Object 279

Step1: The parts, ① making up the subassembly, ②. Drive sprocket parts (A4 and A14/15) are slotted. To proper align the teeth on the sprockets cut off locating pins. 

Step 2: Assembling the sponsons. The parts, ① making up the subassembly, ②. 

The swingarms are side specific. Looking at the instructions A11 x 6 should be inserted on the left side of the sponson and A10 x 6 on the right side. Remove the locating pins on A14 to ensure a decent fit of the two parts A10/A11 making up each swing arm. Part A6 and A7, part of the idler mountings is not marked on the sprue. You will have to rely on the sprue map to find the parts. 

Note that there is a difference in size between the roadwheels ① and idler ②. 

Assembling the hull halves. Gluing the top to the bottom half while I can still get clamps on. 

Step 8: The fit between the two halves is good. 

Step 4: Tracks. Assembled four runs of metal tracks. The instructions have you assembled 82 blocks per run. After test fitting one run, I decided to remove two track blocks and still have a good amount of sag. 

Step 09: Skirts and auxiliary fuel tanks. C45 (glued to C46) and C 32 (glued to C31) has been swopped around. Both the fuel filler caps should be numbered A28. The parts of the auxiliary fuel tanks went well together and using clamps ensured no gaps. 

Step 10 and 11: Attaching the skirts to the hull. Before attaching any parts to the upper and lower hull, the side pontoons were glued into place. 

The interior surfaces were painted Tamiya X-2. 

Step 03: Towing hooks and PE parts. 

A close up of the PE parts. 

More towing hooks. 

Sponsons and drive sprockets into place. 

Step 05: Pioneer tools and PE engine grills. No challenges. 

Step 06: Headlights, turret ring rails and more pioneer tools. Turret ring guard rail part’s, C3 and C25, location have been swopped around. 

Driver’s periscopes installed. 

The plastic saw, C4 was replaced with a photo etch s item from Soviet tools from Hauler, HLU35015. 

Looking at reference pictures, the length of A20 x 4 were adjusted. 

Step 07: More screens and clamps. Follow the drawings in the instructions. 

Step 10 and 11: Attaching the auxiliary fuel tanks. 

Scratch building the fuel lines. 1. Paperclip. 2. Thin lead wire. 

Scratch build fuel lines installed. 

 

Step 13: The plastic barrel was replaced with a metal offering from RB Model 130mm M-65 L/60 (Barrel for "Object 279" tank) 35B133. The sleeve of the plastic barrel was removed with a razor saw and glued to the metal barrel. 

Turret assembly, turret hooks, periscopes. 

Step 14: More small parts. 

The instructions are void of any directions to fold part PE8. A reference photograph directing how the part must be folded. 

Part PE8 folded to resemble the fitting. 

Part PE8 attached. 

Step 15: The first and only reference to the towing cable. 

Reference photographs found on Scalemates. 

Replacements for PE5 and 6 x 2 were made to accommodate the towing cable. 

Towing cable and replacement cable clamps installed. The kit supplied copper cable was replaced by rope. 

The barrel clamp installed. 

The entire model was painted with SF-288 Mr. Finishing Surfacer 1500 Black. Finally, the tracks were painted with XF-84 Tamiya Old Iron. 

Highlights applied.