Review
This offering from Zvezda in 1/72nd scale arrives in a flip top card tray with an additional end opening card sleeve and so offering a good level of protection for the contents, Inside is a single plastic bag containing the model parts. The instruction sheet and finishing sheet are loose in the box. Looking at the mouldings leaves me with a positive impression of the contents and clearly shows how far Zvezda has come as a company.
This kit is not a five minute build as it does have some very nice detail to it. The wheel stations and wheels are all separate parts with well defined details present. The tracks have been supplied as link and length which will be a bit if a struggle for those with eyes that are aging and hands that are not as steady as once they were, but detail wise these a perfect for purpose.
The hull of the model has a lot of nicely moulded detail present with separate side panels for the upper hull to allow that nice detail to be in all areas. The hull is made up of three main parts being upper, lower and rear hull parts. The fuel tanks and storage boxes are also separate mouldings that need to be assembled and so those modellers who wish to add fuel lines have been given good access for that detail. The light fixtures and splash guard are also separate parts and so you can see the improved level of detail that is now out there for fans of the smaller scale.
The turret has also got some very nice detail present both moulded and separate parts. The gun barrel is a single piece moulding with the muzzle and some of the canvas guard cover needing to be added. Both of the hatches are separate and so you could have them open with a little work. The search light and even the grab handles are parts the need to be added. I would have liked to see an effort to include the heavy machine gun that is so often present, but this is still a little beauty.
A single finishing option is included in the release in the form of:
4th Guards Kantemirov Tank Division 1972-1974