Here we take a look at what must be a what if vehicle a Spherical Fighting Vehicle TsAMO Project Interior Kit.

Review

This release from MiniArt is 1/35th scale, I am sure I have seen previously from this company quite some time ago. There is not that much to this release, even with an interior. A hunt on the internet reveals only 1 ball tank design called a Kugelpanzer, however this model does not replicate that, and so it is my belief that unless someone knows better, this would have been a line drawing project only. An examination of the mouldings reveals no issues that I can detect, although there are a  lot of moulding nipples in some places which I always consider to be a pain. The model is supplied in a single plastic bag, in a cardboard tray with a separate card lid which does its job unless abused. 

The principle of the vehicle is that you have a ball, which rotates inside a ring running around the circumference of the ball. The ball provides the power to rotate this outer ring, with 2 stabilisers to prevent it falling to either side and I am guessing that the centre of gravity being low down within the ball and so prevents the crew compartment from rotating. Offensive firepower is provided via machine guns operated from the interior. To begin with you have an engine, mounted within a cradle that sits in the lowest area. Above that are 2 crew seats sitting wither side of the engine, and above them are 2 further seats for manning the machine guns. Two rings are run around a series of wheels, that then allows the rotation of the centre portion. 

If I was a crew member of this vehicle, I would wonder who was trying to kill me first!! Carbon monoxide poisoning, a fuel tank explosion, the laws or relativity and that is before the enemy starts shooting at you!!!!! You have no protection from the engine, no obvious exhaust system and despite the centre of gravity being low down, I am sure the risk of this spinning is high and once spinning there is nothing to prevent you going over sideways. I know they say that “War is the mother of all invention”, but the designer of this vehicle must have had one too many vodka’s down the pub while designing the model. 

The issues with this design. Despite not being an engineer seem to jump out at me, and if asked to take it for a spin - No pun intended. I think I would ask them to “Shoot me now” as it would be a quicker and less painful death. The very large doors are akin to submarine pressure doors, which might make it more efficient if they put some paddles on the rotating ring and used it in the water. While I cannot find any details of this vehicle, if MiniArt finishing options are correct, some must have been built and fielded. However, I am still to be convinced of that.

The 6 finishing options included are:

Unidentified Unit, Red Army, Spring 1942

13th Motorcycle Regiment Red Army, Summer 1942

29th Guards Tank Corp Red Army, Summer 1943

Unidentified Unit Red Army, Summer 1944

Captured 5th Panzer Division, Wehrmacht. Kursk, Summer 1943

Captured Unidentified Unit. Italy 1945

I find myself wondering, if the captured vehicles were due to the embarrassment of troops crewing it or the crew getting so dizzy that they did not know which way was what.

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