Shellhole Scenics T-20 review

Above: The SHQ T20 (left) and the Shellhole Scenics T20 (right).

In an earlier post - Keeping things in proportion - I discussed my purchase of a SHQ white metal T20 Komsomolets light artillery tractor. Although I felt it was slightly under sized for 1/72 it is a nice little - if simple - model, but I wanted to see if I could do better. So I took a look at another T-20 by a company called Shellhole Scenics.

Their T-20 was the right price for a war game piece - £5.50 (plus postage) - and as I wanted a few of these vehicles for my Finnish light artillery I thought I could save myself some money. But, as usual, it turns out that you get what you pay for.

Above: This view illustrates the difference in quality between the SHQ (left) and Shellhole T20 very well. Notice the very badly pitted and indistinct MG mantlet and the poor fit of the chassis to the track units. In fact the Shellhole T20 only vaguely resembles the actual T20 Komsomolets Armoured Tractor.

I've been tinkering with the Shellhole Scenics T-20 for a few days now, but I'll be honest - I don't think I can get this model to an acceptable standard without stripping back much of the detail and virtually re-building the model again. It is definitely inferior to the SHQ version, which is just 50p more.

There are a few problems with this model but the primary dissatisfaction, from my point of view, is the material itself - I just don't think I'm a fan of white metal, it just seems too volatile a medium.

Above: The Shellhole Scenics T20 has just 5 components, all of which are somewhat ill-fitting. Some details have been completely neglected, for example there is no MG included.

There are skilled experts in this medium that can produce delicate and sharply detailed models, but Shellhole Scenics are not in this category it seems. Their T20 is pitted and ragged and although I expect a little cleaning up to do the poor quality of this moulding renders it virtually unsalvageable without a large amount of work. But then why would you when SHQ has done a better job for just a bit more money?

Interestingly, if you look further up the cost scale then you find the exquisite MMS T20 - £9.95 plus postage - though you will have to consider if such a cost is acceptable when building an army where you may want a clutch of these models. For me, at this time, the SHQ model represents the right balance of cost and quality (but things may change as my modelling and painting skills improve).

Above: MMS shows how it should be done, but this level of detail comes at a price.
Photo: MMS Models - Comsomolyets Artillery Tractor Ref: 022

In any case the Shellhole Scenics T20 does not meet even my modest standards. I cannot recommend this model, even if you are on a budget.

Photos of the real thing - for comparison - can be found on these pages: http://www.andreaslarka.net/lighttanks.html

Next: My final choice of T20 for my army.

Keeping things in proportion

SHQ's white metal T20 Komsomolets, a very simple 11 piece model of the
WW2 Soviet light artillery tractor.

I have mentioned my slight confusion about what constitutes the 20mm scale and how I came to understand that it is actually closer to 1/76 than 1/72 (something which is easily confused as several online retailers seem to think all three scales are interchangeable). This issue came into focus when I wanted to add to my Finnish field guns project, first with the crew and now with the transport.

I wanted several models of the Soviet T-20 Komsomolets light armoured tractor - the Soviet equivalent of the Bren Carrier - to tow my light guns. A great many of these little machines were captured by the Finns during Winter War in 1941 and the Finns found them very useful for navigating the tight forested tracks. However, there aren't many options by way of models in Braille Scale.

The one model I was able to source was SHQ's white metal kit and although their web site is a little vague about the scale of their WWII range I think it's fair to say they are accepted to be of the 20mm or 1/76 range.

However, when my SHQ Komsomolt arrived and I checked it against the scale blueprints I had I found it was actually just a smidgen off 1/72. This poses a bit of a quandary for me - it's just a little off 1/72 so do I pretend that it is and just buy three more I need, or do I follow through my original idea and use the SHQ model as a template for a my first attempt at a 1/72 scratch build?

Above: The SHQ T20 tractor among a mix of 1/76 and 1/72 figures - does the

mixing of scales really matter?

Looking at the photo I took on the T20 along side some 1/76 and 1/72 figures you have to ask if the slight difference in size - particularly when dealing with such a small vehicle anyway - is going to really matter. I feel that because the SHQ T20 seems to lay somewhere between the two scales it can easily suit both.

The real clue that it is a little under-scale for 1/72 is the fact that I have placed a HaT 1/72 gun crewman on the rear seating and while - on his own - he doesn't look too out of place this seating was designed to accommodate three men on each side. Three 1/72 seated figures would not comfortably fit on these benches - three 1/76 figures would.

T-20 armored tractor Komsomolets. Source: Wikipedia

Still, the point here is - is it now worth me attempting to scratch build my own T20 when the SHQ one is a knat's whisker out of scale? The clincher might be that the SHQ model is just £6 so I have to balance the amount of my valuable free time against six quid.

Link to SHQ's 'Russian' (Soviet) WW2 vehicles section