T-80UD – Photo gallery
I started to build this model, my third one, in October 2011. This is the first one I put into a diorama, although minimal. It shows a T-80UD main battle tank, a Diesel-powered version of the Soviet T-80, designed in the first half of 1980s and now in use by the armed forces of Russia, Ukraine and Pakistan.
This kit is made by the Russian company Zvezda (article no. 3591) and contains the hull and 4 sprues in olive-green styrene, plus two more sprues for the tracks in a softer black styrene, a decal sheet and the assembly instructions.
Assembling
There were some shrinkages in the plastic and some gaps, that I had to fill with putty and small plastic pieces. After that I added, as further details, handles and cables made of copper wire, plus some additional changes here and there.
I had some issues when mounting the upper hull on top of the running gear, so I removed the upper part of the tracks —it isn't visible anyway, being covered by the side skirts.
Camouflage
For the camo and the diorama I took inspiration from the following photos:
(only for discussion purposes)
(only for discussion purposes)
I painted everything with a paintbrush, using the following Vallejo Model Color acrylics:
- 70.894 Russian Green for the green,
- 70.907 Pale Grey Blue for the ice gray,
- a 50%-50% mix of 70.950 Black and 70.991 Dark Sea Grey for the black.
Unlike the enamels, with the acrylics I suggest to paint several layers of thin paint rather than a single thicker one.
As I saw in several photo in the Web, often the gun muzzle of Russian tanks on display receives a purple-red paint. I did so by using a nail polish kindly borrowed from my sister. 😉
Some time later I purchased an airbrush, so I was able to add some lighter shades to the center of the green zones, using a mix made of one part of Vallejo Model Color 70.953 Flat Yellow and two of green. With the same mix I eventually made a dry-brush to highlight bolts and raised details, and finally I completed the job with a Van Dyck Brown oil wash.
Diorama
The scene depicts the tank on display in an open-air museum; nearby there is a concrete stand on which there is a sign displaying data about the vehicle. The terrain is made with volcanic ash, common soil and white glue, whereas the grass is plumber's hemp. I made the stand with a piece of polystyrene foam covered by bi-component putty, then I painted everything with acrylics and oil colors. The diorama base is completed by a wooden frame, a plate (displaying "T-80UD – Russia, year 2003") and a plexiglas case (not shown).
