Here is the newest project I’m looking at starting. I just got this kit in the mail a few days ago and I have to say it’s a pretty nice kit. It’s only the second kit I have ever gotten from Accurate Armour. The first one was a Staghound AA and the kit was so bad I could not even build the kit without a lot of work. I’m guessing the T-44 kit is based on the older Esci kit since most of the lower hull details match up with my VT-55 kit. My knowledge of this particular tank is limited, so I’m going to do the best I can with it and make some minor improvements along the way.

For this build I will be using

AFV Club T-34 500mm tracks
Legend Production T-54 spider wheels
Zvezda PT-34 mine roller from their T-34 kit
CMK 85mm barrel

Interesting subject! You have my attention

Yes, a quite rare subject. I have some reference pics about and I was thinking to scratch build one starting from an old T-55 lower hull and a T-34/85 turret.

I'll follow this thread for sure, I know you'll make a great job, as usual

here some reference

http://pro-tank.ru/bronetehnika-sssr/srednie-tanki/111-t-44

http://photo.qip.ru/users/pakuro/4070139/

http://groll.ru/wehr/t-44.html

http://hobbyport.ru/armor/t_44.htm

cheers

sorry to tell you this no one had ever made a plastic kit of the t-44 the esci kit you are refering to was a t55 not the t44

Thanks guys, should be fun for me since I also play WOT and one the tanks I had to grind through to get the T-54.

Nick I know that no made a plastic T-44 kit, I was referring to the kit being based on the older esci T-55 kit. Did not clearify in my posting

Thanks Mauro for the references, I got most of what I have from a russian site. Most of the details I've seen on the tank are pretty basic and what comes in the kit are not too bad to begin with.

Cheers
Chris

Chris,
I built this baby a couple of years ago. I had lots of fun with it. Try to pick up an Esci T-54/55 kit for the detail parts and an Eduard PE set for the Trumpeter T-55's (the kit needs lots of help and therefore has lots in the set). I used DML Spider-web wheels from one of their T-34's and used the DML track. You hull looks good, mine had a warp that needed a bunch of putty to fill on the nose. Otherwise, good luck! I'll be watching this one with interest!
Regards,
Georg

Just to make clear : T-44 hull used in the making of the T-54 tank. Not IDENTICAL, but close enough that AA can start with a T-54/55 hull for a T-44.

Be careful with the mine roller...it might be the hardest part of the project to make look convincing.

Good luck.

Thanks for the heads up Jacques, I'm not going to hog wild on this build. Just as long as it looks like a T-44, I'm good with it, but I do plan to make some improvements to the kit.

Chris

I do need some clarification on the lower hull, I’ve seen two different version for the lower front hull. One tank has a smooth hull and another has mounting points like the T-54/55/62 series have. Is this an upgrade during the tanks service life? I’m wonder since I plane to attach the PT-34 to the hull and don’t have a clear picture showing if it is attach to the mounting point or directly to the hull.

Also T54 and T55 had two different kind of hull, one provided with mounting points and one which didn't have them. Here two Yugoslav exemplars:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/r0yzk7049alshlo/t-55a_006.jpg

https://www.dropbox.com/s/m2wg5j4f2mm9xhq/t-55a_035.jpg

Here two 1951 T-54 B

https://www.dropbox.com/s/vtsc9qidp20a96n/1951%201%20f1%20%288%29.jpg

https://www.dropbox.com/s/hvdp5unkhfj0303/10.%20t-54a%20pevn_%20kulomet%20v%20korb_.jpg

So, in my opinion, there were simply some T-44 exemplars which could carry the mine roller and some other ones which couldn't

Cheers

Thanks Mauro, I wasn’t 100% sure about the mounting points. Being a tank I’m not real familiar with, just want to make sure that the mine roller would attach to the points and not directly to the hull like the T-34.

Either way I’ve begun to add some basic details to the lower hull. The torsion bars are not staggered like they should be on the real thing, but not a real issue. I’m using tamiya’s T-55 as a basic template for the details to be added. I found a few underside shots of the T-44 and the suspension looks very similar to the T-54/55 series.

ill be following your build iv always wanted to add a t44 to my ww2 soviet armor collection for some time

Well here is just a small update for now, I’ve finish adding some basic details to the bottom of the hull. I know it’s not 100% correct, but needed to add a few thing there just for illusion since most will not be seen. From here I’ll turn my attention to the rear hull and either add the ice cleats or spare track mounts. I’m still debating whether or not to open up a few hatches on the engine deck and use my verlinden T-55 engine drop in. I can’t glue together the 2 hull halves until I decide what to do.

More to follow soon
Cheers

I've found some hull drawings taken from the user's manual











here a pic

http://postimage.org/image/xwshv5vqn/full/

Hull looks slightly simplier and rougher than the T-54/55 one

Another thing which I've found out is that T-44 during is life had 3 different kinds of track links

As far as I've understood, T-34/85 track links were the earlier type, T-54 links were the later ones but in the mid times it carried those track links:





...as usual the recognition of Russian tank versions is a huge mess!


Anyway, you can find lots of very interesting close-up and drawings here

http://scalemodels.ru/modules/forum/viewtopic_t_24196_start_0.html

and here

http://scalemodels.ru/modules/forum/viewtopic_t_20245.html

Here some other walkarounds

http://svsm.org/gallery/t-44-family

http://legion-afv.narod.ru/T-44_Saratov.html

http://legion-afv.narod.ru/T-44_Zaslavl.html


cheers

Thanks Mauro for the pictures, as usual you come through with those I can not find. I’m planning to go with the early version with the spider wheels and T-34 tracks. I like this look more, plus I won’t need to buy new tracks or drive sprocket. I know there were also some that had the starfish road wheels just like the T-54/54 had.

Cheers
Chris

Yes, that's the best choice Chris. Congrats for your job so far and for the originality. Your job makes me inspire to scratch built a T-44. I have a wreck of an old Esci kit, I haven't decided yet what I could do with it...that's one of the reasons why I've colleted some references

cheers

Thanks Mauro for the comments, hopefully someone will come to the rescue and give us a plastic version of the T-44. Afterall it was an important tank going from the medium to MBT concept.

Here is my latest installment, Finish the rear hull. I’ve rebuilt the storage mount for the ice cleats and added a few missing details to the rear hull. The ice cleats that came in the kit were fine, but had some miss casting and some of the details were missing.. Now I’m going to focus on the front hull and add the mounting point for the mine roller.

Cheers
Chris

chris love the build will be waching this one good luck
dave

Here is a small update on my progress with the build. Things have been slow since I’m jumping around on multiple builds at this time. So far I have finished off the front hull. The lower hull needed a shim added since the upper hull had some over hang. I’ve also added some mounting bosses taken from a T-55 kit and fashion a mounting plate for the mine roller. The glacis was pretty much straight forward other than what appears to be attachment points in the upper corners. For this I used some strip and plastic rod with welds made from epoxy putty. I also replaced the kit head light with one from trumpeter’s T-62 kit. The one supplied in the kit has a solid lens and frankly dos not look right once painted. From here I will turn my attention to the fenders and the engine deck. I’m also looking at the possibility replacing the AFV club tracks with some metal ones from fruil. I tried to assemble a few links and the pin that make the tracks work are far too easy to smash down when clicking the lings together making everything fall apart.

Cheers
Chris

It's looking great so far.
Why are you thinking to replace the AFV tracks? They doesn't seem too bad in my opinion

Thanks Mauro for the comments

No, the details on the AFV club tracks are perfect. But once I start to assemble them, the two little pins that hold each track together fall apart. The pins them selves are too small and brittle and the minute I even touch the tracks, they come apart

example


Why I'm looking at the fruil tracks since a good solid wire is used to hold the tracks together.

Cheers

chris have you seen the Spade Ace track yet if not you nead to check them out much better then fruil
dave

I think anyone who attempts to build a mine roller in anything has my attention!







~ Jeff

Interesting subject and very fine detailed progress. I also like the mine rolling machines. Subscribed

Thanks guys for the comments, it's a fun build so far with very little problems.

Hoping to do some more updates todays. I do have AFV club's t-34/85 sitting on the shelf and looking at the possibility of modifying the turret since it comes with a great interior. I would have to reshape the back of the turret and add a big bump to the front of the turret on the commander's side. But i'm still thinking about it.

Cheers