1:35 Engine grill screen JS-2m ChKZ

Rear grilles for the JS-2m of Chelyabinsk production

The Kirov Works in Chelyabinsk delivered JS-2 heavy tanks in a form that differed in detail from the machines of the Ural competition. This set respects exactly its variant of the engine deck and replaces the plastic infills above the radiators with thin photo-etched mesh.

A hammer against armor

The JS-2 carried a 122 mm gun derived from an artillery weapon, and its shell had such energy that it could deal with heavily armored targets. The version designated the 1944 model received a new straight front plate without a step and a simpler driver's hatch. Vehicles from different plants differed in small things at the rear, which is a rewarding subject for a modeler and a reason why it is worth knowing where a particular machine came from.

Painting and fitting

Metal behaves differently from plastic, so start with a good primer from a spray can or an airbrush. Apply the green shade in thin coats, so that the holes of the grille are not flooded. Once dry, a light rub with graphite or a metallic pigment helps, bringing out the edges worn by the crew's boots. A dry brush with a steel shade will bring the rivets around the openings to life too.

Who it is for

• for builders of Soviet heavy tanks of the end of the war
• for models where you work out the factory variants
• for dioramas of the fighting for central European towns
• for modelers who want a rear end that convinces close up

Do not look here for the gun, the hull or paints, as this is a separate metal accessory.