A bit of a surprise from Amusing Hobbytoday with the release pictures of an all-new full interior version of the T-72MI in 35th scale. This kit is in advanced stages of construction with a built-up version painted up with the insides exposed for us to see, all in our preview...
Amusing Hobby's latest release - Modern armour inside & out
T-72M1 Full Interior Kit
From Amusing Hobby
1/35th scale
New Tooled Kit
In a different direction from Paper Panzers, Amusing Hobby has taken on a modern Russian designed T-72M1 MBT. A stalwart of the Cold War and this one, in particular, is an interesting adaptation of the T-72. Only seen by Tamiya in this scale so far, what does this tank offer above that kit we wondered?
The finer points of a T-72 - many of the fine points of this tank carry over to the export T-72M1
History & Development of the T-72M1
Designed by the bureau of Nizhni Tagil at the Uralvagon KB, it has became one of the most succesful military export products of the former Soviet Union. When it entered production in 1972, it supposed a mayor challenge for western tank designers because of his outstanding combination of heavy armour, firepower and low production cost. Although early outclassed in fire control systems and sighting devices, it stood for a long time as a respectable rival for any western contemporary tank.
Finnish Army T-72M1
In common with exported T-72s, the T-72M1 has less sophisticated fire control systems and thinner armour than its Soviet equivalent, the T-72A. The T-72M1 is fitted with 7+5 smoke grenade dischargers on turret front.
Indian T-72M1 tanks in UN colours during enforcement operations in Somalia
The standard production designated T72M1 uses reinforced frontal armor and incorporates a laser range finder. This versatile tank, which began service a the beginning of the 1970s has been in production for many years and had been license produced in many of the Warsaw Pact countries. Even during the 1980's when a new T80 main battle tank was introduced to replace the aging T-64, the T-72 series continued to be the centerpiece of the Russian armed forces.
German T-72M1's on parade
Following the period from 1980 to 1988 war with Iran, Iraq decided to begin license manufacture of the T-72M1 as the Assad Babil (Lion of Babylon). The first effort was directed towards manufacturing the 125mm gun tube. The service life of the tube is only 120 rounds, after which performance drops markedly. The Iraqis frequently used tanks as mobile artillery, and barrel wear became a significant tactical problem. The Iraqis claimed to have assembled their first T-72Mls in 1989 from knock-down kits, but there is little evidence that any substantial number of vehicles were actually completed beyond prototypes.
Seized Iraqi T-72M1, Operation Desert Storm.
This early model T-72M1 was donated to the Tank Museum in Bovington, UK, in 2014 by the Land Warfare Museum in Bydgoszcz, Poland, in exchange for a Chieftain Mark 11.
This new kit from Amusing Hobby
This new tooled kit from AMusing Hobby has a full interior included, and along with some nice design elements int he construction the kit features some very nice boxart by Ron Volstad.
We have some CAD drawings from the design phase showing the full interior, engine compartment and crew stations of the whole tank (minus the turret)
As well as the overall outside shape, the IR light, smoke dischargers and large turret mounted 12.7 mm machine gun, mounted on top of the roof in the opened mount are prominent....
The kit has already been built (test shot) but from this, there is a lot of information and things to bee seen from the construction (and pretty good painting of the tank).
The opened turret with roof section taken away shows the 125 mm smoothbore main gun and turret
Going down a level if you like, we see the turret off and the turret basket rollers in place.
The very loud and powerful V-46 diesel engine, developing 780 horsepower.
We do not know a timeframe for this kit but can guess you ill see it withing two months or so...
