Zvezda 1/100 T35 Heavy Tank

Here's another model I'd always wanted, thanks to Gerald Scarborough's Airfix Guide to Tank and AFV Modelling where he scratch built one in 1/76. His T35 used tracks the Airfix centurion and wheels from an Airfix Churchill, the rest being entirely built from plastic are and rod. I really liked the look of this multi-turreted monster, but it was beyond my modelling skills then. Now thanks to Zvezda I can have one in the collection, albeit in 1/100 scale.

The kit comes on two sprues and includes assembly instructions

The parts are moulded in dark green hard plastic and the kit can be either snap-fit assembled or glued as I chose to.

I found that the hull top needed a bit of help while the glue dried, so snap-fitting might not produce quite such a good finish?

Even in 15mm scale the finished article is impressive.

To finish it I sprayed the entire vehicle Vallejo Russian Green, followed when dry by a coat of Vallejo Sepia Wash. After 24 hours I dry brushed overall with slightly lightened Russian Green before picking out the details.

Tool heads and tracks are painted light grey. I then wash the tracks with Vallejo Flesh Wash. Once dry I wash again this time with Vallejo Black Wash. This dries to give a rusty metallic look that I like.

The tool handles are picked out in brown paint an I I hand painted red stars on the main turret (after I'd drawn them in pencil first). The real vehicle would have a large circular tubular aerial around the turret top (see the box art) but this is not represented on this simple wargaming model. If you wanted this level of detail it wouldn't be too hard to add, but I can sort of understand why they've left it off, though the MGs are very finely moulded so it's not like they aren't prepared to do detail like this?

All in all a very impressive model that looks most imposing alongside my T34's and a bargain at only £3!

Why the newer Abrams, T72 etc. are £6.50 I'll never know?