UM 1/72 SU-122 Self-propelled Gun
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Overview
 The
SU-122 was a more powerful variant than the SU-100 self-propelled gun.
It mounted the 122mm model 1938 field howitzer on the T34 chassis. Its
primary role was artillery support for tank and infantry units. It was
determined on the battlefield to be ineffective against other armored
vehicles. The SU-122 was withdrawn from service in late 1943. It went
on to serve other countries in other conflicts.
The Kit
UM's standard box art is very well done as a reference with a color
plate on the back when you get ready to paint and apply decals. The color
plate on the back of the box art contains a Humbrol color reference to
use when painting this model. This SU-122 kit contains a three-part sprue
of   photo-etch,
2 vinyl sprues containing 22 parts, and 5 styrene sprues containing 142
parts. The styrene parts molded in a green drab color with no sinkholes,
injector pin indentations or flash residue. UM seems to use a softer styrene
for their kits. This is good in that small parts may bend but not break
when mishandled. All parts appear to be well defined and in scale. The
SU-122 kit shares 3 sprues with their T34 series of kits, mainly the lower
hull and suspension parts. The black vinyl parts include two tow cables
and 20 rubber tires. Somewhat puzzling is the rubber rim detail which
looks somewhat like an automobile tire tread. Having the rim separate
from the road wheel allows the builder to be more creative with this model
especially if you wanted to emulate a burned-out vehicle. The dish-type
road wheels are nice but generic. There are front and back rims with 2
rubber rims to complete one road wheel. Separate suspension arms allow
you to articulate the vehicle on smooth or rough   surface.
The length and link tracks are finely detailed on both sides. The lower
hull is made up of 9 parts. The upper hull is divided into 2 sub-assemblies,
one for the main gun housing and the other for the engine deck. Both are
very well detailed. The nine-piece 122mm gun housing sprue appears to
have a rough texture to it similar to rolled steel. The eighteen-piece
engine deck has the same level of detail. The photo-etched two-man saw
and engine deck screen enhance the level of detail. The photo-etched bow
machine gun ring is not used. Do not throw it away, save it for another
model perhaps. There are 4 external fuel tanks that are made up of 4 parts
each. Building these will be the most time-consuming part of the upper
hull assembly. A suggestion would be to drill out the engine exhausts.
I suggest using a round   dental
bit to open up the headlight assembly (part 67A) for MV lenses. That would
really enhance the appearance of this model. The nicely illustrated kit
instructions are tri-lingual (Ukrainian, German and English) and use symbols
to assist you in assembly. These symbols tend to make some steps look
somewhat confusing but are effectual. Knowing someone who reads Ukrainian
would help. Which brings me to the decal sheet. The quality is excellent
in that the decal film is very thin and the printing of the markings are
fine. There are markings for three vehicles from different battlefronts.
Bryansk Front (Summer 1943), Volhov Front (Winter 1943) and Voronezh Front
(Summer 1943). The units represented are 1434th SPG Regiment and the 1st
Guard Tank Army. Positioning of the decals does not appear to be difficult
as they are all located on the angular surface of the main gun housing.
Conclusion
UM's venture in producing the T34 variants is a welcome addition to
small-scale Russian armor subjects. With the T34 chassis in the bag now
UM is doing the SU self-propelled gun tank series. As with their other
kits they do not lack for quality and are reasonably priced. You will
not be disappointed with purchasing an UM product.
I would like to thank Squadron Mail
Order for the review kit.
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