Panda-Hobby 1/35 Soviet Heavy Tank Object 279 Kit First Look
By Dave Manter
| Date of Review | September 2013 | Manufacturer | Panda-Hobby |
|---|---|---|---|
| Subject | Soviet Heavy Tank Object 279 | Scale | 1/35 |
| Kit Number | 35005 | Primary Media | Styrene, Photo-Etch |
| Pros | Unique subject, great cast texture | Cons | None noted |
| Skill Level | Experienced | MSRP (USD) | $69.95 |
First Look
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This special purpose tank was designed to fight on cross country terrain that was inaccessible to conventional tanks and if necessary withstanding even the shockwave of a nuclear explosion.
It featured four-track running gear mounted on two longitudinal hollow beams which were used as fuel tanks. The specific ground pressure of this heavy vehicle was extremely light. The tank was equipped with the powerful 1000hp 2DG-8M diesel engine, enabling the 60 ton tank to attain 55km/h.
The tank hull was covered by a thin, elliptical shield protecting it against APDS and shaped charge ammunition, and preventing it from overturning by the shockwave in case of a nuclear explosion. It comprised large cast irregular shape structures of variable thickness and slope.
The all cast turret was rounded and had anti-HEAT protective panels. The tank was equipped with CBRN protection.
The tank was armed with the 130mm M-65 rifled gun, firing APDS rounds with a muzzle velocity of 1000 m/s. The secondary was a 14.5 KPVT coaxial machine gun.
The Panda Models kit consists of 246 parts molded in green styrene, 288 parts molded in brown styrene and 33 detail parts in photo etch. All of the parts are very well molded and flash is minimal. The cast texture on the turret and upper hull is very well represented. The instructions are very well written and will be easy to follow.
Construction begins with the running gear, and with the exception of having to make 4 track runs, it looks to be very straight forward. You then move into the upper hull and all of its details. All of the engine screens are supplied as photo etch. The head light lens is supplied as a solid green styrene part and will needs some TLC to look right. The final steps are the construction of the very detailed turret and main gun.
Overall this kit looks to be a fairly fast and easy build. Fit of all of the main parts is great.
This is a very unique subject and yet another winner from Panda Models!
My sincere thanks to Panda-Hobby for the review sample.