T-34/79 No.183 Factory Production

When I began to dig through this kit from Academy, I was simply amazed at the amount of not only quality and detail put into it, but by the sheer amount of optional build parts it includes. The tread system is of the molded sectional link type, with no option for any long rubber strip variety. The kit makes a rendition of the T-34/76 M1943 Laminate-style Turret vehicle, in your choice of the early production turret hatches, or the late style with the commander copula. It has the option of replacing the bow MG with a flamethrower unit, for an OT-34/76 model, plus a turret rear radio antenna mount when the flamethrower unit is used. It includes 3 different, complete sets of roadwheel styles to optionally choose from amongst, the early solid rubber-tired, the perforated solid-steel, and the late perforated rubber-tired varieties. The vehicle's handrails are also of optional early or late styles. The kit contains a choice of optional external fuel tanks, in both the hull rear box style, or the rear hull side drums. It even has optional hull rear smoke discharge canisters sometimes found on some of the late production vehicles. The engine cooling screen cover comes in 2 styles, one that is normally found in a solid molded piece, or for those desiring more detail, the area has option for the cooling flaps under the screen and a see-through mesh screen to be applied onto a framework of the cover. The kit has rapidly become my favorite among T-34/76 tanks, especially because of the Laminate Turret style, as most available kits seem to focus on the Hard Edge type, and I am interested in seeing if Academy has anything in the Soft Edge Turret variety. Overall, the kit is of quite good quality, is very detailed, plus loaded with several optional build parts, and I would highly recommend it to others.