#7049 KV-1 Model 1941

As noted in General Comments, this kit is a re-issue of Esci's old KV-1 Model 1941 kit, which was itself a scaled down version of Tamiya's 1/35 scale KV-1 Model 1941 from the 1970s.  The kit depicts a KV-1 Model 1941 with the early cast turret and ZIS-5 gun, as manufactured in April/May 1942.  The original Tamiya kit represents the two vehicles supplied under 'reverse Lend-Lease' to the US and UK, and this kit also represents those vehicles.  Both now reside in the U.S. Army Ordnance Museum (recently moved from Aberdeen, Maryland to Fort Lee, Virginia) and the Royal Armoured Corps Tank Museum in Bovington, Dorset.

The hull is comprised of a lower hull plate, which includes the lower front and rear hulls, and separate hull sides.  The hull sides include integrally molded suspension swing arms, shock absorbers, sprocket, idler and return roller mounts.

The road wheels are the all-steel reinforced type introduced in October/November 1941, and are therefore correct for a spring 1942 production example.  The return rollers are also the correct all-steel pattern and the sprockets feature the correct eight retaining bolts on their hubs.  The tracks represent the reinforced Omsh pattern with a guide tooth on every link, and provide good detail on their outer surfaces but are entirely devoid of detail on their inner surfaces.

The upper hull is molded as a single component complete with fenders, fender brackets and most hatches.  The crew hatch in the hull top above the radio operator's position is molded separately, but is located slightly too far to the rear.  The hatch cover is the correct late pattern with a raised lip around its circumference.

The bolt configuration on the engine compartment and transmission compartment roof plates is correct for a Model 1941 hull in the spring of 1942, with eight paired bolts across the front and rear edges of the transmission compartment roof plate and the the rear edge of the engine compartment roof plate.  The bolts are the correct flat headed type.

The engine access hatch is the correct domed pattern with the central inspection port.  The cable and hook used to secure the hatch cover in the open position is molded integrally with the hatch cover.  The radiator intake screens are the correct late pattern and the transmission maintenance hatches are the inset pattern as fitted to both the subject vehicles.

The kit provides two small rectangular stowage boxes for the number 7 position on the left-hand fender.  While the U.S. Army Ordnance Museum's vehicle carries two such boxes, only a single box was fitted to KV-1s in Soviet service, so the second box should be omitted.  The kit includes two sets of two spare track links for the number 9 and 10 positions, which is correct for this variant.  However, the spare track links include four mounting brackets rather than the correct three.  Carve away the foremost outer bracket from each set.  Finally, the kit includes two 100-litre cylindrical fuel tanks for the right-hand fender, which were included in the original Tamiya kit.  Many wartime vehicles carried these tanks so check your references for the vehicle you plan to model.

The kit includes applique armor for the hull front and the driver's front plate, which is appropriate for a spring 1942 vehicle.  However, the applique armor on the driver's front plate features the beveled upper corners as seen on the Bovington vehicle, which are not evident in any photographs of KV-1s in Soviet service.  For accuracy, you should replace the kit part with a substitute from sheet styrene, using the kit part as a template but without the beveled corners.

The turret represents the early cast turret, and is molded in left and right halves with a separate roof plate.  The parts breakdown means that there is a vertical seam down the rear face of the turret which must be eliminated after the parts are joined.  Fittings such as the ventilator cover, episcope covers and periscopic sights are molded integrally with the turret roof plate.  The periscopic sights lack apertures and bolt detail.  The turret hatch is molded as a separate component.

The gun barrel is a separate component and is provided as a single piece, but will require drilling out.