SU-130Y Russian Heavy Assault Gun

Preview by Henk Timmerman - henkofholland(at)hotmail(dot)com
Edited by Rob Haelterman

Introduction:
Ostmodels from Tasmania has long been known as a producer of 1/76 resin kits. More recently, Ostmodels also started producing some interesting subjects in 1/72.

History:
In 1940 when the KV series became the obvious choice for the new generation heavy tank, the chassis of the T100 prototypes were converted to experimental heavy assault guns. One such vehicle was armed with a 130mm naval gun mounted in a large superstructure. One vehicle was used in the defence of Moscow in the desperate days at the end of 1941. The vehicle is preserved at the Kubinka armour museum. Needless to say the design was not adopted for series production.

Content:
The kit is sealed only in a plastic bag, but it arrived by mail safely packed in a sturdy cardboard box. The biggest part is the hull, which is made in one piece. All wheels, return rollers, front- and rear idlers, tracks, towing hooks etc. are separate. There are also some tools.
All of the casting blocks are already removed, and only minor sanding is necessary. There are only a few air bubbles and only some flash, which can be easily removed. The real vehicle is covered with many rivets, which are perfectly reproduced

Dimensions:
The correct dimensions are a little bit difficult. The dimensions found on internet are different. When you take the shortest length the model is close to 1/72, but when you take the longest length the model will be more close to 1/76.

Instructions and markings:
There are no decals, and instructions are reduced to a sheet of paper with a photo of the real tank. You may visit the Henk of Holland website, where you can find helpful images of the assembled kit.

Assembly hints:
Read the notes on the enclosed sheet.
Aligning the long line of wheels (8units) must be done carefully.