BT turrets

Turrets are a significant and important part of the tank. For BT tanks, in general, they can (with a few reservations) be a conversion kit on their own. Let’s take the BT-7 kit, replace only the turret and get, for example, the Finnish BT-42 self-propelled guns. A kit from the Finnish company JS Models will help us with this

 

JS10 BT-42 Turret

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Things are a little more complicated with another artillery modification – BT-7A.

Here, for example, is a product of the German MR modellbau

MR-35375 BT-7A turret artillery support tank on BT-7

 

 

 

 

 

 

What’s this? Conversion (after all, there was a BT-7, but it will become a BT-7A) or an upgrade (there will still be a BT-7, it’s not in vain that they didn’t change the index on the original, just added a letter)? And by the way, which of the BT-7 from Tamiya: 1935 or 1937?

Exactly the same situation with the kit from Komplekt ZiP

35045 BT-7A Turret for Tamiya kit

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

With the next set, the situation is more complicated,

35046 BT-7A Turret for Zvezda, East Express kit

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

because with it, all previous troubles are preserved, but new ones are added. The Eastern Express has its own model BT-7A and it is in this case that the resin turret definitely turns into an upgrade.

Approximately the same situation with the BT-2 turret . If this turret is for a model of another index, then this is definitely a conversion. This fact is not explicitly stated, but is implied for the set from Ural Sokol

301 Башня БТ-2

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Well, simply because when the Ural Sokol was engaged in armored vehicles on a scale of 1/35, there were no BT-2 models yet.

But the BT-2 turret from the German MR modellbau is definitely not a conversion, because it is intended for the BT-2 model from HobbyBoss

MR-35620 Soviet Fast Tank BT-2 early prod. with gun turret (HOBBY BOSS)

 

 

 

 

 

And the product from the American Hellcat Scale Models is not quite a turret, but its (turret) update.

Models BT-2 update set

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

One of the most mysterious phenomena in the T-26 and BT lines is the Mariupol turrets. Modern events show that everything is not always simple with Mariupol. Mariupol Tturret – is it a conversion or an upgrade? On the one hand, the index of the model does not change, and on the other hand, the appearance is subject to a radical change.

The pioneer in this field was the domestic one, and there were no others, Ural Sokol

 

306 Turret BT-5 and T-26 with a small niche

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I must say that this turret does not let Russian aftermarket producers sleep straight. Domestic Orugeinik in 2012 released as many as two sets with different masks

OR35as3508 Turret BT-5 (Mariupol plant, with a weld mask)

 

 

 

 

 

OR35as3509 Turret BT-5 (Mariupol plant, with a stamped mask)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In 2020, Russian L-Model released

3507 Mariupol Turret for BT tank (for HobbyBoss 84515)

 

 

 

 

 

And another Ukrainian trace in the BT turret from the Polish PanzerArt

RE35-645 BT-7 Up armored turret (Odessa dockyard)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There are kits to replace and normal turrets. And they are not released one at a time.

 

Here is the German MR modellbau released a set

MR-35377 turret BT-7 Mod.1937 & BT-7M update (TAMIYA)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Then thought a little more, added a turret and released a different set

MR-35378 BT-7 Mod. 1937 turret with anti-aircraft machine gun mount

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Canadian Hussar did the same.

HSR 35023 BT-7 Conical Turret (for Tamiya)

 

 

 

 

There is not even a mention of this set on the official website at the moment.

Then they added a stern machine gun to it, their own shells and their own etched turret, received the following set

HSR 35024 BT-7 1937 Turret roof with MG and Ammo

 

 

 

 

 

But the Russian Komplekt ZiP has advanced further and more than anyone else in this direction, thinking hard and releasing as many as 8 kits.

 

35026 BT-7 Conical turret with machine gun in the aft niche for Tamiya kit

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

35027 BT-7 Conical turret with machine gun in the aft niche for Zvezda, East Express kit

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

35028 BT-7 Conical turret for Tamiya kit

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

35029 BT-7 Conical turret for Zvezda, East Express kit

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

35030 BT-7 Conical turret with rear machine gun and turret for Tamiya kit

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

35031 BT-7 Conical turret with rear machine gun and turret for Zvezda, East Express kit

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

35032 BT-7 Conical turret with turret for Tamiya kit

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

35033 BT-7 Conical turret with turret for Zvezda, East Express kit

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A terrible thing, I thought, and decided to bring everything into one table

And it all became much easier. There is one turret, just in two versions for a specific manufacturer. They added a rear machine gun – two more sets, added a separate anti-aircraft gun – two more sets. They made both machine guns at the same time – two more sets. And you were afraid!

This riddle has been sorted out, but there are still a few left:

In 2011, HobbyPlanet‘s plans to make a BT-2 resin full kit were discussed on the pages of the Panzer35 website. Apparently it didn’t work out.

Last year, the L-model posted a photo of the finished prototype of the correction turreton the D-38 from HobbyBoss

The finished commercial product did not come across to me.

The German MR modellbau has another set with two turrets at once

MR-35034 Turrets for BT-5 Model 1933/BT-5A C.S. Tank (2 turrets) [ZVEZDA]

 

 

 

 

 

Moreover, on the official website and in general on the network there is nothing but this picture. Freaks! The name indicates that the kit is for the Zvezda, in the annotation on the site – for the Zvezda and Tamiya.