#35089 Heavy Tank KV-2 Early Version

This kit represents one of the 20 series production KV s bolshoiy bashniy completed in June/July 1940.

The mounting plates for the towing eyes are the correct shape but lack the filled bolt holes on their outer faces.  The kit provides an exhaust air deflector plate for the lower rear hull but the plate lacks the correct cut-out for the tail light, and the tail light itself is also missing.  The nose plate is smooth, and lacks the 17 filled bolts on each face.

The suspension swing arms feature the correct six attachment bolts for the torsion bar hubs, but the bolts are oversized and the faces of the torsion bar hubs are flat where they should be concave, and several of the arms on my kit were marred by deep sink marks.  Filling the sink marks is virtually impossible without destroying the bolt detail, and adding the correct concave hub caps on the torsion bars will be difficult.

The kit includes two sets of road wheels:

• Pressed steel two-part resilient road wheels with lightening holes and six cooling vents on the inner discs.  These wheels were introduced in October 1940 and are incorrect for the KV s bolshoiy bashniy completed in June/July of that year.
• All-steel single-piece road wheels introduced in October/November 1941, which were fitted to a few late KV-1 Model 1940s, most Model 1941s and all Model 1942s.  Again, these wheels are incorrect for the KV s bolshoiy bashniy.

The kit provides two sets of return rollers:

• Cast steel return rollers with rubber rims, as fitted prior to late October 1940.  These return rollers are correct for the KV s bolshoiy bashniy.
• All-steel return rollers introducted in October/November 1941.  These return rollers are not appropriate for the KV s bolshoiy bashniy.  However, the instructions direct you to use the correct rollers.

The kit includes two different options for the convex covers on the drive sprocket hubs.  The instructions direct you to use parts 11E, which feature eight attachment bolts, but the correct parts for a KV s bolshoiy bashniy are parts 12E which feature sixteen attachment bolts.  The mud scrapers lack the correct base plates to attach them to the hull sides, and no positive locations are provided for the parts, which must be positioned by eye or with reference to drawings.

The idlers are well detailed but the hubs lack the grease fitting.

The kit tracks provide a decent representation of the Omsh pattern tracks on their outer faces, but feature guide teeth only on every second link, which is incorrrect.  The tracks are also molded in rather stiff vinyl.  I recommend replacing the tracks with corrrect Omsh pattern tracks from one of the various aftermarket manufacturers.  In fact, all of the aftermarket sets represent the modified track with slightly longer guide teeth and reinforced edges, but the differences are barely noticeable.

The kit's upper hull is the same as that from kit #35084 Heavy Tank KV-1 Mod 1941 Early Version, and is thus incorrect for a KV s bolshoiy bashniy.  The hull features an integrally molded late domed engine access hatch with inspection port and two lifting eyes.  The correct hatch for the KV s bolshoiy bashniy should lack the inspection port and have only one lifting eye.  The integrally molded radiator intake screens are the late pattern introduced in May 1941, and are incorrect for a KV s bolshoiy bashniy.  They should be replaced with aftermarket items.  The transmission maintenance hatches are the correct pattern with curved edges but are slightly inset into the transmission compartment roof plate, which is incorrect and which will be difficult to rectify.

The rear hull overhang is the regular curved type introduced in the spring of 1941, and is therefore incorrect for a KV s bolshoiy bashniy.  This can be easily corrected with judicious sanding.  The bolt configuration on the engine compartment and transmission compartment roof plates features 8 paired bolts across the front and rear edges, and is appropriate for a KV-1 Model 1941 but not for a KV s bolshoiy bashniy.  There should be 11 equally spaced bolts.

The exhaust are the correct pattern but are solid and should be opened up with a drill bit and hobby knife, or replaced with aftermarket items.

The fenders are the correct width but feature four bolts attaching each bracket to the fender rather than the correct six.  The brackets lack flanges on their vertical edges, which should be there on a KV s bolshoiy bashniy.

The driver's episcope cover on the hull roof lacks the flange, which is correct for a KV s bolshoiy bashniy.

The kit includes the drivers visor, headlamp and siren for the driver's front plate, but the headlamp and horn lack brackets and there are no positive locations for any of these fittings.  They must be positioned by eye alone, with reference to drawings if available.  The pistol port in the driver's front plate is missing.  The cylindrical cover for the antenna mount is included but again, there is no locating point for the part and it must be positioned by eye.

The kit provides applique armor for the upper hull sides, but this was not fitted to any KV s bolshoiy bashniy.  The instructions direct you to fit the rear attachment brackets for the tow cables to the applique armor, but they should be fitted directly to the upper hull sides and should be oriented vertically, not horizontally as shown in the instructions.

Four revised large rectangular stowage boxes are provided for the fenders, though only three were fitted to the KV s bolshoiy bashniy.  Moreover, the boxes are the revised type introduced in March 1941, and are incorrect for a KV s bolshoiy bashniy.  They can be modified to the earlier pattern however, with minor effort.  The instructions direct you to fit the boxes to the number 7, 8, 9 and 10 positions, but they should be fitted on the number 7, 8 and 9 positions only.  The kit does not include the cross-cut saw for the number 5 position.

The kit includes late pattern tow cables with cast ends, but these did not appear until May 1941 and are incorrect for a KV s bolshoiy bashniy.  They should be replaced with aftermarket items.

The kit provides a reasonable representation of the MT-1 turret, but the pistol ports and vision ports on the front and rear faces are missing.  The rear-facing episcope covers on the turret roof include flanges, which are incorrect for a KV s bolshoiy bashniy.  However, the flanges are molded onto the turret roof plate and it is a simple matter to remove them by sanding.  The ventilator covers also include flanges that must be removed for an accurate representation.

The kit gun barrel lacks the grooves around the circumference of the barrel, which is correct since the joints between the segments of the barrel sleeve were barely visible even on the real vehicle.  However, the barrel includes a collar around its muzzle which is inappropriate for a KV s bolshoiy bashniy, and should be sanded away.