Also in the shops now is HM's first T-55, which represents an early (no AA MG on the loader's cupola) T-55A (bulged cupolas and other items making up the POV anti-radiation protection system).
No unit, location, or year is quoted, except that this is a Soviet tank. All I could find out is that this same vehicle is one of the options included in Tamiya's kit, but could find no photograph of this vehicle. Maybe Berkut76 can fill in some of the blanks...?
I have a soft spot for these Russian tanks, and have been waiting for ages to have a good model in my collection. And here it is now! The model looks great except for those blobs where the railings meet the turret wall - and these have been corrected for the next versions! (Thank you Hawk, thank you HM.)
My other nitpicking is that the holes in the road wheels are maybe too shallow, and that the whole vehicle - most particularly the running gear - is in need of some weathering (the latter may fix the former!).
Another good thing with T-55s is that variations are endless (paint schemes, models, subvariants, mixed-retrofitted types, Chinese versions, etc.), and T-55s can be found in almost every conflict the world has ever witnessed since WW2 - Africa, Asia, the Middle East, the Balkans, Latin America, you name it. So, from a historical standpoint, this is an essential addition to many of the "theme shelves" in any serious collection with a focus on post-WW2 military history. (Should HM need Intel on all this, I offer to do my best and summon other members to join me!)
A big THANK YOU goes to HM! Keep them coming!
