1:35 T-14 Armata side skirts

The real subject

The T-14 Armata is a Russian tank built on a common tracked platform. The turret is unmanned and operated remotely, and the whole crew sits in an armored capsule in the front part of the hull. The sides of the running gear are covered by long armor skirts, which give the vehicle an unbroken horizontal line and determine its appearance in profile more than anything else.

What the set contains

Photo-etched parts of thin metal sheet replace the side skirts from the kit. Compared with plastic, the metal has the right thickness, so the edge of the skirt does not form a noticeable step when seen from the side, and the fine etched relief stays legible even under a coat of paint.

Building and painting tips

Separate the parts from the sheet with a sharp blade on a hard surface, rather than snapping them off, or the long strips will twist. Bend them in a bending tool or between two flat jaws and press along the whole length at once, so that the bend comes out straight. They are glued with cyanoacrylate in small drops, applied to the plastic rather than to the metal. Wash and degrease the metal and apply a primer before painting, because without it the paint will not hold on the smooth surface and will peel during handling. Hold the long skirts pressed against a ruler while gluing until the glue sets; every ripple shows on the finished model. Check whether it can be used with your particular kit in the instructions.

Who it is for

For modelers of modern equipment in 1:35 scale who want correct thicknesses for the scale on the model. The model, the paints and the glue are not included in the package, unless stated otherwise.