
There’s middle green, something that looks like a khaki over that, “deck tan” and “desert yellow” geometrical shapes, boxed in with green edges. On other images the shapes look a lot more like “dunkel geld” and “flat earth”.
I thought it was one unit of 5 vehicles:
Rear vehicle is 1-720.
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You do know that Zvezda just released a Tamiya quality MTLB, right?
You’ll hate yourself a lot less if you get it.
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Got the Skif-kit about a year ago for around $15. The Zvezda one would set me back about $50.
We’ll see how well I’ll fare. 
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Trumpeter version- https://www.scalemates.com/kits/trumpeter-09618-mt-lb-with-zu-23-2--1504177
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I had the same idea. I’ve bought MT-LB from Skif and I have an old Zu-23 (see image).
I’m looking for designs to make a protective shield for the gunner of the Zu-23, although some don’t use it.
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Since my Christmasbreak has started unexpectedly early, I thought it would be a good thing to start this project early too.
Looking at the sprues I get Italeri/Zvezda-vibes when it comes to quality of castings and plastic. Detail appears reasonable, flash- and castingmark free and the plastic is grassgreen, feels somewhat flexible yet sturdy.
Tracks are vinyl and look ok, but the supplied vinyl towingcables are to be replaced. The kit comes with 2 pe sets for the MT-LB and 1 for the D-20, which will remain sealed.
The Meng gun of course is of a quite different quality. Hardlt comparable.
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The first steps have been made; construction of the lower hull. This is made up of a bunch of separate pieces, which have to be ligned out. Fit is ok and in some instances a hint of filler is needed to fill up ejectormarks. There are a number, but most are eiter concealed or raised on easy to reach places, so well thought out.
What is far less well thought out is the construction manual. This is chaotic. I highlighted the hull pieces, which have to be done first, before moving onto the rest.
Plastic responds well to revell’s Contacta glue and sanding.
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Some more minor steps. I did the interior, or at least that what’s supplied. It is quite rudimentary and now I am thinking whether or not I should leave the vehicle open.
Closed would mean a lot less hassle with adding stuff to interior and naked hatches. There’s no detail there. Also the front windows are molded shut, but the hatches come as nice, thin p.e.
Open would mean a lot of extra work, including cutting open the windows, but would present an optically much more interesting vehicle.
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let’s start the new year with some modelrelated foolhardiness…
*Warning!
This is a wild Ukrainian kit, not a pet! It is feral and has to be handled firmly by using sharp blades, sandpaper and plenty of strong glue and language, preferably in Ukrainian or Russian. When insufficient knowledge of said languages prevents one from doing that, similar verbal usage ofor purposes of domestication can be used in local tongues, except for Swedish, which lacks any possibility of projecting authority or dominance.
And whatever you do, do NOT feed this kit after midnight!*
I was advized, based on previous experiences, to not proceed with the open doors-option, but being the stubborn moron that I am….. I’ll do it anyway!
The front windows are molded shut, so in order to show these open, one has to.. well.. open them up. The photo etch that comes with this kit does NOT fit, so a lot of carving and sanding was involved.
But in the end it worked… sort of. And it simply looks better, I think.
And then the running gear… here too the instructions are extremely vague or simply wrong. This caused me to have to remove and alter the position of front and rear axles w/suspension and relocate the idlers, making them point fourter down, so that the mudscrapers make sense and the tracks fit. I also used lengths of tracks in order to “align” the wheels.
Then the tracks… what can I say? They are bent, warped and twisted and the ancient method of “melting pin in place” is very fragile. The racks are also riddled with castingremnants, which are very tedious to remove.
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Now that the Pink Panther is done, it is time to move along with the regular programme.
I added details to interior and backdoors, though I am not happy with the handles. Those have to be redone.
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“who is the more foolish, the fool or the man that follows him” Obi Wan Kenobi/Alec Guniness.
seriously though, I admire your tenacity and look forward seeing more of your dueling with this beast of a kit.
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Yay! Skif!
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