Honestly I’m starting to lose enthusiasm about this project. The picture it is based is so far away from anything that can be called “technical documentation”…in other hand it is almost done so not much to suffer:) So what I done plus “why” and “why not” (later with references to WoT) and what disappoint me so much:
– First I start adding detail to the read deck, and realize that the cover for air inlet are just impossible (A), as you can see if the are “as in the picture” (I can’t call this draw anymore) they interfere with the turret’s rotation (B). Ok these was present on early KV-1 and KV-220 and was removed, but still they can’t be where they are painted (again this is definitely not a draw). So I move them back away from the turret, for the same reason we have only couple of instrument boxes on the fenders, they will interfere with the turret’s rotation if I add another couple.
– Then I go forward, to the driver’s station. Here is the place where I will mention WoT:) They make it from side to side, much like in Tseits’s proposal. I disagree. As you can see in the painting there is part of the front top plate visible behind the driver’s hood (C). there is no sense at all (even Soviet or German tank) to make big plate then cut huge whole in it , and leave 190 mm piece behind. So in my interpretation driver sit under a cast hood. The painting show huge vision port in fron of him, si we have it too.
– Engine deck – pretty simple work, turret do not interfere with the maintain hatch, the draw of other proposal clearly show the after compressors (motocompressors at that time of history, 4 pieces) exhaust go toward the transmission, in our case forward, so exhaust pipe are at the front of the engine compartment.
– fix the commander’s cupola, add high, reduce slope and put the mg to the right, add vision port…except on the side of the MG.
What disappoint me and kill my joy? Well working on detail it appear that some parts just can be where they are put, so I check again if the scale is right. Well it is, parts with know dimensions fit pretty well: chassis is right, engine is right , shells are right, guns are right (the barrel of the 107 mm is too thin). What is wrong in addition to the thing I already mention? Well the funnies thing that is wrong is the driver:) He is 1,3 m tall, including helmet and shoes:) Well with special sort of tanker you can design tank with narrow turret, commander cupola that fit both commander and MG (it can be in different scale). With “special grown” tanker the hatches can be smaller too. Unfortunately it is not mention specifically, plus I can’t imagine how they will handle 107 mm shells…but if all the crew is small may be there will be enough space for “Bear with Balalaika ” to serve as loader? Just imagine – you are assaulting a German town, Bear go out and in hand to hand , the rest of the crew is using only 45 mm and MG, taran and the single 107 mm the Bear load before go for fun.
Anyway, it must be ready soon, there is some small detail to add and decide how the radio man position will looks like. I’m divided between hood and small MG turret, the painting show that there is MG there, so hood with ball mount, or small turret. May be I will alter a little the front fender support, it seems to interfere with drivers vision arc.
