Reviewed by
Cookie Sewell
PST's 1/72
scale T-44/T-44A is available online from Squadron.com
As most of my friends and readers of my reviews know, I have a real hard edge
when it comes to the lack of decent T-54 and T-55 models on the market. There
are none in 1/35 scale, and until now (with the release of this kit and some
others from other manufacturers in 1/72) none in small scale either.
PST is a manufacturer out of Belarus who has acquired a good reputation for its
now reasonably large line of WWII Soviet armored vehicles and trucks. They are
now branching out into postwar vehicles, and a T-54/54A and T-55 are among their
first releases.
This kit is a typical Eastern European style kit, but it is amazing to see this
many parts and this level of endeavor in this scale. It comes with "link and
length" tracks and the early "spider" cast wheels with lightening holes. The
design is not a complete one, but PST has cleverly arranged things so the
details are visible where they should be and missing where unimportant or
difficult; case in point are the drivers, which only have teeth where they are
visible between the track runs and not under the links. This does leave only a
dot where the hole for the tooth should be, however.
Click the thumbnails below to view
larger images:
The design of the kit is modular. The model comes with two different turrets
for an early T-54 Model 1951 without the night sight and a later model of the
T-54A with the sight. Alas, since the kit is designed to build only the Model
1951 no searchlight set is included. Two engine decks are provided, as well as
three different engine access hatches, two mantelets, and two gun barrels (one
with bore evacuator, one without.)
Details are a bit fuzzy in some areas (such as the "D" plates on the turret
roof) and the turret design itself is a bit too triangular – it should have
"cheek" bulges which are not present. The wheel pattern is correct – trailing
links on axles 1-4 and leading link on axle 5, so at least this kit was not
cloned from the ESCI 1/35 scale kit. (Fuel tanks are also the same size!) The
DShK is a bit sketchy but is at least identifiable for what it is (compare with
the ancient Airfix IS-3 kit, for example). External fittings cover a pair of 200
liter fuel tanks, two tow cables (which are provided as cable heads; the
directions suggest using thread in this scale) and an unditching log.
While it has its problems, thus far this is the best T-54/T-55 available in any
scale. Markings are provided for six vehicles – two Polish and four Russian –
but only three units as sequential sets are included for two tanks in each unit
covered.
Overall, this is a reasonable kit for a good price and can be made into a nice
and attractive model of the most widely built tank series in history – over
130,000 T-54, T-55 and Type 59 variants have been built and fought all over the
planet.
Cookie Sewell
AMPS
Review Copyright © 2002 by Cookie
Sewell
Page Created 03 October, 2002
Last updated 22 July, 2003
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