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Peter Mealing is big on T-34s - very big indeed. He builds in 1/6th and 1/8th scales from Scratch... He's also amassed a collection of several hundred reference photos to build what I think has to be the definitive T-34-85 model. Enjoy... |
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This is his Model 1944 - a superb model in its own right - and even more so when you realise that all of it is made by Peter in his workshop. Not one kit part has been used, even as a guide. The reason is that there just aint a kit big enough... :-) Peter works from original plans and blueprints, his many photographs (he's 'collected' eleven preserved T-34s in this contry and in Europe for example) and sketches done on many visits to museums and exhibitions. |
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The upper hull during one of those 'will it ever be right' moments that we all get - even humble kit assemblers like me :-) The range of materials that Peter uses are visible here - wood, polystyrene, and aluminium are just some of the A to Z employed. |
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The turret - this adds brass strip and rod, together with milliput welds to the list of materials used. Peter's weld technique is particularly effective, and even allowing for the larger scale is well worth copying - I'm trying to persuade Peter to reveal all on this one :-) |
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Inside the lower hull lives the maze of wiring, servos, actuators, smoke generators and the tiny speakers that handle the gun and engine sounds that Peter has sampled from original tanks. The gun flashes, fires and recoils, the turret turns and the tracks can be sppeded up and braked for turns. Oh, and any space left inside the hull that isn't given over to the superb working suspension and stub axles is packed with the legion of NiCad batteries that keep everything powered and working :-) |
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The tracks. Peter really went to town on the tracks. Not only are they are fully working (naturally) but the track pins are also loose and are hammered back by a knocker plate - just like the real examples I've seen... |  |
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| Looking suitably menacing - and very realistic - Peter's T-34 stands ready to wallop all German comers. I swear the commander keeps looking round to see where his compliment of tank riders has got to... |
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If you like that - You are just gonna love this one... Yes it's another. And this one is even bigger. It's a table creaking 1/6th scale - And that's a six by two table it's sitting on. Don't believe me? Take a look at the power sockets in the bottom left of the third picture - they give a great sense of scale... You can also see the flame cut edges of the plate steel - well modelled again by Peter. |
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Not only does Peter build such superb models, and run them out doors, but he also wins competitions. He is also is having a feature on his work in an up coming magazine. Many thanks to Peter for letting us see his excellent work. Just looking at the models has allowed me to correct a couple of faults on my kits... Rather special I think you'll agree. |
