Next up was the upper hull. I first attached the engine access hatch and then carefully sanded the openings to ensure a proper fit of the molded radiator and air intake grills. The rectangular opening at the rear is for the engine fan screen assembly which I plan on constructing from the included PE rather than using the one-piece molded plastic as I did on the 72nd scale model. At this scale you WILL notice the difference!
The front plate offered a bit more in the way of assembly. I fitted and glued the driver's hatch cover along with the three periscopes. I then attached the machine gun and its armored hood and the two front towing shackles.
Two special notes here. First, Dragon has included the protective collar bridging the gap between the driver's hatch and the front hull plate. These armored strips were attached to protect the crew when the tank came under machine gun fire. Second, the front towing shackles included in the kit are of the design seen on experimental and early production versions of the T-34/76. The front shackles usually seen in photos of the T-34 are of the "rams horn" variety (and are the ones used on my 72nd scale model).
For reference, I highly recommend the softcover book, T-34 Medium Tank (1939-1943), by Mikhail Baryatinskiy. It is Volume 4 in the Russian Armour series by Ian Allan Publishing.
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