Very happy to see this kit!

What AOS said - yes.

BT-2,is announced by HB !

Wow. First, now I want this model. Second: they had the engine in the crew compartment? It must have been a pretty bad place to be in...

I was thinking the same thing .... already small, then the engine there had to be hell, hot, stink and noise..ok in Russian winter maybe it was not so bad the engine heat but still...

Well, there's also the Russian summer. It's quite hot... plus imagine being thrown around in a tank where a scolding hot engine shares the space with you.

My grandma's uncle fought on a T-60 and T-70. He survived the war, worked as a teacher of a literature at school and passed in 2003. When I was a kid he told me that actually it didn't matter what tank are you fighting in - light or heavy - they all could become brother's tomb at ease if used not right. Otherwise if you used a light tank against an infantry without heavy weapons - it could have a success. And of course he envied a bit guys who were fighting in a T-34 or KV (His battle career didn't last till IS's because he received some battle wounds and was decomissioned).

You are fortunate to be able to hear his stories. I had 2 great uncles that fought in France in WWI, and never talked about it.

Actually I can't say these were "stories" - sudden glimpses for most part - veterans don't like to talk too much about what happened to them with non-veterans. It was mostly like - I'm sitting and building say IS-3 or something and he comes and says "Ah! IS-3 - if only I had it in 1942 instead of T-60, maybe my right-hand thumb would still be intact..." He was mostly into literature - always wrote birthday envelopes in poetry to everyone he knew )) And with his wife they've organised Pushkin evenings for local public in Volgodonsk in their flat - that were the matters that he could discuss for hours either than tanks ))