Trumpeter 1/35 Soviet KV-8 Heavy Tank kit #TSM1565
Besides Trumpeter's usual attention to fine quality and detail in the kit, I was pleased to see that they not only included optional long rubber tread strips in this one, but also included optional gun tube and mantle to make the standard production unit of the vehicle. Judging by the roadwheel and return roller patterned utilized in the kit, I would figure the standard production unit to be a KV-1 M1942 Up-Armored Welded Turret simplified version. Trumpeter's use of a standardized gun mantle mounting system in their KV chassis vehicles lends towards being able to swap them around between kits to produce a wider variety of historically accurate/correct units. The kit even includes a turret top light AA MG and mount that is also nicely detailed. Overall, the kit is of excellent quality and detail, and I would highly recommend it to others.
