#32535 Russian KV-1 Heavy Tank

This kit represents a KV-1 Model 1940 manufactured in May/June 1941 with pressed steel two-part resilient road wheels, pressed steel rubber-rimmed return rollers without reinforcing ribs and early pattern drive sprockets with 16 hub retaining bolts.  The torsion bar hubs feature the correct six bolts on their end caps.

Fender stowage consists of three revised large rectangular stowage boxes on the number 7, 8 and 10 positions.  Four boxes are included in the kit but the instructions direct you to use only three.  The handles on the lids of the boxes are molded as solid rectangular blocks and replacing them with thin wire will greatly improve the appearance of the model.

A cross-cut saw in its bracket is provided for the number 5 position and the cylindrical container for the gun barrel cleaning rods is included on the number 6 position.  The cylindrical container is appropriate for a May/June 1941 vehicle but the saw and bracket should be omitted since the saw was stowed inside the stowage box on the number 10 position from late January 1941 onward.

The hull features the correct bolt configuration on the engine deck, along with late pattern radiator intake screens which are appropriate for the spring of 1941.  While the intake screens are perfectly adequate, you may wish to replace them with after-market items.  Both Aber and Hauler provide early pattern radiator intake screens but at the time of writing.

The engine access hatch includes the inspection port molded integrally with the hull top.   Since the port was not introduced until the end of 1941, you should sand the port away.

The kit provides appliqué armor for the hull front and driver’s front plate.  It does not include plates for the hull sides above the fenders, though these can easily be fabricated from styrene sheet.  The chevron shaped armor for the forward hull top is included in the kit and can be used to depict a late production example from August/September 1941 but in this case, you would need to modify numerous details such as the road wheels, spockets, turret details etc.  For a May/June production example, the chevron-shaped armor should be omitted.

The kit provides an early welded turret with butt-welded joints, appropriate for May/June 1941.  The turret is molded in left and right halves with separate front, rear and roof plates.  The rear plate hides the seam down the center of the turret rear face, thereby simplifying cleanup.  The turret mounts an F-32 gun which is molded as a single part and includes a drilled-out muzzle.  The turret roof includes the ring-shaped weld marks characteristic of ChTZ turrets at that time.  For a more common LKZ turret, sand away the marks from the turret roof but leave those on the front and rear plates.