Skif's 1/72 T-26 Model 1933 By Matt Bittner

History

The T-26 was a development of the original British "Vickers" tank, including the original twin turret.  The Model 1933 - with the single turret as found on the BT-5 - was introduced in 1933.  This particular model of the T-26 was the most produced, with over 5000 being made.  Not only did the tank see combat in Russia, but also some were sent to Spain to partake in the Spanish Civil War, and some were captured by the Finns and used against their makers.

The Kit

The Skif T-26 consists of approximately 140 injected molded parts, two "rubber band" tracks and a fret of photoetch (p/e) pieces.  The p/e consists of fenders, tie downs, and other small parts suitable for p/e.  One of the tracks in my kit is twisted, but I suspect with application of hot water most of the twist will come out, and whatever is left, attaching it to the suspension will take care of the rest.

The kit is amazingly detailed.  For a model that's going to be pretty small, 140 pieces is a lot.  The suspension consists not only of separate "arms", but all wheels are separate as well - which is amazing when you consider that the wheels are doubled up.  Decals consist of Soviet, Finnish and Spanish Civil War schemes.  An extremely useful decal sheet providing a multitude of examples.

Conclusion

This is an amazing kit, especially for the scale.  Very highly recommended, and not only does the back of the box mention the next three T-26 releases (model 1937 and two flame throwers) but I have heard that Skif will continue with the self propelled guns based on the T-26 chassis.  Excellent!

References

Russian Military Zone