A nice kit from Tamiya...

The T-55 was/is one of their best kits for sure.

The "basic" one is in that box too apparently... One extra sprue with the add on armor.

Not completely.  The turret and hull are re-worked for some of the add-on armor mounting points.  PMMS has a in-box brief review and AMPS has a full build article up, if you're interested.

I once owned the basic kit (gave it away) and man was it cherry!!!  Some reviews of the time called it the best injection-molded tank on the market...for some odd reason it went OOP pretty fast...Guess this is one of those examples of why some folks, including myself, buy when it in stock and won't risk waiting for a price decrease... 

Without a doubt the 55A was one of the best armor kits I've built.  I picked 2 of them at Mosquito Con a few years ago.  I won't say what I paid for them cuz it would make you cry.  Won;t find at that price again.  Traded 1 for a Dragon initial production Tiger... 6252?... cuz they were scarce and prion at the time.  Then they re-released it so I wish I still had the other T-55. When I saw the Enigma coming out it started a little tingle that may mean my modeling hiatus may have an end date after all.

Not menaing to hijack the thread but go it in my head to go look at it again and I couldn't resist...

wing_nut

Without a doubt the 55A was one of the best armor kits I've built.  I picked 2 of them at Mosquito Con a few years ago.  I won't say what I paid for them cuz it would make you cry.  Won;t find at that price again.  Traded 1 for a Dragon initial production Tiger... 6252?... cuz they were scarce and prion at the time.  Then they re-released it so I wish I still had the other T-55. When I saw the Enigma coming out it started a little tingle that may mean my modeling hiatus may have an end date after all.

Not menaing to hijack the thread but go it in my head to go look at it again and I couldn't resist...

Thanks... and yupper... Friuls.

I got two of 'em stuck back myself........ 

               someday........someday......... someday.

Good to know... Thanks for the correction. I have no interest in the Enigma what so ever but one of these days I hope to build a straight T-55... so many color schemes and weathering opportunities.

I too snatched one up when I had the opportunity, and have the lower hull built and gotten the Friuls on, but have stopped due to other projects. It's a true sweat-heart of a kit.  I did a Tiran 5 from the Trump kit last year, and the Tamiya kit makes me wish I had waited.......

I went to the LHS to get some CA glue and walked out with the Enigma.  Sprue shot to follow.

Seems interesting!

How come it's called Enigma? Does anybody knows?

/Tony aka Bultenibo

Marc,I guess this means you might come back??? Hope so.Mosquitocon went well picked up a Dragon Wagon....Always thought the T-55 was a cool looking tank...

John

Is the original T-55 kit actually "out of production"?

It is, and has been,  talked about like it is but 3 of the 4 online store I just looked at has it in stock.

can't hardly find the "basic" T-55 kit anymore... Manny... have a look at Hobby Search, Sprue Bros and Hannats.  GMW was the other but did not have it.  A few on EBay as well.

bultenibo

Seems interesting!

How come it's called Enigma? Does anybody knows?

bultenibo

 

How come it's called Enigma? Does anybody knows?

 

When the U.S was gathering information on the Iraq military before Desert Storm they weren't sure what the armor for the T-55 was made of. So it was dubbed engima.   

Yep, Sprue Bros havs three of 'em in stock for $46:

...and some AM sets for it to boot, including an interior...If you want one of these muthhas, I would jump on 'em...

seeing what Marcus Nichols done with his Tamiya Enigma in Military modeller illustrated, (the best armour mag and modeliers work on the market) i will have to get one. He painted it in the new transformation set from Valejo. AWSOME.

Just saw the cover shot.  Nice looking.  Gotta get a copy of the mag.