Zvezda
1/35 Modern Russian Tank Crew
Kit Number: 3615
Reviewed by  Howie Belkin, IPMS# 16

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MSRP: $10.95
Review Sample Supplied by Dragon Models USA: www.dragonmodelsusa.com

This set has one tree of 32 medium gray injection molded parts, providing three Russian or Post-Soviet Union tank crew suitable for your T-72, T-80 and T-90 MBTs (they'd also be at home in other modern vehicles). Since these tanks had an automatic loading device, they only carried three man crews. Each wears the same style jacket (buttoned or zippered up) with heavy collar, trousers and boots. The collar is a separate part, and the soft black padded tanker's helmets are each three part assemblies with separate earphone pocketed ear flaps for a realistic 3D effect. The parts are crisply molded with no seams, sink marks or ejector pin marks to clean up. This is not your Grandfather's Zvezda: the molding is state of the art! The sculptor has done an exceptional job. Zvezda adds this much needed set to their other modern Russian Special Forces and Anti-Terrorist figure sets.

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The two crewmen with the option to be posed standing outside your tank are armed with AKMS assault rifles (basically sawed off AK-47 Kalashnikovs) complete with molded on rifle straps. They could just as readily be used waist up in open hatches. The weapons could just as well be 'props' placed on your vehicle or inside if you're detailing the interior. The detail of the AKMSs is so fine that the triggers are separate from the trigger guards. One crewman is posed crouching forward, pointing to something off to his two o'clock, with his AKMS hanging chest high by its strap. The other is holding his AKMS with one hand and holding its strap with his other hand. The third figure is unarmed, illustrated standing in his hatch.

The box top color illustration and black and white instruction sheet call out in Model Master paints, your choice of dark green or khaki trousers and jackets with medium grey collars, black or dark green helmets and black boots. I painted their skin Model Master Skin Tone Warm, their jackets Humbrol Khaki no. 93, trousers Humbrol green no. 179 and boots and helmets black. I used Windsor /Newton oils burnt umber and olive green. The little area of wood on the AKMSs was first painted buff then when dry, Tamiya clear orange. My reference states that the shoulder boards should be black, as used by armor, artillery or missile units.

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Each of the faces show very different personalities, with one sporting a neat mustache, another has round youthful cheeks while the third has the picture perfect profile. They are dressed for cool or cold operations, which would be appropriate for Afghanistan, Chechnya, Georgia, and Moscow to name a few. Their hands are bare unless you paint them to appear as if wearing gloves.

I needed some A&B putty to fill the waist area of each figure, but that may have been due to my positioning them how I wanted, without paying close attention to the directions. With all the sets of Russian tank crews available, I can't think of another set specific for the modern post WWII period. I can heartily recommend this set to any modeler at any skill level who wants to bring his modern Russian military vehicles to life. My thanks to distributor DML Dragon and Zvezda for the review sample. It is available in all better hobby shops or contact Dragon at www.dragonmodelsusa.com or call: (626) 968-0322.

References included
Modern Combat Uniforms by Mark Lloyd, Squadron Signal Publications.

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