Z (6) BTR-82A (Russia)

Latest development of the famous BTR-80 APC, the BTR-82A is equipped with a new turret with modern day/night fire control system and a surveillance camera with laser range finder. He is armed with a 30mm dual-feed automatic cannon and a 7,62mm coaxial machine gun.

The very nice 3D printed model is from YK 3D Home modelling & visualization from Poland. In only a few month, Yevhenii from Y3D has managed to produce a number of models absolutely fantastic for their originality and excellent quality. I have several other Y3D models in my production line and they are all amazing. I can only wish that he can continue in the future to offer us new quality modern vehicles that we have been waiting for too long on this scale.

Z (5) BMP-3 hybrid version (Russia)

For my fifth Z modelling, here is the ModelCollect BMP-3.

Successor to the ubiquitous BMP-1 and BMP-2 Soviet Infantry Fighting Vehicles, the BMP-3 was developed in the 1980s and appeared for the first time in public at the 1990 Victory Day Parade. But following the turmoil of the end of the USSR, it was only in the second decade of the 2000s that the first massive orders were placed by the Russian Ministry of Defense. 

The BMP-3 is one of the more heavily armed combat vehicles currently in service. He is fitted with a low-velocity 100mm, with can fire conventional shells or AT-10 Stabber ATGMs, coupled with a 30mm autocannon. He also has a 7,62mm coaxial machine gun in the turret and two more in bow positions.

The last variants are equipped with state of the art fire control system with two-plane stabilised gunner's sight, integrated laser range-finder and panoramic thermal imaging camera.

Compared to his predecessors, the BMP-3 has an unconventional layout with the engine in the back of the vehicle. The driver is seated center forward in the hull together with two infantrymen (one on each side). The gunner and commander are seated in the turret with the remaining five infantrymen aft of it. Troops leave/enter the vehicle over the engine located under the double bottom floor.

The ModelCollect kit was a nice one but with some little inaccuracies and not the version I wanted. So I made some corrections, modifications and additions and I'm pretty happy with the result. The figurines are also from ModelCollect and even if they are not the prettiest I have seen, they will do here.

Z (4) T-80BV (Russia)

So, for my fourth essay in Z modelling, here is the Modelcollect T-80BV.

For the history of the T-80BV, I refer you to my previous publication on the subject Revell T-80BV . This old fighter is still fighting in Ukraine in 2022 where he is present in number alongside more recent versions such as the T-80BVM.

The ModelCollect kit is very nice. With some corrections and additions it will give us a good representative of the Russian T-80BVs currently present in Ukraine, which as often with the Russians, present an innumerable quantity of field adaptations which leaves the modeler an almost limitless creative reserve.