I'm building this kit now so I'm really glad Jacques linked me to his review and I found this. I was really puzzled by the shocks and the road wheel arms and how they didn't actually connect (they did on a Trumpeter kit of a similar tank) but I can see that's just how it is.
Has anyone modefied the running gear to be uneven to fit uneven terrain on a dio? I'd planned to just cut off the bits on the lower hull that the road wheel arms attach to so I can move them up or down a bit. Not sure if I should do that with the three that have the shocks but it looks like it should be simple enough.
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Xact Scale T-80U BLOG
Phil5000
Joined: May 13, 2013
KitMaker: 165 posts
Armorama: 135 posts
Posted: Monday, August 22, 2016 - 04:26 AM UTC
Jacques
Joined: March 04, 2003
KitMaker: 4,630 posts
Armorama: 4,498 posts
Posted: Monday, August 22, 2016 - 06:21 AM UTC
First off, yes, you should be able to articulate the suspension that simply. I have not done it, but it looks like it should work.
Second, sorry I have burnt out on this build. I will be getting to this build over the next 9 months for sure (for World Expo in Chicago if all goes according to plan).
Second, sorry I have burnt out on this build. I will be getting to this build over the next 9 months for sure (for World Expo in Chicago if all goes according to plan).
grunt136mike
Joined: November 24, 2012
KitMaker: 1,896 posts
Armorama: 1,858 posts
Posted: Monday, August 22, 2016 - 08:10 AM UTC
Hi everyone;
"Somebody Call the White House" !!!!!
There needs to be A Congressional Investigation !! 
JD got Burnt out on the T-80. 
CHEERS; MIKE.
"Somebody Call the White House" !!!!!
There needs to be A Congressional Investigation !! JD got Burnt out on the T-80. CHEERS; MIKE.
Phil5000
Joined: May 13, 2013
KitMaker: 165 posts
Armorama: 135 posts
Posted: Monday, August 22, 2016 - 11:37 AM UTC
Quoted Text
First off, yes, you should be able to articulate the suspension that simply. I have not done it, but it looks like it should work.
Second, sorry I have burnt out on this build. I will be getting to this build over the next 9 months for sure (for World Expo in Chicago if all goes according to plan).
I'd planned a dio with a JS-2 tank and the gen 2 soviet guards infantry from Dragon along with some beautiful tankers from Tristar. I finished the tank and the figures, very pleased with them. Started on the dio accessories including a Miniart wooden cart... and boom. Burn out. Just couldn't be bothered with the cart. Really want it in the dio but just can't bring myself to get down to painting it. It's all been sitting in a draw for like two years.
So weird when it happens.
Phil5000
Joined: May 13, 2013
KitMaker: 165 posts
Armorama: 135 posts
Posted: Sunday, August 28, 2016 - 08:58 AM UTC
I'm doing the rear hull at the moment and I'm having a hard time with it. I screwed up the rear exhaust by sticking B13 and B12 on wrong like Jacques did (its a bad sign that you have to constantly refer to reference pics instead of trusting to the instructions just to get the parts on right) and I can't for the life of me see how the auxillary power unit goes on. There's a peg and a hole but it doesn't sit snuggly against the hull. I thought I must have made a mistake building the APU but looking at it its correct. But it doesn't fit. And then on the other side there's B18, J5 and J7 and I can't see how they fit together.
Can anyone help me with this?
I haven't lost patience with this kit yet but if the rest of it is like this I will have before the end.
Can anyone help me with this?
I haven't lost patience with this kit yet but if the rest of it is like this I will have before the end.
Jacques
Joined: March 04, 2003
KitMaker: 4,630 posts
Armorama: 4,498 posts
Posted: Tuesday, August 30, 2016 - 02:57 AM UTC
I had no issue with parts B12/13 (side parts for the rear exhaust manifold) that I know of. Are you sure you are having problems with this?
Phil5000
Joined: May 13, 2013
KitMaker: 165 posts
Armorama: 135 posts
Posted: Wednesday, August 31, 2016 - 04:55 AM UTC
Quoted Text
I had no issue with parts B12/13 (side parts for the rear exhaust manifold) that I know of. Are you sure you are having problems with this?
I appreciate the photos, thanks. I got it right after having to pull it all apart and then checking the reference.
Am I sure I am having problems? Yes pretty sure I was. Don't think I was imagining the whole thing. Or do you think I was making it up?
Jacques
Joined: March 04, 2003
KitMaker: 4,630 posts
Armorama: 4,498 posts
Posted: Wednesday, August 31, 2016 - 05:48 PM UTC
Well, looking at the instructions and what I had done, it did not look like they had made a mistake. But that does not mean you are not having a hard time. Just wanted to start by making sure I had not missed something.
Phil5000
Joined: May 13, 2013
KitMaker: 165 posts
Armorama: 135 posts
Posted: Sunday, September 04, 2016 - 01:56 PM UTC
Quoted Text
Well, looking at the instructions and what I had done, it did not look like they had made a mistake. But that does not mean you are not having a hard time. Just wanted to start by making sure I had not missed something.
No you hadn't, and it shouldn't have been that big of an issue. I guess I didn't study the instruction diagram enough.
Phil5000
Joined: May 13, 2013
KitMaker: 165 posts
Armorama: 135 posts
Posted: Monday, September 05, 2016 - 03:56 PM UTC
Do you think we'll see a T-80 from Meng? They've done the T-90, the T-72 and the BMPT. You'd think a T-80 would be in the lineup.
Jacques
Joined: March 04, 2003
KitMaker: 4,630 posts
Armorama: 4,498 posts
Posted: Thursday, September 08, 2016 - 11:57 PM UTC
I know that there are T-80's (T-80U, T-80UD, and T-80UM) from Trumpeter coming. They hinted at them this spring.
As for Meng...who knows?
As for Meng...who knows?
DmitryMarkov
Joined: September 17, 2015
KitMaker: 48 posts
Armorama: 48 posts
Posted: Friday, September 09, 2016 - 09:24 PM UTC
While waiting for anything better than Xact T-80U , me and my son studying the subject alive in our "military Disneyland" ;-)
Pics taken couple of hours ago ))
Being serious, I would want a T-80 from Meng but I don't know how they could produce a workable suspension for it. Knowing that working suspension is one of things that are trademarks for Meng, that would be a very complicated task - much more complicated than for T-72 type of suspension.
Best Regards
Dmitry
Phil5000
Joined: May 13, 2013
KitMaker: 165 posts
Armorama: 135 posts
Posted: Monday, September 12, 2016 - 03:11 AM UTC
Quoted Text
While waiting for anything better than Xact T-80U , me and my son studying the subject alive in our "military Disneyland" ;-)
Pics taken couple of hours ago ))
Being serious, I would want a T-80 from Meng but I don't know how they could produce a workable suspension for it. Knowing that working suspension is one of things that are trademarks for Meng, that would be a very complicated task - much more complicated than for T-72 type of suspension.
Best Regards
Dmitry
Sup Dmitry,
I haven't done any kits from Meng but I'm keen to. Do all their tank kits have workable suspension? Is it something they insist on?
The Xact kit sure is an odd bird. On the one hand the details are beautiful, but on the other hand they've made some design decisions that create an unnecessary amount of work. Where the tool boxes on the fenders are there's a gap that needs filling all along the length of the tank, there's a huge gap or lip where the fenders attach to the front glacis plate that will need a great deal of work to fill, and then there's the photo etch front mud guards that stubbornly refused to stick. I've moved on to the turret and so far its plain sailing but I'm worried about those fenders when I come to stick them on. Since Trumpeter are coming out with some I'd certainly suggest waiting.
When I was about your son's age my father took me to the tank museum in Bovington, England. I was climbing down from one of the tanks and tore my shorts!
Phil5000
Joined: May 13, 2013
KitMaker: 165 posts
Armorama: 135 posts
Posted: Monday, September 19, 2016 - 06:17 AM UTC
I'm about half way through the turret now, and my advice for anyone is to be very careful when it comes to drilling the holes in the turret. The instructions can be misinterpreted. It might be a good idea to leave it until you come to attach each part so you can easily understand where the holes need to go.
Phil5000
Joined: May 13, 2013
KitMaker: 165 posts
Armorama: 135 posts
Posted: Tuesday, September 27, 2016 - 05:19 AM UTC
Hi Jacques,
Can you remember how you did the searchlight, in which order you attached the parts? I followed the instructions (32) and put S6 and S20 on first, then S9. But in order to attach to S6 and S20 S9 looks a bit skewed. I'm wondering if I should put S9 on first and get that right. Or is it supposed to be skewed?
Can you remember how you did the searchlight, in which order you attached the parts? I followed the instructions (32) and put S6 and S20 on first, then S9. But in order to attach to S6 and S20 S9 looks a bit skewed. I'm wondering if I should put S9 on first and get that right. Or is it supposed to be skewed?
Jacques
Joined: March 04, 2003
KitMaker: 4,630 posts
Armorama: 4,498 posts
Posted: Friday, September 30, 2016 - 02:10 AM UTC
The IR light should be in exact alignment with the main gun barrel in all three dimensions so the "beam" illuminates where the main gun would hit the target at a pre-determined range. I assembled my searchlight a per the instructions with no issue.
However, I did modify the turret in my kit to have a different angle...so I will have to modify the mounting of the light to the turret a bit to get it all to sit proper. This may involve needing 5 hands to get it all at the correct angle and applying the superglue.
In the end, as long as the light runs parallel to the same "line" as the main gun, it should look ok.
However, I did modify the turret in my kit to have a different angle...so I will have to modify the mounting of the light to the turret a bit to get it all to sit proper. This may involve needing 5 hands to get it all at the correct angle and applying the superglue.
In the end, as long as the light runs parallel to the same "line" as the main gun, it should look ok.
Jacques
Joined: March 04, 2003
KitMaker: 4,630 posts
Armorama: 4,498 posts
Posted: Monday, October 03, 2016 - 03:58 AM UTC
Phil, I don't think I answered your question correctly. I built the searchlight as described in the instructions without issue. You may want to build it and then look at it when mounted on the turret, it may need a bit of a angle to it. I would not know at this point because I modified the front of my turret. I hope that explains it better. 
Augusta
Joined: September 11, 2016
KitMaker: 24 posts
Armorama: 23 posts
Posted: Saturday, February 25, 2017 - 10:15 PM UTC
Hello,
Do you know if the kit is still produced?
Do you know if the kit is still produced?
Jacques
Joined: March 04, 2003
KitMaker: 4,630 posts
Armorama: 4,498 posts
Posted: Sunday, February 26, 2017 - 04:42 AM UTC
Looks like the company is not active at the moment?
Blucop
Joined: January 03, 2005
KitMaker: 279 posts
Armorama: 262 posts
Posted: Thursday, March 02, 2017 - 05:16 AM UTC
Glad I bought and built mine when it was released. I am interested in seeing the Trumpy version....especially a UD and T-84.
Scarred
Joined: March 11, 2016
KitMaker: 1,792 posts
Armorama: 1,186 posts
Posted: Thursday, March 02, 2017 - 07:22 PM UTC
Quoted Text
Looks like the company is not active at the moment?
Several sites are still listing them for sale.
marcinko
Joined: March 18, 2017
KitMaker: 5 posts
Armorama: 5 posts
Posted: Monday, March 20, 2017 - 03:07 AM UTC
Hello Jacques, awesome work there
One question, is this the best T-80U kit ?
One question, is this the best T-80U kit ?
Jacques
Joined: March 04, 2003
KitMaker: 4,630 posts
Armorama: 4,498 posts
Posted: Monday, March 20, 2017 - 10:18 AM UTC
It is the ONLY T-80U kit on the market right now. Trumpeter has announced a kit, but it has not been released yet.
Scarred
Joined: March 11, 2016
KitMaker: 1,792 posts
Armorama: 1,186 posts
Posted: Monday, March 20, 2017 - 11:38 AM UTC
Quoted Text
It is the ONLY T-80U kit on the market right now. Trumpeter has announced a kit, but it has not been released yet.
And they are getting hard to find. Sprue Brothers is the only place I've found that still shows them in stock.
marcinko
Joined: March 18, 2017
KitMaker: 5 posts
Armorama: 5 posts
Posted: Monday, March 20, 2017 - 09:36 PM UTC
Quoted Text
It is the ONLY T-80U kit on the market right now. Trumpeter has announced a kit, but it has not been released yet.
Understood, what about the other T-80 versions by Trumpeter ? Are they any good ? Accurate ?
Cheers
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