Feature Article by Roger Brown
I won this model in a raffle at the Southern Expo 2016 Show for a £1 play!!
I usually only build tanks from the WW2 era, but I quite like a T-55 and a T-72 is similar in appearance so I decided to build it.
The kit had the added attraction of ERA (Explosive Reactive Armour) blocks which can be applied in a variety of positions and add interest to the finished model.
The Soviet T-72 is a second generation Main Battle Tank (MBT) and entered production in about 1971.
Around 20,000 of these tanks were manufactured by a company which goes by the splendid name of Uralvagonzavod (the largest manufacturer of MBT’s in the World), making it one of the most widely produced post WW2 tanks.
The T-72 weighed in at around 45 tonnes, was armed with a 125mm smooth bore gun and powered by a V-12 850 hp diesel engine.
The T-72b was fitted with the improved 125mm smooth bore gun and entered service in 1985.
The Zvezda kit
The kit is moulded in dark green plastic and amongst the many parts are a single part upper and lower hull, front mounted spade with control rods, turret with stowage bins and the ERA blocks, two external fuel drums and a nicely moulded 125mm smooth bore gun barrel.
The tracks are of the link and length type.
There is a small sheet of decals included which consist of tactical numbers.
The instructions are adequate but there is a lot of descriptive text in Russian particularly in the painting and marking section. However the instructions call out Humbrol paints which is useful.