T-72 

Braille Scale 

In aircraft and armored vehicle scale modeling, Braille scale commonly means 1/72 or 1/76 scale. The term was coined by the owners of Missing-Lynx web forum in 1998. Other forums have taken a liking to the phrase since then, and incorporated in their own websites.
( source Wikipedia)

  T-72 

The T-72 is a Soviet era main battle tanks produced since 1971 to replace the ageing T-55. More than 20,000 T-72 tanks have been built in warsaw pact countries and beyond. A constant  refurbishment and upgrade packages has enabled many to remain in service until now.The T-72A version introduced in 1979 is considered a second-generation main battle tank (MBT). The T-72B3 version introduced in 2010 is considered a third-generation MBT and is still used by Russian army and exported, the latest version being re-named for marketing purpose T-90.  As for the T-55, the T-72 hull has been used to develop other armored vehicle as self-propelled artillery, Armored recovery tanks, multiple rocket launchers etc 

 Projects 

Travelling, seeing, understanding, witnessing history, wanting to share it without history without taking sides, taking away emotions, transmitting them while being creative
A story
Starting from a photograph, known or unknown, link history to creativity by telling a story, while being precise, and faithful with both history and model.

Contact  : [email protected]

https://xilef-1.jimdosite.com
https://pz-iv.jimdosite.com/

Ace Model (2004)

Ace model released its first T-72 (a T-72 M1) in 2004. In reality the manufacturer had already released a T-72 in the 1990s but, which had been very fewly Distributed. Just like its previously released T-55, Ace Model will eventually offer this kit in multiple versions covering not only the evolutions of the T-72 (second and third MBT generation T-72 AV and T72 B) but also the T-90 and licensed manufactures like the M84 Yugoslav and The TOS rocket launcher. Strangely, the earlier version of the T-T2 were not covered by the range.
 
While remaining a so-called "short run" Kit Ace model had significantly improved its kit  quality since the release of the T-55, and the kit faithfully reproduced the T-72.  This "first" plastic kit from T-72 to 1:72 was well received, as well as the various versions that opened up possibilities of build to many Modelers.
 
Depending on the quality of the model desired, it was necessary to further detail this kit, and the assembly required a certain experience and dexterity, the tracks being the weakest point. 

The release of the T-72 M1 Revell, 2 years later, made the Ace kit obsolete, especially the M-1 version.  The other versions of the kit have allowed to develop the M-1 Revell  (kit bashing) by adapting the specific Ace parts on the Revell hull, and/or turret.

Revell (2006)

In 2006 Revell released a T-72 kit labelled T-72 M1. The configuration of the kit,  sprues , led to think that the manufacturer would produce other versions, which never happened. The German manufacturer, when designing the kit, most likely took as example  a T-72 used by the East German Army, and therefore more likely a T-72 G manufactured under license in a Warsaw Pact country. As such, it not realy a T-T2 M1

It was undeniably a beautiful kit, with a good quality of molding, easy to assemble and presenting a satisfactory level of detail, even if it can be improved: replacement of handles, percasingg of the stilt pot, adding hooks to the turret, etc.
As explained above, the main issue of the kit is to reproduce an export version,  and not a T-72 manufactured in the USSR. Some adaptations will be necessary to turn it into a Russian made T-72, notably the addition of the 8 anchor plots on the lower part of the front hull, the shape of the boxes on the turret, but much more complicated, the angles and geenral shape of the front and rear part of the turret that will have to be completely redone. 
to sum up, a qualitative kit, but which represents a very specific version of the T-72. however, it provides a good basis either to develop older versions of the T-72; or, in coordination with an Ace kit, to build T-72 of second our third generation.

Modelcollect (2013)

In 2013 Modecollect, a chinese manufacturer rather new to the 1/72 market, begins the production of the multiple versions of T-72 A and B. About twenty versions will be produced, the diferences being sometimes minimal, limited to a diferent optics, and most of the sprues being similar. However, prior to a purchase, it's better  to assess the contents of the kit, some come with metal hull, and some kits include EP accessories, or aluminum barels . 

The quality of these kits is generally good, the molding quality and the T-72 accurately reproduced. This does not exclude some omissions, and casts a little thick (notably often on the side squirt) and the more chevroned will not fail to refine some details, there are always opportunities to improve these kits.

The tracks  are either soft plastic ( Dragon DS tracks type) or hard plastic, and often better reproduced. Some kits proposed EP set and aluminium barel. The weakest point would be de decals, as there are no or very few variation, all the kits being provided with the same sheet. 

in short, good kits, sometime provided with hard plastic tracks, EP set and other accessories, but there will Always room for improvments for skilled modelers