1:35 Soviet T-72A

The real subject

The T-72A is a Soviet main battle tank of the 1970s, one of the first upgrades of the basic T-72 version. The vehicle has a low silhouette, a cast turret with strengthened frontal armor protection and an autoloader, thanks to which a three-man crew is enough. It stayed in service with a number of armies for decades and can still be met with in many countries today.

What the set contains

The set brings parts of etched metal sheet. Etching allows a thickness that injection-molded plastic cannot manage, which is why this is the way to add precisely those parts of a vehicle that look needlessly massive in a kit. Which parts the set replaces and in what order they are fitted is described in the manufacturer's instructions, so follow them.

Building and painting tips

• separate the parts with a sharp blade on a hard surface, and never break them out with your fingers
• make the folds against a rule or in a bender, so that the edge stays straight
• it is glued with super glue, and on larger areas a slow-setting epoxy helps
• degrease the metal before painting and coat it with a primer, otherwise the paint will not hold
• on vehicles it pays to set the photo-etch in place before the mud and the pigments come along

Who it is for

The set is for modelers who build vehicles in 1:35 scale and want to add fineness to a model where plastic is at the limit of its possibilities. Working with photo-etch calls for tweezers, a sharp blade and good light. Unless stated otherwise, the etched fret alone is supplied: the kit, paints, glue and primer are not part of it.