Project IX/16

JS-2 ChKZ

I had bought a Tamiya's IS-2 model from Capua Hobby's in Gijón some two or three years ago. This monster went along with an additional ChKZ tag (Chelyabinsk Kirov factory). The introductory text said that this one had some modifications done to it since the previous version. Such as a sloped glacis plate, enlarged left gun mantlet and whatnot.

The guidelines

As a fun and a new to me feature the instructions also had a historical scene: a map of Tiergarten, Berlin, 1945. There were the (or some of the) vehicles that took part in the battle. Neat!

All I really could say about the instructions was that they were of Tamiya quality.

Bits and pieces

Interestingly the total count of pieces wasn't specially high. The tank's tub's narrowness was a bit of a surprise to someone who's very accustomed to the Panzers. I was delighted to notice that in addition to the rubber band tracks there was also the option of assembling individual links with a long bottom part. There was a jig for building the track with a (hopefully) realistic-looking sag on the top part.

Two photo-etched bits were provided for the rear deck's grille and a piece of cord for the winching cable. A selection of rubber cylinders in three different sizes was for the different wheels, I somehow assumed that these buggers were going to be bouncing on the floor very happily.

I really haven't touched tracked vehicles in a good while, so I was pretty eager to attack the Iosif Stalin mark Two. For a good while I've been building up my idea for the end result, but as these ideas always evolve,  we'll see what I end up with.