Trumpeter JS-7: plastic VS PE

I myself am an ardent supporter of photo-etching, but I don’t invite others to my faith, but suggest that you thoughtfully and reasonably make an independent decision, incl. and based on this material.

Immediately I will give the opinion of an authoritative modeler regarding Soviet heavy tanks, comrade DmitryShavrin:

“Fenders are wrong

Throw the towing hooks into the bucket.

One hinge on each side of the boxes is missing.

Smoke bombs as in the cartoon.

Well, judging by the photo, Voyager repeated the mistakes of Trumpeter’s fenders. There are no loops on the reclining part of the front fenders. Of the entire set of etching, I liked only the nets, and you can also try to assemble the headlight rails …

Etched hatch hinges do not correspond to reality at all.

Etched ammunition boxes … hemorrhoids are still the same … and it is absolutely not a fact that they will be better than plastic ones (as has happened more than once with Voyager etching …) … “.

If you haven’t run away yet, then let’s move on.

For the sake of comparison, I will show two versions of the implementation of the same node, as on the double theatrical mask “Comedy and Tragedy”

 

So the front fenders

The plastic is on temporary glue and not very neat – anyway, then I’ll tear it off.

The rear fenders are all made-and-change. Quite possibly kosyachno, but there was no mental strength to redo it. And the plastic doesn’t look any better.

Something more or less came together when the Voyager bracket was replaced with a native one.

I screwed up the tower box (I re-soldered it three times). Well, let. Etched enclosed volume parts are truly a waste of time. Here I show with the aim of acquainting with the differences in geometry (negative experience is also an experience).

Here on this frame I am completely for the metal.

As well as I do not see an alternative for machine guns.

The photo does not convey all the flimsy of the plastic structure. (Voyager’s are those that are longer).

As correctly noted (see above): “… There are no loops on the reclining part of the front fenders …“, i.e. this model can not be corrected by etching because Voyager has the same number of loops. And you can’t combine them – they are very different. Although I would be totally in favor of the etched – more real look and thickness. But I glued the plastic ones, which I supplemented with a resin samopal, taking plastic as a basis.

Smoke bombs were called cartoons and here I completely agree.

I didn’t even try to cope with the etching, I took it from the remnants of the IS-4. It’s strange: there is only one company, the release of sets is chronologically next to each other – but what’s the difference! True, I cheated here too – I soldered one and used it as a master model. From the n-th time

The most ideal option is to find more suitable aftermarket.

Only the etched mount did not dare to use it either: I crossed a snake with a hedgehog.

Machine-gun boxes, in my opinion, are still better etched. They look richer.

Moreover, the Voyager made their design simpler than the IS-4. The hinges are taken out in a separate assembly – no need to squirm, bend them on the body part.
I took the grates from the kit.

Voyager has very thin and small ones. There is a chance (for me personally) to fill the holes with a primer, paint and other things. From the kit, they are much more similar to wicker ones – the texture is visible.

Plastic rails for headlights, both when viewing and when working, create an impression of openwork

but this is until you see them in real life

I think, if desired, it is not very difficult to collect them from etching: first a certain conductor, then with his help the fences themselves. But I have time trouble, so there is.

PS. Of course, this tank has already been assembled for a long time.

and was sent to the children’s military history circle, where he, among his fellows, inspires children to their model exploits.

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