1:72 Armored Personnel Carrier based on BT-7 tank

Armored personnel carrier on the BT-7 chassis 1:72 (UM)

An injection-molded plastic kit in 1:72 scale from the maker UM. The subject is an armored personnel carrier derived from the chassis of the Soviet BT-7 fast tank of the 1930s. It is a marginal subject that practically nobody outside short-run makers tackles, so the model will add a vehicle to a collection that a display case usually lacks. The exact number of parts and the content of the decal sheet are given in the instructions supplied with the model.

The real subject

The BT-7 tank belonged to the line of Soviet fast tanks derived from the chassis of the designer Christie. It was marked by long-travel suspension, the ability to run on wheels as well as on tracks and an aircraft engine, thanks to which it reached high speeds for its day. It was precisely this roomy, fast chassis that became the basis for a number of derived vehicles, among them transport and carrier conversions with an enclosed hull for carrying crews and loads. Most of those projects stayed at the trials stage.

Building and painting tips

Short-run kits in 1:72 scale need more dry runs than ordinary mass-produced kits — try the parts dry and prepare an exact fit by sanding before you glue. Finish the running gear and the inside of the hull before you close the hull up. Apply the base shade with an airbrush, bring out the edges with a lighter tone and emphasize the divisions with a light wash. Create mud and dust effects on the running gear with pigments, but in a small scale work with restraint so that they do not cover the detail.

Who the model is for

• Collectors of interwar and early war vehicles in 1:72 scale
• Modelers looking for unusual and little covered subjects
• Builders with experience of short-run kits
• Anyone interested in derived vehicles on fast tank chassis

The model is supplied unassembled and unpainted. Glue, paints and accessories are not included in the package, unless stated otherwise.