By: Jesus Alcocer

Manufacturer(s): Trumpeter

Modifications: - Gun barrel grooves were filled and gun mouth was modified and refined, - I used thin wire to scratchbuild the towing cables to replace the kit's vynyl ones. - Weld seams were made with putty. - Trackguards holders were modified using sheet plastic. - Turret handles were trimmed and replaced by wire. - Gun port and sight were also opened next to the mantlet.

Description: The model tries to represent KV prototype U-4. It is part of a small scene which is yet to be finished showing the vehicle smashing a brick wall (that's why towing cables appear raised by the impact). According to some sources, all these pre-production vehicles (U series) were sent to the front in the first weeks of the war against Germany within the 20th Heavy Tank Brigade, a unit in which they also served in the Winter War against Finland. I painted the kit mostly with Tamiya and Vallejo acrylics, using oils and pigments for the weathering effects. Tracks were heavily dusted as the vehicle will be shown moving on ruins. Hull sides were also texturized with putty. Tracks are really bad but I could assemble them by using thin electronic wire instead of the usual staples. In the end they were less troublesome than I thought.