MiniArt T-54 EARLY TRANSMISSION SET | Armorama

A new MiniArt kit is coming out soon, for a 1/35 T-54 Early transmission set.


This is partial text from the full article (usually with photos) at https://armorama.com/news/37051-t-54-early-transmission-set

I kind of wish this was included in these “full interior” models… (I know I am being picky, sorry.) It is still not a full engine compartment, though, so some scratch building will still be necessary if you plan to leave the engine compartment exposed.

This is most welcomed. These are the only parts missing from their “full interior” kits. I wish this was available a couple months ago before I started my Destroyed T-55 build.

Not really, they already offer the engine sets separately. These are pretty complete and include the full engine, air cleaner, all hoses and mounts, etc… So if you want to build just the rear part of the tank and not the fighting compartment, you just need this set and one of their engine sets. The only part you would need to scratch is the firewall between the engine compartment and the fighting compartment. Everything else is there between the two sets.

Hopefully they will do a T-55 and later transmission sets as well.

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Talk about specialized variants! And to think that people make fun of the various variants on WW2 German armor! “Oh gee guy, you’ve got the wrong transmission variant!” is a line I’d never thought that I’d hear in modelling.

Nice! And I have one of their full interior kits! The box art is quite nice as well!

It isn’t really that specialized. The basic transmission/radiator/final drive/brakes/fan setup is the same for all modern Soviet/Russian tanks up to the current T-90s. This set could be used on any post WWII Soviet/Russian tank with a little bit of work. Like I said though, hopefully they will come out with later variants.

Lol just my luck! I just buttoned up my T-54 engine bay leaving the engine exposed but the transmission area closed wishing there was a T-54 transmission

Miniart has some clever wording. Their interior line is called “Accurate interior” and not “full interior”.

Also, their T-44/54/55 interior kits all have engine, but no transmission, therefore you only need this kit to complete your corresponing tank.

I preordered their previous T-54/55 interior kits, but after learning of the lack of transmission, I bait out. Fortunately the store was friendly and they sold them out in no time.

The transmission has been out for literally decades, in plastic no less. Of course there are many on this site who wouldn’t be caught dead purchasing the Skif T-55, which is why I easily bought them up at shows for sofa change once the Tamiya kit came out. As bad as the kit was, the “engine” and transmission actually had some pretty good pieces, including a fan with photo etched blades. They had fairly good shape, and just needed the usual bits and bobs as any good scratch build needs. It’s as if a different design team worked on the interior. Of course it still wasn’t the greatest, but it was certainly better than the rest of the kit. I happily bogarted the parts from these and binned the rest of the kit. After a bit of work, no one ever complained that they didn’t look right.

Edit: I found the old photos on the now useless Photobucket site.

If there was anything worse than the older Skif offerings, it was some of the Verlinden crap. Here’s the Skif fan (it spins on a brass axle!) installed on the horrible Verlinden engine bay, which is not only out of proportion (the cylinder heads are noticeably too far apart) but has very little undercut detail, similar to the engine in the Italeri M-47 or the old Tamiya Marder.

I mounted these in the new Tamiya T-55 right after getting back from Afghanistan, fresh with photos of wrecks from the famed boneyard east of Kabul in Poli-charki.
It was fun doing the transmission shifter housing from tiny bits of plastic. I’d never pull that off today…

Actual turret area is sparse and suggested a la Shep Paine. No one really needs to shine a 3500 lumen light down into the turret hatches. The sun doesn’t do that, xeptin’ maybe dead balls at the equator.

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I am much happier with the MiniArt offerings.

T-55 Mod 1963 w/interior.




Left over MiniArt interior parts added to Tamiya hull as part of my on-going Destroyed T-55 Project.



This transmission set will allow you to complete them.

I have neither the patience or skill to build one of their full interior kits but I am tempted with the standalone pieces like this and the engine. I think they would make great detail dressing in any number of dio/vignette ideas.

Eagerly awaiting the T-55 variant, hope it’s not too far off.

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