T-14 Armata side skirts

Photo-etched T-14 Armata side skirts in 1:35 scale

This item is an accessory photo-etched set, not a tank model. It replaces the running gear side skirts on a T-14 Armata model in 1:35 scale with parts made of thin sheet metal. The skirts are among the most conspicuous surfaces on models of armored vehicles: the plastic parts are thick for manufacturing reasons, and seen from behind or from the side that leaps out. Photo-etch has a thickness close to real sheet metal and the edges stay sharp.

The real subject

The T-14 Armata is a modern Russian main battle tank built on the universal Armata tracked platform. It differs from older hardware above all in its unmanned turret and in the crew housed in a separate capsule in the front part of the hull. The sides of the running gear are covered by panels that protect the track and the suspension and at the same time give the vehicle its characteristic angular silhouette. It is these panels that the set covers.

Building and painting tips

Replace the plastic skirts from the kit with photo-etch only after a dry test fit, because the exact position of the panels affects the width of the vehicle. Separate the parts with a scalpel, bend them in a bender and glue them with cyanoacrylate; with larger surfaces it is practical to fix them in sections, so that there is time to line them up. Start the painting with a primer for metal, then lay on the base shade. The skirts are a rewarding place for weathering: dust pigments along the lower edge and gentle rub marks where they contact the track will give a model the look of use.

Who the set is for

• Builders of models of modern armored vehicles in 1:35 scale
• Modelers who object to thick plastic skirts
• Anyone after realistic weathering on the sides of a vehicle
• Modelers with experience of bending and gluing photo-etch