Jakko,
I can see why the idea never took off.
I can see why the idea never took off.
G
Something similar took off around the same time:
View attachment 352192
… and had the same sort of problems
The gunner on the AH-56 Cheyenne was in a seat that turned to track the target of the TOW missile, and got the same kind of motion sickness as MBT 70 drivers.
View attachment 352192
… and had the same sort of problems
The gunner on the AH-56 Cheyenne was in a seat that turned to track the target of the TOW missile, and got the same kind of motion sickness as MBT 70 drivers.
G
As if I wasn’t making things difficult enough for myself, I decided that I did really want to add the mine plough from the same Tamiya M1A1 that also donated the gun barrel. Unfortunately, of course, the hull front of the two tanks is entirely different, so the main plate to which the rest of the plough attaches doesn’t fit onto an MBT 70 hull. There’s really only one solution:
View attachment 352260
Initially I looked at various ways to modify the Tamiya part that you can see in the photo, but in the end I felt that scratchbuilding a replacement would be just as much work. As you can see it’s maybe half finished at the moment, but it fits quite well. Now I’ll have to figure out the front end, where the raising and lowering mechanisms attach — and preferably so they don’t get in front of the headlights.
View attachment 352260
Initially I looked at various ways to modify the Tamiya part that you can see in the photo, but in the end I felt that scratchbuilding a replacement would be just as much work. As you can see it’s maybe half finished at the moment, but it fits quite well. Now I’ll have to figure out the front end, where the raising and lowering mechanisms attach — and preferably so they don’t get in front of the headlights.
Really looking the part. Great blog (both research & scratchery). PaulE
G
Here’s the mine plough mounting now it’s almost complete:
View attachment 352379
I had to modify the winch/locking mechanisms to fit:
View attachment 352408
And with the arms temporarily in place:
View attachment 352378
I’ll leave these off until after painting. The hooks that hold them in the up position are also loose, as are the pieces the arms hinge into underneath the plough.
Next, the mantlet is finished. Here is my effort compared to the MBT 70 standard mantlet:
View attachment 352376View attachment 352377
The three spikes on the left-hand side are for attaching the searchlight bracket, which I’ll be leaving off. On the right front I drilled two holes for the gunner’s auxiliary sight (top) and the coax machine gun, with bits of tube for both as sunshield, flash suppressor, or whatever.
And then it all went pear-shaped
View attachment 352380
I applied superglue to the white plastic tube sticking out of the front of the turret, but probably because I had to apply stuff to the inside of the tube in the mantlet, to get superglue to stick to the material, the mantlet didn’t slide on all the way about a millimetre too far forward, it got stuck fast, I couldn’t push it on further and I couldn’t pull it back off … This required a few choice words.
Luckily when I tilt it all the way up, there’s enough of a gap on the underside to get access to the white tube, so I’ll probably be able to get a small saw in there to cut the whole thing off and find a solution, probably by drilling into both sides and adding a pin. But not today
View attachment 352379
I had to modify the winch/locking mechanisms to fit:
View attachment 352408
And with the arms temporarily in place:
View attachment 352378
I’ll leave these off until after painting. The hooks that hold them in the up position are also loose, as are the pieces the arms hinge into underneath the plough.
Next, the mantlet is finished. Here is my effort compared to the MBT 70 standard mantlet:
View attachment 352376View attachment 352377
The three spikes on the left-hand side are for attaching the searchlight bracket, which I’ll be leaving off. On the right front I drilled two holes for the gunner’s auxiliary sight (top) and the coax machine gun, with bits of tube for both as sunshield, flash suppressor, or whatever.
And then it all went pear-shaped
View attachment 352380
I applied superglue to the white plastic tube sticking out of the front of the turret, but probably because I had to apply stuff to the inside of the tube in the mantlet, to get superglue to stick to the material, the mantlet didn’t slide on all the way
about a millimetre too far forward, it got stuck fast, I couldn’t push it on further and I couldn’t pull it back off … This required a few choice words.Luckily when I tilt it all the way up, there’s enough of a gap on the underside to get access to the white tube, so I’ll probably be able to get a small saw in there to cut the whole thing off and find a solution, probably by drilling into both sides and adding a pin. But not today
jakko,
Nice work on the mounting plate. I have had that happen as well when the glue sets before its in its final position.
Nice work on the mounting plate. I have had that happen as well when the glue sets before its in its final position.
G
It’s certainly not the first time this has happened to me, but never with something as awkward to take back off as this
Bummer. Got the t-shirt & the soundtrack. PaulE
G
It’s fixed now
View attachment 352557
As you can see in this photo, the underside allows access to the trunnions, so I put a sawblade into my knife handle and cut off the mantlet:
View attachment 352558
That went much more easily than I had expected. Of course, the result was uneven, but had removed about half the necessary thickness, leaving me to file down the part in the mantlet until it fit to my satisfaction. Here’s everything in place:
View attachment 352559
The gun barrel is by now also glued in, and at that point, of course, I discovered it’s heavy enough to pull the whole thing down if the gun is horizontal. I suppose I’ll have to glue the thing solid after all.
Let’s see, what remains to be done? Machine gun turret, finishing the plough, drilling holes in the spare wheel, um … what else? Not much, I think. Other than crew and stowage, that is.
View attachment 352557
As you can see in this photo, the underside allows access to the trunnions, so I put a sawblade into my knife handle and cut off the mantlet:
View attachment 352558
That went much more easily than I had expected. Of course, the result was uneven, but had removed about half the necessary thickness, leaving me to file down the part in the mantlet until it fit to my satisfaction. Here’s everything in place:
View attachment 352559
The gun barrel is by now also glued in, and at that point, of course, I discovered it’s heavy enough to pull the whole thing down if the gun is horizontal. I suppose I’ll have to glue the thing solid after all.
Let’s see, what remains to be done? Machine gun turret, finishing the plough, drilling holes in the spare wheel, um … what else? Not much, I think. Other than crew and stowage, that is.
G
We’re at the detail stage now, I suppose. Here’s a jerrycan holder, based on the type on the M1 (not M1A1 or later) turret:
View attachment 353120
This is completely different from the familiar, standard American jerrycan holder, so I couldn’t just use an etched one. Luckily it’s relatively easy to build from some thin card and strip. The trickiest bits were the diagonal braces, and trying to glue it on the turret side behind the basket
20 mm ammo cans on the back of the stowage basket (“bustle rack” in American terms):
View attachment 353121
Just some from the AFV Club set of 7.62 mm, .50 and 20 mm ammo cans. The ones from Tamiya’s Modern U.S. Military Equipment Set are slightly sharper in detail, but I only noticed that when I had already put these together, and in any case the difference is very minor.
Then the smoke grenade launchers:
View attachment 353122View attachment 353123
The actual launchers are from an ancient Tamiya Chieftain (ancient as in: one I built 30 or so years ago, and have since mostly taken apart again for various parts of it), which is whey they are two different colours. I drilled out the launch tubes and inserted 2 mm rod so it extends out of the tubes, which replicates the double-loading American crews sometimes do: two smoke grenades in each tube, to thicken the smokescreen.
The mounting brackets are from the same Tamiya M1A1 that supplied the gun barrel and mine plough, but thinned down and with bolt heads added. After doing so I discovered that on the M1 these are socket bolts, not hex-head ones, but who is to know besides me? Well, you, now you’ve read that, of course …
Everything else is scratchbuilt: the wires are copper wire from an old computer monitor, the angle iron protective channels are inspired by the Abrams again, and made from L-profile plastic with rod and strip for the brackets. Those were a job and a half to get on because they’re so tiny The number on the turret is from digits I shaved off a Tamiya sprue, again replicating a detail of the M1 Abrams.
View attachment 353120
This is completely different from the familiar, standard American jerrycan holder, so I couldn’t just use an etched one. Luckily it’s relatively easy to build from some thin card and strip. The trickiest bits were the diagonal braces, and trying to glue it on the turret side behind the basket
20 mm ammo cans on the back of the stowage basket (“bustle rack” in American terms):
View attachment 353121
Just some from the AFV Club set of 7.62 mm, .50 and 20 mm ammo cans. The ones from Tamiya’s Modern U.S. Military Equipment Set are slightly sharper in detail, but I only noticed that when I had already put these together, and in any case the difference is very minor.
Then the smoke grenade launchers:
View attachment 353122View attachment 353123
The actual launchers are from an ancient Tamiya Chieftain (ancient as in: one I built 30 or so years ago, and have since mostly taken apart again for various parts of it), which is whey they are two different colours. I drilled out the launch tubes and inserted 2 mm rod so it extends out of the tubes, which replicates the double-loading American crews sometimes do: two smoke grenades in each tube, to thicken the smokescreen.
The mounting brackets are from the same Tamiya M1A1 that supplied the gun barrel and mine plough, but thinned down and with bolt heads added. After doing so I discovered that on the M1 these are socket bolts, not hex-head ones, but who is to know besides me? Well, you, now you’ve read that, of course …
Everything else is scratchbuilt: the wires are copper wire from an old computer monitor, the angle iron protective channels are inspired by the Abrams again, and made from L-profile plastic with rod and strip for the brackets. Those were a job and a half to get on because they’re so tiny
The number on the turret is from digits I shaved off a Tamiya sprue, again replicating a detail of the M1 Abrams.
Hi Jakko
Glad the mantle was sorted ok. I am really impressed with the detail you are putting into this. Love the number.
Jim
Glad the mantle was sorted ok. I am really impressed with the detail you are putting into this. Love the number.
Jim
G
Thanks I’m now mainly pondering the remote machine-gun turret. I’ve mostly finished scratchbuilding the M85 machine gun (no photos yet) but still have to work out what to put into the turret, and how, because Dragon’s offering is both simplified and completely lacking. The top of the mounting is there, but needs detailing — if not a major rebuild to be replicate the real thing more closely — and everything below the actual mounting added, as that will be visible but is not included in the kit. Think stuff like an ammunition bin, feed and empties chutes, a lot of wiring, even the traverse motor.
I’m now mainly pondering the remote machine-gun turret. I’ve mostly finished scratchbuilding the M85 machine gun (no photos yet) but still have to work out what to put into the turret, and how, because Dragon’s offering is both simplified and completely lacking. The top of the mounting is there, but needs detailing — if not a major rebuild to be replicate the real thing more closely — and everything below the actual mounting added, as that will be visible but is not included in the kit. Think stuff like an ammunition bin, feed and empties chutes, a lot of wiring, even the traverse motor.
Jakko,
The fine work continues.
The fine work continues.
G
As far as I know, nobody sells an M85 machine gun, so I had to build my own. Luckily I could use the barrel from an Italeri (ex-Esci) M60A1 kit, as the flash hider would probably be the hardest part to scratchbuild. Everything else is plastic card, strip and rod:
View attachment 353249View attachment 353250View attachment 353252View attachment 353251
I didn’t build the feedway as hollow, nor add detail inside of it, because there will be feed and ejection chutes running to the gun, so there was no point in trying to build this area completely.
View attachment 353249View attachment 353250View attachment 353252View attachment 353251
I didn’t build the feedway as hollow, nor add detail inside of it, because there will be feed and ejection chutes running to the gun, so there was no point in trying to build this area completely.
Jakko,
Very nicely done.
Very nicely done.
G
With the interim Ki-43 finished and the temperatures back to a tolerable level in my hobby room, I finally managed to do some more work on the M70A2. It doesn’t look like much, but quite a lot of staring at photos and other thought had to go into parts of it:
View attachment 355066
These are the main bits for the remote-control AA turret. As shown earlier, I’ll replace the cannon by an M85 machine gun, and on the left is the basis of the mounting for that. I built a cradle from plastic strip, after sawing away parts of the trunnions (the big cylindrical things), because Dragon had got them somewhat wrong: on the real thing, only the top is as wide as the model portrays it, while the bottom is mostly open. I also added a bit of detail into the left-hand one, which I think is a device to measure the elevation and feed it back to the fire control system. This whole mounting still needs quite a lot of additions, mainly an ammo bin underneath, probably also a spent casings bin (as I don’t think they’d want those to just drop into the turret), and ammo feed chutes, plus the elevation motor and some cabling. Dragon omitted all of this, despite it being very visible
The other bit is the turret, with internal detailing that Dragon similarly omitted entirely. There are two small bins of some kind — their purpose escapes me — plus lifting hooks and a traverse motor. I also closed the opening for the 20 mm barrel with a piece of plastic card that I then shaped to conform to the rest of the turret before cutting a much smaller slot for the M85’s barrel.
Getting there, slowly but surely
View attachment 355066
These are the main bits for the remote-control AA turret. As shown earlier, I’ll replace the cannon by an M85 machine gun, and on the left is the basis of the mounting for that. I built a cradle from plastic strip, after sawing away parts of the trunnions (the big cylindrical things), because Dragon had got them somewhat wrong: on the real thing, only the top is as wide as the model portrays it, while the bottom is mostly open. I also added a bit of detail into the left-hand one, which I think is a device to measure the elevation and feed it back to the fire control system. This whole mounting still needs quite a lot of additions, mainly an ammo bin underneath, probably also a spent casings bin (as I don’t think they’d want those to just drop into the turret), and ammo feed chutes, plus the elevation motor and some cabling. Dragon omitted all of this, despite it being very visible
The other bit is the turret, with internal detailing that Dragon similarly omitted entirely. There are two small bins of some kind — their purpose escapes me — plus lifting hooks and a traverse motor. I also closed the opening for the 20 mm barrel with a piece of plastic card that I then shaped to conform to the rest of the turret before cutting a much smaller slot for the M85’s barrel.
Getting there, slowly but surely
G
This turret is turning out to be the most work of the whole model.
View attachment 355187
The ammo/spent casings bins are at the top, made from part of the drive shaft tunnel from a Hobby Boss M706 armoured car (I hadn’t fitted the interior) plus some bits of plastic card and strip.
The other two things are the ammo feed chutes, which are pieces of plastic strip about 4 mm wide and 1 mm thick that I cut from sheet and then bent into shape after heating them with an 800 W hair dryer. I then laboriously glued pieces of 0.25 by 0.5 mm strip to them to replicate the links on the outside (I’m glad I invested in a Chopper ages ago), with scribed lines on the inside. They’re too long so I could hold them in locking tweezers, and will of course be cut to size later.
The main things left to build at this stage are a framework to hold the bins under the turret, brackets for the chutes, a cloth extension to the ejection chute, and cabling to link the various electric bits. Oh, and I also need to add a motor and some kind of pulley system to cock the gun, plus a similar mechanism to operate the trigger. This requires a bit more thought, though.
View attachment 355187
The ammo/spent casings bins are at the top, made from part of the drive shaft tunnel from a Hobby Boss M706 armoured car (I hadn’t fitted the interior) plus some bits of plastic card and strip.
The other two things are the ammo feed chutes, which are pieces of plastic strip about 4 mm wide and 1 mm thick that I cut from sheet and then bent into shape after heating them with an 800 W hair dryer. I then laboriously glued pieces of 0.25 by 0.5 mm strip to them to replicate the links on the outside (I’m glad I invested in a Chopper ages ago), with scribed lines on the inside. They’re too long so I could hold them in locking tweezers, and will of course be cut to size later.
The main things left to build at this stage are a framework to hold the bins under the turret, brackets for the chutes, a cloth extension to the ejection chute, and cabling to link the various electric bits. Oh, and I also need to add a motor and some kind of pulley system to cock the gun, plus a similar mechanism to operate the trigger. This requires a bit more thought, though.
G
The upper mounting is now complete, as far as I’m concernedm
View attachment 355211View attachment 355212
I glued the gun into the mounting and then the chutes to both. On the underside, I added a motor (parts from the Dragon kit, for what I think is the cocker for the Rh 202 cannon) with some scratchbuilt stuff like a pulley at the back and a stretched sprue cable to represent the mechanism to remotely cock the gun.
I just realised it still needs a firing mechanism hooked up to the little lever on the right rear side of the receiver.
View attachment 355211View attachment 355212
I glued the gun into the mounting and then the chutes to both. On the underside, I added a motor (parts from the Dragon kit, for what I think is the cocker for the Rh 202 cannon) with some scratchbuilt stuff like a pulley at the back and a stretched sprue cable to represent the mechanism to remotely cock the gun.
I just realised it still needs a firing mechanism hooked up to the little lever on the right rear side of the receiver.
Jakko,
That is absolutely superb.
That is absolutely superb.
G
Thanks, but it’s not that good, really
Also, here’s a hopefully interesting little film I just came across:
This is German KPz 70 prototype PT 3 under test, mostly driving a cross-country course but also nice shots of its engine (the MTU one, PT 3 was the first equipped with that) being changed by a Bergepanzer 2. (You can tell it’s PT 3 because of the grilles on the rear hull sides — to the best of my knowledge, it was the only one that had those.)
Also, here’s a hopefully interesting little film I just came across:
This is German KPz 70 prototype PT 3 under test, mostly driving a cross-country course but also nice shots of its engine (the MTU one, PT 3 was the first equipped with that) being changed by a Bergepanzer 2. (You can tell it’s PT 3 because of the grilles on the rear hull sides — to the best of my knowledge, it was the only one that had those.)
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