Saturday 9 January 2016

TOPOL MOBILE ICBM LAUNCHER (Zvezda)

This is the new highly-anticipated 1/72 scale Zvezda model of the Topol ICBM launcher vehicle. 

The Topol (poplar tree) road mobile RT-2PM 15Ж58 ICBM was designed by Alexander Nadiradze at the Moscow institute of Thermal Technologies. The missile carries a single large-yield nuclear warhead. The truck is the MAZ-7310 or MAZ-7917 body (depending on the exact date of manufacture). The Topol was manufactured at the Votkinsk Machine Building Plant, and entered service in 1985, and was last test fired on 20 March 2014 at Kapustin Yar. This model shows the Topol ICBM launcher as it appeared just after an upgrade at the 3rd Missile Battalion, 697th Missile Regiment, 14th Missile Division, 27th Guards Vitebskaya Red Banner Missile Army of the Strategic Missile Forces (RVSN) at the Yoshkar-Ola operating base in the Russian Federation. 

The missile launching tune has the new camo paint scheme, while the older truck body retains the overall green scheme. All 14 rubber wheels are off the ground in a relaxed dropped position, as the truck sits on four metal legs I built from scratch to replace the fake looking plastic legs. Armour kits usually come in 1/35 scale, but as this is a truly massive vehicle, it is about three times the length of a main battle tank, and therefore suitable for a smaller scale kit.


Topol RT-2PM 15Ж58 ICBM

Topol RT-2PM 15Ж58 ICBM

Topol RT-2PM 15Ж58 ICBM

Topol RT-2PM 15Ж58 ICBM

Topol RT-2PM 15Ж58 ICBM

Topol RT-2PM 15Ж58 ICBM

Topol RT-2PM 15Ж58 ICBM

Topol RT-2PM 15Ж58 ICBM

Topol RT-2PM 15Ж58 ICBM

Topol RT-2PM 15Ж58 ICBM


Topol RT-2PM 15Ж58 ICBM at Petrograd's Artillery Museum