Zvezda BT-5

 I've got quite a few BTs in 6mm, but none in 15mm, and I thought it was time to boost my early war Soviet armour holdings as there were roughly equal numbers of T26 and BT available in 1941 (around 9000 of each) . Zvezda do some lovely cheap BT-5s, so I picked up a few of those.

Here they are roaring across the tabletop. Never mind the paper thin armour, what super little tanks, and with a very scary gun for 1937.

The front hull gives a real impression of speed. It was set up like that to allow for trackless, steering, but is has the dual benefit of being sensible from a ballistic point of view too.

These were very easy to put together with few parts, one piece track assemblies and almost no flash. The track plates even bear a resemblance to the real ones, which is unusual in Zvezda kits.

Lots of nice detail on the hull and engine. Quite finely moulded but easily sufficient to pick up a drybrush.

They look very racy from the side, but somehow seem to be lacking a wheel. I'm too used to T34s. You can see the good track detail including the widely spaced guide teeth. 

Here they all are from the front. I did them in a base of Vallejo Russian Green 894, then went over them with a heavy drybrush of VJ894 mixed with about a third of VJ Middlestone to produce that sort of horrible green colour that Soviet tanks fade to in the sun. As these were quite long in the tooth by 1941, I thought faded paint was more appropriate and they've ended up surprisingly close to the colour in Zalogas 'Eastern Front Armour and Camouflage'. 

Otherwise it was the usual mud and ink over the running gear, and a light tan drybrush overall to pick out the highlights.

Ive got a couple scenarios in mind which will feature these, so coming to a tabletop near you at some point in the future.