Academy M48A3 Patton

[stillp]

I haven't been modelling much recently for various reasons, but I've managed to fill a few holes in the lower hull and add some of the details to the upper hull and turret. The road wheels have been sanded and assembled - they have polycaps so are removable. Then I thought I'd better get some paint on while everything is still accessible.

That's Mr Hobby Aqueous olive drab. Might not be the right shade of OD for a Vietnam era tank, but it'll do. I'm not sure what colour to paint the inside of the infra-red searchlight. It's black at the moment but the box art seems to have some parts in silver. Any thoughts folks?

The Triumph Herald on the left of the booth is still doing duty as a paint test mule.
Pete

[adt70hk]

Cool!

[Guest]

Might not be the right shade of OD for a Vietnam era tank, but it'll do.

It’ll be fine as long as you don’t apply the Marine Corps decals USMC vehicles of the era were green, not OD, but that’s something that manufacturers didn’t realise at the time this kit (or the Tamiya one, anyway) was released.

I'm not sure what colour to paint the inside of the infra-red searchlight. It's black at the moment but the box art seems to have some parts in silver.

The curved back is a mirror, but the side walls and the front of the lamp are black while some parts are in a dull metallic finish, according to this photo I took over 20 year ago:

[ATTACH]473225[/ATTACH]

Though it’s on Bovington’s M60A1 RISE/Passive here, this is the same type of searchlight as in your kit.

[stillp]

Thanks Jakko, I think I'll leave it all black. The mirror doesn't seem to be visible in photos.
Pete

[Allen Dewire]

Sorry Pete, I just saw this and had a good ketchup. Looks like you have everything under control and we even have some paint on her. Top stuff Sir!!! I'll try to keep up now, too...

Prost
Allen

[Guest]

Thanks Jakko, I think I'll leave it all black. The mirror doesn't seem to be visible in photos.

That’s mainly because of the awkward angle it usually has to be photographed from I think if you paint the inside of the rear part silver and the rest of the insides black, you’re most of the way there.

[stillp]

Well, this thing nearly got binned yesterday. The turret didn't want to fit, so I had to sand quite a bit of the bottom as well as removing some of the stubs that fit into the upper hull - probably the wrong word, the bits that stick out so the turret has a bayonet fitting into the hull. The upper and lower hulls were a real struggle to fit together, so I left the turret on, and left the rear panel of the hull, thinking I could put the hulls together dry, then run some cement in to hold them together.
Result was a lot of distortion of the front of the hull, where I hadn't realised how much cement I'd used, and some cement got onto the turret, which is now immovable.

In other news, I painted up the IR searchlight as Jakko suggested:

I might as well get it finished though, so I started painting the wheels, but then started to get the shakes again, so I left it alone for a while. :anguished:
To think this was going to be a quick OOB build...
Pete

[Guest]

Just as well I didn't attempt it then Pete.
Plenty of mud would be my stock answer to any armour or truck build that behaves like that . Either that or set the b****y thing on fire . In these days of high energy costs that may well be a good option :smiling2:

[Tim Marlow]

Looking good despite the issues Pete, but why is it always the ones we think will be quick that give us the most trouble?

[Mickc1440]

Late to the party but nice work Pete

[Guest]

Ouch, that fit is not great … The Tamiya one fits OK, but IIRC it can be a bit tricky if you don’t get the rear plate right. That is to say, I suppose this one also fits by hooking into the top of the rear plate while the front has two long poly caps that go over posts on the upper and lower hulls?

The searchlight looks good, better than the all-silver ones I always produced from these kits because that’s what the instructions said to do.

[stillp]

Well, I've binned it. Too much distortion of the front hull, it's never going to make a decent model however long I spend on it. :disappointed2:
Pete

[adt70hk]

Sorry to hear that Pete.....

[Guest]

If you decide you want an M48 after all, I would recommend one of the new Takom ones. Though I would also advise to buy a set of AFV Club tracks together with it, then sell the ones in the kit to some other sucker At least the AFV Club ones won’t cost you 14 hours to build, like it took the person who wanted to have the tracks from my M247 kit (the air-defence tank based on the M48) …

[Mini Me]

I can feel your frustration all the way over here in the States Pete. I have had the same inclination more than once on my JU52 build, I'm just too "Boneheaded" to give up on it. Besides that, it's the only game in town. On the other hand, you have options as Jakko said there are better kits available (lucky Boy) so pluck up and have another go at it from a different angle.