1:72 T-54 Soviet Medium Tank Pilot #1 Limited Edition

The first prototype of the medium tank T-54

A scale replica of the Soviet tank in the form of a test machine, that is, before the type received its familiar production form. The limited edition is aimed at collectors who take an interest in the intermediate stages of development, not only in the final production forms.

Why prototypes are interesting

The T-54 arose from the search for a successor to the wartime T-34 and its development was going on even in the last months of the war. The first test machines differed from the later production form in the shape of the turret and in the arrangement of the superstructure, so they look unusual even to someone who knows this type well. It is precisely this unexpectedness that makes prototypes a rewarding subject for a display case.

What to keep in mind during the build

• Compare the shape of the turret with a period shot, as it differs from the production one
• A small scale forgives little, so it is better to fill the seams
• Fit the road wheels on a flat surface
• Consider restrained accentuation, as a small model will take little contrast

Who the model is for

It will be appreciated by collectors of Soviet equipment, by those interested in the postwar development of armor and by builders who want to show a line of development from a test machine to a production tank in a display case.

What was left of the prototype in the end

Test machines are interesting also for what did not prove itself on them. A number of solutions that the first examples carried never reached production, because they turned out to be complicated to manufacture or unreliable in service. A model of such a machine therefore shows a dead end of development, not just an early form of a familiar tank.

The unassembled model alone is supplied, and paints and glue have to be acquired separately.