Military Model Scene

Another Trumpeter kit in 1/72, this time the T-80BV, with an array of reactive armour blocks.  The T-80B was built in the 1970's but when the reactive armour blocks were added in 1985 it became the T-80BV.  The design had some elements of the earlier T-64, though going back to the larger roadwheels and torsion bar suspension more akin to the T-72, of which it also shares a few characteristics.  The big change was that this was the first production tank with a gas turbine engine, though later export variants switched to diesel.  The one problem with the gas turbine was that it was very 'thirsty' leading to a shorter range of action.  The crew was just 3, a driver, gunner and commander.  The 125mm gun used an auto-loader and could fire both conventional ammunition and the 9k112 Kobra anti-tank missile (NATO name AT-8 Songster).  This is the same gun as fitted to the T-72.  The gas turbine engine, fitted in a tank weighing in at only 42.6 tons it has a high power to weight ration that made it both fast and highly manoeuvrable.

The kit is nicely done and like other recent 1/72 kits from Trumpeter, relatively simple to assemble.  Well moulded parts, neatly detailed and track units with only the outer roadwheels to add.  If anything, the turret has most of the work in it, and straightforward to build.  More to it in this BV version compared to the previous kit of the T-80B.  The banks of reactive armour blocks are nicely done, and simplified so not too complex to assemble.  A selection of transfers.  For colours, a plain dark green or you can add disruptive camouflage if you prefer, 4 options are provided.  I have mine built and given an overall coat of dark green so far, while I think about adding a disruptive pattern.

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I bought mine via Tiger Hobbies here in the UK.

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Robin