Anybody tackled a scratch built JS2?

[AlwynTurner]

Hi having spent a considerable time building and kitting up the Nashorn, I was quietly pondering what to look at next and noticed that apart from the Tamiya offering (at about £600) there didn't seem to be much happening with the JS2. From the spec it looks a pretty mean piece of kit and I wondered whether a build based on a KV1 chassis (modified where necessary) would work. I notice dingding has a KV1 chassis for less than £40 and it might give me something to tinker with over the summer. Anybody working on this at the minute?

Alwyn

[tomhugill]

Franks modelbau do a flat pack(ish) kit which looks good. I've not seen a scratch one before though

[Jake79]

I've got a metal hull minus a one suspension arm you could have for £30 if it suits.

[AlwynTurner]

Thanks jake I'm still thinking it through at the minute but if I decide to go ahead I'll pm you.

Alwyn

[mcevoyi]

Yes js 2
Was done on here a couple of times now by me members long gone ,,
Most of the Js tanks seem to have been done on the kv chassis
As one time of another ,,

[MichaelC]

I have a poor man's JS-2 using Heng Long KV lower with suspension mod, wheel covers from Junkenburg's JS-3 kit, upper from Tamiya and the turret is a mod Juckenburg KV-85 with a 122mm barrel as an early JS-2. Not pretty, and almost as much as a Tamiya at the end, but just can't see myself paying close to $2,000 CAD for a full option kit.

[AlwynTurner]

The result looks pretty impressive Michael, nice looking tank.
Alwyn

[c.rainford73]

Michael that is one fantastic looking tank. I'm rebuilding a Heng Long lower hull and wanted to know about your suspension modification.

Well done

[MichaelC]

Thanks guys....... The suspension mod is actually from Mr. Junkenburg, as he sells the JS-3 kit that uses a HL KV chassis. Basically what you do is put a piece of square styrene into the bogie wheel travel, so this will lower the actual chassis and reduce the wheel travel, but gives you the desire look of the IS chassis. Here is a mod HL KV chassis, with the return roller relocated to between bogies, spacer into all the bogies travel, and JS wheel covers on all of them including the sprockets and idlers.

The effect is quite convincing but you lose suspension travel. Here is a better picture of what it looks like on a tank (In this case the JS-3 but the JS-2 is identical in terms of the lower)

[Raminator]

I wondered whether a build based on a KV1 chassis (modified where necessary) would work.

In addition to being longer, the IS-2 hull is also about 30 centimetres narrower than the KV-1 hull (if memory serves). Would cutting a Heng Long hull longitudinally be doable?

Also the potential for an ISU-152 or -122 from the same hull too!

Basically what you do is put a piece of square styrene into the bogie wheel travel, so this will lower the actual chassis and reduce the wheel travel, but gives you the desire look of the IS chassis. Here is a mod HL KV chassis, with the return roller relocated to between bogies, spacer into all the bogies travel, and JS wheel covers on all of them including the sprockets and idlers.

I'd never noticed the different in stance height between the KV and IS, and it's actually pretty striking. Nice work on the suspension mod, it definitely looks the part.