lower vehicle surfaces, where it
would collect naturally. To add
contrast, Doc O’Brien’s (www.
micromark.com) Muddy Red
was run into the tracks, with
any excess wiped away with a
damp finger, to expose the steel
parts that made contact with the
ground. These were highlighted
further with a steel-coloured
Prismacolor pencil. A fine spray
of MIG Pigment Fixer secured the
dust, and after the commander’s
heavy machine gun was added,
the model was complete.
Lasting impressions
To be fair, this was an enjoyable
build overall. Yes, there were fit
issues, and the instructions had
to be checked against references
before committing to glue.
However, these are, in the main,
not issues unheard of in modelling,
and other, more expensive, model
kits suffer the same faults. On
the plus side, the detail was
marvellous, and the inclusion of
PE and turned brass items at this
price point was brilliant. The kit
may not necessarily have lived
up to its first impression, but its
lasting aura means there will be
more Modelcollect kits coming
across the work bench in
future build projects.
StA~dArd
mArki~gS
Modelcollect supplied a generic
sheet of decals in its T-80UM1, which
is shared with most of its Soviet/
Russian kits. It offers considerable
choice, from turret numerals and
Arabic nomenclature to unit (notably
Soviet and Russian Guards Divisions),
national (East German) and armed
service (Russian Federation Land
Forces) insignia, but considerable
research will be needed to identify
certain user badges. Opacity looks
spot on, but the white was out of
register slightly on AMW’s sample. Once gloss-coated, another diluted oil pin wash was applied, to
emphasise the moulded relief on the hull and turret. This was left to cure
for at least 24 hours. Flory Models’ Dark Dirt wash was applied liberally to the tank, and this
layer acted as both weathering and filter. Excess was removed with a damp
brush and a cotton swab. For the final, dusty patina, pigments were applied over matt varnish —
the latter was required for the pigments to adhere to, before they were
sealed with misted MIG Pigment Fixer. After wiping excess pigment from the tracks, areas that contacted the
road surface were highlighted with a steel-coloured Prismacolor pencil.