Building my first tank in a very long time ; I had my eyes on the Academy Beutepanzer for a while at my local dealer! The T-34 on german colors makes an interesting subject. I went straight from the box with no aftermarket.
Working with some documentation (a great website called beutepanzer.ru ), I elected to make it as an element of 2nd SS Panzerdivision "Das Reich" at Kursk in 1943 (there is a diorama in the works but first things first... let's start with not ruining this)
Most pictures in my possession showed Das Reich's T-34s without the added commander cupola and additional fuel tanks on the back, and stowage boxes on the sides (not included). I was about to go for it, minus the stowage boxes. Unfortunately the standard hatch that should go where the commander cupola is is not included in the Academy kit.
I eventually found one picture of a Das Reich T-34 with the added cupola, so I decided I could work my way a little around known reality and still make a rather historically correct model even though I doesn't reproduce one particular machine. As all of this consists of improvisation and field work, it is believable to find different options from one machine to another.
My main problem is the markings ; nothing in the kit's decals fits and not enough was found in my old stash (I basically need two sets of four large turret numbers, red on white or black on white). I tried to cut out a template in tamiya tape but a test proved to me that it won't work and look childish. Bummer. I'll have to spend some bucks on eBay...
The photoetched part also wasn't perfectly handled ; instant glue made a mess and filled some holes in the net, which shows after painting... 
This is also my first airbrush work on armor ; I'm mostly following the basics of this tutorial video :
So, NATO black priming, white on the panels, then a Tamiya Dark Yellow base coat.
I'm mildly satisfied so far. I forgot to switch needles on my airbrush before filling the can for white panel shading (and my dilution was too light) ; you could still see the shading work with the base coat though but it could have been better and subtler.
Unfortunately, I think I've been a little too heavy handed on the striping work, even though I wasn't trying to replicate the thin stripes of the video. I was afraid to get too close and sprayed from too far away before realising I could go closer without making splotches! I'm still considering reworking my way around the stripes with dark yellow but I'm not sure... I think it could pass...
Actually, I'm starting to wonder why I bother showing you this 
Anyway, I'm stuck without decals, so I think I'm gonna start working my way around the tracks before markings and weathering... I think I will at least basecoat them with dark red brown on the sprues before assembling, but I'm open to any suggestion.