Hi Holger, thank you for helping!
I try very hard to search for August - September Js-2, they seems like ghosts. Even though they had combined 500 or so vehicles made.
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That’s right.
Finding such cars isn’t easy—with photos from that period, it’s very difficult…
I’ll give you an excellent, 100% effective tip on how to identify an IS with a straight nose, produced before the beginning of December 1944.
The headlight and horn should be on the right.
If this arrangement is visible, it is definitely a car produced between July and November 1944.
Now let’s look at what photographs from those years have come down to us.
Tank from the 82 OGv.TTP (autumn 1944) -
Tank from the 8 OGv.TTP (the sank in a swamp in December 1944, was raised in the early 2000s, the numbers are authentic) -
Tank from the 48 OGv.TTP (February 1945) -
It can be assembled straight from the Tamiya box.
Although, of course, some things could be tweaked. At least fix the viewing slits in the commander’s cupola—they look really wrong…
There are still photos of cars from this period, but it’s not very clear - or not clear at all - what’s going on with the numbers on the armor…
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Appreciate all the invaluable information you provided Holger!
I will build the kit based on your guide, I will also use this cupola by E.V.M. RS35060 Commander’s Cupola for the IS-2 Tank, Plant No. 200, manufactured March-December 1944 to correct the cupola, along with metal barrel & PEs.
Knowing the correct tank to build make this journey much more enjoyable & meaningful, & also in respect to the men who lived & died in those painful times.
Thanks Holger.
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That’s right.
I did it. ))))
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It’s only right to honor your suggestion for correctness. Thanks!
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The kit includes etched numerals—their appearance and size have been accurately reproduced based on the original measurements.
All the photos show turrets cast in Mariupol—those numerals are exactly what we need.
The turret numbers should be in this order—
These are from tanks for which I know the production date.
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Fantastic! Thank you.
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are there any good photos or blueprints showing the angled plate for the turret? hard to determine accurate angles from distant side shots…
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I’m the last guy who would claim to know much about Soviet tanks, but my interest in Berlin projects, along with this thread, has reawakened my interest this tank.
I know this isn’t the drawing of the “angled plate,” but am I missing something? Is it a batter of cutting off the roof and replacing the area outlined in red?
to look like this?
Not counting the hull fixes, what elase needs to be done to the turret?
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Cut the segments calmly; no one was fussing over millimetres when making this part.
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It all depends on how accurately you want to reproduce your model.
For the Tamiya model (and the RFM model as well – 99% accurate), you need to: - show the various joint lines between the molds.
Turret cast at the Ilyich Plant (Mariupol) -
Turret cast at Plant 200 (Chelyabinsk) -
Correctly show the various mold numbers:
Ilyich Plant -
Plant No. 200 -
Make the commander’s cupola more oval.
The drawing dimensions of this part are 860x954 mm (tolerance up to 960 mm), but, according to my measurements, the cupola is always longer – around 980 mm.
The commander’s cupola must have a perfect circle at the top, or this circle must be welded on.
This is the support for the machine gun mount.
Tanks with the DShK must have machine gun mounts on the starboard side
and on the turret roof for securing the machine gun while moving -
Tamiya and RFM have commander’s cupolas that are not oval enough, but RFM has the correct size and placement of the vision slits.
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Thank you
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Great info. I just got the RFM kit. 
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That’s a great guide, thanks Holger.
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Just landed the Tamiya kit myself, debating the RFM kit which is code for “next paycheck”. 
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