Soviet KV122 Heavy Tank (New Variant) (APR)

This Trumpeter kit is of good quality, and is nicely detailed. Although the kit build instructions displays a molded sectional link type of tread system, it is actually of the annoying individual link style, with no option for the long rubber strip type. It contains optional versions of both metal and plastic 122mm D-25T gun tubes, the plastic version w/double-baffle muzzle brake, the metal one w/o. The instructions direct the builder to cut away the muzzle brake from the plastic version, for attachment to the metal one. Since the plastic gun tube and mantle tree of the kit is quite small, and likely used in a similar configuration in the company's version of the JS-2 M1944 Early production units, I think it would make more sense to rework the parts tree so that the muzzle brake is a separate piece unto itself, instead of having the risk of cutting errors and ruining a perfectly good gun tube/muzzle brake. With further thought applied, if they also included on such a reworked parts tree a separate version of the single-baffle muzzle brake as utilized on the initial JS-2 M1944 Early production 122mm A-19 gun equipped units, they would be the first on the block to offer that particular variant. For accuracy, the roadwheels are of the M1942 small-perforation variety, but with careful patience can be drilled to approx. 2-3 times larger perforations, for the M1943 type. Overall, the kit is of good quality, and nicely detailed, and I would recommend it to others.