In Box Review of Trumpeter 1/35th Scale
Soviet KV-8 Heavy Tank
Kit no. 01565
By Ray Mehlberger
Copyright: 2011
I was given this kit by the editor of the Cybermodeler web site, when I was on the staff there in 2012.
Available at Hobbylinc for $36.19 or at Sprue Brothers for $44.99 or at Kit Linx for $35.99 or at 1001 Hobbies for $54.99 and at 2 locations overseas on the web.
By Ray Mehlberger
Copyright: 2011
I was given this kit by the editor of the Cybermodeler web site, when I was on the staff there in 2012.
Available at Hobbylinc for $36.19 or at Sprue Brothers for $44.99 or at Kit Linx for $35.99 or at 1001 Hobbies for $54.99 and at 2 locations overseas on the web.
HISTORY:
The Kliment Voroshilov (KV) tanks are a series of Soviet heavy tanks named after the Soviet defence commissar and politician Kliment Voroshilov who operated with the Red Army during World War II. The KV tanks were known for their heavy armour protection during the early stages of the war, especially during the first year of the German invasion of the Soviet Union.
In certain situations, even a single KV-1 or KV-2 supported by infantry could halt German formations. The German Wehrmacht at that time rarely deployed its tanks against KVs, as their own armament was too poor to deal with the "Russischer Koloss" – "Russian Colossus".The KV tanks were practically immune to the 3.7 cm KwK 36 and howitzer-like, short-barreled 7.5 cm KwK 37 guns mounted, respectively, on the early Panzer III and Panzer IV tanks fielded by the invading German forces.
Until the Germans developed more effective guns, the KV-1 was invulnerable to almost any German weapon except the 8.8 cm Flak gun. Prior to the start of Operation Barbarossa in June 1941, about 500 of the over 22,000 tanks then in Soviet service were of the KV-1 type. As the war progressed, it became evident that there was little sense in producing the expensive KV tanks, as the T-34 medium tank performed better (or at least equally well) in all practical respects.
In fact the only advantage the KV had over the T-34/76 was its larger and roomier three-man turret. Later in the war, the KV series became a base for the development of the IS (Iosif Stalin) series of tanks and self-propelled guns.
KV-1 SPECIFICATIONS:
Type: Heavy tank
Place of origin: Soviet Union
In service: 1939–1945
Used by: Poland, Soviet Union
Wars: Winter War, World War II
Designer: Zhozef Kotin, TsKB-2
Designed: 1938–1939
Manufacturer: Kirov Factory, ChTZ
Produced: 1939–1943
No. built: 5,219
Variants: KV-2, KV-8 flamethrower, KV-1S, KV-85, KV-122
Specifications (KV-1 Model 1941)
Mass: 45 t (44 long tons; 50 short tons)
Length: 6.75 m (22 ft 2 in)
Width: 3.32 m (10 ft 11 in)
Height: 2.71 m (8 ft 11 in)
Crew: 5
Armour: Maximum (front): 90 mm (3.5 in), Side: 75 mm (3.0 in), Rear: 70 mm (2.8 in)
Main armament: 76.2 mm M1941 ZiS-5 gun
Secondary armament: 3 or 4 × DT machine guns
Engine: Model V-2 V12 diesel engine of 600 hp (450 kW)
Power/weight: 13 hp/tonne
Suspension: Torsion bar
Operational range: Road: 250 km (160 mi), Cross-country: 150 km (93 mi)[2]
Maximum speed: 35 km/h (22 mph)
The KV-8 (102) –was a KV-1 fitted with the ATO-41 flamethrower in the turret, beside a machine gun. In order to accommodate the new weapon, the 76.2 mm gun was replaced with a smaller 45 mm Gun M1932, though it was disguised to look like the standard 76 mm (the cannon was placed inside a 76mm tube).
The Kliment Voroshilov (KV) tanks are a series of Soviet heavy tanks named after the Soviet defence commissar and politician Kliment Voroshilov who operated with the Red Army during World War II. The KV tanks were known for their heavy armour protection during the early stages of the war, especially during the first year of the German invasion of the Soviet Union.
In certain situations, even a single KV-1 or KV-2 supported by infantry could halt German formations. The German Wehrmacht at that time rarely deployed its tanks against KVs, as their own armament was too poor to deal with the "Russischer Koloss" – "Russian Colossus".The KV tanks were practically immune to the 3.7 cm KwK 36 and howitzer-like, short-barreled 7.5 cm KwK 37 guns mounted, respectively, on the early Panzer III and Panzer IV tanks fielded by the invading German forces.
Until the Germans developed more effective guns, the KV-1 was invulnerable to almost any German weapon except the 8.8 cm Flak gun. Prior to the start of Operation Barbarossa in June 1941, about 500 of the over 22,000 tanks then in Soviet service were of the KV-1 type. As the war progressed, it became evident that there was little sense in producing the expensive KV tanks, as the T-34 medium tank performed better (or at least equally well) in all practical respects.
In fact the only advantage the KV had over the T-34/76 was its larger and roomier three-man turret. Later in the war, the KV series became a base for the development of the IS (Iosif Stalin) series of tanks and self-propelled guns.
KV-1 SPECIFICATIONS:
Type: Heavy tank
Place of origin: Soviet Union
In service: 1939–1945
Used by: Poland, Soviet Union
Wars: Winter War, World War II
Designer: Zhozef Kotin, TsKB-2
Designed: 1938–1939
Manufacturer: Kirov Factory, ChTZ
Produced: 1939–1943
No. built: 5,219
Variants: KV-2, KV-8 flamethrower, KV-1S, KV-85, KV-122
Specifications (KV-1 Model 1941)
Mass: 45 t (44 long tons; 50 short tons)
Length: 6.75 m (22 ft 2 in)
Width: 3.32 m (10 ft 11 in)
Height: 2.71 m (8 ft 11 in)
Crew: 5
Armour: Maximum (front): 90 mm (3.5 in), Side: 75 mm (3.0 in), Rear: 70 mm (2.8 in)
Main armament: 76.2 mm M1941 ZiS-5 gun
Secondary armament: 3 or 4 × DT machine guns
Engine: Model V-2 V12 diesel engine of 600 hp (450 kW)
Power/weight: 13 hp/tonne
Suspension: Torsion bar
Operational range: Road: 250 km (160 mi), Cross-country: 150 km (93 mi)[2]
Maximum speed: 35 km/h (22 mph)
The KV-8 (102) –was a KV-1 fitted with the ATO-41 flamethrower in the turret, beside a machine gun. In order to accommodate the new weapon, the 76.2 mm gun was replaced with a smaller 45 mm Gun M1932, though it was disguised to look like the standard 76 mm (the cannon was placed inside a 76mm tube).
THE KIT:
Trumpeter is an old prolific plastic model kit manufacturer based in Macau, China. They make all manner of plastic model subjects in the popular scales.
This kit comes in a shrink-wrapped tray and lid type box.
The cover art shows a color illustration of a KV-8, that has been captured by the Germans, on a grassy plain, surrounded by German infantrymen and an officer.
The KV-8 is over-all olive-drab with a large white number 43 on the sides of the turret.
All the Germans are dressed in field-grey uniforms.
Two of them are atop the KV-8. One is bent over and looking into the upper turret hatch. He is bare-headed. The second man is standing on the left fender. He wears a cloth side-cap.
Standing in front of the KV-8 is a German officer. He wears an officer’s billed hat and high black jack boots and a black belt.
Walking behind the KV-8 are two infantrymen. Both are wearing steel helmets and full field gear on their belts. One man is carrying a sub machine- gun and the other man is carrying the ammo for it.
The lower left corner of the box art says: Detailed scale kit for adult collectors to assemble. Actual model may vary from image on the box. WARNING! Not for children under 3 years due to small parts. In Chinese and English.
One side-panel of the box gives a one-paragraph history of the KV-8 in English and Chinese. Followed by a color illustration side-view of the KV-8 in the box art scheme and an illustration of the small brass PE fret in the kit.
The kit was made in China and the copyright for it is 2011.
Trumpeter is an old prolific plastic model kit manufacturer based in Macau, China. They make all manner of plastic model subjects in the popular scales.
This kit comes in a shrink-wrapped tray and lid type box.
The cover art shows a color illustration of a KV-8, that has been captured by the Germans, on a grassy plain, surrounded by German infantrymen and an officer.
The KV-8 is over-all olive-drab with a large white number 43 on the sides of the turret.
All the Germans are dressed in field-grey uniforms.
Two of them are atop the KV-8. One is bent over and looking into the upper turret hatch. He is bare-headed. The second man is standing on the left fender. He wears a cloth side-cap.
Standing in front of the KV-8 is a German officer. He wears an officer’s billed hat and high black jack boots and a black belt.
Walking behind the KV-8 are two infantrymen. Both are wearing steel helmets and full field gear on their belts. One man is carrying a sub machine- gun and the other man is carrying the ammo for it.
The lower left corner of the box art says: Detailed scale kit for adult collectors to assemble. Actual model may vary from image on the box. WARNING! Not for children under 3 years due to small parts. In Chinese and English.
One side-panel of the box gives a one-paragraph history of the KV-8 in English and Chinese. Followed by a color illustration side-view of the KV-8 in the box art scheme and an illustration of the small brass PE fret in the kit.
The kit was made in China and the copyright for it is 2011.
The other side-panel of the box shows 8 color walk-around type photos of the model made up. Followed by: This product is not a toy! It is suitable only for modelers aged 14 and over. In multiple languages, including English. Over Trumpeter’s street and web addresses in Macau, China.
WHAT’S IN THE BOX:
This kit contains 7 light-grey parts trees, a loose light-grey hull tub and turret top parts, 2 olive-drab trees, poly-caps, black vinyl treads, 2 lengths of wire, a small brass PE fret. There are only 2 clear cello bags in the kit. The larger parts are bare.
The small parts and the hull tub and turret top are walled in a compartment at one end of the tray.
The main instructions consist of a staple-bound booklet of 12 pages in 7 ¾” x 10 ½” page format.
Page 1 begins with a black and white side view of the KV-8 in the box art scheme, over READ BEFORE ASSEMBLY instructions, international assembly symbol explanations and decal applications instructions in English and Chinese.
Page 2 is the parts-trees illustrations.
Page 3 through to page 12 gives a grand total of 16 assembly steps.
The second instruction sheet is a painting and marking guide. It consists of a single sheet, printed in color on one side on slick-coated paper in 8” x 11 ¾” format.
Light-grey letter A tree holds: the road wheels, idler wheels, return rollers, drive sprockets, hull top etc. (58 parts)
This kit contains 7 light-grey parts trees, a loose light-grey hull tub and turret top parts, 2 olive-drab trees, poly-caps, black vinyl treads, 2 lengths of wire, a small brass PE fret. There are only 2 clear cello bags in the kit. The larger parts are bare.
The small parts and the hull tub and turret top are walled in a compartment at one end of the tray.
The main instructions consist of a staple-bound booklet of 12 pages in 7 ¾” x 10 ½” page format.
Page 1 begins with a black and white side view of the KV-8 in the box art scheme, over READ BEFORE ASSEMBLY instructions, international assembly symbol explanations and decal applications instructions in English and Chinese.
Page 2 is the parts-trees illustrations.
Page 3 through to page 12 gives a grand total of 16 assembly steps.
The second instruction sheet is a painting and marking guide. It consists of a single sheet, printed in color on one side on slick-coated paper in 8” x 11 ¾” format.
Light-grey letter A tree holds: the road wheels, idler wheels, return rollers, drive sprockets, hull top etc. (58 parts)
Light-grey letter B tree holds the hull sides (2 parts)
There is no letter C tree.
There is no letter C tree.
Light-grey letter D tree holds: a large circular part for mounting the turret, tow hooks, glasis armor, engine air-intakes etc. (29 parts)
There is no letter E tree.
There is no letter E tree.
Light-grey letter F tree holds: fenders, engine deck roof etc. (44 parts)
Light-grey letter G tree holds more wheels (90 parts)
Lettering jumps to the clear letter S tree. It holds light lenses etc. (2 parts)
There are 2 identical olive-drab letter T trees. They hold track links. (28 parts ea.)
Pale-white tree letter WF is next. It holds a machine gun, ammo drums, etc. (8 parts).
Pale white tree letter WE holds the turret bottom, fuel tanks, storage boxes, flame thrower mantlet, etc. (35 parts).
Next is the light-grey hull tub and turret top part and the black vinyl alternate treads (2 long runs)
The poly caps (18 parts), wires, small brass PE fret (7 parts) and the decal sheet complete the kit’s contents.
There are no figures included.
Detail is very nice.
Recommended.
Detail is very nice.
Recommended.