"T55 Burn Out" resin update set by MIG Productions (/Calibre35), RW 35-250

by Graeme Davidson

Designed to fit the Tamiya T-55 kit #35257, this resin conversion will allow you to make your tank into a knocked-out & brewed up display, the perfect companion for a Gulf War diorama, or as stand-alone display. As the resin parts are fairly generic, I imagine much of the Mig kit could be combined with other T55 conversions (ie Tiran) to make a KO'd T55 of a different nation.

The kit is packed in a cardboard box and includes a double sided 8x4 inch full colour instrcution sheet. One side of the sheet clearly shows where to place the 14 different parts while the other gives you a few overall pictures of an incredibly painted and weathered vehicle. Though I have not yet seen it, I understand that Tamiya Model Magazine issue Inside the#113 will include a step-by-step guide to recreating the burnt-out finish. It would be safe to assume this will be a must-read to get the most out of this conversion set.

Inside the kit you get both 10 inner and 10 outer roadwheels with the rubber burned off, burned engine parts & separate hatches, bulged and dented fuel cells, and a bare mantlet and the barrel missing the fume extractor. The parts are perfectly cast, with no evidence of air bubbles of mould shift. Particularly impressive is the grooved wheel surfaces and the perfectly straight barrel.

While no mention of it is made in the instructions, most of the T55's that exhibit this degree of burn damage have also settled down several inches, so to get the full effect you'll need to reposition the Tamiya roadwheel mounts. The roadwheels themselves have some flash, but it is so thin as to be translucent. The engine is similar to the Calibre35 kit, except this one has a small pile of "ash" moulded in for all the rubber and platisic bits would have burned off.

To get the most from this kit, you will need to purchase either the Modelkasten or Fruil link to link tracks, for if you lower the kit, I don't think the Tamiya vinyl tracks will give you that slack look.

Overall, a very nice conversion! Perfect for your ODS/OIF or Mid-East diorama.

More pictures of the finished work can be found here: http://www.migproductions.com/MP/products/35250/35250.htm