Review
This offering from Zvezda arrives in the usual high quality packaging that does such a good job of protecting the contents, of a flip top cardboard tray and an additional end opening card box with all the artwork on it. Inside the sprues are packaged in 2 plastic bags, with the clear sprue being packaged with the decal sheet in a Ziploc plastic, which is one aspect of the packaging that I do not like. An examination of the contents reveals no obvious issues. There are some flow lines in the plastic, but these can only be seen and not felt. The gates on the sprues are not excessive in number, they are of a small size and the only concern would be that there are some very finely moulded parts that could easily be broken during removal from the sprue.
The hull of this release from Zvezda follows their now favoured approach of flat detailed panels being brought together to create the hull. Normally this would be a concern as placement is critical as are angles in order to get the correct assembly. To overcome this Zvezda has supplied 2 internal support frames that go into specific locations on the floor of the hull, with the model then building up from there. Looking at the various mouldings that come together to create the hull, I am pleased to see that positive locations have been provided on the model parts that enable a very well detailed model as regards what is moulded onto the parts and its ease of assembly. Another beauty of it being approached in this flat packed method is that the modeller can easily make modifications as desired without concern of damaging something else. The driver’s periscopes have been supplied in clear plastic. Access hatches on the upper deck on the hull have been provided separately and while I am not aware of an interior for this release, if one becomes available or the modeller wishes to scratch detail within the ability to show it off will be easy with these large hatches.
The suspension elements and wheels are nicely detailed on their various faces. There are some moulded seam lines that cannot be avoided, and with this being a Russian vehicle I am unsure whether these seams lines should be present or removed. The suspension is set within a neutral position, but with very little effort could be articulated differently if desired by the modeller. The tracks for this release have been provided in link and length, with good detail but it does make them difficult to use if altering the suspension strut position - However that is only an issue that will affect a small amount of modellers.
The turret of the model has been approached in the same method as the hull, with a number of flat panels in most cases. Again this has enabled Zvezda to add a lot of good surface detail during the moulding process. The crew hatches are again provided as separate parts, and so if you have a figure to block the fact that the interior is empty you can have someone poking themselves out of the hatch. The only criticism I can make in this area is that the barrel is in 2 halves which with its complexity of shapes makes it difficult to clean up. On the plus side though, there is a ring on each end of the barrel which will help you ensure correct alignment of the 2 halves. The muzzle brake is also provided in 2 halves, but that will not be so difficult to address as the mating surfaces do not involve any complex shapes. There are some small elements that will need to be added to the model, with a number of tie in loops and grab handles which if you do not want to mess with cleaning up could be replaced by using wire.
Zvezda has gone overboard with finishing options, with 7 options in this case:
GVOZDIKA of the Limited Contingent of Soviet Troops in the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan, 1980s
GVOZDIKA from the Russian Armed Forces, 1990s
GVOZDIKA from the People’s National Army of the German Democratic Republic, 1980s
GVOZDIKA from the People’s Army of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam, 1980s
GVOZDIKA from the Armed Forces of the Republic of Poland, 1990s
GVOZDIKA from the Czechoslovak People’s Army, 1980s
GVOZDIKA from the Russian Marine Corp, 2000s
Conclusion
This offering from Zvezda looks like it will be a pleasure to build, with the possible exception of the tracks. Detail on the model is of a high standard, and is designed in a way that would make modification and improvements an easy task. Some photo etch would have been a benefit, most notably the grille on the top deck. As I have stated in the review, I am not a great fan of how the barrel has been tackled. But in fairness until the advent of slide moulding all barrels tended to be tackled this way. The wide selection of finishing options and countries of service should also make it an appealing release, and I lastly have to commend Zvezda on how far they have come in recent years.