AMMS Sydney Soviet KV Theme Build 2006

An Exercise in Latitude?

After a lot of thought and discussion about things we could do to get the modelling juices flowing in 2006, we came up with a series of group builds and theme activities.

As our first such exercise, we settled on something we could all do, based on a single subject (or as it turned out, family of subjects!). Our attention settled on the recently released and excellent range of Soviet KV kits from Trumpeter. These are great value for money - well detailed OOB and at a price that can't be beaten.

While the original idea was for this to be an "OOB blitz", this being AMMS, naturally we immediately circumvented this! To make sure that we got as many starters as possible, allow many of us to properly "blow out the rust" and to allow for latecomers to get a decent crack at the target date, we've let this one run until the June 2006 meeting, which would of course co-incide with the regular quarterly competition. Also, you can do any kit or scale so long as it's a KV. Which gives us the following rules of engagement:

• All participants to model KV1 / 2 or variants (and yes, we'll count the bloody German Beutepanzer version).
• Each kit to be finished OOB or enhanced as the participant wishes.
• Any scale, any kit. So the "real modellers" scale of 1:72 is not overlooked.
• All models to be completed for the June 2006 competition, and submitted for judging under the relevant catagory (OOB, Enhanced etc).
• It'd be great for everyone to bring along their in-progress work to each meeting.
• HAVE FUN, and try to recapture that old thrill of actually starting and finishing something in less than a year!!!!!

If nothing else, I think these progess pics will show just what gems these Trumpeter KV kits really are. Have a gekko at the beautiful detail on some of the parts!

Below (in alphabetical order) we have progress pics for some of the guys involved in this build. We'll keep them updated after each meeting until the final results in June.

Images - Click on thumbnails below for larger images.

Mark Nolan

From the March 2006 Meeting

Glen Porter

From the March 2006 Meeting

Glen comments:

The KV1-E kit is from PST and it's quite good and reasonably accurate.

Ron Puttee

From the March 2006 Meeting

John Quinnell

From the March 2006 Meeting

John comments:

Well it's certainly nice to give all my ongoing modelling projects a rest and commence on the Tamiya KV1 for the group build. The original Tamiya engine deck has been removed but I have discovered the old 1972 Verlinden resin moulding is a little less than perfect and some packing out with plastic card strips will be required to make the fit a little more exacting.

I have a bit of a theme with mine which I'll keep under wraps at the moment ;-)

Am currently waiting for the first round of filler to dry in the hull holes where the motorised kit wheel holes once were. I think I'll be investing in a set of individual track links as the old Tamiya rubber band tracks just won't do the finished model justice and I'd like a bit of sag in mine.