In Box review of Eastern Express 1/35 Scale Soviet BA-3 Armored Car
By Ray Mehlberger
Kit No. 35125
OUT OF PRODUCTION
Available at one source overseas on the web.
Copyright 2001
Kit No. 35125
OUT OF PRODUCTION
Available at one source overseas on the web.
Copyright 2001
HISTORY:
The production of the BA-3 was organized at the Izhorskij and the Vyksunskij factories in 1934 on the base of the BA-1. The hull of the BA-1 underwent only insignificant changes. The rear of the hull was extended by 50 mm.
The engine compartment acquired air-escape windows. The running board was shortened and the rear fenders now accommodated fastening for all-terrain chains. Installation of the body onto the Ford Timken chassis was accomplished with the help of 10 brackets, which were bolted to the side members through rubber gaskets.
The main innovation in the new vehicle was the turret and its armament. The BA-3 received the turret from the T-26 tank, which had thinner 8 mm armor, with a painted weapons mount - the 45 mm 20K gun model 1932/38 (supplied with 60 rounds), and the DT machine gun.
The ammunition was located partially in the turret and partially in the hull of the armored car. In the recess of the turret there were two honeycomb racks with space for 40 shells, along the hull wall there were housings for 12 more (6 per side) and 8 more along the walls of the fighting compartment (4 per side).
The four racks in the turret and the hull accommodated 53 magazines for the machine guns. For the first time in Soviet armored car industry, in an attempt to improve mobility, the rear wheels of the BA-3 were outfitted with all-terrain tracks, known under the foreign name "Overall". Each track weighed 71 kg and was comprised of 25 80 x 35 mm links. The length of one track was 4500 mm, step size - 180 mm, installation of the tracks by the whole crew took 10-15 minutes.
180 armored cars of this type (168 according to other sources) were produced.
The production of the BA-3 was organized at the Izhorskij and the Vyksunskij factories in 1934 on the base of the BA-1. The hull of the BA-1 underwent only insignificant changes. The rear of the hull was extended by 50 mm.
The engine compartment acquired air-escape windows. The running board was shortened and the rear fenders now accommodated fastening for all-terrain chains. Installation of the body onto the Ford Timken chassis was accomplished with the help of 10 brackets, which were bolted to the side members through rubber gaskets.
The main innovation in the new vehicle was the turret and its armament. The BA-3 received the turret from the T-26 tank, which had thinner 8 mm armor, with a painted weapons mount - the 45 mm 20K gun model 1932/38 (supplied with 60 rounds), and the DT machine gun.
The ammunition was located partially in the turret and partially in the hull of the armored car. In the recess of the turret there were two honeycomb racks with space for 40 shells, along the hull wall there were housings for 12 more (6 per side) and 8 more along the walls of the fighting compartment (4 per side).
The four racks in the turret and the hull accommodated 53 magazines for the machine guns. For the first time in Soviet armored car industry, in an attempt to improve mobility, the rear wheels of the BA-3 were outfitted with all-terrain tracks, known under the foreign name "Overall". Each track weighed 71 kg and was comprised of 25 80 x 35 mm links. The length of one track was 4500 mm, step size - 180 mm, installation of the tracks by the whole crew took 10-15 minutes.
180 armored cars of this type (168 according to other sources) were produced.
THE KIT:
Eastern Express was a model company based in Moscow, Russia. I believe they went out of business. At least I can find no web site for them on the web.
The kit comes in a shrink-wrapped flimsy tray and lid type box. The box is badly crushed.
The box art shows a totally unmarked BA-3 somewhere on the Russian steppes, with a crewman in the turret hatch and two officers standing next to it.
One officer is reading a map, while the other officer is peering through a pair of binoculars. Behind the BA-3 a T-34 can be seen.
One side panel of the box has a a color profile to use for one of the markings that are possible. It shows a BA-3 that is overall green with a solid white line over a dashed line around the upper edge of the side of the turret. It has a white square with a black 2 on it on the side doors.
The other side gives box arts for 4 other kits in the Eastern Express line: a BA-6 armoured car, and three different variants of the BT-7 Soviet tank.
I have the BA-6 kit. It is identical to the BA-3 kit, except for the box arts, decal sheet and the rear hull wall and its door.
Eastern Express was a model company based in Moscow, Russia. I believe they went out of business. At least I can find no web site for them on the web.
The kit comes in a shrink-wrapped flimsy tray and lid type box. The box is badly crushed.
The box art shows a totally unmarked BA-3 somewhere on the Russian steppes, with a crewman in the turret hatch and two officers standing next to it.
One officer is reading a map, while the other officer is peering through a pair of binoculars. Behind the BA-3 a T-34 can be seen.
One side panel of the box has a a color profile to use for one of the markings that are possible. It shows a BA-3 that is overall green with a solid white line over a dashed line around the upper edge of the side of the turret. It has a white square with a black 2 on it on the side doors.
The other side gives box arts for 4 other kits in the Eastern Express line: a BA-6 armoured car, and three different variants of the BT-7 Soviet tank.
I have the BA-6 kit. It is identical to the BA-3 kit, except for the box arts, decal sheet and the rear hull wall and its door.
WHAT'S IN THE BOX:
The kit contains 5 light-gray trees, medium-gray hull top and rear hull wall, a black vynil tree, the decal sheet and the instructions in 2 large cello bags.
The largest cello bag holds a large and a medium sized tree of parts. The smaller of the two cello bags holds a medium and small sized tree of parts and also a tree of black vinyl tires.
Although the parts trees are letter coded, the instructions do not always call out the letter codes. However, all parts are numbered on the trees.
Instructions consist of a unbound booklet of 8 pages in 8 1/2" x 11" page format.
Page 1 of the instructions begins with a black and white repeat of the box art, over the history of the BA-3 in Russian and English, international assembly symbol explanations and Eastern Express' P.O. box address in Moscow, Russia.
Page 2 through 7 gives 20 assembly steps.
In step 7 we are asked to shorten the frame's rear by 10 mm with a razor saw. So, pay attention at that point. Also, in step 10, we are asked to bevel the ends of some suspension arms.
Page 8 is the marking and painting instructions.
Tree letter "B" is the black vinyl tires (11 of these).
The kit contains 5 light-gray trees, medium-gray hull top and rear hull wall, a black vynil tree, the decal sheet and the instructions in 2 large cello bags.
The largest cello bag holds a large and a medium sized tree of parts. The smaller of the two cello bags holds a medium and small sized tree of parts and also a tree of black vinyl tires.
Although the parts trees are letter coded, the instructions do not always call out the letter codes. However, all parts are numbered on the trees.
Instructions consist of a unbound booklet of 8 pages in 8 1/2" x 11" page format.
Page 1 of the instructions begins with a black and white repeat of the box art, over the history of the BA-3 in Russian and English, international assembly symbol explanations and Eastern Express' P.O. box address in Moscow, Russia.
Page 2 through 7 gives 20 assembly steps.
In step 7 we are asked to shorten the frame's rear by 10 mm with a razor saw. So, pay attention at that point. Also, in step 10, we are asked to bevel the ends of some suspension arms.
Page 8 is the marking and painting instructions.
Tree letter "B" is the black vinyl tires (11 of these).
These are not enough to properly do the vehicle. BA-3s ran 10 tires on the ground and carried two spares, mounted on each side of the vehicle in front of the crew access doors. So, the modeler will have to leave one spare tire mount naked.
This is odd, because the instruction sheet shows mounting one to each side. No idea why Eastern Express short-changed us one.
This is odd, because the instruction sheet shows mounting one to each side. No idea why Eastern Express short-changed us one.
Tree letter "D" is large and holds: a gear shift lever, exhaust system, steering wheel, engine parts, some of the wheel rims, radiator, axles , tow hooks , bumper etc. (76 parts here).
Oddly, on the parts tree, is a tab that says "TOKO". I have no idea what this refers to? I think it may be the name of a previous company that became Eastern Express.
Also, I think this parts tree is common to Eastern Express's kit of the GAZ-AAA Soviet Army truck.
This is because the gear shift and steering wheel are never shown used inside this armoured car. There would be a beginning to detailing it in there, but one would have to come up with more... like seats, dashboard, foot pedals etc.
Not to mention having to know just what the dickens the inside of the real one looked like. All hatches and doors can be posed open – with a little work – by the way.
Also, I think this parts tree is common to Eastern Express's kit of the GAZ-AAA Soviet Army truck.
This is because the gear shift and steering wheel are never shown used inside this armoured car. There would be a beginning to detailing it in there, but one would have to come up with more... like seats, dashboard, foot pedals etc.
Not to mention having to know just what the dickens the inside of the real one looked like. All hatches and doors can be posed open – with a little work – by the way.
Tree letter "I" holds: the frame, leaf springs, axles, some of the wheel centers, etc. (25 parts here).
The largest parts tree, letter "K", holds: the floor, fenders, upper hull, rear hull wall and its door (which is unique only to the BA-3 version), driver and passenger doors, grill doors, headlights, tow hooks etc. (34 parts on this tree)
Small tree, letter "L" holds all the turret parts (20 parts here). There is some minor flash on this tree, but nothing to get too excited about. This is the turret that I have built from this tree.
The decal sheet in the kit gives a series of various colors of solid and dotted lines, squares, and numerals. It is explained, on the instruction sheet, how to combine these for the markings for different company's, platoons, and regiments in the Soviet Army.
This looks to be a neat kit, once it is built. Except for shorting us a tire and no interior detail. Also, the BA-3 had hundreds of rivets that are missing on the model. I bought a set of aftermarket rivets and don't look forward to drilling all those holes to insert them. Otherwise, I highly recommend this new kit.
Eastern Express has otherwise done a very commendable job on this kit. Like I said earlier, all hatches and doors can be posed open and there is a very nice Ford engine included...that could be VIEWED if you open the hood doors. There are no figures in the kit or clear parts.
Eastern Express has otherwise done a very commendable job on this kit. Like I said earlier, all hatches and doors can be posed open and there is a very nice Ford engine included...that could be VIEWED if you open the hood doors. There are no figures in the kit or clear parts.
It would be really nice if some after market company did an interior for this vehicle. I have a PE set of the winter tracks mentioned in the history. These are by Part brand in brass PE (set no. P35-048)and Part brand's brass PE exterior detail (set no. P35-049). This set also includes a photo negative of the headlight lenses. I have started to assemble some of these exterior PE parts.
These sets are designed for both the BA-3 and the BA-6 kits by Eastern Express.
Figures that will work with this kit are readily available from DML and Tamiya and some other brands. I have a set of the Tamiya ones (set no. 35214). It includes five males and one female.
Figures that will work with this kit are readily available from DML and Tamiya and some other brands. I have a set of the Tamiya ones (set no. 35214). It includes five males and one female.
I purchased this model from Great Models for only $23.80 each back in 2001.