T50 Light Tank

Gluing model faithfully reproducing the T-50 A.A. Light tank. In 1939, the team of constructors of the Kirov plant no. 185 in Leningrad, led by engineer Semyon Ginzburg, began work on a tank initially designated SP, and later object 126 or T-126 (SP). Structurally, it referred to the T-34 tank, and was to be the successor of the T-26 tank. And the latter during the Winter War with Finland turned out to be an obsolete construction. It was the great losses suffered among the T-26 that were the reason for ordering work on the T-50. The first prototypes of the tank were built in 1940. After preliminary tests, the prototype was handed over to Factory No. 174 in Leningrad, which was to undertake serial production of the tank. Following design changes, a new prototype called object-127 (T-127) was created, which was then put into production. From the original design of object 126, it differed, m.in, in its lower weight, which was achieved mainly due to the reduction of armor thickness from 45 to 37 mm. A new W-4 diesel engine with 300 hp was developed for the tank. After testing two new prototypes that were built in January 1941, the T-50 tank was accepted into service with the Red Army in April 1941. Factory no. 174 managed to produce only 50 pieces. Then the plants were evacuated to Nizhny Tagil and Omsk. The Omsk plant produced only 15 vehicles and then began producing T-34 tanks. In total, 65 T-50 vehicles were built along with prototypes.