In Box Review of Tamiya 1/35th Scale
Russian Tank Destroyer SU-85
Kit no. MM172
By Ray Mehlberger
MSRP: $5.98 (40 years ago)
By Ray Mehlberger
MSRP: $5.98 (40 years ago)
HISTORY:
The SU-85 was a Soviet casemate-style self-propelled gun used during World War II, based on the chassis of the T-34 medium tank. Earlier Soviet self-propelled guns were meant to serve as either assault guns, such as the SU-122, or as tank destroyers; the SU-85 fell into the latter category. The designation SU-85 is derived as follows: 'SU' stands for the Russian: Samokhodnaya Ustanovka - self-propelled carriage, while "85" signifies the bore of the vehicle's armament, the 85 mm D-5S gun.
SPECIFICATIONS:
Type
Tank destroyer
Place of origin
Soviet Union
Service history
In service
1943 - 1950s (USSR)
Production history
Designer
Lew S. Trojanow
Designed
1943
Produced
mid-1943 - late 1944
Number built
2,050
Variants
See Variants section
Specifications
Weight
29.6 tonnes (65,256 lbs)
Length
8.15 m (26 ft 9 in) overall
6.10 m (20 ft) hull only
Width
3 m (9 ft 10 in)
Height
2.45 m (8 ft)
Crew
4 (commander, driver, gunner, loader)
Armor
45 mm(1.77 in)
Main
armament
85 mm (3.34 in) D-5T gun
Secondary
armament
none
Engine
V-2 12-cylinder diesel
500 PS ( 493 hp, 368 kW)
Power/weight
16,89 PS/tonne (12.43 kW/tonne)
Suspension
Christie
Ground clearance
400 mm (16 in)
Fuel capacity
540 l
810 l - 900 l (with additional fuel tanks)
Operational
range
400 km (248 mi) (road)
Speed
55 km/h (34 mph) (road
THE KIT:
Tamiya is an older prolific model company based in Shizuoka City, Japan. They make all manner of model subjects in the popular scales.
The kit came in a shrink-wrapped tray and lid type box.
The copyright date is 1975.
The box art shows a SU-85 against an all-white background, which is Tamiya’s signature way of doing their box arts. The tank is over-all dark Russian green with a wide white stripe high on the sides of the hull with a white number 802 in the center. A crewman is shown seated in the top hatch.
One side panel repeats the box art smaller, followed by the history of the SU-85 in Japanese and Tamiya’s street address in Japan.
The other side panel shows color box arts of 4 other AFV kits that Tamiya markets. All these box arts have background scenes, unlike Tamiya’s usual all white backgrounds.
Shown are a KV-1 Russian tank, a Pz.Kpfw. IV Ausf. H German tank, a “Matilda” British Infantry Tank and a M4 “Sherman” U.S. Tank.
No kit numbers are shown for any of these 4. This is followed by MADE IN JAPAN.
The SU-85 was a Soviet casemate-style self-propelled gun used during World War II, based on the chassis of the T-34 medium tank. Earlier Soviet self-propelled guns were meant to serve as either assault guns, such as the SU-122, or as tank destroyers; the SU-85 fell into the latter category. The designation SU-85 is derived as follows: 'SU' stands for the Russian: Samokhodnaya Ustanovka - self-propelled carriage, while "85" signifies the bore of the vehicle's armament, the 85 mm D-5S gun.
SPECIFICATIONS:
Type
Tank destroyer
Place of origin
Soviet Union
Service history
In service
1943 - 1950s (USSR)
Production history
Designer
Lew S. Trojanow
Designed
1943
Produced
mid-1943 - late 1944
Number built
2,050
Variants
See Variants section
Specifications
Weight
29.6 tonnes (65,256 lbs)
Length
8.15 m (26 ft 9 in) overall
6.10 m (20 ft) hull only
Width
3 m (9 ft 10 in)
Height
2.45 m (8 ft)
Crew
4 (commander, driver, gunner, loader)
Armor
45 mm(1.77 in)
Main
armament
85 mm (3.34 in) D-5T gun
Secondary
armament
none
Engine
V-2 12-cylinder diesel
500 PS ( 493 hp, 368 kW)
Power/weight
16,89 PS/tonne (12.43 kW/tonne)
Suspension
Christie
Ground clearance
400 mm (16 in)
Fuel capacity
540 l
810 l - 900 l (with additional fuel tanks)
Operational
range
400 km (248 mi) (road)
Speed
55 km/h (34 mph) (road
THE KIT:
Tamiya is an older prolific model company based in Shizuoka City, Japan. They make all manner of model subjects in the popular scales.
The kit came in a shrink-wrapped tray and lid type box.
The copyright date is 1975.
The box art shows a SU-85 against an all-white background, which is Tamiya’s signature way of doing their box arts. The tank is over-all dark Russian green with a wide white stripe high on the sides of the hull with a white number 802 in the center. A crewman is shown seated in the top hatch.
One side panel repeats the box art smaller, followed by the history of the SU-85 in Japanese and Tamiya’s street address in Japan.
The other side panel shows color box arts of 4 other AFV kits that Tamiya markets. All these box arts have background scenes, unlike Tamiya’s usual all white backgrounds.
Shown are a KV-1 Russian tank, a Pz.Kpfw. IV Ausf. H German tank, a “Matilda” British Infantry Tank and a M4 “Sherman” U.S. Tank.
No kit numbers are shown for any of these 4. This is followed by MADE IN JAPAN.
WHAT’S IN THE BOX:
This kit contains 4 dark green parts trees in 3 stapled shut cello bags, a loose dark green hull top and hull tub part, 2 runs of black vinyl treads, a tree of black vinyl poly-caps, a stapled cello with a metal rod and a screw and nut in it, the decal sheet and the instructions.
The instructions consist of a single sheet that accordion-folds out into 6 pages in 7” x 11” page format.
Page 1 of the instructions begins with a black and white repeat of the box art, followed by the history of the SU-85 in Japanese.
Page 2 has the parts trees illustrations, with a list of the names of the parts all in Japanese. Some parts are blacked –out in these illustrations as being excess and not needed to complete the kit. The first assembly step is at the bottom of the page.
Pages 3 through 5 have the balance of a grand total of 9 assembly steps. Captioning in these steps is all in Japanese.
Page 6 has the painting and decal application instructions in Japanese.
A 3-view drawing is provided showing a SU-85 in overall dark green with no markings, followed by a side view of the box art subject and a side view of with a white star followed by the white number 318 high on the hull sides and a side view that has a white eagle and number 324 high on the hull sides. The text is all in Japanese again, so I haven’t a clue as to the units these markings represent.
Large dark green letter A parts tree holds: external fuel drums, tow cables, engine room ventilated hatch, side vent screens, exhaust shields, rear hull wall, grab railings, spare track links, tow hooks etc. (57 parts) 2 parts are marked as excess.
This kit contains 4 dark green parts trees in 3 stapled shut cello bags, a loose dark green hull top and hull tub part, 2 runs of black vinyl treads, a tree of black vinyl poly-caps, a stapled cello with a metal rod and a screw and nut in it, the decal sheet and the instructions.
The instructions consist of a single sheet that accordion-folds out into 6 pages in 7” x 11” page format.
Page 1 of the instructions begins with a black and white repeat of the box art, followed by the history of the SU-85 in Japanese.
Page 2 has the parts trees illustrations, with a list of the names of the parts all in Japanese. Some parts are blacked –out in these illustrations as being excess and not needed to complete the kit. The first assembly step is at the bottom of the page.
Pages 3 through 5 have the balance of a grand total of 9 assembly steps. Captioning in these steps is all in Japanese.
Page 6 has the painting and decal application instructions in Japanese.
A 3-view drawing is provided showing a SU-85 in overall dark green with no markings, followed by a side view of the box art subject and a side view of with a white star followed by the white number 318 high on the hull sides and a side view that has a white eagle and number 324 high on the hull sides. The text is all in Japanese again, so I haven’t a clue as to the units these markings represent.
Large dark green letter A parts tree holds: external fuel drums, tow cables, engine room ventilated hatch, side vent screens, exhaust shields, rear hull wall, grab railings, spare track links, tow hooks etc. (57 parts) 2 parts are marked as excess.
Letter B parts tree is the black vinyl poly-caps. (20 caps) 2 are marked as excess.
Large dark green letter C parts tree holds: road wheels, return rollers, drive wheels and idler wheels (28 parts)
There are 2 medium sized dark green letter D parts trees.
One holds: a shovel, main gun barrel, mantle parts, front hull plate etc. (25 parts)
One holds: a shovel, main gun barrel, mantle parts, front hull plate etc. (25 parts)
The other tree holds: the crew figure, full roof, front hull wall, hatch etc. (24 parts)
Next are the single dark green parts of the hull tub and hull top.
The metal rod, screw and nut are for the motorized version of this kit that Tamiya also markets. The hull tub has motorization holes in it that need to be filled then.
The decal sheet and instructions complete the kit’s contents. In the 40 years that this kit has laid in my basement moisture got to the decals and they are pretty much shot I think.
There are no interior details provided in this kit, nor clear parts.
The tracks are the older type that have to be heat riveted or stapled together to form loops. They are NOT the newer glueable type.
The tracks are the older type that have to be heat riveted or stapled together to form loops. They are NOT the newer glueable type.
Armor Research 1/35th scale 85 mm Tank Ammo
This kit shares a lot of common trees with Tamiya’s kit of the SU-122, which is reviewed elsewhere on the site.
I only wish that the instructions had of been in English. Otherwise the kit has nice detail and is recommended.
I only wish that the instructions had of been in English. Otherwise the kit has nice detail and is recommended.
I purchased my kit at my local hobby shop years ago.