Soviet BA Heavy Armoured Cars - BA-10 TS1 Painted 190322

[EarlyWarGamer]

Ripley ... I don't think it will be very difficult to form up a two-panel engine access panel.  Normally, each hinge is held on by three bolts per side, so 6 per hinge total, and 12 for the pair. If you check out the concept images, Rubicon are giving us a single bolt on each side, so only two per hinge.

This means that after scribing the line across the mid point, you only need to create four bolt heads, two pairs of two. Then the "hinges" will match.

The handles we get are not "block C" bits of plastic, but a raised line simulation where the handle is. So creating a second one to match the first should not be an issue.

There are no hinges along the bottom. There are two round bumps. I believe on the inside there were clasps that held the panel in place. When you grabbed one of the handles and pulled uyp, the two-panel assembly folded up. You then latched the top handle (which is now facing over the top of the engine) onto a small clamp that was welded onto the engine housing. That would hold the engine access panels up and out of your way.

So ... scribe a line, add 4 bolts to match the top hinges (the hinge was on the inside so no need to model those), and then craft two larger round bumps for the two lower corners.

Here is a detailed blueprint of the engine panels, showing the differences between the BA-3 and the BA-6:


Nothing to be done about the fact that the BA-3 hatch is lower on the compartment (and thus, why two-panels were needed to clear the fender). On the BA-6 the panel was raised up a bit, so a single panel would clear the fender.  But at a glance, I would like to see the twin-panel versus the single panel, and think the extra 15 minutes of modeling will be worth it.
I will be getting two kits, and doing the mod on one of them. Happy to post piccys after the deed is done.

[Rubicon Models]

The main reason why we did not include the double hinge door option is that of the difference in the position of the doors.  We can always create two sets of doors as options, but their positions are different... that's something we cannot resolve.  Luckily, we do see pictures of different BA-3s with the single hinge doors (probably from different factories), so we decided not to change the design.

[ripley]

That's the view I was trying to find , EWG . Thanks , I'm saving that for future reference . I just made assumptions based on the pictures I could find.  Until , the kit is in hand , I'm not sure about weather or not its  worth the effort to replace / move the hatch to a lower position . If was a BA kit I would say yes as their plastic is much easier to chisel away , Rubicon's is much tougher and I find you have more chance of gouging the plastic as opposed to shaving layers off .  Its good to get all these concerns and ideas out there to mull over , so we can visualize the process well in advance . Measure twice , cut once  If Rubicon make the hatches separate , they could be mounted by having the pins on the rear at different positions  to fit in the mounting holes on the hull . Probably wouldn't worry about the bracket at the top  . I wonder if the rear door on the 3 is in a separate rear panel or is it an add on piece ?

[EarlyWarGamer]

Rubicon ... I totally understand why you didn't fuss with the differences in engine access panels.  As you said, if the opening was in the same spot, and it was a matter of having a one-panel or two-panel piece to insert into that space, then fine. But the opening is lower on the BA-3, and that means it gets tricky. As a plastic kit, you would end up with a seam where you don't want one, if you had to make two elongated parts to fit one opening, one with a single-panel hatch on top and a flat panel below, and another with a flat panel on top and a two-panel hatch below.

And there are photos out there supposedly of BA-3s with the single-panel engine access hatch. But unless you can see photos of the front and rear of the same vehicle (so you can see if the back has the door or not), then it is hard to fully believe those odd photos really are true BA-3s.  It could just as easily be a BA-6,, but they had some old-style driver visors left kicking around, so they used one instead of the proper new ones.  Or it could be that a BA-6 was destroyed (somewhere in the rear), and they had a BA-3 that took damage in the front, and it was easier to use the former BA-6 pieces in the front to make repairs. So those pictures could be of hybrid/repaired damage vehicles cobbled together, and not an "off the assembly line" version of the BA-3.

But hybrid or not, it justifies the decision to go with one type of engine access hatch.  I have no complaints.

The main difference between the BA-3 and the BA-6 was the back. There either is or is not a door. Beyond that, you have the slight difference in the driver visor area, and the slight difference in the engine access area.  I may change my mind with the kits in hand, but I plan to do the minor tooling necessary to the engine area to give me a close approximation of the engine hatch.  I won't lower the opening, that is probably too much effort. But I think it will be quite easy to get a two-panel hatch in place of the single panel.  May not be "quite right" as the hatch will be slightly higher than it should be, but it will give the model a third area to differentiate it from the BA-6. 

And I won't be worrying about the bracket at the top either. At this scale, it would (at best) be a little bump of plastic not quite like a rivet.

[Rubicon Models]

First TS plastic for the BA-3/BA-6 just arrived at the studio, hastily assembled and primed it up for a preview!

The kit comes in a single sprue with a multi-slide mould body with optional rear track links for the armoured car in snow and muddy environment!




















Enjoy!

[Tracks]

The kit comes in a single sprue with a multi-slide mould body with optional rear track links for the armoured car in snow and muddy environment!

What a nice optional addition to the model kit. I would have still bought the kit without out it, but it goes to show that you (Rubicon Models) think of adding these little things to your kits to give the gamer and/or modeller options.

I look forward to seeing this kit and the other Soviet armored car kit. These will be great additions to my 28mm (1:56) WW2 Soviet collection! Thanks for sharing.

[jamesvalentine]

I love it!
If it's resin or plastic or mixed it'll be awesome if the turret and turret ring are full interchangeable with the T-26.

Oops. I must not of reached the last page before my reply

[ripley]

Nice looking kit . I like the panel lines on the doors look to be a little more crisp than usual , should make it  easier to cut the doors open for diorama purposes , for those of use who like that sort of thing 

[EarlyWarGamer]

Fantastic looking kit! Super happy it comes with the track kit! Unexpected bonus!

[ultravanillasmurf]

Very nice.

[Rubicon Models]

We have the test assembled TS1 BA-6 painted after the QC report...











Enjoy!

[ripley]

Awesome .

Now to scratch build  and cast some rail road wheels

[ultravanillasmurf]

Awesome .

Now to scratch build  and cast some rail road wheels

Just remember to set the wheels the right distance apart (1,520 mm not four foot eight and a bit like most of the rest of the world).

[ripley]

That could be a resin add on kit for Rubicon , the rail road wheels , and the sections of traction tread loaded onto the rear fenders of the BA

Actually , just the track by itself would be nice as a lot of pictures show it being carried

[Rubicon Models]

First test shot of the BA-10 is done!  Now awaiting QC report...



Enjoy!