Last builds of 2013

Ok, back on a different Browser.

Firstly, the Pickup, done in a Winter camo (inspired by a particularly cold snap back in December). I finished this on with decals left over from a Ma.K. (Scifi series) model kit (which has provided more decals than I could probably ever use. THANK YOU Ma.K.!). 

Without any further ado, Pics:

I glued the gun only onto the I-beams so (with minor modifications) the AA gun is still removable, revealing an "Easter egg" I hid below it.

I also kept the doors removable, so I could do some more with the kit later on (like adding a driver, or some such stuff). If you look carefully, you can see my attempt on the floor mats to show a wet "sheen" from melted snow.

Finally, I added something that I'd never done before--dirt on the windshield. I was a little scared of messing up, but i think it turned out OK.

What do you think?

As always, comments, critiques, and suggestions welcome (and required! )

Klik

And now, the Zvezda tank.

For some background on this kit (which isn't entirely finished yet), I ran into a video from an article on Cracked.com (specifically about how Putin might be becoming a Bond villian) that mentioned that Russia had recently (within the last few years, I am not really sure--the video from BBC was last updated in August of 2013) held a Biathlon with tanks. Yes, you read that right.

Each participating country had their tanks painted in a different, bright, color. I figured out that the tanks were T-72s (though I don't know the model year), and when I saw this kit, I had to paint it as the red one.

The Video Link for your Enjoyment:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-23665614

And my interpretation (thus far) of the red tank at the end of that video:

It didn't appear that the running gear was painted red, so I left them a dingy, khaki brown (the color I used as a base for the red)

In case you cannot tell, this isn't the largest model kit in the shop:

Box shot:

and with a ruler:

And that's about it for this guy for now. If an expert (or three) could tell me what I'm missing on this little guy (such as the machine gun, which I am at a loss as to how to duplicate) or why these two tanks, both T-72s are so different, I would appreciate it.

Klik

The differences are the continuing evolution of the defensive systems on the T-72 series. The kit is a late Cold War version, while the one in the video you modeled has the post Soviet more current reactive armor. And judging by the splash guard on the glacis plate, the tank in the video is a T-90, the renamed follow on to the T-72B.

Yeah, I see it now. That plate is from a T-90, but it looks like the turret is definently from a T-72, which is weird. I'll do a Lillie more research into it. Maybe it's a T-80-something?

Klik

Well the Soviets were real good about introducing newer features and then refitting them to older tanks. I do not see why the current Russian army would get away from that. But seriously, the T-90 is essentially a renamed late model T-72. After Gulf War I in 1991 the T-72S was coming into service, but the T-72s in Iraqi hands were so thoroughly thrashed by modern Western MBTs and scored no kills on them there had to be a quick marketing decision made if the T-72S was gonna be exported. So it was renamed the T-90. Mind you it is a far more advanced tank than what the Iraqi T-72s were, like comparing today's M1A2 TUSK to a early M1. But both are still family to their early variant.