It felt distinctly odd to order this tank kit from BNA…considering that it is an American tank made by a Russian company depicting an item used by the Red Army.
It was all lend-lease back then, and apparently the 2000-or so Shermans that were shipped to the USSR were liked by their crews, but the box art rather jangles. And attempts to make a joke about it on a Facebook modelling forum fell distinctly flat. There is less capacity for humour in North America than we have been led to believe – perhaps they have fractured a funny bone and it has not set yet.


In any case, I have decided to build this one out of the box as a US Army example on Aberdeen Proving ground in 1943 – with little of the weathering that other people do so well. There are decals for the unit in the kit and it is as classic as anything.


The kit itself seems very well made indeed. I am not certain about the tracks, but I note that they are in long sections rather than individual links and I feel grateful for that. I shall advance in armour building slowly.


The price of the kit reflects the country of origin and what I suppose to be the current state of trade. It was a bargain alongside other makers. This suits me as I am not an expert about the finer points of it, and after my experience with the anoraks of the internet, I don’t think I want to be.



Leave a comment