1:35 Russian T-62 Mod.1975

A tank built around one weapon

The T-62 grew out of the T-55 type, and the reason it came about was the gun: the smoothbore 115 mm weapon fired a sub-caliber round that punched through around three hundred millimeters of armor at a kilometer. That was enough against the American M48s of the day and against the later British Centurions. The wheels, tracks, engine, transmission and hatches stayed common with the older type; what changed was the lengthened hull and the newly designed turret.

The version designated by the year 1975

Series production ran from 1960 and the machine went through a number of modifications; the year designation distinguishes production standards, which differ in the equipment of the commander's station and in the instruments on the turret. Not even the introduction of the T-72 pushed the type out of service. Outside the Warsaw Pact, Egypt, Iraq and Syria took the most examples; the Israeli army rebuilt captured machines to its own standard and went on using them.

What awaits the modeler

The turret has smooth rounded surfaces on which the joint between the two halves shows at once, and the long hull gives away every seam on the fenders. The tracks are among the most conspicuous parts of the machine and will take being brought out with a dry brush and rubbed with pigment. Painting usually starts from a muted green, against which worn places around the hatches, the tanks and the grab handles stand out.

Box contents

Plastic sprues to be nipped off and glued are included, so the model only comes into being on the modeling bench. Paints, glue, putty and sandpaper are not included and need to be on hand beforehand. Anyone who wants to go beyond the basic build usually reaches for individual link tracks or for a metal barrel, but these are sold separately.