1:72 T-18 (MS-1) - Soviet 1st Serial Light Tank

The T-18 (MS-1) in 1:72 scale, an Armory kit

The kit captures the Soviet T-18 light tank, also known under the designation MS-1, that is the first series-built tank designed in the Soviet Union. For interwar hardware 1:72 is a rewarding scale: the machine was small in itself, so the finished model fits in the palm of a hand and a whole row of them can be lined up in a cabinet. The model is supplied unassembled and unpainted.

The real subject

The T-18 derived in design terms from the French Renault FT tank, which served as the starting pattern, but it received a revised running gear with springing and its own hull solution. It was a small two-man machine with a rotating turret, armed with a small-caliber gun and a machine gun, intended to accompany infantry. It was built at the turn of the 1920s and 1930s, and in later years, when it was hopelessly obsolete, its hulls were used as fixed firing positions.

Building and painting tips

On small interwar machines it is order in the running gear that decides: assemble and paint the wheels, rollers and tracks before you close up the sides of the hull, because afterwards you will no longer reach them. Clean the flash off the small parts carefully, as on models in this scale they break off easily. After spraying the base color, bring out the riveted joints and the hatches with a dark wash and lighten the edges slightly. Finally add dust and mud with pigments, but only on the lower part of the hull and on the running gear; on the upper surfaces excessive weathering is distracting in a small scale.

Who the model is for

• collectors of interwar ground hardware in 1:72 scale
• modelers who will appreciate an unconventional subject outside the mainstream
• builders of small dioramas who need a compact vehicle
• more experienced modelers used to small parts

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