BT line from Eastern Express

The next production line of models is longer and more uniform than the previous one, namely, sets of the BT-7 model and its modifications from Eastern Express.

35108 Tank BT-7 mod 1935 early version

 

 

 

 

 

 

And then in order of numbers

35109 Tank BT-7 mod 1935 late version

 

 

 

 

 

 

35110 Command Tank BT-7 mod 1935

 

 

 

 

 

 

35111 Tank BT-7 mod 1937 early version

 

 

 

 

 

 

35112 Tank BT-7 mod 1937 early version

 

 

 

 

 

 

35114 Tank BT-7A w/ 76 mm KT-28 gun

 

 

 

 

 

 

35115 Command Tank BT-7A

 

 

 

 

 

 

35116 Finnish SPG BT-42

 

 

 

 

 

 

On Scalemates all these sets are dated 2001. But the company’s catalog for the corresponding year gives the following picture

Indices 35108 – 35111 and 35114 – are given as already existing at the time of 2001, 35113, 35116 and 35118 – in plans for the year of catalog release. There are no indexes 35112 and 35115 at all. Absolute sadness that the company did not release a modification of the command and control vehicle and the modification of 1939 – the undoubted ancestor of another series of models.

Based on this, the following chronography seems to me: what has already been done – we attribute it to 2000, plans – to 2001, blank spots – to 2002.

Unfortunately, I did not find a catalog for 2022 and immediately after it. If anyone has catalogs or information, please share.

A mini intrigue is that only 35116 has two editions with different box art

 

And, according to Scalemates – this is their chronological order.

In my opinion, the opposite is true. The right box art is more in the style of all the previous ones and fits well into the overall line. And in from the other – luridly-debility falls out of this logic. It seems to me that the new artist, having released one such “masterpiece”, said goodbye to his place of work and did not have time to spoil the rest of the boxes.

 

Some of these sets were also repackaged by the Russian company ARC models. In her catalog of 2010-2011 there are already models

35026 Russian artillery tank BT-7A

 

 

 

 

 

 

35027 Russian light tank BT-7M

 

It’s very unclear why do two box art designs that differ only in the length of the title block. Buyers could not read the title?

And almost completely redo the box art in 2013

In 2009, i.e. even before the release of models from Tamiya and HobbyBoss, which we will discuss later, a person asked: “BT-7 – which one to choose?“

In a discussion, ilya from Chelyabinsk gave capacious characteristics of models from both manufacturers:

“Zvezda is easier to assemble (if out of the box), there are practically no tie-downs. You don’t need to cut down the mesh to replace it. But it floats a lot in terms of accuracy. You can only assemble an early car (tracks from BT-5). The EE has more modifications, more precisely in geometry (however, many may begin to argue), but for each of the modifications it is necessary to modify the case. A large number of tightenings on large parts. As a rule, next to the rivets (that is, in the most inconvenient places).“

And AEL from Samara summed up: “from EE and Zvezda you can make a good BT-7 model of 1937

trucks and tower from EE

body and wheels from Zvezda“.

At the same time, the user VITAL_SB on the WORLDofTANK forum said that his model from the Orient Express won first place in a modeling competition in Vilnius in 2014.

This is me to the fact that decent models are obtained as a result of the commonwealth of hands, head and the original set with possible additions.

 

To be continued …