BTR-152 with Armoured Roof

Roskopf 1:100 Scale Vehicle Review

Russian Soviet BTR-152.K APC with Armoured Roof, 1:100 Roskopf 14.

The 1:100 scale BTR-152 available from Roskopf is the 1951 model of the Soviet 6-wheeled APC. This early version has no winch, the rear fighting compartment is open-topped, and it lacks the tire pressure control system which became available in 1960. Strictly speaking, this Roskopf model is unsuitable as a BTR-152.K with armoured roof, which was based on the upgraded version of the BTR-152.V of 1955. Of course, many of the earlier BTR-152 were later upgraded with armoured roofs, and this may be one of them. The BTR-152 pictured here, has received a new front bumper, winch, armoured antenna socket, and a scratch-built .50 cal. Browning M2 Machine Gun. The armament suggests, that this is a captured vehicle used by the Israel Defence Force (IDF) or one of its allies.

Contents

  • BTR-152 Armoured Personnel Carrier
  • Removable Armoured Roof

Evaluation

Excellent choice of subject. The BTR-152 is a standard armoured personnel carrier which served in many Eastern Bloc countries. The vehicle is similar in appearance to the half-tracked APCs widely used in World War 2, but its 6-wheeled design gives the BTR-152 a distinctively modern look. Thanks to the separate armoured roof, the Roskopf vehicle may be used as a BTR-152 or BTR-152.K in wargames. Unfortunately, the lugs holding the armoured roof in place tend to snap off easily, and repairing them will require significant effort.

Roskopf sold the BTR-152.K fully assembled. Mould lines and sprue need to be removed from the bonnet, fenders, the rear edge of the cab, and wheels prior to painting. To do this, the BTR-152 may have to be disassembled carefully. A pintle post for the SG-43 Goryunov machine gun on the cab roof, the armoured antenna mount on the right-hand side, and headlights on the fenders need to be built from scratch. The Roskopf 1:100 scale BTR-152 may be further detailed as follows:

  • Attach an antenna mount to the side armour of the bonnet just above the right-hand fender. The antenna mount itself is a short section of 1 mm polystyrene tubing, the lower end of which is wrapped with a narrow rim of 0.25 mm polystyrene sheet. A wider strip of 0.25 mm polystyrene sheet is then glued over the narrow rim, protecting the antenna mount against small arms fire from an outer radius of approximately 300 degrees.
  • Place a pintle post on the cab roof. The machine gun pintle post itself is a section of 0.5 mm polystyrene or brass tubing glued onto the rear of the armoured cab roof. Once the glue has set, drill through the cab roof, using the tubing as a guide, or push a heated section of piano wire through the plastic. The machine gun may be secured by a plastic or metal washer glued to the pintle underneath the cab roof, which will allow the weapon to be traversed, and prevent it from falling off the vehicle.
  • Headlights with protective metal mesh grill on the fenders. For the headlights, file or sand the tip of a 2 mm Ø polystyrene rod into a rounded shape, cut the rounded section off to the desired with of the headlight, and mount on the fender with the flat side facing forward. A fine metal mesh may be used to protect the headlights.
  • Add three handrails to the upper side walls of the rear fighting compartment. Drill two small holes, spaced 3 mm apart, into each angled face of the rear fighting compartment armour plate, and insert handrails made from thin brass or steel wire. If the armoured roof will be removable, these holes must be drilled into, but not through the armour plate.
  • Mount a shovel and pick on the rear armour plate of the BTR-152. Tools may be scratch-build from 0.3 mm Ø brass or polystyrene rod and thin brass or aluminium foil. Tool holders are made of thin metal foil as well.
  • For a BTR-152.V3 with winch, cut the front bumper back to 14.5 mm length, and glue a 6.5 mm section of quarter round polystyrene rod in the center of it, immediately in front of the radiator armour. Cut a 17 mm section of 2 × 0.5 mm styrene strip, shape it into a new front bumper (refer to photos of the BTR-152), and glue it to the front of the old bumper.

The dark olive green plastic of the Roskopf model is a good match for Humbrol 114 »Russian Green«. The model may be used unpainted, but it does look much better with a two or three colour camouflage pattern and a little weathering.

Good value for money, the antique Roskopf 1:100 scale BTR-152 is available for little money at flea markets and online auctions.

Compatibel with ArmiesArmy, Battlefront Miniatures (Team Yankee), Eureka Miniatures, Flashpoint Miniatures, Forged in Battle, Irregular Miniatures, Khurasan Miniatures, MJ Figures, Old Glory, Peter Pig, Plastic Soldier Company, Pico Armor, Skytrex (Command Decision), Quality Castings, Quick Reaction Force (QRF), Rebel Minis, Zvezda, and similar 15/18 mm or 1:100 scale minitures.

Possible Conversions

  • BTR-152 with open-topped cab and fighting compartment
  • BTR-152 with open-topped fighting compartment
  • BTR-152.K Ambulance
  • BTR-152.A with Twin-AA
  • BTR-152.U Armoured Command Post Vehicle. This unarmed variant of the BTR-152 had raised walls around the fighting compartment so that staff officers could stand upright inside.

The Roskopf 1:100 scale BTR-152 is a good model of a very important vehicle. The original had some clever design features, like central tire-pressure regulation which allowed the crew to adjust the pressure in accordance with local driving conditions. The BTR-152 has a rugged look to it, which will make it a valuable addition to any collection of military vehicles. Wargamers will want at least one motorized infantry platoon mounted in BTR-152 APCs, and it may be difficult to resist the urge to paint them in several of the attractive camouflage patterns used in different theaters of operation.

BTR-152.K Armoured Personnel Carrier