BT line from Zvezda

The era of resin BT tank kits ended in 1992, when the Russian Zvezda released the first plastic kit.

3507 BT-5 Soviet Light Tank (mod.1933)

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is the first 1/35 scale buildable tank model produced in Russia using high pressure plastic injection molding technology.

And although according to Russian tradition: “there is a small break between the first (glass) and the second (second)” – the break at Zvezda between BT-5 and BT-7 was 10 years.

3545 BT-7 Soviet Light Tank with crew of 4

 

 

 

 

 

 

Due to some marketing frills, they added sprues of one of their first sets of figures.

Apparently, the kit was not produced in the period 2009-2013, and in 2014 it was presented as a novelty, but already without a crew.

And it is right! I had this set of figurines. And it was even very useful – I covered the damaged hatch on the T-24 with a mechanical driver (it was no longer possible to make it closed, and if you open it, it is empty there).

 

But I won’t recommend it to anyone.

The release of the BT-5 model by Zvezda initiated a number of repackaging and conversions based on it.

Italeri was the first to get involved in this in 1994 by simply repacking the original set

272 BT-5 Soviet Light Tank

 

 

 

 

 

 

There is currently no such set on the company’s website.

An interesting repacking was carried out by the German TVA. However, judging by the number of the set, she generally began her activity from this

01 Russian Fast Tank BT-5 Mod.33

 

 

 

 

 

And she did it more exquisitely: in addition to frames from Zvezda, there was a resin tower in the box for the implementation of the tank with the Mariupol tower

A man on a Panzer35  started to assemble this model, but in the end  to make the tower completely on my own, because everything is wrong and everything is not right.

Another repacker of this model is also the German Tom Modellbrau. I will start my acquaintance with its products in this segment in the reverse order. It will become clear why later. So an experienced artillery tank

17 Soviet Artilery Tabk D-38

 

 

 

 

 

 

There is not much information on it, but it’s clear: the turret is made of resin, the rest is from the Zvezda.

The next set is based on a rare prototype: models of bridgelayers are generally quite rare, according to Soviet technology – this is the second or third, and in general the only one in the BT family.

15 Russian Bridge Layer SBT

 

 

 

 

 

 

There is very little information on the Internet and about it, but here you and I are lucky – I have this product. Accordingly, in haste, I made a review and placed it on another of my site fromSalekhard.

Well, the last in the presentation, but the first set in the chronology of release.

04 BT-2 Russian Fast Tank

 

 

 

 

 

 

The year of its release is uniquely determined by the photo-etched board (lower right corner), i.e. much earlier than Scalemates thought!

 

Still and manufacturers to decipher!

In this box, as well as in the others from this company, there are sprues from Zvezda with additions.

 

If you believe the instructions, then you can assemble one of three options: cannon, machine gun-cannon, machine gun tank.

And finally, let me draw your attention to the phrase on the box: “Moulded in Russia“.

And the last in this line of conversion repackers is the domestic Maquette.

35301 BT-2 Tank

 

 

 

 

 

 

and his 1998 reincarnation

MQ-3565 BT-2 Light Tank

 

 

 

 

 

 

What is interesting is that in these sets, in addition to the sprues of the Zvezda, there are two identical frames each.

Each frames has a complete turret kit. Maybe this is for the construction of the mythical double-turret BT-4?

No, this is to provide a complete set of rollers.

If you pay attention to: frames are identical to Tom Modellbrau and Maquette; coincidence of modifications possible for assembly; information that the Germans poured their model in Russia, then you come to the conclusion that these sets are closely related. If the Maquette would have had the same extra frames as the Germans, one could assume a good relationship. But clearly this is not the case.

This is such a detective story in the world of models.

If anyone has information that reveals the essence, please share.

To be continued …