KV-1S (August 1942 to August 1943)

The release of Trumpeter's kit #01566 makes it quite easy to create an accurate KV-1S with only minor corrections required.  When built out of the box, the kit represents a typical KV-1S from early 1943.  With a few modifications and after-market parts, you can produce a model of any KV-1S sub-variant.

Assemble the hull according to Steps 1 of the kit instructions.

Note that KV-1S hulls from the summer of 1943 onwards often omitted the central mounting bolt from the rear edge of the transmission compartment roof plate.  A few vehicles carried the bolt hole but no bolt, and then the hole itself was omitted.  Check your references for the vehicle you are modeling.

In Step 2, the kit provides driver's periscope covers but the periscopes themselves are missing.  You can fabricate your own from styrene sheet using the commander's cupola periscopes (parts WH12) as a guide.

Also in Step 2, the engine access hatch (part WG3) has a flat circular section atop the dome, around the inspection port.  I have been unable to find evidence of this hatch design.  I recommend you substitute a 'regular' domed hatch with inspection port from another Trumpeter kit (for example, Trumpeter kit #00358 provides both flat and domed hatches).

Step 3 deals with the road wheels and drive sprockets.  The kit provides all-steel road wheels with eight small lightening holes, which were the most common wheel pattern on the KV-1S from the winter of 1942/43 onwards.  If you wish to build an earlier vehicle from late 1942, you can substitute after-market wheels such as the pattern with eight large triangular holes.  Check your references for the vehicle you are modeling.

Continue assembly with Step 4 of the instructions.

In Step 5, the kit provides individual link tracks with the split link pattern, but these are molded to a scale width of 700mm rather than the 650mm track commonly seen on the KV-1s, or the 608mm track fitted to the first KV-1S production examples.  You should replace the kit tracks with after-market tracks of the correct width.  Friulmodel ATL-54, Masterclub MC135028W, Miniarm B35018, Modelkasten SK14 and Spade Ace SAT-35024 are all suitable replacements.

Step 6 adds the fenders.  The kit provides locating slots for cylindrical fuel tanks on the number 7, 8, 9 and 10 fender positions but the slots on the number 5 position are covered over.  There should be five tanks, not four as indicated in the instructions so you should open up the slots on the number 5 position before fitting the left-hand fender.

In Step 6, the instructions direct you to add applique armor (part WC1) to the lower front hull plate.  This armor was common on KV-1S hulls from the spring of 1943 onward, but was not universally fitted.  Unfortunately Trumpeter has molded the kit part with diamond-shaped holes for the forward towing eyes.  KV-1S hulls typically featured plates with round holes.  You should therefore replace the kit part with 0.8mm styrene sheet.

The applique armor on the lower front hull was typically fitted in conjunction with applique armor on the driver's front plate.  The kit does not include this armor but you can source it from another Trumpeter kit or make your own from styrene sheet.  Check your references for the vehicle you are modeling.

Continue assembly with Step 7 of the instructions.  If you are modeling a vehicle from early 1943 onwards, add the grab rails (parts WA1 and WG6) to the upper hull sides.  If you are modeling an earlier production example from 1942, omit these parts.

KV-1S hulls from the summer of 1943 onward were often fitted with a chevron-shaped armor fillet on the hull top to protect the turret race.  The kit does not include this fillet but Trumpeter does include it in kit #00358 so you can source it from there.

Step 8 assembles the turret.  Out of the box, the casting seams on the turret represent the pattern produced up until the early summer of 1943.  If you wish to depict a summer/fall 1943 production example, you should sand away the molded-on casting seams on the forward turret sides and replace them with the diagonal pattern using Figure 153 on page 352 of KV Technical History and Variants as a guide.

The kit provides styrene grab handles (parts WC9)  for the edges of the turret roof.  These were typically omitted after the grab rails were added along the turret sides in the spring of 1943 so if you wish to depict a vehicle from this period or later, you should omit the handles and plug their mounting slots.  If you wish to depict a vehicle produced before the spring of 1943, retain the handles, though you may wish to replace the kit parts with brass wire.

The kit includes three lifting hooks (parts WC18) for the turret sides and rear.  I have been unable to find photographic evidence of these hooks being fitted to any KV-1S except the KV-1S-85 prototype preserved at Kubinka.  I therefore recommend that you omit the hooks and carve or sand away their mounting points from the turret shell (parts WH7 and WH8).  You will need to restore the cast texture using a technique such as Mr Surfacer.

The kit includes the loader's periscope covers (parts WH4) but omits the periscopes beneath.  You can fabricate your own from styrene stock using the commander's cupola periscopes (parts WH120 as a guide.

Grab rails on the turret were fitted from early 1943 onwards.  The kit provides the correct pattern grab rail for the right-hand side of the turret (part WH5) but provides two individual handles (parts WH1 and WH2) for the left-hand side.  Again, I have been unable to find evidence of this style of grab handle on series production examples of the KV-1S, though it does appear on the KV-1S-85 prototype.  I recommend fabricating your own grab rail from brass wire or styrene rod using Figure 153 on page 352 of KV Technical History and Variants as a guide.

The dome on top of the commander's cupola is undersized and would benefit from building up slightly with putty.

The kit provides the option of styrene or turned aluminum gun barrels.  Both are accurate depictions of the 76.2mm ZIS-5 gun.

The kit provides applique armor (part WP3) for the gun mantlet.  This armor was common on the KV-1S from the spring of 1943 onward.  Check your references for the vehicle you are modeling.

Step 9 adds the cylindrical fuel/oil tanks to the fenders.  Early production examples from the late summer and fall of 1942 lacked these tanks so check your references for the vehicle you are modeling.

The instructions direct you to assemble four tanks and fit them to the number 7, 8, 9 and 10 fender positions.  There should be an additional oil tank on the number 5 position, identical in appearance to the fuel tanks.  If you have been following this recipe closely, you will already have opened up the slots on the number 5 position.  The kit includes six tanks, so it is quite simple to assemble the fifth tank and fit it in place.

The kit omits the two spare track links normally seen on KV-1S fenders.  One link was carried on each fender.  On early production examples from late 1942, the spare track links were fitted against the hull sides on the number 9 and 10 fender positions.  In the early spring of 1943, the links were relocated forward to the number 5 and 6 positions, against the hull sides underneath the rear brackets for the tow cable turnbuckles.

The kit also omits the rectangular stowage box fitted on the number 7 fender position between the fuel tank and the hull side.  You will need to source this part from another Trumpeter kit.

By following these steps, you will produce an accurate representation of a KV-1S.