6487 - T-34 /76 Mod. 1942 “Formochka”

6487: T-34 /76 Mod. 1942 “Formochka” ~ Smart Kit
1/35 injection plastic kit with multimedia accessories and decals

Seeking to produce as many T-34s as possible, the Soviets used the 5,000 ton forge at Uralmesh’s Sverdlovsk factory to make T-34 turrets. This large forge was able to stamp the turrets and these turrets can be easily distinguished by their rounded shape. Uralmesh supplied about 2,760 of these turrets to the UZTM and Chelyabinsk tank factories. These turrets had the 76mm guns and were designed to fit on the T-34s existing turret ring and their hulls displayed features typical of other T-34/76.

CONTENTS

This new Dragon kit has new tooling for the stamped or “Formochka” turret. It represents a 1942 production version as seen by the retention of the two hatches on the turret roof, which meant the commander had to expose himself to gain a good awareness of the battleground. Later models addressed this limitation by adding a cupola for the commander and also had external fuel tanks. This kit has mixed road wheels with the front and rear road wheels having rubber tyres, while the three inner wheels are all-steel to conserve rubber which was typical of 1942. This kit also has up to date tooling for the 550mm tracks, which are in the pre-cut Magic Track style.

The layout is like other Dragon T-34s Smart Kits with large single pieces for the lower and upper hulls and turret shell and an impressive standard of tooling in terms of crispness and consideration of how the kit will be assembled. A photo etch fret provides small details.

Features include:

· A newly tooled stamped turret which has considerable sharp detail for items such as bolt heads, hinges and mounting points and rounded edges indicative of the stamping forge. The roof is integral to this part and both hatches can be modeled open or shut. Also included are a ventilator dome and two roof-mounted periscopes with the options of a dummy periscope or a blanking plate instead of the second periscope.

· 550mm wide ‘Magic Tracks” which typical of the T-34 alternate between links with and without guide-horns. The two different links have different grid patterns on their outer faces. As the links come loose they are easy and quick to assemble. There are two slight injection marks on the inner face of each link.

· One-piece injection plastic barrel. The gun’s breech is inside the turret and would be visible through open hatches, while there is a bolted connecting plate for the mantlet. A new inner plate is included for the mantlet.

· Sprocket and idlers with crisp detail for the lightening holes and ribbing.

· Road wheels with the perforated rubber tyres for the front and rear stations which are very crisply tooled and equally crisp tooling for the all steel wheels on the other stations (10 lightening holes and ribbing). The kit includes sufficient spares to depict a T-34 with steel rimmed wheels on all stations, which is a useful option.

· Metal tow cable with plastic cable heads. When positioning the cable you may want to look at photos for suggestions as to how the crew secured them.

· Clear plastic lens for the headlamp.

· A choice of two air-intake covers on the engine deck. One has a single piece plastic frame to simplify assembly and the other has PE mesh screen and PE louvers. The frame with the PE parts has the improved design used on the later Dragon/Cyber-Hobby releases.

· Two multi-part plastic toolboxes with optional PE latches and hinges. There is a choice of toolboxes designs for the right hull side.

· One-piece tub hull with separate parts for the vertical suspension towers, which are fitted inside the hull and have the exposed (but obscured by the road-wheels) large coil springs.

· Two photo etch frets includes the louvers and mesh screens on the rear of the engine deck, rear fenders, PE straps, and bases for hand/spare track rails on the turret.

DECALS

The instruction sheet includes painting guides for three T-34/76 from the Eastern Front each of which is profiled in colour on the side of the box. One T-34 from an unidentified unit in 1944 is green with mustard yellow patches and white turret number 248 (box art); the second is also from an unidentified unit and is dated 1943 being a partial white wash over green; while the last T-34 is a captured tank serving with the Waffen SS Das Reich Panzer Grenadier Division at Kursk July 1943. To reduce the risk of friendly fire, this tank has been painted in a German colour scheme of dark yellow and green and has large white outline Balkan Crosses and white turret number 1011. The decal sheet is from Cartograf.

RECOMMENDATION

With its distinctive stamped turret, the new ‘Formochka’ release provides another valuable addition to Dragon’s collection of WWII T-34s. The parts are crisp and the use of the Smart Kit format will ensure many modellers find this kit is rewarding. Definitely recommended.

- Neville Lord