1:100 T-26 model 1931/1932 Platoon (4 pcs)

T-26 model 1931/1932 in 1:100 scale, a set of four vehicles

The package holds four models of the Soviet T-26 light tank in its early twin-turret form. It is a resin kit for experienced modelers: the parts are cast in a mold and have to be cut from the casting blocks before building. The 1:100 scale is at home in tabletop battles as well as in display cases where a whole unit, rather than a single vehicle, is to be visible in a small area.

The real subject

The T-26 was based on the British Vickers Mk.E, which the Soviet Union bought along with a license. The earliest production vehicles had two turrets side by side, each with its own weapon and its own gunner, which was meant to allow fire in both directions at once. The layout did not prove itself in combat and was replaced by a single traversing turret, but the twin-turret machines served on, in Spain, in the Far East and in the first months of the war with Germany. A group of four such tanks matches the organization of a platoon of the day.

Building and painting tips

First wash the parts to rid them of mold release residue, cut the casting blocks off with a saw or a cutting disc and do any sanding wet and with respiratory protection. It is glued with cyanoacrylate glue (super glue). Before painting it pays to spray a primer, because resin otherwise holds paint less well. A small scale takes more pronounced shading: a darker wash into the recesses and a dry brush on the edges do more than fine gradations.

Who the set is for

• Players of tabletop wargames in 1:100 scale
• Collectors of Soviet interwar equipment
• Modelers who want to build a whole platoon at once
• More experienced builders with experience of resin

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