O-I

category Scale models
scale 1/72
modifications __#no modifications detected...
eraWhat If, WW 2
brand Fine Molds
finished in 2018

I learned about this monster from World of Tanks. And I was so happy when I found that Fine Molds had it as a plastic kit! Sure, it was in 1/72 scale and that wasn’t too cash money for me, but it was the only option on the market, so I ordered it straight from Japan.

The fun began straight up with the construction. I tried to rework and improve almost every detail, and add some character to it. Such an example are the mangled fenders made from copper sheets or thicker armor plating on the sides made from two identical plates bolted together. Yes, I’ve cut out all the plastic bolts from the original part, duplicated it on a piece of sheet styrene, and glued the bolts back.

The paint job is a pure what-if. My idea was a hypothetical second battle of Khalkhin Gol. The landscape there is mostly flat grassland, much more suitable for this giant steel pillbox on tracks than the soft hilly terrain of the Pacific islands. This fictional setting also allowed me to add an attractive winter camouflage.

Back to: