INTERMEDIATE BUILD
T-80UM1 MBTINTERMEDIATE BUILD
T-80UM1 MBT54 Airfi x Model Worldon either side of the main gun in
reference photos; these were on
Runner Y, but not mentioned in
the instructions. It’s not sure what
these were, but they appeared to
have electrical connections, so may
have been either unused mounts
for the earlier Shtora-1 defensive
aid, or another countermeasures
system. Perhaps more vexing
were the smoke dischargers — two
arrays of six were required, yet
confusingly, Part B18 was supplied
in two versions, with just eight
of each type, which would have
meant a miss-match. Thankfully
(although not noted in the
instructions), there were additional
items on Runner Y (which held
all UM-1-specific components) to
correct the shortfall.
The turned metal barrel was
quite the treat, something every
armour builder would like to see
as standard in a kit. But, due to
the nature of its construction, one
detail was missing: the thermal
jacket flange along the top. This
was fashioned from short lengths
of 12-thou (0.3mm) brass rod,
secured with cyanoacrylate (CA)
glue. A simple fix, but one that
made a visual impact.Quit complaining!
Construction of the lower hull was
simpler, although not without its
niggles. The instructions failed to
mention the surface detail on the
glacis plate needed to be removed,
before the add-on armour blocks
(Part X46) could be installed.
Similarly, the suspension fit and
road wheel assembly was trouble
free...mostly. To this modeller, itappeared the holes were measured
in metric, while the associated
pins were imperial sizes. The same
could be said of other parts as
well — this meant the fit was ‘off’
slightly, causing more confusion
than actual trouble.
So far it may have sounded that
there was nothing to like about
this model, but the truth was
exactly the opposite. There is no
such thing as a ‘perfect’ kit, so
having to do extra work to get
the most out of the parts should
come as no surprise. Once thebulk of the construction was
accomplished, it was time for the
airbrush to take over.Eastern colours
Deciphering which shades of paint
to use was tricky, since AMMO-
MIG products weren’t readily
available, and cross-referencing
did not yield definitive results.
Added to this was the fact no two
T-80s appeared to have the same
camouflage pattern, and the UM-1
was a prototype/demonstration
vehicle. What some might see54 Airfi x Model Worldsystem. Perhaps more vexing
were the smoke dischargers — two
arrays of six were required, yet
confusingly, Part B18 was supplied
in two versions, with just eight
of each type, which would have
meant a miss-match. Thankfully
(although not noted in the
instructions), there were additional
items on Runner Y (which held
all UM-1-specific components) to
correct the shortfall.
The turned metal barrel was
quite the treat, something every
armour builder would like to see
as standard in a kit. But, due to
the nature of its construction, one
detail was missing: the thermal
jacket flange along the top. This
was fashioned from short lengths
of 12-thou (0.3mm) brass rod,
glacis plate needed to be removed,
before the add-on armour blocks
(Part X46) could be installed.
Similarly, the suspension fit and
road wheel assembly was trouble
free...mostly. To this modeller, itthis model, but the truth was
exactly the opposite. There is no
such thing as a ‘perfect’ kit, so
having to do extra work to get
the most out of the parts should
come as no surprise. Once thedid not yield definitive results.
Added to this was the fact no two
T-80s appeared to have the same
camouflage pattern, and the UM-1
was a prototype/demonstration
vehicle. What some might see There was wiggle room when the suspension was mounted, so to ensure even running gear,
a metal ruler was used to keep everything aligned while the glue set.
The lower hull and running gear received MM Medium Green. Rubber portions of the road
wheels were then brush-painted Vallejo Black Grey, which was more realistic than neat black.
To create the ridge along the top of the barrel representing the thermal blanket flange,
lengths of 12-thou brass rod were cut on a ceramic tile, then secured with CA.
With the underside painted and varnished, an oil pin wash was applied to highlight the detail.
By mixing Burnt Sienna with a touch of Lamp Black, a colour similar to used motor oil was created.