BMD2 |
Zvezda reference 3577
This is an in-box review.
The kit comes in 6 green plastic sprues,
one clear sprue, two vinyl tracks (each in two parts) and
a decal sheet. No photoetched parts are issued. The
instruction booklet has 8 pages in Russian with few
captions in English. The detail is crisp, the molding of good standard even if some pin ejector marks are heavy. The hull The lower hull comprises 4 parts : a floor with the front bow, two side walls and a rear wall. The roadwheels have separate arms which enables to show a vehicle with the suspension fully lowered. The sprockets come in 5 parts each (with a tiny hub). Unlike SKIF (with the BMD1), the hull has triangular supports to maintain the side walls in a good position while the glue dries. The upper hull is a large part.
All the hatches are separate parts but no inside being
provided, the hull will probably be closed pending an
aftermarket interior. The hatches hinges details are
nicely done. The vision blocks are hollow and filled with
the clear parts which is a must. The big companies should
be well advised to follow Zvezda example instead of
giving the classical clear foil. The turret The turret comes in three main
parts, the turret top, a base ring and a strip fixed at
the ring to maintain the turret in the turret well. The
searchlight support seems simplified and too thick. A
bedroll with its straps is provided but could be replaced
by a more realistic one made from paper soaked with white
glue and lead foil straps. The tracks The tracks are vinyl ones and each is composed of two parts. The metallic colored plastic reminds me of the Heller tracks plastic. There are no ejector pin marks and the mold seam is nearly invisible on the connector ends. Five decorations and their associated decals are proposed by the manufacturer. The paints references are for ZVEZDA or MODEL MASTER paints. As a conclusion, I would say this kit is a step above SKIF model except for the tracks that the Ukrainian manufacturer represented link by link. On the contrary, the vision blocks provided as clear parts is really an excellent feature which should inspire other brands. I hope I shall have time enough to build it before the end of this year 2005. |
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