In fact, WWII Russian KV-2 tanks were not really good. And quite ugly. But the first time german troops met them on the battlefield they were shocked to discover that their armour was almost impossible to penetrate at the time. They were slow, top-heavy, prone to engine failure, and their huge turret was difficult to rotate if the tank was not on level ground. Plus, the massive flat turret was a tempting “shoot me here” sign for enemy anti-tank and tankers…

As I mentioned in an earlier post, this model is a Tamiya 1979 model, restored and repainted. It was missing its main gun,  handles, tow cables and hooks, and was in a pretty bad shape. The tracks were pretty low quality too, having details just on the outside part (the inside of the tracks was completely smooth). I replaced the original tracks with a set of higher quality vinyl tracks from a KV-1 Trumpeter kit.

I used this restoration as an opportunity to test many different weathering techniques. In retrospective, I think I went too far with chipping and rust, considering the history of this tank, which mostly roamed the battlefields for 2-3 years… Not a lot of time to rust so badly if you think about it, so I am not sure if it’s that realistic. But it sure was a lot of fun, and it conveys the overall feeling that Russian tanks were ‘crude’ but fierce machines, designed to handle punishment.

I am pretty much done with this model. I will make a small display base (very simple roadside like diorama) in a clear plastic presentation box (originally for car models).

Enjoy the pics!

WWII Russian KV-2 tank (1/35 model, Tamiya 1979) restored and completed!

KV-2 on the workbench

KV-2 on the workbench

KV-2 rear

KV-2, tracks closeup

KV-2 front

KV-2 top view

KV2-rear

KV-2 in clear plastic presentation box