KV-85, from Russia with love.....

[rustybaer]

Motivation comes from many places, this time from another forum, a gentleman doing multiple KV's. I've built one Trump KV-1, and had a fine time doing it. They're fine kits, can be built OOB or with some additions, and build up nicely. So, I've always thought the KV-85 was a perfect example of late war Russian tank philosophy: big gun, good armor, poor ergonomics and basic construction. There were about 130 KV-85s built, and quickly phased out in favor of the IS series with the 122mm gun, but they did serve in some key operations, and I thought a model of one would be a good example of the transition from the basic KV-1: unreliable mechanically, thick armor and smallish main gun, too heavy for most Russian bridges, to the IS series: excellent armor, honkin' big gun and decent mechanical performance, still pretty heavy but nowhere near as porky as a German tank carrying equivalent firepower. I also like the way it looks. So upon careful examination of the stash (read a quick perusal) I figgered I had what I needed: an almost complete Eastern Express KV-85, a partial Trump KV-1s purchased as parts, and a Trump Kv-1 model 1942, the "heavy cast turret" model, complete. So off I went, into the fog blindly. For references, I have two pictures of the real thing, from a Concord/Zaloga book: "Stalin's Heavies", and an old magazine article about a similar conversion, using Trump and Zvezda parts. Plenty, right? I don't really care about detail errors on this one, and I know the road wheels are not correct, since I had to drill holes in the older KV wheels to get the look of the "s" wheels with the lightening holes. BTW, calling any KV "Speedy" is kind of funny.... Anyway, the biggest mod was to move the turret ring forward. A lot. I used hull parts from both Trump kits, and some white stuff, blanked off the driver's hatch (What do you worry for Comrade Driver?) and extending the engine cover. Oddly enough, the Trump turret ring fits the Eastern Express turret base perfectly. Pics as of last night, after about two hours of work:

IMG_1475 by Russel Baer, on Flickr

IMG_1476 by Russel Baer, on Flickr

As of now, I have the glacis smoothed and filled, the turret splash shield on along with the driver's periscopes, visor and rain shield, and the missing or removed bolt heads on the engine cover. I've also started the Eastern Express (EE) turret, and boy is it a rat. More later!

[JCON]

I'll follow along...

[BUCKY]

I'll just pull up my chair.........

[JEFF]

I'm in.

[RLFoster]

Yes, indeed! I'm lurking in the shadows as well!

[BUCKY]

Soooooo......that's FOUR chairs, huh??

[JCON]

Awesome... here's the popcorn!!! I think this will get us through this build!!!

[rustybaer]

I LIKE popcorn! Best reason to go to a movie.... So, I did some more today, no work due to the season, I guess, but I had a lovely modeling day for my birthday.
Turret is progressing nicely, and I'm reminded of modeling when I was a kid: trying too decide what's flash and what's a part of the kit, sketchy fit, having to make serious modifications to get things to fit, all that good stuff. First, a pic of the turret with putty, filling sink marks and blending the rear MG blister:
IMG_1478 by Russel Baer, on Flickr
Fit here was pretty poor, but good ol' Squadron Green Stuff to the rescue. I also had some blending to do on the TC's cupola. and after, with some more detail parts added, some EE, some Trump:
IMG_1479 by Russel Baer, on Flickr
The putty is glossy because I painted it with thin cryo glue to seal it. I'll be using a fair amount of MrSurfacer later. It's interesting, the turret actually has a very nicely done surface texture, the cut line at the base of the turret is well done and the weld beads on the roof are good too, but the mantlet housing didn't have the same profile as the turret front, the mantlet itself didn't fit the housing at all, and the gun tube, while one piece, had such a huge mold line that rounding it up would have reduced it in size by 20% or more.
And while I was waiting for putty to dry, I did some more on the hull:
IMG_1481 by Russel Baer, on Flickr
IMG_1482 by Russel Baer, on Flickr
And another turret shot, showing some added bits and the Trump gun tube in the EE mantlet:
IMG_1480 by Russel Baer, on Flickr
Shoot me, I'm having fun.

[JCON]

Good job, at first I thought you had modeled a green Christmas wreath, ha, ha!!!

[BUCKY]

Nov 30, 2018 19:30:19 GMT -6 JCON said:

Good job, at first I thought you had modeled a green Christmas wreath, ha, ha!!!

Tis the season! Oh, wait....that's putty, ain't it??

[JEFF]

Great and speedy progress, Russ.

[ogrejohn]

That's looking fine Russ! 

[rustybaer]

Thanks all. Still moving along nicely, I think. Turret is done and primed, in black, and the hull is nearly finished now too. I had to do a little modification on the glacis to fit the armored cover for the fixed MG which I made up from a piece of sprue, nothing major, and formed the lifting rings on the rear deck plated from wire. The fender braces are next, and fuel tanks and then I can prime the hull, leaving tracks and tow cables.
IMG_2008 by Russel Baer, on Flickr
IMG_2009 by Russel Baer, on Flickr
Depending on my work schedule this week, I may be building tracks soon.

[BUCKY]

Looking good, Russel!!

[JEFF]

Way to go, Russ.

[RLFoster]

Outstanding!!!

[JCON]

Looking mighty sharp!!!

[rustybaer]

T'anks gents!

[rustybaer]

With fuel tanks and fenders, and a couple of small bits:
IMG_2667 by Russel Baer, on Flickr
IMG_2669 by Russel Baer, on Flickr
I used the EE tanks, spent an hour or so getting them round, then added weld seams with stretched sprue. Maybe I should have used the Trump cans as they were probably round, but the EE parts had some nice detail on the brackets.

Next time I'll not worry so much about the seam since that's where the actual closure is on the real thing, kind of a big rolled and welded source for leaks.

[BUCKY]

Nice details on the tanks. Keep up the good work!