The second release in the IS series from Trumpeter, this time the IS-3M, it is essentially the same kit as the earlier IS-3 release, but with a new hull top so to save repeating myself the IS-3 review is here. I shall just concentrate on the hull on this page.

The new hull is similar in appearance to the old one but has the addition of the side skirts and new front and rear fenders, all of which are moulded in place, the same comments as for the IS-3 hull apply here, but there are some additional features which need to be commented on.

The new hull top has a different sponson (down the side of the hull) stowage bin arrangement over the IS-3 which are marked out correctly as are the shape of the side skirts and new fenders. The problem comes with the addition of the what I presume is an oil tank on the front RH fender, whilst this feature did appear on the IS-3M so far I have only been able to find one bad photo with it on and a set of drawings that has it on both front fenders?. More often than not the pictures show none fitted, the Israeli captured Egyptian IS-3M does not have these tanks. Unfortunately the tank is moulded in position making removal difficult, the othe problem is the fender braces, these seem very clumsily done and as with the IS-3 the gun travel clamp is moulded in place.

There is no improvement with this kit over the IS-3 although the good thing about these kits are that they are fairly cheap and provides two sets of tracks, one of which fits nicely to the Roden kit, replacing the rubber band tracks provided in that kit, the DshK is one of the best that I have seen in this scale.

The decals are the same as provided in the IS-3.

References

• Russian Tanks of WW II by Tim Bean and Will Flower
• IS-2 Heavy tank 1943-73 by Stephen Zaloga Osprey New Vanguard (note 1)
• Tank IS By ? Russian Print book
• Soviet Postwar tanks - Bronekollekchiy
• IS-3 Russian Motor Books
• Soviet/Russian Armour and artillery design practices 1945 to present - Hull,Markov and Zaloga

Note 1. The plans of the IS-3 in this book show the turret wrong, the plans show the turret to be eliptical, where as it is more like the kit turrets in real life.