J-Hulk...

Both pics are BMP-3 I believe and I would like to know...

WHERE DID YOU GET THAT KIT! ! ! !???

Hi, guys!
Thanks for the kind words.
Both pix are indeed of the same model, which is Skif's 1/35 BMP-3, with Eduard's PE set and a bunch of other stuff thrown in (mostly hours and hours of blood, sweat, and tears). I built it for Armour Modelling magazine, and it appeared in the February 2004 issue (Vol. 53). The kit was suppled by Armour Modelling, and I bought the PE myself. I see lots of Skif stuff on the shelves here in Japan, but I've only seen their BMP-3 once. There are two versions: one with the Eduard PE set included, and one without it. Strangely enough, the price difference is only about 40 yen (about 38 US cents) here.

To give you an idea of what you're in store for with this kit, here's a full English translation of the Japanese article that appeared in Armour Modelling (it was really weird writing the article in Japanese and then translating it into English!):

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SKIF 1/35 BMP-3
Modeled and described by Brian Keaney

Before building this model, I was quite familiar with the BMP-1 and BMP-2, but I had never seen a BMP-3. Some research was definitely in order! I discovered that this vehicle’s first public appearance was in a parade in Russia in 1990, and the type is currently in service with Russia, Kuwait, Abu Dhabi, and Cyprus.
This was also my first time to build a Skif kit. Frankly, it was not an easy build. It was, however, great fun! I learned a lot during the build.
To begin with, nearly every part suffered from sink marks and ejector pin marks, and there were many parts marred by incomplete molding. Mold parting lines were also very pronounced. Runner attachment points were very thick, and often in very inconvenient locations, resulting in the need to virtually re-sculpt parts once removed from the runner. Due to these problems, the entire first two weeks of the build were dedicated solely to parts preparation. This extensive preparation of parts was the most difficult aspect of building the kit.
On to the build. Parts fit ranged from excellent to atrocious. The instruction sheet was very ambiguous and rife with mistakes, making reference materials an absolute necessity.
The hull consisted of 6 plates, the fit of which was not bad, aside from that of the upper plate. Wide gaps appeared there, requiring huge amounts of putty to correct.
There was a difference of about 1~2mm between the left and right side suspensions, which would result in a listing attitude of the vehicle if not corrected. Choose either high or low and correct one side. I chose chassis-high.
For the most part, detail was good, but many parts and details were too thick for the scale or simply non-existent. Detail and accuracy can be greatly improved with Eduard’s excellent photo-etched set, which I used. The Skif kit also includes a crude, partial interior, which I did not use due to its incompleteness.
The model was finished in Tamiya’s enamel Dark Green lightened with Dark Yellow. A wash of acrylic Flat Black and weathering done with shades of enamel Flat Earth and acrylic Buff created a very dirty and dusty look.
Building this kit was an excellent experience. While a good-looking, fairly accurate model can be had right out of Skif’s box, a little extra effort will result in an outstanding replica of a BMP-3.

Picture captions
1. Turret assembly was vague, but fit was good. Tow cables are from Mammut.
2. Overly-thick spaced armor plates were sanded thin. Cables and other details added to turret. Spotlight is Wave 4mm lens. Mantlet cover made from latex glove material.
3. Machinegun guards made from .5mm brass rod. Modifications made to dozer blade and splashboard. Location was vague, but fit was excellent. Headlight is Wave 4mm lens. Fenders fit poorly and needed shims in the front areas.
4. Doors on upper rear hull fit well, but hatches were incompletely molded. Shovel was made with photo-etched parts and plastic rod.
5. Rear hull parts fit well, but there were many sink marks. One irreparable mark was covered with a small bag. Photo-etched parts greatly improved the rear hull, particularly the folding steps. Markings are dry transfers from Mig Productions.
6. Narrow drive sprockets were widened with 1mm shims and teeth filed to fit the tracks. Very loose tracks were shortened by two links per side.
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Here are some more pix:





From the RonGeorge Gallery
http://rongeorge.com/modules/Gallery/armor?page=10


Maybe more than you were asking for, but I hope all this helps you out!

If you have any questions about the build, please let me know.

Thanks for all the info. You put in a lot of work, but it honestly doesn't look like it from the pictures. I would say that is a testament to the skill involved. Congratulations!