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Bull Models 1/72 T-18 Soviet Tank | |
| On the Real Thing | |
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The T-18 is notable for being the very first Soviet designed and produced tank. (Up until the introduction of this tank, the RKKA - Red Army - had used only foreign designs, captured during the Civil War, like the Mk V, the FT-17 and the Whippet.) The story of the T-18 starts in 1926, when a high placed conference ordered the design of a small "Escort" tank, replacing the FT-17's and FT-17 clones (KS-1) in Soviet service. There were many difficulties both in the design and not least the building of the new tank - which was done in the "Bolshevik" plant in Leningrad. The first design was called the T-16, but was soo problematic, that it was immediately redesigned - e.g. both the hull and the running gear was lengthened, at the same time that both the engine and transmission was modified. The result of this was the T-18 (also called MS-1). The prototype T-18 was finished in late spring of 1927, and shipped to Moscow, where it underwent its first trials. In february 1928 an order was placed for 108 T-18 for the RKKA. The first production batch was delivered in time to participate in the in parades held in Moscow and Leningrad in November 1929. The production, however, went ahead at a slow pace, the bottleneck being the supply of engines, and up until the end of 1929 only 96 tanks had been delivered. The T-18 was a disappointment, but until new designs could arrived, it was decided to try and improve the T-18, for instance by redesigning the track plates and idler wheels, increasing the engine power. Also the turret was given a rear rear boxlike bustle. This was called the "T-18 Model 1930", but it was just a small improvement. (Speed was still too slow.) Production was not halted until 1931, when the new T-26 was ready to take its place. The T-18 was first used in combat during the border disputes with China in 1929. All in all 959 were manufactured, and at the outset of Operation Barbarossa some 160 T-18's were still in service. To find out more on the T-18, including photos of a surviving tank, click here! |
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| On the kit | |
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The kit consists of some 20+ parts, the body and the turret being the biggest ones. The kit is moulded in a hard, dark grey resin. The moulding is very good, with only some very small amounts of mouding flash to be removed here and there. The details are sharp and nice, and, yes, the rivets are there, pretty distinct. The kit is well thought through, making it easy to build. For instance, the track assemblies contain both wheels and tracks, moulded as one, something I find quite a relief, as it is tough to get the special fall of the tracks otherwise. And the mudguards are integral to the upper hull sides, again making for a easy build with a realistic end-result. One or two small quibbles. I'm not sure about the shape of the turret being so asymmetrical, with a wider front than back. And the big handles on top of the sides of the hull - over what seems to be filler caps - were in reality quite small. The model shows, as mentioned, the early variant without the radio bustle on the turret. The complex shape of the original vehicle is very well captured. In the kit there is also two crew figures, and they are VERY well done, very professionally sculpted by Tony Boustead, with separate arms and alternate heads, well up to the standards to, say, Milicast or MIG. To get them is a very nice bonus indeed! The fine master for the model has been made by David Allen. A model of the late variant T-18 will be issued under 2006. You can get this
kit from
Blitzkrieg Models.
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| Verdict | |
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This is an excellent kit! Detailed, accurate and still easy to build. Without much effort you will have a very realistic model of the T-18. This kit is quite superior to the offering of AER. Very higly recommended! It will be very exciting to see what Bull Models will do next!!! |
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