KV-1 Model 1941 w/ Up-Armored Welded Turret (November/December 1941)

This sub-variant is a simple conversion based on Trumpeter kit #00357 Russian KV-1 's Ekhranami.  You will need to omit the ehkrany, update the turret to represent the up-armored (90mm) turret introduced at the beginning of August and add the ZIS-5 gun using parts from kit #00358 Russia KV-1 Model 1942 Simplified Turret Tank.  You will also need the applique armor plates for the upper hull sides from kit #00358 and, depending on the particular vehicle you are modeling, modify the bolt configuration on the engine compartment and transmission compartment roof plates..

In Step 1 of the kit instructions, DO NOT open up the holes in the lower hull sides (parts B1 and B2), but DO open up the round hole and rectangular slot immediately below the top edge of the hull sides as indicated in the instructions for kit #00358.  DO NOT open up the forward holes near the centers of the fenders (parts C1 and C14) but DO open up the rear-most holes on part C14 as indicated in the instructions.  You should also fill the holes on the number 7 and 8 fender positions.  DO NOT open up the holes in the turret shell.  Follow the instructions to open up the holes in the hull top (part A27).  Additionally, open up the three holes forward of the turret ring.

In step 2, omit part M1.

In step 3, omit part M3.  Omit the two rearmost lifting eyes from the transmission compartment roof plate (part C6) and fill their locating holes.  The kit provides four lifting eyes on the transmission compartment roof plate but there should be only two.

Add the chevron-shaped armor fillet from kit #00358 (part F2) to the hull top forward of the turret ring.

Follow step 4 of the instructions, check your references to determine the type of road wheels fitted to the vehicle you are modeling.  All-steel road wheels were introduced in October and became increasingly common through November until they were almost universally fitted to new production vehicles appearing in December.  Vehicles fitted with all-steel wheels typically carried the later pattern suspension swing arms provided in kit #00358, whereas those with two-part resilient wheels carried the swing arms provided in kit #00357, though there were certainly exceptions to this rule of thumb.  Choose the appropriate swing arms for the vehicle you are modeling.

Add two armored strips to the forward corners of the engine compartment roof plate using strips of 2mm x 2mm square section styrene, using the upper drawing on page 101 of KV - Technical History & Variants as a guide.

Check your references for the vehicle you are modeling since the bolt configuration on the engine compartment and transmission compartment roof plates was modified in late October/early November, eliminating every third bolt and leaving eight bolts in four pairs of two.  It is a simple matter to carefully carve away the surplus bolts using the drawings on page 78 (Figure 20) and page 85 of KV - Technical History and Variants.  Take care to modify the bolts along both sides of the radiator intake screens as well.

In step 5, choose the appropriate suspension swing arms from kit #00357 or kit #00358 as discussed above.

The nose plate (part C5) features 11 filled bolt holes across each face.  In July, the number was reduced to 8 equally spaced bolts.  You should sand away the molded-on detail and either recreate the bolt holes by drilling shallow holes and filling them with putty, or leave the plate smooth since on many vehicles, the holes were almost impossible to see.

In step 6, omit the hull ehkrany (parts N7, N8, N9 and N11).

Instead of the hull ehkrany, fit the applique armor parts from kit #00358 (parts F29 and F30).

In step 7, DO NOT open up the hole in the engine access hatch (part C2).  The inspection port (part A18) was not fitted until the end of 1941. 

Omit the hull ehkrany (parts N5, N6, N10 and N11).

In step 8, assemble the bow machine gun as directed.

As noted above for steps 4 and 5, check your references to determine the type of road wheels and return rollers carried by the vehicle you are modeling since all-steel road wheels and return rollers were introduced in October and became increasingly common through November until they were almost universally fitted to new production vehicles appearing in December.  For a vehicle with the earlier cast steel two-part wheels and rubber rimmed return rollers, use the parts from kit #00357.  For a vehicle with all-steel road wheels and return rollers, use the parts from kit #00358.

The number of retaining bolts on the covers over the drove sprocket hubs was reduced progressively from 16 to 12 and then to 8 in August, so an October 1941 vehicle should have 8 bolts.  To represent the 8-bolt covers, modify the covers from kit #00357 by removing every second bolt, or use the covers from kit #00358.

In step 9, assemble the tracks as directed.

Follow steps 10 and 11 of the instructions.

Follow step 12 of the instructions, though I recommend leaving the tracks off the model until after initial painting.

In step 13, omit the cross-cut saw and its bracket (part M6).  By this time, the saw was located inside the lid of the stowage box on the number 7 position.

In step 14, replace the grab handles on the upper edges of the turret sides (parts N4) with brass wire, and eliminate the upward bend in the handles.

Omit the trunnion cheeks (parts M9 and M10).  Instead, use those from kit #00358 (parts P11 and P12).

Omit the turret ehkrany.

For a turret manufactured by the Izhorskiy Plant, still the most common manufacturer of turrets in August, sand away the ring-shaped marks on the turret roof, but leave the six bolt holes around each periscopic sight cover and the round marks on the front and rear plates.

Add the chamfer beneath each side-facing episcope cover by carefully filing the top edges of the turret side plates, then add the 'splash bar' beneath the chamfer, using the drawing on page 311 of KV - Technical History and Variants as a guide.

Fill the socket in the center of the turret hatch (part D19).  KV-1 turret hatches did not include the socket, though KV-2 turret hatches did.

Omit the gun and mantlet (parts M8, M11 and M13) and the rain guard (part M16).  Sand away the riveted flange for the rain guard along the top edge of the turret front plate.  Add the gun, mantlet and rain guard from kit #00358 (parts F16, F19 and P13).

In step 15, construct the two cables as directed.

In step 16, omit the cylindrical stowage tube from the right-hand fender (parts M12, 14 and M15).  The tube was eliminated at the end of June.

Fit two of the stowage boxes (parts D20) to the number 9 and 10 positions.  The longer applique armor strips prevented stowage boxes being fitted on the number 7 and 8 positions.  Some vehicles in November/December 1941 even lacked stowage boxes altogether, so check your references for the vehicle you are modeling.

In step 17, attach the tow cables, though again you may wish to delay this step until after initial painting.

By following these steps along with the kit instructions, you will create an accurate representation of a KV-1 Model 1941 manufactured at ChKZ in November/December 1941.