The Modelling News: Video preview: MiniArt’s new T-54B Soviet Medium Tank in 35th scale gets into quite some detail...

MiniArt’s new T-54b in 35^th scale is a BIG kit full of a lot of parts and they have released a helpful video showing all of what’s getting squeezed inside of this kit along with the feature set. It looks to be the most detailed T-54B yet released in injection plastic – but you be the judge by having a look in our preview…

Video Preview: T-54B Soviet Medium Tank

MiniArt Models

1/35^th scale

BOX: 385x240x80 mm

1030 Total parts including Phot Etch, clear and grey injection moulded plastic.

Post-WWII Soviet mediums seem to be the fashion right now – with everyone turning their hand to either a T-44, 44M, T-55 and now T54’s are getting the treatment.

But just how detailed are these kits coming out? It looks like Miniart has got the one up here with the sheer amount of detail that has gone into their latest kit – the T-54A in 35^th scale...

A little bit about the T-54A in real life:

In the beginning of the 1950s, the OKB-520 design bureau of the Stalin Ural Tank Factory No. 183 (Uralvagonzavod) was led by Leonid N. Kartsev, and in March 1953 his first decision was to fit the 100 mm D-10T tank gun with the STP-1 "Gorizont" vertical stabilizer. The new tank gun received the designation D-10TG and was fitted into the T-54's turret. The new tank received night vision equipment for the driver and was designated T-54A (Ob'yekt 137G). Originally, this had a small muzzle counter-weight, which was later replaced with a fume extractor. It was equipped with an OPVT wading snorkel, the TSh-2A-22 telescopic sight, TVN-1 infrared driver's periscope and IR headlight, a new R-113 radio, multi-stage engine air filter and radiator controls for improved engine performance, an electrical oil pump, a bilge pump, an automatic fire extinguisher and extra fuel tanks.

The tank officially entered production in 1954 and service in 1955. It served as a basis for T-54AK command tank, with additional R-112 radio set (front line tanks were equipped with R-113 radio set), TNA-2 navigational device, ammunition load for the main gun decreased by 5 rounds and the AB-1-P/30 charging unit, which was produced in small numbers. In October 1954 a T-54A tank, designated as T-54M (Ob'yekt 139) served as a testbed for new D-54T and D-54TS 100 mm smoothbore guns and "Raduga" and "Molniya" stabilization systems, which were later used in the T-62. These were not completely successful, so further T-55 development continued to use the D-10 series guns

A newer version, based on T-54A, designated T-54B (Ob'yekt 137G2), was designed in 1955. It was fitted with a new 100 mm D-10T2S tank gun with STP-2 "Tsyklon" 2-plane stabilizer. It entered production in 1957. During the last four months of production, the new tanks were equipped with an L-2 "Luna" infrared searchlight and TPN-1-22-11 IR gunner's sight, and OU-3 IR commander's searchlight. Modern APFSDS ammunition was developed, dramatically enhancing the penetrative performance of the gun to keep it competitive with NATO armour developments.